ESPN College Football

Thanks for all the e-mails this week. Good to hear from you. Here's where you can reach me if you've got more to say.

Mike in Overland Park, Kan. writes: Hey Dave, regarding your "10 best Big 12 players ever" list -- I guess I should have known it would basically be a TX/OU All-Star team. How about a list of 10 best players NOT on TX/OU?

David Ubben: Well, yeah, Mike. I don't know what you expected. Such is life in the Big 12, which Texas and Oklahoma have dominated for most of its history. Off the top of my head, here's how I'd rank the top 10 players in Big 12 history who didn't play for Texas or Oklahoma:

1. Ndamukong Suh
2. Robert Griffin III
3. Tavon Austin
4. Justin Blackmon
5. Troy Davis
6. Darren Sproles
7. Grant Wistrom
8. Michael Crabtree
9. Eric Crouch
10. Chase Daniel

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Dave in Dallas writes: How does the Big 12 stop from becoming the Big East? Does it need to have the normal 8 teams fall apart and let UT and OU battle for the top while 3rd place has 7 wins. It isn't very interesting but it seemed everyone was happy when it was a TOP HEAVY conference especially when the winner of the North would be a 9-3 or 8-4 team. Do you think that the loss of Nebraska and now the resurgance of a lost A&M is now weighing on Texas/OU and the overall strength of the conference?

DU: I don't think that's a fair assessment. And I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "becoming the Big East." The Big 12 has two of college football's biggest brands, which the Big East hasn't had since Miami and Virginia Tech left, and both Texas and Oklahoma are bigger brands than both.

As for the Big 12's recent parity, part of it has been Oklahoma and Texas sliding a bit, but you're underrating how much the rest of the Big 12 has grown. Oklahoma State and Baylor are stronger than they've ever been since the Big 12's birth, and you could make an argument for Iowa State as well. WVU is spinning their wheels a bit, but they could bounce back in 2014. Texas Tech is trending in the right direction. The loss of Nebraska and Texas A&M is huge. No doubt about that. Texas A&M's growth -- or at least the speed at which it occurred -- was largely unpredictable. Nebraska hasn't done a lot since leaving the Big 12. Would the league love to have both back if some of the recent history was erased? Sure. But the Big 12 is far from being doomed to having a reputation like the Big East. For now, the Big 12 has a great case as the best conference behind the SEC, and as I've written over and over again, the gap isn't as wide as some might think.

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Mark Messick in Nashville, Tenn. writes: I get that Stoops is trying to fight for spots in future football four's to keep what happened to okie state from happening again. but as bad as we've played against SEC teams for the last 10 years, it really comes off as being whiney. Am I missing somthing or does he have another agenda that isn't being discussed?

DU: You make some good points, Mark. For one, I do think Stoops is motivated by knowing the playoff is around the corner, and the SEC's reputation is going to benefit it. I also agree that 1) he has something of a point and 2) the way in which he chose to express it didn't come off like he would have liked. Dropping the term "propoganda" will rarely work out well for you. Like I said, too, seeing how his team has performed against the SEC the last few times they've faced a team from there, his complaints didn't hit home like he would have wanted.

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Marty in Manhattan, Kan. writes: Hey Ubben... were you aware that Kliff Kingsbury has a superbowl ring??? How have you gone this long with writing an article about it?

DU: I am, and I mentioned it several times when he got hired. Coincidentally, he earned a ring with the Patriots in 2003 with his new peer, Kansas coach Charlie Weis, as his offensive coordinator. That's quite an odd connection. Still, he was the No. 3 quarterback on that team. That was 10 years ago. I'm sure you'll see more stories on that when Texas Tech preps to play Kansas, but it's a pretty crazy bit of Big 12 coaching trivia.

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Lance Casey in Suwanee, Ga. writes: David, Was there any talk about Oklahoma State redshirting Wes Lunt? Especially if Daxx Garman showed enough in the Spring that he could be number 2 or 3 QB. This way they are 3 deep even though Wes is waiting 1 year. He has to wait 1 year anyway if he goes to another D1 school. Thanks for your feedback

DU: You definitely heard that as a possibility if Clint Chelf won the job, and I think it would have worked out well for OSU if everybody would have stayed healthy, but for a young quarterback not anywhere close to home, asking him to sit out a year after winning a starting job a year earlier is tough to do. I don't think Garman would have had anything to do with the decision. You're forgetting about J.W. Walsh. I don't think OSU would have hesitated to pull the redshirt if Chelf had gotten hurt, but who knows how Lunt would have felt about that gamble?

I can't blame the guy for leaving, but I'm sure OSU hates to see him go. I'm expecting him to do big things wherever he ends up.

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Brad in Fort Worth writes: Where do you see Wes Lunt transfering to?

DU: My money is on Illinois, where he'd play for former Oklahoma State DC Tim Beckman and help him build the Illini program back up to where it was when Juice Williams, Rashard Mendenhall and Ron Zook somehow earned a Rose Bowl bid.

HornsNation
From Max Olson and William Wilkerson : In this week's edition of The Heard, Texas has made a jump for ESPN 150 defensive back Arrion Springs.

From the HornsNation staff : Which team on Texas’ 2013 schedule should fans worry about most and why?

From Sean Adams : What are the chances Tyrone Swoopes becomes the backup quarterback this season? More in Sean Adams' weekly mailbag.

More from Wilkerson : Class of 2015 cornerback Kendall Sheffield bonds with Texas coach.

SoonerNation
From Bob Przybylo: Ohio offensive lineman Alex Dalton commits to OU over Stanford, Arkansas, Indiana and Nebraska.

More from Przybylo : In this week's Sooner Intel, is OU out of the race for four-star safety John Bonney?

More from Przybylo : 2014 in-state receiver Jalen Adams talks about his interest in OU.

• West Virginia QB Chavas Rawlins enrolled early and came to Morgantown this spring, but he's already transferring. Odd move there.
• Was Ohio State AD criticizing or complimenting Iowa State with his recent comments?
• Charlie Weis is looking to give KU fans reason to believe, writes Taylor Eldridge of the Wichita Eagle.
• Jason Kersey of The Oklahoman writes about Oklahoma OC Jay Norvell's wife's battle against the disease she's fought her whole life.
• Former Texas QB Vince Young tells Bruce Feldman of CBS Sports that getting his degree this weekend will top winning a national title.
• A couple folks from the Dallas Morning News say the Cowboys could use Collin Klein. Interesting idea from Kevin Sherrington.
• Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury sat down for an interesting Q&A with the paper in Amarillo.

Colleague Travis Haney ranked his list of the nation's top 10 "most talented" teams , and a certain burnt orange team you might have heard showed up at No. 2 on his list.

It's an interesting approach to ranking teams, and Haney looked at NFL draft lists, colleague Mark Schlabach's top 25 and the past four years of recruiting rankings to put together his list.

A lot of the ranking is thanks to those recruiting rankings, where Texas' class averaged a ranking of 6.5 among players currently suiting up for the Longhorns.

I agree that Texas is the Big 12's most talented team by a long way, but what does that really mean, besides more pressure on Mack Brown? The Longhorns beat a rebuilding Oklahoma State team in September that was a shell of the team it became late in the season, and did so narrowly with J.W. Walsh making his first career start for the Pokes. You've got to take all that into consideration, and when you look back at the last two years, Texas' best win was either its Alamo Bowl comeback against Oregon State or a road win against Texas Tech, who ended the season tied for fifth in the league.

A pair of embarrassing blowout losses to Oklahoma are the biggest reason for skepticism surrounding the Longhorns, who plenty of folks will pick to win the Big 12 in 2013. They've certainly got talent. Look no further than super recruits like DE Jackson Jeffcoat, DT Malcom Brown, and running backs Malcolm Brown and Johnathan Gray for evidence of that, not to mention defenders like CB Quandre Diggs and linebackers Peter Jinkens and Jordan Hicks.

The Longhorns have talent all over the field, and that has been the case the past three seasons, which have featured just 22 wins. Now, though, that talent has experience and Texas is preparing for it to pay off.

On paper, it should. Texas has every reason to be one of, if not the, Big 12 favorite. Still, the Longhorns have got to prove it on the field, and it takes a lot of big wins to make that happen. Texas has been short on those wins of late.

We've spent two weeks counting it down, and we're finally at the top. It's been quite a ride, but it's time to bring our list to a close. I may have a Top 10 players complaint mailbag next week if necessary, so if you've got complaints, let's hear them.

We'll tackle the list of guys who just missed the list sometime next week, but without further ado, here's my pick for the greatest player in the Big 12 history.

Here's more on my criteria.

No. 1: Vince Young, QB, Texas

Why he's No. 1: No player in Big 12 history was more singularly responsible for a national title. Texas had a strong team in 2005, but Vince Young's run through that season made history. Before Young, no quarterback had ever thrown for 3,000 yards and run for 1,000 yards. On the way to a national title, Young threw for 3,036 and 26 touchdowns, adding 1,050 rushing yards and 12 scores. A few others have achieved the feat since, but it was unheard of before Young, who finished his career with an absurd 30-2 record as a starting quarterback. That record included six fourth-quarter comebacks and the greatest BCS title game performance ever by an individual.

Against USC's so-called "Greatest Team Ever," Young racked up 267 passing yards and 200 rushing yards, capped by a game-winning scramble on fourth down to put the Longhorns ahead, 41-38, and end the Trojans' 34-game winning streak. It's the last time a non-SEC team won a national title, and Young's development as a passer that season helped Texas reach new heights. He rushed for 1,000 yards in 2004 on the way to a Rose Bowl win against Michigan, but threw for just 1,849 yards and 12 touchdowns. He helped carry Texas to a 24-1 record in 2004 and 2005 combined, the fewest losses in any two-year stretch of Mack Brown's career. Even as far back as 2003, his redshirt freshman year, he rushed for 998 yards and took over the starting job in the middle of the season, going 6-1.

Young never won a Heisman Trophy, but did win the Davey O'Brien Trophy and the Maxwell Award in 2005. The lack of membership in that hallowed college football fraternity is nothing more than a footnote in the career of the greatest Big 12 player of all-time.

The rest of the list:

• No. 2: Ricky Williams, RB, Texas
• No. 3: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
• No. 4: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
• No. 5: Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
• No. 6: Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
• No. 7: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
• No. 8: Jason White, QB, Oklahoma
• No. 9: Roy Williams, S, Oklahoma
• No. 10: Tavon Austin, WR/KR/RB/PR, West Virginia

Mel Kiper Jr. is continuing his look through the top prospects at each position in advance of next year's NFL draft, and his list of the top 10 cornerbacks includes four players from the Big 12.

It was a deep position last year, but could it be the Big 12's deepest and best position in 2013? We'll see how the new quarterbacks develop, but these guys won't make it easy on 'em.

Oklahoma's Aaron Colvin tops the list from the Big 12, showing up as Kiper's No. 4 overall cornerback. He's moved positions in the secondary throughout his career, and that versatility really impressed Kiper. He broke up 14 passes last year and also came up and made a pair of sacks.

TCU's Jason Verrett was my pick as the Big 12's best cover man a year ago and showed up as Kiper's No. 5. His performance in slowing down Geno Smith drew Kiper's attention, and Verrett was one of just a handful of guys to pick off the West Virginia quarterback.

Justin Gilbert's eye-popping physical attributes have him at No. 6. He's got a lot of potential to rise on this list. He had a really poor 2012 after a promising sophomore season in 2011. He can be a lot better than he was last year. If he proves that, he'll jump up this list.

Texas' Quandre Diggs is No. 7, and despite being smaller than a lot of these guys, he's one of the league's most instinctive players. You saw that when he made an impact immediately as a true freshman. I wouldn't look beyond his teammate, Carrington Byndom, cracking this list by season's end, too.

The Lott IMPACT Trophy released its watch list on Thursday, which means only one thing: It's officially watch list season in college football.

The award is given annually to college football's best defensive player who makes an IMPACT on and off the field. IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.

Staying out of trouble off the field is a huge factor to win this award, so there are a couple of good defenders in the Big 12 who didn't show up on the watch list. I'm not real surprised at their absence. Calling them out here doesn't seem like a productive exercise, but any basic Google search can probably answer your questions.

Here's who made the list from the Big 12:

• Calvin Barnett, DL, Oklahoma State
• Aaron Colvin, CB, Oklahoma
• Ahmad Dixon, S, Baylor
• Bryce Hager, LB, Baylor
• Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas
• Jason Verrett, CB, TCU
• Ty Zimmerman, S, Kansas State

Notre Dame's Manti Te'o won the award last year. No Big 12 player has ever won the award, but TCU's Jerry Hughes took home the trophy back in 2009.

Baylor is also one of just six schools with more than one player on the watch list.

Poor OKC fans. Brutal past couple weeks.

• SI.com's Stewart Mandel has a lot of Big 12 talk in his mailbag. He says Bob Stoops has a point, and weighs in on WVU's struggles in the conference.
• Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says just when TCU is done with one issue, another comes up. That's called a "trend."
• Will Parchman of the Waco Tribune-Herald writes about Art Briles keeping the quarterback machine well-oiled for Baylor.
• Texas Tech tight end Jace Amaro showed up on Mel Kiper's top 10 tight ends in the 2014 draft class.
• West Virginia's goals for Tier 3 rights bids are ambitious, writes Bob Hertzel of the TImes West Virginian.
• The Alamo Bowl could benefit big from the College Football Playoff, writes Tim Griffin of the San Antonio Express-News.
• Baylor offers up a video update on the progress it has made on the new stadium, scheduled to open in 2014.
• If you didn't know, Kansas State is having a pretty crazy season in the major sports. Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman sees it.
• Get to know Taylor Cox a little better in the "Two Minute Drill."
• Dayne Crist says goodbye KC Chiefs, hello Baltimore Ravens.

The SEC and Big 12 announced an annual challenge on the basketball court, but colleague Edward Aschoff wondered what it would look like if that challenge extended to the football field.

There are already two games on the schedule this season -- between TCU and LSU, and Oklahoma State and Mississippi State. What else would I like to see?

Let me start by saying that renewing the Texas-Texas A&M and Missouri-Kansas rivalries are a given. I'm omitting those matchups, but I'd love to see them.

Let's get started:

Oklahoma State vs. Alabama: OSU narrowly missed out on playing for the national title back in 2011, and both are among their conference favorites again in 2013. When the BCS "snubbed" the Pokes after the 2011 regular season, OSU coach Mike Gundy half-jokingly suggested these two play for the right to play LSU in the title game. It would be fun to see this one finally played out on the field.

Baylor vs. LSU: Straight up offense vs. defense. That's the Big 12 vs. SEC debate at its heart. Baylor just might be the Big 12's best offense, and LSU will put together another strong defense. These are the matchups we want to see. The Big 12 has faltered on the big stage, helping the SEC stretch its run of national titles, but seeing Bryce Petty sling it around against an athletic defense would be a lot of fun.

Texas vs. Arkansas: Arkansas' exit from the Southwest Conference helped usher in the birth of the Big 12 after the SWC crumbled. Texas has bigger rivals like Oklahoma and Texas A&M, but these two played some of the greatest games in college football history, and as an Arkansas native, I've seen up close how much Razorbacks fans detest the Longhorns to this day. The result would be a great game and a hyped atmosphere.

TCU vs. Texas A&M: Texas A&M fans take exception to the idea that TCU was an on-field "upgrade" over the Aggies in the Big 12. The Aggies largely struggled in the Big 12 after some early success and a Big 12 title under R.C. Slocum. Since leaving for the SEC, the Aggies have gone nowhere but up, and ended 2012 as the hottest team in college football. Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel has a Heisman Trophy. Could he shred the Frogs? Want to prove TCU is not an upgrade? Beat TCU on the field.

Kansas State vs. Florida: Kansas State is perpetually underrated and wins with a bunch of junior college guys, and high school players overlooked by major programs. Florida won big under Urban Meyer, but has been largely overrated since Meyer left and was whacked by Louisville to end 2012. The Gators would be suiting up an army of recruiting stars, but could Bill Snyder, the Manhattan Magician, grab a win for the Big 12?

Oklahoma vs. Georgia: Mark Richt and Bob Stoops have one big thing in common: Neither fan base truly appreciates what their coach has accomplished. Consider this an opportunity for both to quiet the hot-seat talk. It's been a lot more intense for Richt, who endured a 6-7 season back in 2010, but he's won the SEC East in each of the past two seasons. Stoops has averaged just over 10 wins a season at Oklahoma, and Richt has averaged just under 10 wins. Call this the "Underappreciated Bowl."

We're in the middle of counting down the top 10 players in the history of the Big 12. I'm sure you'll all agree with my selections.

See more on my criteria here.

Let's move on with the list:

No. 2: Ricky Williams, RB, Texas (1995-98)

Why he's on the list: Every season Ricky Williams was on the field, he made a huge impact. He arrived in Austin and started 12 games as a true freshman, winning freshman of the year in something called the Southwest Conference. The best was yet to come. By the end of his career in 1998, he had captured the NCAA record for career rushing yards, with 6,279. (Wisconsin's Ron Dayne broke it the next season.) Williams broke Tony Dorsett's record with a memorable touchdown run in an upset win over Texas A&M. He was also the all-time leader in rushing touchdowns, with 72 and had 11 200-yard games over his four-year career. He was the first player to ever win the Doak Walker Award twice as the nation's best running back, but his career peaked with an absurd 2,327 yards in 1998, averaging six yards a carry on his 391 touches. Along the way, he helped snap Nebraska's 47-game home winning streak, and easily won the Heisman Trophy. Williams earned 714 first-place votes. His closest competition, Kansas State QB Michael Bishop, received 41. Williams also won the Camp Award, the Maxwell Award and was the AP's Player of the Year. He earned All-Big 12 first team honors three times, and a status as one of the greatest Longhorns ever. His statue was unveiled in April 2012 and will always have a place outside DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium.

The rest of the list:

• No. 3: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
• No. 4: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
• No. 5: Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
• No. 6: Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
• No. 7: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
• No. 8: Jason White, QB, Oklahoma
• No. 9: Roy Williams, S, Oklahoma
• No. 10: Tavon Austin, WR/KR/RB/PR, West Virginia

HornsNation
From Carter Strickland : Looking ahead to Texas' second game of the season, at BYU.

From William Wilkerson : Four-star offensive tackle Koda Martin talks about his time six and when he'll commit to a school.

From Max Olson : How Texas has used two track meets to its advantage in recruiting.

More from Olson : Lessons learned from OL Demetrius Knox and FB Daniel Gresham decommitting from Texas.

More from Wilkerson : A look at where Texas stands with its top defensive back offers.

SoonerNation
From Bob Przybylo : Edmond Santa Fe is becoming a pipeline for the Sooners.

More from Przybylo : Examining OU's top safety targets.

From Brandon Chatmon : New Sooners defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery is already making a mark on the recruiting trail.

Only one true running back in the Big 12 was drafted last season. Oklahoma State's Joseph Randle led the Big 12 in rushing and went to the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round.

Next season, it could be a more productive draft for Big 12 running backs. Colleague Mel Kiper released his list of his top running backs in the 2014 class, and two from the Big 12 made the cut. Oregon's De'Anthony Thomas topped the list, but the Big 12's best returning running back is Lache Seastrunk at No. 2. Coincidentally, he transferred to Baylor from Oregon because he wouldn't be able to earn playing time behind Thomas.

Kiper likes Seastrunk's explosiveness in the open field, but like anybody who's seen him play, has concern about Seastrunk's tendency to think big and bounce outside, risking a loss instead of hitting an available hole and taking a 3-4 yard gain.

Seastrunk's absurd 7.7 yards per carry from last year make it clear why he has that tendency, but it'll be interesting to see how much he's grown and if he can keep up the crazy pace of last year, when he hit 100 yards five times in six games to close the season.

Juco transfer Damien Williams broke out in a crowded Oklahoma backfield last season, busting big runs in big spots for the Sooners. Look no further than the season opener, when he sealed a difficult win over UTEP and a blowout win over Texas. He doesn't have big speed, but his tendency to do that is uncanny. Kiper loves his vision and his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.

A couple other guys to look out for next season: Texas' Malcolm Brown and Kansas' James Sims. Brown, a junior, will be eligible after next season, and if he plays well and grabs the majority of the carries away from Johnathan Gray and Joe Bergeron, I'd expect him to leave. He's got NFL back written all over him, and considering the shelf life of running backs in this game, it's never a bad idea for a running back to leave early if his stock is even in decent shape.

Nobody's had a bigger workload the past couple years than Sims, and he's a big guy I'd expect to get drafted if he stays healthy and has anything close to a season like he did in 2011 and 2012. There were times last year he looked better than Randle before Seastrunk's explosion.

Before the 2012 season, it was really difficult to find a single back worthy of the second All-Big 12 spot opposite Randle. That won't be the case this year. It's a much better, more experienced group.

DALLAS -- There's plenty of debate about which team will be the Big 12 favorite in 2013. The media poll in advance of Big 12 media days in July should be fascinating. It's not hard to see national powers Oklahoma or Texas topping the ranking and once again earning a status as the league's favorite. You can't count out upstarts TCU or Oklahoma State, either.

A case could be made for all four.

At the bottom, though, there is little uncertainty. Nine Big 12 teams went to bowls last year, and Kansas helped make that possible. The Jayhawks went winless in Big 12 play, stretching their losing streak in conference play to 21 games. Just like last season, there won't be much debate about the Big 12's No. 10 team to begin the season. Just five of 41 preseason ballots had the Jayhawks anywhere but last to start the season. Coach Charlie Weis isn't complaining about likely similar treatment to start 2013.

"Our fans get mad when they come out and predict, well, we’re not going to do this or do that, and I’m a very practical person. Until you’ve done it, no one’s ever going to believe in you," Weis said. "I’m expecting more than you’re expecting, I promise you."

At the top of the league, Oklahoma State's learned that. The Pokes were picked to finish third in the league back in 2011 and ended up running away with the Big 12 title. Now that they've "done it," more people are signing up as believers in the Pokes. OSU's my pick to win the Big 12 this season, and has a good shot to top the preseason poll, too.

For now, though, Kansas is focused on getting people to believe they can win a game in conference. There's only one way to make 'em believe: Do it.

"I think that anyone at Kansas who gets upset when they predict them to be bottom-feeders is wrong. Because until we do something, until we do anything to change that perception, that’s how people should see us," Weis said.

David Ubben says offensive balance and a magic fix on defense are Texas' biggest hope and concern.

May is the worst month of the year for college football.

• Ex-Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe got about $5 million in buyout money after being pushed out by the league, writes Rachel Bachman of the Wall Street Journal. Holy cow.
• Big Ten teams are looking to bolster their nonconference schedules. Could Iowa State benefit?
• Jimmie Tramel of the Tulsa World has some interesting thoughts on OSU's quarterback situation after Wes Lunt's exit.
• This will be fun.
• Jeremy Fowler of CBSSports.com writes about Oklahoma State DC Glenn Spencer's recent engagement to a familiar face for college football fans.
• Can money buy happiness for West Virginia in the Big 12? Bob Hertzel of the Times West Virginian weighs in.