ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The eyeball test doesn't do justice to Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson.

	AP Photo/Brody Schmidt
	Zac Robinson is a threat through the air and on the ground.

The junior quarterback might not be able to match the gaudy statistics of Texas Tech's Graham Harrell or Texas' Colt McCoy. He's not a physical presence or has a rocket arm like Kansas State's Josh Freeman. He doesn't have the speed of Baylor's Robert Griffin. And he's not the fiery field leader like Kansas' Todd Reesing or Missouri's Chase Daniel.

But Robinson brings a little bit of all of their talents into what assuredly makes him the most underrated quarterback in the conference when his running, passing and leadership skills are factored together.

"I think he's a pretty complete player," Texas Tech coach Mike Leach said. "He throws it pretty well and can run well and he's a physical guy. I think the fact that he's tough is understated, but it's a fact when you watch him play."

His development has helped the 8-1 Cowboys to their fastest start since 1985 heading into Saturday's game against Texas Tech.

Robinson has been a key reason, ranking second in the nation and leading the Big 12 with a 192.45 pass efficiency rating. He's passed for an average of 231.3 yards per game with 20 touchdown passes and only five interceptions.

Those numbers were swelled by his career game last week when he passed for 395 yards and five TDs -- he also rushed for 66 yards -- against Iowa State.

"He means as much to them as any of the other quarterbacks around the conference," Texas Tech free safety Darcel McBath said. "He's tough because he can run and throw so well. He lit the scoreboard up against us and we definitely remember that."

Robinson is asked to be both a runner and a passer as he creates for an offense that also features the conference's only 1,000-yard rusher and receiver. Kendall Hunter has rushed for 1,220 yards and Dez Bryant has added 1,054 receiving yards.

That balance has enabled the Cowboys to become the only Big 12 team that is averaging 200 yards rushing and passing. And Robinson has been the ringleader in orchestrating both parts.

"We've always prided ourselves on being a balanced offense," Robinson said. "Any time you can line up and run the ball for a first down on third-and-6, it's tough for a defense. We've always prided ourselves on that balance and it's definitely played a big role."

When massive tight end Brandon Pettigrew, a potential NFL first-round selection is added, the Cowboys might have the most explosive offensive attack in the league. With Robinson in control, the Cowboys rank fifth in scoring offense, fifth in rushing offense and seventh in total offense.

"They will definitely be a challenge for us," Tech defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill said. "With all of their guys, they've got the best skill-position talent of any team we've played. And Zac is a good player. He knows how to get them involved and he does a nice job at it."

That offensive talent has enabled Robinson's role to evolve this season. After rushing for 847 yards last season, he's taking fewer chances and becoming a headier leader. Robinson has rushed the ball only 92 times this season and has become more adept at avoiding hits rather than directly challenging tacklers by trying to run over them.

"With the talent around me, I'm doing some different things," Robinson said. "I'm just trying to become a better and more efficient leader in what I do on the field."

That experience has helped them win some big games along the way. The Cowboys stunned Missouri in Columbia and nearly upset Texas in Austin. They will be facing their third top-five team in five weeks when they travel to Lubbock, a place where the Cowboys haven't won since 1944.

"There's no question it helps us out a lot. The past two years we've struggled on the road," Robinson said. "That win at Missouri definitely helped us. Obviously, we played pretty well on the road at Texas in a tough environment and almost pulled it out there. Our team has a lot of confidence in playing on the road."