ESPN College Football

2011 overall record: 6-7

2011 conference record: 3-6
Returning starters: Offense (7), Defense (5), P/K (1)

Top returners: RB James White, LB A.J. Klein, LB Jake Knott, QB Jared Barnett, QB Steele Jantz, WR Josh Lenz, WR Aaron Horne

Key losses: OL Kelechi Osemele, WR Darius Reynolds, CB Leonard Johnson, DE Jake Lattimer, DL Stephen Ruempolhamer

2011 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: James White* (743 yards)
Passing: Steele Jantz* (1,519 yards)
Receiving: Darius Reynolds (695 yards)
Tackles: A.J. Klein* (117)
Sacks: Patrick Neal (3.5)
Interceptions: Ter'Ran Benton (3)

Three spring answers

1. Jerome Tiller's not pouting: Tiller sat out 2011 after being academically ineligible, and as such, became a nonfactor in the quarterback race, even though he was the likely successor to Austen Arnaud. Tiller came back with a vengeance this spring ... at receiver. He caught five passes for 44 yards, but don't be surprised to see him put up those kinds of numbers during the season. Nice to see him bounce back.

2. The linebacker spot is in good hands: Jake Knott missed the spring after offseason shoulder surgery, but the linebackers put on a show during the spring. Jevohn Miller played well in Knott's absence, but Jeremiah George was one of the most improved players on the team during the spring. Knott and Klein will be senior stars, but Iowa State's linebacker tradition will carry on when they leave.

3. The offense isn't changing: Offensive coordinator Tom Herman left to take the same job at Ohio State, but replacement Courtney Messingham isn't messing with much in the offense. There will be subtle changes, sure, but mostly to suit whoever wins the QB job. The version of the spread ISU uses has a lot of zone read concepts, and that will continue with either. What the passing game looks like will be a little different.

Three fall questions

1. Who will be the quarterback? Jared Barnett and Steele Jantz both had their moments in 2011. Both went 3-0 in their first three starts. Jantz had three fourth-quarter comebacks and Barnett grabbed one of the biggest wins in school history against OSU to get ISU bowl eligible. Jantz was turnover-prone, however, and Barnett struggled with consistency. The competition is still wide open heading into fall camp.

2. What's the status of Shontrelle Johnson? Johnson's the biggest home run hitter on the offense, but he's been out since early last season with a neck injury. His status is still in doubt. James White filled in nicely last year, but Johnson can take the offense to another level. Iowa State hopes he can get back, but nothing's promised.

3. Who's the new No. 1 receiver? Jantz loved Darius Reynolds early in the season, but Aaron Horne and Josh Lenz were more productive with Barnett late in the season. Reynolds is gone, but who's the new go-to guy in the passing game? It could be either.

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.

Oh, yes. It is game week.

Today is Monday, which means we'll kick off our weekly power rankings and continue doing so each week throughout the season.

1. Oklahoma: The Sooners are clearly the class of the Big 12 but will have to start proving it early with a hyped trip to Tallahassee to face a Florida State team that yours truly thinks is a bit overrated. Saturday, though? Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles will open the season at home against an underrated Tulsa team that won more games in 2010 than Florida State but will travel to Norman perhaps without its top playmaker, Damaris Johnson. G.J. Kinne is great, but he'll have to be spectacular for the Golden Hurricane to be a serious threat.

2. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys gave college football fans a treat with the return of Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon, who will kick off their encore seasons against Louisiana-Lafayette, a team that spawned Weeden's trust in Blackmon originally last season. The opener should be a snoozer, but next week's rematch of the Alamo Bowl against Arizona could produce big fireworks on a Thursday night national broadcast.

3. Texas A&M: This is an absolute coin flip. Until the teams meet on Sept. 24, I'll probably flip OSU and A&M depending on who was more impressive the previous week. The Aggies will have the best chance to impress with a Sunday nighter against an underrated SMU team coming to Kyle Field with a crowd that could get a huge boost from the prospect of a future in the SEC, which might be announced later this week.

4. Missouri: We'll get our first real look at James Franklin when the Tigers suit up against Miami (Ohio). After struggling early in spring camp during his competition with Tyler Gabbert, Franklin has only gotten better. This week will be big for the Tigers' offensive line, which has to find a suitable replacement for stalwart left tackle Elvis Fisher, a 40-game starter who will miss the season with a torn patellar tendon. The Tigers' first big test is just six days from Saturday, when they travel to Tempe, Ariz.,to play Arizona State.

5. Baylor: Baylor's new-look defense will get a pretty good test from TCU. The Bears are the Big 12's lone team matched up with a ranked opponent in Week 1. A win against the defending Rose Bowl champs with the nation's eyes watching a Friday night ESPN broadcast could be a big coming-out party for Art Briles and Robert Griffin III on a national scale.

6. Texas: obody knows what to expect from the Longhorns, but we might find out who'll be starting at quarterback for the Horns later today. The defense, which has led the Big 12 in total defense the past four seasons, should still be stout in spite of a young secondary, but an amorphous offseason depth chart will take shape this week.

7. Texas Tech: There are a lot of new faces on the field for the Red Raiders, but Year 2 under Tommy Tuberville will probably get off to a yawn-worthy start with FCS Texas State heading to Lubbock for the opener. Tech is a bit of a wild card that might be as good as the league's fourth-best team. This is probably as low on the power rankings as you'll see the Red Raiders all season.

8. Kansas State: The Wildcats caught a break with Arthur Brown and Bryce Brown being given limited immunity by the NCAA and avoiding eligbility issues from the mess at Miami, but we'll finally get a chance to see K-State's hyped transfers take the field. Arthur Brown emerged as one of the defense's top playmakers during the spring, but what will Bryce Brown have to offer? And has Collin Klein improved enough as a passer to help the Wildcats claw into the next tier of Big 12 teams?

9. Iowa State: The Cyclones might be better than this, but they're going to have to prove it. No one above them in the power rankings finished with a worse record last season. The Big 12 had only one team (Kansas) that finished with a record worse than 5-7. New quarterback Steele Jantz, replacing three-year starter Austen Arnaud, should be fun to watch.

10. Kansas: Improvement is the name of the game for the Jayhawks, who dropped a game to an FCS team in Week 1 last year. It's doubtful we'll see a repeat against McNeese State this time around, but how much better will Kansas be? We'll get a better sense when the Jayhawks tangle with an underrated Northern Illinois team in Week 2 and ACC foe Georgia Tech the next week.

We'll kick off our look today at the position rankings for each team in the Big 12 before looping back around to rank the top 10 at every position in the Big 12.

We'll start at the most obvious position: Quarterback, a position that I'd argue is more important in the Big 12 than in any other conference.

Depth will be a huge factor in these rankings, though at quarterback, it's the toughest to gauge, considering how little we see of backup quarterbacks.

Here's how each Big 12 team ranks at the quarterback position:

1. Oklahoma

Oklahoma learned the hard way in 2009 about the importance of the backup quarterback, but even in his limited experience, Drew Allen has impressed Bob Stoops after narrowly losing out on the backup job behind Sam Bradford in 2009. Landry Jones is a great one, and with his opportunities, has become a Heisman Trophy favorite. Could Allen have done the same if he had beaten out Jones in 2009? Blake Bell, the nation's No. 3 quarterback in the 2010 class, will likely be Oklahoma's No. 3 in 2011.

2. Oklahoma State

Brandon Weeden's profile spiked when he led the Cowboys to a comeback win over Colorado on a Thursday night game in 2009. He took over as the starter shortly after, but going into that game Weeden was a third-stringer. Alex Cate transferred after it became evident that Weeden would be the starter in 2010, and behind Weeden is Clint Chelf and two solid recruits: Johnny Deaton and J.W. Walsh, who was the nation's No. 10 QB (just outside the ESPNU 150) in 2011 and enrolled early.

3. Texas A&M

Ryan Tannehill is entrenched at the starting spot, with a lot of youth behind him. Matt Joeckel and Jameill Showers will try to hold off incoming freshman Johnny Manziel for the No. 2 spot this fall. Manziel was impressive during the spring, and will contend for the starting job in 2012, but he'll likely redshirt unless he wins the backup job.

4. Texas Tech

Seth Doege looks ready to grab the reins for two seasons, barring injury. Jacob Karam is probably ready to start in the Big 12 right now, he's just not as good as Doege. Behind them are two promising prospects with upside and development to do: Scotty Young and Michael Brewer. The Red Raiders are the last of the Big 12 teams who have truly solid depth at quarterback.

5. Baylor

Robert Griffin III will probably hold every school record for quarterbacks by the time he leaves Waco, but the Bears need to find a true replacement behind him. Nick Florence filled in well in 2009 when Griffin missed the final nine games with a knee injury, but he's a junior like Griffin and their eligibility will expire simultaneously. Redshirt freshman Bryce Petty and 2012 commit Jared Johnson could battle for the spot in 2013.

6. Missouri

The Tigers depth took a hit after Tyler Gabbert's transfer following spring practice, but expectations are high for sophomore James Franklin, who got a bit of experience in 2010 behind Blaine Gabbert. Senior Jimmy Costello quit the team after last season to focus on an impending fall enlistment in the Army, but rejoined after the Gabbert brothers' departures from Columbia. He's likely to be the backup, with Ashton Glaser and walk-on Ryan Howerton filling out the rest of the quarterback spots. Corbin Berkstresser, a 6-foot-3, 218-pound quarterback from Kansas City that ESPN ranked No. 43 at his position, will arrive in the fall, too.

7. Texas

How long until we see a quarterback make the kind of plays Garrett Gilbert made against Alabama in the national championship? Those kinds of long scores were rare last year, but the Longhorns will have a competition this fall that sounds like it's pretty open heading into camp. If Gilbert wins, he'll likely have a much shorter leash in 2011 than he did in 2010, before Case McCoy or Connor Wood gets a crack, and dark horse true freshman David Ash could make things interesting, too.

8. Kansas State

Collin Klein made a nice move toward winning the job with a strong spring game performance. But coach Bill Snyder says he still didn't see a ton of separation between Klein and his backups, Sammuel Lamur and Boston College transfer Justin Tuggle, who spent last year replacing Cam Newton at Blinn College in Texas.

9. Iowa State

James Capello transferred after the spring, but Iowa State's race has likely boiled down to two men: Jerome Tiller and Steele Jantz. Jantz, a juco transfer, is the wild card and Tiller will need to show that his struggles in spot duty last season were temporary. He didn't show the progress you'd expect from a maturing player when he played for an injured Austen Arnaud in a few games early and late in 2010. Jared Barnett is still battling in Ames, but him winning the job would be a huge upset.

10. Kansas

The Jayhawks could use a couple more years of Todd Reesing. The Jayhawks saw a huge drop off at the quarterback position in 2010, as Jordan Webb, Quinn Mecham and Kale Pick all got time under center. Kansas will likely run its offense through a strong group of running backs, but unless newcomer Brock Berglund shows potential and proves he's the best of the group, expect Kansas to remain near the bottom of the Big 12 by the end of 2011.

I've done it. You've done it.

"Hey, is that guy still around?"

Even with two fewer teams, it's hard to keep track. Our next series, which we did last year, too, takes a look at two key players for every team in the league who are taking their talents elsewhere, returning to campus, or arriving to try to write a legacy of their own.

So really, this series isn't so much for the fans of the teams in the posts, but more for everyone else. It wouldn't be a bad idea to bookmark these.

Next up: Iowa State

Going:

Austen Arnaud, QB

Arnaud was the heart of Iowa State's team as a three-year starter at quarterback. He had an unfortunate end to his career with a knee injury in a late-season loss to Colorado. He played for three different coaches in his career (and three different offenses), which is never easy, but the 6-foot-3, 230-pound powerful runner holds a handful of school records, and helped get the Cyclones into the postseason, where they beat Minnesota in the Insight Bowl in 2009.

Alexander Robinson, RB

Robinson was Arnaud's right-hand man for three seasons, rushing for 2,842 yards and 20 touchdowns during that span, including a 1,000-yard season in 2009 that earned him All-Big 12 honors. Robinson was a big part of Iowa State's resurgence in 2009, and led his coach, Paul Rhoads, to repeatedly say he'd take Robinson over any back in the league. Every time he took the field Robinson did his part to validate his coach's confidence.

Staying:

Jake Knott and A.J. Klein, LBs

The pair combined for more tackles in 2010 than any other duo in the conference, with 241 stops. They'll both be just juniors in 2011, and have already staked a claim as one of the league's best linebacking duos. Knott, a 6-foot-2, 243-pounder is the Big 12's leading returning tackler, but will be returning from a broken arm suffered during the spring.

Darius Reynolds, WR

Iowa State loses its top two pass-catchers from last year's team, and the Cyclones are hoping Reynolds can be the player to fill the void. He emerged this spring as a big playmaker, and the team will need that to continue to get back to a bowl. Reynolds has shown potential during his career, and was a highly recruited juco prospect. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder is capable of doing everything the Cyclones offense needs from its receivers.

Coming:

Steele Jantz, QB

Jantz, a juco prospect from California, will be one of the passers up for replacing Arnaud. He's the Cyclones fastest quarterback, and if he wins the job, could be a playmaker to watch. He threw for more than 3,000 yards in 2010 while leading his team to an 11-1 record, and if he can make the transition to Division I, the fun factor in watching the Cyclones offense could skyrocket.


Aaron Horne, WR

Horne is a juco transfer as well, added late to the class, but might come out of nowhere to be one of Iowa State's leading receiver. He caught eight passes for 124 yards and a touchdown in the spring game, and will likely play slot receiver. Most interesting, though, is how the Cyclones discovered him. Horne caught the eye of the Iowa State coaches while they were watching Jantz -- his juco teammate.

Click here for more from The Revolving Door.

Colleague Mark Schlabach recently took a look at every major program, handing out a 1-5 health rating on the state of the program.

Here's his scale:

5: Consistent winner with potential to be BCS bowl contender every season
4: Potential to join the sport's elite in the near future
3: Recent mediocre results but seems to be building momentum
2: Recent success but seems to be headed in wrong direction
1: Below-average program with little success in past or future

And here's what he had to say about each team in the Big 12:

Baylor
Rating: 3
The Bears have a star quarterback (Robert Griffin III) and underrated coach (Art Briles), who guided them to their first bowl game in 16 years in 2010. Building a consistent winner will be Briles' biggest challenge.

My take: Agreed. The Bears are moving in the right direction, but still far from becoming an annual elite team.

Iowa State
Rating: 2
The Cyclones can't seem to get over the hump, going 7-6 in 2009 and 5-7 in '10 in coach Paul Rhoads' first two seasons. At least Rhoads won seven more games than Gene Chizik did in his two seasons at Iowa State from 2007-08.

My take: I'd probably give the Cyclones a 3. Iowa State's fall from the postseason had more to do with its schedule, and Paul Rhoads' teams have gotten better every year. This year's team, he feels, is still his best yet, despite losing most of his offense in Austen Arnaud and Alexander Robinson.

Kansas
Rating: 2
Turner Gill's first season as the Jayhawks' coach was an unmitigated disaster, as they limped to their second straight losing record at 3-9. Gill had a lot of success at Buffalo, but competing in the Big 12 might be a different animal.

My take: Agree. There's no telling what's in store for Turner Gill at Kansas, but last year's team was one of the worst in Big 12 history. The Jayhawks should be better in 2011, but KU hasn't proved its two-year free fall in 2009 and 2010 is officially over.

Kansas State
Rating: 2
Even legendary Wildcats coach Bill Snyder is having a hard time cleaning up the mess former KSU coach Ron Prince left behind. In Snyder's second go-around in Manhattan, the Wildcats are 13-12 in two seasons combined.

My take: The 'Cats are straddling 2-3, but 2011 will be a telling year. The Brown Brothers will have a big influence on if Snyder succeeds in "calming the waters" for his second successor.

Missouri
Rating: 4
Gary Pinkel has guided the Tigers to unprecedented success, winning 40 games over the last four seasons and going to six straight bowl games. The only things missing: A Big 12 championship and BCS bowl game.

My take: Agreed. Missouri and Oklahoma State are the closest two teams in the Big 12 to joining college football's elite, and the Tigers took a huge step last year by beating Oklahoma for the first time under Pinkel.

Oklahoma
Rating: 5
Even the sport's best teams suffer a mediocre season every once in a while (OU went 8-4 in 2005 and 8-5 in '09), but Bob Stoops has built one of the most consistent winners in the country. Under his watch, OU has won seven Big 12 titles and played in four BCS National Championship games since 2000.

My take: Eight BCS appearances and one title make anything but a 5 impossible to argue here.

Oklahoma State
Rating: 4
The Pokes won 29 games during the last three seasons combined, including a school-best 11-2 record in 2010. Of course, in-state rival Oklahoma might be OSU's biggest obstacle in joining college football's upper crust.

My take: Oklahoma State missed a golden opportunity to get over the hump last year against Oklahoma, but there's no doubt the Cowboys are getting closer and closer under Mike Gundy, beginning with last year's historic season.

Texas
Rating: 4
The Longhorns have more talent, money and resources at their disposal than just about every other program in the country. That's what makes last season's 5-7 finish so perplexing. With a new coaching staff in place, it shouldn't take Mack Brown long to get UT back on track.

My take: Handing out a three would be a little harsh for the Longhorns, who made it easy to forget this season that they were in the national title game 17 months ago. But is 2011 the next step towards the end, or a rebound year from a shocking 2010?

Texas A&M
Rating: 4
Mike Sherman led the Aggies to a 9-4 record in 2010, nearly equaling his victory total (10-15) from his first two seasons in College Station. Sherman has upgraded the Aggies' talent and has them in position to become a Big 12 challenger every season.

My take: The Aggies finally had their first winning season under Sherman in 2011, and this year's team should be even better. This game is tough to predict, but it's hard to see A&M not ending up in a BCS bowl in the very near future.

Texas Tech
Rating: 3
The Mike Leach fiasco seemed to suck life out of the Texas Tech program, but then former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville produced an 8-5 record in his first season in Lubbock. At least Tuberville is teaching the Red Raiders how to play defense.

My take: He's teaching them to play defense, but last year, the Red Raiders weren't fast or healthy enough to do it. Changing that is step one to getting Tech back to contender status.

Inspired by (read: ripped off) our friends over at the SEC blog, we'll take a look today at who brings back the most scoring in the league.

It's also an interesting look at exactly how many times teams crossed the goal line last season, a total stat that, for whatever reason, doesn't get looked at very much.

It's obviously no guaranteed predictor of success, but it's an interesting look at the boiled down "returning starters" number we always hear about in the months leading up to the season.

1. Texas A&M -- 93.6 percent
47 offensive touchdowns (44 return)
28 passing touchdowns (15 return)
28 receiving touchdowns (27 return)
19 rushing touchdowns (17 return)

2. Missouri -- 88.9 percent
45 offensive touchdowns (40 return)
17 passing touchdowns (1 returns, James Franklin)
17 receiving touchdowns (17 return)
28 rushing touchdowns (23 return)

3. Kansas -- 87.5 percent
24 offensive touchdowns (21 return)
11 passing touchdowns (11 return)
11 receiving touchdowns (9 return)
13 rushing touchdowns (12 return)

4. Texas -- 79.3 percent
29 offensive touchdowns (23 return)
10 passing touchdowns (10 return)
10 receiving touchdowns (7 return)
19 rushing touchdowns (16 return)

5. Oklahoma State -- 72.6 percent
62 offensive touchdowns (45 return)
36 passing touchdowns (36 return)
36 receiving touchdowns (35 return, Colton Chelf)
26 rushing touchdowns (10 return)

6. Baylor -- 70.8 percent
48 offensive touchdowns (34 return)
23 passing touchdowns (23 return, including one by WR Kendall Wright)
23 receiving touchdowns (21 return)
25 rushing touchdowns (13 return)

7. Oklahoma -- 59 percent
61 offensive touchdowns (36 return)
38 passing touchdowns (38 return)
38 receiving touchdowns (29 return)
23 rushing touchdowns (7 return)

8. Texas Tech -- 35.7 percent
56 offensive touchdowns (20 return)
39 passing touchdowns (none return)
39 receiving touchdowns (11 return)
17 rushing touchdowns (9 return)

9. Iowa State -- 34.5 percent
29 offensive touchdowns (10 return)
14 passing touchdowns (1 returns, Jerome Tiller)
14 receiving touchdowns (6 return)
15 rushing touchdowns (4 return)

10. Kansas State -- 26.8 percent
56 offensive touchdowns (15 return)
16 passing touchdowns (1 returns, Collin Klein)
16 receiving touchdowns (9 return)
40 rushing touchdowns (6 return)

A couple thoughts/notes:

• In the total numbers, we counted the guys who crossed the goal line, since you obviously can't count passing touchdowns twice.
• You can see here why I still think Texas Tech is a year away from being a big factor.
• Iowa State and Kansas State have tough tasks ahead replacing the production of Daniel Thomas for the Wildcats and Austen Arnaud and Alexander Robinson for the Cyclones. I don't think I told anyone anything they didn't know, but it's a little sobering to see the numbers on paper here.
• Pretty clear to see that Missouri brings back a lot, and if it can get some good play from James Franklin, the Tigers could be in for a great season. The same is true for Texas A&M, as complete of a returning team as there is in the country. The upside isn't as high as Oklahoma, of course, but the Aggies' focus has to be replacing center Matt Allen and a pair of stout linebackers in Von Miller and Michael Hodges.
• Not sure what the big gap between the top seven and the bottom three is all about, but it's there, so ... there you go.
• Shocking to see how far Texas fell in one of the simplest offensive stats in football. In 2009, Texas had 29 passing touchdowns and 28 rushing touchdowns, compared to 29 total in 2010. Talk turnover margin all you'd like, and it certainly factors into that number, but Texas won't win many more games unless that number sees a big boost in 2011.
• I didn't realize OSU edged out in-state rival OU with 62 scores to the Sooners' 61. I'd expect those two to be joined at the top by the Aggies next season.
• Additionally, I'm not sure Kansas State's offense got enough respect last season. Those 56 scores are nothing to scoff at, especially when you compare them to other offenses that most people would consider significantly better than the Wildcats (i.e., Texas Tech, Missouri, Baylor, Texas A&M). Is that truly the case? Perhaps not.

We'll do this category a bit different. We're all about the wild cards here on the Big 12 blog. Fear of the unknown? How about the anticipation of the unknown?

In this poll, pick the unknown player that will have the most impact on the 2011 season. (alternate title for this poll: What can Brown do for you?)

Malcolm Brown is one of the nation's top running backs in the 2011 class, and appears to have an opportunity with a pair of underachieving seniors as the featured backs on campus. Can he be the guy to bring the Longhorns running game to life?

Bryce Brown was once a five-star running back prospect just like Malcolm Brown. But his career took a detour to Tennessee before he transferred back closer to his home in Wichita. Is he the answer to replace Daniel Thomas, running behind an offensive line that must replace three starters?

Sheldon Richardson is another former five star who had to go to junior college and committed to USC before re-committing and signing with Missouri. He's expected to be on campus this June, but once he arrives, will he be a game-changer?

Steele Jantz, aside from possessing the league's most intimidating name, is entrenched in a four-man race to be Iowa State's new quarterback. Is he the man to replace Austen Arnaud?

Arthur Brown, like his brother Bryce, was once one of the nation's top recruits, but signed with Miami. Also like his brother, he's back closer to home and made a big impact this spring. Will that continue through to the fall?

IOWA STATE

2010 overall record: 5-7

2010 conference record: 3-5

Returning starters: Offense (5), Defense (7) P/K (2)

Top returners: LB Jake Knott, LB A.J. Klein, CB Leonard Johnson, CB Ter'Ran Benton, WR Darius Reynolds, RB Shontrelle Johnson, OT Kelechi Osemele

Key losses: QB Austen Arnaud, RB Alexander Robinson, TE Collin Franklin, S David Sims, DB Michael O’Connell

2010 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Alexander Robinson (946 yards)

Passing: Austen Arnaud (1,703 yards)

Receiving: Collin Franklin (530 yards)

Tackles: Jake Knott (131)

Sacks: Jacob Lattimer* (4)

Interceptions: Jake Knott* (4)

Three spring answers

1. Encouraging signs at receiver. Iowa State’s leading receiver in 2010 was tight end Franklin, not a good sign for explosive plays in a league that demands them. This spring, though, the Cyclones may have a pair of good ones. Juco transfer Aaron Horne made an impact, and Reynolds showed signs of becoming the big-play threat the Cyclones hoped they recruited.

2. No questions about defensive leaders. Linebacker Knott was already a captain. But after having surgery for a broken arm, his first stop? Practice. His 130 tackles last season already said plenty. His clear priority said even more. Neither required words.

3. Nice addition. We’ll see a new-look stadium this fall. The Cyclones are adding a new free-standing structure with an HD video display above the Jacobson Athletic Building in the north end zone. It’s a sharp update and a reason for fans to be excited for the fall.

Three fall questions

1. Who’s the QB? The Cyclones have the Big 12’s most jumbled quarterback situation. Four players are still trying to lay claim to the position, each bringing something a bit different. Jerome Tiller has the most experience, but Steele Jantz, Jared Barnett and James Capello may end up the starter by the end of fall. My money is on Jantz, the fastest of the quartet.

2. Down south blues? Iowa State snuck into a bowl game in 2009 and just missed another berth in 2010 after losing its final three games. It looks like it’ll be on a similar plane in 2011, needing to beat a few teams it isn’t supposed to in order to reach the postseason. Can that happen with a schedule that features nine conference games, including every Big 12 South team? And I didn’t even mention Iowa …

3. Replacing A-Rob? Shontrelle Johnson showed some nice burst last year in spot duty but had a fairly quiet spring. He’s likely to replace the Cyclones’ offensive star the last two seasons, Robinson, but can he keep up with the kind of production that Iowa State got out of its back?

Of the handful of quarterback competitions in the Big 12 this spring, none was more muddled than Iowa State's.

"There is by no means a two-man race that has surfaced," said Cyclones coach Paul Rhoads.

Austen Arnaud, a three-year starter, is gone, and Rhoads is left sorting out four candidates to replace him. He's not all talk when he says it's a four-man race, either. All four got time with the first-team offense throughout the spring and in Saturday's spring game in Ames.

Jerome Tiller, a junior, started three times and got various other spot duty when Arnaud was injured during his three-year run behind center. He looked like a possible front-runner for the job, but has been limited after suffering a shoulder injury early in spring camp.

"There was a fumble during practice and a guy landed on it. Half of spring ball he’s not been at full strength and that’s hurt his velocity, and when that happens, your accuracy is going to be affected," Rhoads said. "We have not gotten a fair assessment of where Jerome’s growth is at this point, which is why we’ll need to go into August."

That status as front-runner was challenged by Steele Jantz's arrival this spring, a speedy juco transfer from California who showed up to spring camp with a mohawk.

The transition from junior college to the Big 12 is still in its early stages, but Rhoads is hoping for big strides in the fall from Jantz.

"The game has not slowed down for him yet, but he's still very fast," Rhoads said. "He’s by far the fastest quarterback we put out there on the field. That has shown up and he has the ability to throw the soft ball, intermediate and the vertical ball. He just hasn’t done it on a consistent basis."

That has kept two younger quarterbacks, James Capello and Jared Barnett, in the competition.

"James Capello and Jared Barnett have both thrown the ball in between the numbers of our receivers with a lot more consistency than the other two," Rhoads said. "They’re not as athletic, but that doesn’t mean they’re not effective in the run game. Both have made a number of big plays off zone reads and keeping the ball off designed runs."

Rhoads knows exactly what he wants from his quarterback. It's little more than a checklist of three big factors

The first? Decision-making in pressure situations.

"It’s easy to do it in the classroom and it’s easy to do it sometimes on the practice field, but when the 40-second clock is running and bullets are flying, he’s got to be able to make the right decisions on a consistent basis," Rhoads said.

He also wants accuracy and a quarterback who has the ability to make plays with his feet. For now, no one has proved themselves in all three areas.

Tiller's experience helped him in the first, but he's lacked Jantz's speed and the younger pair's accuracy, in part because of the shoulder injury. Jantz's transition has made decision-making a tougher task than a player like Tiller, who already has a win at Nebraska against one of college football's top defenses in 2009.

The less-athletic pair has had the advantage in accuracy, but with limited experience and athleticism, winning the job could prove difficult.

For now, the inevitable choice for Rhoads doesn't look easy.

"It’s a competition. A dead heat probably wouldn’t be an accurate way of explaining it, but we’ve got four guys that have all done good things," Rhoads said. "Time is on our side, so we’ve got to take advantage of that as we go into fall training camp and find out who that guy is for out September 3 opener."

Schedule: Iowa State opens spring practice today and will close with its spring game on April 16.

What’s new: For one, the quarterback. Starter Austen Arnaud has been the face of the program for the last three seasons, but he's gone, taking with him an impressive legacy. His 6,777 career passing yards are second most in school history and he completed a higher percentage of his passes than any passer in school history.

On the mend: Linebacker Matt Tau'fo'ou missed most of the season with a broken leg suffered against Iowa, but he's back this spring and debuted at the top of the depth chart at middle linebacker. The senior, 5-foot-11, 243-pounder is pretty stout in the middle of the defense.

New faces: Quarterback Steele Jantz, a juco transfer, is in practice this spring. More on him in a second.

Key battle: It's pretty simple: Quarterback. Somebody has to fill Arnaud's shoes, and there should be a great competition in the spring to do it. Jerome Tiller has the most experience, so he'll start the spring atop the depth chart, but Jantz has earned plenty of buzz prior to spring practice. If he can make good on it, he'll win the competition that coach Paul Rhoads says is wide open. Jantz will start the spring at No. 2 on the depth chart, right ahead of James Capello and Jared Barnett.

Breaking out: Running back Shontrelle Johnson. Playing behind Alexander Robinson last year, Johnson showed quite a bit of burst and finished with 318 yards on his 35 carries. That included a 61-yard touchdown run against Texas Tech.

Don’t forget about: The secondary. The Cyclones struggled to stop the run, which perhaps prompted teams to run more than throw, but they finished sixth in the league in pass defense. Iowa State brings back both corners, Jeremy Reeves and Leonard Johnson, and safety Ter'Ran Benton. They should be good again, and sophomore Jacques Washington will begin the spring as the starter at free safety.

All eyes on: The skill positions. You can't win in the Big 12 without great play at quarterback, running back and receiver, and the Cyclones have big, big questions marks at all three positions. Johnson is the least of these, but he's still very low on experience. Jantz has never played major college football and in spot duty last year, Tiller struggled, especially late in the year against a stingy Missouri defense that beat the Cyclones 14-0 in Ames. The receivers, Darius Reynolds, Darius Darks and Josh Lenz, were underwhelming last year with neither cracking the Big 12's top 30 in receptions or yardage. The team's top two receivers, tight end Collin Franklin and receiver Jake Williams, are gone, and somebody has to emerge and ease the new quarterback's transition.

Inspired by our friends at the Big Ten and SEC blogs, we'll put together a long-overdue team composed of the league's best seniors.

We made a team full of freshmen, so why skimp on the old guys? Well, we won't.

My All-Big 12 team featured 16 seniors, and they're all on the team below, but plenty of other guys put together distinguished careers and 2010 seasons that deserve recognition.

Their careers may be over, but you can bet all these players will live on in school lore for quite some time. Here goes:

OFFENSE

QB: Taylor Potts, Texas Tech
RB: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
WR: Lyle Leong, Texas Tech
WR: Detron Lewis, Texas Tech
WR: Aubrey Quarles, Kansas State
C: Tim Barnes, Missouri
T: Nate Solder, Colorado
T: Danny Watkins, Baylor
G: Keith Williams, Nebraska
G: Ricky Henry, Nebraska

DEFENSE

DL: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma
DL: Lucas Patterson, Texas A&M
DL: Sam Acho, Texas
DL/LB: Brian Duncan, Texas Tech
LB: Von Miller, Texas A&M
LB: Orie Lemon, Oklahoma State
LB: Michael Hodges, Texas A&M
CB: Andrew McGee, Oklahoma State
CB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska
S: Quinton Carter, Oklahoma
S: Byron Landor, Baylor

SPECIALISTS

K: Alex Henery, Nebraska
P: Derek Epperson, Baylor
Returns: Niles Paul, Nebraska

Selections by school: Nebraska (5), Texas Tech (4), Oklahoma State (3), Texas A&M (3) Baylor (3), Kansas State (2), Oklahoma (2), Texas (1), Missouri (1), Colorado (1)

A few thoughts:

• It was kind of slim pickings at receiver, but only because the Big 12's top five and 11 of its top 15 receivers will be coming back in 2011. Colorado's Scotty McKnight only narrowly missed the team. I'd say he's probably a more talented receiver than Quarles, but Quarles' production was there in 2010. McKnight's, after adding freshman Paul Richardson to the mix, took a bit of a dive in his senior year.
• That's a heck of a defense. All 11 guys weren't very far off from making the regular All-Big 12 team. The same is true of the offensive line.
• Potts' year was a lot better than a few Texas Tech folks would have you believe, but he didn't have a lot of competition to make the cut on this squad. His own teammate, Steven Sheffield, was probably the only guy who could keep him from this squad. The only other Big 12 starters this year were Iowa State's Austen Arnaud, Kansas State's Carson Coffman and Colorado's Cody Hawkins.
• It's a solid group at running back, too. Thomas and Hunter were the same two guys on my All-Big 12 team, getting the nod just over Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray, Nebraska's Roy Helu Jr. and Baylor's Jay Finley. Definitely a great year for Big 12 running backs, especially the seniors.

Inspired by our friends at the Big East blog, we'll take a look back at what we thought the best and worst-case scenarios for each team were in August, and how it shook out now that January has arrived.

Next up: Iowa State.

Best case: 8-4 with losses to Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri.

Worst case: 2-10, with wins over Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa.

Reality: Iowa State hit right in the middle of our best and worst case scenarios at 5-7, coincidentally the same record we pegged them to finish with before the season. The Cyclones got off to a nice start at 3-2, and got the program's first win over Texas ever after lopsided losses to Oklahoma and Utah. For the second consecutive season, Paul Rhoads got wins in signature Big 12 venues, winning at Nebraska last season and at Texas this season. The Cyclones beat Kansas to give themselves three chances at bowl eligibility, but lost all three games against Nebraska, Colorado and Missouri.

Analysis: After knocking off Texas Tech in a somewhat shocking game in Ames early in the season, Iowa State made plenty of folks sit up and take notice once again this year. That attention went away with losses to Utah (68-27) and Oklahoma (52-0), but when the Cyclones knocked off Texas, the Longhorns were ranked, producing Iowa State's first road win over a ranked team since 1990. Even more shocking, Iowa State entered November controlling its own fate in the Big 12 North race, and came within a three-yard pass of having a real chance to win it. The failed faked extra point against Nebraska kept the Huskers in the division driver's seat, but the Cyclones suffered a really deflating loss to a renewed Colorado team playing under Brian Cabral the following week. That week, I picked them to achieve bowl eligibility once again in the face of a brutal schedule early in the year, but Iowa State got outplayed and lost its senior leader, quarterback Austen Arnaud, to a knee injury late in the loss. The following week, attempting to rally around sophomore Jerome Tiller, Iowa State suffered its second shutout loss of the season, a frustrating 14-0 loss to Missouri. Iowa State finished fourth in the Big 12 North with a 3-5 record, which is better than most pegged them for, but looking back on the loss to Colorado, one can't help but feel like Iowa State let a bowl game get away in 2010.

We took a look at how Texas missed a bowl game earlier today, and here's what happened to the Big 12's other three teams home for the holidays:

Colorado

The Buffaloes started hot, finishing their nonconference season at 3-1 with wins over bowl-bound opponents Georgia and Hawaii, but didn't get it done in conference play. The defense held conference opponents under 30 points just three times, and in one of those games, Colorado was shut out. The offense, despite a solid year from Rodney Stewart, just couldn't keep up. Playing the second half of the season without quarterback Tyler Hansen (spleen) didn't help, either. A meltdown at Kansas (blowing a 28-point lead in the game's final 11 minutes) led to coach Dan Hawkins getting fired, and the Buffaloes rallied to win their only two conference games of the year, but to reach a bowl they needed to beat Nebraska in Lincoln with the Huskers playing for a Big 12 North title. That wasn't going to happen.

Iowa State

Iowa State's schedule ended up not being quite as difficult as it seemed in the preseason, thanks to disappointing years from Texas, Texas Tech and Utah, but the Cyclones got a chance to play for a bowl berth against Missouri in their regular season finale. The problem was they had to do it without three-year starter at quarterback Austen Arnaud, and lost 14-0. Iowa State got a lot closer to a bowl game than most thought, and beat Texas for the first time in school history. Nebraska and Iowa State went to overtime in Ames, and when the Cyclones scored what looked like a game-tying touchdown, they faked the extra point. Tight end Collin Franklin was open, but the pass was intercepted, costing the Cyclones a precious sixth win for the second consecutive season.

Kansas

Kansas lost its three best players, receivers Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier and quarterback Todd Reesing, from a 5-7 team in 2009, and 2010 looked like a rebuilding year all along. That's exactly what football fans in Lawrence got. The Jayhawks lost their first three conference games by a combined score of 159-24, but for the most part, they were at least competitive and got a comeback conference win against Colorado. They also found some reliable offensive options in running back James Sims and receiver Daymond Patterson. Expect more uncertainty at quarterback through next season, though.

I'll take a page from fellow blogger Chris Low out east in the SEC and take some time to recognize the elder statesmen of the Big 12. We'll tackle the North right now and the South a bit later today.

There's plenty of talented underclassmen across the Big 12 -- 10 members of the All-Big 12 first team carry the designation -- but every program needs solid seniors on the field and in the locker room.

With the exception of junior college transfers, these are players who gave everything they had to a program for four and five years. As such, here's a salute to guys who meant a lot to their teams this year:

Nate Solder, LT, Colorado: Solder spent his first two years in Boulder as a tight end, but he'll leave as an All-American left tackle, an Outland Trophy finalist and the team's MVP for 2010. If you've gotten to read much about him, talk to him or caught any of his interviews during the College Football Awards last week, you'd see why his personality could serve as a calm for the young Buffaloes dealing with Dan Hawkins' exit in the middle of the season. Also, he's enormous. That will make him plenty of money very soon.

Austen Arnaud, QB, Iowa State: Arnaud had to deal with three different coaches in his five years at Iowa State, but helped get the Cyclones to a bowl in 2009 and get the program's first-ever win against Texas this season. A three-year starter, Arnaud holds plenty of school records as a passer. His career met a sad end with a knee injury against Colorado, but his letter to fans after the injury was only further evidence of how much the program meant to him. The feeling is mutual from everyone else, and even the university president was moved to commend Arnaud after his injury ended his senior year.

Jake Laptad, DE, Kansas: The Jayhawks suffered a rough season, but Laptad was one of its bright spots. He finished with 4.5 sacks, leading Kansas' defense for a second consecutive year, as well as 8.5 tackles for loss. He earned the teams only non-special teams All-Big 12 nod, and will finish his career with 21 sacks, never amassing fewer than three in any season, including his freshman year. Not many players can say that.

Daniel Thomas, RB, Kansas State: Thomas walked into the Big 12 last year and led it in rushing, and only got better in 2010. He took the roundabout route to FBS football, but coach Bill Snyder has commended Thomas for committing himself to academics to get to Kansas State, and as a result, he's been the team's workhorse for two seasons. He's racked up 523 carries, 2,760 yards and 27 touchdowns in two years as a Wildcat. Where would Kansas State be without him these past two seasons? I'm not sure anyone in Manhattan wants to know the answer to that question.

Kevin Rutland, CB, Missouri: When Sean Weatherspoon left Missouri's program, it was left searching for a leader on defense. It didn't need to look for long. Rutland emerged both on and off the field this spring and was one of the big reasons, along with fellow corner Carl Gettis, that the secondary, once the biggest weakness of Missouri's defense, became one of its strengths in 2010. Missouri intercepted eight passes in 2009. Only Kansas had fewer in the Big 12. The Tigers picked off 16 this year. Only Oklahoma and Nebraska were better. Rutland was one of five Tigers with a pair of picks.

Roy Helu Jr., RB, Nebraska: Helu's quiet confidence carried the Huskers all season while Taylor Martinez and a dominant secondary soaked up all the headlines. This senior saved his biggest day for Nebraska's most important, rumbling for 307 yards and three touchdowns in what ended up being every bit the Big 12 North Championship it was advertised. Helu was the difference that day and has made a difference since arriving in Lincoln in 2007. Put it this way: The world would be a better place if there were more Roy Helu's running around.