Big 12 Media Days notebook: Upset of OSU still lingers for Iowa State

In the meantime, the Cyclones defense would like to divert attention its way.

“Looking outside in at our program, they see instability at the quarterback spot,” said linebacker A.J. Klein, an All-Big 12 pick. “For us as a defense, to be settled and to be strong, helps the whole program image, I think, with the question marks.

“Hopefully we draw some of the attention away form the quarterback position, having it be such a vital spot. And draw some of the attention to the defense and kind of let this whole competition go under the radar a little bit.”

TCU'S RECRUITING GROUND MAKES BIG 12 TERRITORY FAMILIAR

TCU coach Gary Patterson has every Big 12 game on his laptop. But as the Horned Frogs prepare for their first Big 12 season, they know the opposition anyway.

“We've been recruiting against the Big 12 the last seven, eight years,” Patterson said. “We've won more of those battles the last four or five years. That's the great thing, when you do step on the field, you're stepping on the field against kids you played against in high school.”

Patterson said the Big 12 will help TCU's recruiting, but Patterson said he wants to be careful. He said the adage is largely true that it's not the guys you lose that get you beat, it's the guys you take and can't play.

TEXAS TECH'S NEW DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR CAN ‘ADAPT TO DIFFERENT OFFENSES,' TUBERVILLE SAYS

Injuries and a porous defense dismantled Texas Tech's 2011 season, after a 5-2 start. The Red Raiders lost five straight games.

Injuries are a condition of luck. But Tech coach Tommy Tuberville addressed the defensive problems by hiring a new coordinator, Art Kaufman. Kaufman has served as coordinator at Louisiana Tech, East Carolina, Mississippi and North Carolina.

“You've got to have somebody that understands how to adapt to different offenses, how to make changes in terms of your personnel on defense, and that only comes from experience. And Art's been there.

“We went through a lot of the same scenarios while we were at Ole Miss together. He did the same thing in the ACC the last few years of seeing different teams in that league each week.”