ESPN College Football

Texas will be going into the national championship game with more questions than any team in recent memory when it squares off with Alabama on Jan. 7.

The 13-0 Longhorns were lucky to escape the Big 12 championship game after a wild 13-12 victory over Nebraska settled by a 46-yard field goal by Hunter Lawrence on the last play of the game. Some questionable clock management on the play before the kick left the Longhorns agonizingly close to not winning the title.

That subpar performance stripped some of the luster from Colt McCoy’s bid for the Heisman Trophy after he was sacked nine times and harassed into three interceptions. The Longhorns' rushing game again struggled as Texas produced season-lows in rushing, total yards and points.

Earlier in the year, McCoy had sparked a late charge by the Texas offense that led the Longhorns to average 44 points in their final six regular-season games before the title game to help spark an unprecedented 12-0 regular-season record.

Tre' Newton led a sputtering running game with 513 yards for a pass-heavy offense that ranked third nationally in scoring. McCoy's top weapon was Jordan Shipley, who produced 106 receptions.

Will Muschamp’s defense emerged throughout the season to be the backbone of the team. The unit led the nation in rush defense and ranked in the top 10 in total defense, scoring defense, turnover margin and sacks. The D capped the season by limiting Nebraska to 106 yards, six completions and five first downs in the championship game.

Offensive MVP: QB Colt McCoy

Despite his struggles against Nebraska, McCoy had a fine season for the Longhorns. McCoy finished his senior season as the Big 12’s most efficient passer, throwing for 3,512 yards and 27 touchdowns. With the victory in the Big 12 championship, he also boosted his career won-loss record to 45-7 to beat the record previously held by David Greene.

Defensive MVP: S Earl Thomas

He emerged as the Big 12’s most solid defensive back in his second season as a starter, setting a school record and leading the Big 12 with eight interceptions. Thomas also ranked second nationally with 18 pass deflections and provided balance for a secondary that quadrupled its number of interceptions from six last season to 24 this year.

Turning point: Oct. 17 vs. Oklahoma

As so often happens, the Red River Rivalry served as a crucible to test the mettle of both teams. This time, the Longhorns rebounded from a disappointing first half to run the ball consistently enough to claim a gritty 16-13 victory that helped kick-start them to their first Big 12 championship game appearance since 2005.

What’s next

The Longhorns will be doubted by most as they prepare for Alabama in the title game. Mack Brown has to love that emotional position as he gets his team ready. The Texas offense, particularly McCoy and the offensive line, will have something to prove in particular. It will represent a changing of the guard next season for the Longhorns who will rebuild under heralded freshman quarterback Garrett Gilbert and some other talented but unproven elements. Texas should be in the hunt for another Big 12 title next season, but has a 17-game winning streak in Pasadena and some pride to defend first.

Whatever happened to the Big 12 and all of those wild offensive numbers and great teams from last season?

With all of the promise from last season, more of the same was expected with many of the key players returning for another season. But an improbable rash of injuries and suspensions left top players like Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham, Baylor’s Robert Griffin and Oklahoma State’s Dez Bryant and Kendall Hunter sitting along the sideline rather than playing.

Instead, the defenses bit back in 2009, capped by a wild 13-12 victory by Texas over Nebraska in the conference championship game.

The results were seen on the field where the conference started slowly with a 4-7 record in out-of-conference games. Only one of those nonconference wins came after the first week of the season.

Taking advantage of Oklahoma’s injuries and a tight victory in Dallas on Oct. 17 over the Sooners, the Longhorns remained at the front of the Big 12 for most of the season. The Big 12 finished with only one team ranked among the top 19 teams in the final BCS standings and only three in the Top 25.

The bowls will provide a tough challenge for Big 12 teams. Only Texas Tech and Oklahoma are favored among the eight teams that were selected for postseason play.

Texas will be a consensus underdog against Alabama in the Citi BCS Championship Game. It’s exactly the position the Longhorns were in five years ago when they stunned USC in the title game.

A Texas triumph in the Jan. 7 matchup will be necessary to help salvage some of the Big 12’s reputation.

Offensive MVP – Texas quarterback Colt McCoy

Although he struggled in the championship game and against Oklahoma, McCoy was the fulcrum of the league’s best team. Down the stretch he pushed himself into Heisman consideration with 300-yard passing games in three of his last four regular-season games to finish with 3,512 passing yards and 27 touchdowns. But his most impressive number was breaking David Greene’s career won-loss record to set the NCAA mark with a 45-7 record.

Defensive MVP -- Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh

After his stellar senior season, Suh might have progressed to a level never approached by a Big 12 defensive player. Suh dominated the game in ways unusual for a defensive tackle as he finished with a team-leading 82 tackles, including 50 solo stops. He was third nationally with 12 sacks, broke up 10 passes and also blocked three kicks. He capped his season with a career-best 12 tackles in the championship game, including a record 4.5 sacks in a performance that earned him a trip to New York City for the Heisman Trophy award ceremony.

Newcomer of the Year -- Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas

Thomas was projected as a quarterback when he arrived at Kansas State this summer from Northwest Mississippi Community College. Coach Bill Snyder thought he could help the team more at running back and he emerged as the focal point of a Kansas State defense that took the Wildcats within a game of the North Division title. Thomas led the league with 1,265 rushing yards, 247 attempts, 11 rushing touchdowns and 105.4 yards per game, accounting for more than 100 rushing yards in five different games.

Coach of the Year -- Texas’ Mack Brown

While some could argue for Paul Rhoads and Snyder as possible candidates, Brown’s ability to lead the Longhorns to a perfect 13-0 season, his second Big 12 title and his second BCS title game appearance elevates him over the rest. The Longhorns excelled from the first game as they charged to the first 12-0 regular-season record in school history. He’s also pushed the Longhorns into another BCS bowl game for the fourth time in six seasons. Texas has won all of those previous games, but will be challenged as it faces Alabama as a decided underdog.

Biggest surprise -- Kansas State

The Wildcats were picked to battle to stay out of the North Division cellar and had to break in new players at quarterback and running back. After a 2-2 start in nonconference play capped by a loss at Louisiana -Lafayette, Snyder’s team caught fire behind quarterback Grant Gregory, Thomas and a plucky defense. The Wildcats led the season with a month to go, but couldn’t nail down a title after losses to Missouri and Nebraska. Those losses cost them a bowl appearance, but Snyder proved he could still coach a little bit -- even at the age of 70.

Biggest disappointment -- Oklahoma

The Sooners entered the season as the nation’s No. 3 team and a potential challenger for the BCS title game. But a preseason injury cost them Gresham for the season, and Bradford played less than two complete games before he was knocked out for the season with a shoulder injury. An injury-ravaged offensive line struggled to remain solvent, and the Sooners’ hopes of claiming an unprecedented fourth straight Big 12 title ended after an early loss to Texas. It didn’t stop there as later road losses to Nebraska and Texas Tech left them free-falling all the way to a berth in the Sun Bowl. It left them with a 7-5 record that marked the most losses in the regular season in Bob Stoops’ coaching tenure.

Game of the Year -- Texas 13, Nebraska 12, Big 12 title game, Dec. 5

The defenses dominated this game as the two teams combined for only 308 total yards and converted only eight of 35 third-down plays. But after a fourth Nebraska field goal by Alex Henery had given the Cornhuskers a 12-10 lead with 1:44 left, Texas answered. McCoy mustered a late drive to put the Longhorns in position for a game-winning kick. But as he attempted to run a final play from scrimmage, McCoy appeared to have allowed the game clock to expire as he threw the ball out of bounds. Nebraska players charged the field thinking they had won the game, but game officials ruled there was one second left. Hunter Lawrence took advantage of the remaining time to drill a 46-yard field goal, pushing the Longhorns into the BCS title game. Memories of the extra play will resonate throughout history for Nebraska fans who already believe they were jobbed out of a chance at a surprise Big 12 title.

Here’s a look at the trends for some players, coaches and teams that are sizzling and fizzling across the Big 12 this week.

Hot: Kansas State: The Wildcats are 11-3-1 in games in which they could qualify to become bowl-eligible under Bill Snyder since 1993.

Not: Dan Hawkins: The Colorado coach’s record is 2-19 in games played at opponent's stadiums since starting his tenure with the Buffaloes in 2006.

Hot: The first-string Texas defensive unit, which allowed 41 yards on 37 snaps before substitutions started last week against Baylor.

Not: Texas A&M’s defense, which has allowed 60 points in more than one game for the first time in the 115-season history of the program.

Hot: Iowa State’s defense, which limited Colorado to three points on four possessions inside the ISU 10-yard line last week.

Not: Oklahoma’s offense in road games: The Sooners are averaging 16.8 points away from Owen Field. At home, Oklahoma is averaging 49.8 points per game.

Hot: Baylor LB Joe Pawelek, who needs eight tackles Saturday against Texas A&M to move into the NCAA’s top 20 for career tackles.

Not: Kansas: The Jayhawks’ current five-game losing streak is the longest since a seven-game losing streak in Mark Mangino’s first season in 2002.

Hot: Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson, who needs 69 yards to tie Reggie McNeal's single-season school record for passing yards set in 2004.

Not: Texas A&M’s sputtering offense, which has converted only six of its last 27 third-down plays over its last six quarters in losses to Colorado and Oklahoma.

Sizzling: Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, who can become the career leader for victories as a starting quarterback. He currently shares it with Georgia’s David Greene at 42. McCoy already has become the only quarterback in NCAA history to win 10 games in all four seasons.

Frigid: Baylor, which is 0-10-1 in games at Texas A&M's Kyle Field in College Station since its last victory there in 1984.

Here are some items of interest heading into this week's Big 12 games:

Will Zac Robinson play tonight for Oklahoma State? Robinson has made 34 consecutive starts for the Cowboys and is their unquestioned team leader. He’s developed into more of a running threat in recent weeks, reverting to the form that he showed earlier in his career. But his condition is iffy after a brutal head-to-head collision with Texas Tech cornerback Jamar Wall at the end of last week’s game. Robinson’s return to the lineup will be critical as the Cowboys try to win their way into the BCS this season. And if he can’t go tonight, junior Alex Cate would get the first start of his career against Colorado in a huge game in the national spotlight for the Cowboys.

Colorado responds to its role as a spoiler: The Buffaloes are the only Big 12 team without any bowl hopes heading into this week's games. Dan Hawkins predicted before the season that his team would “win 10 games with no excuses.” That dream has long been dashed, but can the Buffaloes ruin Oklahoma State’s BCS at-large hopes before a national television audience? In order to do so, they will have to play their best game of the season.

Big 12 title game or bust for Kansas State: It’s all or nothing for the Wildcats heading into their winner-take-all showdown with Nebraska for the North Division championship Saturday in Lincoln. If the Wildcats can notch an upset, they will qualify for their first championship game berth since 2003 and would qualify for a bowl. If they lose, they are through for the season. KSU coach Bill Snyder said he’s never had a team in these circumstances in his 41-season career as a coach. The Wildcats have won only once at Nebraska since 1968 and will be battling huge odds to extend their season.

Can Roy Helu Jr. continue his recent running binge? Helu has bounced back from an earlier shoulder injury to become the Cornhuskers' most consistent offensive threat, averaging 147 rushing yards per game in his last two games. His strong effort last week seemed to perk up the Cornhuskers’ entire offense in a 31-17 triumph over Kansas. Another big game will be important as the Cornhuskers attempt to claim their first championship game berth since 2006.

Colt McCoy’s last home game: It will be an emotional game Saturday in Austin when McCoy concludes his home career at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium against Kansas with the rest of his senior class. McCoy also can notch his 43rd career victory, giving him the NCAA record over David Greene. And the Longhorns can clinch a title game appearance this week with either an Oklahoma State loss or their own victory over the reeling Jayhawks.

Kansas responds to all of the off-the-field dramatics around the program this week: Coach Mark Mangino’s job appears to be in serious jeopardy after reports surfaced of an internal investigation by the school of Mangino’s coaching methods. The slumping Jayhawks have dropped their last five games after starting the season 5-0 and soaring as high as No. 16 in the national polls. A victory would qualify the team for its third straight bowl appearance under Mangino -- a feat that has never occurred in the 120-season history of the program. But a loss would mean Kansas would have to qualify for a bowl game next week with a victory over Missouri, or stay home from the bowls entirely.

Can Oklahoma halt its road woes? The Sooners are 1-4 away from Owen Field this season and have seen their scoring average plunge from 49.8 points at home to 16.8 points in games away from home. They need a big effort and a more consistent running game in order to beat Texas Tech in Lubbock for the first time since 2003. Bob Stoops will try to avoid his first three-game losing streak in any conference facility. Stoops has lost three consecutive games in the Orange Bowl, but has never endured a streak like that inside any rival Big 12 home stadium.

Who starts at quarterback for Texas Tech? Mike Leach admitted earlier this week that he made a mistake by taking Taylor Potts out of the game last week when he removed him for Steven Sheffield midway through the Red Raiders’ loss at Oklahoma State. Sheffield was game, but showed the effects of foot surgery he underwent only a month earlier. Will Leach start Potts against the talented Oklahoma defense and will he show more patience in sticking with him after an early mistake or two? Or will he prefer a lift from Sheffield, who seems to provide his team with a boost with his running abilities when he enters the game?

The Battle of the Brazos -- with legitimate bowl ramifications for a change: It’s been a long time since both Baylor and Texas A&M both had bowl hopes in a game between the two old rivals late in the season. The Aggies can wrap up their first bowl berth since 2007 with a victory. And the Bears can grab an improbable bowl berth -- thought to be an impossibility after the earlier season-ending injury to Robert Griffin -- by winning against the Aggies and beating Texas Tech next week in Arlington. Baylor will be facing some long odds as it attempts to beat A&M at Kyle Field for the first time since 1984. A victory here would clearly be Art Briles' biggest triumph since his arrival at Baylor.

Can Danario Alexander do it again? Missouri's talented senior wide receiver has developed into the league’s biggest offensive weapon in recent weeks after posting back-to-back 200-yard receiving games against Baylor and Kansas State. He will be gunning for a third straight 200-yard game -- a feat that would tie him with Tulsa’s Howard Twilley and Nevada’s Trevor Insley for an NCAA record. Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert will be leaning on Alexander a little more with the injury to starting wide receiver Jared Perry. But the 6-foot-5, 215-pound Alexander’s hopes should be boosted by the fact he will be playing against an undersized Iowa State starting secondary that averages only 5-foot-9.

It remains one of the most tragic events in the history of the Big 12.

Texas A&M's Bonfire tragedy remains one of the most memorable events I've ever covered. I still see those giant logs in my mind after the collapse and the catastrophic consequences of when it all went wrong.

It's hard to believe that it was 10 years ago.

Here's a look at stories about that sad anniversary and others around the Big 12 today.

• The San Antonio Express-News’ Brent Zwerneman talks to members of the 1999 Texas A&M team about their memories from the Bonfire collapse and their game eight days later against Texas.
• Oklahoma junior tailback DeMarco Murray tells the Norman Transcript’s John Shinn that he’s “leaning” toward returning for his senior season.
• Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson’s condition remains uncertain for Thursday’s game against Colorado, Bill Haisten of the Tulsa World reports.
• The Kansas City Star’s Jason Whitlock writes that weight is at the base of Mark Mangino’s issues with school officials. And the Lawrence Journal-World’s Tom Keegan opines about how Mangino’s job security has lessened after the Jayhawks’ five-game losing streak.
• The Orlando Sentinel’s Andrea Adelson writes about a scenario where Oklahoma State could trump Boise State for a BCS at-large berth.
• The Baylor-Texas A&M rivalry is examined by the Waco Tribune-Herald’s John Werner.
• Former Georgia quarterback David Greene still relishes his piece of history as Colt McCoy is on the brink of breaking his Greene's record for victories by a college quarterback, the Austin American-Statesman’s Kevin Robbins reports.
• Tom Osborne’s influence is something that Bo Pelini leans on, Lincoln Journal-Star columnist Steve Sipple reports.
• Kansas State players are relishing the underdog role heading into Saturday’s winner-take-all battle with Nebraska for the North Division title, the Topeka Capital-Journal’s Austin Meek reports.
• A demanding Gary Pinkel is trying to assure that Missouri will post strong back-to-back performances for the first time this season, the Kansas City Star’s Mike DeArmond writes.

WACO, Texas -- Fans have started filing into Floyd Casey Stadium. Interestingly, most of them are burnt orange-wearing Texas fans.

The Longhorns conceivably could wrap up a trip to the Big 12 championship game in Arlington, Texas, tonight by beating Baylor and if Oklahoma State loses tonight to Texas Tech.

When the No. 3 Longhorns begin play in about an hour, here are some of the pre-game storylines I’m considering.

• Colt McCoy's Heisman hopes: McCoy is coming off a career-best 470-yard effort that was only three yards away from the school’s single-game passing record. He’ll be attacking a Baylor defense that was blistered for 468 yards by Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert last week. He’ll also be gunning to tie the career NCAA FCS record for career victories held by David Greene of Georgia. McCoy is 41-7 and Greene is 42-10. A big game for McCoy could again resonate through a long day of football highlights.
• Mack Brown’s Baylor mastery: Brown is 11-0 against Baylor and every one of those victories has been by double-digits. His previous five triumphs in Waco came by margins of 62, 49, 56, 62 and 31 points.Baylor is one of five Big 12 opponents that has never beaten Texas under Mack Brown. The Horns are 12-0 against Oklahoma State, 11-0 vs. Baylor, 6-0 vs. Iowa State, 6-0 vs. Missouri and 5-0 vs. Kansas since Brown took over in 1998. Texas hosts Kansas next week.
• Baylor’s fleeting bowl hopes: The Bears need to win two of their last three games to become bowl eligible. They haven’t played in a bowl game since the 1994 Alamo Bowl loss to Washington State. After Texas, Baylor travels to Texas A&M and plays Texas Tech at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

• Cody Johnson’s first start for the Longhorns at tailback: The bullish 240-pound sophomore will receive his first starting opportunity against Baylor. He’s emerged as the most consistent threat in a sputtering running game. He’ll be facing a Baylor defense that has yielded at least 200 yards three different times this season but held Missouri to a season-low 10 rushing yards last week.

• James Kirkendoll's return to the starting lineup: The junior wide receiver started off fast but has struggled recently. But strong work in practice has enabled him to return to the starting lineup. Kirkendoll will get the start at split end while Jordan Shipley moves back to flanker.

• How Nick Florence handles his big game last week: Florence set a school record by passing for 427 yards last week, blistering Missouri for three touchdowns -- more touchdowns than he had thrown in his previous 147 pass attempts in his career. It will be tough for his recent success to translate against an emerging Texas secondary that has limited opponents to an average of 106 passing yards in the last three weeks, with only two touchdown passes and six interceptions. The Longhorns have limited rival passers to a quarterback efficiency rating of 82.13 during those games. The national leader for the season is Florida at 85.86.

• Baylor’s running game against Texas’ leading rush defense: Since Robert Griffin was lost for the season in the Bears’ third game of the season on Sept. 26, the Bears have managed to top 100 yards only once. They produced 38 yards on 28 carries last week against Missouri and will be facing the nation’s top rushing defense. Texas has allowed only two rushing touchdowns all season and only one since the opening game of the season. This will be a tough test for the Bears’ rushing attack.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

One of the biggest mysteries in college football this season has been the slow start of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, who was expected to challenge for the Heisman Trophy after finishing second behind Sam Bradford last season.

McCoy Passing -- Comp Att Int Yds QB Rtg TDP 2008 131 165 3 1557 189.02 17 2009 156 223 7 1537 137.85 11

But with his statistics down, McCoy has tumbled down the list of challengers after the first half of the season even as the Longhorns have kept winning.

For his part, McCoy said he’s not disillusioned in how the season has transpired to this point.

“It’s not been a disappointment at all,” McCoy said. “Before the season I set the goal we would like to be 6-0 at this point of the season. And now that were there, I can’t be happier.”

But the statistics tell a different story. McCoy has completed and thrown more passes, but his passing yardage is down. His touchdown-to-interception ratio, which was at 17-to-3 last season after six games, has skidded to 11-to-7 this season. His NCAA quarterback efficiency rating is down from 189.02 at this point last season to 137.85.

“I know there’s a lot of room for improvement,” McCoy said. “I’ve got to have help and have guys step up and make plays. I can do things better. There are a lot of things we can be better at. We’ve still got a long way to go.”

	Tim Heitman-US PRESSWIRE
	Texas continues to win despite Colt McCoy's slow start.

It’s been a frustrating season in one sense for McCoy, who has been stricken with a rash of minor injuries and illnesses over the last few weeks.

Most recently, McCoy smashed his right thumb into the helmet of Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. The contact left him with a bruise that will likely result in him losing his nail. McCoy joked to reporters earlier this week that he couldn’t show them the injury because he needed to keep his hands in his pocket under doctor’s orders.

“It’s been frustrating more than anything else,” McCoy said. “I had the flu against Tech and then I was a little sick on Wednesday and Thursday and it nagged at me. And then I messed up my thumb in the first quarter. Those things are frustrating, but I’m a believer and a faithful guy. I think my luck will be better from here on.”

As much of an imposition as his cold was a determined Oklahoma defense that flummoxed him and repeatedly battered him in the game. McCoy was knocked to the ground 14 times in the first half alone.

And Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables’ intricate combination of blitzes didn’t allow him much as he produced 127 passing yards – his lowest single-game total since his freshman season.

“I watched every game of Oklahoma’s before we played them and half of the blitzes they threw, I had never seen,” McCoy said. “You’re going to see different things every week. But you’ve got to give those guys some credit. Half of those guys (on Oklahoma’s defense) will be playing on Sundays (in future NFL careers) and they are really good.”

Another reason for McCoy’s perception being down is that he hasn’t been as much a running threat this season. After producing 348 rushing yards and four touchdowns after six games last season, McCoy has rushed for 91 yards on 48 carries in 2009.

Texas coach Mack Brown has tried to lessen the pressure on McCoy by telling him not to be perfect.

“We’ve all gotten used to Colt over the years,” Brown said. “Some of us go cold on him just because he is so good.”

Those expectations don’t detract from how much McCoy is enjoying his current season. The Longhorns appear to have a clear path to the BCS national championship game that eluded them last season if they can win out.

“If you watch the emotion of Colt after the game, he’s so excited he’s beaten Oklahoma,” Brown said. “Then, he broke up a little bit with Lisa Salters after the game. That shows you that it’s not about him. He’s not worried about how many times he’s thrown the ball or how many times he completed it.”

Even as McCoy’s numbers are down, Brown thinks that his senior quarterback remains exactly the kind of candidate Heisman voters should be considering. His most impressive statistic may be his 38-7 career record as a starter. He will tie Peyton Manning with a victory over Missouri on Saturday with David Greene’s 42-10 mark still ahead.

Opposing teams have shown uncommon respect to McCoy after games this season. Texas Tech defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill waited on the field for several minutes after McCoy’s television interviews to offer his congratulations. And Auston English, Gerald McCoy and Trent Williams of Oklahoma did the same after last week’s game at the Cotton Bowl.

"Colt wants to win football games -- that was the only thing that matters.” Brown said. “When people are looking at Heisman numbers, to me that’s the key. It’s not always about gaudy numbers, it’s about who wins. That kid is five away from becoming the winningest ever and that’s cool.”

McCoy Rushing -- Att Yds Avg TD W-L 2008 59 348 5.9 4 6-0 2009 48 91 1.9 1 6-0