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We're back again, and thanks to all of you who wrote in. The response to these posts has been astounding. We can't run anything close to the total number of e-mails sent in. For that, we say thanks. If you missed our past entries, here you go:

The Big 12 guides to:

• West Virginia's home turf
• TCU's home turf
• Baylor's home turf

Without further ado, here's a guide to Ames, Iowa, from the Cyclones fans who know the place best.

Vince in Ames wrote: When visiting Ames you HAVE to go to Hickory Park. It is a must! Very cheap and very good food. (I get a bacon cheeseburger w/fries for $5-6.)If you your walking around late at night around Welch (the bar district) make sure you get a Super Dog. It is honestly the best thing ever. Other good restaurants are Battles Bar-Que, Old Main Brewing Company and El Azteca. Tailgating is also pretty good around Jack Trice, with many people getting their Friday morning and staying until Sunday afternoon. Walk around our tailgates and you'll meet genuinely nice people. We're excited your joining the Big XII so let's have a good season!

Ben in Kansas City wrote: A lot of people will mention Hickory Park, and it's definitely good, but, if you want the real best BBQ in Ames you have to go to Battle's BBQ on Welch Ave. For pizza I would recommend Great Plains Sauce and Dough Co. Get the Denver Style crust and honey for dipping. Football gameday: Start with 5 AM chili and beer at Tip Top Lounge then head over for some of the best tailgating in the Big 12. Going several years without good football has allowed ISU fans to focus entirely on perfecting the tailgating scene. Lots G2 and G3 will show you the wildest time but get there early and practice up on your beer pong and flip cup.

David in Kansas City wrote: In regards to wanting to know what to do in Ames, people need to go to the corner of Welch Avenue and Chamberlain Street after dark to have a Superdog from the hot dog stand there. It is a beef hotdog with ketchup, mustard, pineapple sauce, cilantro garlic sauce, crushed chips, bacon, and Monterrey Jack cheese melted on top. It sounds strange but it is delicious.

Zach in Ames wrote: If you want to try some unique burgers, a new burger kitchen opened up on the north side of town the last few months.Oddfellows Burger Kitchen offers some crazy new combinations of burgers that you'd never think of; my personal favorite is the Grilled Cheese Burger (two burger patties w/ bacon & cheese using two grilled cheese sandwiches as the buns).The Oddfellow burger uses two glazed donuts. And their signature Oddfellow drink is a blue drink served in a quart-sized Mason Jar.Decked out in a collection of knick-knacks on the walls, Oddfellows is definitely a place to check out. The website has plenty of pictures to back up my claims too.

My take: I've never heard of this Superdog until all of you e-mailed about it, and I'd only sort of heard of Oddfellows. One of my favorite restaurants in Dallas is coincidentally also named Oddfellows. These will both go on my to-do list for my next visit to Ames.

Travis in Ames wrote: In Ames, it is a must to stop at Hickory Park. You can get a great burger or sandwich for around $5 or some even better BBQ for $10-$15. I'm not sure if there is anything over $15.Tailgating is a great atmosphere around Jack Trice. The student lot is isolated from the donor lots so no need to worry about being harrased by drunk students. I can't say this about all tailgaters, but most are welcoming and willing to talk and shoot the breeze before/after the game. It never matters on how many people are attend the game, there are always just as many people still in the lots. Campustown (Welch Ave.) is pretty much ran by students, so enter at your own risk. Main Street as some nice little bars and restaurants, especially Olde Main Brewery. They always have at least 6 of their own brews on tap and maybe more depending on season.

Marlin Cone in Kansas City wrote: Welcome to TCU & WVU fans:We're glad to have you replace the two turncoats, one of which touted their "Code of Honor" and proceeded to violate it in the manner they exited the B12! We look forward to hosting you on your visits to Ames. The tailgating before FB games is one of the very best in NCAA FB, usually starting 4-5 hours prior to the game and lasting 1-2 hours afterwards. Out athletics complexes (FB, BB, etc.) are situated on both ends of a very large parking lot with additional facilities on the perimeter as well (concert hall, theater, continuing education, alumni offices). It is easy to get into and out of and I am sure you will find the fans to be very friendly and welcoming to you.

Charlie in Des Moines, Iowa wrote: Black Market Pizza is a must for game day food. They have some wild pizzas, but they are perfect pregame food. I heard about them from Man vs. Food and now I spend every Saturday during the football season there.

Mark in Dallas wrote: When examining things to do in Ames, Iowa, you have to realize that ISU is going to be in the same category as Oklahoma State and Kansas State...Ames is about 60,000 and probably half of that number has direct ties to the university. Of course the signature restaurant is Ames is Hickory Park. But if you want something different, I'd go to El Azteca for Mexican or Valentino's for some pizza.Right next to the football stadium is Reiman Gardens. It's really pretty impressive and worth seeing at least once.ISU is continually on different lists as having one of the most beautiful college campuses, so it's worth going for a walk around the campus. There are a couple small museums and an art collection on campus if you're into that sort of thing. Going for a stroll around Lake LaVerne is always fun too if you have some extra time.For the disc golfers, there is an amazing course near the football stadium. And if you're looking to do something outside the box, you can head to a corn maze just outside of town in the fall.Finally, Jack Trice Stadium has one of the best tailgating atmospheres. Before you head into the game after tailgating, be sure to check out the statue and story of Jack Trice. One of the most underrated and underpublicized stories in all college football.

Andrew Schramm in Iowa City wrote: Ames, Iowa is one of the best, and I can say that with even more confidence now that I live in the home of the rivals, Iowa City. I can't go to Ames without visiting The Cafe on the north side. Ubbs, eat there once and you won't want food from anywhere else. Also, check out the Maintenance Shop in the basement of the Memorial Union--best concert venue in Iowa. Other than that, Hilton Magic is something to behold and when we pack the Jack, look out.

Greg Bal in Iowa City wrote: Stomping Grounds is the best outdoor place to hang out with good beer/wine and food. It's walking distance from the athletic stadiums and has a large outdoor well-shaded patio. Very casual and great for either before or after games. Food is inspired by the owners' trip to Paris.

Bret Larsen in Johnston, Iowa wrote: Honestly Ames, Iowa has the best tailgating in the Big 12. Tons and tons of open space, pretty lax rules, fun down-to earth people who just want to have a good time and watch football. Ames isn't going to overwhelm you with what it has to offer before or after the game but there is definitely something for everybody and the best part is you won't have to wait in long lines or spend an arm and a leg to have a good time. Welch Avenue is the spot for all the college age kids. It has the best line-up of food for after the bar (super dogs, gyros, fajitas, pizza, tacos, breakfast, etc.) Main Street is the spot for the older folks with tons of nice townie bars and good food options. One thing Ames lacks is a really good place to watch a game so I would suggest going to the game (its never hard to get a ticket, they usually almost give away the hillside tickets) or at least making your way to the tailgating lot and finding someone with at tv. Just don't be a douche and you will be welcome pretty much anywhere in Ames (unless your a Hawk fan).

Did the ISU fans leave anything out? Feel free to fill us in with a visit to the comments on this post. Thanks again, folks. This series has been really, really fun, and we're not even close to finished.

Editor’s Note: To see our expert picks for each of the nation’s 12 top conferences, click here. To cast your vote in these races, visit SportsNation.

A quick look at the player and coach of the year races in the Big 12:

Player of the year

Thomas Robinson is battling Kentucky’s Anthony Davis for national player of the year honors, so it’s logical to assume the 6-foot-9 forward is a shoo-in for the Big 12 award, right? Robinson averages team-high 17.8 points and ranks second in the country with 11.8 rebounds per game. He’s tallied 21 double-doubles and, in the most important game of the year, Robinson had a game-tying 3-point play and a game-saving block to help KU defeat Missouri in overtime Saturday.

Still, if you’re basing this award solely on performance in conference games, Robinson’s teammate Tyshawn Taylor is the better choice. Taylor leads the team with 18.4 points a game against Big 12 opponents, and he’s shooting 50.4 percent from the field. More importantly, Taylor’s leadership -- both vocally and by example -- helped set the tone for the Jayhawks en route to their eighth straight Big 12 title.

He’s scored 20 or more points eight times in the Big 12 and has raised his season scoring average from 9.3 points as a junior to 17.1 points this season. Taylor still has issues with turnovers, although the situation isn’t nearly as bad as it was in November and December. No major college point guard in America has been as good as Taylor since the turn of the new year.

That being said, I think the player of the year award should encompass the entire season, so for that reason I’m going with Robinson, who is also my pick for national player of the year.

Coach of the year

There are three worthy candidates.

Kansas’ Bill Self is the mastermind behind one of the greatest streaks in all of college sports. Winning eight straight league titles in a major conference such as the Big 12 is simply unheard of. UCLA won 13 straight conference championships from 1967-79, but that was when players were staying in school all four years. No power conference team since then has won as many consecutive titles as the Jayhawks. This year Self managed the feat despite losing four starters and six of its top eight scorers from last year’s Elite Eight team. While other major programs experience down years or rebuilding years from time to time, there has been no slippage at Kansas under Self.

Missouri’s Frank Haith is another strong candidate and would’ve been the easy pick had the Tigers won at least a share of the Big 12 championship. Missouri is a Final Four-caliber team, and Haith is one of the main reasons. This squad is playing with much more structure than it has in the past and takes tremendous pride in sharing the ball. The result has been a shooting percentage (49.7) that ranks third in nation. The mental toughness the Tigers showed in a deafening environment at Allen Fieldhouse Saturday said volumes about Haith and the culture he’s helped create.

Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg should also be considered. The Cyclones will finish third or fourth in the Big 12 after going just 3-13 last season.

My vote is for Self.

SoonerNation covers Oklahoma's 26-6 victory over Iowa State:

Injury-riddled Sooners must rely on Landry Jones in Bedlam: Heading into Bedlam last year, some wondered whether Oklahoma could win in Stillwater with Landry Jones as its quarterback. Only because of Jones does OU have a shot to knock off Oklahoma State this time around.

Oklahoma seniors play final home game: Receiver Dejuan Miller, OU seniors go out in style in their final home game. But there’s still one more regular-season game left.

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy talks about his team’s 37-31 double-overtime loss to Iowa State.

Texas led the Big 12 and ranked fourth in the nation with an average attendance of 101,175 during the 2009 season.

The NCAA released football attendance figures today, which you can review here.

The Big 12 ranked third among BCS conferences in attendance with an average of 62,875.

The SEC was No. 1 (76,288) and the Big Ten was second (71,769).

Five Big 12 teams ranked in the top 30: No. 10 Nebraska, No. 12 Oklahoma, No. 16 Texas A&M and No. 28 Missouri.

Three Big 12 teams produced top-30 attendance increases from 2008 to 2009: Oklahoma State (up 5,458, ninth-best increase); Texas (up 3,129, 17th best); and Baylor (up 2,182, 26th best).

Here are the Big 12 figures:

Texas... 101,175
Nebraska... 85,888
Oklahoma... 84,778
Texas A&M... 76,800
Missouri... 64,120
Oklahoma State... 53,719
Kansas... 50,581
Texas Tech... 50,249
Colorado... 50,088
Kansas State... 46,763
Iowa State... 46,242
Baylor... 36,306

Happy Monday. What's happening in the Big 12?

• Colorado has signed a safety from New Jersey, a 22nd member to its recruiting class. The best news is his name isn't "Snooki." Former running back Darrell Scott is considering a return.
• Kansas stars from different eras are teaming up.
• Missouri will open a Touchdown Terrace this fall.
• Why did Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson and coach Bo Pelini meet with athletic director Tom Osborne and former offensive line coach Milt Tenopir? And a Tom Shatel column on the matter.
• Oklahoma is hoping big things come in small packages at running back.
• What's the draft scuttlebutt on a couple of prospects late of Oklahoma State?
• Is Texas really part of the Big Ten's expansion plans? Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds thinks the Big 12 should play nine conference games instead of eight. He's not as keen on making conference revenue sharing equal because the Longhorns get a larger slice of the pie.
• Texas A&M is hoping for its special teams to be more special.
• By the way, where the heck is Mike Leach these days? And, with him gone, what will the Red Raiders' offense look like in 2010?

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin Want to impress your friends with some arcane Big 12 trivia? Have I got a couple of links for you.  How long has it been since Iowa State returned a kickoff for a touchdown in a home game? The correct answer would be nearly 33 years. The last time an Iowa State player thrilled the home crowd with a touchdown kickoff return was Luther Blue's 95-yarder against Nebraska on Nov. 13, 1976. As of Monday, that streak stretches 11,972 days. The chances that streak could be broken are good this season, considerting that Leonard Johnson is back returning kicks for Iowa State. If he can take one to the house against North Dakota State in the Sept. 3 opener or early in the season, the Cyclones could break the streak before it reaches 12,000 days. "What Leonard did as a kick returner last year encourages you," Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads told the Des Moines Register. "Special teams have the ability to win or lose football games. "Having Leonard back there certainly gives us a chance to advance the program in that regard." Considering Rhoads was only 9 years old the last time a Cyclone broke a kickoff at Jack Trice Stadium, I'm sure he thinks it was too waaaaay too long. Oklahoma has never won a game on a last-second field goal during the Bob Stoops coaching tenure at the school. Stoops' 133-game Oklahoma coaching history has been marked by only five games that were decided late in the game on kicks, according to the Oklahoman. Here's a list of those last-second games for Stoops' teams. Sept. 29, 2007: Colorado 27, Oklahoma 24 Colorado's Kevin Eberhart hits a 45-yarder as time expired in Boulder to stun the No. 3 Sooners. Sept. 16, 2006: Oregon 34, Oklahoma 33 Garrett Hartley's 44-yard kick on the final play of the game is blocked, preserving Oregon's controversial victory over the Sooners. Oct. 30, 2004: Oklahoma 38, Oklahoma State 35 Oklahoma State's Jason Ricks misses a 49-yarder wide left with 11 seconds left that would have sent 2004's Bedlam game into overtime. Dec. 2, 2000: Oklahoma 27, Kansas State 24 (Big 12 title game) Tim Duncan's second field goal of the game, a 46-yarder with 1:25 left, provided Oklahoma with the winning points for Stoops' first Big 12 title. The kick gave the Sooners a 10-point lead and Kansas State scored a touchdown in the game's final seconds.    Dec. 31, 1999: Mississippi 27, Oklahoma 25 (Independence Bowl) Mississippi kicker Les Binkley hits a 39-yarder to beat the Sooners on the final play in the last game of the century. Stoops hasn't had to rely on the pixie dust of "Sooner Magic," yet. But I'm sure he's hoping to be able to conjure up the mystical potion when he needs it, just like his Oklahoma coaching predecessors before him.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin There was an outstanding piece of research that appeared over the weekend in the Altoona (Pa.) Mirror that set out to ascertain a question that has been vexing over the years. Namely, which college deserves the title of "Quarterback U" for its proficiency in producing college players who eventually started games in the NFL? The findings were very interesting, particularly in terms of which schools have produced starting NFL quarterbacks and which ones have not in the modern era, starting with the 1966 season. Purdue earns an argument in the "Quarterback U" debate because its alums have started more NFL games (704) than any other school. Also, Purdue is the only school to have four quarterbacks start at least 100 games (Jim Everett, Len Dawson, Drew Brees and Bob Griese). USC leads the list with 15 quarterbacks who have started at least one game, followed by Notre Dame (13) and Washington (12). The Big 12, with its previous tradition of ground-based offenses in the old Big Eight and Southwest conferences, struggles mightily in this comparison. Here's the list of Big 12 schools and their starting quarterbacks. In a way, the numbers are a little skewed because it credits the starts of former college quarterbacks like Colorado's Kordell Stewart and Missouri's Brad Smith. Both have gone on to pro careers at positions other than quarterback. Here's how the Altoona Mirror stacks up the Big 12 programs in terms of starting quarterbacks and NFL starts. Kansas State (249 games, four starters): Steve Grogan 135, Lynn Dickey 111, Dennis Morrison 2, Dan Manucci 1. Kansas (190 games, three starters): John Hadl 135, Bobby Douglass 53, Frank Seurer 2. Colorado (95 games, two starters): Kordell Stewart 87, Koy Detmer 8. Nebraska (79 games, six starters): Vince Ferragamo 53, Jerry Tagge 12, Bruce Mathison 9, Dennis Claridge 3, David Humm 1, Terry Luck 1. Iowa State (52 games, four starters): David Archer 23, Sage Rosenfels 12, Seneca Wallace 12, Tim Van Galder 5. Texas Tech (47 games, one starter): Billy Joe Tolliver 47. Baylor (45 games, five starters): Cody Carlson 19, Don Trull 15, Buddy Humphrey 5, Cotton Davidson 4, Brad Goebel 2. Texas (44 games, two starters): Vince Young 29, Chris Simms 15. Missouri (18 games, three starters): Brad Smith 13, Steve Pisarkiewicz 4, Gary Lane 1. Texas A&M (16 games, three starters): Edd Hargett 7, Gary Kubiak 5, Bucky Richardson 4. Oklahoma State (14 games, one starter): Rusty Hilger 14. Oklahoma (no games, no starters). The study also credits a quarterback with where he finished school rather than started. So, Troy Aikman is considered to have attended UCLA rather than Oklahoma. As the story points out, it's interesting that a Division II program like Texas A&M-Commerce has been able to turn out three starters -- more than traditional powers Texas and Oklahoma combined. The Big 12's recent ascension as the nation's foremost passing conference will help change these statistics quickly in a few years. Because I'm thinking quarterbacks like Josh Freeman, Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, Robert Griffin and maybe even Austen Arnaud or Zac Robinson will get their shot in the NFL one of these days.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

As promised, here are a few tidbits about the Big 12 teams that were ranked in the preseason Associated Press poll released earlier today.

Texas: Ranked at No.2, the Longhorns return to the top 10 after starting the season No. 11 last season. It's the Longhorns highest ranking since starting the 2005 season in the second slot. As all Longhorns' fans remember, that was the last time that Texas won the national championship.

Texas' 2009 ranking also represents the ninth time in the last 10 seasons that Texas started the season in the top 10. And it also extends the Longhorns' current streak of being ranked in preseason polls to 11 -- longest in school history.

Oklahoma: The Sooners' No. 3 ranking is their highest in the preseason since checking in at No. 2 in 2004. It's also their ninth-straight season in the preseason top 10. The last time the Sooners weren't in the top 10 in the preseason was in 2000, when they were 19th. And as all Sooner fans remember, that was the season they won their last national championship.

Oklahoma State: Tied for ninth with Penn State, the Cowboys have their highest preseason ranking in school history. Their previous high came in 1985 when they were ranked 16th. It is the first time the Cowboys have been ranked in the preseason since 2003.

Nebraska: Checking in at No. 24, the Cornhuskers are ranked in the poll for the first time since 2007, when they were ranked 20th. The Cornhuskers had a record among Big 12 teams with a string of 33-straight seasons when they were ranked in the preseason top 25 from 1970 through 2002.

Kansas: The Jayhawks are ranked No. 25, marking the second-straight season they have been ranked to start the season. It marks the first time in school history that Kansas has been ranked in the preseason in back-to-back seasons.

And here's a list I came up with for Big 12 teams and the last time they were ranked in the preseason AP poll, or their streak of consecutive AP preseason rankings:

• Texas: 11 straight rankings
• Oklahoma: 10 straight rankings
• Kansas: 2 straight rankings
• Nebraska: 1 straight ranking
• Oklahoma State: 1 straight ranking
• Missouri: Last ranked in 2008 preseason poll
• Texas Tech: Last ranked in 2008 preseason poll
• Texas A&M: Last ranked in 2007 preseason poll
• Kansas State: Last ranked in 2004 preseason poll
• Colorado: Last ranked in 2002 preseason poll
• Baylor: Last ranked in 1986 preseason poll
• Iowa State: Last ranked in 1978 preseason poll
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

I came across an interesting story in Forbes Magazine that provided rankings for the nation's best 600 colleges.

Using methodology developed and compiled by Forbes and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, they came up with a ranking that placed the United States Military Academy at West Point as the nation's top school.

All of the Big 12 schools were ranked among the 600 after using a complex formula that would make developers of the BCS nod their heads in agreement.

Forbes' study was based on three factors: the quality of the education that schools provide, the experience of the students and how much they achieve.

The study indicated it wanted to gauge how a school met its students' needs. In doing that it used a complex methodology that included 25% of the rankings on 4 million student evaluations of courses and instructors, as recorded on the Web site RateMyProfessors.com. Another 25% was based on post-graduate success, equally determined by enrollment-adjusted entries in Who's Who in America, and by the average salaries of graduates reported by Payscale.com.

An additional 20% of the score was based on the estimated average student debt after four years. One-sixth of the rankings are based on four-year college graduation rates -- half of that is the actual graduation rate, the other half the gap between the average rate and a predicted rate based on characteristics of the school.

The final component is based on the number of students or faculty, adjusted for enrollment, who have won nationally competitive awards like Rhodes Scholarships or Nobel Prizes.

See, I told you the BCS organizers don't have anything to be ashamed of when they talk about quartiles and matrices.

Here are the rankings for the Big 12 schools by Forbes, along with estimated per-year costs and freshman class-size listed for each Big 12 school.

Rankings School Rank Cost Freshman class size Texas 174 $21,912 6,718 Colorado 187 $23,261 5,863 Texas A&M 190 $18,895 8,093 Texas Tech 292 $17,405 4,385 Missouri 374 $20,477 5,782 Oklahoma 379 $20,348 3,803 Oklahoma State 401 $18,833 3,073 Kansas 425 $18,446 4,483 Nebraska 463 $17,662 4,200 Kansas State 480 $17,712 3,761 Baylor 483 $39,276 3,761 Iowa State 587 $17,700 4,546

I thought these were some interesting figures that measured some variables that traditionally aren't employed in many of these best college rankings.

So what about the rankings? Is your school as fairly judged in a business magazine as it is on the sports pages? 

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Friday is finally here.

And so are some links to get you primed for the weekend.

Enjoy them and be safe. Two weeks and counting to the season. We want all of you accounted for to enjoy the openers across the conference.

• No misprint here. The Lubbock Avalanche Journal's Don Williams reports how the Texas Tech offense was shut out by its defense at Thursday's scrimmage.
• The San Antonio Express-News' Brent Zwerneman reports that several sons of former professional athletes will be Texas A&M team members this season.
• The Lincoln Journal-Star's Steve Sipple ranks Art Briles and Mark Mangino among his five most underrated coaches and Dan Hawkins among his five most overrated.
• The Waco Tribune Herald's John Werner writes about how former skill-position players are dotting Baylor's defensive unit.
• Kansas will add a new scoreboard at Memorial Stadium in 2010 and is exploring adding club seating on the east side of the facility, the Lawrence Journal-World's Dugan Arnett reports.
• Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen told the Boulder Daily Camera's Kyle Ringo that the competition for the Buffaloes' starting quarterback job remains close.
• Iowa State quarterback Austen Arnaud is diligently trying to stay away from turnovers and sacks in Tom Herman's new spread passing offense, the Ames Tribune's Bobby La Gesse reports.
• Pete Myerberg of the New York Times' blog "The Quad" ranks Oklahoma State No. 15 in his national poll countdown. 
• New Kansas State offensive line coach Charlie Dickey is the only member of Bill Snyder's staff without previous coaching ties to him, the Topeka Capital-Journal's Kevin Haskin reports.
• The Oklahoman's David Ubben wonders if injury-prone Oklahoma wide receiver Adron "Pooh" Tennell is finally ready to emerge in his senior season.
• The Dallas Morning News' Chuck Carlton writes about the factors that are considered when setting a non-conference schedule.
• The gang at the Kansas City Star's intriguing analytical blog "Upon Further Review" wonders whatever happened to the rushing games across the Big 12.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- There's his new body, rippled with muscles and more than 20 pounds heavier than last season.

A year of dedicated work with the Aggies' strength staff has emboldened Cyrus Gray's confidence.

But as much as anything else, the Texas A&M sophomore running back said the total makeover of his running style came after he took a critical look at his freshman season and determined specific areas that needed to be enhanced.

"I really made a major effort this summer to change my running style," Gray said. "I watched a lot of film and after last season I saw how I wasn't decisive on my cuts. I've changed and I want to run downhill on every play. It's been a mindset I've had at every practice this season."

That new bruising attitude has made him one of the biggest surprises in Texas A&M's preseason practice so far. Gray has emerged as a definite challenger for a starting position for the Aggies' Sept. 5 opener against New Mexico.

Gray, who played at 182 pounds last season, was more of a scatback who tried to avoid defenders because of his lack of bulk as a freshman.

But as he now weighs more than 200 pounds, Gray has developed confidence that he can attack tacklers and blast through holes and tacklers rather than around them.

"Cyrus is a totally different runner this year than last year," Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman said. "He was a little bit hesitant and maybe didn't read his holes as well. This year he has not made a bad read or cut any time he has touched the ball."

"I keep waiting for that first time he makes a bad read so I can coach him, but I haven't been able to say anything to him yet. I guess the good ones are the ones you don't have to coach much."

Gray rushed for 363 yards on 75 carries and averaged 4.8 yards per carry as a freshman. He was one of the few bright spots of the Aggies' rushing game that was expected to be a team strength with the return of proven ball-carriers like Jorvorskie Lane and Michael Goodson.

But instead, the Aggies sputtered with their experienced backs and a struggling offensive line. They finished 114th nationally in rushing, last in the Big 12 and ahead of only five other teams nationally.

Gray was one of the few bright spots late in the season, sparking late victories over Iowa State and Colorado by running for team-high totals in both victories - A&M's final triumphs of the 2008 season.

The Aggies have vowed to be more physical this season, not only in the backfield but also across the offensive front. That growth will be critical as the Aggies attempt to avoid the pitfalls of last season's 4-8 team that finished tied for last place in the Big 12 South with Baylor.

"In order for us to have any kind of success, we're going to have to run the ball much better than we did last season," Sherman told the San Antonio Express-News earlier in training camp.

Gray has been involved in a continuing battle for playing time with heralded freshman running back Christine Michael and sophomore Bradley Stephens, who have both shown flashes as potential contenders for playing time in the Aggies' backfield.

That competition has helped spur Gray's recent dramatic surge.

"Our running back corps wants to challenge everybody every day in practice," Gray said. "There's competition and it makes us all better."

That growth is a big reason why Gray believes the Aggies will be better than the naysayers who are predicting they are doomed to finish in the South cellar again this season.

"We're going to shock some people," Gray said. "There's no doubt in my mind about that."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The pundits over at College Football News had an interesting project a couple of weeks ago that I wanted to discuss before the start of the season.

Their group ranked the top 200 players in the country, starting with Florida quarterback Tim Tebow at No. 1.

Their list had a decided crimson-and-cream hue to it with more Oklahoma players -- by far -- than any other team in the country.

The Sooners had 10 players selected. Penn State was next with six players, followed by Florida, Virginia Tech and USC with five players apiece. Oklahoma State, Texas and Kansas were among the team with four players apiece.

Here's a list of the Big 12 players who were selected with their rankings in parenthesis.

Oklahoma (10): QB Sam Bradford (5), DT Gerald McCoy (8), TE Jermaine Gresham (20), T Trent Williams (47), CB Dominique Franks (T141), LB Travis Lewis (142), RB DeMarco Murray (148), LB Ryan Reynolds (173), DE Jeremy Beal (182), RB Chris Brown (185).

Kansas (4): QB Todd Reesing (31), WR Dezmon Briscoe (74), WR Kerry Meier (135), S Darrell Stuckey (T141).

Oklahoma State (4): WR Dez Bryant (7), T Russell Okung (38), QB Zac Robinson (39), RB Kendall Hunter (49).

Texas (4): QB Colt McCoy (4), DE-LB Sergio Kindle (19), T Adam Ulatoski (122), DT Lamarr Houston (152).

Baylor (3): QB Robert Griffin (37), LB Joe Pawelek (73), S Jordan Lake (126).

Missouri (2): LB Sean Weatherspoon (17), RB Derrick Washington (118).

Nebraska (2): DT Ndamukong Suh (10), DE Pierre Allen (170).

Colorado (1): RB Darrell Scott (116)

None selected: Iowa State, Kansas State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech

As expected, the Big 12's offensive reputation dominates with 17 players from that side of the ball, compared with 13 defensive players. And the 21-9 edge that the South Division enjoys isn't actually as one-sided as nearly every all-conference team that I saw.

But it again exhibits the star power of the conference when 30 of the top 200 players -- a cool 15 percent -- will be playing in the Big 12 this season.

I'll check back tomorrow with this list broken down by opposing nonconference players that Big 12 teams will be seeing in their nonconference games.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Busy today with all kinds of interviews, including more later this afternoon at Texas A&M.

But would I forget your lunchtime links?

Not a chance.

• Texas safety Blake Gideon tells USA Today's Steve Wieberg that he's using last season's critical dropped interception against Texas Tech as motivation to prepare him for 2009.
• Iowa State wide receiver Darius Darks could miss the Cyclones' Sept. 3 opener against North Dakota State as he recovers from a hamstring injury, the Des Moines Register's Randy Peterson reports. Darks set an ISU freshman record for receptions last season.
• Lawrence Journal-World columnist Tom Keegan writes about the early production of Kansas freshman linebacker Huldon Tharp.
• Nebraska tight ends coach Ron Brown tells the Lincoln Journal-Star's Steve Sipple he's excited about the Cornhuskers' wealth of talent at the position.
• The Topeka Capital-Journal's Austin Meek writes about how fatherhood has matured former Minnesota transfer and current Kansas State walk-on wide receiver Broderick Smith.
• Even six likely starting sophomores and another freshman hasn't dampened the enthusiasm for veteran Texas A&M coordinator Joe Kines, the San Antonio Express-News/Houston Chronicle's Brent Zwerneman reports.
• The Daily Nebraskan's Kris Knowlton ranks the Big 12 coaches from worst to first.
• College Football News' Pete Fiutak examines the scariest potential letdown game for each Big 12 team.
• The Oklahoman analyzes Oklahoma tackle Trent Williams and Oklahoma State tackle Russell Okung, who the paper calls the two best tackles in the nation.
• The Denver Post's Tom Kensler writes about Colorado's return to a power running game.
• Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin expects massive defensive tackle Phil Taylor to have an immediate impact on the Bears' defense, the Waco Tribune-Herald's John Werner reports.
• Tulsa World columnist Dave Sittler writes about the improvement in Oklahoma State's defense as nurtured by veteran coordinator Bill Young.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The preseason computer ratings compiled by Jeff Sagarin apparently are heavily tilted to the results of last season's Big 12 conference race.

The Big 12 had five teams in the Top 25 in Sagarin's preseason rankings, including four of the teams that shared a portion of a divisional championship last season.

Sagarin ranks Oklahoma as the nation's No. 3 team in the poll and Texas as No. 4. They rank only behind No. 1 USC and No. 2 Florida, the defending national champion. 

Here's how Sagarin ranks the Big 12 teams coming into the 2009 season.

3. Oklahoma

4. Texas

13. Texas Tech

18. Missouri

25. Kansas

26. Oklahoma State

28. Nebraska

56. Kansas State

60. Texas A&M

64. Colorado

82. Baylor

86. Iowa State

Four FCS teams are ranked ahead of Baylor -- No. 68 Appalachian State, No. 72 James Madison, No. 75 Richmond and No. 78 Montana.

These rankings apparently must provide some kind of boost from last season's success as both Texas Tech and Missouri are in the top 20 in front of teams like Kansas and Nebraska. Both the Jayhawks and Cornhuskers have typically been picked in front of Texas Tech and Missouri in most other preseason polls.  

Overall, the Big 12 is ranked third by Sagarin in his conference rankings. The Southeastern Conference is No. 1, followed by the Pac-10, which is ahead of the Big 12 by .05 points.

The Atlantic Coast was fourth, followed by the Big East, Big Ten, Mountain West, Independents, Conference USA, Western Athletic Conference, Mid-American and the FCS Colonial.

The Sun Belt Conference, which will provide five nonconference games to the Big 12 including three to Nebraska, ranked 12th in conference strength behind the Colonial.