Kingsbury a great roll of the dice for Arizona Cardinals; why Texas will be better than Oklahoma next season

Tim Cowlishaw, sports columnist for SportsDayDFW.com and The Dallas Morning News, author of Drunk on Sports and panelist on ESPN's "Around the Horn," answered questions about the Cowboys, Rangers, Mavericks, Stars and college sports in his reader mailbag. Here are some highlights:

Q: What do you think about the whole Kliff Kingsbury situation? Was he a good hire for Arizona?

Cowlishaw: I think it's a great roll of the dice for the Cardinals. There are more than a few offensive coordinators that become head coaches in the NFL and let someone else direct the defense. He obviously will have to do that after so many failed defenses at Texas Tech. But he will get the most out of Josh Rosen or any other QB that passes through Arizona while Kliff is in town. The worst-case scenario, if this offense isn't a big factor two years from now, the Cards know that Kliff isn't their guy and that Rosen doesn't need a second contract.

Q: Who do you think will be better in the 2019 football season: Texas, or Oklahoma?

Cowlishaw: I realize the cupboard is never bare in Norman, and another QB and more skill players are always being rolled out, but I will go with Texas. What the Longhorns are bringing back is more of a known quantity and I think the defensive tone that Tom Herman has set now -- something that shocked Georgia in the Sugar Bowl -- will separate Texas from the rest of the Big 12.

Q: How did Texas Tech basketball catch so many off guard this season?

Cowlishaw: With Keenan Evans (Pistons) and Zhaire Smith (Sixers) moving on to the NBA, we expected Texas Tech to take a big step backward this season. Chris Beard has not allowed that to happen, and that's a tribute to how quickly he has built a strong program in Lubbock that can withstand considerable losses and keep winning.