By ROBERT CESSNA
IRVING -- Nebraska head football coach Bo Pelini didn't want to talk about leaving the Big 12, but Mike Sherman had no problem agreeing that Texas A&M needs to become a marquee program for the good of the league.
Pelini was first to talk to the print media at the Big 12 Media Days on Monday, and he made it clear in his opening statement that he's focused only on the Cornhuskers' final season in the league.
Nebraska will begin play in the Big Ten next season, while Colorado will join the Pacific-10 either next season or 2011, leaving the Big 12 with only 10 teams.
"I will not be taking any questions in regards to any Big Ten issues," Pelini said.
Sherman had a much different tone when columnist Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman asked him if A&M is close to becoming the program it was in the 1980s and '90s, which would help fill the void left by Nebraska.
"I think the Big 12 needs A&M to step up to the plate and be that type of team," Sherman said. "We're ready to accept that challenge."
A&M hasn't finished ahead of Texas or Oklahoma this decade. UT or OU has been the South Division winner since A&M won the conference title in 1998.
That's also been reflected in the lineup for Media Days. This was the fourth straight year the Aggies have gone on the first day. Oklahoma will be part of Wednesday's four-team lineup, with UT head coach Mack Brown will be the last speaker in the three-day format for the fourth straight year. This was also the fourth straight year Nebraska was the first team on the docket.
The media believes the Aggies could be becoming that marquee team, picking A&M to finish behind Oklahoma and Texas.
"We're getting closer to that point, that vision that I had when I took the job," said Sherman, who is in his third year. "This season for us is about taking the next step, and the next step for us is to be in games in the fourth quarter with two minutes left when you're in position to win the football game."
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Sherman is a rarity in college football in that he calls his own plays.
Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy called plays for the last two seasons after his offensive coordinator, former A&M Consolidated graduate Larry Fedora, was hired at Southern Mississippi. Gundy, though, has hired Dana Holgorsen as his offensive coordinator, saying running the offense was too taxing.
"It's tough, because on Friday nights, I'm in the hotel grinding through tendencies," Sherman said. "But I have a great staff, guys I count on a lot."
He leans heavily on quarterbacks coach Tom Rossley, who was head coach at Southern Methodist from 1991-96. Rossley also was with Sherman for six years at Green Bay.
Sherman recently lost a veteran offensive mind in wide receivers coach Steve Kragthorpe, who was head coach at Tulsa and Louisville and had been offensive coordinator at A&M. He resigned because of his wife's health. Kragthorpe was replacing Nolan Cromwell, who had been listed as A&M's offensive coordinator the last two seasons, but Sherman was in charge of calling plays.
Sherman said he might at some point consider giving up play-calling, "but we've really had only one good year of offense. I want to make sure our offense is headed in the right direction."
Sherman said the defensive players often joke that he favors the offense, even allowing sessions to run longer so the offense can score. However, he contends he's probably even tougher on the offense.
Sherman called his own plays the last few years in Green Bay.
"I think it connects you to the players as long as you don't allow it to be a disconnect to the defensive side," he said
Sherman said Gundy did a good job of calling plays. Sherman is 0-2 against OSU, having been outscored 92-59.
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NOTES -- Sherman favors playing against each league member every year if the Big 12 remains at 10 teams. ... Sherman said he had a lot of respect for how the system of former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach attacked defenses. Sherman added that Leach liked the rivalry and could get Aggies riled when he wanted to.
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