ESPN College Football

Baylor safety Ahmad Dixon talks about Baylor's defensive improvement and what he's seen from new quarterback Nick Florence.

I'm still trying to figure out how to get DJ Roomba in the mix on the blog.

• TCU is joining the Big 12, and needs a role model. Don't look to Texas, Oklahoma or any other Big 12 school. Look at Baylor, writes Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• West Virginia running back Shawne Alston just needed a chance after growing up with a rough childhood. He got on, and now he's on pace to go to law school and become a criminal attorney, writes Bob Hertzel of the Times West Virginian.
• Oklahoma State running back Joseph Randle opens up about his relationship with Sooners QB Blake Bell.
• Baylor S Ahmad Dixon takes you behind the scenes at Baylor's pro day in a video on the team's website.
• Greg Tepper of Dave Campbell Texas Football has five questions about Texas Tech this spring.
• Robert Griffin III proved he had the pieces to be an NFL quarterback. Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram looks at RG3's future.
• Bryan Fischer of CBSSports looks at the task ahead of Baylor now: Keeping the RG3 momentum in the program.
• Oklahoma QB Landry Jones is working out at Stanford's campus in Palo Alto, Calif., with QB coach George Whitfield.
• Former Longhorn Tom Campbell will be inducted into the AT&T Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame next month.
• Texas Tech safety Cody Davis answers a fun fan question on his blog.

We're moving on with our postseason position rankings. Today, it's time for linebackers. If you missed it, here's how I ranked them in the preseason.

At this position, depth is a major factor in these rankings. Additionally, I included nickelbacks in this grouping. Hybrid defensive end/linebackers will be grouped with defensive lines.

More postseason position rankings:

• Quarterbacks
• Running backs
• Receivers/tight ends

1. Iowa State: The Cyclones top the list after a huge year from their outstanding duo, Jake Knott and A.J. Klein. They combined for 231 tackles in 2011, both finishing among the top four in the Big 12 in tackles. They had 241 together in 2010, but this season Knott played through injuries and Klein was awarded co-Defensive Player of the Year honors from the league's coaches.

2. Texas: The Longhorns will sorely miss an outstanding duo of their own with tons of experience. Keenan Robinson and Emmanuel Acho are both NFL-bound after combining for 215 tackles.

3. Oklahoma: The Sooners weren't quite as good as expected in 2011, but part of that was because of a Travis Lewis preseason toe injury that slowed him for much of the season. Lewis, Tony Jefferson and Tom Wort all topped 70 tackles in 2011, and are a solid group.

4. Kansas State: Arthur Brown reinvigorated this group, finishing eighth in the Big 12 with 101 tackles, but the Wildcats linebackers were more than just Brown. Tre Walker and converted safety Emmanuel Lamur combined for 135 stops and helped lead one of the league's most underrated units and a much-improved run defense.

5. Texas A&M: The Aggies' backers were big pass-rushers, though they struggled in coverage this season. Sean Porter was the Big 12's sack champion with 9.5, and Caleb Russell and Jonathan Stewart combined for six more. Damontre Moore is the rawest talent of the bunch, but built on that in 2011, making 72 tackles.

6. Oklahoma State: OSU's group was good, but not great. Alex Elkins' crazy story came to an end with 90 stops in 2011. He showed up everywhere for the Cowboys, but reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Year Shaun Lewis didn't quite have the sophomore season some had hoped. Caleb Lavey added some solid play for the turnover-hungry unit, producing 74 tackles and five tackles for loss.

7. Missouri: Zaviar Gooden wasn't quite the impact player Mizzou had hoped, but he was solid alongside a group that's been injury prone over the past two years. Sophomore Andrew Wilson emerged as the team's top tackler with 98 stops, and Luke Lambert added 82 more. A high ankle sprain in the season opener kept Will Ebner off the field, but he'll be back in 2012 after the NCAA granted him a fifth year of eligibility.

8. Kansas: Steven Johnson led the Big 12 with 119 tackles, but the rest of the unit left a lot to be desired. Darius Willis has some potential, but the rest of the team's linebackers have their work cut out for them in 2012. Tunde Bakare also returns from a unit that ranked ninth in the Big 12 in rushing defense.

9. Baylor: The Bears needed help just about everywhere. Elliot Coffey was solid, and finished tied for fourth with 114 stops, but Baylor was eighth in the Big 12 in rush defense. Baylor has solid athlete in the secondary and on the defensive line, but at linebacker, Rodney Chadwick and Brody Trahan leave a bit to be desired. Ahmad Dixon was better in 2011, but still has a lot of potential that needs to be filled.

10. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders are looking for a new defensive coordinator and the 4-2-5 made a short stop in Lubbock. The Red Raiders were awful everywhere on defense, but especially up front. Nobody in college football was worse at stopping the run, and D.J. Johnson, Daniel Cobb and Cqulin Hubert turned in forgettable performances. Time to get better for 2012.

We're taking a look at what each program in the Big 12 needs to deal with during the offseason, whether it be in the spring, summer or fall preseason camp. Maybe all three! Who knows?

Next up: The Baylor Bears.

1. Invest in Nick Florence as RG3's replacement. Don't look for a quarterback competition in Waco this spring. Bryce Petty could maybe steal this job, but every indication is Florence is the assumed starter heading into spring, and it'll take a meltdown for him to lose the job and cede it to the younger player. Florence already started nine games in 2009 with mixed results, but looked a lot better in a win over Texas Tech this year when Robert Griffin III suffered concussion-like symptoms. Florence is no RG3, but he's probably a well-above average QB for next year, and he'll have one of the league's best receiving corps returning, even without Kendall Wright.

2. Study, study, study and keep learning Phil Bennett's system. The defense has to get better at everything. Baylor's invested in its veteran defensive coordinator, and the program believes in him. The team has the athletes -- these Bears are big enough and fast enough - -to see success, but last year was a mess. Keep at it, and it may turn around. Only two of the team's top 13 tacklers are gone. Cornerback K.J. Morton showed some promise late in the year and Ahmad Dixon is solid at nickel back.

3. Sort out the running backs. Is next year the Lache Seastrunk show in the Baylor backfield? Jay Finley and Terrance Ganaway both cleared 1,200 yards rushing the past two seasons. But the Bears need a new feature back, and the Oregon transfer will vie for the job. Glasco Martin has been in the program longer, but Seastrunk's got the higher upside. And what about senior Jarred Salubi? It's a bit jumbled back there, but there's lots of talent and the spring should provide some clarity.

More offseason to-do lists.

So, the season gets, you know, kind of crazy. It's unrelenting, and recruiting plummets in priority. Thus, we haven't had a recruiting update since before the season.

Time to update.

Signing Day is less than two months away, and here's where each Big 12 team sits as we hit the recruiting home stretch before the big day in February.

All commit totals, rankings and stars via ESPN Recruiting, which updated its national recruiting rankings this week.

1. Texas Longhorns

National ranking: No. 1
Total commits: 25
ESPNU 150 commits: 10
Key commits: RB Johnathan Gray, DT Malcom Brown, WR Cayleb Jones, QB Connor Brewer
Class notes: Four of Texas' top five commits are skill position players, a huge need for the Longhorns. They're one of a handful of schools still chasing one of the nation's top recruits, too, receiver Dorial Green-Beckham. Gray will come to Texas as the Gatorade National Player of the Year. Texas also has two juco transfers coming next year, OT Donald Hawkins and DT Brandon Moore, a rarity for the Longhorns.

2. Texas A&M Aggies

National ranking: No. 8
Total commits: 22
ESPNU 150 commits: 4
Key commits: OLB Jordan Richmond, RB Trey Williams, ATH Bralon Addison, QB Matt Davis
Class notes: Texas A&M's class is being spearheaded by Davis, who's spreading the "Agg Swagg Movement" via social media, and Texas A&M will enter the SEC with one of its best classes in recent history. It's a deep class, too. Eleven of the 22 commits earned four-star status on ESPN.

3. Oklahoma Sooners

National ranking: No. 9
Total commits: 17
ESPNU 150 commits: 5
Key commits: RB Alex Ross, WR Sterling Shepard, WR Durron Neal, OL Ty Darlington
Class notes: The Sooners are after DGB, too, but may have a sudden big need at running back after a handful of transfers over the past few months. ESPNU 150 signee from 2010 Trey Metoyer, a receiver, is expected to be in Norman next year after spending a year at Hargrave Military Academy. He'll offer some nice help, but will Landry Jones be throwing him the ball?

4. Texas Tech Red Raiders

National ranking: No. 17
Total commits: 22
ESPNU 150 commits: 3
Key commits: WR Reginald Davis, WR Dominique Wheeler, OT Michael Starts, QB Clayton Nicholas
Class notes: The Red Raiders added five commits since our last update, but Davis, Wheeler and Starts should all be nice pickups and additions to an offense that lacked a big-play threat this year when Darrin Moore was battling injuries. Tech is also adding five juco transfers, including two more receivers and a pair of pass-rushers.

5. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Total commits: 16
ESPNU 150 commits: 1
Key commits: TE Dominic Ramacher, OLB Jeremiah Tshimanga, QB Wes Lunt
Class notes: Texas swiped CB Kendall Sanders with a late recruiting push, following a few high-profile former OSU commits to go elsewhere. This year's class won't make many headlines, but it'll be interesting to see if the 2011 Big 12 title pays off in the 2013 recruiting class. OSU knows definitively now that it can be better than OU and Texas. Lunt, an Illinois native, is an uber-productive dual-threat. Former blue-chipper Calvin Barnett, a DT from Tulsa, spurned OSU for Arkansas on Signing Day 2010, but he's committed this year via junior college.

6. Baylor Bears

Total commits: 19
ESPNU 150 commits: 0
Key commits: ATH Corey Coleman, OT Kyle Fuller, CB Terrell Burt, WR Kiante' Griffin
Class notes: Baylor added a handful of recruits just before the season to reach 18 commits, and added just one commit over the course of the season. Baylor's grabbed big-time recruits like Ahmad Dixon and Kendall Wright in the past that have been productive, but there's no big name in this class just yet.

7. Missouri Tigers

Total commits: 15
ESPNU 150 commits: 0
Key commits: DT Donald Hopkins, QB Maty Mauk, ILB Donavin Newsom
Class notes: Missouri is chasing DGB too, but the story this season has been class attrition for the Tigers. They were in the top 20 but lost ESPNU 150 commit Evan Boehm, who decommitted. The Tigers fell out of the top 25 and fell behind Oklahoma State and Baylor. Running back Jonathan Williams took his four stars to Arkansas and OT Germain Ifedi moved to fellow future SEC member Texas A&M. Mauk, Hopkins and Newsom are the only remaining four-star recruits in the class.

8. Iowa State Cyclones

Total commits: 20
ESPNU 150 commits: 0
Key commits: OT Daniel Burton WR P.J. Harris, WR Quan West, QB Grant Rohach
Class notes: The Cyclones added 11 commits since our last update. Three of the Cyclones top four commits are offensive skill position players, but Burton is the class' top commit. He committed on Sept. 29. A second QB, Luke Knott, committed way back in April. His older brother, Jake Knott, is a star linebacker for the Cyclones. Paul Rhoads' 10-year contract extension could help on the recruiting trail next year, too, offering parents some security that he'll still be coaching their sons for their whole careers. ISU has no four-star commits, but eight three-stars.

9. Kansas State Wildcats

Total commits: 11
ESPNU 150 commits: 0
Key commits: WR Vernon Vaughn, DT Travis Britz, RB Jarvis Leverett, QB Tavarius Bender
Class notes: Kansas State added four commits since our preseason update. Seven of the commits are three-stars and just one is committed via junior college. Two commits are unranked.

10. Kansas Jayhawks

Total commits: 8
ESPNU 150 commits: 0
Key commits: QB Seth Russell, TE Jordan Smith, OG Brian Beckmann
Class notes: ATH Bilal Marshall and DE De'Jon Wilson are no longer committed and new Kansas coach Charlie Weis has his work cut out for him. He says he doesn't want to be under scholarship numbers, but he doesn't want to offer guys just to fill scholarships with bodies. It'll be a tough balance. He's got catching up to do. WR Tre Parmalee and DT Keon Stowers are Weis' first two commits.

Ahmad Dixon talks about Baylor’s defensive play against Oklahoma.

WACO, Texas -- Robert Griffin III made his way into Baylor's locker room, but paused when he opened the door.

Nobody was there.

"I was like, where'd everybody go?"

They were still on the field celebrating. There was a postgame party at Floyd Casey Stadium, and everybody wearing green and gold was invited. The Bears had swiped the Sooners' picnic basket.

Before tonight, Baylor had never had a chance to celebrate a win over Oklahoma.

With a 34-yard toss from Griffin to Terrance Williams in the back corner of the end zone, that all changed.

"There at the end, God works in mysterious ways," Griffin said with a wide smile. "When I looked down the field, I saw him one-on-one. All this is happening in milliseconds, so I saw him one-on-one and I was like, 'Well, I’ll give him a shot.' I threw it up, and he made a great catch."

Baylor 45, Oklahoma 38.

That play, coach Art Briles admitted, was "not the way we drew it up."

"The dude has had the ability to take over a game by himself," said Baylor linebacker Elliot Coffey, "and you saw it."

We all saw it. We saw Griffin prove once again he's the best deep-ball passer in college football, throwing four touchdown passes, even if one of them unbelievably deflected off Tevin Reese's hands and helmet before floating into Kendall Wright's hands for a game-changing 87-yard score.

Griffin could only shake his head at that one, but he finished with a school-record 476 yards on 21-of-34 passing, breaking his own single-season school record for passing yards. He was also the Bears' leading rusher with 72 yards.

"Another day at the office for Robert," Briles said. "He’s been doing that for three or four years. When the ball’s in his hand, he’s going to make good things happen, because he’s very intelligent, very passionate and very gifted."

Said Baylor safety Ahmad Dixon: "You can't really defend him. You have to just take what he gives you."

No run was bigger than a 22-yard scramble on second down on the game's final drive, when Baylor had just 51 seconds left and no timeouts. Oklahoma had three, and when the Bears looked content to try to run it and settle for overtime, the Sooners used one. Baylor knew it needed a first down. The man they call RG3 provided those precious 22 yards.

"Then the whole thing flips," Briles said.

The aggressive move backfired, and the Sooners' fate was in the hands of the most dangerous player in the Big 12. Baylor should have known.

"Robert Griffin’s the best in the game," running back Terrance Ganaway said. "When the ball’s in his hands, expect big things."

The late toss to Williams was the biggest, and Griffin barely saw it. He took a big hit, but saw Williams haul it in. He wasn't sure, but the offensive linemen that mobbed him confirmed it.

"Robert, you just won us the game," they told him.

He got up, took a moment to kneel near midfield, then pointed to the sky and jogged to the sideline. He just wrote maybe the most memorable chapter in Baylor history. They'll never forget this night in Waco.

"When you work for something extremely hard for a lot of years, and you finally get it, it’s a great feeling," Griffin said. "We worked for this. We haven’t been waiting for it. We’ve been preparing for it. And it finally came to pass."

Baylor's already been through the whole bowl eligibility brouhaha. That's so 2010. Saturday was the third time Floyd Casey Stadium's field has been stormed in the past two seasons. Baylor's already equaled its win total from 2010 with two games remaining, and the Bears might be favored in both. Then there's a bowl game.

That's not lost on Griffin.

"It's great, but you've still got to show up every day and go to work. Go to practice. Watch film. That's something I've learned to appreciate, because the year I was hurt, I couldn't practice," said Griffin, who missed the final nine games of the 2009 season with a torn ACL. "I couldn't walk. I couldn't go to the bathroom by myself. My mom had to help me. My fiancee had to help me. So, when things like that happen to you, it makes you appreciate everything."

America learned to appreciate Griffin once again, too. He captured the nation's attention with a game-winning drive on the first weekend of the season against TCU, but the Bears suffered a pair of losses and dropped out of the Top 25. A slew of losses from top-ranked teams, though, combined with RG3's heroics?

The Heisman race has gotten a sudden face-lift.

"They say we needed a signature win," Griffin said with a laugh. "And we got it."

WACO, Texas -- I wouldn't flick the upset alert switch just yet, but Baylor's looking like a top-25 team through the first quarter against Oklahoma.

The Sooners and Bears are locked in an uncharacteristic defensive battle and tied at 3.

The Bears secondary has slowed Sooners quarterback Landry Jones tonight while the Bears offense has struggled with a fast, physical pass rush from maybe the best defensive-end duo in the country, Frank Alexander and Ronnell Lewis.

The defense has taken its knocks this season, and that didn't change early. The Bears broke up two passes before giving up a 26-yard completion to Kenny Stills to convert a deflating third down.

Oklahoma receiver Trey Franks broke a long gain on the next play, but who was there? The Bears secondary, flipping Franks and forcing a fumble.

This one hasn't gone how anyone projected it, but the Bears will take it.

Three points after one quarter for an offense like Oklahoma's? Maybe there's something to the way the Bears play at home. They haven't lost at Floyd Casey Stadium this season.

BAYLOR BEARS

Record: 4-1 (1-1 Big 12)

The Bears' season began with a bang and an upset. Alone on college football's Friday night stage during the opening weekend, Baylor won a 50-48 thriller over TCU with a pair of comebacks and set the tone for its entire season. Baylor would be taken seriously. It has. That game helped make Robert Griffin III an ESPN "College GameDay" mainstay and the same for the Bears in the Top 25. The season's lone loss came on a fluky interception, Griffin's only pick of the season, that set up a game-winning field goal for Kansas State. The Wildcats won that game by a point and have slipped inside the top 20 since as one of three undefeated Big 12 teams remaining.

Phil Bennett's defense hasn't been outstanding, but it's been improving. The Bears have benefited while the offense has been better than ever. Baylor looks headed for an encore to its bowl game from last season, but the major question now is whether the Bears can top last season's seven-win campaign. The defense will still have to progress, but it isn't short on athletes. Tevin Elliott, Elliot Coffey and Ahmad Dixon have emerged as playmakers, and the future looks bright for the program.

Offensive MVP: Robert Griffin III, QB. Griffin is the Big 12's best offensive player through the first half of the season. RG3 has not only been slinging it, but slinging it with precision. He leads the nation in completion percentage (80.4) and touchdown passes (19) and looks headed for a career year that has him in the Heisman hunt. He's shattering the perception that he's a scrambler, but on Saturday Griffin recorded his first 100-yard rushing game of the season, and he has 280 yards rushing overall this year. Find me something he can't do better than almost any QB in the game.

Defensive MVP: Elliot Coffey, LB. The Bears' defense lacks a big-time standout, but it's getting contributions from a lot of places, and Coffey is the unit's leader. Coffey has made 33 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss and has broken up three passes.

We're back again with some interesting tidbits courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information and various sports information departments around the Big 12.

Thanks for the help, folks. We love you.

But first, a very special tidbit about a stat I've been asked about numerous times throughout the week. This one's courtesy of our ESPN Stats and Info crew.

Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III has thrown more touchdowns (13) than incomplete passes (12) through the first three games of the season. No qualifying quarterback (at least 15 pass attempts per team game played) since 1990 has finished with a similar ratio. The closest was Michigan’s Elvis Grbac, who threw 24 touchdowns with 76 incomplete passes while completing two-thirds of his passes in 1991. Since 2004, no other qualifying quarterback even made it to the end of September with more touchdowns than incompletions. Colt McCoy came the closest, with 14 touchdowns and 20 incomplete passes in the first four games for Texas in 2008.

Ridiculous.

• Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill is completing 70 percent of his passes 15 yards or longer in the middle of the field for three TDs and no interceptions.
• Tannehill is completing 46 percent of his passes 15 yards or longer outside the hashmarks for no touchdowns and two INTs. He was 1-5 with both picks against OSU last week.
• In 39 drives this season, Texas A&M has been forced into just one three-and-out. Their 2.6 percent leads the nation, ahead of Texas Tech with 5.3 percent.
• Tannehill is 16-of-23 for two touchdowns on passes outside the pocket.
• Five of Robert Griffin III's 12 incompletions this year are on passes longer than 15 yards. He's 15-of-20 with eight touchdowns on those long throws, which average 26.1 yards per attempt.
• Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads has never lost to Texas.
• Baylor had 683 yards of offense against Kansas State last year, a school record.
• Since 1992, Kansas State has lost twice in September in home games under Bill Snyder.
• Griffin's 21 touchdowns of 30 yards are longer since the beginning of 2010 are five more than any other QB in the nation.
• Texas has outscored opponents 28-0 in the fourth quarter this season.
• Texas Tech has opened Big 12 Conference play on the road 12 times, including five of the past six years.
• Of Baylor's 204 plays this season, 24 (11.8 percent) have gone for longer than 20 yards. Only Georgia Tech has a higher percentage.
• Texas opponents are 0-for-10 on third downs in the fourth quarter this season.
• Kansas State hasn't been shut out in 180 games dating back to 1996, the longest streak in the Big 12.
• Texas Tech has had 10.4 percent of its plays go for longer than 20 yards.
• Baylor receiver Kendall Wright has been targeted 34 times this season. He has 31 receptions and all four of his touchdowns are on passes longer than 15 yards.
• Kansas State has allowed just 31 points this season, 14 fewer than the next-least in the Big 12, Texas.
• Statistically, Baylor vs. Kansas State is the Big 12's best offense vs. its best defense.
• The Big 12's 26-2 record in September is the league's best start ever.
• Kansas State running back John Hubert and Baylor safety Ahmad Dixon were high school teammates.
• Iowa State's win over Texas last year was its first road win over a ranked opponent since 1990.
• Seven Big 12 teams are undefeated, the most of any conference.
• Kansas State coach Bill Snyder is 4-1 all-time against Baylor. His first-ever loss came last season.
• Baylor receiver Kendall Wright was already the school's leader in career receiving yards, but his 20th touchdown catch last week gave him the career record for touchdowns, too.
• Oklahoma and Ball State have never played.
• Seth Doege's 83 rushing yards last week were the most by a Texas Tech QB since Zebbie Lethridge in 1997.
• Texas has outgained opponents 743-328 in the second half of games this year.
• Texas Tech RB Eric Stephens has at least 90 yards in all three games this year.
• Kansas WR/KR D.J. Beshears leads the Big 12 in all-purpose yardage.
• In the week before the Red River Rivalry, Oklahoma has lost just twice under Bob Stoops.
• Oklahoma's 11-point, early deficit last week against Missouri was its largest since a win over Texas Tech in 2006.
• Oklahoma State had three receivers catch 10 passes last week against Texas A&M for the first time in school history.

Thanks for all the questions in Tuesday's chat. Here's the full transcript.

Didn't get yours answered? Put a better one in my always-open mailbag.

And a few highlights:

Steve in Moore, Okla., asked: Why are we not hearing anything from Beebe?

David Ubben: He's working behind the scenes and probably doesn't see the benefit in speaking publicly. That's debatable, but like last summer it's not like he's doing nothing. Now, though, I'm not sure what his approach will be in trying to keep UT and OU in the league.

Clayton in Houston asked: Is the Aggie defense feast or famine? It seems like Saturday it was a 3 and out/turnover or SMU got a string of big plays. What's up Ubbs? Should I be worried about the Aggie defense going into Big 12 play?

DU: I wouldn't get too worried. It was one game, and the throws over the top were communication errors on a similar play with a post-flag crossing route. The safety and corners couldn't figure out who had who and the flag was wide open like three times, including on the touchdown. The running game was a bit more troublesome, but it's one game. The Aggies led the league in the stat last year and don't play again for two more weeks. I wouldn't be too concerned just yet.

Mike in Wichita asked: So explain to me again how "Super Conferences" are good for college football? The fans, traditions, rivalries are what make it great - not TV $ for the schools. With all this influx of huge revenue - shouldn't tuitions go down along with ticket prices? (kidding)

DU: I hate them for college football. All the things that make this game special are getting minimized in these discussions.

Robert Griffin III in Waco, Texas asked: Is there a player in the NCAA more singularly important to his team's success than I am?

DU: This is kind of a mischaracterization. It's true to an extent, but I've talked to a few people about it over the weekend. There's no doubt RG3 takes his team to the next level, but Baylor's not a bunch of dregs without him. They're a fringe bowl team without him and an 8-10 team with him. Kendall Wright, Elliott Coffey, Ahmad Dixon, Terrance Ganaway and Prince Kent are all big-time athletes who have come to Waco with Griffin. Baylor has plenty of talent outside Griffin.

Jordan in Fort Worth asked: Do you think the Texas the the ACC talk is just posturing? Like they are trying to make the PAC12 panic and accept them with their own network?

DU: I'm not going to take a guess at anyone's motivation for anything in this realignment mess, but I'll say this: Texas to the ACC might be the least likely scenario at the end of this saga. Pac-12, Big 12, Big Ten would all surprise me less.

Even the SEC. (Hi, Aggies! Remember us?)

Brian in Dallas asked: Which upset would have supprised you more if they happend Kansas State or Iowa State?

DU: Honestly, they were pretty even. Both teams are trying to feel around in the dark for what they can do offensively. Daniel Thomas was K-State's offense last year. Alexander Robinson and Austen Arnaud were Iowa State's offense. They're all gone. There were bound to be some issues.

Eric in Manhattan, Kan., asked: Snyder's time is coming to an end in a couple years. Although I have great respect for the man as a person and coach. Who do you think will take his place? Especially with the probably conference changes.

DU: Joe Paterno.

Raiderttu06 in Lubbock asked: Leon Mackey, is he still good enough to put on the field with half a lung? BTW- Did you hear about our new defensive weapon, the West Texas dust storm that rolled in during the second quarter as the cold front blew through and kept Texas State scoreless for three quarters.

DU: Ha. I felt bad for Mackey. That's got to be frustrating. I heard about the dust storm. Tech may get to see a few more of those in the near future when it travels to Arizona for conference games.

Haboob. One of the nation's great linguistic accomplishments, and a word soon to be added to plenty of Big 12 fanbase's dictionaries.

Bill in Norman asked: Can you explain to me why Texas is in the Top 25? Thanks

DU: No. They're Texas?

Kevin D. in Concord, N.H., asked: I've been riding the Henry Josey train since last year. Does this Kendial Lawrence injury finally give him the chance to take the reigns? He seemed to me to be by far and away the most effective back (besides Franklin) on the field against Miami on Saturday.

DU: It'll be interesting. I picked Josey to lead the team in rushing at some point this summer, but Lawrence really picked it up in fall camp and I thought he was poised for a big year. It's hard to imagine a guy having a worse start to the season, though.

We'll officially wrap up the top 25 players in the Big 12 on Monday (WHICH IS GAME WEEK, PEOPLE), but there are plenty of players around the Big 12 that you might find on this list next season.

They're first-year starters or freshmen that are loaded with potential.

Keep an eye on these guys.

Eric Stephens, RB, Texas Tech: Stephens played second fiddle to three-year starter Baron Batch last season, but still racked up 668 yards rushing on just 127 carries, an average of 5.26 yards a carry. I've got him lined up to be the Red Raiders' first 1,000-yard rusher since 1998. If that happens, he'll be on our top 25.

James Franklin, QB, Missouri: I've got Franklin currently as the Big 12's sixth-best quarterback, but he could shoot up that list fast with the amount of talent around him. The Tigers bring back the top three running backs from last year's team and every receiver. His left tackle, Elvis Fisher, is out for the year, but Franklin is a talented, yet inexperienced dual threat.

Damontre Moore, LB, Texas A&M: Moore showed some big talent in relief of Von Miller early last season. Now's his chance to fill the Aggies' joker spot. He'll have a lot of talent around him on defense, especially at linebacker, which is very experienced at two of the other three spots in A&M's 3-4. That could allow Moore space to shine.

Darrian Miller, RB, Kansas: The shifty Kansas City native will have to stand out to get significant touches in a crowded Kansas backfield that returns leading rusher James Sims, but the true freshman is a home run hitter inserted into a lineup that was without one in 2010.

Ahmad Dixon, S, Baylor: Dixon's found a home in Baylor's defense at the nickel back spot. The former blue-chip recruit and Waco native should be well suited to use his size and speed in a restructured Bears defense.

Joseph Randle, RB, Oklahoma State: Randle was outstanding in limited opportunities behind two-time 1,500-yard rusher Kendall Hunter. Those opportunities will be plentiful in 2011 as he shares the backfield with Jeremy Smith and should rack up plenty of receptions in the Cowboys' offense, too.

Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State: Brown was my pick for the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, so he should be a slam dunk for this list at season's end. Look for Brown to emerge as the top playmaker for a Wildcats defense that has a lot to prove in 2011.

Malcolm Brown, RB, Texas: Brown is perhaps the league's most hyped freshman entering the season. He'll need help from his offensive line, but there's a good chance he could oust Fozzy Whittaker and Cody Johnson for the Longhorn's primary ballcarrier based on physical skills alone.

Corey Nelson, LB, Oklahoma: Nelson is a huge unknown, but no player in the Big 12 has earned more buzz from his coaches and teammates. They've been raving about the sophomore. Bob Stoops called him the defense's best player in the spring. Travis Lewis has said Nelson will be better than him eventually. He'll have a chance early in the season with Lewis sidelined with a broken toe.

Steele Jantz, QB, Iowa State: Jantz is a wild card, but if he gets a chance to showcase his speed, he could revitalize an Iowa State offense that has been way, way short on playmakers in recent years. His running backs could provide some help, but the receivers are uninspired. Can Jantz open things up? If so, he deserves a spot on the list.

Time to take a look at a few of the under-the-radar young talents across the Big 12.

Three underclassmen to watch:

Jackson Jeffcoat, Soph., DE, Texas: Jeffcoat might be the most exciting sophomore in the entire league. A solid Longhorns defensive line last year already had true freshman Jeffcoat emerge as perhaps the team's best pass-rusher, never more impressive than in an early-season win over Texas Tech. A high ankle sprain, however, derailed any hopes of an All-Big 12 season. This year, that could change in a Big 12 without any truly elite talents on the defensive line.

Corey Nelson, Soph., LB, Oklahoma: Nelson was referred to as the most impressive player in Oklahoma's spring after a quiet freshman year. Now, the Sooners are bending over backwards to try and get Nelson's talent on the field in the midst of a loaded group of linebackers. An earlier experiment featured Nelson at the nickel back spot, and co-Defensive Big 12 Freshman of the Year Tony Jefferson moving from his home at nickel back to free safety alongside sophomore Aaron Colvin, a converted corner, at strong safety. Now, however, with Travis Lewis likely out to begin the season, Nelson will move back to weakside linebacker where he had backed up Lewis, and Jefferson will be back at nickel back.

Ahmad Dixon, Soph., S, Baylor: Dixon was a hometown blue-chip recruit for the Bears, and looks to become one of its biggest playmakers in his first year under new coordinator Phil Bennett. Bennett loves to emphasize speed, and Dixon will take over at nickel back, playing closer to the line of scrimmage in a role that coach Art Briles says is perfect for his skill set.

Three freshmen to watch:

Malcolm Brown, RB, Texas: Brown is probably the biggest name to enter the Big 12 this season, and he'll be worth watching. A physical, bruising, 220-pound runner, Brown may be called upon to help an anemic Texas running game looking for a punch under new coordinator Bryan Harsin.

Donnie Baggs, LB, Texas A&M: Baggs was a relatively unheralded recruit coming out of high school, but made an immediate impact for the Aggies defense after enrolling early and taking part in spring practice. He should be in the conversation for starter at one of the Aggies' inside linebacker spots where Michael Hodges left a void. Baggs may be called upon heavily in fall camp after one of the other contenders at inside linebacker, Kyle Mangan, was arrested last weekend.

Quandre Diggs, CB, Texas: The Longhorns put a second player in this group in Diggs, a freshman who made big noise in spring camp after enrolling early. The depth chart in Austin is still in flux and won't be anything close to concrete until game week approaches, but it'd be shocking if Diggs didn't contribute right away. The secondary lost three NFL corners from last year's team, and there aren't many more experienced players ahead of Diggs that could keep his natural sensibilities for the position off the field.

On Tuesday, the Big East wrapped up the last set of media days in college football, so it's time to take a look back at what we learned from the Big 12's annual event, as well as what we still have to learn.

What we learned from Big 12 Media Days

The Big 12's coaches weren't excited to see high school games on the Longhorn Network. Almost a week before media days, Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe put a hold on the Longhorn Network's plans to broadcast high school games, but the league's coaches voiced their displeasure at the possibility in various ways, none stronger than Missouri's Gary Pinkel. "It's a lack of common sense there to think that the network, the university network, can have high school games," he said. Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy said his "antenna went up when I started to hear that information." Baylor's Art Briles was the only coach who said it didn't bother him, but on Monday, the league announced it would declare a one-year moratorium on broadcasting high school games, allowing the issue to be further examined by the NCAA.

Mack Brown knows what he wants from his quarterbacks. Brown said summer workouts helped Colt McCoy separate himself from Jevan Snead the last time Texas had a quarterback battle, and he's hoping the same thing happened this summer. Brown wants leadership from his quarterbacks above all, but he wants them to take care of the ball second for a team that ranked 116th in turnover ratio in 2010. Garrett Gilbert has the experience and is the most vocal of the group, but he threw 17 interceptions to 10 touchdowns last season. Case McCoy, Connor Wood and David Ash were supposed to spend their spring and summer mostly learning Bryan Harsin's new, complex offense. Now, it's time to focus on competing. The separation could happen fast, and Texas opens fall camp on Friday.

Art Briles narrowly edges out Tommy Tuberville for the league's most entertaining coach. Tuberville poked at the Big 12 on his way off the stage, but Briles earned a few more fans with a solid collection of one-liners, including one about Ahmad Dixon that somehow got overlooked. "I take a lot of pride in being able to guess how much a male weighs," Briles said of the 206-pounder. "If you looked at him, you'd say that guy looks like he weighs about 183. He's put together pretty good." Briles also argued that talking trash was "in the ear of the beholder" and compared his quarterback to famed hurdler Edwin Moses.

Oklahoma will be fascinating to watch. The Sooners got by far the most attention on Day 2, sharing the second half of media days with the four teams picked to finish at the bottom of the Big 12. Oklahoma, though, isn't shying away from the hefty preseason expectations and players also spoke openly about the death of their teammate, Austin Box, this summer. The Sooners have a few subtle tributes planned, and won't have Box far from their minds throughout the season.

Kansas State's quarterback race is over. Bill Snyder brought Collin Klein to Big 12 Media Days, which seemed conspicuous enough, but he confirmed the obvious once he made it to Dallas. "He’ll take the first snap when we start in the fall," Snyder said. Klein was the most impressive during the spring, ahead of Boston College and Blinn College transfers Justin Tuggle and Sammuel Lamur, but Snyder maintained there wasn't a lot of separation between the three following the spring game. After the summer, it looks like that's changed.

What we have yet to learn after Big 12 Media Days

How will Texas rebound? We won't know this until the Longhorns suit up against Rice and BYU to open the season, but Texas is the Big 12's biggest wild card after a 5-7 season precipitated wholesale changes on the coaching staff. The depth chart is wide open for new coordinators Manny Diaz and Bryan Harsin, and fall camp should be one of the most competitive ever for the Longhorns.

Are Big 12 realignment rumors over for now? Texas A&M said the Longhorn Network produced uncertainty about the Aggies' future in the Big 12, but the one-year moratorium on broadcasting high school games may only delay conversations about the future of the Big 12, especially if the NCAA rules in favor of the practice.

Is this Oklahoma's year? Or the SEC's decade? Bob Stoops told a crowd at an recent caravan that it was "about time" for Oklahoma to win a national title, 11 years after its seventh national championship in 2000. The Sooners have enough talent to do it, but can they play consistently and catch the right breaks to rip off the 13 wins it will take to bring a national title back to the Big 12? Texas' championship with Vince Young in 2006 was the last time any non-SEC team won a national championship.

Who will start at Texas and Iowa State? The Big 12 has just two true quarterback battles left. The Longhorns have to pick between four, but the race in Ames is likely boiled down to Jerome Tiller, who has played in spot duty behind Austen Arnaud, and juco transfer Steele Jantz.

The Big 12 asked for preseason All-Big 12 ballots this week in preparation for the team announcement, and here's what mine looked like.

The full team will probably be released some time before Big 12 media days on July 25-26 in Dallas.

OFFENSE

QB: Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State
RB: Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M
RB: Christine Michael, Texas A&M WR: Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
WR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma
TE: Michael Egnew, Missouri
OL: Levy Adcock, Oklahoma State
OL: Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State
C: Grant Garner, Oklahoma State
OL: Lane Taylor, Oklahoma State
OL: Elvis Fisher, Missouri

DEFENSE

DL: Brad Madison, Missouri
DL: Tony Jerod-Eddie, Texas A&M
DL: Kheeston Randall, Texas
DL: Frank Alexander, Oklahoma
LB: Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
LB: Jake Knott, Iowa State
LB: Keenan Robinson, Texas
DB: Coryell Judie, Texas A&M
DB: Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State
DB: Trent Hunter, Texas A&M
DB: Demontre Hurst, Oklahoma

SPECIALISTS

K: Grant Ressel, Missouri
P: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State
KR: Coryell Judie, Texas A&M
PR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

AWARDS

Offensive Player of the Year: Justin Blackmon, WR, OSU

Defensive Player of the Year: Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma

Newcomer of the Year: Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State

Selections by team: Oklahoma State (7), Texas A&M (6), Oklahoma (5), Missouri (4), Texas (2), Iowa State (2)

And a few thoughts:

• Before we get into this, let's talk philosophy for a bit. There's no concrete rubric for filling this ballot out, but my approach might be in the minority. This is not a prediction. I'm not a believer in that. That's what the postseason ballot is for, i.e., what actually happened. I'm not predicting anything. My ballot is a reflection of who I see as the best at the position entering the season. This comes into play at the very top of my ballot. Do I think Landry Jones will have a better 2011 than Brandon Weeden? Well yes, yes I do. But coming into the season, I thought Weeden was more impressive than Jones in 2010, if only just barely. For more explanation on this, head over here. I've discussed it at length several times. Check the Weeden or Jones player tags on the blog for even more discussion.
• Tallying up the team counts, I feel bad that only six teams are represented on my ballot, but I'm not trying to achieve balance. I'm trying to achieve a ballot with the best player at each position heading into the season. That's just how it shook out. I'm surprised no one from Baylor cracked my ballot, and Kansas State, Kansas and Texas Tech went without any first-teamers on my ballot.
• That said, a few guys who came close: Kansas running back James Sims, Texas Tech running back Eric Stephens, safety Cody Davis and Kansas State cornerback David Garrett. I nearly had Davis on my ballot, but narrowly went with Trent Hunter.
• On that subject, the biggest observation I had filling this out: The second running back spot is near impossible. Just about anyone might get it on the official vote when its revealed by the Big 12. You could realistically make a convincing case for Sims, Stephens, Joe Randle, Roy Finch and even newcomers like Malcolm Brown, Bryce Brown or Oklahoma's Brandon Williams. And that's the first team! Unbelievable. Rex Burkhead and Rodney Stewart...where are you? If NU and CU were still in the Big 12, I'd probably put Stewart in that spot.
• They're not, though. So, I went with Christine Michael. Why? Well, before Cyrus Gray went nuts last season, Michael was significantly better than Gray was. It was obvious. Then Michael broke his leg. Now, based on what I saw this spring and hear from summer workouts, he's back to full strength and even better. Can any other running back in the league say they were better than Cyrus Gray at any point? Much less last season? Absolutely not. So, I went with Michael. Heading into the season, he's the second-best back in the Big 12 when he's healthy. Consider, also: None of those other candidates have topped Michael's 844 yards in 2009 in any of their seasons, and Michael was probably on his way to a 1,000-yard season last year with 631 yards in just over seven games before the injury. So, not only is he what I believe to be the next-best back, he also has had the most impressive career.
• I wasn't a big fan of putting three tackles and one guard on my ballot, but I did it. Deal with it. Originally, I had Luke Joeckel of Texas A&M on my ballot, but switched him out with the experienced Elvis Fisher, whose career to this point has been more impressive to me. I think Joeckel will be better eventually, but Dave Matter of the Columbia Tribune chimed in on Twitter and reminded me of Joeckel's early season struggles, and I recalled just how dominant Fisher was against some of the best defensive ends around, specifically Iowa's Adrian Clayborn and Oklahoma's Frank Alexander. I'm a bit embarrassed I even considered Joeckel over Fisher, to be honest.
• I feel pretty good about my ability to evaluate tackles, but interior linemen? Not so much. There's a lot of other things to watch during live games. So when it comes to guards and centers, I tend to rely more on coaches' evaluations, guys who spend hours in the film room evaluating. Oklahoma State offensive line coach Joe Wickline isn't one to blow smoke, and he's one of the most respected position coaches in the league. He's also been incredulous this offseason that Grant Garner is criminally underrated at the conference level. So at a position that isn't very strong in the Big 12, I gave Garner the nod.
• Some of the Big 12's strongest positions? Linebacker and receiver, clearly, where there were big snubs. (i.e., Jeff Fuller, Shaun Lewis and Emmanuel Acho). Some of the weakest positions? Defensive line, where I had some trouble finding four guys I really felt deserved a spot.
• As for my newcomer of the year, Arthur Brown? Speed kills. K-State didn't have it last year. Brown does. He'll be great.
• A few minor beefs with no real solution: I'd like to see the Big 12's ballot more reflect the style of play in the league. Not many teams are running two-receiver sets and not many teams are putting three true linebackers on the field. I'd like to see an option for a third receiver on the ballot, either in a WR/TE flex slot or by eliminating one of the running back spots. Big 12 teams aren't putting two backs on the field too often. I'd also like to see a space for a nickel back. Do I think Tony Jefferson or Ahmad Dixon are one of the best linebackers or safeties in the league? No. But at their position, they probably will be by season's end. However, they might get left off all-conference teams because of the ballot's set up.