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When I heard that Mike Petersen had left Wake Forest to return to the North Texas area and become head coach of the women's team at UNT, I was surprised.

He was coaching in the ACC and was doing a solid job at Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons were 20-14 last season, only the second 20-win campaign in school history. And when Petersen got there, they weren't a winning program.

That's been Petersen's pattern. He goes to schools that he believes have the necessary ingredients for success, but just haven't gotten there in a while. When he came to TCU in 1996, the program was one of the worst in Division I. In four years, he got things going in the right direction and posted a winning record in his final season. The Lady Frogs hadn't done that in 17 years.

He replaces Karen Aston, who left after one season for Texas. She was 15-16 for the Mean Green.

"I just thought that it looked to me like all of the pieces are here to build something really good," Petersen said about UNT. "That’s what I do. Some people look at places where they haven't had winning seasons in a while and want to stay away. I look at it and think of the potential there. Some places have it and others don’t."

He believes UNT has it. The program does have a history of winning seasons, just not recently.

I was a student at TCU for Petersen's first two seasons and broadcasted the women's basketball games. I watched many blowouts in my first two seasons on the job, but Petersen immediately altered the attitude. It took some time, but the Lady Frogs learned how to win. He could crack jokes and clearly enjoyed his job, but he knew when it was time to get down to business. His practices were always lively and involved constant motion and plenty of film study and he considered a good shoot-around as critical to a successful game.

He turned 54 this week and returns to an area that he's recruited and where he and his wife have friends.

"I just think it’s a place with really good potential," Petersen said. "We like the area and we're excited. It's got great facilities, a really good unveristy, a place kids like to go to school and our department at UNT is growing."

If the pattern holds, they'll be winning more than they lose quickly.

Johnny Jones made 20-win seasons an expectation at North Texas, a program that had a grand total of 20 wins in four seasons before his arrival in Denton.

That’s how the former LSU point guard and assistant coach earned his dream job at his alma mater, which hired Jones to replace new TCU coach Trent Johnson.

That’s also why North Texas has never been a more attractive job for a head coach. Athletic director Rick Villarreal, who hired Jones about two weeks into his UNT tenure, should have a pretty impressive pool of candidates in his search to find an experienced head coach that can keep the Mean Green program’s momentum going.

“You probably need somebody that you’re not taking a chance he’s pulling the trigger for the first time,” Villarreal said. “That’s my preference. As a program, we’re at that point.”

The program, which qualified for the NCAA tourney twice in the last six years, is at a point where it could be poised to join the midmajor powers.

The Mean Green’s five-year streak of 20-win campaigns was snapped this season, when UNT finished 18-14 and lost a down-to-the-wire Sun Belt tournament final for the second straight year, but the entire rotation should return intact with an impact juco big man headlining the recruiting class. Potential first-round pick Tony Mitchell has decided to wait at least a year to declare for the NBA draft, opting to focus on improving his game and leading UNT back to March Madness, unless he reconsiders following Jones' departure.

This will always be known as a football state, but there aren’t many more fertile basketball recruiting bases than the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. UNT has a 10,000-seat arena and has positioned itself, with a facilities overhaul highlighted by its new $78 million football stadium, to benefit from future conference realignment dominoes falling.

This is no longer a job for a man desperate for a chance to become a head coach. It’s a job for a proven winner who can build on the foundation Jones leaves as he heads home to LSU.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. -- Brandan Walton scored 16 points, including the tie-breaking 3-pointer with 8.7 seconds left, and North Texas beat Louisiana-Lafayette 65-62 in the Sun Belt tournament quarterfinals Sunday night.

Alzee Williams scored 14 and Roger Franklin and Jacob Holmen scored 10 points apiece for the Mean Green. Freshman Tony Mitchell had 11 rebounds and tied his season high with six blocks for North Texas (17-13) at Hot Springs' Convention Center Court.

In Monday's semifinals, the fifth-seeded Mean Green will face No. 9 seed Arkansas State, upset winners over regular-season Sun Belt champion Middle Tennessee State on Sunday.

Josh Brown led the fourth-seeded Ragin' Cajuns (16-15) with 14 points. Elfrid Payton had 13 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, Bryant Mbamalu scored 11 and Darshawn McClellan had 10 points for Louisiana-Lafayette.

Neither team led by more than five points and there were 20 lead changes, 12 in the second half.

North Texas's football team will appear either on ESPN or ESPN2 for a midweek contest against Louisiana-Lafeyette on Oct. 16 at Apogee Stadium.

UNT, which released its 2012 football schedule Thursday, opens the season Sept. 1 at national runner-up LSU. The Mean Green's home opener comes a week later against Texas Southern. Road games against Kansas State and Houston round out the schedule.

Troy's visit Sept. 22 marks the start of UNT's Sun Belt slate. With the addition of South Alabama to the conference schedule, the Mean Green will not play Florida International in 2012.

Five of UNT's 12 opponents played in bowl games last season.

The ESPN date against ULL gives UNT an opportunity to feature Apogee Stadium on a national stage. The facility opened last September, replacing Fouts Field.

DENVER -- Brian Stafford and Chris Udofia scored 15 points apiece Sunday to lead Denver to a 64-52 victory over North Texas.

Royce O'Neale had 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Brett Olson scored 10 points for the Pioneers (21-8, 11-5 Sun Belt), who set a school record with their 21st victory and fourth in a row.

Brandan Walton led the Mean Green (16-13, 9-7) with 13 points. Alzee Williams scored 10 points, and Tony Mitchell grabbed 12 rebounds.

The Pioneers nailed down the third seed and a bye in the conference tournament. They will play Sunday in Hot Springs, Ark.

The Mean Green, whose 52 points represented a season low, took fifth and will face No. 4 Louisiana-Lafayette in Sunday's quarterfinals.

The teams split the season series, with North Texas having won 75-74 in overtime Jan. 21.

North Texas football coach Dan McCarney, 58, who is entering his second season with the Mean Green, was admitted to a hospital Sunday and is undergoing a battery of tests.

"The exact cause and nature of the symptoms of his illness are not immediately known by us at this time," UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal said in a statement. "The family has asked until a complete diagnosis and a course of treatment is established that their privacy be respected."

For more on the story, click here.

North Texas announced the signings of 24 players, including three transfers.

Two of those transfers come from BCS powers and will be eligible to play next season. Offensive lineman Cam Feldt (Arkansas) and safety Marcus Trice (Oklahoma) are expected to start immediately for the Mean Green.

Boone Feldt, Cam’s younger brother, is one of the jewels of UNT’s high school recruiting class. He was ranked as the No. 10 center in the nation in the ESPNU150.

Other jewels include Clarksville linebacker Jarrian Roberts, who turned down offers from Iowa State and Tulsa; Coppell defensive back David Busby, a two-time all-state selection with 15 career interceptions and Baton Rouge Woodlawn safety Devante Davis, the No. 63 player in the nation at his position.

The class:

David Busby, DB, 5-11, 180, Coppell, Texas (Coppell HS)
Dustin Clark., LB, 6-1, 205, Borger, Texas (Borger HS)
Devante Davis, DB, 5-11, 185, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Woodlawn HS)
Malik Dilonga, DE, 6-4, 250, Cedar Hill, Texas (Trinity Christian School)
Boone Feldt, OL, 6-3, 276, Buda, Texas (Hays HS)
Carlos Harris, WR, 5-8, 175, Frisco, Texas (Frisco HS)
Mustafa Haboul, DT, 6-0, 247, Arlington, Texas (Martin HS)
Brad Horton, DE, 6-6, 230, Argyle, Texas (Liberty Christian HS)
Jamarcus Jarvis, RB, 5-10, 195, Houma, Louisiana (East Ascension HS)
Xavier Kelly, DB, 5-11, 165, Katy, Texas (Mayde Creek HS)
Roderick Lancaster, WR, 6-2, 200, Dallas, Texas (Life School of Oak Cliff)
Mark Lewis, RB, 5-10, 210, Livonia, Louisiana (Livonia HS)
Jamal Marshall, DB, 6-3, 185, Missouri City, Texas(Fort Bend Elkins HS)
Ryan Rentfro, OL, 6-4, 280, Flower Mound, Texas (Marcus HS)
Jarrian Roberts, LB, 6-2, 220, Clarksville, Texas (Clarksville HS)
Rex Rollins, DB, 6-1, 185, Tyler, Texas (Chapel Hill HS)
Nick Schrapps, WR, 6-3,197, Beaumont, Texas (Kelly HS)
LaJaylin Smith, LB, 6-0, 218, LaPlace, Louisiana (St. Charles Catholic HS)
Connor Trussell, OL, 6-5, 285, Arlington, Texas (Martin HS)
Sir Calvin Wallace, DT, 6-2, 300, Tyler, Texas (Chapel Hill HS)
Dutton Watson, DT, 6-3, 250, Midland, Texas (Midland HS)

Transfers
Cam Feldt, OL, 6-5, 308, Pilot Point, Texas (Arkansas)
D.Q. Johnson, DB, 5-11, 185, Des Moines, Iowa (Iowa Western CC)
Marcus Trice, DB, 5-8, 190, Mesquite, Texas (Oklahoma)

Lance Dunbar's 279 yards helped North Texas get past Indiana.

The best game of the week involves Oklahoma, picked by most to win the Big 12 and compete for a national title. They'll head to FSU to face a Seminoles team that is hungry to show it's working its way back to a power program. So let's take a look at this week's picks, starting with OU-FSU:

SATURDAY

Oklahoma at FSU, 7 p.m., ABC: FSU wasn't very competitive last year in Norman, but they are a better team this season. So I don't expect any 30-point blowouts. At the same time, I don't think the 'Noles are a top-10 team yet. They could prove me wrong on Saturday, but I'm going with the Sooners. They've got plenty at the skill positions and this is really their only test before conference play. Look for Landry Jones and Dominique Whaley, the surprise at RB, to lead this team to a win. Oklahoma 30, FSU 21

Louisiana-Monroe at TCU, 1 p.m.: The Horned Frogs bounced back last week against an opponent that couldn't throw vertically on them like Baylor did. Still, TCU's defense was much more solid and it's clear with each week that Casey Pachall has plenty of talent at the QB position. The Frogs will play amid the construction at Amon G. Carter Stadium and won't have any issues. TCU 45, Louisiana Monroe 10

Texas at UCLA, 2:30 p.m., ABC, ESPN3: It's tempting for some to take UCLA at home against a Texas team that we still don't know a whole lot about. But after pulling out a win against a gritty BYU team, this is a good time for Texas to get a road test. They'll pass that test. Texas 27, UCLA 24

Texas Tech at New Mexico, 2:30 p.m., Versus: For those of you with Versus, you can see Tommy Tuberville's team on display on Saturday. What I'm interesting in is the defense and how much they've improved from last year. Tech is favored by 24 on the road. I think they'll cover. Texas Tech 45, New Mexico 14

Idaho at Texas A&M, 6 p.m.: This is no problem for the Aggies coming off an impressive effort against SMU and before they face Oklahoma State. They'll need to avoid the temptation to look ahead. Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill was 21-of-26 for 246 yards and 2 TDs against the Mustangs last week. Those numbers should get even better this week. Texas A&M 52, Idaho 13

Stephen F. Austin at Baylor, 6 p.m.: The Bears are ranked 19th in the AP poll and get a breather at home. They face Rice next weekend before getting into conference play. This is the team's first game since beating TCU in Waco to start the season. It's just another chance for Robert Griffin III to build on his Heisman resume. Baylor 48, SFA 20

North Texas at Alabama, 6:30 p.m.: Things don't get any easier for the Mean Green, who face an Alabama team some consider the best in the nation. UNT hung around for a while against Houston last week as they opened their new stadium. It's tough to believe they will hang around for a while in this one. Alabama 54, UNT 16

Oklahoma State at Tulsa, 9 p.m.: The Cowboys can't afford to overlook this one before facing the Aggies next week. Tulsa can still score points and scare people, despite what OU did to them last week. Still, the fact that this game is on the road helps OSU stay focused, in my opinion. OSU 42, Tulsa 24

Your turn. Who do you like in these games?

DENTON, Texas -- Hours before the inaugural game at Apogee Stadium on Saturday, North Texas fans lined up at the locked front gate and waited.

"Let us in!" Let us in!" they chanted.

Mean Green fans had waited long enough, and they didn't want to wait anymore.

Since 1952, they've cheered for North Texas in a stadium that was deficient in just about every way -- Fouts Field. For years the athletics department lobbied for a new home.

Saturday was the culmination of all that time and effort. The school finally played its first game in Apogee Stadium -- a 48-23 loss to Houston in front of 28,075 fans, just shy of capacity.

"This is terrific," said Scott Flynn, a Southlake resident and 1980 alumnus of North Texas. "We've always had a track around our field but now we're right on top of the action. I hope we can perform up to our facilities."

When the gates opened, fans walked in and marveled at the size, beauty, and cleanliness of the stadium.

They perused the numerous concession stand options in the corridor that weren't available at Fouts, including ice cream vender Beth Marie's, a local staple from the square in downtown Denton.

"It's unbelievable," said Tom Klammer, a retired North Texas accounting professor. "Fouts was a dump in the 1970s. It's [Apogee] just going to do wonders for the program."

And they came from near and far to christen the building. North Texas alumnus Robert Middaugh flew in from his residence in Washington D.C. to attend the game.

"I don't know that I've felt this excitement in the eight years I've been involved with North Texas," Middaugh said. "I flew all the way across the country for this. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. There's no way I wouldn't be here for this."

Middaugh joined the tailgate at noon Saturday. Many of his fellow fans had already been there for almost 24 hours as the first tailgaters began trickling in around 4 p.m. Friday.

Most tailgates set up on the east side of the stadium around a pathway the school dubbed "The Hill" where fraternities, sororities, venders and cover bands set up to entertain the crowd.

The team made its entrance into the stadium along The Hill at 4 p.m. with the band, cheerleaders and dance team leading it in while fans gathered around and cheered them on. Head coach Dan McCarney gave high fives to onlookers all the way into Apogee.

"We came in on the Mean Green Walk and it was electric," quarterback Derek Thompson said of entering the stadium. "The atmosphere was great. We had a lot of fan support. We wanted to take that electricity to the field tonight."

North Texas officials believe it was by far the largest tailgate the school has ever had. It included more venders and entertainment than ever before, so fans also camped out on the west side of the stadium. Some even staked out in the parking lot at Fouts Field across I-35E.

"I was real emotional and I don't get that way at the start of any football game," McCarney said. "When I walked out there and saw that crowd and saw those students and saw the green after seeing an empty stadium for nine months, I was overcome with emotion."

Most importantly for the opener at Apogee, the team gave fans a reason to stay even after they got a look inside.

Backup quarterback Andrew McNulty became the answer to a future trivia question by scoring the first touchdown at Apogee Stadium on an 11-yard run to give North Texas (0-2) a 7-0 lead.

Houston (2-0) took a 17-7 lead thanks to three early North Texas turnovers, but Thompson helped North Texas erase the deficit in the second quarter when he hit Andrew Power in the end zone from 5 yards away.

Houston took a 20-17 lead into halftime, but the crowd gave the Mean Green a rousing ovation as it headed to the locker room after a strong effort that saw the heavy underdogs hanging in the game.

"We came out on fire," Thompson said. "The fans were in it. That was more than what I expected. They did a great job of keeping us in the game. They caused a lot of problems for Houston's offense. I couldn't stand next to a teammate and hear what he was saying."

But the Cougar offense was too much for North Texas in the second half. Houston quarterback Case Keenum threw touchdown passes on Houston's first four drives of the half and the Mean Green never recovered.

"They executed and we didn't," McCarney said of the second half.

We missed one game in week one, incorrectly picking against the Baylor Bears (that was a big home win over TCU), but we were right that Boise State would beat Georgia and LSU would take care of Oregon, though neither game was as close as predicted.

Let's try again this week with a look at some Big 12 games and other big ones around the country:

FRIDAY:
Missouri at Arizona State, 9:30 p.m., ESPN: It's a road game for the Tigers and should be entertaining, but I think Missouri finds a way to get this done. Keep an eye on sophomore QB James Franklin from Corinth, Texas. He'll lead Missouri on some key second-half drives. Missouri 24, Arizona State 16

SATURDAY:
TCU at Air Force, 2:30 p.m., Versus: The Frogs have two main missions this week: Put the Baylor loss behind them and fix a secondary that was lit up by Robert Griffin III. It's never easy to beat Air Force at their place, but you can bet Gary Patterson and his staff had the attention of the players this week. TCU must avoid a letdown and learn to live with a loss, something that has rarely happened the past few years. TCU squeaks one out. TCU 27, Air Force 24

BYU at Texas, 6 p.m., ESPN2: We'll get a much better idea of what the Longhorns have after this game. Something tells me the run game will be key for Texas in this one as will the ability to force turnovers. Seems like lots of folks taking BYU, but I'll go with the Longhorns in a close one. Texas 31, BYU 28

UTEP at SMU, 6 p.m., FSSW: The Mustangs did not put up the type of fight that coach June Jones had in mind against the Aggies and he felt like his defense wasn't physical enough. Two turnovers early by QB Kyle Padron also put him on the bench and SMU will start J.J. McDermott behind center this week. But SMU is at home and UTEP needed OT to beat Stony Brook. SMU gets it done. SMU 34, UTEP 24

Houston at North Texas: The Mean Green open their new stadium against a tough Cougar team. It's going to take time for Dan McCarney to get his system and culture in place. But he's going to be able to recruit to a new stadium and better facilities and that won't hurt. As for this Saturday, Houston has too much firepower for the Mean Green. Houston 38, UNT 24

Other notable games:

Mississippi State at Auburn, 11:21 a.m., Ch. 21: The Tigers needed a minor miracle -- two TDs in the final four minutes or so -- to beat Utah State at home last week. They are an extremely young team and it showed. Barrett Trotter will likely grow into a solid quarterback, but it's going to take time. MSU has a balanced offense and too many playmakers for the Tigers, who keep it close at Jordan-Hare Stadium. MSU 27, Auburn 24

Alabama at Penn State, 2:30 p.m., ABC: The Nitnany Lions are ranked in the top-25, but that's likely a short stint. Alabama has the talent to win the BCS Championship if they can get through the SEC. This game won't be an easy one for them at Happy Valley, but Nick Saban and company will get it done. They'll wear down Penn State in the final quarter. Alabama 34, Penn State 21

North Texas coach Dan McCarney's debut didn't exactly go according to plan as Florida International routed the Mean Green, 41-16, in the season opener for both teams.

OK, folks. College football is finally here and that means our weekly crystal ball series. We'll pick some key games here on ESPNDallas.com and then we want you to pick the games in the comment section and we'll be sure to note those who picked the most games right each Friday. So let's get going:

TCU at Baylor, 7 p.m. Friday, ESPN: TCU has a new quarterback, a revamped offensive line and even some questions on defense. That's what happens when so many players are seniors on an undefeated team. Baylor has had this game circled since losing last year and they've got the Frogs at home. I think this will be a fantastic game, but the TCU defense will find a way to make a big stop late and Casey Pachall will do enough for the Frogs to slip out of Waco with a 7-point win. Prediction: TCU 24, Baylor 17

Louisiana-Lafayette at OSU, 6 p.m., Saturday: The Cowboys come into the season with a top-10 preseason ranking and will look to continue to put up points in their high-octane offense. That shouldn't be a problem against the Ragin' Cajuns. The Cowboys have Arizona coming to Stillwater less than a week later, too. Prediction: OSU 45, Louisiana-Lafayette 20

Oklahoma vs. Tulsa, 7 p.m., FX, Saturday: The top-ranked Sooners should score a bunch of points against Tulsa, but may give up some too. I'll be interested to see Landry Jones, who should be a Heisman Trophy contender this season. He'll have a good game. Prediction: OU 52, Tulsa 21

Texas vs. Rice, 6 p.m., Longhorn Network, Saturday: The Longhorns want to start to put last year behind them and will do so debuting on their new network. Texas takes care of business. Prediction: Texas 38, Rice 14

Texas A&M vs. SMU, 6:30 p.m., Sunday: Warning to the Aggies: Don't overlook June Jones and the Mustangs. SMU continues to improve as Jones gets more recruiting classes and his players get more experience within in his system. Kyle Padron is maturing as a quarterback and will be a challenge for the Aggie defense. SMU isn't quite ready to beat A&M in College Station, but they'll keep this close. Prediction: Texas A&M 31, SMU 24

Other big games:

LSU vs. Oregon, Cowboys Stadium, 7 p.m., ABC, Saturday: What a matchup in Arlington. Oregon returns most of the starters that appeared in the BCS Championship Game in January and LSU, while dealing with the distractions of the past week, still has plenty of talent. The winner sends a signal for inclusion in the national championship picture. The LSU defense will face a challenge in stopping Oregon, but I think they'll be able to get it done in crunch time. Prediction: LSU 24, Oregon 20

Boise State at Georgia, 7 p.m., ESPN, Saturday: There's lots of talk about Kellen Moore, and not much about the receivers that he no longer has at his disposal. Georgia is motivated and will have their passionate fan base ready. But Boise State has had a lot of time to get ready for this game and Chris Petersen knows how to prepare a team for a game like this. I'll take the Broncos...barely. Prediction: Boise State 31, Georgia 28

The University of North Texas announced a 20-year naming-rights sponsorship agreement with Apogee for the new football stadium.

The $20 million deal for Apogee Stadium is the second-largest naming-rights agreement for college football stadiums to date.

The new stadium has a capacity of 31,000 and features 21 luxury suites, 750 club suites, banquet space and a team spirit apparel store.

Apogee is the nation’s largest provider of oncampus residential networks for higher education.

"UNT found an ideal teammate in Apogee, a Texasbased company that shares our commitment to higher education and to having positive economic and social impacts," UNT president V. Lane Rawlins said in a statement. "We know firsthand Apogee’s stellar quality and commitment to students and through this new partnership we are able to improve the environment for our students and our communities."

Former L.G. Pinkston star Tony Mitchell has been selected to the USA Basketball Men’s U19 National Team.

It’s Mitchell’s second selection to a USA squad. Mitchell was a member of the 2010 USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team that went 5-0 and won gold at the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. Mitchell averaged 8.2 points, seven rebounds and 1.5 blocks.

Mitchell led Pinkston to the regional finals his senior year and was named 2010 all-region selection, 2010 Texas Class 4A All-State, 2010 Texas 12-4A Player of the Year and 2010 Slam Magazine All-American. He averaged 20.5 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in 36 games.

The 24^th ranked recruit in ESPNU’s class of 2010 signed a letter of intent with Missouri but was ruled academically ineligible by the NCAA on Jan. 5, 2011. Mitchell has since transferred to North Texas but is not eligible to play until at least the second semester of the 2011-12 school year.

Mitchell is one of 12 players selected on the roster that will leave for Europe on Friday and compete at the FIBA U19 World Championship in Latvia from June 30-July 10.