The AP Preseason Poll came out over the weekend, Texas Tech got ranked the #12 best team in the country, compared to #14 in the USA Today Poll. Not bad for a 9-4 team last season.

Part of their high ranking is due to the development of Michael Crabtree and now if has 1 more year of experience under his belt. The Red Raiders are also returning their starting quarterback, Graham Harrell.

Looking at their schedule, Texas Tech has a realistic shot at being undefeated until they play Kansas in late October. Of course they end the season with a couple of tough games vs Texas and at Oklahoma. If they can split those two games, this could be a great season for Crabtree and the Red Raiders.

When Michael Crabtree arrived at Texas Tech in 2006, he was an eager freshman looking to make an instant impact on the field. However, he had never played wide receiver and wasn’t quite as polished as some of the other players on the team. But no one could deny his raw talent and ability to make plays. So Texas Tech coaches decided to redshirt him his freshman year.

“It was disappointing to sit out that first season, but I was learning to be patient,” Crabtree said. “And I was learning stuff all the time. That first game was so important to me because I had been waiting for it so long. Now, it’s like every time I get on the field, I try to build on it.”

Last year Crabtree busted on the scene and had some huge games right away. He came out firing.

One thing that’s bad about the redshirt is that Texas Tech fans now only have 1 more season to enjoy him. 2008 will be his last year as a Red Raider, you can count on it. Even though he has plenty of eligibility, Michael Crabtree will be ready for the NFL and the millions of dollars that comes with it. You just can’t risk injury when there is guaranteed money on the table.

Michael Crabtree is on a mission in 2008. Despite all the records he broke last year as a freshman at Texas Tech, he thinks he can improve. “I can do the same thing, if not better during this season,” Crabtree said. “I still don’t feel that 134 catches was the best I can do. I think I still have a lot to prove to people.”

What more could he possibly prove? He’s already the best wide receiver in college football having scored 22 touchdowns on 134 receptions, 1,962 yards. Maybe he’s going to go for 30 touchdowns?

“There was no surprise in what I did,” said Crabtree, a converted high school quarterback who had never played wide receiver until arriving at college. “It was just a lot of hard work. We went though some things to get ready, but it was a good, strong year for us. And I’m expecting even more this season.”

I just hope Graham Harrell is up for the task!

The Texas Tech Red Raiders just finished up their first practice of the fall yesterday afternoon. Some interesting news came out of it. Wide receiver Michael Crabtree spent some time working on returning kicks and punts. “We messed with it a little last year, too. I think he’ll be good at it and have for a while,” Coach Leach said. “I think he’d have a chance to be good at either one, maybe better at punt.”

Crabtree said he’s looking forward to being involved in special teams. I’m not sure if I believe him. While getting on the field more will increase a player’s exposure, Crabtree isn’t exactly the type of player lacking national attention. He’s a Heisman candidate going into 2008 and is the best WR in college football. I don’t know if I’d risk injury by putting him on the field for punts and kick offs. Remember what happened to Ted Ginn Jr. in the National Championship game?

Big Time WRs shouldn’t play special teams in my opinion.

“Crank that Crabtree” is a spoof on Soulja Boy’s “Crank That” remade by Lubbock, Texas rapper, RyZe. It is widely popular among Texas Tech fans and college football fans in general. It’s become somewhat of a YouTube sensation. You can view more info about Crank That Crabtree on their official website. Apparently they have a new video, but I couldn’t find it on youtube, so if anyone has a link please drop a comment and let me know. Otherwise, watch Michael Crabtree in action.

With Big 12 Media Days just wrapping up, there was a lot of news coming out about Texas Tech and other Big 12 teams. Even though Michael Crabtree wasn’t in Kansas City for the Media Days (Leach thinks Crabtree already gets enough attention), USA Today posted an article article in their sports section all about Crabtree. It’s a tremendous read and I recommend everyone take a few minutes to check it out. Here’s the link.

But for those of you looking for some quick excerpts, here you go:

“He doesn’t know ESPN from WKRP,” Leach says. “I think he’s so focused on what he does on the field and has devoted so much time, energy and emotion to what he does on field, when he gets off the field, it’s uncharted territory (dealing with the media). That’s what makes him kind of mysterious. He’s so quiet. He had a lot of success early. Is he big-headed, cocky? He’s kind of a quiet, introverted guy. He hangs out with younger, unsure guys on the team. On the field, everything he does is elevated.”

Crabtree says he is an astute observer of the game. He learns from watching players at any level and says, “I can watch on my team and take a little bit from them. I can watch my running back and how he cuts and use it when I catch the ball.

“I look at everything and take notes and create my own style. I learned from watching a whole bunch of people — Jerry Rice, Chad Johnson, Steve Smith, Larry Fitzgerald. I really watched and learned from Michael Irvin.”

Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree was the lone player to receive a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 Preseason Team. Crabtree, the 2007 Biletnikoff Award winner, set NCAA freshman records in receptions (134), receiving yards (1,962) and receiving touchdowns (22) last season and led the country in each. The sophomore was a unanimous consensus All-American in 2007 and was one of eight players such honored across the country. Already a preseason Playboy All-American, Crabtree has been named to several first teams during the summer.

This just proves that Michael Crabtree will be watched by everyone this season. His entire future will be riding on his 2008 performance. He can’t help all the media hype, but if he’s smart and plays well he can parlay it into a very high draft position in the NFL Draft.

Texas Tech standout wide receiver, Michael Crabtree, has been named to the Maxwell Award official Watchlist by Maxwell Football Club President Ron Jaworski. The Maxwell Award is given to the most outstanding collegiate football player. Last year’s winner was Florida Gator quarterback Tim Tebow.

Crabtree, who pulled in 134 catches for 22 touchdowns and 1,962 yards, all NCAA freshman records, last season is one of 75 players listed on the watchlist. Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced in early November and three finalists will be announced November 25th. The winner of the 2008 Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show in December.

Michael Crabtree has his work cut out for him if he wants to win the Maxwell Award. A wide receiver hasn’t won it since Desmond Howard in 1991.

The Sunday Morning Quarterback wrote up a very long article on what Red Raider fans can expect from their team in 2008. You can read the entire article here. But if you’re interested in only what they had to say about Michael Crabtree, then here’s an excerpt:

Obviously, to say Michael Crabtree took the Big 12 by storm or something would be an understatement. He set freshman records for everything, came pretty close to setting national records for everything, regardless of class, and won the Biletnikoff Award. Better defenses caught on later in the year and held him somewhat in check –– 17 touchdowns in the first six games declined to five TDs in the last seven –– and there was the flatly dropped touchdown on fourth down that would have beaten Oklahoma State, after he’d caught three scores earlier in the game. But Crabtree still had 64 catches in those last seven, dominated Texas and Oklahoma (21 for 349 and 3 TDs in back-to-back games) and is a good bet to go toward the top of next year’s draft, if he wants. All things considered, the best receiver in the country.

This came from a piece on who the best player is, that’s why it starts out with “Obviously.” There’s no doubt Red Raider fans are expecting big things from their team. Some ESPN experts are even picking them for the Sugar Bowl.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders are known for running a pass heavy offense. Quarterback Graham Harrell threw the ball 713 times during the 2007 season. Compare that to Heisman winner Tim Tebow’s 350 attempts, Chase Daniel’s 452 attempts, or John David Booty’s 436 attempts. The Red Raiders clearly love to launch the ball up and down the field.

So that begs the question, is Michael Crabtree is a “product of the system”? Would Crabtree be as dominant a wide receiver if he played for another team, like the Miami Hurricanes or Florida State Seminoles?

I think answer is somewhat of a yes/no. Yes Crabtree benefits from the pass-heavy system he is in, but also he is a very talented and gifted wide receiver. Let’s not forget that he was on of the most highly recruited players out of high school and put up nearly 2,000 yards receiving as a true freshman. I believe he could have succeeded in any system on any team. He may have had a ton of catches and yards, but his average per catch was still only 14.6 yards. That’s less then Limas Sweed and Mario Manningham’s YPC, and comparable to Percy Harvin’s 14.5.

A true measure of how great Michael Crabtree really is, will be if he can increase his yards per catch in 2008 to something like 16.0 ypc. If given the same number of receptions, he could break the single season NCAA receiving yards record (2060 yards).