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Today's Starting Lineup on @espnthefan: Cohost: @bhammertimeshow Executive Producer: @ronthe3manweav -- @Aaron_Torres of Fox Sports Radio at 3:05 -- Host of The Drive @spencechecketts at 5:30 📻: 960 AM, 103.9 FM, 98.3 FM 📻: 📻: @espnthefan app 📸: @BYUfootball @BYUphoto

Ari Temkin of Big 12 Radio joined @espnthefan to break down the battle between BYU and Texas Tech: Q: What does your gut tell you? With the acquisitions, retention, and returning talent, do you feel that BYU has done enough to be competitive this year versus Texas Tech? Joel Klatt said we don't have enough firepower at wide receiver. He doesn't feel like BYU has done enough this offseason. Ari Temkin: Yeah, but go back and watch the games. I don't know that firepower at wide receiver was the reason they lost both of them. I was at the Big 12 Championship game, and they could not block Texas Tech. I don't know what has to happen down the field that is impacting your ability to protect. Look, David Bailey and Romello Height are gone, but if you look deep enough at what Texas Tech did this offseason, they may have guys coming up right behind them —not to mention that the middle of that defensive line is anchored by A.J. Holmes Jr., who is arguably the preseason Defensive Player of the Year in the conference. I get that the wide receivers are the headline with BYU when you do a cursory look. It is a lot to replace the guys from last season. We've heard a ton about true freshman Legend Glasker, and what Kalani has said about him is pretty impressive. Does he emerge? We know about Kyler Kasper; he doesn't have much production in his career yet, but he's a big-time target. We think the tight ends will be involved too. So, I think that's a legitimate question, but I'm going back to why they lost those two games: they couldn't block Texas Tech. While there is good continuity back along the BYU offensive line—led by Bruce Mitchell, who's one of the best at his position—this is an NFL-caliber defensive line they are facing. The problem is not in the middle; the problem is more on the edge, which is where Texas Tech gave BYU all kinds of problems. In the Big 12 Championship game, pretty much every drive that Tech started was in BYU territory. Field position and blocking that defensive front are going to be huge this year. It's also important to note that Bear Bachmeier was inexperienced last year, and they did a really good job managing him over the course of the season. He's got to take a big step forward. He plays a role in those sacks and blocking that front too. Sacks can be a quarterback stat just as much as they are an offensive line stat. Full details: 📸: @BYUFOOTBALL @BYUphoto

Ari Temkin of Big 12 radio joined @espnthefan to break down if the Big 12 is getting the national respect it deserves: Q: When you're looking at the AP Poll, Coaches Poll, and ESPN SP+ preseason rankings, is the Big 12 getting the respect it deserves right now? Ari Temkin: It's really interesting. Bill Connelly wrote about his final preseason SP+ rankings, basically saying that the AP Poll has underrated Texas Tech and overrated everybody else. Ben, we've been talking for the last year about how underrated BYU seems to be in the national consciousness, but via the SP+ analytical rankings, they're actually significantly lower than they are in the AP Poll. I think they are 21st in SP+, which is still second in the Big 12. The AP Poll has them at 14th. The AP is voted on by people, many of whom are not watching these teams closely, whereas SP+ takes the human element out of it. The Big 12 is at a good starting point. They just need the teams that are supposed to be good to actually be good. That's been the downfall of this conference over the last few years. The right teams are on the ship right now; we just need to make sure they don't go overboard. Full interview: 📸: @BYUFOOTBALL @BYUphoto