Burnt Orange Nation

All the Big 12-2 Conference news that is and isn't fit to read...
And some other stuff.

Close, but just not enough. [AAS]

This just hurts. [Topeka Capital-Journal]

Nobody since Mexico has owned Texas the way Kansas State does.

Kansas is coming. [ESPN]

There are three guarantees in life -- death, taxes and Kansas contending for the Big 12 title under Self. This was supposed to be the year that the Jayhawks fell from their perch, right? They didn't have a recruiting class full of McDonald’s All-America kids. They went all in with Thomas Robinson, a reserve last season, who doesn’t have the luxury of being surrounded by other NBA talents. It's a team guided by Tyshawn Taylor and his turnovers. And here they are again, sitting atop the Big 12.

We're Texas. We don't need helicopters to impress recruits. [Crystal Ball Run]

Did you know... [Texas Exes]

The Bears are as good as advertised. [Yahoo Sports]

Charlie Weis is cleaning house. [KU Sports]

Weis announced 10 former players, many of whom played significant snaps during the 2011 season, had been dismissed from the program. Those players were dismissed for everything from academic and behavioral issues to a desire to continue their careers elsewhere. Weis said he could not go into great detail about the dismissals.

Six — JaQwaylin Arps, Dexter McDonald, Darrian Miller, Adonis Saunders, Brock Berglund and Keeston Terry — simply were released by the program. Three others — Jordan Webb, Tyrone Sellers and Tom Mabry — will no longer be a part of the program but will remain enrolled at KU for the spring semester and may consider playing elsewhere in the future.

And Weis seems to be something of a jerk. [CBS Sports]

Now we find out that while Berglund has been dismissed from the team by Charlie Weis, the new head coach in Lawrence isn't making things easy for Berglund, as he is yet to release him from his scholarship.

Brent Venables has left Oklahoma. [ESPN]

How much do Big 12 schools spend on recruiting? [Business of College Sports]

ESPN hires highly intelligent people.

Think four. [USA Today]

The plus-one is one avenue. The other is more radical: a BCS pullout from the bowl system and single focus on settling the national championship. Simply stage a two- or four-team playoff.

Right now, think four.

The coaching carousel goes round and round. [Yahoo Sports]

What were the 10 best defenses in college football? [Lost Lettermen]

The beginner's guide to conference realignment. [SB Nation]

Confused by all the recruiting terminology? Here's your guide. [SB Nation]

The Big East is looking for new members. [ESPN]

Marinatto reiterated the conference's wishes to expand to at least 12 football schools, but he would not discuss a timetable or potential schools to be pursued.

“We’re working very hard,” Marinatto said. “I made it a practice over the last year to never discuss institutions specifically by name, so I’m not at liberty to get into specifics, but yeah, we want to get to at least 12 and that’s been our goal. We’re very happy with where we are, but obviously we have a little bit more work to do.”

The Good, The Bad, The Sanctioned

The NCAA is cracking the whip on cheaters. [CBS Sports]

"We were damn mad and not going to take it anymore," Ed Ray, Oregon State president and chair of the Enforcement Working Group, said.

The Enforcement Working Group that came out of August's presidential retreat was tasked with creating a tiered violation structure, new penalty procedures, a reformed process for adjudication and a reformed process that is fair while supporting the collegiate model the organization is looking to uphold.

The media's communication with the Auburn SID during the Cam Newton era. [Deadspin]

And the stupid

The Craig James For U.S. Senate campaign isn't going too well. [Houston Chronicle]

James, who formally launched his campaign last week, draws 4 percent support. The former SMU Mustang and New England Patriot running back is struggling to overcome two liabilities: he’s largely unknown and he’s unpopular among those who know him.

Unbelievable. [USA Today]

Roll tide roll. Alabama should be so proud of their fan base. [Sporting News]

And finally...

Austinite Jordan Williamson was supported by Stanford teammates after missed kicks in the Fiesta Bowl. [ESPN]

BDR doesn't endorse any of the rubbish out there in the interwebs, we just link to it. For a lot more daily rubbish on a somewhat timely basis, follow me on Twitter.com/dimecoverage.