In Tuesday's mailbag we chat Baylor's bowl struggles, plenty of West Virginia and what about Texas to the SEC? As always, thanks for your questions. To submit questions for next week's mailbag, click here.
BaylorBear2014 in Austin, Texas, writes: Is it concerning that the last two years, Baylor has gone to top bowls and both years lost. What (if anything) do these losses say about the squad?
Brandon Chatmon: It says the Bears have been unable to finish for two straight seasons. Which means there's still work to be done, despite two straight Big 12 titles. I don't think it's a symptom of a bigger, deeper issue, they just lost a pair of big games on a national stage. I'd feel differently if BU wasn't good enough to win those games, but that's not the case. Those setbacks should provide valuable experience that coach Art Briles and company can lean on in the future.
Eduardo in Dallas, writes: Following up on the Trevone Boykin-jumpball question from last week (disclosure: I am a Baylor fan).The jumpball that Boykin throws seems very, very similar to what Johnny Manziel was doing in College Station with Mike Evans. It was effective in year 1, but the defenses adjusted and the play was less successful Manziel's sophomore year. Not to outright argue that Boykin is overrated, but Manziel's sophomore year was not as good as year 1. Do you think it is a foregone conclusion that Boykin and TCU's offense won't regress to the mean a little?
Chatmon: Baylor fans are clearly not believers in TCU's star quarterback. Could Boykin be a one-year wonder? Yes. But I doubt he is, he's too talented. I fully expect teams to adjust to Boykin and TCU's offense this fall and make things harder on them. And I fully expect Boykin and TCU's offense to get better in Year 2 in the system as well. Expect another big season from Boykin -- last year was not a fluke folks, just ask the coaches who had to deal with him.
Nick Spencer in LeRoy, Kansas, writes: Is Bill Snyder the best coach in college football? He wins year in and year out with local talent and walk-ons. He obviously does not have the most athletic teams in the conference but he still manages to win and that brings the question to mind, is he the best?
Chatmon: Although I wouldn't call him THE best in college football, Snyder is clearly one of the best and tends to maximize the potential of his personnel and exceed expectations. The thing I like most about his programs is his commitment to building a team and fitting players into his system, not just recruiting a bunch of talented athletes then trying to mold them together. He's excellent in every respect.
Kyle in Corpus Christi, Texas, writes: Do you see a scenario where Texas agrees to equal revenue sharing and departs for the S.E.C., based on the recent success of Texas A&M which seems to be directly linked to their departure to the S.E.C. it only seems like the logical step to becoming the dominant team in regards to recruiting, particularly among the lines.
Chatmon: By success do you mean the Aggies' 13-11 record in conference games since they joined the SEC? Or are you measuring success in a different way? To answer your question, no. The most important thing Texas can do is start worrying about Texas, winning at Texas and nothing else.
Zach in Yosemite writes: I have to agree with Omar from last week, I think the Big 12 is being mismanaged and it's hurting our teams. Imagine if TCU had played Baylor in a championship game and won. Do you really, truly, and honestly believe that they wouldn't have gotten into the top 4?
Chatmon: I just don't think they would have gotten in. Both teams (TCU and Baylor) did more than enough on the final day (and throughout the season) to get in, yet they did not. I don't think TCU beating Baylor or vice versa on Championship Saturday would have changed the final outcome in 2014.
Zac in Auburn, Nebraska, writes: In recent articles, WVU has been touted to be weak on offense (lost Mario Alford, Kevin White, and some good linemen; brand new quarterback), and strong on defense (LOTS of experience). In your opinion, where do you see WVU as being weak on defense (Where should they be concerned; should they be concerned?) and strong on offense (recruiting class, TD:INT ratio, stable of backs)?
Chatmon: The areas of concern on WVU's defense is pass-rushers and cornerback depth. The Mountaineers liked what they saw out of defensive end Larry Jefferson in the spring and have enough athletes and blitzes to create pressure, but you can never have too many guys who can win one-on-one battles. The cornerback situation is similar as you can never have too many cornerbacks in the Big 12, even though they should have one of the best in Daryl Worley. But WVU's defense doesn't have a lot of holes. Offensively, they need to find playmakers, but I don't expect that to be a major program. I think WVU's primary concern, from top to bottom, should be offensive line. I don't expect that group to be a problem/weak link, but it all starts there.
Scott in Royse City, Texas, writes: If the Big 12 (and ACC) gets the approval for deregulation, couldn't the Big 12 consider going to just 11 teams instead? Here's my thought: add BYU (honestly, the only true team that is what the Big 12 is looking for...new market, big fan base), go to an 8 game conference schedule (8 out of possible 10 games), the top 2 teams meet for the championship. So the possibility of not having a rematch can now exist with the top 2 teams. The Big 12 would not have a problem with the BYU network (obviously) and there has to be a clause in the contract BYU has with ESPN concerning them joining a conference. Just a thought.
Chatmon: It's an interesting thought, Scott. But not interesting enough. It's going to take a lot for the current schools to want to add more mouths to feed. That's the bottom line.
Dave Hercules in Hagerstown, Maryland, writes: Did West Virginia make any effort to keep Coach Tom Bradley and will it make a difference in defense performance 2015?
Chatmon: Bradley went to be defensive coordinator at UCLA, something that wasn't really an option in Morgantown, West Virginia. I'll delve deeper into this subject with a in-depth post later this week on the Big 12 blog, but I don't see WVU's defense falling apart because of Bradley's departure.