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If it’s Tuesday, it must be a day for a reader’s mailbag.

Here are some of the better offerings from the last several days.

Victor Romero from Boulder, Colo., writes: Hey Tim, If Darrell Scott were to come back to the Buffs, I think the Boulder community would rejoice and might actually soften its "Fire Dan Hawkins" stance a little bit, as it could be seen as Hawk getting Scott into the program twice.

I still think the kid could be a special back, and if he's eligible next season should get 15-20 carries per game. The fact that he wasn't is the biggest reason he wanted to transfer. I think he sees Demetrius Sumler's transfer as the opportunity to get those carries that Hawkins kept from him. What do you think?

Tim Griffin: Victor, you raise a very interesting point. Obviously Rodney “Speedy” Stewart will be the Buffaloes’ No. 1 back coming into the season. But there are still a lot of carries for another back. Scott averaged 7. 9 carries in 2008 as a freshman and saw those numbers drop to 4.6 carries per game in an injury-riddled 2009 before he quit the team.

I agree that Scott could be a productive back if he’s healthy and used correctly. But I don’t see him as a player who could withstand 25 to 30 carries per game.

It will be interesting to see if he returns to the Colorado program. There has been limited interest from other schools. That might lead me to believe that the best place for him is Colorado -- if he and Hawkins can put their differences behind them.

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Brad Williamson of Killeen, Texas, writes: Tim, I claim to not get confused about things, but when I do become confused, I make it a point to do my research to find the answer myself. However, there have been a few blog postings you've put on here that I will freely admit I am at a loss on. You have mentioned how Eric Morris and Graham Harrell have been hired by Houston and (I believe) Oklahoma State as assistant coaches.

However, both of those players played last year and are currently still on the roster for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL. I bleed Red and Black and like to follow the pro careers of former Tech players, but I was wondering if you know how this works. Are both players still playing for Saskatchewan and on staff with the schools, or have they given up their roster spots? I know most people don't care about the CFL, but I was just curious, and it gives me an opportunity to type Saskatchewan a few times. Thanks for your blog!

Tim Griffin: Both Morris and Harrell have given up their professional football careers to start coaching careers with Oklahoma State and Houston.

Both had a chance to play a little in the CFL, but have decided that starting a coaching career is their best path to future employment. I think it's a wise choice for Morris and Harrell.

And I know all about Saskatchewan and Taylor Field. I was in Regina on a windy day back in 1995 when the Baltimore Stallions became the only American team to win the Grey Cup by beating Doug Flutie and the Calgary Stampeders. It remains one of the most vivid memories of my reporting career.

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Jon from Topeka, Kan., writes: Do you see more kids signing up and playing soccer in Nebraska than ever before, because of Ndamukong Suh? And where do you think Neb will finish out next season? Can they be a top 5 team?

Tim Griffin: Maybe those kids have seen the value of playing soccer because of Suh, or maybe the multipurpose kicking talents Alex Henery developed before beginning his football career. Both are role models for what soccer players can later accomplish if they decide to play football.

And as far as Nebraska next season, I think the Cornhuskers will be the team to beat in the Big 12 North, but top five might be a little optimistic. I’ll say they will be a top 12-15 team and finish up with a 10-2 record. That should be good enough to get them back in the Big 12 championship game for a second straight season.

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Josh Saunders from Tampa, Fla., writes: Tim, in last week’s mailbag, you stated that "Nebraska desperately needs those big-time receivers to consistently challenge Texas and Oklahoma." Correct me if I'm wrong, but Nebraska beat Oklahoma and had Texas beat until the officials (rightly or wrongly) put one second back on the clock. And they did this with an injury-plagued offense that was the worst statistically at NU in almost 40 years. What gives?

Tim Griffin: I hope you noticed that the key word in my answer is “consistently.” Before last season’s victory in Lincoln, the Sooners had won the last four games in the Nebraska series. Texas’ victory in the 2009 Big 12 championship game is the Longhorns’ fifth straight against Nebraska. During the Big 12 era, Texas has won eight of its last nine games against the Cornhuskers with the only loss coming in the 1999 Big 12 title game.

I still think the Cornhuskers need more offensive firepower to compete against the very best teams in the Big 12 -- which in the last decade has been Texas and Oklahoma. Both those teams have the offensive pop to make big plays on a consistent basis. The Cornhuskers need a couple of playmakers to get closer to both of them. That’s still the biggest deficiency I see in Nebraska as the Cornhuskers prepare for the 2010 season.

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Ryan S. Williams of Keller, Texas, writes: Hey Tim, thanks for the updates in this college football downtime. I'm a longtime Kansas fan and I'm hoping you could give your opinion on the KU running game this upcoming season. Do you think Toben Opurum will be the lead back with a few doses of Brandon Bourbon or do you think it will be a legitimate two-back system?

Personally I feel like KU should use a lot more of a ground game this season. Thanks for your input and keep it coming.

Tim Griffin: I look for the Jayhawks to run more of a balanced offense this season, along the lines of the one that Chuck Long ran when he was at Oklahoma and at San Diego State. In both situations, Long tried to run the ball to set up the pass.

I know Jake Sharp will be gone from next season’s team, but the Jayhawks return all five starting offensive linemen and their starting tight end. I think a running game also would relieve some of the pressure on the Kansas quarterback -- whether it’s Kale Pick or Quinn Mecham -- as they try to get acclimated to running Long’s offense.

Look for Opurum to get the first shot at becoming the Jayhawks’ featured back. But it wouldn’t surprise me to see Bourbon get more and more carries as the season progresses.

Thanks again for the consistently good questions. I appreciate them all.

There's a little bit of pent-up excitement about Nebraska's program.

To what degree?

The Cornhuskers' annual Red-White Spring Game is more than two months away. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Nebraska ticket office has sold about 51,500 reserved tickets.

More than 40,000 tickets were sold last week on the first day that tickets were available. An even more incredible number is that approximately 8,400 tickets were sold during the first 15 minutes they went on sale.

There are still about nine weeks before the April 17 game will be played.

To say that Cornhuskers fans are excited about the upcoming spring practice would be a huge understatement.

The guys who commission CoachesHotSeat.com continue to rank Mike Sherman and Dan Hawkins as sitting on two of the hottest seats in all of college football coaching.

It's no surprised that Hawkins is ranked No. 1 in their most recent rankings with Sherman at No. 3. It continues a trend that has continued since last season.

Hawkins hasn't helped himself after predicting his team would claim "10 wins and no excuses" coming into the 2009 season. Instead, the Buffaloes went 3-9 as Hawkins is clearly on a short leash with a one-year contract extension coming into 2010.

Sherman's stock is just as shaky, despite leading the Aggies to the Independence Bowl. They dropped a 44-20 loss to Georgia in that game, putting the finishing touches on a 6-7 season. With a 10-15 record after two seasons, Sherman is off to the worst start by an A&M coach in more than four decades.

It's interesting to compare the current hot seat rankings to the CoachesHotSeat.com rankings from this point last year. Particularly noteworthy are the former rankings at this time last year for former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach at 101st and former Kansas coach Mark Mangino at 95th. Mangino resigned after a 5-7 season marked by complaints from past and former players about his treatment. And Leach was let go only a few weeks after becoming the winningest coach in school history, in part because of complaints made by a player about his treatment after an injury.

I found these numbers to be interesting as an outside interest judged the volatility of a coach's job security. I might quibble about Art Briles and Bill Snyder having numbers that are too low. And I think the new coaches, Gill and Tuberville, are judged rather harshly considered neither has played a game yet at their new jobs. The biggest drop among coaches who were in place both seasons was for Gary Pinkel, who saw his numbers go down 38 points from last season, despite breaking in a new quarterback and taking his team to a bowl game.

But the numbers do show that nobody needs a winning season more than Hawkins. And Sherman is just a couple of places behind him.

But it does reflect some interesting numbers in comparison to last season. Even Mack Brown, who's seat is still judged to be the safest in the conference, still saw his security drop a tad after a season where he took his team to the national championship game. Paul Rhoads' numbers improved after taking Iowa State to a bowl game in his first season

A quick show of hands, please, from anybody who braved the lines at their nearby Denny’s Restaurant for a free Grand Slam breakfast this morning.

The thought occurred to me to check it out, so I drove by the nearest location after I delivered my boy to school earlier today.

The lines outside the restaurant convinced me that a wiser choice was to return back home to my blogging duties.

Here are some stories from across the Big 12 this afternoon that should prove a little more substantial than the blueberry Pop Tart I had instead.

• The Lincoln Journal Star’s Steve Sipple relates that new Tennessee coach Derek Dooley contacted Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini about joining his staff in a similar position before settling on Justin Wilcox.
• The San Antonio Express-News/Houston Chronicle’s Brent Zwerneman senses a growing sense of accountability in terms of wins and losses among Mike Sherman’s staff at Texas A&M.
• The Sporting News’ Matt Hayes mentions in his mailbag that Kansas’ hiring of Turner Gill stood apart from other coaching hires.
• The Austin American-Statesman’s Richard Tijerina’s must-read “Breakfast with Bevo” reports that the Texas football team was honored during halftime at the Longhorns’ “Big Monday” game against Kansas last night. It was probably the bright spot for most of the fans who attended the game.
• The Lawrence Journal-World’s Lindsey Slater reports that Kansas is expanding an area of discounted seats at Memorial Stadium and dropping some prices of season tickets to as low as $199 for the upcoming season.
• The Omaha World-Herald’s Tom Shatel writes that Nebraska’s offense should be based on dominating linemen rather than speedy receivers -- so he’s not necessarily worried about the Cornhuskers’ most recent recruiting class.
• Former Baylor wide receiver Lawrence Elkins was among 10 former athletic figures inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Monday night, the Waco Tribune-Herald’s John Werner reports.
• Mediation talks between Mike Leach’s attorneys and those representing Texas Tech have failed to reach an out-of-court settlement, although the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Matthew McGowan reports that talks have not broken down.
• Heralded recruit Gilbert Moye, who played tailback for Missouri, has left the Tigers’ program, the Columbia Tribune’s Dave Matter reports. Moye plans to transfer to a Southwestern Athletic Conference or Southland Conference program with hopes to play quarterback at his new school.
• Missouri ranks third among possible Big Ten expansion candidates in a online readers’ poll commissioned by USA Today. The Tigers rank behind leader Notre Dame and No. 2 Pittsburgh.
• Derek Summers of the Oklahoma State Daily O’Collegian reports that Mike Gundy is looking for immediate contributions from some members of the Cowboys’ 2010 recruiting class.
• Former Baylor assistant coach and current North Carolina State linebackers coach Andy McCollum is close to being hired on Paul Johnson’s staff at Georgia Tech, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Doug Roberson reports.

Former Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury was promoted to co-offensive coordinator and quarterback coach and former Tech wide receiver Eric Morris has been added as a quality control assistant on Kevin Sumlin's staff at Houston.

Kingsbury has been a member of Sumlin's staff for the last two seasons. During that time, he has been instrumental in the development of record-breaking Houston quarterback Case Keenum.

"Kliff was a tremendous player as a quarterback and has been in the background with our offensive staff for the past two years," Sumlin said. "This will give him an opportunity to continue the progress and development in the level of quarterback play."

Morris, a four-year letterman at Tech from 2005-08, will be the newest member of Sumlin's offensive group.

The additions will only make the Nov. 27 game in Lubbock against the Red Raiders that much more emotional for both of them.

Oklahoma State alumni and benefactor T. Boone Pickens has been named to the board of directors of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame.

Pickens is among a group of six new persons who have joined the board, including broadcasters Troy Aikman and Jim Nantz and former Tennessee coach Bill Battle.

The National Football Foundation has a deep connection with the Big 12. The group's president and chief executive officer is Steve Hatchell, the original commissioner of the Big 12. And other board members include Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione, Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne, Texas women's athletic director Chris Plonsky and former Baylor coach and current American Football Coaches Association executive director Grant Teaff.

It's a big honor for Pickens to be added to this group and will help expand Oklahoma State's national reach because of Pickens' influence in this blue-ribbon panel of sports leaders.

Veteran talent analyst JC Shurburtt of ESPN Recruiting has listed the top 11 programs with the fastest start on their 2011 recruiting classes. Both Nebraska and Oklahoma made the unranked list.

Nebraska has already received commitments from three players, including two selections on the ESPNU 150 watch list. Both of Oklahoma's early commitments made the ESPNU 150 watch list.

The Cornhuskers already have received verbal commitments from two of the nation's top linemen, continuing a tradition that is a bedrock of the Nebraska program. Tyler Moore, a 6-foot-6, 270-pounder from Countryside High School in Clearwater, Fla., is joined by Ryne Reeves, a 6-foot-3, 287-pound center from Crete, Neb. Along with those two on the ESPNU 150 watch list with quarterback Jamal Turner of Sam Houston High School in Arlington, Texas.

And the Sooners have garnered two on the 150 list, including wide receiver Kameel Jackson who is Turner's major receiving target at Sam Houston High School. He is joined by quarterback Kendal Thompson of Southmoore High School in Moore, Okla.

Here's a quick look at what other schools in the conference have gotten an early start (Note: * indicates an ESPNU 150 watch list player):

• Baylor: None.
• Colorado: C Shaun Simon (Hutchinson Community College)
• Iowa State: None.
• Kansas: None.
• Kansas State: OT Cody Whitehair (Abilene, Kan.), DT Olukayode Akinmoladun (Independence Community College), WR Marcus Kennard (Butler County Community College), QB Angelo Pease (Hutchinson Community College), DE Meshak Williams (Hutchinson, Kan.)
• Missouri: *QB Corbin Berkstresser (Lee Summit, Mo.); WR Wesley Leftwich (Hickman, Mo.); ATH Anthony Pierson (Gateway, Mo.), DT Sheldon Richardson (College of the Sequoias).
• Nebraska: *OT Tyler Moore (Clearwater, Fla.), *C Ryne Reeves (Crete, Neb.), QB Jamal Turner (Arlington, Texas).
• Oklahoma: *WR Kameel Jackson (Arlington, Texas), *QB Kendal Thompson (Moore, Okla.)
• Oklahoma State: *QB J.W. Walsh (Denton, Texas), T Travis Cross (Plano, Texas), S Isaac Maselera (Glenpool, Okla.)
• Texas: None.
• Texas A&M: *T Joseph Creek (Seguin, Texas).
• Texas Tech: *WR Javares McRoy (Lakeland, Fla.)

Wayward running back Darrell Scott has met with Colorado coach Dan Hawkins about rejoining the Buffaloes program.

Denver television station KCNC reports that Scott has not been reinstated, as Hawkins wanted to meet with other coaches and players before making a final decision.

The Boulder Camera reported that Scott was not enrolled for spring classes at Colorado at the close of business operations on Monday. Scott would need permission from a dean to enroll in classes at this point.

Scott quit the Colorado team last season after five games after injuries limited him to only 95 rushing yards in five games in his sophomore season.

He arrived as the top recruit in Colorado's 2008 recruiting class. He was rated as the nation's top running back recruit after rushing for more than 7,600 yards and 99 touchdowns at St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura, Calif. The Buffaloes beat out a host of suitors for Scott, who was the top recruit to be attracted by Hawkins during his coaching tenure.

If Scott were invited back into the program, he could play or redshirt during the 2010 season. The NCAA allows a "missed term exception" for every student-athlete one time during their careers. That would mean that Scott could take summer school classes later this season and likely make enough progress toward his degree to be academically eligible for the Buffaloes' 2010 season.

Scott has never fulfilled the promise that marked him coming into the program, struggling with injuries as he's rushed for 438 yards and one touchdown during his career. He was beaten out for the starting position last fall by Rodney "Speedy" Stewart.

But his return would be critical for backfield depth for the Buffaloes, who have already lost running back Demetrius Sumler to transfer last month.

Veteran Texas A&M offensive coordinator Nolan Cromwell is among the candidates for the vacancy at wide receivers coach for the St. Louis Rams.

Cromwell, who has been Mike Sherman's offensive coordinator in each of his first two seasons with the Aggies, has talked with St. Louis coach Steve Spagnuolo, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Cromwell played 11 seasons with the Rams during his pro football career and also served as an assistant with the team in 1991 with John Robinson's staff in Los Angeles.

He later coached with Green Bay from 1992 through 1998 and in Seattle from 1999 through 2007.

The Aggies already replaced their defensive coordinator when Joe Kines stepped down and was replaced by former Air Force defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter.

Changing offensive coordinators so close to spring practice could present some abrupt changes for quarterback Jerrod Johnson before heading into his senior season. With seven starters returning, the Aggies' offensive unit is expected to be the team's biggest strength heading into the 2010 season.

The NFL talent scouts will turn their attention to incoming players over the next several months. And it appears that much of their focus will be directed at the Big 12.

The conference has nine players among the top 25 players on Mel Kiper's most recent Big Board.

That number is more than any other conference. The SEC has six players and no other conference has more than two players.

Here's a look at the Big 12 players and where they rank on Kiper's most recent top 25 list.

• 1. Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh
• 2. Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy
• 4. Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford
• 8. Oklahoma State T Russell Okung
• 9. Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant
• 11. Texas S Earl Thomas
• 21. Texas LB-DE Sergio Kindle
• 24. Oklahoma T Trent Williams
• 25. Oklahoma TE Jermaine Gresham.

And with Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon slated to jump perhaps as high as the end of the first round, it could be a busy time for the Big 12.

The conference set a record with seven No. 1 draft choices in 2009. It wouldn't be a shock to see that number matched in the first 20 picks this season.

Oklahoma State safety Lucien "The Punisher" Antoine provided a big game in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Texas vs. the Nation All-Star Challenge game.

Antoine produced two tackles and an assist for the Texas team, which rolled to a 36-17 victory over the Nation at the Sun Bowl in El Paso.

Several other former Big 12 players participated in the fourth annual February all-star game.

Here's a look at what the Big 12 players accomplished in the game. All of them played for the Texas team.

• Texas A&M FB Jamie McCoy: Rushed twice for 12 yards and produced one catch for 5 yards.
• Iowa State P Mike Brandtner: Two kicks for a 33.0 yard average. His longest was 43 yards and he had one pooch kick inside the 20.
• Baylor S Jordan Lake: Two assists, a shared tackle for a loss and one pass broken up.
• Missouri WR Jared Perry: One reception for 16 yards.

Several players who appeared on game rosters earlier in the week did not participate. Among those who were missing included Baylor wide receiver David Gettis, Oklahoma State guard Andrew Lewis, Texas A&M center Kevin Matthews, Texas Tech defensive end Brandon Sharpe and Texas Tech tackle Marlon Winn, according to the official statistical game book that was posted at the game's web site.

After the game, organizers told the El Paso Times that they were disappointed with an announced crowd of 26,041 for the game. That attendance was down significantly from last season's attendance of 42,000.

Game CEO Kenny Hansmire told the Times the game could be headed for San Antonio or Dallas because of the attendance decline.

Spring is a pivotal time for all players across the Big 12.

But several have the opportunity to really make a push for playing time in the fall during spring practices.

Here's a look at five players who could be ready to challenge for playing time this spring.

Kansas quarterback Quinn Mecham: New Kansas offensive coordinator Chuck Long personally recruited him to the Kansas program, meaning he'll get a legitimate shot to win the starting job this spring in a battle with Kale Pick. Mecham threw for 3,091 yards and 40 touchdowns last season at Snow College. He had the kind of moxie that Long thinks will make him a productive player and an immediate contributor for the Jayhawks.

Oklahoma linebacker Tom Wort: A fast early start had him in contention for a starting job with the Sooners before he sustained a season-ending knee injury last August. His recovery has been complete and he should be in the mix for the vacant starting job at middle linebacker this spring for the Sooners.

Kansas State quarterback/running back Chris Harper: The Oregon transfer and Wichita native moved to be closer to home and for a shot at quarterback. The field is crowded with the Wildcats, but Harper's athleticism might give him the opportunity to play particularly with Bill Snyder's interest in Wildcat formations.

Nebraska offensive lineman Jermarcus Hardrick: The 6-foot-7, 315-pound former LSU commitment and transfer from Fort Scott Community College could contend for immediate playing time with a strong spring effort. Nebraska coaches love his size and his tenacity as he already shown well in early conditioning drills.

Baylor offensive lineman Robert Griffin: All eyes will be on the recovery of quarterback Robert Griffin, as he recovers from knee surgery. But Baylor coaches are also eager to have "Big" Robert Griffin playing for them as well. His experience at Navarro Junior College and his size (6-foot-6, 345-pounds) should enable him to immediately contend for the starting job at right tackle.

Heck of a Super Bowl game last night, wasn't it?

But as good of a game as the New Orleans-Indianapolis matchup was, I'll take a college football game over a pro one any day of the week.

The passion you saw last night at Sun Life Stadium is a regular occurrence every Saturday during the fall.

Here are some Big 12 lunch links to help provide some information to get us ready for the upcoming spring practices across the conference.

• The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal's Adam Zuvanich wonders if anybody else is having college football withdrawal?
• The Austin American-Statesman’s Kirk Bohls reports in his timely nine things and one crazy prediction that Mack Brown has told all of his incoming freshmen to be ready to challenge for immediate playing time.
• The Omaha World-Herald’s Mitch Sherman reports that Nebraska will be getting a scrappy player in incoming quarterback Brion Carnes.
• Rumors about Bob Stoops leaving Oklahoma apparently had no effect on the Sooners' recruiting efforts, according to College Football News.
• The Oklahoman’s Brandon Chatmon catches up with the 2009 Oklahoma State recruiting class and his colleague Jake Trotter does the same with the 2009 Oklahoma recruiting class.
• The Miami Herald’s Edwin Pope opines about Roger Craig being skipped over, along with other deserving players when the NFL Hall of Fame's new class was announced.
• New Oklahoma secondary coach Willie Martinez tells the Tulsa World’s Dave Sittler about his association with Howard Schnellenberger and his role in the celebrated “fumblerooski” play in Miami's 1983 national championship victory.
• Bohls introduces us to Gale Gilbert, the father of Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert and a player Bohls refers to as “the Forrest Gump” of football.
• Kansas recruit Brandon Bourbon’s decision to shun Stanford and Harvard for a chance to play football for the Jayhawks is examined by the Topeka Capital-Journal's Tully Corcoran.
• Time.com ranks Barry Sanders as one of the 10 greatest Heisman Trophy winners in history.
• The Bryan Eagle’s Robert Cessna measures up Texas A&M defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter with new Tennessee defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox.
• The Dallas Morning News' Kevin Sherrington catches up with former Baylor standout receiver Lawrence Elkins, a former college All-American who has had an interesting career since leaving football.

The nature of college football is filling in positions for departing players.

But some Big 12 players will be facing bigger challenges than most.

Here's a look at the players who will be the toughest to replace across the Big 12:

1. Texas QB Colt McCoy: He leaves school as the most statistically proficient quarterback in school history, although his career will forever be marked by his near misses in the Heisman Trophy balloting over the past two seasons and his injury in his final college game against Alabama. Garrett Gilbert will be facing some big shoes to replace when Texas practice starts later this month.

2. Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh: He will go down in history as arguably the greatest Blackshirt ever, a player who stayed in school for an extra season and cashed in with a haul of individual trophies. Terrence Moore will accept the huge challenge to replace the most dominant defensive force in Big 12 history and in recent college football history.

3. Oklahoma State CB Perrish Cox: His ability as a shutdown cornerback and a punt returner helped marked the Cowboys' defensive effort last season. Cox led the Big 12 with 19 passes defensed and he didn't play in his final game in the Cotton Bowl. Overachieving 5-foot-8, 180-pound Brodrick Brown will have the unenviable task of trying to replace Cox in the Cowboys' secondary.

4. Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy: Although he was sometimes overshadowed by Suh in the conference, McCoy was the anchor of the Sooners' defense during the past three seasons, notching six sacks and 15.5 tackles for losses last season. Heralded Jamarkus McFarland will get the first shot at replacing McCoy -- not only in his production but also in his leadership.

5. Missouri WR Danario Alexander: The Tigers will bring back starters Jerrell Jackson and Wes Kemp, along with heralded rising sophomore T.J. Moe. But it still won't lessen the contributions of Alexander, who blossomed into the nation's top receiver over the second half of the season, finishing with school-record single-season totals of 113 receptions and 1,781 receiving yards.

I couldn’t leave for a weekend without checking the e-mails and seeing some of the questions that the readers had for me this week.

Here are some of the best ones I received over the last several days:

L. Edgar from St. Louis, Mo., writes: Many fans and almost all the media have said that the weakness in Missouri coach Gary Pinkel's program is the lack of a running game. There is evidence to support this view: when they get ahead they are unable to take time off the clock and they are not that effective in the red zone. To me, it looks as if this recruiting class ignored that need. Do you agree?

Tim Griffin: While it might have looked like Pinkel didn’t put a lot of importance in attracting backs, I really like the signing of Greg White of DeQueen, Ark. He’s a different kind of back than the Tigers have had in recent seasons. In fact, the 215-pounder might be considered Missouri’s first true power back since Zack Abron left school. I think he can emerge into a key contributor for the Tigers if he can stay healthy.

And I also think that the addition of two mammoth bookend offensive tackles like Nick Demien and Mitch Morse bodes well for the future of Missouri’s interior line play. It’s been lacking in the last couple of seasons and might be as big a reason for the Tigers’ red-zone problems as anything else. I think these additions will help address the problems that have been there for the Tigers in recent seasons.

Jason Lewis from Kansas City, Mo., writes: Tim, I know recruiting is subjective but I'm wondering why you ranked Nebraska as the seventh-best class in the Big 12. You ranked them behind Baylor, when Nebraska's class was ranked 23rd overall and Baylor's was ranked 39th overall by Rivals. Can you explain your ranking for the Huskers? Thanks.

Tim Griffin: Jason, those were not my rankings but those of ESPNU’s talent evaluators. But I think I can speak for them that the biggest question is the lack of offensive skill players and the inability to land Owamagbe Odighizuwa, who instead accepted the offer at UCLA.

Nebraska desperately needs those big-time receivers to consistently challenge Texas and Oklahoma.

And I know I’ve heard from many Nebraska fans who claim they don’t need Odighizuwa because Bo and Carl Pelini will develop a lesser recruit into as good a player as Odighizuwa would have been.

But remember, he’s a special five-star talent. It always hurts when you lose a chance to get those difference makers. And for anybody to say that the Cornhuskers couldn't have used him don't understand the reality of how the big defensive end could have developed after working with the Pelinis.

Mike Wehling from Lincoln, Neb., writes: Tim, great job with the blog. It remains the main reason why I go to ESPN.com. What teams do you think will win the Big 12 North and South for next season?

Tim Griffin: Mike, I’ll have my definitive early answers sometime next week, but for now I’ve got Nebraska winning the Big 12 North and either Oklahoma or Texas winning the South. I’m leaning to the Sooners now, but could change my mind between now and Wednesday when the pick will be released.

The major reason I give Nebraska the edge is all of the weapons returning from this season’s team, along with the framework of a strong defense. I know that Nebraska will miss Ndamukong Suh, starting safeties Matt O'Hanlon and Larry Asante and linebacker Phillip Dillard, but I’m thinking another year of work with the Pelinis could turn Jared Crick into a monster. And I also like some of the Cornhuskers' returning defensive talent.

And I’m leaning to Oklahoma because they will have an experienced quarterback in Landry Jones with multiple starts. Texas loses Colt McCoy, but will have the inexperienced Garrett Gilbert back. I’m still working over who I think will be the best heading into spring practice and I’ll have an answer next week.

Bear Brown from Denton, Texas, writes: What do you think the Texas Tech fans should do about this whole post-Leach thing? I believe since he's not coming back we should just try to move on. Thanks!

Tim Griffin: That’s why new coach Tommy Tuberville wasted little time connecting with Tech alumni across the state of Texas as soon as the recruiting period was over. The day after National Signing Day, Tuberville was pressing the flesh in both Dallas and Houston to reassure Tech fans that drastic change won’t be resulting in the Red Raiders' program after the controversial firing of Mike Leach.

It will be interesting to see how Tech fans handle the switch. The fact is that both Oklahoma and Texas probably will be down a little next season in the Big 12 South. Tuberville has some nice offensive weapons and I’m convinced he’ll have a strong defense with the Red Raiders some day. But whether that comes next year or not will likely determine if they can challenge for the South Division title.

Tuberville has his work cut out to make Tech fans forget about Leach, the most important figure in Tech football in the last 40 years. But Tuberville is an outstanding coach who had an Auburn team on the brink of a national championship. He was able to consistently compete in the SEC. I'm thinking he'll be able to duplicate that success at Tech, too.

Steve Shoemaker of Las Cruces, N.M., writes: Tim, I loved your post earlier today about the Pro Football Hall of Fame and potential Big 12 players joining in the future. I’ve got two who I think are absolute locks. How about guard Will Shields of Nebraska and punter Shane Lechler of Texas A&M? Both of them were on the NFL’s All-Decade that was released earlier this week. I think what both players have accomplished during their pro careers should make them strong candidates.

Tim Griffin: Steve, I agree with you on both players. I think Shields will end up being one of the great offensive linemen of the NFL’s recent history. It’s hard to argue with his credentials of having made a Pro Bowl in 12 consecutive seasons and nine All-Pro teams. His work with the Kansas City Chiefs was a big reason why that franchise was so successful in the early part of this decade.

And Lechler might go down as the greatest punter in NFL history. His current career average of 47.3 yards per kick after the 2009 season is nearly a yard per kick more than the second-place NFL career punter, Glenn Dobbs. His 51.1 yard-per-kick average in 2009 was the second-highest season total in NFL history and trailed only Sammy Baugh's 51.4 average in 1940.

So it’s safe to say that Lechler’s place in Canton one day looks pretty secure if he can keep his punting average consistently high as its been during the first 10 seasons of his NFL career.

Thanks again for all of the good questions. Enjoy the Super Bowl and will check back again next week.