Thanks for all the emails this week, folks. A special thank you to all the Mizzou and Texas A&M fans who sent me heartfelt emails this week. It was honestly a bit overwhelming and unexpected. I'll spare you the task of reading their sappiness in the mailbag today, but to those of you who sent them, they were appreciated. It's been fun covering your teams.

Here's our goodbye to Texas A&M and goodbye to Mizzou on the blog this week.

We also welcomed TCU to the blog this week.

Here's where you can send me more questions, comments and witty musings. You know I enjoy them.

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David in Austin asked: What is your reasoning on the offense-heavy Big 12 having such an offense-heavy philosophy? Is this the result of an offensive arms race sparked by Mike Leach introducing the region to the Air Raid and defenses becoming an afterthought? Will the offensive focus of the league ever come to an end or are there too many great offenses in the league for that to happen now?

David Ubben: Interesting thought. No doubt, I'd say Leach helped bring it more into the mainstream in the Big 12, but even he learned it from Hal Mumme at Valdosta State and Kentucky.

I'll start by saying you should read this piece from Mark Schlabach from back in the day on the offense itself, which is decades old.

I'd be interested to see a well-reported story that offers a look back at its growth in the Big 12, but here's my educated guess:

This is a chicken and egg situation, so I might have it backward, but you've seen the popularity of the spread offense in Texas high schools. There's no more competitive culture in high school sports than Texas high school football. Not every school, though, has a bunch of huge linemen and mean running backs.

They had to compensate. Where the ideas originated is anyone's guess, but you can account for a lack of size and overall talent with a spread offense that spreads out defenses. It started working in Texas, and then spread to some of the bigger programs. You still see that influence in the state today.

They started winning, and clearly, other programs took notice. In the Big 12, you could run it, and there was a wealth of talented guys who could run it and step into programs ready to play without needing a year or two of strength and conditioning to contribute.

Defense isn't an afterthought in this league, but these offenses are great. They're hard to defend, and they run more plays and run them faster than anybody else. That accounts for the sometimes gaudy stats.

So, having not exactly backtracked it, that's my reasonable guess for it. No doubt, Texas Tech aided the offense's rise and popularity.

Will it ever end? I think it'd take a major cultural shift or a major innovation for the spread offense to finally see its end. Defenses have caught up a bit, but there's been innovation within the offense, and ultimately, if you have really talented players running it, it can look unstoppable.

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Ryan in Houston wrote: U need to chill out on TCU's hype, they will finish closer to 7/8th than 4th, I can assure u that.

DU: Ouch. Well then.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one, Ryan. I don't like TCU's chances to outperform everyone and win the league in Year 1, but I'd be surprised if it finishes any lower than fifth in the Big 12 next year. I like its shot at a top-four finish. A defense that should improve? An offense that brings back almost everything, including a good, experienced quarterback? Sign me up for that team.

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James in Manhattan, Kansas asked: How is that end of the season report card coming for K-State?

DU: Cool your jets on this one, 'Cats. It's coming. With all the movement on the blog this week -- teams coming and going -- it was a little busy. I assure you, Kansas State's report card will be on the blog next week.

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Patrick in Louisville, Ky., asked: Hey Ubbs, TCU grad here. Love my Frogs, but can't see them winning the league on their first try. My hopes are for a Cotton Bowl bid. Am I being optimistic, pessimistic, or am I flipped around on how much the Cotton Bowl would want a team from the metroplex?

DU: Patrick, you highlighted an interesting trend from my mailbag this week. Absolutely fascinating. I heard from a whole lot of TCU fans who weren't talking about winning the Big 12. They weren't talking about beating Texas. They weren't talking about winning a national title.

They were talking about playing in the Cotton Bowl. I guess decades of being terrible, followed by being booted from major college football has left the Horned Frogs hungry for a trip to Cowboys Stadium in nearby Arlington, where the Cotton Bowl is played now.

TCU played in the game four times from 1951-58, but hasn't been since. The Cotton Bowl would love to have them, I'm sure. You'd see the TCU folks come out in force for that one. The game would love a team from the metroplex. Probably not every year, but if TCU could make it in Year 1? That's a definite possibility.

Other than a Big 12 title, what better entrance could the Frogs make into their new league?

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Dan in Des Moines asked: Ubbs,I love the blog but periodically you post comments from Nebraska fans questioning whether the blog misses them. Could you in the future spare us this and any future emails from Texas a$m and Mizzou fans. Thanks in advance. Dan

DU: Absolutely. I hereby promise I'll never post one of those again. My apologies.

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Lincoln in Nebraska asked: Dear David, Did you miss us this season?

DU: Dearly. But not as much as I missed your need for validation.

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Lucien on Omaha, Neb. asked: Bold Prediction: ISU is to 2012 as K-State was to 2011. The two best linebackers in the league (Knott and Klein) return, along with a healthy Shontrelle Johnson. Jared Barnett and Aaron Horne come into thier own, bringing the Cyclones to the number 3-4 spot in the league and go to at least the Insight Bowl.

DU: Interesting idea, Lucien. I could almost see it. Kansas State's offensive line was probably better, but you're forgetting one other big factor: Bill Snyder.

Paul Rhoads is a great coach, quietly one of the best in the nation in my book. That said, he's no Bill Snyder. Shontrelle Johnson's a great player, but I'm not sure he's an impact player worth a handful more wins in 2012.

Your scenario's not impossible. ISU has made a living off proving people wrong the past few years. We'll see if it does it again. Readers, could you see Iowa State becoming the new Kansas State this year?