AUSTIN, Texas -- The worst job in football? Big 12 defensive coordinator.Just ask TCU coach Gary Patterson.The worst job maybe in America right now is the defensive coordinator, especially in the Big 12, Patterson said this week after his Horned Frogs gave up 52 points in a loss to Oklahoma. Basically youre going to make about 70 calls in 20 seconds and youre going to be evaluated every seven days, and by the next day whether you did a very good job or not.The Horned Frogs arent alone. Big 12 defenses are suffering every week.Eight of the leagues 10 teams rank No. 77 or lower nationally in total defense as the yards and points come in bunches. Six rank No. 67 or lower in scoring allowed. Four of those -- Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas Tech and Texas -- all surrender more than 35 points or more per game.And it could get worse.Most of those ugly stats were built against non-conference opponents. The leagues high-powered offenses are just getting warmed up as only Baylor and Oklahoma State have played more than one conference game.The outlier in all those missed tackles and wide open scoring passes is Kansas State, which ranks No. 4 in total defense but struggles to score. If the Wildcats can just figure out how to punch in a few touchdowns, they could run away with the league.After two straight losses giving up 50 and 49 points, Texas coach Charlie Strong had seen enough . He demoted coordinator Vance Bedford and will call defenses himself this week against Oklahoma.Bedford may be relieved to not be charged with defending fast-tempo offenses that spread the field, put a premium on open-field tackling and barely give defenders, or game officials, a chance to breathe.For some coaches, its not the game they love.Its beyond ridiculous. The way (offenses) run to the line of scrimmage and the referee has to run out of there to snap the football. To me, thats not football, Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. What theyre doing to football is tough, its difficult. I dont even know what to call it anymore; I really dont.The Big 12 has had breakneck offenses for years, of course -- it just seems that the defenses havent caught up. The last time a Big 12 team ranked in the top 10 in total defense was in 2010, when Texas was No. 6 (TCU was No. 1 that season but didnt join the league until 2012).The Longhorns were No. 3 in total defense in 2009 when they played for the national title. When Oklahoma won the 2000 national championship, the Sooners had a top 10 unit peppered with big-time playmakers.Those days of rockem, sockem Big 12 defenses are ancient history, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said.Defensive statistics are not what they used to be and theyre not ever going to go back to the way it used to be, Gundy said. His Cowboys beat Texas 49-31 in a game that passed 1,000 yards of total offense.Offenses play fast ... Theres more speed on the perimeter ... (And) were back in a trend here where weve got fantastic quarterbacks playing in this league. When that happens, theyre going to run up 400-500 yards. Thats just the way it is, Gundy said.The league does have some gunslingers. TCUs Kenny Hill, Texas Techs Patrick Mahomes and Oklahoma States Mason Rudolph all rank in top the top 10 nationally in passing.But Big 12 defenses have been beaten up all around the country this season:- Texas has surrendered more than 500 yards and three or more touchdown passes three times in the first four games, while forcing just one turnover with no interceptions.- Texas Tech allowed Arizona States Kalen Ballage to score an NCAA record-tying eight touchdowns in a 68-55 loss. Ballage has scored just two more touchdowns in the Sun Devils four other games.- Defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma, which made the College Football Playoff last season, has given up 91 points in its last two games.When the Longhorns and Sooners play their annual rivalry game in Dallas on Saturday, the loser will come out 2/3 and facing a furious fan base. After two losing seasons, Strong is under enormous pressure to win this season or risk losing his job.A defensive coordinator at Florida when the Gators won two national titles, Strong is betting on himself to turn around Texas defense and season.I dont think its desperate measures, Strong said. Ive done it before. I see where I can help. Sometimes you need new energy and eyes.---AP Sports Writers Cliff Brunt, Stephen Hawkins and John Raby contributed. Marble Water Bottle Cheap . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. SWell Bottle Sale . - Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie never doubted he would bring back coach Dennis Allen for a third year despite back-to-back 4-12 records. http://www.swellbottlesale.com/ . James, who turned 29 on Monday, injured his groin Friday during the Heats overtime loss at Sacramento. He sat out the following game, a 108-107 win Saturday in Portland, before coming back to help send the Nuggets to their seventh consecutive loss. Swell Bottles Wholesale .Y. -- Paul Byron and Matt Stajan scored as the Calgary Flames started a five-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon. Swell Traveler Sale . "I dont know that were close," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I just think, right now, the acquisition cost just doesnt work for us right now. I dont know if I can quantify how far off or things like that that they might be but I would say we continue to have dialogue. HOUSTON -- Despite striking out 61 times and only scoring 10 runs in four games, the Toronto Blue Jays found a way to take three of four from the Houston Astros.J.A. Happ won his ninth consecutive decision, Edwin Encarnacion reached 30 home runs for the fifth straight season and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Houston Astros 4-1 on Thursday night for their eighth win in 11 games.Its been a tough place for us to play; we won three games and had a chance to win all four of them, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. So we feel good about that. Not a lot of offense on either side but I think thats because the pitching was so good on both sides. We got some big hits and won some close games.Happ (15-3), who already has set his career high for wins, retired 12 of his first 13 batters and allowed one run and four hits in six innings. He is 9-0 with a 2.49 ERA in 10 starts since losing at Detroit on June 6.Its nice to have a couple quick innings, Happ said. Hopefully the less pitches they see the better youre going to be for the later at-bats when youre turning the lineup over or trying to at least two, three or four times. I think that was huge to be able to have something left to get out of that jam.Happ struck out six and walked none, and Joaquin Benoit, Jason Grilli and Roberto Osuna completed the five-hitter. After walking rookie Alex Bregman leading off the ninth, Osuna struck out Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Evan Gattis for his 24th save in 26 chances.After being given a day off Wednesday, Bregman was 1 for 4 with a sixth-inning single. The second overall pick in the 2015 amateur draft, is hitting .056 (2 for 36) since he was brought up July 25.Houston pitchers struck out a major league-record 61 in the four-game series, three more than the previous mark set by Cincinnati pitchers against San Diego in 2008. Astros pitchers set a record with 52 strikeouts in a three-game series against Baltimore from May 24-26.Mike Fiers (7-5) gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings, walking none and tying his second high with seven strikeouts.Devon Travis doubled leading off the first inning for the first of his three hits and scored on Josh Donaldsons groundout -- the first run in the series that did not score on a solo home run.I felt good tonight, Travis said. I found out once again for the millionth time that this is a really humbling game. Its alwayss great to come out here and help your team with a ball game.ddddddddddddOn the previous pitch, Smoak took an 0-2 curveball on the low, outside corner and stepped toward the dugout thinking it was strike three, only to have plate umpire Todd Tichenor call the pitch a ball.Toronto doubled the lead in the fifth when Justin Smoak swung over a curveball in the dirt for strike three and the ball hit off Gattis and bounced away for a wild pitch that allowed Russell Martin to score from third.Tyler White hit a run-scoring double in the bottom half for his first RBI since June 10.The Astros have lost eight of their last 10 games, getting outscored 47-21.We all hate it collectively because we dont like going through this rut, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. I think the guys are handling it like pros. We believe in this group and they believe in themselves, but sometimes, you need to have a good day to realize all the work and extra conversations are worth it. Its the big leagues and its a game of adjustments -- its not a try-hard league.Travis singled in a run against Will Harris in the eighth, and Encarnacion connected against James Hoyt in the ninth for his 298th home run.It feels good, Encarnacion said about being close to 300. I know its going to happen but I wish it could happen with people on base so we could win some games.TRAINERS ROOMBlue Jays: SS Troy Tulowitzki went 1 for 4 after missing three games after breaking his right thumb when hit by a pitch from Baltimores Chris Tillman on Sunday.Astros: INF Marwin Gonzalez (right hand soreness) was held out of the starting lineup but pinch hit in the seventh inning and grounded out. Gonzalezs right-handed swing is less comfortable than left-handed swing, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. ... Luis Valbuena (right hamstring strain) is taking part in any baseball activity but continues daily treatment ... INF Carlos Gomez (right hamstring strain) was 0 for 2 with two strikeouts as the designated hitter after not playing in five of the last six games.UP NEXTBlue Jays: LHP Francisco Liriano (6-11), acquired from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline, is to make his Toronto debut on Friday at Kansas City.Astros: LHP Dallas Keuchel (6-11) is slated to start at home Friday against Texas. ' ' '