It’s no secret that sports are big business in this country and a big reason for that has been television.  With all the money that funnels into leagues like the NFL and MLB for television rights, along with advertising, owners aren’t exactly light in the wallet.   Of course, in recent years this has led to a lot of leagues starting their own television networks.  The NBA and NFL each have one, and MLB will be starting one next season.   The trend has even moved over to college where there’s a Big Ten Network and the SEC has been entertaining thoughts to start their own channel as well.

One college conference that doesn’t have it’s own television network is the Big 12, and I’m guessing the University of Texas is fine with that.  After all, they’re sports programs are popular enough in Texas and around the country that they don’t really need the added income because they’re already the most profitable athletic department in the country.  They have so much money, in fact, that they just might start their very own network just for the Longhorns.

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In a game for the ages, upset-minded Texas Tech scored an improbable touchdown with one second left to steal a win from the top-ranked Texas Longhorns, 39-33. The winning score came on a 28-yard pass from new Heisman frontrunner Graham Harrell to his top target, Michael Crabtree.

On Texas’ side, star QB Colt McCoy significantly underperformed for most of the game, but his 91-yard touchdown bomb to freshman Malcolm Williams put Texas right back in the game in the middle of the fourth quarter.

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Yup, Greg Oden hurt his foot less than three minutes into his first regular season game against the Lakers. That’s not a punchline to a joke, but the sad truth. He played through the first half before throwing in the towel. ESPN.COM reports that Oden suffered a mid-foot sprain, which sounds like a made up injury you would use to get out of work, but apparently you can get if you are made out of peanut brittle.

Not that Oden was tearing the joint up. His stat line for the game: 0-4 from the field and five rebounds in 13 minutes.  Which puts him about on par with the rest of the Blazers, as they were thumped by Los Angeles 96-76. As for Oden…he has a trip to the MRI machine scheduled for later today, or as he calls it, “The Mother Ship.”

Having a much better NBA debut was Derrick Rose, who scored 11 points and had nine assists as the Bulls stuck it to their ex-coach Scott Skiles by beating the Bucks 108-95. Meanwhile, that clanging you heard in Boston was LeBron James rattling free throws all over the place against the Celtics. He missed four of eight free throws, all in the fourth quarter, and Cleveland fell 90-85.

Here’s some more of last night’s news, but be forewarned: Bud Selig says that he has the power to suspend this after six links.

• CBS analyst Gary Danielson thinks that Texas runs a “junk offense” and that Georgia’s Matthew Stafford would be putting up Colt McCoy-type numbers in that offense, says the AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. No SEC homerism there at all.
• The man who saved the NBA during the lockout in 1999, according to the DETROIT NEWS? Not David Stern. Not Billy Hunter? Nope, it was Michael Curry.
• Relax, says the DENTON RECORD-CHRONICLE: it turns out that those 15 North Texas football players tested positive for recreational drugs, not steroids. Which is great, because we wouldn’t want their run at an 0-12 season to be tainted.
• The AP has a tip for Eli Manning - don’t let the defense read your lips when you call a play on fourth down. It kind of helps them know what to do.
• The SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS estimates that only 20,000 people will be on hand to see Stanford take on Washington State this Saturday, even though the Cardinal are 3-0 at home this year and fighting for a bowl berth.
• Even after having beaten the Chargers in a thriller on Sunday, the NEW ORLEANS TIMES-PICAYUNE says that Saints coach Sean Payton was less than thrilled with the experience of playing in London.
• The BOSTON GLOBE reports that Patriots’ nose tackle Vince Wilfork is going to be getting called to the Principal’s office - in this case NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell - for his blow to the head of Broncos’ QB Jay Cutler. Wait, I thought the Patriots were perfect schoolboys who never, ever committed any penalties?
• Will the expansion Seattle Sounders get more from signing Swedish star Freddie Ljungberg than the LA Galaxy did from David Beckham? Arash Markashi of SI.COM thinks so.
• Why would Isiah Thomas apparently continue to lie about his alleged sleeping pill overdose? The local police chief speculates to NEWSDAY it might be because of his contract. “If he takes drugs or whatever they may not owe him the $18 million. I have no idea.”
• Remember when Joe Tiller said that Rich Rodriguez was a “snake oil salesman” after Purdue lost a big recruit to Michigan? The DETROIT FREE-PRESS says that there’s really no bad blood there. Really.

While it’s widely accepted that the SEC has been the best conference in college football over the last few years, things may be changing a bit this year. Right now the Big 12 has four teams in the top 10 of the BCS rankings, and five in the top 15. A big reason for this is quarterback play, as Texas has Colt McCoy, Oklahoma has Sam Bradford, Texas Tech has Graham Harrell, and Missouri has Chase Daniel.

Well, Chase was recently asked by Kirk Herbstreit which quarterback beside himself he would want to take the ball in the final two minutes of the game. Daniel chose UT’s McCoy, and the reason he gave may have included a Freudian slip. Thankfully, EVERYDAY SHOULD BE SATURDAY had the video, and it’s after the jump.

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