Texas Tech vs. Texas … College Preview 9/19

The first big game in the Big 12 Conference goes down Saturday night in Austin, as Texas hosts Texas Tech.

Kickoff is 7 p.m. CDT and will be televised by ABC.

Last year, the only reason the Longhorns did not get a chance to play for the national championship was a 39-33 loss they suffered in Lubbock, when WR Michael Crabtree grabbed that late TD toss to decide the game. It was the only blemish on the Texas scorecard last year.

This season, the Longhorns are loaded with talent, topped by four-year starter at quarterback Colt McCoy (left). In just the junior and senior classes, scouts say there are 13 draftable players coming into this season.

It’s not the same with the Red Raiders, who lack that upperclassmen superstar like Crabtree that they had last year. That difference in talent is why Texas is so heavily favored at home in this game.

Here are the top prospects:

TEXAS TECH

DT Colby Whitlock (#93) – 6-2, 287 pounds, JR. A powerful, yet quick of foot defensive lineman who plays tackle in Tech’s 3-4 defensive scheme. He’s started 23 games, including 10 as a true freshman in ‘07. Whitlock has 39 total tackles and 5.5 sacks. A strong senior season will elevate his stock, but coming into the season the NFL scouts saw him as a fifth-round projection.

G Brandon Carter (#76) – 6-6, 344 pounds, SR-Redshirt. More than likely he’ll move to tackle in the NFL because of his size. Tech likes to have big tackle types in their blocking scheme because of the wide splits they take when lining up. Carter has pretty good feet for a guy that big. He has a lot of experience in pass protection having played for the Red Raiders. There’s room for improvement in his senior season. If that happens, Carter could jump himself into the fourth or early fifth-round.

TEXAS

QB Colt McCoy (#12) – 6-2, 212 pounds, SR-Redshirt. One of the premier players in college football, McCoy is searching for two things this season: a national championship and the Heisman Trophy. He could win both. Other than the fact he’s not the 6-4, 6-5 height that the NFL likes to see from its quarterbacks, McCoy has everything the league seeks from a quarterback: strong arm, mobility, leadership, poise, intelligence and a strong character. He’s played in 41 games for the Longhorns, throwing for 10,386 yards, 90 TD passes and 35 interceptions. He’s completed 70 percent of his passes over his career. McCoy has also run for 18 scores and has gained 1,264 rushing yards. The ‘09 season has started for McCoy with five TD passes and two interceptions. His record as a starting QB is now 34-7, 13-1 in the ‘08 and ‘09 so far. He’ll be a top half of the first round choice in the 2010 NFL Draft.

CB Chykie Brown (#8) – 6-0, 187 pounds, JR-Redshirt. An ankle injury suffered last year against Missouri cost him some playing time in his first season seeing starting action. In his 26 games, he has 41 tackles. He’s a good athlete, who can consistently run in the 4.3s in the 40-yard dash. NFL scouts say with continued development and more playing time in this ‘09 season, Brown could be a second-round possibility in next spring’s selection meeting.

OLB Sergio Kindle (#2) – 6-4, 255 pounds, SR. How tough is this guy? Back in June he crashed his car into an Austin apartment building, causing almost $9,000 in damages. After the crash, Kindle pushed the car back into the street and went home. Turns out he had a concussion, but he was not hospitalized. Add a three-game suspension in ‘07 for a drunken driving charge and there are a few skeletons in his closet. Kindle really stepped forward last season, when he had 10 sacks and earned All-America mention. He has all the traits NFL teams look for when it comes to rushing the passer, and his athletic ability has shown he can play in space, making him a good OLB prospect for the 3-4. Kindle should be a second-round selection.

WR Jordan Shipley (#8) – 6-0, 190 pounds, SR-Redshirt. One of rare six-year players in college football, Shipley has gotten over his injury problems to become a productive receiver. Physically small, he makes up for it with very good speed (he’s a low 4.4 guy), intelligence and diligence when it comes to running his routes and understand the offense. Suffered through leg and hamstring injuries in the 2004 and 2005 seasons, Shipley got on the field in the 2006 season and immediately started making contributions. In 43 games, he’s caught 147 passes for 1,947 yards and 21 TDs. He’s also returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns. Pound-for-pound, he’s probably as good a player as there is in major college football, it’s just that he doesn’t have a lot of pounds. Figures to be a late second, early third-round pick.