ESPN College Football

Thanks for all your e-mails this week. Here's where you can reach me if you've got more to say.

Steve B. in West Virginia wrote: David. First of all, love the blog. Keep up the great work. As a WVU alum, I appreciate your coverage of WVU even in advance of our official "transfer" into the new conference. You may get this from a thousand different Mountaineer fans today, but here is one of the most lasting memories we have of Coach Stewart. After all the dust settled from Stew, this is what we remember most. Leave no doubt! Steve

David Ubben: Thanks for all the touching tributes you sent me this week, WVU fans. I never knew Coach Stew, but after this week, I feel like I do. You all were a big part of that. Not many schools or states are as proud of a guy as the WVU folk seemed to be of him. Just a shame he had to leave this Earth so soon.

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FRF in Austin, Texas: Ubbs - Here is some investigative work I think you could find out. Why hasn't UT/Austin ever tried for a Bowl game? 100,000+ capacity, great city, good access, great revenue for the city. Seems like win win to me!

DU: Now this is actually an intriguing idea. Austin really would be a perfect site in theory, but it doesn't quite work. Trying to crash the bowl picture probably means they'd be due for a low-level bowl and have trouble selling out the stadium for one, but historically, it's not too hard to see why it hasn't happened.

No other Big 12 school has a game on its campus, and the league already plays four bowl games in Texas. There's hardly a need for a fifth. Additionally, Austin's a great city, but do you want to count on fans making a second trip there in the same season? It would happen quite a bit, especially in the new configuration of the Big 12.

Maybe there are other reasons, but that makes sense to me. Great idea in theory. Difficult in practice.

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Dave in Annapolis, Md., wrote: I was reading your potential OOC upsets and has to respond to your comment on OSU playing the 3-3-5 for the first time. Good point, but you left one thing out; this will be year one for the 3-3-5 in Arizona. If you've ever followed a Casteel defensive installation, you'll find it is like RichRod's offense; meaning it takes 2+ years and the right people to install. When both coach together on the same cycle, watch out; but Year One? Doubt OSU has to worry.

DU: True, Dave. Nice name, by the way. The 3-3-5 won't exactly be clicking in the second weekend of the season, but it's still an odd formation, and I highly doubt true freshman Wes Lunt, the Cowboys' starting quarterback, has seen it before. He certainly hasn't seen it with a defense stocked full of Division I athletes. I mostly think it could be an interesting stop on his growth tour throughout 2012. I'm pretty excited about his career, but it's going to have its rough spots in 2012.

The defense won't be at its best, but like the 3-4 that he'll see, there will be some complex blitzes and coverages that he's not used to seeing. OSU had better get the scout team ready.

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Craig in Kansas: your higher on the snydercats than most? that is a load of bs. in almost every article that you have written that involves kstate, you enjoy mentioning how you think last year is a fluke. get over it, no one cares about your opinions anyways. people care about the topic your covering, not your personal opinion of the topic.

DU: Ouch, Craig. First off, I've never called last season a "fluke." But you're kidding yourself if you don't think K-State dodged a whole lot of bullets throughout the season. Even Bill Snyder himself admitted that K-State was fortunate to win 10 games last season.

However, is it not fair to say I'm higher on K-State than most if I have them ranked 10-12? That's where I slotted it. It's disingenuous to me to look back on K-State's 2011 team and not take a big, long look at that 8-1 record in games decided by a touchdown or less. They needed legitimate late-game heroics to beat Eastern Kentucky, Texas Tech, Miami and definitely Texas A&M, which might have been the most crazy comeback of them all.

I've never called it a fluke, but it's crazy to think K-State was among the best 10-win teams in the country last season. I'd say Oklahoma and Arkansas proved that pretty emphatically, no?

Now, could that change in 2012? Yup.

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MJ in Fort Worth, Texas, wrote: DU,Between BU, ISU, KSU, KU, OSU, OU, TCU, TTU, UT, and WVU, only UT is a playable word in Scrabble. Thoughts?

DU: This explains ... everything.

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Richard Kennedy in Stillwater, Okla., wrote: The continuing ESPN obsession with making OSU's Defense look worse than it actually was is incredible. Not only did OSU's Defense rank 1st in the Big XII in turnovers, it was 1st in Scoring, Pass Efficiency, and Red Zone Defense in conference play. Yes, ahead of Texas in Scoring Defense. Check out the Conference stats, Dave. The question I have is, do you continue to propagate the myth that OSU's Defense was worse than it actually was and omit Scoring Defense, Pass Efficiency Defense, and Red Zone Defense because you were ordered to forward ESPN's SEC agenda or do you do so because you actually bought into the bilge without ever checking the Conference stats for yourself?

DU: Hey now, I'd say I was among those who certainly sided with the school of thought that OSU's defense was pretty underrated last season. I've seen the stat you cited, and it's true. For all the accolades Texas' defense collected last season, OSU allowed fewer points in conference play. Consider also that the two best performances came against Texas Tech (6 points) and Oklahoma (10 points). The Red Raiders ranked 22nd in scoring last season, and Oklahoma ranked 10th. Both of those teams were really, really banged up when OSU played them, but still.

That's one reason I'm so excited for the defense in 2012. OSU's going to be really, really solid. Two of the best corners in the league and arguably the best set of linebackers in the conference. That's a solid base, even if there are lots of questions along the defensive line.

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Josh B. in Roanoke, Va., wrote: Ubbs! WVU fan here. Been reading up on your columns to familiarize myself more with the Big 12 landscape, and while doing this, a question came to mind. It's no secret that the Big 12 has some VERY fertile recruiting grounds, especially in the DFW area, my question is this. Given that Coach [Dana] Holgorsen knows Big 12 recruiting as well as he does, how long do you think it will take for the Mountaineers to start locking some of those higher ranked recruits up?

DU: I really don't think it'll happen at any point, if we're talking about competing consistently with Texas and OU for the top talents in Texas. The Mountaineers might grab one or two, but I don't see how, even if it wins a lot and consistently, the coaching staff can sell elite kids going all the way to West Virginia to play in the Big 12.

What WVU needs to do is position itself as the new Missouri, and lock in on all the best players Texas and Oklahoma say aren't good enough for them. Dig into Texas and learn how to scout and sign those underrated talents. Missouri got so, so good at that over time and it paid off. West Virginia still has to keep recruiting Pennsylvania and Florida, but Texas' depth, especially with offseason talent, will pay off over time. Just ask running back Dustin Garrison, wide receiver Jordan Thompson and quarterback Ford Childress.

There are a lot of players in Texas capable of playing big-time ball. Why would players go to Missouri and almost never play in Texas when they could get on a flight and take a drive -- the same way everyone got to Mizzou -- and play tons of games in Texas? The opportunity is there for WVU to poach a whole lot of players that traditionally would have been swooped up by Mizzou.

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Jesse in Palmer, Colo., wrote: Is expansion for the Big 12 inevitable? Will the Big 12 have a better choice of new teams later?

DU: Yes. No.

Just sayin'.

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Last spring, I sat in Bill Stewart's office in the West Virginia football complex for a long chat, as I had the previous two Aprils. Of course, this visit carried a distinctly different vibe, as Stewart was preparing to coach what he thought would be his final season as Mountaineers coach before handing the reins over to Dana Holgorsen.

Stewart never really wanted to participate in the peaceful transition of power, which became even more obvious just a few weeks later. Outwardly, though, he maintained his ever-rosy persona when I asked him what he planned to do with his life after football.

"I'm only going to be 59 this year," he told me. "I was born to coach. I was born to lead."

Sadly, and incredibly, Stewart didn't have much time to write a new chapter in his life, dying of a heart attack Monday just a couple of weeks shy of his 60th birthday.

His three-year run as West Virginia's head coach coincided with my three years covering the Big East for ESPN.com. I would always tell people who asked about the league one thing: There's not another football coach like Bill Stewart.

Nobody loved West Virginia more than the New Martinsville native who spoke reverentially about "the old Gold and Blue" every chance he got. You could have never pictured Stewart leaving the Mountaineers for a supposedly bigger job the way Rich Rodriguez did before the 2008 Fiesta Bowl. Which is why, in the hours after Stewart led the the team to an upset of Oklahoma in that game as interim coach, West Virginia leaders got swept up in the euphoria and emotion and named him permanent head coach.

It was a hasty decision that in retrospect was probably the wrong call. Stewart hadn't even been a coordinator during his career as an assistant in Morgantown, and his one stint as a head coach, at VMI, was a failure. He could deliver a rousing speech, he could connect on a personal level with his players and -- despite the perception caused by his "aw shucks" manners -- he knew football.

But Stewart lacked an obsessive focus on details that mark most successful coaches at powerhouse schools, and his teams often reflected that. The Mountaineers in the Stewart era lost games to less talented teams because of untimely mistakes, turnovers and penalties. Fans believed his teams underachieved, and their case was only strengthened when Holgorsen won the Orange Bowl with Stewart's players last season.

But if the worst thing you could say about Bill Stewart was that he didn't spend every waking minute breaking down film or yelling at his assistants, so be it. He was a people person, through and through. On one of my first spring visits, we sat in his office talking for more than 90 minutes even though he had to attend a high school coaches' clinic that was underway. He asked me more questions than the other way around. On another visit, I was scheduled to drive back to Pittsburgh at the end of the day. Stewart worried that I would be driving into storms and kept checking the weather reports throughout the day. He asked me to let him know that I got back safely that night. How many BCS conference coaches would do that?

But that's how Stewart was, a genuinely nice and thoughtful person. His players -- some of whom, like Noel Devine, had wildly different backgrounds -- clearly loved him as a father figure. Players, media members and others who knew him got used to receiving daily inspirational text messages from Stewart while he was coaching.

And if Stewart was not the right guy to follow Rodriguez, then whose fault was that? If someone handed you your ultimate dream job, would you say no? Rodriguez's departure created an ugly rift, and Stewart helped unite the West Virginia family once again. His tenure was hardly a disaster, as the Mountaineers won nine games in each of his three seasons, including a share of the 2010 Big East title. The program recruited well on his watch, and he's responsible for bringing stars like Geno Smith, Tavon Austin and Bruce Irvin to campus. Things could have gone a whole lot worse after Rodriguez left, but Stewart maintained the strength of the program and made it possible for Holgorsen to excel immediately. He was a nice guy who didn't finish anywhere near last.

Stewart was an American history buff who was convinced that his legacy would look better down the road. He might have been right about that, though the controversial end to the relationship between him and Holgorsen did him no favors. What I'll choose to remember about Stewart was his overwhelmingly decent, fundamentally caring personality. There was no head coach like Bill Stewart, and there weren't many people quite like him, either.

Wow, what an ordeal. And I know a lot about suffering, because I work out. A lot. I think we have a clip.

• Florida State to the Big 12? Where were the Seminoles during the West Virginia/Louisville debate, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman.
• Former Seminoles coaching legend Bobby Bowden says FSU should stay in the ACC.
• Are you ready to see the WVU Mountaineer and Dana Holgorsen in an ESPN commercial? You better be.
• West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck isn't leaving for Stanford, reports Mitch Vingle of the Charleston Gazette. To do so, the Mountaineers had to get pretty creative.
• If you missed it, here's RG3's appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
• Have y'all heard anything about this? Baylor's having a crazy year after being not very good at the major sports for a very long time.
• All of a sudden, the Big 12 looks quite attractive, writes Mike Finger of the Houston Chronicle.
• An Athlon panel weighs in: Is Geno Smith the best QB in the Big 12?

Alabama and West Virginia will meet for the first time when the two storied football programs open the 2014 season in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta, bowl officials announced Thursday.

Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen said the event is a great way to showcase his program.

"Alabama is one of the top teams in college football history, and it will be a tough challenge for us," Holgorsen said in the statement.

The Crimson Tide are 10-8-1 all-time against teams from the Big 12. Their most recent victory came in the 2009 BCS national championship game against Texas.

For more on this story, go here.

Earlier this week, the Sporting News ranked the Big 12 coaches from top to bottom, but later on, it released its rankings of the nation's coaches from top to bottom.

How'd the Big 12 stack up?

Better than the rest of the competition.

Alabama's Nick Saban topped the list -- argue with that at your own risk and UMass' Charley Molnar brought up the bottom.

Where do the Big 12 boys rank?

• No. 5: Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
• No. 7: Gary Patterson, TCU
• No. 10: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
• No. 11: Bill Snyder, Kansas State
• No. 16: Mack Brown, Texas
• No. 40: Charlie Weis, Kansas
• No. 41: Art Briles, Baylor
• No. 44: Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia
• No. 48: Paul Rhoads, Iowa State
• No. 50: Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech

That's everybody well above the top half of the line.

From the Sporting News:

• The Big 12 coaches have by far the best average ranking: 27.2, which crushes the second-best SEC’s average ranking of 43.3. Next in line: the Pac-12 (43.8), ACC (45.6) and Big Ten (46.8).
• In our top 25 are five coaches apiece from the SEC and Big 12, four apiece from the Big Ten and Pac-12, and two apiece from the ACC and Mountain West.

What do you think?

For me, Stoops is where he needs to be. I might bump Patterson down a few spots, and Snyder up a few, just outside the top five. If someone can explain to me exactly how Weis should be above Briles, I'm all ears.

Briles has built a legitimate program in a place where it looked impossible. Weis' history as a head coach is taking a place where it should be impossible to lose, and eventually declining it until he was fired. Briles should be near the top 25.

I'd definitely move Paul Rhoads up about 10 spots, too. You could probably move Mack Brown down a couple spots, based on the hiccup in Texas' run lately. It's still to early to get a great feel for where Holgorsen should be.

What would you change?

Colleague Travis Haney kept an eye on the ever-changing national championship odds, and three Big 12 teams made big moves during the spring.

Oklahoma and West Virginia made big moves up the scale.

Oklahoma began the spring at 18-1 and has since moved to 10-1.

Those wondering whether OU would locate playmakers likely noted the spring emergence of receiver Trey Metoyer, a vertical threat from Texas who spent last fall at a Virginia prep school. He could make junior Kenny Stills' life much easier as the No. 1 receiver.

Mike Stoops' imprint has already been seen on a pass defense that was woeful in the losses to Texas Tech and Baylor. For one, all-conference-level talent Tony Jefferson moved from linebacker to free safety, a more natural position.

I could see it for Oklahoma. Last year, there was so much pressure on the preseason No. 1 Sooners. This year, they're still supremely talented, but the expectations aren't as high. OU will kick off the season around the top five, which makes a run to the title still a possibility with one loss. Even coach Bob Stoops admitted to me this spring that there's less pressure this time around, but still a very talented team. The big question for me is can Landry Jones play well for 13 games. He hasn't done it yet in his career, but the time is now. He can look otherworldly at times, but very average at others.

Meanwhile, West Virginia has moved from a 50-1 to 30-1.

What's will be interesting is seeing how West Virginia -- and TCU, in a similar-but-different sense -- adjust to the week-in, week-out challenges of the new league. In the Mountaineers' case, travel will be part of that game. At least one Big 12 peer thought those variables would preclude either of the newcomers from winning the league in year one.

Additionally, no one's really talking all that much about defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel leaving to rejoin Rich Rodriguez in Arizona. There's a sense that the 3-4 installed this spring by new coordinator Joe DeForest will work well in the Big 12. DeForest should know, since he was previously at Oklahoma State (where he coached with Dana Holgorsen).

I could see WVU winning the Big 12, but the national championship? Not happening, and that defense is the reason why. It's not ready yet. You win in the Big 12 with offense, yes. But you win big in the Big 12 with a great offense and a defense to match. That's how Oklahoma and Texas have done it over the years, and even last year, Oklahoma State took advantage with turnovers and nearly reached the title game.

WVU's floor is very, very high. I'd be very, very surprised if they won fewer than nine games, but in a new league, it's hard to imagine them going 12-0.

Kansas State, however, has taken a big step back this spring, according to oddsmakers. They've dropped from 25-1 to 150-1.

Perhaps the correct means of approaching this is to question who would ever see K-State as a 25-1 in the first place. Maybe Vegas realized what many already knew: The Wildcats, grinding out seemingly every game, were extremely fortunate to win 10 in 2011. Take out blowouts of lowly Kent State and Kansas, and the remaining eight victories were all by single digits, by an average of 4.5 points a game.

For me, the troubling sign from 2011 wasn't so much the close wins. Coach Bill Snyder does what he need to in order to win games. The playbook was limited in the first few games.

What makes me worry most about K-State? Losing to Oklahoma at home by 41 points. How many championship teams do something like that?

WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS

2011 overall record: 10-3

2011 conference record: 5-2

Returning starters: Offense (8), Defense (6), P/K (2)

Top returners: QB Geno Smith, WR Stedman Bailey, WR Tavon Austin, RB Dustin Garrison, RB Shawne Alston, S Darwin Cook, S Terence Garvin

Key losses: DE Bruce Irvin, LB Najee Goode, DE Julian Miller, S Eain Smith, CB Keith Tandy

2011 statistical leaders (*returners):

Rushing: Dustin Garrison* (742 yards)

Passing: Geno Smith* (4,385 yards)

Receiving: Stedman Bailey* (1,279 yards)

Tackles: Najee Goode (87)

Sacks: Bruce Irvin (8)

Interceptions: Keith Tandy (4)

Three spring answers

1. A clear defensive vision: Jeff Casteel packed up for Arizona and rejoined former WVU coach Rich Rodriguez in Tucson. He took the 3-3-5 with him. On the way to the Big 12, coach Dana Holgorsen went away from the defense that made a name for the Mountaineers. Now, he's got co-defensive coordinators Keith Patterson and Joe DeForest getting his team ready to utilize a 3-4 with a pass rush built to confuse and fluster Big 12 quarterbacks.

2. Wealth overflows at receiver: Bailey and Austin make a great case for being the Big 12's No. 1 and 2 receivers entering the 2012 season, but now true freshman Jordan Thompson adds even more depth to the position. He provides another target for Smith.

3. No worries on offense: WVU is already one of the most productive offenses, and any doubt was eliminated during a quiet spring in West Virginia before one of the most anticipated seasons in school history. The passing game should be fine, but Shawne Alston filled in well for Garrison, who was out this spring after seriously spraining a knee during practices for the Orange Bowl.

Three fall questions:

1. Can the Mountaineers handle the heat? West Virginia is no stranger to big games. Its played LSU and Auburn in recent years and is 3-0 on the BCS stage. Can WVU handle the week-to-week grind of the Big 12 and difficult venues every week? The step up from the Big East won't be as great as TCU's from the Mountain West, but it's still going to be more difficult. WVU was the only Big East team ranked in the top 25 for most of the 2011 season. Six Big 12 teams will likely be ranked in the preseason.

2. How explosive is this offense in Year 2? Holgorsen can work some magic with his offense, and he'll have lots and lots of toys in 2012. Brandon Weeden didn't get a second year with the offensive wizard, but Holgorsen has high hopes for special talents in Smith and Austin, two players he can't complement enough. Is West Virginia the best offense in its new conference?

3. A clear vision, but will it work? West Virginia recruited to build a 3-3-5 scheme, but it'll try and piece together the 3-4 in a defense that lost its top three pass-rushers from 2011. Holgorsen knows what he wants to do schematically on defense, but there's certainly reason to doubt whether it can handle the huge jump in quality of offenses from the Big East to the Big 12.

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. -- At a recent practice, on the first play of a scrimmage, West Virginia's offense did what West Virginia's offense does: connected for a long pass play.

Echoing from the sidelines, though, were comments that brought a smile to co-defensive coordinator Joe DeForest's face, despite the struggles from the past play.

"Don’t worry about it. Don’t worry about it," teammates yelled. "Move on to the next one. Move on to the next one."

On the second play, the defense forced a sack.

"When kids start repeating what you’re saying out loud, you know they’re listening to you," DeForest told ESPN.com in a recent interview.

What West Virginia's coaches are saying out loud? A brand-new philosophy and culture for the defense.

The Mountaineers will encounter plenty of new faces, places and experiences in the Big 12, but it doesn't take a pigskin prodigy to see the biggest difference will come in the offenses WVU's defense will match up against.

West Virginia led the Big East in total offense in 2011, but only one other team (South Florida) ranked in the national top 60.

Meanwhile, the Big 12 had two of the nation's top three offenses, and six of the top 13. Missouri and Texas A&M were in the top 13 and will play in the SEC in 2012, but TCU brings the nation's No. 28 offense to the Big 12.

A new Mountaineer mindset was needed, and the spring in Morgantown was bent on pounding that into the defense.

"Guys that put their heads down when they give up a big play are going to be in for a long year when they get to the Big 12," coach Dana Holgorsen said. "You’ve got to develop that culture, which is taking place now."

There's no shame in giving up a big play, and nowhere on DeForest's list of goals is a ranking for total defense. After a decade at Oklahoma State, he's learned to focus on more applicable goals.

West Virginia's defense focuses on a three-letter acronym: EAT. DeForest demands Effort, Attitude and ... Turnovers.

"If we can create turnovers like I did at the previous place I was at, that gives you an advantage. It gives your offense possibly three more possessions a game than they would have," DeForest said. "Whether our numbers are good or not doesn’t really concern me. My numbers are wins and losses and how many turnovers we can get so our explosive offense can have another opportunity to score."

Oklahoma State forced 44 turnovers in 2011, six more than any other team in college football. Those wins and losses? The Cowboys went a hearty 12-1 and won the Big 12, even though they ranked 107th nationally in total defense.

Mission accomplished.

Every day in practice, co-coordinators DeForest and and Keith Patterson demand three turnovers from the defense, and the total number for the spring is compared to a goal set when the 15 practices began.

Not only are Big 12 offenses better, they're run at a faster pace. That means more plays for the defense, which requires DeForest and Patterson to develop more depth, while also making sure the players ready to play are better conditioned.

Four Big 12 teams ran at least 1,000 plays in 2011. Three more ran at least 972.

West Virginia ran 959 plays in 2011, but no other Big East team ran more than 944. Half the league ran fewer than 900.

More plays and better offenses means defenses better learn a new understanding of what to expect come Saturdays.

"It’s not about what happens, it’s about how you react to what happens. You’ve just got to forget the last play and move on to the next one, because the next one’s the most important one," DeForest said. "Whoever we’re playing, they’ve got good guys, too. They’re going to make a play. Just give ourselves a chance to play one more play. Get ‘em down and give ourselves a chance to create a turnover on the next play."

West Virginia's not only thinking differently, it's playing differently. The 3-3-5 that's been in place at West Virginia throughout its rise has been replaced by the 3-4 after coordinator Jeff Casteel left to follow former coach Rich Rodriguez to Arizona.

"We hired guys that understand how to stop our offense and how to play defense [against] an offense like this, which obviously exists in the Big 12 a lot," Holgorsen said. "It’s made us better offensively, because they know how to stop us, and those guys are doing a tremendous job on communicating how to get guys lined up quick, which you have to do when Baylor and Oklahoma are snapping that thing at 32 seconds on the play clock."

In the 3-4, offensive lines are pressed to communicate. Three defensive linemen are traditionally down in a stance, but offenses are ideally kept guessing where the fourth, fifth and sixth rushers will be coming from.

"The flexibility, what we have within our scheme, and our players can help us disguise and create confusion," DeForest said.

The means and attitude are different. The goal is the same.

"You can’t be moaning about what happened last. You’ve got to refocus and move on. Our kids are trying to do that," DeForest said. "Ultimately, it’s making one more stop than [the opponent] at the end of the game."

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. -- West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen could list plenty of advantages of leaving the Big East for the Big 12.

The Mountaineers will be cashing bigger checks. They'll cash in on fan excitement for newer, big-name opponents making their way to Morgantown, too.

But for Holgorsen, what excites him most is making sure his players get a chance to be recognized for their efforts as deserved.

"Having guys like Tavon Austin and Geno [Smith] be in front of that many more eyes, they’ll get the credit they deserve if they can produce and win football games," Holgorsen said.

West Virginia played each of its 13 games in 2011 on television, but the television exposure gap between the Big East and Big 12 is large.

"We understand the exposure, although it was limited to the Northeast," Holgorsen said. "The thing that I’m excited about for West Virginia, and not only football but basketball and the university and the state is the Big 12 is viewed West Coast to East Coast because of the time zone."

The Big East can put games on TV, but as a league that's struggled to consistently field top-25 teams in recent years, it can't make fans watch.

One game in 2011 influenced public opinion about West Virginia more than any other. When people think West Virginia in 2011, the lasting image will be its 70-point explosion in the Orange Bowl win over Clemson.

That's closer to what West Virginia can expect in the Big 12, versus its weekly viewing audience in the Big East.

Today, we'll kick off a new series on the Big 12 Blog pegging the single player each team in the Big 12 can't afford to lose. He's also the player that will be most responsible for the team's ultimate success. We'll start from the bottom of the alphabet for this one. First up, those 'Eers out East.

Most indispensable player: QB Geno Smith

2011 stats: Completed 346-of-526 passes (65.8 percent) for 4,385 yards, 31 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Why West Virginia can't afford to lose him: Geno's simply the man who makes it all go for West Virginia. You'll see a lot of quarterbacks on this list from the Big 12, and Smith has arguably the league's top receiving corps, but it's his decision-making and arm that hold the offense together. Like many others, he blew up in his first year in Dana Holgorsen's offense, throwing for 1,600 more yards than his sophomore season in 2010. Despite throwing the ball nearly 150 more times, Smith still threw just seven interceptions in 2011, the exact same he threw in 2010. He's efficient, smart and does exactly what Holgorsen's offense is designed to do: get the ball in the hands of his playmakers. In Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey alone, Smith has plenty. That's not even considering the solid depth WVU has in the rest of its receiving corps.

Paul Millard would be Smith's backup, but there's no question, Smith has to stay healthy. Without him, WVU would go from a Big 12 title contender to what's likely a middling eight-win team. Heisman voters know that, too. If Smith puts up more big numbers in 2012 and WVU wins 11 or so games, Smith's going to be a very, very serious candidate for the most hallowed individual award in sports.

Thanks for all the emails this week. It's been a fun one. Here's where you can reach me.

On to your emails.

Jay Young in Midland, Texas, wrote: Wow David! 6 out of 10 Big 12 teams in the top 25. Two of which lost a lot of expereinceand talent. Do you have an actual thought process on this, or just wishful thinking?? Please convince me!

David Ubben: Do you really need that much convincing, Jay? Sure, teams that bring back the most starters tend to get breaks, but Oklahoma State is really the only team in the six who lost a ton of talent that it may have trouble replacing. Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden were both once in a lifetime players. That said, they bring back a ton on offense and having two of the best running backs in the Big 12 in Jeremy Smith and Joseph Randle will help ease the transition from 28-year-old senior Brandon Weeden to 18-year-old true freshman Wes Lunt.

TCU and West Virginia lost a lot on defense, but both will have high-powered offenses that make them solid cases as top 25 teams. Bottom line, Jay: The Big 12 is really, really deep next year, even if it lacks what I'd consider a legitimate national title team. Oklahoma could do it, but they'll have to be much more consistent than they've been the past 2-3 years.

There's no doubt in my mind, though. The Big 12 has six bona fide preseason teams entering 2012. You never know how it will play out -- Texas A&M taught us that last year -- but when it comes to talent returning and replacing, the Big 12 will have as much as any league in the country.

Ryan in Stillwater, Okla., wrote: Davicus! Do you envision any new rivalries develop in the big 12 with TCU and WVU? (Baylor and TCU already seem to be that way) Thanks!

DU: This will be the fascinating part of the transition for these two teams. WVU is leaving behind its biggest rival in Pittsburgh, who was leaving for the ACC anyway. The Mountaineers, with Dana Holgorsen running the show, have something of a ready-made rivalry with Texas Tech (could Holgorsen end up the head coach there at some point?) and Oklahoma State (who may chase after Holgorsen when Gundy retires in 2055). But really, that only does so much. Ultimately, rivalries will be decided by memorable games, and for WVU, it could be anyone.

TCU will have leftover rivalries with Texas Tech and Baylor from its Southwest Conference days, and don't be surprised if one develops with Oklahoma and Texas in the years to come when TCU starts going after some of the top players in the DFW metroplex ... and getting them to sign. TCU still has that 2005 win over the Sooners on their home field, too, that I'm sure the Sooners fans haven't forgotten.

Pete in Paw Paw, Mich., wrote: Your take on the FSU and Clemson expansion rumors?

DU: I get asked this a lot. I don't believe them. I haven't seen any reputable media outlet write anything that's given them any legs. That said, rumors have persisted for months and refuse to go away. Does that say something? Nothing's impossible.

Rharkeem Wright in Memphis, Tenn., wrote: Is SMU really leaving C-USA to the Big 12?

DU: No.

Brian M. in Las Cruces, N.M., wrote: Ubbs, I feel like the only person in the world who doesn't like the new cfb playoffs. Having more than 2 teams get a shot at the 'ship is great but is this really the best way to do it?

DU: Yes.

Blake in Iowa City wrote: Here's an idea to fix the location for games in the playoff system, instead of playing at the higher ranked team's actual facility why not have it so that the teams with the higher ranking host the game at the same stadium that their conference championship game was (since those already are selected geographically). Then to a degree the games are home and to a degree neutral as well.

DU: Blake, I gotta hand it to you. This idea sounds sort of crazy, but I sort of love it. It could pose some logistical issues I suppose -- do you reserve these venues? -- but I doubt those kinds of things would be any more serious than playing at a campus site. The one problem that could arise is making teams travel to the same site two weeks in a row, or two games in a row, depending on when semifinal games are played.

That's not a big deal for, say, OU, Texas or TCU playing at Cowboys Stadium, assuming that would be the Big 12's site. Maybe the team could choose Arrowhead or Cowboys Stadium? That seems a little hokey.

But what about Arkansas playing in Atlanta? Or Nebraska playing in Indianapolis? What about West Virginia playing in Cowboys Stadium? Would fans be willing to travel to the same spot for two consecutive games? You could deal with attendance issues at that point.

That said, I don't hate the idea.

Zack in Basra, Iraq, wrote: David, I'm yet another WVU alumnus -- so first of all thanks for the warm welcome and extensive coverage. And thanks for visiting Morgantown and seeing it for your self. I'm really enjoying your detailed analysis and thorough responses to everyone on the mailbag. My question is why do you believe WVU will have less success over the next decade than TCU? I'm not necessarily arguing your point but you've said it more than once and as far as I recall, I don't remember you ever saying why. Perhaps it's the potential for Holgerson to move up and out in the near future, or the size of our athletic budget, recruiting track record? Look forward to your response. All the best, Zack

DU: My point isn't really about West Virginia as much as it's about TCU. I think WVU's success will remain relatively static. Maybe a little better or a little worse, depending on how recruiting goes.

TCU, however, is about to get a major upgrade all over the place. It'll be pumping money into facilities, but most importantly, it'll be a Big 12 team in the metroplex recruiting in the metroplex. WVU can't really compete with that. TCU's going to start hauling in tons of more talent as long as they can win with a little consistency -- not even win big, just win 7-10 games every year -- as they merge into the Big 12.

So, for me, it's not about West Virginia. It's about TCU taking advantage of its upside. It gained a lot more by joining the Big 12 than West Virginia did.

Dana Holgorsen is the only Big 12 coach entering his second year at the helm, and it should be an intriguing one.

He has a good team and he's bringing his new team into his old league, the Big 12.

The biggest need he has? Improving the running game , writes colleague Ryan McGee.

Now back in the land of his offensive ancestry -- the Big 12 -- Holgerson has just closed his first spring feeling like the program is actually his to do with it what he wants to do with it. Believe it or not, the offense should be able to finally move into the overdrive that Holgerson wants it to use.

Despite losing eight starters on offense, much will be expected of a unit that tended to get bogged down in the early stages of 2011. Why? Because Geno Smith is back at quarterback, his second season in the system. Now the 'Neers need someone to step in as a true featured back. That could be Shawne Alston, the '11 goal line specialist who got most of the spring touches with injured Dustin Garrison on the sideline.

You'll need ESPN Insider to see the rest of what McGee has to say, but what else does Holgorsen have to do to weather the 2012 season and return to the BCS?

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
• Week 11: Kansas State at TCU

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

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

My pick: Oklahoma at West Virginia

This one's a no doubter. K-State and Baylor played an absolute classic last year, but Oklahoma's maiden Big 12 voyage to Morgantown might be the Game of the Year in the entire conference.

Last year, it was clear early in the season that Bedlam would decide the Big 12 title. This time around, my bet is this showdown of new conference rivals, and if they're both in the top 10, don't be surprised if ESPN's "College GameDay" makes its second trip to Morgantown, a sequel to last year's visit the weekend of the LSU game.

That was a fantastic atmosphere, and GameDay or not, Oklahoma will be walking into one of the toughest atmospheres it'll see all season in this one. It'll also be another shot for Dana Holgorsen to take down the Sooners. He came dangerously close as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State in 2010, when the Big 12 South title was on the line. Additionally, the Big 12's top two passers, Geno Smith and Landry Jones, will go head to head for the first and only time in their careers. The last time West Virginia and Oklahoma played, the Mountaineers trounced the Sooners, 48-28, in the Fiesta Bowl behind Pat White, Noel Devine and Owen "Runaway Beer Truck" Schmitt.

This year's game will have higher stakes for Oklahoma than West Virginia. If West Virginia wins, it could be very, very close to clinching the league. It finishes its Big 12 schedule with Iowa State and Kansas, who'll be picked to finish at the bottom of the Big 12. But Oklahoma?

If the Mountaineers lose, there's still hope the Sooners could lose and give WVU a share of the title or more. Oklahoma must host rival Oklahoma State before finishing up with a trip to Fort Worth to face TCU. This will be a fun one, and definitely the game of the year in Morgantown. Will it be the game of the year in the Big 12? Time will tell.

Low flow? I don't like the sound of that.

• The impending playoff is one more reason why WVU made the right decision to join the Big 12, AD Oliver Luck told colleague Ivan Maisel.
• Bob Bowlsby is a solid choice for commissioner, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. Bowlsby has no ties to any Big 12 schools, which is a good political development. He could be a much-needed calming influence for the league.
• The drama between Dana Holgorsen and Bill Stewart is behind West Virginia as it moves into the Big 12, writes Andy Staples of SI.com.
• You down with football sabermetrics? You and Texas DC Manny Diaz could be friends.
• WVU and Florida State settled after WVU pulled out of a home-and-home with the Seminoles.
• Conference champions ranked in the top six could get automatic bids into the four-team playoff.
• West Virginia's moving into a good place in the Big 12, but ACC-bound rival Pitt and the Mountaineers will miss each other, writes Bob Hertzel of the Times West Virginian.
• Oklahoma State landed a coveted wide receiver who had offers from Michigan, Arkansas and Texas Tech. He's the No. 27 player in Texas.

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. -- West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen warned that his team might not be as good as some analysts think, but just how good is it?

Good enough to win a Big 12 title, Holgorsen says.

"We have as good a chance to win it as anybody else," Holgorsen told ESPN.com in a recent interview.

The Mountaineers will enter the season with something close to or better than a top-10 ranking, but they'll be charged as one of the chief contenders to take down favorite Oklahoma, who has won seven Big 12 titles since 2000.

WVU is dealing with a move from the Big East to the Big 12, but Holgorsen doesn't sound too worried about the transition.

"Our guys are used to having to play every week," Holgorsen said. "In the Big East, they had to play every week, because anybody could beat anybody in the Big East, and the same thing exists in the Big 12. Anybody can beat anybody on any given week. That’s not only the Big East or the Big 12. That’s college football right now."

West Virginia learned that lesson last year when it suffered a 26-point loss at the hands of Syracuse, who didn't win another game the rest of the season. In the Big 12, Oklahoma's 39-game home winning streak ended at the hands of Texas Tech, who didn't win another game the rest of its 5-7 season.

Oklahoma State's national title hopes ended in Ames, when Iowa State erased a 17-point, second-half deficit to win in double overtime and qualify for a bowl.

Even 2-10 Kansas, who beat MAC champion Northern Illinois, pushed 10-win Baylor into overtime, and that was only after Heisman winner Robert Griffin III used some fourth-quarter heroics to force the extra period.

As for the transition? That's nothing new for Holgorsen, who's seeking no outside help in guiding the Mountaineers into their new conference home.

"Coming from four different teams in five years, I've transitioned a lot. I don't think here is any different." Holgorsen said. "Going from Big 12 to Conference USA, then Conference USA to Big 12, then Big 12 to Big East, and now Big East to Big 12."

One thing that definitely won't change, Holgorsen says, is how his team views itself. Confidence won't be an issue as the Mountaineers move to the Big 12.

"This team looks at three BCS trophies every day, so they view themselves as a team that can play against anybody," he said, "and if you look at who they’ve beat in those BCS games, three in the last six years, those teams are pretty good."

West Virginia beat Georgia in the 2006 Sugar Bowl before blowing out Oklahoma, 48-28, in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl and embarrassing Clemson in last year's 70-33 laugher of an Orange Bowl.

"They’ve played teams like LSU, Auburn, they’ve played quality opponents," Holgorsen said. "They know how to play in the big game and understand the challenges of having to play in the big game."

Those big games didn't come often in the Big East, where the Mountaineers were the biggest fish in a league devoid of many top 25 teams over the past few years.

Expect plenty of big games in the Big 12 in 2012 and beyond.