ESPN College Football

A few notes and nuggets from the offseason weekend that was:

Before Mack Brown began his coaching search that eventually required him to make six offseason hires, he met with the Texas Board of Regents to discuss coaching salaries. It sounds like they were, uh, receptive to what he had to say.

After a shocking and disappointing 5-7 season in 2010, Brown's assistants received hefty raises. Brown is expected to meet with the media in Austin later today for the first time since the season finale, a home loss to Texas A&M. Texas already sat comfortably at the top of the heap in assistant coaches' pay, and these latest raises only accentuate that. No one is making what defensive coordinator Will Muschamp made ($907,000) in 2010, but you definitely won't hear any complaints coming from the football facilities any time soon.

Here's a breakdown of last year and this year's salary among the coaching staff, courtesy of the Austin American-Statesman.

Defensive coordinator

• 2011: Manny Diaz - $625,000 (made $260,000 at Mississippi State in 2009)
• 2010: Will Muschamp - $907,000 (took Florida head coach job)

Offensive coordinator

• 2011: Bryan Harsin (will call plays) - $625,000 (made $259,520 at Boise State in 2009)
• 2011: Major Applewhite (also coaches running backs) - $500,00 (made 269,509 in 2010)
• 2010: Greg Davis - $477,084 (resigned after season)

Tight ends

• 2011: Bruce Chambers - $200,000
• 2010: Bruce Chambers - $187,039

Defensive ends

• 2011: Oscar Giles - $200,000
• 2010: Oscar Giles - $162,451

Defensive backs

• 2011: Jerry Gray - $425,000 (previous NFL salary unknown)
• 2010 Duane Akina - $318,509 (left for Arizona)

Offensive line

• 2011: Stacy Searels - $425,000 (made 301,200 at Georgia in 2010)
• 2010: Mac McWhorter - $292,759

Receivers

• 2011: Darrell Wyatt - $315,000 (made 250,000 at Kansas in 2010)
• 2010: Bobby Kennedy - 212,519 (took receivers coach job at Colorado)

Life as a Longhorn right now? Well, last season's struggles aside, it's clearly pretty good.

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Huskers find a new kicker

Nebraska will need a lot of new faces on special teams, after punter/kicker Alex Henery and kickoff specialist Adi Kunalic both exhausted their eligibility following the 2010 season.

The Huskers had a commit for their 2011 class, Niklas Sade, but he decommitted and pledged to North Carolina State last month.

The solution: Nebraska went after Mauro Bondi, a Boca Raton, Fla. native and (former) Wake Forest commit who has an impressive YouTube highlight reel and sounds ready to replace Henery.

"I definitely followed him, so I have to live up to that and maybe do even better," he told the Lincoln Journal Star.

Bondi gives Nebraska 18 commits for its 2011 class. ESPN.com ranks the Huskers' class No. 14 nationally.

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Cowboys' top commit 'solid'

One player who doesn't sound like he's decommitting or recommitting anywhere is ESPNU 150 member and running back Herschel Sims, Oklahoma State's top commit.

The Cowboys' running backs coach, Robert Gillespie, left Oklahoma State to join former offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen at West Virginia. Sims had reportedly been wavering earlier in the recruiting season, but took his official visit to Stillwater in January and his high school coach told the Tulsa World that Sims is solid with the Cowboys and ready to sign on Wednesday, adding that there isn't "any doubt about it."

Signing day is exactly a week from today, and it's time to take a look at who needs what in its 2011 class.

Some schools have addressed these with their current class. Some haven't. Others are still trying.

We'll kick things off with the artists formerly known as the Big 12 North and examine the South later today.

COLORADO

Cornerback: Jalil Brown and Jimmy Smith were pretty reliable for the Buffaloes, but both are headed to the NFL, and the Buffaloes could definitely use some depth behind their first-year starters. It's not quite as pressing of an issue considering their move to the less pass-happy Pac-12, but they still like to sling it out west.

Receiver: Colorado isn't exactly starving anywhere on offense, but receiver sticks out a bit. Toney Clemons was good, but maybe not quite what the Buffaloes hoped he'd be in 2010, but they caught a break in getting Paul Richardson back after a great freshman season. The Buffaloes need some complementary pieces around Clemons and Richardson to replace departed pass-catchers Scotty McKnight and Travon Patterson. Next year, that should be tight end Ryan Deehan and receiver Will Jefferson.

IOWA STATE

Receiver: It's been a struggle for Iowa State in recent years, but they have to get better outside to help out their quarterback. Sedrick Johnson's transfer only worsens the Cyclones depth at the position, but Jake Williams and tight end Collin Franklin, the team's leading receiver, are gone. Shontrelle Johnson looks ready to become a big factor in the offense, but the Cyclones filling the space at receiver will make it easier for Johnson to replace running back Alexander Robinson.

Safety: Both starters, David Sims and Zac Sandvig, are gone. So is the Cyclones top reserve at the position, Michael O'Connell. Sims was a top-notch talent that will be tough to replace, but Iowa State needs more depth here. They should be solid at corner with Leonard Johnson, Ter'ran Benton, Jeremy Reeves and Anthony Young, which could make the new safeties' jobs easier.

KANSAS

Defensive line: KU is losing three of four starters on the line, including the team's only All-Big 12 talent, defensive end Jake Laptad. Turner Gill wants more speed, and this is a place to install it. Tackles that tip the scales at 320 pounds aren't too necessary in this league, but speed on the edge can go a long way in stopping the pass.

Quarterback: Neither Jordan Webb or Quinn Mecham look like long-term answers at quarterback for the Jayhawks. Mecham will be a senior, and Webb might develop into a better player as a sophomore next year, but Kansas needs other options. The Jayhawks hope Brock Berglund, the top-rated recruit in Colorado, is the solution to the problem.

KANSAS STATE

Running back: I hear your cries for Bryce Brown, Wildcats fans, but K-State can't expect to hitch their wagon to the former blue-chip recruit turned Tennessee transfer in the same way it did for Daniel Thomas. Thomas and his backup, William Powell, are gone, and the Wildcats need some depth at running back to show up.

Interior offensive linemen: K-State loses both guards and its center from an offense that produced the Big 12's leading rusher in 2010. Don't expect them to do it again in 2011 without Wade Weibert, Kenneth Mayfield and Zach Kendall, as well as Thomas and Powell, but finding some new talent behind them will help them come close.

Cornerback: David Garrett emerged as a budding star in 2010 ready for a breakout senior year in 2011, but the Wildcats lose Terrance Sweeney and Stephen Harrison, as well as safety Troy Butler. Like we've mentioned earlier, good secondaries are a must for success in the Big 12, and K-State had one of the league's worst in 2010.

MISSOURI

Receiver: Missouri has some good ones ready to suit up in 2011, namely Wes Kemp, Jerrell Jackson and T.J. Moe, but the Tigers don't have a true gamebreaker. They have some younger players in Marcus Lucas and Jimmie Hunt who they hope will develop into big-time, All-American caliber receivers, a la Jeremy Maclin and Danario Alexander. In Missouri's system, though, adding a few receivers is always a good idea. They certainly don't need any more running backs.

Defensive backs: Mizzou doesn't have any huge holes that need to be filled with recruiting, but the Tigers lose both corners, Carl Gettis and Kevin Rutland from their 2010 team. Kip Edwards and E.J. Gaines look likely to fill those roles, but the Tigers could use some depth and keep recruiting in the secondary to help add some talent around Tavon Bolden and Matt White, safeties who will replace departed Jarrell Harrison, who actually had to play some linebacker in 2010 because of injuries.

NEBRASKA

Every kind of kicker: Alex Henery, the team's punter and kicker is gone. So is kickoff specialist and lover/producer of touchbacks, Adi Kunalic. Fan favorite Henery was hardly underappreciated by the Nebraska faithful, but they'll miss him even more if the Huskers can't find a suitable placekicker and punter. Bo Pelini was reportedly after Wake Forest commit Mauro Bondi this week.

Receiver: Niles Paul and Mike McNeill are gone. The Huskers need Brandon Kinnie to come through with another good year and it'd be nice if Quincy Enunwa broke through in 2011, but Taylor Martinez needs some more help at wide out, and a couple new recruits could provide it as Martinez's passing prowess matures.

Why are you wearing a tux?

It's after 6. What am I, a farmer?

• The Omaha World-Herald breaks down Nebraska's returning team in 2011. The big conclusion: Plenty of veterans return, but questions are coming with them.
• The Cotton Bowl sees the 2011 game as its breakout party for a hopeful push to join the BCS in the future, writes Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News. He also takes a look back at the big move that revived Texas A&M's program, and it doesn't involve Ryan Tannehill.
• A bowl loss shouldn't dampen a great season for Missouri, writes Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star, who names his offensive and defensive MVPs for the year.
• Oklahoma finally admitted how much the talk about BCS troubles bugged it during the week, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman.
• Glaring flaws kept Kansas State from making huge improvements this year, writes Kellis Robinett of the Wichita Eagle.
• Tommy Tuberville says Texas Tech needs more speed on defense to truly compete for and win championships, reports Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
• For all of Oklahoma State's offensive success, defensive coordinator Bill Young's half of the team had plenty to do with it, too, writes Bill Haisten of the Tulsa World.
• Nebraska could have kicking issues next year. The nation's No. 3 kicker decommitted from the Huskers, and kickers Alex Henery and Adi Kunalic are out of eligibility after 2010.
• Credit four Sooners' individual turnarounds for Oklahoma's Fiesta Bowl-winning finish, writes Jake Trotter of The Oklahoman.
• Nebraska set a new school record for penalties and penalty yardage in 2010, breaking the record it set in 2009, writes Brian Christopherson of the Lincoln Journal Star.
• Kansas has found its new athletic director, Sheahon Zenger, from Illinois State.
• Texas Tech's defensive backs coach is headed to Florida to join Will Muschamp's staff.
• Dave Matter of the Columbia Tribune has 10 plays that defined Missouri's season. Take a wild guess at which is No. 1.

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announced 121 semifinalists for the 2010 William V. Campbell Trophy, formerly known as the Draddy Trophy, or "The Academic Heisman."

The 121 semifinalists are made up of athletes from every level of college football, including FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA athletes.

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

• Baylor punter Derek Epperson
• Colorado left tackle Nate Solder
• Kansas State long-snapper Corey Adams
• Nebraska kicker Adi Kunalic
• Texas defensive lineman Sam Acho
• Texas A&M linebacker Michael Hodges

Anybody have directions to Janet Reno's dance party tonight?

• Texas OL Tray Allen will miss the remainder of camp with a foot injury and won't be available until the season opener at the earliest.
• Missouri's got a new hard hitter, writes the Columbia Tribune's Dave Matter in his report from Monday's practice.
• Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray is back returning kicks, reports The Oklahoman's Mike Baldwin. Elsewhere at Oklahoma, Ronnell Lewis apparently got his headhunt on at the expense of true freshman RB Roy Finch.
• Rain made Iowa State's practice fields knee-deep swimming pools, reports Bobby La Gesse of the Ames Tribune.
• Nebraska kickoff specialist Adi Kunalic taking a redshirt is news to Huskers coach Bo Pelini. "He's playing," Pelini told the Lincoln Journal Star's Brian Rosenthal. Also, OL Yoshi Hardrick was taken to the hospital by ambulance well after practice and could be heard screaming from the training room as it ended, presumably because of severe cramps.
• Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News digs into Baylor OL Danny Watkins' Canadian firefighting past.
• The Columbia Missourian's Joan Niesen checks in on Missouri's competition at strong safety between last year's starter Jarrell Harrison and junior Kenji Jackson.
• Tommy Tuberville is closing the drapes on practice to the media and public for the rest of Texas Tech's preseason camp, reports Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
• Nebraska receiver Niles Paul addressed his alcohol-related offenses after practice on Monday, which was also his 21st birthday.
• Kansas has placed a high priority on recruiting, and Reggie Mitchell is their top talent in that arena, writes Kevin Haskin of the Topeka Capital-Journal.
• Oklahoma State wants more turnovers, writes Brandon Chatmon and John Helsley in The Oklahoman.
• Former Oklahoma and Nebraska coach John Blake is under investigation by the NCAA, reports Yahoo! Sports' Charles Robinson and Bryan Fischer.

New Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly mentioned the Big 12 a couple of times during an interview Monday with a radio show with ESPN 1000 in Chicago.

Kelly said that if Nebraska had held on for a victory over Texas in the Big 12 title game, he likely still would be the coach at Cincinnati.

With the BCS rankings after the conference championship games, a Texas loss would have catapulted the Bearcats into the national championship game against Alabama rather than Texas.

"Who knows what would have happened if Nebraska wins that game," Kelly said on "The Afternoon Saloon" on ESPN 1000. "I might not be here at Notre Dame because we don't know if they would have waited for me, because I was going to play in the national championship game."

On several occasions in the past several weeks, Kelly has mentioned Adi Kunalic's critical out-of-bounds kickoff that preceded Hunter Lawrence's game-winning field goal. He mentioned it again Tuesday on Dan Patrick's national radio show.

"The kickoff specialist from Nebraska will not be getting a Christmas card from us," Kelly said.

Kelly also mentioned that he'd consider playing Texas as he builds his Notre Dame program.

"When you look at the teams that carry the same mission [as Notre Dame], Texas does that obviously," he said. "Those kinds of schools really are attractive to me.

"[Athletic director] Jack Swarbrick and I will sit down and look at our schedule as we move forward. I want to be around the best, because we're asked to be the best. And that's the kind of schedule I want."

The Longhorns and Notre Dame last played in 1996 in the first season of Big 12 play. Notre Dame has not played a Big 12 school since 2001 when it played Texas A&M and Nebraska. The Irish also met Baylor in 1998, Kansas and Oklahoma in 1999 and Texas A&M and Nebraska in 2000 and 2001.

They have future games against Baylor in New Orleans and at Oklahoma in 2012, at home against Oklahoma in 2013.

Is there any other Big 12 teams that would make an ideal matchup with the Irish and Kelly in future seasons?

How about a reprise of those classic Colorado-Notre Dame bowl games from the early 1990s? Or natural rival Missouri? Or Mike Leach and Texas Tech or Mike Gundy and Oklahoma State taking their teams to play in South Bend, Ind., in future seasons?

Arizona (8-4) vs. Nebraska (9-4)

Dec. 30, 8 p.m., (ESPN)

Look for defense, defense and more defense when Nebraska’s Bo Pelini and Arizona’s Mike Stoops hook up in the Holiday Bowl.

The Cornhuskers are hot -- literally and figuratively -- after a strong finish capped by their near miss in a controversial loss to Texas in the Big 12 title game. The Cornhuskers struggled moving the ball offensively in the Texas game, producing only five first downs, and were repeatedly stoned trying to rush against the Longhorns’ top-ranked rush defense. Running backs Roy Helu Jr. and Rex Burkhead will be challenged by Arizona’s underrated defense.

The Wildcats limited five of their last six opponents to 24 points or less -- including strong performances in road victories at Arizona State and USC to finish the season. The game will feature two of the nation’s top pass rushers in Arizona’s Ricky Elmore and Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh, who cemented his Heisman credentials with a 4.5-sack effort against Texas and has been a beast all season. Nebraska’s kicking game with Alex Henery and Adi Kunalic will be challenged by an Arizona team that ranks fourth in punt returns and 11th in kickoff returns.

It will be the first matchup between these two teams since the 1998 Holiday Bowl, where Arizona punctuated a 12-1 season with a 23-20 victory. The Cornhuskers will need to find some more offensive production to keep from enduring a similar result this time around.

ARLINGTON, Texas – It likely won’t go down in history as “The Drive.”

The game-winning Texas possession depended more on one big play and one extra second, leading to Hunter Lawrence’s field goal and a 13-12 victory.

But Texas’ final drive boosted the Longhorns into the BCS title game – even if it didn’t come with many style points.

Texas coach Mack Brown said quarterback Colt McCoy’s gritty determination on a day when he was intercepted three times and sacked nine times will resonate with Heisman voters.

“Everybody wants a Heisman moment and I thought that was it,” Brown said. “I think that’s his 12th fourth-quarter comeback. We saw there was 1:49 left … That was plenty of time for our offense to score. It’s just so many times before the half or the end of the game where we’ve driven down to win the game.”

The Longhorns got a huge break on the kickoff when the normally reliable Adi Kunalic shanked the kickoff out of bounds. Kunalic had led the Big 12 in touchbacks this season. But his mistake gave the Longhorns 20 extra yards they ended up needing.

Before the Longhorns broke the huddle, McCoy calmed his team and reminded them of the opportunity they had in front of them.

“I walked into the huddle and told the offensive linemen it’s one at a time,” McCoy said. “I love each and every one of them and let’s make it happen.”

On the first play, McCoy hit Jordan Shipley for a short pass that he turned into a 19-yard gain. The Longhorns got 15 more yards on the play because Nebraska safety Larry Asante was flagged for a horse collar tackle.

McCoy then was sacked twice and threw an incomplete before Lawrence drilled his game-winning kick.

Even in the excitement of the dramatic victory, McCoy was excited about what the Longhorns had done.

In a sense it was poetic justice from last season’s disappointment. The Longhorns’ only loss came last season at Texas Tech with one second left. This season they were able to convert their chances and are 13-0 after getting their ugliest victory of the season.

“To be an undefeated team at 13-0, you have to win in different ways,” Brown said. “You’ve seen Alabama block field goals in the last second. You saw this team run up and down the field last week and the defense struggled. But you saw the offense do enough to win tonight.”

On a day when McCoy left the field banged up, he was more excited about nailing down his first Big 12 championship than any personal goals.

“It was just one of those nights. Those guys played tough defense all night. It came down to one second,” McCoy said. “We knew it was going to be tough coming in. We didn’t want to let it come down to the wire like that, but we were able to pull through.”

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The South Division has dominated play in these recent Big 12 title games.

Most people expect more of the same tonight with Texas heavily favored to beat Nebraska.

Here are some of the things I'll be watching during the game tonight to see if the No. 3 Longhorns can continue that trend.

• Will Nebraska be able to exploit an advantage they feel is in place for inside running? Although Texas ranks as the nation's leading rushing team, Nebraska coaches believe they can run the ball "downhill" with Roy Helu Jr. and Rex Burkhead. Watch for this to happen early. If Nebraska can gain some momentum, it will be a good sign for their chances.
• Keep Zac Lee in favorable down-and-distance situations. Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson has done a good job of pulling in the reigns of his unit over the Cornhuskers' five-game winning streak. They haven't asked Lee to beat people, but have kept him in good situations. It will have to be that way tonight as well. If they can keep Lee in third-and-2 and third-and-4 and out of third-and-8 or third-and-10, it will make it much easier on him and the Cornhuskers.
• Can the secondary check the second and third Texas receivers? The Cornhuskers' have a couple of first-team All-Big 12 players in Prince Amukamara and Larry Asante. That group will have to do a good job to check the receivers other than Jordan Shipley who have emerged for Texas over the last several weeks.

And here are some items that Texas needs to watch tonight:

• Colt McCoy can't get frustrated. The Longhorns will be facing their toughest defensive challenge since Oklahoma. Heck, tonight's challenge might be tougher than the Sooners. McCoy could likely find yards difficult to come by. He doesn't have to play the perfect game to beat the Cornhuskers or put the finishing touches on his Heisman Trophy bid. But his statistics likely won't be anything like they were last week at Texas A&M. If he has some early struggles, he can't get down about his effort as he seemed to do at times during the Oklahoma game.
• Come back Sergio: Coming into the season, Texas defensive end Sergio Kindle was expected to be their top defensive player and a sack-producing machine. He's been tied up by double-team blocks by opposing teams, but his numbers haven't been anywhere near what was expected. Tonight in his final college game in his hometown area would be a big time night for a huge time game from Kindle.
• Make their special teams come through: Alex Henery and Adi Kunalic have been weapons all season for Nebraska in dictating field position. But Texas is pretty good in returns, averaging 28.3 yards on kickoffs and 13.4 yards on punts. The Longhorns also have blocked five kicks and Hunter Lawrence has converted 20 of 23 field goals. Whoever wins on special teams will have a big edge tonight.

A crowd of more than 80,000 is expected, making this crowd the largest in Big 12 history for a championship game. Almost all of the fans are in their seats and looks to be about 80 percent Texas supporters inside the stadium.

If it's Friday, we've got some letters to answer.

Here are some of the better questions I received this week.

Shawn Starostka of Omaha, Neb., writes: In response to your post about Nebraska special teams. You mentioned in the article that Alex Henery has reached near "rock-star status" in our state. I was just e-mailing to let you know that he is officially a rock star. I'm expecting a son in March, and I convinced his mother to name him Alex Henery Starostka. No joke. God willing, one day he will make a career out of kicking footballs, too. Enjoy your stuff, Tim. Keep it up.

Tim Griffin: Shawn, your story is an interesting one. I could tell that Henery’s popularity is massive among Cornhusker fans. The Nebraska fans really have an appreciation for what he does for the team. I think that Henery rivals only Ndamukong Suh among the most popular Cornhuskers, when you consider the reaction for him at games.

But I don’t think I’ve heard of anybody who has shown quite the compliment to him that you have. Congratulations and good luck on the birth. And hopefully, your son will live up to your dreams one day.

John Greenslade of Kaufman, Texas, writes: Tim, who do you think will be the starting QB at Texas Tech next year? I know we will not know until the first game of the season but I feel that there could be a real battle between Steven Sheffield, Taylor Potts, Jacob Karam, and Scotty Young.

By the way, Scotty Young has the potential of beating all of Garrett Gilbert’s Texas high school records he set last year. What are your thoughts on him as well?

Tim Griffin: John, I would expect Sheffield and Potts to be the favorites as Tech’s starter next season. The major reasons are because of their game experience inside Tech’s system. It would be tough for Karam and Young to immediately duplicate that.

But I’ve really been impressed with Young from what I’ve heard so far. He’s had a great high school career so far. It will be interesting to see if his skills translate to the next level.

Joshua Cunningham of Independence, Mo., writes: Hey, Tim. Do you think there’s any chance that Bob Stoops will fire Kevin Wilson as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator and bring back Mark Mangino as offensive coordinator for next year?

Tim Griffin: Joshua, while this has been a disappointing season for Stoops and the Sooners, I would be shocked if Wilson’s job is in any jeopardy. Remember he won the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach last season when the Sooners rang up a school record for points and advanced to the BCS title game.

Stoops has never fired an assistant during his 11-season tenure at Oklahoma. I don’t think Wilson will be his first.

Eric Forbes of Hastings, Neb., writes: Tim, I know that Nebraska is struggling on offense and their defense is what is keeping them alive this season. But from what you know and what you’ve seen, do they have a shot at the Longhorns on Saturday. What will they have to do to beat them? Also, do you think that Bo Pelini is going to do better recruiting after what the Cornhuskers have accomplished this season?

Tim Griffin: I give the Cornhuskers a “puncher’s chance” of stealing an upset victory on Saturday night. In order to win, they will have to play mistake-free football on offense with a lot of success running the ball between the tackles. I know the Cornhuskers’ coaches feel they might be able to surprise Texas with their inside running ability. We’ll have to see about that.

Nebraska also needs to put consistent pressure on Colt McCoy. The toughest game he had was against Oklahoma when he faced a bunch of unusual blitz packages he wasn’t familiar with. Pelini could duplicate that.

And lastly, they really need to dictate field position with strong kicking from Henery and Adi Kunalic. They can’t let Texas have any cheap scoring drives and need to make them earn every point they score on long drives.

I also think the Cornhuskers could be primed for a better recruiting season after the bowl game. I think Pelini has done a good job trying to take his recruiting message across the country. It should resonate more now that they are Big 12 North Division champions.

Kyle Hobblet of Edmond, Okla., writes: Tim, what is your take on why Von Miller received no love from AFCA for its All-America team? After all he did lead the nation in sacks for the entire year.

Tim Griffin: Miller was the most dominant player on the Aggies’ team, and arguably one of the top players in the country. I can’t really answer for the coaches in their reasoning, but maybe they might have held Texas A&M’s struggling defense against him. The Aggies were 6-6 and ranked 105th in scoring defense and 107th in total defense. Miller had a large deal to do with their success because of his nation-leading 17 sacks. But I’m guessing the coaches probably didn’t just weigh pure sack totals when they made their decisions.

The AFCA picked Suh, UCLA’s Brian Price and Penn State’s Jared Odrick at defensive tackle. The defensive ends were Georgia Tech’s Derrick Morgan and TCU’s Jerry Hughes.

All of the teams have better records than the Aggies, with the exception of Price’s 6-6 record. I think the Aggies’ struggles, as well as Miller’s hybrid status at the “Jack” position, made coaches unsure if he really was a defensive lineman or a linebacker.

Jody Schrandt of Tampa, Fla., writes: So I read that TCU coach Gary Patterson thinks they can win without playoffs or joining a BCS conference. I think that’s highly doubtful. Wouldn't it make sense for TCU to try to replace Baylor in the Big 12? Baylor never fit the B12 very well anyway. TCU would provide another great shot in the arm to the league, and they would have to play through the B12 to earn their title shot. Why can't that happen?

Tim Griffin: Mainly because I don’t see any rush to get rid of Baylor from the other Big 12 teams at this time. The same unique challenges that Baylor faces as a Big 12 member would likely be in place for TCU as well. It can be argued that TCU became successful because it didn’t get chosen for the Big 12.

The Horned Frogs have taken some huge steps forward under Dennis Franchione and Gary Patterson. But could they have done that playing in the Big 12 rather than Conference USA or the Mountain West?

This season, the Horned Frogs would be a great addition. But would the Horned Frogs be able to sustain that success on a consistent basis in the Big 12?

We’ll never know.

Thanks again for all of the great questions and enjoy the championship game tomorrow. We'll check back again early next week.

Swinging a mean pitching wedge along with a previous soccer career has helped make Alex Henery develop into one of Nebraska’s biggest weapons.

Henery is one of the rarest of all species in college football -- a combination kicker and punter who is proficient at both. His ability to place the ball inside the 10-yard line this season has earned him near rock-star status among Nebraska’s fans.

And among the reasons that Henery credits for his uncanny success are the touch he developed working on his short game playing golf and his kicking abilities as an all-state soccer player in high school.

“I do play golf a lot,” Henery said. “But I think it just comes from kind of messing around and seeing what will work. The soccer has helped me as well.”

Henery and other parts of Nebraska’s special teams will be critical if the Cornhuskers have any real hope of springing an upset over No. 3 Texas in the Big 12 championship game Saturday night.

He’s been dictating field position all season with a Big 12-best 26 punts that have been downed inside the 20-yard line. Amazingly, 15 of those kicks have pinning the opposition inside their 10, with eight inside the opponent’s 3-yard line.

With wind no factor and the roof at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium will be closed, it should result in a big night in the kicking game for both teams.

And there’s always that inviting target that drew the attention of Tennessee Titans’ punter A.J. Trapasso when his punt glanced off the facility’s mammoth scoreboard.

“I’m looking forward to kicking there,” Henery said. “A lot of people have been asking me if I’m going to try to hit the scoreboard. But I’m going to try to kick to get my technique down.”

Henery was chosen as second-team All-Big 12 as both a kicker and a punter earlier this week by Big 12 coaches. No player has ever been honored for both kicking during the same season with selection as a first and second-string punter.

After serving as the Cornhuskers’ kicker last season, Henery added punting to his responsibilities this season. He earned a scholarship before the season and has become proficient at both.

Henery is 16-of-20 on field goals this season, with his misses coming on a 54-yarder against Arkansas State, a 51-yarder against Texas Tech,a 43-yarder vs. Oklahoma and a 50-yarder at Colorado. The miss against Oklahoma was just the second of Henery’s career from inside 50 yards in his career.

"It would have been easier to do just one, but I wanted to take on the challenge of doing both,” Henery said. “It’s been harder to switch from just one to doing both. I’ve missed a couple of more kicks than I wanted this season. But the season has gone pretty well for me.”

His kicking has earned him perhaps the strongest compliment given by Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, who has continually referred to him as “a stud” because of how he has excelled at both.

“They’ve really done a good job of leaning on their special teams over the year,” Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said. “Nebraska has really played to their strengths and that’s one of the bigger ones.”

The Cornhuskers also have been able to dictate field position on kickoffs thanks to the booming leg of kickoff specialist Adi Kunalic.

His booming kickoffs have resulted in touchbacks on 39 percent of his kickoffs, as he has drilled 26 of his 66 kicks to the end zone to enable the Cornhuskers to rank third nationally in touchbacks.

That work will be important in dictating field position against the Longhorns, who have returned three kickoffs for touchdowns and along with Arizona and Alabama are the only team to rank in the top 15 nationally in both kickoff returns and punt returns.

D.J. Monroe started the season strongly with two kickoff returns for touchdowns in the Longhorns’ first four games. Although he has missed Texas’ last two games after he was indefinitely suspended after he was accused of drunken driving, the Longhorns have still been returning kicks as a strength.

Freshman Marquise Goodwin provided a huge play last week with a 95-yard fourth-quarter kickoff return for a touchdown that helped ice the victory over Texas A&M.

“I just did my job, really,” Goodwin said. “It’s not about me making big plays. It’s just doing what I needed to do to help the team out.”

The importance that Texas places on its special teams can be seen by placing top receiver Jordan Shipley as one of its punt return specialists. Shipley has averaged 13.3 yards per punt return and produced two touchdowns.

Texas’ only weakness in special teams has been in punting, where Justin Tucker and John Gold have alternated. Mack Brown’s infatuation with the rugby punting of both players has been a negative as the Longhorns have averaged only 33.6 net yards to rank 99th nationally and 11th in the conference.

Nebraska has blocked five kicks, including three by All-American defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Playing key players like Suh and Shipley are indicative of the importance that both Pelini and Brown invest in special teams.

“They play special teams very good and are comparing us to them in a lot of categories,” Henery said. “I think whoever wins the special teams Saturday night will have a good chance to win the game.”

The South Division has dominated play in the Big 12 in recent years. It will be up to Nebraska to turn things around and provide some competition in the championship game.

Here's how I see the game playing out.

Texas 28, Nebraska 13: The Longhorns are heavy favorites to claim Mack Brown’s second Big 12 title. Nebraska has been one of the hottest teams in the conference as the Cornhuskers have run off five straight victories after starting 4-3. And the Cornhuskers have a puncher’s chance of stealing an upset victory in this game. If they are to be successful, they must continually pressure Colt McCoy and contain Texas’ offense. And on offense, they can't be intimidated by the Longhorns' No. 1 ranked rush defense. Because so much of Nebraska's offense is based on running the ball, they have to keep trying Roy Helu Jr. and Rex Burkhead, even if it isn't immediately successful. They do have hope after the Longhorns were gashed for 190 rushing yards and 532 total yards by Texas A&M last week. And Helu and Burkhead are an upgrade over the Aggies’ backs.

Nebraska must stay ahead of the chains and keep Zac Lee from long down-and-distance situations that have caused him to struggle this season. If the Cornhuskers are to be successful, they also must dominate the special teams with big efforts from punter/kicker Alex Henery and kickoff specialist Adi Kunalic.

But even with those weapons, Texas still has too many weapons. The Longhorns should get some big plays from receivers like Malcolm Williams, James Kirkendoll, Dan Buckner and John Chiles -- particularly if the Cornhuskers elect to double-cover Jordan Shipley. The Cornhuskers will stay close for much of the game, but the Longhorns should pull away late as they head to the BCS title game.

Last week: 5-0 (100 percent)

Season record: 74-23 (76.3 percent)

Here are five trends that merit watching in Saturday’s Big 12 championship game:

Can the North Division make this a game, for a change? The South Division has dominated this game, much like all aspects of cross-division play in recent seasons. Since Kansas State’s stunning upset victory over Oklahoma in 2003, the South Division teams have won the games by a combined margin of 233-51. During those five games, the North team has led for a total of 3 minutes and 22 seconds in the 300 minutes of game action. Nebraska’s defense should give it a puncher’s chance to be successful in the game. But Texas looks like the prototypical bully from the South Division that looks like it will be ready to jump on an opponent at the slightest sign of weakness.

Colt McCoy’s Heisman hopes: With the Alabama-Florida game being played earlier in the afternoon. McCoy should have a good idea who will be his prime Heisman opponent emerging from the SEC championship game. It won’t be easy as McCoy will be facing one of his biggest challenges of the season in terms of the rival defense. Nebraska ranks among the top 15 teams in the major team defensive statistical categories of rushing defense, pass efficiency defense, total defense and scoring defense. The Cornhuskers have allowed more than 21 points in a game only once this season and have averaged three sacks a game over their last five contests. McCoy will need a big statistical game to sway Heisman voters one last time.

The center of Nebraska’s defense: Ndamukong Suh and Jared Crick are the finest pair of defensive tackles in the conference. Suh likely is the best defensive player in the country. They will be backed up behind the line by starting middle linebacker Will Compton, a redshirt freshman. These players will need to dominate the game inside in their contest with Texas starting center Chris Hall and starting guards Charlie Tanner and Michael Huey. If the Nebraska defensive tackles and Compton can impose their will in the trenches, it will make life much more difficult for McCoy and the Longhorns.

Nebraska’s special teams need to be special: The Cornhuskers have dictated field position all season long thanks to punter Alex Henery and kickoff specialist Adi Kunalic. Henery is the most accomplished situational punter in the conference with 26 of his 65 punts pinning opponents inside their own 20-yard line. Eight of those kicks have landed inside the opponent’s 3-yard line. Kunalic leads the Big 12 with 40 percent of his kickoffs going through the end zone for touchbacks. If the Cornhuskers can dictate the special teams, they will be able to neutralize Texas kickoff return specialist Marquise Goodwin (24.1 average, one TD) and punt return specialist Jordan Shipley (13.3 yard per return average, two TDs). As difficult as it will be for the Cornhuskers to stick with Texas on offense and defense, they can’t allow any cheap touchdowns or wild changes in field position and expect to win.

Can Texas’ defense rebound? The Longhorns struggled through their worst performance of the season in their narrow victory over Texas A&M, allowing their most rushing yards, total yards and points of the season. Texas players said those memories have been blotted away as they prepare for the Cornhuskers. Nebraska’s offensive strategy should play more into Texas’ strengths that Texas A&M’s varied run-pass option attack. But it will be imperative for the Longhorns to forget about their recent defensive difficulties and bounce back with a big effort in the championship game.

Here are some factors to consider in tomorrow's winner-take-all battle for the North Division title between Kansas State and Nebraska in Lincoln.

Keys for Kansas State:

• Better production in the red zone: The Wildcats have got to produce better when they get close to the Nebraska end zone. Their struggles inside the Missouri 20 were the major reason they lost last week, producing only three scores in five trips -- all field goals. The Wildcats can’t afford to settle for field goals against the Cornhuskers in those situations. They will need every point they can muster.
• Big plays on special teams: Brandon Banks is the most prolific kick returner in KSU history, holding the school record for kickoff returns for touchdowns in a game (two), season (four) and career (five). And he’s only one behind the NCAA career record of six kickoff returns for TDs set by C.J. Spiller of Clemson, Anthony Davis of USC and Ashlan Davis of Tulsa. A big play or two in the kicking game could really give the Wildcats a surge. But Banks will be facing one of the nation’s best deep kickoff threats in Nebraska’s Adi Kunalic, who averages 68.4 yards on each kickoff and has produced 23 touchbacks on 56 kickoff attempts.
• Opportunism on defense: Nebraska was susceptible to turnovers earlier in the season, tying the school-record with eight against Iowa State. The Wildcats need to force those kind of plays, something coach Bill Snyder and his staff have made a priority throughout the season. KSU's turnover margin ranked 61st in the nation last season. This season, the Wildcats have a plus-8 margin, which ranks 19th in the nation. They’ll need some opportunism to have success in a hostile environment where they have won only once since 1969.

Keys for Nebraska:

• Getting the defense involved early: The Cornhuskers can get a big lift from the crowd with a couple of big defensive plays early. The play of the defense was so frustrating in the victory over Kansas that defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh graded them with an F, although they won by 14 points. The Cornhuskers allowed 17 points, which was the second-largest total allowed this season. And they were also blistered for 335 yards, which is far above their season average. They still played well enough to win, but have room for significant improvement against a Kansas State defense that will likely try to set the pace with their grinding running game.
• Keep Zac Lee performing in the passing game: A bigger improvement was seen last week in the Cornhuskers’ offense than in recent weeks because Lee’s passing was a solid addition. Nebraska passed for 196 yards last week against Kansas. In the Cornhuskers’ previous two games combined they had passed for 167 yards. They should be able to have success against a struggling Kansas State secondary that has allowed 240 yards passing per game to rank 90th nationally. The Wildcats have yielded 108 yards in two true Big 12 road games.
• Pelini should be relaxed, but ready: Nebraska is facing the master of North Division coaching in Snyder. But Bo Pelini has done well in his brief career, particularly in late-season games when the Cornhuskers have posted a 7-1 record after Nov. 1. This will be his biggest game as Nebraska’s head coach with all of the divisional title ramifications present. Win this game and the Cornhuskers will be making their first Big 12 title game under him. If they lose, this season would be considered a waste because of the relative weakness in the North Division. Pelini's big-game experience compared to Snyder's makes this a question, but he should be ready for the challenge.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

I know this makes me sound like a coaches, but I actually think that special teams really does account for a third of a team's success. And I think that solid play in all facets is especially critical in the Big 12 because of the small margin of error in most games.

Here's a look at how I rank the special teams in the conference, giving each team a master rating including all facets of the kicking game.

1. Texas: The best combination kicking game in the league with two-deep talent at both kicker and punter and Jordan Shipley to take care of the returns. The Longhorns always have fast, talented athletes covering kicks as well. And I'm curious to see if Justin Tucker really will be able to produce rugby-style punts with both feet.

2. Oklahoma State:The Cowboys have the best kickoff/punt returners in the conference in Dez Bryant and Perrish Cox. Special-teams coach Joe DeForest always does an outstanding job, although he’ll be in tough spot replacing Matt Fodge as his punter this season.

3. Nebraska: Alex Henery was the best kicker in the conference with a knack for making huge kicks. It's curious that Nebraska coaches would risk that success by having him double up as a punter this season. But he actually came to college as a walk-on punter. Niles Paul will get the start as both punt returner and kick returner. And Adi Kunalic led the nation in touchbacks as a kickoff specialist.

4. Kansas State:I’m basing this as much on past success as anything else -- Ron Prince’s team blocked four punts for touchdowns last season. Brandon Banks is a threat to break a big return on every play and he’ll be doubling as a kick and punt returner this season. Even with Bill Snyder taking over, I’m still thinking this will be a productive unit as they break in new kicker Josh Cherry and new punter Ryan Doerr.

5. Baylor: The Bears have the most consistent punter in the conference with Derek Epperson. Look for improvement from kicker Ben Parks. One key will be boosting punt returns with new returner Krys Buerck after ranking only 118th nationally as a team last season.

6. Iowa State: I think that Jack Trice Stadium might be the toughest facility in the conference because of its swirling winds. Paul Rhoads has some confidence with Grant Mahoney back at kicker and Mike Brandtner at punter. Leonard Johnson is one of the most effective kickoff returners in the conference. But the Cyclones need a boost on punt returns and in covering kicks.

7. Oklahoma: For a team with as many athletes as the Sooners, I was surprised with their difficulties in covering kicks last season. That’s the immediate concern for them. DeMarco Murray was a threat on every return, but I doubt he plays there much because of his recent injury problems. Dominique Franks, Ryan Broyles and Cameron Kenney are expected to contribute in the return game. And Kenney might even push Tress Way for punting duties. Coaches have also been impressed with the improved range of kicker Jimmy Stevens. We’ll see if that holds up when the season starts.

8. Texas Tech: The story about Matt “Lynwood” Williams was one of the best in college football last year as he emerged from an in-game kicking contest to win most of the kicking honors for the Red Raiders. Donnie Carona was a disappointment as a kicker, but may emerge as a punter along with Ryan Erxleben (yeah, he’s the son of former Texas punter Russell Erxleben) as the Red Raiders wait for Jonathan LaCour to come off a Big 12-mandated suspension. Edward Britton and Jamar Wall will be involved in returning kicks, along with many others.

9. Texas A&M: Here’s a stat that shows how far Texas A&M’s once vaunting kicking game has fallen in recent years. The Aggies haven’t converted a field goal of 50 yards or more since 2000. Randy Bullock is back as the kicker and freshman Ryan Epperson and Ken Wood are still battling for the punting job. Christine Michael inherits the kickoff return duties, but look for heralded junior-college cornerback Coryell Judie to be involved some way.

10. Missouri: No Jeremy Maclin and Jeff Wolfert means that the Tigers will rebuild one of their strongest units last season. Their net punting figures to improve after Jake Harry’s strong start. Grant Ressel won the kicking job in a tight battle, but might be pushed this season. Gary Pinkel is sorting through his options in the return game but won’t have anybody nearly as gifted as Maclin. And they need to do a better job covering kicks after allowing a kickoff return for a touchdown for the first time last season.

11. Kansas: The Jayhawks desperately need some improvement in this category. Jacob Branstetter converted 75 percent of his kicks, but his longest was only 34 yards. Punter Alonso Rojas’ net average was only 33.9 yards. And the Jayhawks ranked 118th nationally in kickoff returns as Marcus Herford accounted for most of the returns. They showed some strong improvement late in the season when Dezmon Briscoe took over.

12. Colorado: The Buffaloes had the worst field-goal percentage in the country as they converted only 29 percent last season. They also lose Josh Smith, who set a school record for total kick return yards. Coaches think that Andre Simmons will be able to help here, but I’ll take a wait-and-see attitude before I get too excited.