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The NFL draft has come and gone, and I hope you're all prepared for no more NFL anything for awhile. I know I'm not.

Anyway, here's how the Big 12 shook out over the weekend, with a few thoughts to follow.

First round (8)

• No. 2: Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M (Denver)
• No. 7: Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri (San Francisco)
• No. 10: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri (Jacksonville)
• No. 17: Nate Solder, OT, Colorado (New England)
• No. 19: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska (New York Giants)
• No. 21: Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor (Cleveland)
• No. 23: Danny Watkins, OL, Baylor (Philadelphia)
• No. 27: Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado (Baltimore)

Second round (2)

• No. 34: Aaron Williams, CB, Texas (Buffalo)
• No. 62: Daniel Thomas, RB, Kansas State (Miami)

Third round (2)

• No. 71: DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma (Dallas)
• No. 95: Curtis Brown, CB, Texas (Pittsburgh)

Fourth round (6)

• No. 103: Sam Acho, DE, Texas (Arizona)
• No. 105: Roy Helu Jr., RB, Nebraska (Washington)
• No. 108: Quinton Carter, S, Oklahoma (Denver)
• No. 115: Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma State (San Francisco)
• No. 118: Jalil Brown, CB, Colorado (Kansas City)
• No. 120: Alex Henery, K, Nebraska (Philadelphia)

Fifth round (3)

• No. 146: DeJon Gomes, S, Nebraska (Washington)
• No. 155: Niles Paul, WR, Nebraska (Washington)
• No. 164: Chykie Brown, CB, Texas (Baltimore)

Sixth round (1)

• No. 196: Keith Williams, OL, Nebraska (Pittsburgh)

Seventh round (8)

• No. 216: Mikail Baker, CB, Baylor (St. Louis)
• No. 227: Scotty McKnight, WR, Colorado (New York Jets)
• No. 229: Jonathan Nelson, DB, Oklahoma (St. Louis)
• No. 232: Baron Batch, RB, Texas Tech (Pittsburgh)
• No. 234: Andrew Gachkar, LB, Missouri (San Diego)
• No. 246: Jay Finley, RB, Baylor (Cincinnati)
• No. 247: Jeremy Beal, DE, Oklahoma (Denver)
• No. 248: Eric Hagg, S, Nebraska (Cleveland)

Here's how the Big 12 teams ranked in terms of total draftees:

1. Nebraska - 7
2. Baylor - 4
2. Colorado - 4
2. Oklahoma - 4
2. Texas - 4
6. Missouri - 3
7. Kansas State -1
7. Oklahoma State - 1
7. Texas A&M - 1
7. Texas Tech - 1
11. Iowa State - 0
11. Kansas - 0

And the major conferences (counting where players actually played):

SEC - 38
Pac-12 - 33
Big 12 - 30
Big Ten - 29
ACC - 35
Big East - 22

• Texas A&M had just one player drafted, but the Aggies will have plenty next year, including a handful of possible first-rounders. Cyrus Gray, Ryan Tannehill and Jeff Fuller could all go very early in 2012, depending on what happens between now and then.
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Matthew Emmons/US PresswireOklahoma defensive end Jeremy Beal was drafted in the seventh round by Denver.
• Interesting that Miller went 245 selections before the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Year, according to the media, Jeremy Beal. Also an interesting coincidence? The same team drafted both. I do think Beal will have a productive NFL career, and there's no denying what he did at Oklahoma, but the measurables were never quite there for Beal. What's not measurable? How difficult he is to block. That said, Miller was my vote for the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Year.
• Good to see some hard-working, perhaps under-respected guys get drafted. This was an important year for that, considering those left over won't be able to get into NFL minicamps until the lockout ends and won't be able to do anything to further their NFL careers besides work out on their own. I'll have a post later today on some of those snubs. There's no guarantee that late-drafted guys like Baron Batch, Scotty McKnight, Jay Finley or Eric Hagg will catch on in the the pros, but I'd be willing to guarantee they'll do everything in their power to maximize what opportunities they get.
• One of the most interesting selections? Mikail Baker. He wasn't invited to the combine, and played just one full season on defense at Baylor after working as a kick returner and a cornerback in 2009 before a season-ending knee injury. You don't see that kind of impressive athleticism at Baylor traditionally.
• Let the debate continue: Kendall Hunter vs. DeMarco Murray. Murray getting drafted 40-some spots earlier only intensified that discussion, if you ask me.
• Also, what's more impressive from Art Briles? That Baylor had four picks, the most in school history since 1996? Or that despite those four picks, Baylor's returning an even better team than last season, when it ended a 16-year bowl drought?
• Colorado's draft, meanwhile? Not exactly a ringing endorsement for Dan Hawkins' coaching job in Boulder.
• Alex Henery didn't win the Lou Groza Award, but his fourth-round selection makes him the earliest kicker draft pick since 2006. Will that end the state of Nebraska's blood feud against respectable OSU kicker Dan Bailey, who did win the Lou Groza Award? I doubt it. (Save your emails. For the 100th time, I agree, Nebraska fans. Henery > Bailey.)
• A few guys who went way lower than I thought they would. In order of my surprise level: Beal, Gabbert, Amukamara, Hagg, Hunter.
• A few guys who went way higher than I thought, in the same order: Aldon Smith, Batch, Gachkar, Baker.

The NFL released its list of invitations to the scouting combine late this month, and plenty of Big 12 players should be taking part.

Here's who got invitations:

• Sam Acho, DE, Texas
• Pierre Allen, DE, Nebraska
• Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
• Dan Bailey, K, Oklahoma State
• Jeremy Beal, DE, Oklahoma
• Chykie Brown, CB, Texas
• Curtis Brown, CB, Texas
• Jalil Brown, CB, Colorado (I hadn't realized it until just now. Were there really three NFL-caliber players in the Big 12 with the same last name at the same position in 2010? Seems so. And none of them are related. Odds, anyone?)
• Quinton Carter, S, Oklahoma
• Ugo Chinasa, DE, Oklahoma State
• Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
• DeJon Gomes, DB, Nebraska
• Eric Hagg, DB, Nebraska
• Roy Helu Jr., RB, Nebraska
• Alex Henery, K, Nebraska
• Ricky Henry, OL, Nebraska
• Kyle Hix, OL, Texas
• Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma State
• Jerrod Johnson, QB, Texas A&M
• Orie Lemon, LB, Oklahoma State
• Andrew McGee, CB, Oklahoma State
• Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M
• DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma
• Niles Paul, WR, Nebraska
• Kevin Rutland, CB, Missouri
• David Sims, S, Iowa State
• Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado
• Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri
• Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
• Adrian Taylor, DT, Oklahoma
• Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor
• Daniel Thomas, RB, Kansas State
• Danny Watkins, OT, Baylor
• Colby Whitlock, DT, Texas Tech
• Aaron Williams, CB, Texas
• Keith Williams, OL, Nebraska

That's a pretty solid (and lengthy) list. Add it up, and it's 36 players from 11 of 12 Big 12 schools, excluding Kansas. It's a little surprising that Missouri center Tim Barnes wasn't on the list. It's possible it was a mistake, but the first-team All-Big 12er and Rimington Trophy watch lister was named as one of the top centers in the draft last spring by Mel Kiper. Barnes had also earned some favorable reviews at the NFLPA Bowl this week.

It was good to see Aggies quarterback Jerrod Johnson get a shot to show scouts if he's regained any more strength in his arm, too.

Here's how it ranks by team, as well.

1. Nebraska - 9
2. Oklahoma State - 5
2. Texas - 5
4. Oklahoma - 4
5. Colorado - 3
5. Missouri - 3
7. Baylor - 2
7. Texas A&M - 2
9. Iowa State - 1
9. Kansas State - 1
9. Texas Tech - 1

Nebraska's secondary won't see the same Landry Jones on Saturday, but Jones won't see the same Nebraska secondary, either.

"Last year when we played him, he was a young quarterback just learning the system and everything," defensive back DeJon Gomes said. "One of the biggest things we took away from that game is he’s a competitor and he’s going to do the best he can to get his team into a situation to win."

And one more thing.

"He also likes throwing the ball. That’s good for our secondary," Gomes said.

No kidding. Jones has racked up 527 pass attempts in 2010, in part because of Oklahoma's hurry-up offense and in part because he's found more success as a sophomore passer.

No quarterback in the Big 12 has more than 500, and Dominique Davis at East Carolina is the only quarterback in America with more attempts than Oklahoma's Jones.

The Blackshirts picked off Jones five times in Lincoln in 2009 -- including three by departed safety Matt O'Hanlon -- though Huskers coach Bo Pelini tossed a wet blanket on talk of that game having any relevance over a year later.

"It's a different time, different place, different offense, new challenges," Pelini said. "The furthest thing from my mind is what happened in that game last year."

What does matter is what's happened this year. Nebraska has put together the No. 2 pass defense in the country, allowing just 144 yards a game. Jones averages almost 330 a game, good for No. 3 nationally.

"It’s going to be an exciting game, especially with them having one of the top offenses in the country and us priding ourself on defense," Gomes said. "It’ll be a fun one to watch."

If history repeats itself, it'll be a lot more fun for Huskers fans than Oklahoma fans when it comes to passing the ball. On the way to that No. 2 ranking, the Nebraska secondary has ruined the days of a handful of good quarterbacks. A sampling:

• Nathan Enderle, Idaho: 16-31, 141 yards, TD, 5 INT
• Jake Locker, Washington: 4-20, 71 yards, TD, 2 INT (stress: not a typo)
• Carson Coffman, Kansas State: 14-22, 91 yards, TD, INT
• Garrett Gilbert, Texas: 4-16, 62 yards
• Blaine Gabbert, Missouri: 18-42, 199 yards, TD, INT
• Quinn Mecham, Kansas: 3-13, 15 yards, INT
• Cody Hawkins, Colorado: 10-26, 162 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT

Only Iowa State's Austen Arnaud, Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden and Ryan Tannehill at Texas A&M managed decent days against the secondary. Part of Weeden's success was in finding receiver Justin Blackmon, one of the nation's best, for 135 of his 283 yards and both touchdowns. Only Tannehill got a victory with his success, however moderate (19-29, 172 yards).

Jones has another of the nation's best receivers, Ryan Broyles, to throw to, but even Broyles could only manage eight catches for 74 yards in 2009, one of his lowest outputs of the season while healthy.

"They have a trigger man who can get the ball to everybody," Pelini said of Jones. "They stretch the field on you. It's a good challenge for us."

It could be an even bigger challenge for Jones.

For reference, here are the awards and here are the All-Big 12 first and second teams. Voting took place before last week's Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game.

My thoughts:

• Defensive Player of the Year is definitely an interesting choice, and one that inspires a lot of discussion. No, that's not a euphemism for "bad." Prince Amukamara doesn't have the numbers that show up on a stat sheet, but all he does is blanket every receiver he lines up across every week. Gotta love that. Nebraska sent out a stat -- last week or a bit earlier, I believe -- that he had been thrown at 40 times this year, and gave up 11 receptions. Five of those came via the Offensive Player of the Year Justin Blackmon. That's impressive. Guys like Von Miller, Orie Lemon, Lavonte David and others were racking up the tackles and fumbles and plays that get the fans going, but I don't have a problem with Amukamara winning the award. It all comes down to what you value. The Associated Press awards and All-Big 12 teams are scheduled for release on Thursday. My guess is the media won't vote the same way.
• I sense that what happens late in conference play isn't as weighted as what happens early. The two victims in this case are Nebraska kicker Alex Henery and Colorado running back Rodney Stewart. Oklahoma State's Dan Bailey made his first 18 kicks (more than Henery attempted all year), but missed four kicks in three games before last week's Bedlam game. He was the runaway winner early in the season, but Henery's lack of attempts (15-of-16 on the year) isn't his fault. Additionally, as a member of the All-Big 12 second team as a punter, the combination should have given him enough oomph to best Bailey. I don't have a major gripe with the selection, but if it were up to me, Henery deserved Special Teams Player of the Year.
• Stewart's absence is my biggest gripe, and the timing of his rise has a lot to do with it as well. Stewart ranks third in the Big 12 in rushing yards (1,310) and leads the league in carries with 290, and though he's a low-profile player in the league, he didn't get enough respect with his late charge. Nebraska limited him to 88 yards, but in the three games prior, he racked up a combined 493 yards and five touchdowns. I can deal with him being left off the first team, but it's unbelievable he was left off even honorable mention. Roy Helu Jr. has a gaudy 6.75 yards a carry, which landed him on the second team, but I've got no idea how Stewart didn't at least garner honorable mention.
• DeMarco Murray's spot on the first team was a little surprising at first, considering he ranks sixth in the league in rushing, but the coaches rightfully took his receiving prowess under consideration. Murray leads all running backs with 64 receptions for 535 yards, which is a good season for any receiver, and Murray topped 1,000 yards rushing, too. The next-best running back when it came to catching passes was Oklahoma State freshman Joseph Randle, with 35 catches for 399 yards. Most of Murray and Randle's yards came on screen passes and swing passes, but those are extensions of running plays that aren't much different than pitches. Murray has accounted for 1,598 yards of offense with 19 touchdowns.
• The only unanimous selections were Oklahoma State running back Kendall Hunter and receiver Justin Blackmon, as well as Oklahoma receiver Ryan Broyles.
• Just how important is recruiting for Turner Gill? Look no further than the Jayhawks lack of a single player on the first or second teams, and just three players earned honorable mention. Worse, one of them was a kick returner and another was a punter. The other was defensive lineman Jake Laptad. Seriously, the importance of the next couple February signing days cannot be understated for Kansas.
• I'm a little surprised at Landry Jones absence on the first or second teams, especially considering his performance in conference play, but I imagine it was pretty close between him and Robert Griffin III for the final spot. Jones probably deserved a spot, but there's no doubt that Griffin is infinitely more important to his team's success. My guess is the coaches took that under consideration. We'll see how the media votes later this week.
• All in all, a pretty good set of teams. Snubs like Henery and Stewart are minor complaints, but it's not difficult to see the reasons why the guys above them were given the nod.
• Here's a few guys I didn't mention who were All-Big 12 caliber, but would be tough to argue over players who did make the team: Byron Landor, S, Baylor; Jalil Brown, CB, Colorado; Ryan Miller, OL, Colorado; A.J. Klein, LB, Iowa State; DeJon Gomes, DB, Nebraska; Keith Williams, OL, Nebraska; Andrew Gachkar, LB, Missouri; Jamell Fleming, CB, Oklahoma; Keenan Robinson, LB, Texas; Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M; Michael Hodges, LB, Texas A&M; Trent Hunter, DB, Texas A&M; Ryan Swope, WR, Texas A&M; Cody Davis, S, Texas Tech; Lyle Leong, WR, Texas Tech

Brandon Kinnie caught his second touchdown pass of the day, this one from Cody Green, and the Huskers added another on the next possession to put Nebraska up 31-3 early in the third quarter.

Rex Burkhead, a running back, threw his second touchdown pass of the day to take the four-touchdown lead.

That means the Buffaloes won't be able to lean heavily on running back Rodney Stewart, their best offensive weapon.

He'll still get plenty of touches, but quarterback Cody Hawkins is going to have to bring back the Buffs. The chances of that happening: slim.

Hawkins is 1-of-11 today, and his only completion came on a 26-yard pass on a pitch-and-passback trick play that spurred Colorado's only scoring drive.

That's no surprise against a Nebraska pass defense that entered today's game ranked No. 2. DeJon Gomes picked off Hawkins second pass of the third quarter, and Eric Hagg picked off another on his first of the next drive.

Good luck finding a team that wins a game--or is even in a game--while completing more passes to the opposing secondary than their own team.

Also notable: Colorado senior receiver Scotty McKnight has caught a pass in every game of his career, a streak of 48 consecutive games. He has been held without a catch so far today.

Nebraska fans, it's probably safe to stop worrying about having to cancel your hotel rooms in Dallas. Instead, tune into Bedlam (ABC, 8 p.m. ET) on Saturday night to learn who you'll see in Cowboys Stadium next week.

Bo Pelini is breaking out the Blackshirts early this year.

“We thought it was the right time,” Pelini told reporters on Wednesday. “It is a tradition, it's one that I believe in. You pick the time you think is right.”

Blackshirts, an honor for defensive excellence at Nebraska, don't usually come out this early in the season. But after coaches called last week's win at Washington one of the most complete games the team has played under Pelini, the honor shouldn't be too surprising.

The Huskers held Jake Locker to 4 of 20 passing for 71 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, including a pick on Locker's first pass of the day.

Here are the 12 players who'll be suiting up with black practice jerseys moving forward as first-team defenders:

• Pierre Allen, DE
• Baker Steinkuhler, DT
• Jared Crick, DT
• Cameron Meredith, DE
• Eric Martin, LB
• Lavonte David, LB
• Eric Hagg, LB/S
• Prince Amukamara, CB
• Alfonzo Dennard, CB
• DeJon Gomes, S
• Rickey Thenarse, S
• P.J. Smith, S

I'm headed to Lubbock this weekend for the second time in three weeks for Texas Tech's game against the Longhorns.

Here's how I see Week 3 shaking out:

Last week: 11-1 (.916)

Overall: 22-2 (.916)

FRIDAY

Southern Miss 20, Kansas 17 : I've still got not idea what to expect from the Jayhawks, but they'll find things a little bit harder on the road with a freshman quarterback and running back. The defense continues to play well.

SATURDAY

Kansas State 31, Iowa State 24: This one's pretty simple. Iowa State's defensive line hasn't shown much so far this year and a broken leg to starting middle linebacker Matt Tau'fo'ou doesn't sound like something that'll help them have their best performance against the best running game they've faced so far.

No. 8 Nebraska 24, Washington 13: Jake Locker is quite good. He won't look like it on Saturday, between getting chased around by Pierre Allen and Jared Crick and trying to fit his passes around cornerback Prince Amukamara and safety DeJon Gomes. Taylor Martinez struggles in the passing game, but tops 100 yards rushing again and the Blackshirts play well enough to win.

No. 7 Oklahoma 41, Air Force 20: The Sooners haven't had to leave home yet, but they'd be able to beat Air Force about anywhere. The Falcons are a good team, just not good enough to win in Norman. The triple option looks good early, but Oklahoma keys in on it for the final three quarters.


Colorado 27, Hawaii 20: For now, I'll take Tyler Hansen at his word and buy that Colorado isn't the team that showed up at Berkeley. The Buffaloes don't do it pretty, but make enough plays to win. If Colorado can't win this one, they might not win many more the rest of the season.

No. 4 TCU 34, Baylor 24: The 21-point spread for this game just seems too high. I wouldn't be surprised if Baylor pulled the upset, but TCU has superior talent and depth. If Robert Griffin gets loose early, he'll at the very least make it close at the end.

Missouri 47, San Diego State 17: Don't worry about style points, Tigers. Win convincingly against a team in the bottom half of the Mountain West, post a nice score, and the pollsters will reward you as others lose. Ryan Lindley's 300-yard games come to an end at Faurot Field.

Oklahoma State 51, Tulsa 34: This thing could turn into a shootout like last week, but Oklahoma State's defense would appreciate getting put into simpler situations after last week's turnovers helped keep Troy in the game.

Texas A&M 51, Florida International 10: Scrimmage No. 3 is over by halftime. The Aggies get 12 days off before it gets real.

No. 6 Texas 28, Texas Tech 24: I'll explain my pick in detail in a video later today.

A look back at the week that was as we hand out a few awards.

Best offensive player: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma. Jones helped Oklahoma race to a big halftime lead after throwing for 321 yards and three touchdowns in the game's first 30 minutes.

Best defensive player: DeJon Gomes, S, Nebraska. Gomes broke open the Huskers' 38-17 win over Idaho with a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown and made 10 tackles. (Honorable mention: Justin Springer, LB, Kansas -- fifteen tackles, three tackles for loss, sack.)

Best team performance: Tie, Oklahoma and Kansas. Kansas certainly lowered the bar for expectations with its first loss, but they rebounded to be one of two teams that knocked off ranked teams in Week 2. Oklahoma continued its run of dominance inside Norman city limits.

Best offensive freshman: Jordan Webb, QB, Kansas. In his first-ever start, Webb consistently moved the Jayhawks offense, completed 18-of-29 passes and threw three touchdowns to lead Kansas to a 28-25 win over Georgia Tech. (Honorable mention: James Sims, RB, Kansas.-- 17 car, 101 yards, TD. Henry Josey, RB, Missouri -- 7 car, 112 yards, 3 TD)

Best defensive freshman: Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M. Playing in relief of the banged-up Von Miller, Moore took over Texas A&M's joker position and recovered a fumble, notched two sacks, forced three more fumbles and made seven tackles.

Best play: Daymond Patterson, WR, Kansas. Patterson caught a quick hitch behind the line of scrimmage, bounced around and through 72 Georgia Tech defenders before diving across the goal line for a 32-yard touchdown that put Kansas up 28-17 early in the fourth quarter. That earned Patterson the No. 4 play on Saturday night's Sportscenter. (Honorable mention: Uzoma Nwachukwu, WR, Texas A&M, who hauled in a 44-yard Hail Mary from Jerrod Johnson on an untimed down at the end of the first half.)

Worst play: Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State. Weeden, playing with a sprained thumb, fumbled a snap with only a couple kneels standing between the Cowboys and a win. The turnover gave Troy the ball back with a three-point deficit and under a minute left.

Timeliest redemption: Justin Gent, LB, Oklahoma State. On the next play, Gent sacked Troy quarterback Corey Robinson and forced a fumble that linebacker Orie Lemon recovered to re-seal the win.

Teams we still know the least about: Tie, Texas A&M and Texas. That will end for the Longhorns on Saturday.

Worst half: Colorado. The Buffaloes fell behind 31-0 to Cal at halftime before three garbage time touchdowns in the fourth quarter produced a 52-7 final. In the first half, Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen was sacked four times and the Buffaloes nine first-half possessions produced three turnovers, four punts and a missed field goal.

Turner Gill, coach, Kansas: This sticker could have gone anywhere. Jordan Webb probably deserved it with a fantastic performance (18-of-29, 179 yards, three touchdowns) in his first career start, or true freshman James Sims, who rushed for 101 yards and a score on 17 carries. The front seven slowed Georgia Tech's Heisman hopeful, quarterback Joshua Nesbitt, to just 33 yards on 15 carries and could have gotten a sticker too. But Gill kept his team together and Kansas' eight-game losing streak has been snapped with a huge 28-25 win for the Jayhawks.

Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma: After struggling a week ago, Jones threw for 380 yards on 30-of-40 passing and four touchdowns in a dominating 47-17 win over No. 17 Florida State. Here's what I wrote about his day.

Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M: Moore spent his day trying to replace a limited Von Miller. The true freshman couldn't have delivered a more impressive day in a 48-16 win over Louisiana Tech. He recovered a fumble, notched two sacks, forced three more fumbles, and made seven tackles. The 6-foot-4, 248-pounder looks like a budding star for the Aggies defense.

Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State: Blackmon further staked his claim as Brandon Weeden's No. 1 option in the Cowboys' offense, catching 10 balls for 132 yards and two touchdowns in Oklahoma State's 41-38 win over Troy. Saturday night's performance gives him 18 catches for 257 yards and five touchdowns on the year.

DeJon Gomes, S, Nebraska: The Blackshirts were full of big plays in a 38-17 win over Idaho: five interceptions, two for touchdowns, and seven sacks. But Gomes made the day's biggest play of the game when he intercepted Idaho's Nathan Enderle, a Nebraska native, and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown. Eight of his 10 tackles also came in the first half while Nebraska raced to a 31-3 halftime lead with a 28-point second quarter. Gomes and safety Rickey Thenarse each recorded their first career touchdown after returning interceptions in the second quarter.

Knowing they couldn't hang with Nebraska on the line of scrimmage, I figured Idaho would try to throw it around a little bit, a move that would get them in trouble against a talented and opportunistic Huskers secondary that is among the nation's best.

That's been the case in the second quarter, as Husker defensive backs DeJon Gomes and Rickey Thenarse have intercepted Idaho's Nathan Enderle and returned both for touchdowns to put the Huskers up 31-3 at halftime.

The Vandals won't be coming back from that.

The Huskers could use a few of those plays from the secondary when they meet up with Jake Locker and Washington next week.

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit has revealed the candidates for his Herbie Awards, and plenty of Big 12 talent has made the cut. Here's who you can vote for what:

Vote for part I

Vote for part II

PART I

Biggest Hitter

• Ronnell Lewis, LB, Oklahoma

Lewis is going up against Notre Dame's Mantei Te'o and Jay Valai and Washington, but if he unleashes a few more hits like he did against Stanford, there might not be a debate at year's end.

Comeback Player of the Year

• Robert Griffin, QB, Baylor

Sorry, RG3. Mark Herzlich has found his way into this category. If he doesn't win, there is something wrong with the world.

Most Instinctive Player

• DeJon Gomes, S, Nebraska

Subjective? Sure. But Nebraska fans will surely turn out in droves to try and vote Gomes as the winner over Ross Homan at Ohio State and Scott Lutrus at Connecticut.

PART II

Most Explosive Player

• DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma

Injuries have taken away some of the explosiveness Murray showed as a freshman, but he's still pretty good. Tough to see him unseating Noel Devine in this category.

I do not enjoy watching the television show Friday Night Lights. Sorry, TMQ.

• Iowa State defensive back David Sims' status is unclear after an "incident" the team says it's looking into, reports Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register. Here's more on Sims from earlier this summer.
• Oklahoma State's football program needs to keep progressing in the near future to ensure its long-term future, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman.
• Texas Tech says it's officially sold a record number of season tickets for the upcoming season.
• Eddie Middlebrook at Fox Sports Southwest ranks the Big 12 running backs.
• Cody Green and DeJon Gomes were among a handful of Huskers who played in the All-Star flag football game at the Special Olympics National Games earlier this week, writes Brian Rosenthal of the Lincoln Journal Star.
• Former Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson signed with the New England Patriots after being drafted by the team in the seventh round.
• Give Vince Young his Heisman, writes Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman.

Happy Friday.

Here are some of the better letters and e-mails I got this week.

Jeff Campbell from Shakopee, Minn., writes: Tim, I read your blog every day. Thanks for keeping me informed on all things Big 12. It is tough being up here in Big Ten country and being so far away from home. You recently posted your bowl game picks and asked what we thought so I thought I would share my picks. They are similar to yours. I like Texas Tech, Missouri, Oklahoma, Iowa State and Texas all to win. I think Texas A&M will lose, and so will Nebraska as long as Arizona can score one touchdown. But I think Oklahoma State will get it done. I just don't think Ole Miss is that good. That would put Big 12's record at 6-2. However this year of college football has been crazy so I wouldn't be shocked if we went 3-5.

Tim Griffin: Jeff, I agree with you on how tight the bowls could be. I think the pivotal games for the Big 12 are Iowa State and Texas. If those teams can spring moderate upsets, the conference will have a good shot at a .500 record or even better.

I think Oklahoma State will have some problems with Mississippi’s physical offensive and defensive lines. They were soundly beaten in the trenches against Oklahoma. If that serves as an inspiration and can turn into something that unifies them, they might have a shot at an upset.

But to be honest, I haven’t filled my bowl sheets, yet. I could see the Big 12 winning anywhere from two to six games. You can find my picks at this link.

Jim from Grand Junction, Colo., writes: Tim: I know you could include only so many, but you missed Nebraska’s Dejon Gomes in your list of under-the-radar players. He's truly outstanding and will shine even more next year.

Tim Griffin: Jim, I labored for a long time in getting my list together and to a representative 15 players. Gomes was one of the players I considered. The interception he had against Colt McCoy in the Big 12 title game was a fantastic athletic play. But I only had room for so many players and I thought my three Nebraska defensive players on the list was pretty representative of the growth that Bo Pelini and Carl Pelini fashioned this season.

Ralph Coy from Junction City, Kan., writes: Tim, what about another sleeper Heisman candidate from the Big 12 in the form of Daniel Thomas from Kansas State. He is a big physical back that in just one year under Coach Snyder's system was first-team all-Big 12. I really think he is poised for a breakout season next year because KSU’s offensive line will have another year to be coached by Charles Dickey and the overall talent level of the team will be much improved especially at the quarterback position with the transfer of Chris Harper and the arrival of Samuel Lamur. What are your thoughts?

Tim Griffin: Ralph, I agree that Thomas could develop into one of the nation’s best running backs if he builds on his strong junior season. Remember, he came to Kansas State expecting to play quarterback. I think his development was one of the key reasons the Wildcats were 6-6 season and contending for the Big 12 North title for as long as they did.

The arrival of the two new quarterbacks might result in a more multi-faceted offensive attack in which the Wildcats don’t rely as much on Thomas. But I think he comes into the upcoming season clearly as the biggest offensive weapon in the Wildcats’ arsenal.

David Correa of Dallas writes: I have to say the Baylor bashing from the readers is getting pretty old. I kept laughing to myself as I read the comments on realignment if the Big Ten were to poach a Big 12 school. With people saying ditch the Bears for TCU, SMU or Houston. As a Baylor fan and alum, I know we are not going anywhere. We have the right football coach, the facilities and the desire to succeed in football, and we are more than just competitive in all other sports.

Most private schools in other conferences cannot say that. Can you please explain to the readers the challenges that any private school would be facing joining this conference? The candidates the readers mention do not have the facilities we do, and they are currently not facing the level of competition we face at Baylor in all sports. Please, enlighten the masses.

Tim Griffin: Baylor does face some unique challenges in trying to compete against the public schools that make up the Big 12. I would think any of those other schools you mentioned would similarly battle to be competitive, particularly in the Big 12’s South Division.

I would argue that SMU has a better football stadium than Baylor and TCU is trying to narrow the gap after the Horned Frogs’ recent success. But none of them face the current challenges of all those teams in the South Division that Baylor faces on a daily bases. All of those other schools are pumping millions into their football facilities.

Steve Robinson of Floydada, Texas, writes: Tim, why do you think that Texas Tech is going to roll over Michigan State. Is it all the suspensions they have had or it something else?

Tim Griffin: The Michigan State suspensions are part of the reason, but I think the Valero Alamo Bowl matchup was a bad one for the Spartans even before their personnel losses.

Michigan State has one of the nation’s worst pass defenses. The Spartans rank 103rd nationally (251.6 yards per game) and 96th in pass efficiency defense. So it was going to be a struggle for them anyway.

It could be either Taylor Potts or Steven Sheffield. But I’m thinking that whoever plays quarterback for the Red Raiders should like facing the Spartans at the Alamodome.

And also, remember how fast Tech plays on artificial turf. Playing inside at the dome should be another benefit for the Red Raiders.

The Heisman Trophy balloting was tougher than I can ever remember it being.

I labored long and pondered my vote for several days before I finally made it late Monday afternoon.

Voting for Colt McCoy isn’t an easy decision and after reading countless e-mails and letters this week assuredly wasn’t a popular one. But I think it’s the right one for a lot of good reasons.

Like an electorate that is swayed by the last thing they hear at a debate, I fear that some of my fellow voters and most fans across the country put too much importance on what happened in the most recent game. I don't think they considered the body of work for a season.

McCoy was intercepted three times in a tight 13-12 victory over Nebraska. One of the picks was tipped at the line of scrimmage. Another one was snatched by DeJon Gomes on an outstanding athletic play were he ripped it away from a Texas receiver.

I don’t think it was McCoy’s fault that he was sacked nine times against Nebraska. Instead, it was most indicative of playing behind the weakest offensive line he's had during his career.

But in the end, McCoy persevered to take his team to the conference championship and advance to the national championship game. Detractors talk about how he disappeared in that Nebraska game. I actually look at the toughness he showed to engineer his team to its biggest victory during the time he has been Texas’ quarterback -- despite the fierce pounding he took.

And other Heisman finalists struggled through bad games this season as well.

Mark Ingram produced 30 yards against Auburn -- a defense that was ranked 80th nationally in rush defense. Earlier in the season, he rushed for 50 yards against Arkansas's defense, which finished 68th in rush defense.

I also hear from some of my friends that cover the Southeastern Conference that other backs on Alabama’s team could have done the same thing as Ingram if they had gotten the opportunity.

People talk about the Heisman not being a career award and how previous years shouldn’t matter.

But I think Colt McCoy did enough this season to take his team to the brink of the national championship. On top of becoming the winningest quarterback in FBS history with a 45-7 career won-loss record.

That statistic resonates in a year where one candidate doesn’t stand out to me.

Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh had phenomenal individual numbers. But I still can’t get away from the biggest statistic in my mind: 9-4. As in Nebraska’s won-loss record.

Suh also had a few clunkers thrown in as well. There was the game against Texas Tech when he had four tackles and no sacks in a 21-point loss to the Red Raiders. He had four tackles and no sacks against Oklahoma. And three tackles and no sacks against Kansas.

It’s also likely that Suh played as a part of one of the great defensive lines in Big 12 history. Jared Crick set a school record for sacks against Baylor. Barry Turner was an underrated defensive end who repeatedly beat Adam Ulatoski last week. Pierre Allen had his moments as well.

The argument could be made that those opponents schemed to take him away from the game. But shouldn’t a Heisman Award candidate be able to overcome those offense plans, particularly playing with as strong a defensive front as the Cornhuskers had this season?

The top individual statistics belong to Stanford running back Toby Gerhart, who rushed for 1,736 yards and 26 touchdowns. But his numbers were swollen by playing six teams with rushing defenses ranked 60th or worst, including a 205-yard season-ending effort against a Notre Dame defense that ranked 90th in rush defense this season.

But Gerhart rushed for 82 yards in a loss against a Wake Forest team that was 5-7 and ranked 82nd in run defense. He also rushed for 96 yards in a loss against Oregon State. The Cardinal were 8-4.

I’m not here to belittle the other candidates, but merely to show that all of them had their failings over the course of the season. They all struggled through games that weren’t as good as their best.

And in the end, there’s something to be said about a quarterback who took his undefeated team to the national championship game while completing 70 percent of his passes. He had the biggest single rushing game and the longest rushing play of the season for a team that had no backs that rushed for more than 520 yards.

McCoy had one consistent receiver and an offensive line -- at least if Saturday night’s performance is an indicator --that left a lot to be desired.

One Heisman moment for him came on that 65-yard touchdown sprint through the Texas A&M defense.

But another one came six games earlier after one of his biggest disappointments.

After McCoy had thrown a fourth-quarter interception in the red zone, he made a crunching form tackle that saved many yards on a return and likely saved the Longhorns’ 16-13 victory over the Sooners.

A play like that showed me more than any mere statistic could have.

I voted McCoy for first place, Suh at second place and Gerhart at third.

I think it’s the right vote.

But because of the late interest, I’m more interested in this Heisman balloting than any I can remember in a long time.

It ought to be fun Saturday night.

Heisman Trophy ballots are due today. I know because I got a call during the middle of the BCS selection show at my home last night reminding me.

Talk about the perfect time to catch a sportswriter at home. The Heisman Trust must be taking clues from the best telemarketers around.

My Heisman ballot is still sitting in front of me. I have until 5 p.m. this afternoon to make a vote which might be the most difficult in my 12 years as a voter.

After last week’s game at Texas A&M, I was ready to vote Colt McCoy by acclimation. Watching him pass and run through that weak Aggie defense convinced me he was the most worthy candidate.

Even after watching big games by Toby Gerhart, C.J. Spiller and the rest, I was ready to vote for McCoy.

But after watching the games on Saturday, I was glad I held off.

After watching McCoy struggle through his worst game of the season it gave me pause on whether to vote for him. After throwing three interceptions and being sacked nine times, it wasn’t the most robust of all Heisman statements.

Some of the sacks were cheap ones when he was stopped a yard or two behind the line after scrambling. His first interception was tipped and the third interception came after Dejon Gomes wrestled the ball away from the Texas receiver on the play.

Obviously, if there was something that awarded lifetime achievement in college football, McCoy would be an easy choice. He’s the Peyton Manning of this era, a player who has accomplished alot. But the Heisman rewards just this season, and that’s where the rub is.

Ndamukong Suh was a one-man demolition crew in the Big 12 title game, racking up 4.5 sacks and a team-high 12 tackles. He’s been the best defensive player I’ve seen over the course of any Big 12 season. He reminds me of when Reggie White is at the highest of levels.

Gerhart has brought the run back at Stanford in a traditionally pass-heavy conference. I wish I could vote after watching him play Oklahoma’s solid run defense to give me an idea of what he could do against a known commodity in my mind. But he’s had a spectacularly strong season.

Spiller makes me gasp with his talents as a runner, receiver and returner. He makes the Atlantic Coast football games must-see television to me.

And Mark Ingram had a huge game for Alabama in the SEC championship game, helping power the Crimson Tide to the title with his running and catching abilities.

I’ve never waited until the last day like this to make my final pick on the Heisman. But this is undoubtedly the most difficult choice I’ve had.

I’ve got until 5 p.m. ET to make my final decision. I’ll probably use every minute I can.