Mountaineer Morning Links: Tuesday (7/7/15) Edition

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information, sophomoric humor and daily distractions. We're being brought to you today by Rule G IPA from Smartmouth Brewing Company.

Mini/Single Football Tickets on Sale | WVU Athletics
Mini-Packages & Single-Game Football Tickets on Sale Today

WVU's athletic group of corners fit defensive scheme | Charleston Daily Mail
Ask the West Virginia cornerbacks coach how his group looks during these summer workouts and Brian Mitchell's reply probably comes across as a surprise — and not just because NCAA rules prevent him from seeing the Mountaineers do anything with a football at this time of the year.

WVU's Lucas ready to step up, become leader as senior | The Exponent Telegram
Marquis Lucas has had the 2015 season circled on his calendar for a long time.

Curiosity surrounds Holgorsen's picks for Big 12 media day | The Exponent Telegram
Football Media Day in the Big 12 is just two weeks away and it is a big thing as far as preseason hype goes.

West Virginia hoops attendance ranks 39th nationally | WV MetroNews
Last season's college basketball stats show the Mountaineers cashing in on early top-25 pickup.

Kevin White didn't expect to eat for free after being drafted | Chicago Sun-Times
After being drafted eighth overall in the 2015 NFL Draft, Kevin White didn't think his $16.5 million contract came with so many perks.

Geno Smith: Brandon Marshall is "a quarterback’s best friend" | ProFootballTalk
Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall recently left Jay Cutler, who threw Marshall passes in Denver and Chicago, off a list of his favorite teammates from his various stops around the NFL over the years.

Pat McAfee wins personal Punt, Pass & Kick contest | IndyStar
Colts punter hits his Jeep from long distance

Cincinnati Bengals' optimism high in backup defensive end Will Clarke | ESPN
If second-year defensive lineman can apply what he's learned in the classroom and remain focused this year, he could boost the team's rush.

Big 12 recruiting scorecard | ESPN
There were plenty of pledges across the Big 12 region, and classes are really starting to take shape. Here's a look at the the Big 12 recruiting trail.

Around The Big XII:

If football didn't involve scoring points, the Texas Longhorns would be doing great | SBNation
Charlie Strong spent his first year as Texas' head man cleaning house and building the foundation for an awesome defense, but until some significant, sustained questions are answered at QB and OL, the Longhorns will be limited.

Predicting the 2015 Big 12 season: Week 1 | ESPN
Over the next two weeks, we're making predictions for all 75 Big 12 games of the season. We kick the series off this morning with Week 1.

Predicting the 2015 season: Week 2 | ESPN
Season predictions in July might sound like a fruitless endeavor, but we just can't help it. We're too ready for this season to begin. And this time last year, we did boldly and correctly project TCU would beat Oklahoma as well as a West Virginia upset of Baylor.

Jack Trice Stadium renovation on track for Iowa State opener | ESPN
When the renovation is completed in August, Iowa State will boast the third-largest stadium in the Big 12, with a capacity of roughly 61,000.

Big 12's disadvantage starts with Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns | ESPN
Oklahoma's and Texas' struggles have helped contribute to the current state of football in the Big 12.

Schedule analysis: Baylor Bears | ESPN
With the 2015 season arriving in the near future, we're breaking down the schedules for every Big 12 team. We start with the Baylor Bears.

Big 12 Position Rankings (Quarterback) - Crimson And Cream Machine
You're nothing without a quarterback and the conference that produced the likes of Robert Griffin III, Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, and Brandon Weeden in recent years seems to be at a fresh start.

Around The NCAA:

Florida State Seminoles QB De'Andre Johnson dismissed by program | ESPN
Florida State quarterback De'Andre Johnson was dismissed by the program on the same day the Florida state's attorney's office released video of Johnson striking a woman at a bar.

Michigan to return to Nike apparel in 2016 | FOX Sports
Michigan to return to Nike apparel in 2016

They say how you stay a good coach, you go get you good players. We go get great players. #WVU #CountryRoads

— JaJuan Seider (@coachseider) July 4, 2015

Today's Miss Throwdown makes riding an inflatable unicorn unbelievably hot.  CLICK HERE for Emily Ratajkowski's Instagram, and CLICK HERE for today's gallery of Emily.

A photo posted by Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) on Jul 4, 2015 at 2:26pm PDT