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We're moving on in our series pegging the single player each team in the Big 12 can't afford to lose. He's also the player who will be most responsible for the team's ultimate success.

Next up: The Kansas State Wildcats.

Find more indispensable players here.

Most indispensable player: QB Collin Klein

2011 stats: Rushed 317 times for 1,141 yards (3.6 yards per carry) and 27 touchdowns. Completed 161 of 281 passes (57.3 percent) for 1,918 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Why Kansas State can't afford to lose him: It's a little silly to even have this conversation. Of all the teams thus far, this selection took the least amount of thought. Klein is more indispensable to Kansas State than any player in the Big 12 is to his respective team. It may not even be close.

Klein accounted for 69.8 percent of the Wildcats' offense last season, and he either carried or threw the ball on just under 67 percent of Kansas State's offensive snaps (598 out of 986). No Big 12 player sniffed anything close to that last year. Klein led the Big 12 in carries by 67 touches, and if K-State ever lost him, I'm not quite sure where the Wildcats' offense would turn. His 27 touchdowns tied a Big 12 record set by Heisman winner and Texas legend Ricky Williams.

Klein took shot after shot last year and never seemed to get fazed. His passing acumen got better and better as the season progressed and he gained experience, but he always had enough to keep defenses honest and open up lanes for him to tuck the ball and run on passing plays.

K-State was one of the most frustrating offenses in the Big 12 to stop last year. All substance. No flash. Klein is the reason.

The Big 12 season is approaching, and there's no league in which the quarterback position is more important. Want success? Experience is a good place to start. How do the QBs rank in experience? Let's take a look.

1. Landry Jones, Oklahoma (37 starts): Jones is the league's elder statesman by a long, long ways. He took over as a redshirt freshman in 2009 when Sam Bradford injured his shoulder, and didn't miss any of his 27 starts in 2010 and 2011.

2. Geno Smith, West Virginia (26 starts): Smith has been the team's unquestioned starter for each of the past two seasons, and should be ready for a big 2012 after topping 4,000 yards in 2011.

3. Collin Klein, Kansas State (15 starts): Klein had two more starts at receiver earlier in his career, but we're not counting those. Klein was a gadget QB in 2010, but took over as the team's offensive workhorse in 2011, accounting for nearly 70 percent of the team's total offense.

4. Casey Pachall, TCU (13 starts): Pachall played well in his first year as a starter, but often relied on his three star running backs in the offense and didn't top 3,000 yards. He's ready for more responsibility if necessary this year.

5. Seth Doege, Texas Tech (13 starts): Doege earned one start all the way back in 2009, but ceded that spot by the end of the game. He did no such thing in a strong 2011 season, though Tech missed a bowl game and had a losing season (5-7) for the first time in almost two decades.

6. Dayne Crist, Kansas (10 starts): Crist's 10 starts all came at Notre Dame, but there doesn't look to be much challenge from any other QBs on the roster this season. Does he have the offensive weapons to be productive?

7. Nick Florence, Baylor (seven starts): Florence started seven games in 2009 when Robert Griffin III suffered a knee injury, and earned a half of playing time last season against Texas Tech that cost him his redshirt season.

8. Steele Jantz, Iowa State (seven starts): Jantz got off to a strong start, but never figured out his very serious turnover issues. That cost him his starting job in midseason, despite three fourth-quarter comebacks to begin the 2011 season 3-0.

9. David Ash, Texas (six starts): Ash was the fourth-string QB last summer, but when Garrett Gilbert and Connor Wood transferred, it was up to him and Case McCoy to carry the load. By season's end, Ash had established himself as the future at the position, at least immediately, but Texas' coaches haven't given him the official designation yet.

10. Jared Barnett, Iowa State (six starts): Barnett took over for Jantz in the middle of the season and engineered wins over Texas Tech, Kansas and a historic win over No. 2 Oklahoma State, but struggled with inconsistency late and opened up the competition to Jantz in a Pinstripe Bowl loss to Rutgers. There's no assurance for either to be the starter after the spring.

11. Case McCoy, Texas (five starts): McCoy's gutsiest performance came in a comeback win over Texas A&M, but his lack of arm strength limited what the Longhorns could do in 2011. McCoy's got all the heart you could ask for, but his physical attributes bring about plenty of questions about his ability to carry the team over the course of his career.

12. Wes Lunt, Oklahoma State (zero starts): Lunt shocked even his own offensive coordinator by beating out junior Clint Chelf and redshirt freshman J.W. Walsh in the spring to earn the starting job. He still has to validate that spot in the fall, but Lunt is in a class of his own at the bottom of the Big 12 when it comes to experience. He's a big, NFL-sized QB with a big arm, though. Can his mind catch up fast enough to help the Cowboys defend a Big 12 title?

As part of “College Football Live’s” 100 Days Till Kickoff countdown, here’s a look at the top 10 players in the Big 12.

Note: This is a separate list from our preseason top 25 players. We'll tackle that later. It might be a lot different. It might be much of the same.

1. Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia: Geno's a newcomer to the Big 12, but putting up big numbers is nothing new for the senior, who threw for 4,385 yards last season. Only one quarterback threw for more, but Smith had two more touchdown passes and eight fewer interceptions than the No. 2 quarterback on this list. Smith also completed nearly 3 percent more of his passes.

2. Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma: Jones checks in at No. 2 as the Big 12's leading returning passer, and will try to climb back in 2012 to give the Sooners another Big 12 title. Jones is the Big 12's most experienced quarterback, which should pay off the fall.

3. Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State: Klein was the league's No. 4 rusher and threw for 1,900 yards? You can't argue with that production, and Klein accounted for 69.8 percent of the Wildcats' offense. That's insane. His importance to K-State can't be understated.

4. Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia: Austin's the most dangerous playmaker in the Big 12, a true triple threat as a receiver, runner and kick/punt returner. He's the Big 12's No. 2 returning receiver, but he also returned two kicks for touchdowns in 2011, joining two other Big 12 returners who duplicated that feat last season.

5. Jake Knott, LB, Iowa State: Knott was outplayed by teammate A.J. Klein last season, but not by much. Knott was also playing through injuries. He's a superior talent, and like Klein, there's no arguing with his production. He's made 244 tackles in the past two seasons.

6. Joseph Randle, RB, Oklahoma State: Randle is the Big 12's leading returning rusher and should see an increased workload from his 208 carries last season. He turned those into 24 touchdowns to come three short of the Big 12 record.

7. Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State: Brown's one of the league's most impressive freak athletes, a cruise missile of a linebacker who doesn't miss tackles in the open field and gets there faster than any true linebacker in the league. (You nickelbacks don't count.)

8. Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas: Vaccaro's the most versatile talent on a loaded Texas defense, and as a roaming nickelback, offenses must account for where he is on every snap. He's also got a case as the hardest hitter in the Big 12.

9. Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas: Who has two last names and is the Big 12's returning sack leader? This guy. His 8.5 sacks were 1.5 more than any other returner in the Big 12, and he made four more tackles for loss (17) than any other returner, too.

10. Stedman Bailey, WR, West Virginia: Bailey's a more traditional receiver in WVU's offense and he's taken advantage. He's the league's leading returning receiver and offers the Mountaineers a steady, dangerous target with sure hands who will help make WVU arguably the league's most dangerous offense.

The stock on Kansas State seems to be slipping. The secret's out, and the close wins in 2011 -- eight of them, to be exact -- are under the microscope.

A top-10 team? Cue the laughs. A Big 12 title contender? Newcomer West Virginia is earning more buzz, even though it loses most of its front seven, and K-State, which topped WVU's regular-season win total in 2011 and played in a much tougher league, returns 18 starters and almost no key contributors.

Just how good was this team? The more relevant question: Just how good is this team?

Colleague Travis Haney took notice of a relatively silent spring in Manhattan , and assessed K-State's chances to make noise in the fall.

But in a season in which there is no clear-cut favorite, how can Kansas State be summarily dismissed? ...

Quarterback Collin Klein, the 6-5, 230-pound boulder who wound up receiving a few votes for the Heisman, accounted for 40 of the team's 65 touchdowns (61.5 percent) and 3,059 of its 4,381 yards (69.8 percent). "You knew he was all they had (offensively), but you still had to tackle him," one Big 12 head coach said this spring, his defensive coordinator nodding beside him.

After 27 rushing scores, and the book on him clearly available, surely Klein will need to throw more this fall. There was an obvious emphasis on the forward pass in the team's spring game. Klein flourished, completing 47 of 56 throws for 480 yards and six touchdowns. That speaks well for K-State improving its 4.9 yards-per-play average, 106th in the country in 2011.

After giving up 394.6 yards a game last season, and the spring game perhaps highlighting work to do this summer, the defense will need to tighten up, even if it does have future pro talents like Arthur Brown at linebacker and Nigel Malone at corner. In their first years after transferring in, Brown had a team-high 101 tackles and Malone was tied for fourth in the country with seven interceptions.

Tightening up is needed, indeed. In the Big 12, though, you really do have to grade on a curve when it comes to passing defense. K-State ranked sixth in the league in pass defense, but was second in the league with 18 interceptions; second, of course, to only Oklahoma State's absurd 24 picks.

K-State is the team that makes my head spin most entering 2012. I have no idea what to expect. My gut says it'll be better and its record worse.

This is a Bill Snyder team we're talking about, and a team full of experienced players who know how to win and what's expected of them. If you don't know by now, you should: that's very, very dangerous.

This time last year, we broke down which Big 12 players would most likely reach the benchmarks for their positions in 2011.

The benchmark for running backs is clearly 1,000 yards. Here's what I wrote about the Big 12's 1,000-yard rushers.

It's time to revisit those projections.

Forty-seven players in college football topped 1,000 yards rushing last season. I ranked the Big 12 backs in order of the likelihood they'd hit 1,000 yards, not how many yards I projected them to reach. The Big 12 had five of them. Here's who I picked to do it:

1. James Sims, Kansas -- As a true freshman in 2010, Sims didn't play in the opener, but it was clear as the season went on that he's the Jayhawks most consistent runner. Kansas is deep at the position, but Sims figures to get the biggest share of carries for a team with big questions at quarterback. The Jayhawks averaged nearly 40 rushing attempts per game last year. I don't see that number dropping this year. Sims got just 168 of those 470 carries, and he still managed 742 yards.

Final 2011 yardage tally: 727 yards

Thoughts: Sims simply didn't improve his production as expected from his true freshman year in 2010, even though his carries jumped from 168 to 182. I thought he'd get a few more touches, but the production wasn't there, and Kansas was limited in how often it could run the ball, considering some of the lopsided losses it suffered.

2. Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M -- Gray and his teammate in the backfield, Christine Michael, should both have very good years. I like both of them to clear 800 yards, and it's possible they both hit 1,000 yards, but there's only so much offense to go around. Ryan Tannehill and Jeff Fuller, along with the rest of the talented receiving corps, will have to get theirs. Considering the way Gray closed the season, he's likely to start out with the biggest share of carries.

Final 2011 yardage tally: 1,045 yards

Thoughts: Right on the money for Gray. Yes, Christine Michael was injured, which allowed Gray to grab a few more carries, but remember, Gray didn't play in the final two games of A&M's season. Still, a strong senior campaign.

3. Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State -- Randle will also be in split backfield along with Jeremy Smith, but he showed plenty of pop as a true freshman last year. Only DeMarco Murray caught more passes as a running back last year, so he may clear 1,000 yards of offense without doing it on the ground. But the Cowboys run an Air Raid system with a commitment to the run, so the touches should still be there for Randle with Kendall Hunter gone to the NFL.

Final 2011 yardage tally: 1,216 yards

Thoughts: Nailed the upside on Randle. Unlike Sims, he took a huge step forward as a sophomore, in part because of his featured role. Randle finished second in the Big 12 in rushing, and added 24 touchdowns, too.

5. Roy Finch, Oklahoma -- Finch has the talent to do it. No doubt. But there's no getting around doubting his health. A stress fracture in his foot caused him to miss almost half his freshman season, and the Sooners are mindful of that with a good group of backs behind him that might sap a few carries. Finch will have to hit a few big runs to get to 1,000, but if he gets hurt again, perhaps true freshman Brandon Williams or Brennan Clay could step in.

Final 2011 yardage tally: 605 yards

Thoughts: Whiffed on this one. Finch inexplicably couldn't get on the field early in the season while walk-on Dominique Whaley dominated before breaking his leg in a win over Kansas State. In Finch's defense, after he started getting touches, he topped 83 yards four times in five games late in the season. He also averaged 5.45 yards a carry.

In 2011, I missed out on three of the five rushers. Baylor's Terrance Ganaway rumbled to 1,547 yards rushing and led the Big 12. Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein led the league in carries and rushed for 1,141 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Missouri running back Henry Josey took advantage of the injuries to two backs ahead of him on the depth chart and had a breakout year, rushing for 1,168 yards before suffering a catastrophic knee injury against Texas. He likely won't return in 2012, and just underwent an additional surgery earlier this week.

How would you grade my projections?

With the spring in the Big 12 over, it's time to hand out some awards.

Best newcomer: Brandon Moore, DT, Texas. Moore and offensive lineman Donald Hawkins were the first two juco transfers at Texas since 2002. This spring, Moore showed why, and Hawkins should start on the offensive line. Moore, a 330-pound force in the middle of the defense was reportedly "unstoppable" this spring. Conditioning may be an issue, but that could get better over the summer. If he's busting up offensive lines, Texas' defense is going to be terrifying. Honorable mention: Blake Jackson, WR/TE, Oklahoma State, Dayne Crist, QB, Kansas

Biggest shocker: Wes Lunt, QB, Oklahoma State. OSU OC Todd Monken said himself he'd be "shocked" if Lunt came in and won the QB job. Well, consider him shocked. Junior Clint Chelf didn't distance himself from his competition, and Lunt learned enough to surpass dual-threat J.W. Walsh and win the job. Chelf and Walsh don't sound like they're itching to transfer, which is a welcome sign for OSU's coaches, but Lunt could begin a storied career in Stillwater this fall, even if there are growing pains in the immediate future.

Best quote: Todd Monken, OC, Oklahoma State. Monken got the Sooners fired up with his take on how quickly things can change for a quarterback when it comes to confidence. "It didn’t take long when ol’ (Oklahoma receiver Ryan) Broyles went down and (OU) started running the dozer to think, 'Do we have our guy?' That didn’t take long," Monken said. "Landry Jones went from like, 'I’m the man,' to all of a sudden, 'I haven’t thrown a touchdown pass, I'm fumbling it over my head at Oklahoma State. I gotta go back and see my quarterback guru." Monken later apologized, and even though he made an example of a rival player, it wasn't explicit criticism. Out of line? Maybe. Definitely not what Mike Gundy wanted to hear. Above all, though, it was fact. Even Oklahoma fans who watched the Sooners in 2011 would admit that. It's the truth. Nice move to apologize, and Oklahoma can call it disrespect if it wants. I'll call it what it is: the truth.

Second-best quote: Glenn Gronkowski, FB, Kansas State. On the light-hearted side of things, the youngest of the Gronkowski boys explained his family slogan, "Get Gronk'd" on his bracelet ("It basically just means beasting as much as possible. It's about beasting and going as hard as possible at all times and in everything you do.") and what it was like growing up with his older brothers, notably New England Patriots' TE Rob Gronkowski. "We'd just break stuff, man. We were into WWE when we were little. One time, we got an old table and pulled it out into the living room. We got Rob and choke-slammed him through it. That thing broke right in half." Mrs. Gronkowski, you are a saint.

Biggest black eye: TCU drug scandal. TCU had a squeaky-clean image before this spring, but there's no doubt the newcomers picked a bad time to have it end. Not the best first impression. Four players were arrested in a campus drug sting, including former All-American linebacker Tanner Brock, who would have been the team's top defender. There's some debate about how widespread the problem was, but the impact, scope and attention of the scandal were a bigger problem for the schools than players at Baylor and Iowa State being under investigation for sexual assault. Isn't that a problem in itself?

Best spring-game performance: Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State. Klein was going up against second-teamers, sure. Other K-State quarterbacks have put up crazy numbers in this game, but Klein bested them all with an eye-popping stat line. He completed 47-of-56 passes for 480 yards and six touchdowns, though he threw an interception on the final drive with the game tied at 42. Most impressive? He called all the plays, as K-State QBs traditionally do in the spring game. Honorable mention: Charlie Moore, WR, Oklahoma State

Best viral video: Charlie Weis, Kansas. Weis allowed media access to one open practice, and at the end, ripped into his team for not being enthusiastic enough while celebrating what was supposed to be a game-winning field goal to beat TCU and go 3-0, he told them. "I can tell you guys aren’t used to winning. ... Winning a football game is not supposed to be an uncommon occurrence. I know that’s a novel concept around here," Weis yelled. "When you win a football game, there’s supposed to be a celebration that looks like a celebration. And that was a pile of crap." Was it legitimate? Was it a media stunt? I don't care. It was compelling.

2011 overall record: 10-3
2011 conference record: 7-2
Returning starters: Offense 9; defense 7; P/K (2)

Top returners:
QB Collin Klein, RB John Hubert, LB Arthur Brown, CB Nigel Malone, WR Tyler Lockett, LB Tre Walker, WR Chris Harper

Key losses:
CB David Garrett, LB Emmanuel Lamur, S Tysyn Hartman, DL Ray Kibble, DE Jordan Voelker

2011 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Collin Klein* (1,141 yards)
Passing: Collin Klein* (1,918 yards)
Receiving: Chris Harper* (547 yards)
Tackles: Arthur Brown* (101)
Sacks: Meshak Williams* (7)
Interceptions: Nigel Malone* (7)

Spring answers

1. Filling the void left behind by Garrett: David Garrett was one of the biggest playmakers for the K-State defense, but Allen Chapman seems to have locked down the assignment of replacing him in 2012. The California juco transfer broke up four passes last year and returned his only interception 60 yards for a touchdown. K-State's secondary should be solid. Kip Daily will also help out at corner.

2. Collin Klein can chuck it: You have to take into account that Klein did it against second-teamers and that the quarterbacks have put up big numbers in spring games, but his 47-of-56, 480-yard performance is encouraging. He won't do that during the fall, but it's a good sign that Klein's improvement was obvious in the one practice fans or media were allowed to see.

3. Lockett returns: Tyler Lockett was the most explosive talent on an offense mostly devoid of home run threats, but a lacerated kidney ended his 2011 season early. Lockett returned and practiced this spring, but reportedly had another minor injury before the spring game, depriving us of a chance to see him back in action. Still, it sounds like he'll be back in the fall.

Fall questions

1. Can Kansas State validate its surprising 2011? The Wildcats memorably won eight games in 2011 by a touchdown or less, ascending to a second-place finish in the Big 12 after being picked to finish eighth. Advanced college football statistics suggest K-State is due for a regression in 2012, but this is Bill Snyder we're talking about. His team will be better in 2012. Can its record improve, too? Klein must remain healthy after leading the Big 12 in carries last season.

2. Who's filling in for Tysyn Hartman? Hartman had loads of experience and was one of the most intelligent players on the team. The Wildcats don't have many question marks, but who replaces Hartman is one. They'll still have competition between Thomas Ferguson, Randall Evans and Jarard Milo this fall to win the job.

3. What will the offensive line look like? Kansas State was the Big 12's most physical team in 2011 because of their strong offensive line. K-State loses three starters, and there's no doubt that if there's one thing that derails K-State in the fall, it's the new faces on the line. B.J. Finney is a stud at center, and Nick Puetz is solid, but the other three spots on the line didn't sound like they were sewn up by the end of spring.

Thanks for all your questions in today's chat. It was a fun one. Here's the link to the full transcript.

Have more to say? Reach me here.

Time for a few highlights.

Daniel (Dodge City): What do you think of K-State this year? Is 8 or 9 wins just right or too much for them?

David Ubben: If I had to guess, I'd say nine wins, but I do that with a lot of reservation. I'm not quite sure what to think. I'm certainly skeptical of their ability to duplicate last year's results, but I'm also very leery of doubting a Bill Snyder team that brings back as much talent as this 2012 squad does. Not sure I have a great feel for the Cats this year.

Nick (Ames): Do you think AJ Klein and Jake Knott will translate to good NFL linebackers? How much harder is it to get recognized by nfl scouts at a school like Iowa State compared to a tradionally power football school like Texas?

David Ubben: These days, exposure isn't much of a problem. The only thing I question from those two is their speed and coverage ability. They're both sure tacklers and tough as nails. But is their athleticism up to par? I haven't talked to many scouts about them, but I'd like to get a sense of how NFL teams see them. Something for the future, I think.

Chris (Houston): What games does Texas lose this year? Why does Texas lose those games?

David Ubben: Oklahoma. West Virginia. Kansas State. Not enough offense in the first two. Kansas State's spell over the Longhorns in the third.

chris sunny south alabama [via mobile]: Hey Ubbs! I think the Texas Tech offense is going to be unstoppable this season. Neal Brown has added a few plays to the offense similar to the Oregon Ducks Offense. They are tryin to get the ball in the hands of the speedy guys like Ben McRoy and Jakeem Grant. Do you think this will make the offense better

David Ubben: I don't know about unstoppable, but I do like Tech's idea of using running backs like Oregon has used guys like DeAnthony Thomas. Those jet sweeps and shovels are really tough to defend when you get the ball to speedsters.

andy (texas): 2 years ago it was justin blackmon, last year it was collin klein, who's this years break out player on offense?

David Ubben: Nick Florence.

Chris (Dallas): David with the shift of power and the landscape in the conference, do you think it's safe to say that we wont see the same sort of dominance from the UT's and OU's of the world?

David Ubben: I'll be writing about that tomorrow. Stay tuned. It's a big, big day on the blog on Wednesday, actually. That's all I'll say for now.

Nemo Cowbell (Pasture, TX): Do you think Bob Bowlsby was the wisest choice for Big 12 Commissioner?

David Ubben: There's no way to know right now, but I like the move. He's proven himself in college athletics, though only John Swofford has a history as an AD among commissioners. He's a bright guy, but understanding the dynamics between schools might take a little bit of getting used to. Bringing in someone from the outside was the best move, but it's too early to get any real read on what will happen in his tenure.

Brent A. Carter (Victoria, TX): Do you agree with me that OSU is due for a massive letdown in 2012? They are a program that is barely .500 over the life of their program and I just believe in the law of averages.

David Ubben: No. 8-9 wins with upside for 10-11 wins.

Kenny Little Rock [via mobile]: Best special teams player in the conference? ,ost important?

David Ubben: 1) Quinn Sharp by a mile. 2) Quinn Sharp by a mile.

Devon Shes. (Austin, TX): What penalties are on the horizon for Vaccaro, Okafor and Matthews after this past arrest on 6th St.?

David Ubben: This deal sounds like a whole lot of nothing. Nothing worth legitimate punishment unless new information surfaces. Some extra running for letting it reach the point where cops had to be called, but take it and move on.

Ed (Houston): How long does the Big12 boycott last? Will Baylor break first? Is the money just too good?

David Ubben: Now this is a great, great question. Ultimately, I think the money will be too much. Texas isn't like Nebraska. They're too close to everyone. I'd say the scheduling boycott ends with an announcement in five years. Games in 7-8 years with somebody in the Big 12.

Rob (Boise, ID): Regarding an earlier question, what boycott are you talking about? I hadn't heard anything about any boycott surrounding the Big12. Maybe you could write an article about it.

David Ubben: It's not a "boycott" per se, but nobody from the Big 12 is real keen on scheduling A&M in football. That's basically what we're talking about.

HeismanPundit's already talked Big 12 Heisman candidates, but how many are legitimate candidates when it comes to the national scene?

He pegged four from the Big 12.

The more I see of Geno Smith, the more I like his chances. Call me crazy, but I think there's a case to be made for Big East defenses being better than Big 12 defenses. West Virginia may tell us for sure next season. I may take Geno as the favorite from the Big 12.

Landry Jones checks in as one more from Chris Huston's list of the top 18 prospects. He's my No. 2 or 3 in the Big 12, behind Smith.

Collin Klein could be No. 2 or 3 as well, and he makes Huston's list, too. Ultimately, the games will tell us who's better.

Tavon Austin is the fourth player on the list. He may be the most dangerous player in the Big 12, and could make it to New York for the ceremony, but no way is he better than Michael Crabtree or Justin Blackmon, who didn't get very close to winning the best individual award in college sports.

How would you rank the Big 12 prospects? Did Huston miss anyone?

Miss K-State's spring game? We've got you covered.

What happened:

• Quarterback Collin Klein completed 47 of 56 passes for 480 yards and six touchdowns, but was intercepted on the final drive in a 42-42 game. Granted, the score was flipped at halftime, so technically, Klein's Purple team won, 77-7. They racked up 38 first downs to the White team's three.
• Angelo Pease and Robert Rose ran for 173 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries.
• Tramaine Thompson led all receivers with nine catches for 147 yards.
• Vai Lutui had four tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and 6.5 tackles. He had three sacks for the Purple team.

What we learned:

• Sadly, not much. There's some encouragement from seeing Klein complete the high percentage of passes he did and rack up that kind of yardage, but I'd encourage you to take a look back at the 2009 and 2010 spring games at Kansas State. Carson Coffman threw for 334 yards and 440 yards in those games. To me, Klein's already a better passer, but you can't expect him to do that in the fall. Big 12 defenses aren't great, but they're better than K-State's backups.
• Whenever spring games are played like this -- first teams versus second teams -- it's hard to take away much. You can really only get a sense for young players who'll fit into the rotation, and K-State brings back a ton of starters. Few of the backups stood out on Saturday. The White team's leading rusher had 13 yards. The leading tackler, Jonathan Truman, had 10.5 tackles and one tackle for loss. K-State's got to be encouraged by performances from Travis Tannahill and Curry Sexton who could contribute next year, but again ... these teams were stacked. We'll see come fall. That's just what Bill Snyder wants.

They said it:

"He is throwing the ball well. He can throw it down the field, but he is throwing the short passes. You saw a lot of that today and he has been doing it reasonably well."

-- Bill Snyder on Klein

"No matter how it plays out, and this is in the position that I am in; if you are on the offensive side of the ball you might be able to say some positive things about the defense on the defensive side. If you are on the defensive side, you can say something good about the offense. I am in the middle. If the offense scores, I am mad at the defense. If the defense holds them, I am mad at the offense. It is kind of a no-win situation and I need to remove myself from it as much as possible. Our No. 1 offense played well, which would allow you to say that they played well except for the two beginning drives in the third quarter, which they were three and out and had not been kept out of the end zone in the first half. They played very well in the first half and I think they took a little something for granted going into the second half. It is something to learn from and I certainly believe they will."

-- Bill Snyder

I've been inspired by the boys at the Big Ten Blog, and this should be a fun walk-through each week in the new-look Big 12 next season. I'll pick one game a week during the season that I'd attend if it were entirely up to me. I don't make the call, and things change as games are played, of course. But right now, this is how it would look if it were up to me. I'll include road nonconference games, too.

• Week 1: West Virginia vs. Marshall
• Week 2: Kansas State vs. Miami
• Week 3: Texas at Ole Miss
• Week 4: Kansas State at Oklahoma
• Week 5: Texas at Oklahoma State
• Week 6: West Virginia at Texas
• Week 7: Oklahoma vs. Texas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas
• Week 8: Kansas State at West Virginia
• Week 9: Notre Dame at Oklahoma
• Week 10: Oklahoma State at Kansas State

Here's the Week 11 slate in the Big 12:

• Baylor at Oklahoma
• Iowa State at Texas
• Kansas at Texas Tech
• Kansas State at TCU
• West Virginia at Oklahoma State

My pick: Kansas State at TCU

Somehow, we made it until Week 11 before I got a chance to see the Horned Frogs play. In Week 11, it would be at TCU's shiny, brand-new Amon G. Carter Stadium. As we've mentioned before, it's tough to project how the Big 12 standings will look this late in the season, but this game could serve as a de facto elimination game in the Big 12 title race.

That may be more true for TCU than Kansas State, but this will be a fun game with a whole lot of purple. The Horned Frogs and Wildcats are two of the most physical teams in the entire league, and we'll see a game that doesn't look like all that much of a "Big 12" game once it starts. K-State has two 900-yard rushers in John Hubert and Collin Klein, and Robert Rose has come on strong this spring.

TCU boast three 700-yard rushers, but has a more evolved passing game than anything Kansas State showed through 2011. Will that change with another year of experience. Could be.

Klein could show something special in what would be a huge win for Kansas State, or an even bigger one for TCU.

Colorado: Please come back to the Big 12.

• What does Wes Lunt starting at Oklahoma State mean? Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman breaks it down. He also says the news of a playoff was the best of a jam-packed Thursday.
• West Virginia AD Oliver Luck is one proud papa, but he's not interested in the Big 12 commissioner job.
• Can Texas win the Big 12? A panel of folks from Athlon weigh in on the question.
• TCU fans can still purchase a brick at the new Amon G. Carter Stadium.
• Doesn't sound like Brandon Weeden's going into Cleveland to compete with Colt McCoy. It sounds like he's replacing him.
• Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman says OSU's QB decision had odd timing and overshadowed Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden's draft night. The Oklahoman's Gina Mizell <a href%3

Bill Snyder built his program at Kansas State on his legendary 16 goals, and right in the middle is the one that fans see most often: improve.

Get better every day, and good things will happen. For Kansas State, that's nothing new this spring. Snyder brings back a 10-win team with 18 starters, second-most in the Big 12 (Texas Tech) and eighth-most in college football. That's cause for concern for the rest of the Big 12.

"It all centers around trying to get improvement made and what kind of progress we could make and what kind of depth we could develop along the defensive line and then collectively the depth of our defense," Snyder told reporters about his spring this week. "You really try to develop two starting units on each side of the ball. I think in all those cases, we have not gotten to where we need to be and want to be."

Few, if any teams, are at that point, but K-State still has plenty of talent to go around. Its biggest, Collin Klein, will take his spot as playcaller on Saturday. Snyder gives his quarterbacks the right to call plays in spring games.

"It is great. It is just fun. I look forward to doing it, and hopefully I can do it more in a road game situation," Klein said. "Last year, during the end of the season, there was more flexibility to check things that we saw, or was in the game plan. It is a part of growing. What I am doing is feeling more comfortable with that, pulling the trigger and going after it right away. Working with the coaches is what has been helping me grow in that role, and the trust and communication between us, through that, 'Hey, this is what I was seeing,' 'this is why I did what I did,' 'this is why this was not good.' We will work through that. Hopefully the next time it comes along I do not make the same mistake twice, or the same good decision twice."

I've been inspired by the boys at the Big Ten Blog, and this should be a fun walk-through each week in the new-look Big 12 next season. I'll pick one game a week during the season that I'd attend if it were entirely up to me. I don't make the call, and things change as games are played, of course. But right now, this is how it would look if it were up to me. I'll include road nonconference games, too.

• Week 1: West Virginia vs. Marshall
• Week 2: Kansas State vs. Miami
• Week 3: Texas at Ole Miss
• Week 4: Kansas State at Oklahoma
• Week 5: Texas at Oklahoma State
• Week 6: West Virginia at Texas
• Week 7: Oklahoma vs. Texas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas
• Week 8: Kansas State at West Virginia
• Week 9: Notre Dame at Oklahoma

Here's the Week 10 slate in the Big 12:

• TCU at West Virginia
• Texas at Texas Tech
• Oklahoma State at Kansas State
• Oklahoma at Iowa State
• Kansas at Baylor

My pick: Oklahoma State at Kansas State

Sorry for the snub, new guys. Gotta go with the renewal of a classic from 2011 here. OSU and Kansas State played one of the best games of the entire Big 12 season, and capped it off with a postgame earthquake, too.

Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein came up short in the final minutes, but don't think for a second that Wildcats fans won't remember the heartbreak of a game that could have landed them in the BCS with a Big 12 title at season's end.

Manhattan will be Manhappenin' (sorry), and one of the nation's most underrated atmospheres will be at full throttle in what could be a prime-time matchup. Kansas State will be fighting for a BCS bid once again, and this one might well decide plenty in the Big 12 race.

This far out, there's no doubt it's harder to project what the Big 12 standings will really look like, but fans will always remember last year's last-second loss in Stillwater. OSU's going to be walking into a really difficult atmosphere, regardless of where either team stands.

The spring is nearing its end with just a little over a week remaining for some.

Oklahoma State and West Virginia will wrap up their spring practices this weekend. Until then, it's time to break down where we stand in the quarterback competitions around the league.

Baylor: Bears coach Art Briles said it was Nick Florence's job to lose entering the spring, and Florence did nothing to let Briles down. Instead, he seized the job ahead of talented backup Bryce Petty, who has a bright future ahead of himself. Florence gave up his redshirt last season by playing the second half against Texas Tech, but he'll try to make his senior season count. For now, this is his team.

Iowa State: Nothing's been settled after Iowa State's spring game last Saturday. Steele Jantz got back into the race when Jared Barnett struggled in the bowl game, and the competition was too close to call at the end of spring. ISU coach Paul Rhoads even said redshirt freshman Sam Richardson isn't out of the race. Former QB Jerome Tiller is, though. He was in the four-man competition last spring, which Jantz eventually won, but missed the season because of academic issues. He's a receiver now, and doing well at the position.

Kansas: Charlie Weis brought in his guy, Dayne Crist, from Notre Dame, and last year's starter, Jordan Webb, transferred. Crist has entrenched himself as the starter midway through spring practice, which ends with the spring game on April 28. BYU transfer Jake Heaps is taking reps with the second team now, but he'll be phased out in the fall while he sits out his NCAA-mandated redshirt season after transferring.

Kansas State: Collin Klein is still developing as a passer, but he is K-State's offense. Moving on ...

Oklahoma: Landry Jones returned for his senior season, but with a healthy set of running backs, the Belldozer, a power formation named after big-bodied backup Blake Bell, may be phased out this season. Bell, though, showcased his arm in the spring game and outperformed the older Drew Allen. The backup QB race should be interesting to watch this fall.

Oklahoma State: Coach Mike Gundy really wanted to name a starter by the end of spring, but it doesn't look likely to happen. No quarterback has established any distance, but they'll have a huge chance in Saturday's spring game. For now, true freshman Wes Lunt is still in the race, though dual-threat man J.W. Walsh may be the favorite ahead of junior Clint Chelf, who has some game experience the past two seasons. This is the league's best race, but also its most difficult to predict. Just about anything could happen.

Texas: Coach Mack Brown isn't making anything official, but sophomore David Ash was getting nearly all the first-team reps in the spring, ahead of Case McCoy. There's no official title yet, but there would be major shock if anyone but Ash starts the season opener. Now, if Ash struggles...

TCU: Casey Pachall had a great first year, and brings back his top three targets in Josh Boyce, Skye Dawson and Brandon Carter. The sky is the limit for Pachall.

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders' staff liked what Seth Doege did as a first-year starter, but the defense and injuries to his offense put too much strain on him in 2011. He'll look a lot better if his receivers and running backs can stay healthy.

West Virginia: Geno Smith may be the league's best quarterback, and coach Dana Holgorsen can't quit calling him "special." That's not to say he should. It could be a special season for him and the Mountaineers as they join the Big 12.