Among the topics discussed: bowl games, DeMarco Murray and the Internet:
On changing his approach to preparing for bowl games: “In the end, it’s a situation that there isn’t any one answer to it. You can look at all the factors. I think we’ve played pretty well at the end of the year when we played the No. 1 team in the country for the Big 12 Championship and played pretty well, winning in a strong way. Everyone is complimenting you for three or four weeks leading up to the game, and there are factors you can’t control. And the other team gets beat at the end of the year or has something to prove, I think that’s a factor in every game in every BCS game or any bowl game.
“There are factors when you also don’t have your full team. We have four starters not in the game. That doesn’t help you. And in the end, too, I think it’s obvious you’re playing another championship team and if you’re not at your best, you’re not going to fare well.”
On the strength of the Big 12: “I think for sure just the quality of overall play, but I think everyone knows it’s the great QBs that are out there throughout the league. It’s just amazing and it’s really challenging for defenses to be in position and to play well and to limit them.”
On DeMarco Murray: “He’s recovered well, when I’ve seen him coming in the training room and rehabbing his knee, he says it feels great. DeMarco is an explosive, exciting player. He’s one of those special athletes that everyone sees the great speed and the moves he has. But he’s a physical guy, too. When you get up next to him and you pat him on the shoulder, there’s a lot to that guy. He’s a stronger runner I think than people notice.”
On message boards and the Internet hoax: “It’s sad. The whole incident with our players. I read the guy’s comment, he didn’t mean to hurt anybody. Well, what did you think would happen? That’s two young guys that are as good of young men as you’ll ever find. Then someone just puts that out there. It’s grown, mature people. It’s amazing to me, to be honest with you. And I find it just as humorous, though, that people actually read it and believe it. I don’t know what to say about it. It just surprises me that it gets that much attention or that somebody would actually then go ahead and report it as true without researching it.”
“There’s so much junk that’s on there, from what I understand. I promise you, I’m not reading any of it. But that’s what they say.”
On policing message boards: “I would imagine you’d have to start making people hold them to it. Again, I don’t know what the situation will happen with our young guys, but I don’t know how you would, to be honest. I think the way to police it is people don’t read it or don’t give it any validity, unless it’s one of you guys and you’ve got your name to it and you can stand by your story.”
Big 12 Analysis: Day 3
