As misty-eyed, emotional postgame speeches go, Paul Rhoads is the king in the Big 12 -- even the president recognized that.
Barack Obama dropped a line in his speech on Tuesday at Iowa State, paying tribute to the ISU football coach.
"I won't pretend I can give a speech like Coach Rhoads can, but I'm going to try," Obama said.
As Ames Tribune Sports Editor Bobby La Gesse writes, "This is something the Cyclones get time and again under Rhoads. This is the kind of thing that never happened before he arrived."
The coach has certainly made a name for himself by pulling off big upsets -- Nebraska in 2009, Texas in 2010 and Oklahoma State last season -- and Rhoads' speeches that followed have put a nice cherry on top of each win, bringing some extra attention to the Cyclones. His I'm so proud speech following the Nebraska win has nearly 400,000 views on YouTube. The video below of his speech after a victory over OSU is so good he had to have prepared it beforehand.
(Source: isuvideo)
As for the Obama love, Rhoads watched Obama's speech from his office and did not expect to hear anything about ISU football.
"There was some good research done there by his writers," Rhoads said. "They had him prepared. He didn't know my name before he said it, and he forgot it right after he said it, nonetheless, still pretty cool."
No word on Saunders' ruling: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops thought the Sooners would learn the results of WR Jalen Saunders' waiver request to play this season on Tuesday. Tuesday passed without any word from the NCAA. Saunders transferred from Fresno State and has asked that he be allowed to play immediately and not have to sit out a year.
- Texas optimistic LHN will find major cable provider: The Austin American-Statesman reported that Texas president Bill Powers believes ESPN will find a major cable carrier or satellite company to carry the Longhorn Network. Athletic director DeLoss Dodds said he answers angry letters from fans every day who are upset about not being able to watch games on the network that is carried by few providers.
- Texas Tech top special teams player breaks leg: Texas Tech WR Aaron Fisher broke his leg during a non-contact drill, coach Tommy Tuberville said Tuesday. Fisher will have surgery on Wednesday and miss the entire season. Tuberville called Fisher the team's "No. 1 special teams guy." Even though Fisher is not on the team's two-deep on offense, his loss impacts the team.
- TCU ramping up practice: TCU is the only Big 12 team not in action this week, and coach Gary Patterson is running a different type of practice than most schools because of the delayed start. The Horned Frogs are going through several full-contact drills, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
- Late arrivals earn starting spots at KU: Kansas released its depth chart on Tuesday and two junior college transfers who arrived late to campus will start Saturday's opener against South Dakota State. Jordan Tavai won the starting job at nose tackle, and Aslam Sterling will start at right guard after working at tackle for most of camp, Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World reported.
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from Big 12 bloggers C.J. Moore and Patrick Southern, follow @CBSSportsBig12 on Twitter.