Three years ago, Texas Tech seemingly had uncovered something special in walk-on true freshman quarterback Baker Mayfield.As it turned out, that relationship burned out before the end of the season. This weekend, the acrimonious split that followed will finally come full circle.Theyll be ready for me when I get down there, thats for sure, said Mayfield, who will return to Lubbock for the first time as quarterback of the Oklahoma Sooners. Im excited for it. Its always fun to play in Lubbock. This time, Im on the other side of it.When Mayfield arrived at Tech in 2013 as an unheralded walk-on, first-year coach Kliff Kingsbury had inherited one quarterback in Michael Brewer and signed another in Davis Webb. Yet by August, Brewer had a back injury, and Webb got sick, which caused him to lose 40 pounds.Baker was really the only guy we had left, Brewer said in an interview with ESPN.com this week.Mayfield, however, made the most of his opportunity. With him behind center, the Red Raiders raced to a 5-0 start before a knee injury knocked Mayfield out of the lineup too. The rest of the season, Kingsbury shuffled quarterbacks, and Tech won two more games before dropping its final five. After starting Mayfield in the regular-season finale at Texas, which the Red Raiders lost 41-16, Kingsbury reopened the competition for the bowl.I guess Baker felt like he deserved to be back in there, Brewer said. Neither party was happy about it. Texas Tech was losing. On the other hand, Baker felt like he deserved to play. Davis had been playing. I was trying to rehab. There was a lot going on.The whole thing got pretty hairy, as far as he said, they said. And to be honest with you, I dont really know too many of the details, other than Baker pretty much had enough and decided to go elsewhere.Mayfield didnt wait. Before Techs bowl game against Arizona State, he informed Kingsbury that he would be leaving.Initially, Mayfield cited a miscommunication with Kingsbury as his reason. But in an interview with ESPN.com a month later, he went in-depth.When I got hurt, there was no communication between me and my coach. When I got healthy, I didnt know why I wasnt playing right away, Mayfield said. At that time, we were losing a couple games in a row. I was still clueless as to why I wasnt playing. That was really frustrating for me because I started the first five games and we won. So I just didnt really know exactly what he was thinking or what the situation was. So that happened. And then going from a week-to-week basis, not knowing whether I was going to play or not and how short the leash would be if I had an average half, how quickly I would be pulled or anything like that, it was making me uncomfortable, and I just didnt want to be there anymore. I loved Lubbock, and I loved my teammates. But going through that, and then [they] tell me theyre still working on a scholarship for next fall, and I wouldnt have one for this semester coming up. It was all that.Tech officials had indicated that Mayfield wouldve been placed on scholarship that spring. But Brewer, who later transferred to Virginia Tech, said Mayfields communication complaint was valid.It was a unique situation, with three of us capable of playing, Brewer said. It seemed like it differed every week. One kid was getting told this, the other kid was getting told this. And then on Friday, neither one of those things happened. So there was just a lot of confusion, and the communication wasnt real great. A couple of people got tired of it and decided to go elsewhere. I think there was a lot of right and wrong on both sides. I think both sides couldve handled it better.For Mayfield, the feud was only beginning. Tech declined to release him so he could transfer in conference to Oklahoma, where he wanted to go. Because Big 12 transfer rules at the time didnt differentiate between walk-on and scholarship players, Mayfield faced the prospect of not only sitting out in 2014 but also losing a year of eligibility.That only inflamed the animosity. After the Big 12 faculty athletic representatives voted down Mayfields appeal to become immediately eligible, his father called Kingsbury a scoundrel in an interview with The Oklahoman.Then in December 2015, after he had won the Oklahoma job and quarterbacked the Sooners to the playoff, Mayfield riled up Techs fan base again. He claimed that during the year he sat out, he was tossed out of a Lubbock bar the weekend the Sooners played Tech (in a Facebook post, the owner retorted that Mayfield had been thrown out because he was a minor). Either way, that eventually prompted the Tech blog Viva The Matadors to run the headline, I Hate Baker Mayfield.Since then, however, the bitterness has begun to thaw. This past summer, a day after voting down a proposal to change the walk-on transfer rule, the faculty reps reversed their decision. The ruling essentially gave Mayfield back his fourth season of Big 12 eligibility, so he could remain at Oklahoma for 2017.In a twist, Tech officials actively supported Sooner officials in trying to get the rule revisited and reversed. Both times, the Red Raiders voted in favor of the changing the rule.During Big 12 media days, Kingsbury added to that by praising Mayfield.I loved coaching him, he said. Loved the chip on his shoulder. Have cheered for him in every game except one.With Patrick Mahomes leading the nation in passing for the Red Raiders, Kingsbury noted again this week that it has all worked itself out in a way where everybodys happy. Baker is playing well, so I dont see the issue anymore.Alls well that ends well. But that doesnt mean The Jones wont be all over him Saturday -- or that Mayfield wont be goading them back.Tech has a passionate fan base, and I know a lot of them werent happy about Baker leaving, Brewer said. And Baker is a pretty outspoken guy. Hes going to go out there a little bit animated and egging them on, for sure.I imagine its going to be pretty crazy. Cheap New Orleans Saints Jerseys China . - After leading the Saints to a fourth playoff appearance in five seasons, Drew Brees expressed confidence in the direction of his team and, perhaps more importantly, showed a willingness to listen to contract proposals if the team needs his help getting under the NFLs salary cap. Cheap Pittsburgh Steelers Jerseys China . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. 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CLEMSON, S.C. -- Nothing has changed for Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, no matter how highly ranked the No. 2 Tigers start the season or how many people have them headed back to the national championship game.Swinney said when he got the fulltime job in 2009 after Clemson went 7-6 his mandate was to win whenever the Tigers kicked it off -- and nothing has changed following a 14-1 campaign and a trip to the College Football Playoffs where Clemson lost to Alabama.My expectation is weve still got a long ways to go, Swinney said Tuesday. Were making progress, but until we win two or three national championships, were still little ol Clemson.The Tigers start the trek they hope leads them back to the title game on Saturday at Auburn, where Clemson has lost seven straight since its last win there in 1950.Swinney likes the foundation of players back for another title shot, especially on offense where Clemson is led by one of the best in college football in quarterback Deshaun Watson. The junior comes off a season where he became the first in the Football Bowl Subdivision to throw for more than 4,000 yards and rush for more than 1,000. Hes one of the preseason favorites to win the Heisman Trophy and has not let the attention deflect his preparations.I just do what Ive got to do, have fun playing football and just enjoy it with my teammates, Watson said. There is really no pressure on me or this team. We just do what we do.Watsons also surrounded by ultra-talented skill players like 1,000-yard receiver Mike Williams and single-season rushing record-setter Wayne Gallman, who ran for 1,527 yards last season for the Atlantic Coast Conference champions.Were still very proud of what we did last year, Tigers center Jay Guillermo said. But it was last year.Hunter Renfrow, the receiver who caught two TDs in the title game, said people have told him all offseason how theyve booked hotel rooms in Tampa, Florida, site of this years champpionship.ddddddddddddold on a little bit, lets play the games, Renfrow said. We hope to be there and expecting to be there, but weve got to put in the work. It doesnt just happen.Clemson will break in some new faces on the defensive side when it faces Auburn. Defensive ends Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd, who were 1-2 nationally in tackles for losses, both gave up their senior seasons for the NFL and their replacements, sophomores Richard Yeargin or Christian Wilkins on one side, freshman Clelin Ferrell on the other, while talented are very untested.The Tigers secondary features three new starters after standouts in cornerback Mackensie Alexander and safeties Jayron Kearse and T.J. Green all left early for the pros. Ryan Carter or Mark Fields will take over for Alexander while Van Smith and Jadar Johnson are the starting safeties against Auburn.The group will have to go up against an Auburn offense led by quarterback Sean White, who won a three-man battle for the position last week. Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said White is capable of success and expects to see him fired up to face Clemson.Hes kind of always played with that chip on his shoulder. Hes tough, Lashlee said.Swinney believes the experience from a year ago -- and the disappointing end -- have infused his players work habits this offseason. He did not see much loafing or inattention during spring or summer workouts, only a group that better understood what it takes to get another chance at the games biggest prize.We had some really good teams coming back. Weve had a lot of consistency over the last seven years, Swinney said. But I think this team has some experience to really draw upon that none of the other teams have had. They have a true understanding of what it takes, man, how youve got to get ready every week. ' ' '