ESPN College Football

When it comes to quarterback, Bob Stoops lives a charmed life these days.

Not many coaches can boast a bona fide Heisman contender -- Landry Jones -- with 37 career starts to his name entering the 2012 season. Stoops can.

But looking at both of the Sooners' rivals, it's a different picture.

Texas is engrossed in a two-man derby between David Ash and Case McCoy. North of the Sooners, Oklahoma State is playing host to a battle between junior Clint Chelf and a pair of freshmen, J.W. Walsh (redshirt) and Wes Lunt (early enrollee).

Texas nearly has its man; Ash is handling the majority of the first-team snaps.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma State is still splitting first-team reps evenly and doesn't have much separation between the three. Neither Texas or Oklahoma State has named a starter.

Stoops will have to replace Jones next season, but if he were in Mike Gundy or Mack Brown's shoes, he wouldn't hurry to name a quarterback.

"There's so much that can happen from the end of spring," Stoops told ESPN in Norman this week. "Just think about the amount of time before you take a snap in a game. So, I always felt having our guys continue to remain very competitive was the best thing."

Brown didn't name Garrett Gilbert his starter until the week before the Longhorns' opener against Rice last season. Texas' spring ended with Sunday's spring game and once again, Brown didn't name a starter.

Gundy, meanwhile, has seven practices remaining in the spring and wants separation. What about the notion that a team needs a commanding presence during the summer, when coaches can't oversee player workouts and it's up to a team leader to organize?

"I think that's overrated," Stoops said. "What, Ryan Broyles can't do that? A big-time receiver can't orchestrate it? Or the two (quarterbacks) can't say, 'Hey, we're meeting at this time.'?

“Or your team pride. What, I need the quarterback to tell me I need to come in here and work hard? You've got 100 guys on a team … they oughtta all be pushing each other to get in here and work. Heck, (former OU tight end) Jermaine Gresham could have grabbed everybody by the throat and made sure they were here."

Gundy and offensive coordinator Todd Monken see it quite differently.

"I don’t think it’s overrated," Gundy told ESPN in Stillwater this week. "I think it needs to be there. Can you have a lineman do it? Yeah. It’s not the same. This’ll be a big summer for us, because whoever we feel like is going to be our quarterback, he has to develop some leadership and I feel like that’s all part of it."

Said Monken: "You’re staring at two guys who played quarterback, Mike and I. So from our end of it, that’s how we’re going to see it. Stoops, he played DB, so he doesn’t care. He sees it a different way, and he’s right, anybody can organize it, but that’s not usually the case."

Monken's biggest reason? Quarterbacks need it more than anyone else. OSU receiver Justin Blackmon lived with a walk-on quarterback during his career, and anytime he wanted to get some work, he had an arm who could throw him balls at full speed.

Quarterbacks, though? Work is work, but throwing to walk-ons or friends isn't the same as throwing to targets with sub-4.5 speed like they will in live games.

"Quarterbacks need those guys to function," Monken said. "I don’t blame anybody for their opinion. That’s their opinion, but the reality is that the guys that are usually in charge of the summer workouts are the QBs because it affects them the most."

He added: "There’s something to be said for the guy that leads your team being the organizer. It doesn’t have to be, but it certainly helps."

Oklahoma State doesn't know who its quarterback will be. It would love to name him by spring. But even with the stakes high during the summer, they have no plans to force a decision.

"If we don’t know, then we won’t do it, but if we do, then we’ll do it," Gundy said. "That’s as important as anything we do in the offseason."

WACO, Texas -- Oklahoma defensive lineman Ronnell Lewis went down and clutched his knee on a 55-yard catch-and-run from Kendall Wright in the second quarter.

He won't be back.

Lewis is on Oklahoma's sidelines in street clothes and a knee brace. That's a big loss for the Sooners. Frank Alexander has been Oklahoma's best defender this year, but Lewis is a close second. Both are in contention for the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

The Sooners defense will need to play well without him, too. Baylor scored on an unbelievable 87-yard play that caromed off Tevin Reese and floated right to a wide-open Kendall Wright in stride downfield, tying the score at 24.

You won't see that too often, but the Sooners had a similar touchdown pass to Jermaine Gresham against Oklahoma State back in 2008.

Thanks for the all the emails.

B. Stautzenberger (@coachrock4) in OKC asked: I hear so much that the a&m will struggle in the sec but at there worst they r better than both miss schools and vandy Kentucky. They are on par with auburn and Arkansas. And that's just football. I don't see why the sec wouldn't love to have the aggies.

David Ubben: Yeah, I don't really get it. The folks that know what they're talking about know that the SEC is crazy not to want the Aggies, which they clearly do. The only problem could be the 14th team.

The fans are kind of another story. As an Arkansas native, I know a pretty large group of Arkansas fans, and the majority of them are not excited about bringing in A&M at all. I spent last weekend in Kansas City with a few of them, and the lack of big-time accomplishments on the résumé and a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach has them and lots of other Hog fans pretty lukewarm to the idea.

The program, facilities and fans make it a good fit from the SEC perspective, though I disagree with the move from the A&M perspective.

I think you'll see all three of those get at least a temporary boost with the move to the SEC. The atmosphere for games will be amped up a bit the first couple of years, but I think the Aggies will have to win over a reasonable percentage of the fans.

Fortunately for them, the same doesn't appear to be true for decision-makers.

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Ryan in Tulsa, Okla., asked: David,Im an OSU fan. I just don't think new OC Todd Monken will have the same impact as Dana Holgerson did last year. Dana just had that knack to stay patient and not ever get overwhelmed when it came to crunch time in big games. I feel Todd might get flustered and nervous in those big game situations when he has to call the right play at the right time. He already has to be feeling pressure about it. How do you think he will do? Also, do you think Brandon Weeden will get to be like Peyton Manning and have the ability to make his own play calls at times?

DU: Well, the facts add up to this: We have no idea. There's not a lot to draw on regarding Monken's play-calling prowess. We have Gundy's endorsement. That's about it. Monken might be great. He might be a significant downgrade. He might be OK. We'll find out pretty quick. There's not a lot of evidence pointing to any of those options just yet.

What we do know is this: He's going to have a heck of a lot of talent running his plays. That makes everyone look better.

As for Weeden calling plays, I don't see that happening, but he'll no doubt have a lot of input and impact on what's called. And besides, even after a play is called or even snapped, he still has a lot of effect on what's going on during the play.

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Chris in San Jose, Calif., asked: Dubbs, I think you did a great job on the top 25 list, but you missed the mark badly on Michael Egnew from Missouri. I'll be the first to admit that he's no Chase Coffman, but he was a All American and voted MVP of the Missouri team by his teammates (over the others you chose for the list). Your point about how average per catch being 44th among receivers is less spectacular when you figure that the highest TE on that stat is at 37th. That's just not a position that lends itself to high avg per reception. He's the only BCS conference TE in the top 100 in yards per game, and he's top 10 in receptions per game, so even though other teams know it's coming to him, they can't stop him.But more to the point, I just don't see how you can leave a returning consensus All American off your top 25 list. There are only 4 returning consensus All Americans in the entire country.

DU: You make some valid points. And it was close. He was probably the first player just outside the top 25. I may be wrong on this, but I just don't see the physical talents that Martin Rucker and Coffman had. And the facts are also this: The crop of tight ends in college football is weak.

There's no Jermaine Gresham or Martellus Bennett in this group.

Here's the core my general thought process: If Andrew Jones was the only tight end on Missouri's roster, and he was given the exact same opportunities Egnew was given, would he be able to have a similar output?

In my opinion, yes. I don't believe you could say that about the players behind guys like Gresham, Bennett, Rucker or Coffman.

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JG in Enid, Okla., asked: This is just awesome. Quinn sharp booting a 62 yard field goal in practice. Not only that the whole team cheering against him and special team coach Joe Defo calling timeout to ice him. Backup QB Clint Chelf taunting him in a manner that makes you think of the Karate Kid. Plus, you have to love Jonathan Rush holding back Grant Garner as he barks like a dog earlier in the video.

DU: Outstanding. Had to get that on the blog somehow.

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Andrew in College Station, Texas, asked: Have you noticed that Pac 12 blogger continually picks teams to "whip" A&M in _____ bowl in the Pac 12 Best/ Worst case scenarios? Seriously, I know I've seen it at least three times.

DU: No worries. It's all simple reverse psychology. I hear A&M is shopping a new conference, but not one in particular. Ted's trying to talk them into coming out west and proving him wrong. He's a fiend, but never forget: Those West-Coast types are much, much smarter than the rest of us in the heartland.

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Jared in Portland, Ore., asked: Dubbs, what's up with this years bowl schedule? No games on New Years Day? Did the BCS forget about tradition? Am I supposed watch parades when I'm hung over?

DU: No worries, fans. It happened a few years ago, and it's happening again. Jan. 1 falls on a Sunday, so the NFL will be playing that day. The good news: College football will be well-sandwiched around those games.

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John Thomas in LeBary, Fla., asked: Not a single Red Raider in the top 25? From the team that has the longest string of bowl appearances in the Big 12? David, Southwest Airlines has several flights a day between Dallas and Lubbock. Book a flight. Spend some time there.

DU: Oh, I've made that flight quite a few times. I was out in Lubbock this spring. This isn't the Red Raiders' year, but who, exactly, would you suggest I put in the top 25 or near it?

Someone from the defense that ranked 118th nationally in stopping the pass and 114th nationally in total defense? Or someone from an offense that lost its top two quarterbacks, a three-year starter at running back and the two top receivers?

The Red Raiders have a lot of potential, but not a lot of proven players. Lonnie Edwards or Cody Davis was probably the closest to making the top 25, but they're going to have be a lot better this year.

Here's betting a few of them make the postseason top 25, but they'll only be there once they earn it.

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Daniel in St. Louis, Mo., asked: I hear Aaron Williams and Curtis Brown are doing pretty well in the preseason. Is there any other school who produces more potential nfl starters at defensive back?

DU: No doubt about it. Texas is absolutely DBU. Credit Duane Akina for that, though. He's one of the league's best position coaches, and his secondary proves it every season.

Guys like Quandre Diggs have a lot of potential. Akina grooms them into stars.

The comparisons to the upcoming 2011 season and what Oklahoma experienced in 2009 have been unmistakable.

Now, after the latest news emerging from fall camp in Norman, the similarities have become a bit eerie.

The Sooners opened 2009 as a top-five team with a Heisman-winning quarterback leading a loaded offense with a defense good enough to win a national title a year after coming up short against Florida.

This year, the Sooners opened the coaches' preseason poll as the nation's No. 1 team with a Heisman favorite leading a loaded offense and a defense likely better than the 2009 team. Additionally, the Sooners are coming off a 12-win season that culminated in a BCS bowl win against Connecticut.

But before the 2009 season, just days before the opener against BYU, news leaked that senior tight end Jermaine Gresham, named an All-American after his junior season, had suffered a knee injury. The severity was unknown, but it seemed likely he could return at some point.

Gresham never played again for OU after tests revealed torn cartilage in the knee, and the Sooners suffered a season-opening loss to BYU in Cowboys Stadium. In that loss, Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford played with a shoulder injury that he never fully recovered from. He had midseason surgery and ceded control of the team to Landry Jones.

Which brings us to today. Jones is still healthy. So is the rest of the team.

But linebacker Travis Lewis' toe injury can't help but conjure up scary images of a chase for a title gone awry before it even had a chance to begin.

Unlike the loss of Gresham, the Sooners have a fit replacement for Lewis with tons of promise.

Tight end essentially became irrelevant in Oklahoma's offense, which scored more points than any team in college football history during the run to the national title game in 2008.

Lewis, the preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, leaves a void at weakside linebacker, but he's backed up by touted blue-chip recruit Corey Nelson. The only thing keeping Nelson off the field was Lewis, who chose to turn down NFL money and chase a title, just like Gresham, Bradford, Gerald McCoy and Trent Williams did in 2009.

Now is Nelson's opportunity. Fans will get a chance to see him work at his natural position instead of the nickel back spot he'd been working at during fall camp.

This isn't 2009 yet, though it certainly smells similar.

Oklahoma finished 8-5 that season, hurt further by a rash of injuries on the offensive line that at one point forced defensive tackle Stacy McGee (a backup on this year's team) to move to offensive line.

The Sooners can still rise above Lewis' injury. They're good enough everywhere else to beat ranked teams Florida State and Missouri, who have September dates with the Sooners. Lewis could return in October, and until then, weakside linebacker could still remain a strength.

There's no replacing Lewis' experience, or his on-field energy, where he's one of the most talkative players in the league and the defense's unquestioned leader. Nelson can hold things together with his talent, though.

Barring further injury, Nelson and the Sooners have a chance to rewrite the forgettable history of 2009. In September, we'll find out if they can do it.

Thanks for all the mail, readers. As always, if your answer didn't make the cut, ask a better one and maybe that will change.

Ben in San Antonio asked: Now that you have written about the helmet...who has the best overall uniforms?

David Ubben: Ha, I'm sure I'm not asking for trouble here. But here's how I'd rank them, using each team's best uniform.

1. Texas - The all whites are all right.
2. Texas Tech - Conversely, the all blacks are all that. (I'm done, I swear.)
3. Texas A&M - Maroon jerseys on white pants are worth whooping about. (Ok, not done just yet.)
4. Oklahoma State - Black jersey, black pants and white helmets need to see the light more often. (Now we're done.)
5. Oklahoma - The red jerseys on white pants are just OK, but "SOONERS" across the chest looks great, and makes the get-up.
6. Missouri - The rare combo of black jerseys on gold pants is fantastic.
7. Kansas State - As lame as I think the Powercat is, the purple jersey, grey pants combo is sweet.
8. Kansas - The classic blue jerseys on silver pants are where it's at.
9. Baylor - I'm a fan of Baylor's all-whites, but they slip behind what I realized today is a pretty solid set of unis across the league.
10. Iowa State - No, 'Clones. Just no.

How would you rank yours?

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David in KC asked: Do u think ISU can upset a team like Oklahoma or A&M? before you answer I bet at this time last year you never thought ISU would beat Texas. You probably never thought the cyclones would upset Neb in Paul Rhoads first year either.

DU: No, I don't see it. Oklahoma and A&M might have the two best offenses in the league, and like I've mentioned before, Iowa State pulled off their upsets against teams that had really bad offenses. Also, Iowa State has to go back to Norman, where it lost 52-0 last year.

If Shontrelle Johnson and whoever wins the quarterback battle up there learn quickly, I do think the Cyclones have a decent shot at a bowl game, but they're not beating either of those teams.

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Buck in San Antonio asked: Howdy Dave, good to talk with you.Where has the art and science of having a stud TE, a la Derrick Spiller, gone these days? Will Sherman (and other Big XII teams) utilize this dangerous and undervalued weapon more in the coming seasons?

DU: It's a good question. The obvious answer is the advent of spread offenses, but we've still seen some pretty good traditional tight ends in recent years in this league, like Jermaine Gresham at Oklahoma, Collin Franklin at Iowa State and Martellus Bennett at A&M.

Missouri, of course, has done their own damage with receiving tight ends.

Texas A&M has a big body in Nehemiah Hicks, but he hasn't been a big factor in the passing game. I thought Tim Biere at Kansas was due for a big year in 2010, but that didn't necessarily happen. It could in 2011.

We'll see what Jace Amaro does at Texas Tech once he arrives.

If you want to see great, traditional tight ends, I suggest you wake up and catch an 11 a.m. Big Ten game. Outside of reception machine Michael Egnew at Missouri, you won't see much in the Big 12 this year.

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Andrew in St. Louis asked: Do you think that some teams could benefit from the round-robin scheduling new to the conference this upcoming season? While obviously teams like Iowa State and Kansas will be hurt because they're schedules made it so they missed out on both OU and Texas some years, it seems a team like Missouri or Oklahoma State that's been on the cusp of BCS bowls recently could have a better chance of proving their strength with more quality opponents.

DU: Yeah, the teams that are going to benefit are the ones used to tougher nonconference schedules that get to add some of the weaker teams from the North every year.

Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Texas A&M immediately jump to mind, but Baylor could benefit from getting to play Kansas, K-State and Iowa State every year. The Bears have had a tough time in the South, but if they were in the North, that bowl drought might have ended a few years earlier once the North started to decline midway through the last decade.

Your example, I don't think will happen. I don't think it makes it easier for OSU or Missouri to get into a BCS bowl. Texas and Oklahoma are still in the league and you can't get three teams in the BCS. But you might see those South teams that have struggled to get over the hump get a bump in their conference win percentage.

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Alistair in College Station, Texas, asked: 2 part question for you Dubbs. First, why do you apparently hate every school in the Big 12 and write totally biased articles against them? And second, how is that even possible? I'm impressed...But really, what do you think Johnny Manziel's chances are of getting some playing time this upcoming season as either Tannehill's backup, or perhaps following the route Tannehill took and playing some receiver?

DU: Good question. It's an acquired skill, I guess.

As for Manziel, I think you've got to redshirt him. If this were Texas, Kansas or Iowa State, a team starved for receivers, then he's got to see the field immediately.

On the scout team, I think you get him some work at quarterback and receiver, just in case, and next fall, throw him in the race with Jameill Showers and Matt Joeckel to replace Tannehill.

Texas A&M is too loaded at receiver this year to waste a year of eligibility on him, but Tannehill will be gone next year, and so will Jeff Fuller. They'll bring everybody else back at receiver, but opportunities to make an impact will be there.

If he loses the quarterback battle next year, then you've got to look hard at who you want as your backup: Joeckel, Showers or Manziel, and then you've got Trevor Knight coming in, too. If Manziel isn't clearly your No. 2, I think you've got to move him to receiver something just short of permanently. Only an injury should change that.

Competition decides so much of this and I've rambled a bit, but really, my main point is yes, he needs to keep getting reps at receiver unless he's the starting quarterback.

Just don't put him out there this year. A&M is too good at his two positions.

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Blake Fite in Jenks, Okla., asked: I find it interesting that the Tulsa World and the Daily Oklahoman have not come out with a statement from Coach Stoops saying he is not interested in the Ohio St. job. Do you think he should make a statement?

DU: Nope. It would only backfire on him and make him look presumptuous. Plus, like Stoops has learned in the past (i.e., Notre Dame, Florida) even releasing a statement doesn't end speculation. Unless Ohio State makes him an actual offer, Stoops won't say a word about the job, maybe even if he's asked.

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Paul in Austin, Texas, asked: Do you ever feel like people don't give Christen Michael enough credit? I've been hearing so much about Cyrus Gray because of the finish, but people refuse to realize that he stunk it up the first half of the season. Is it because Michael isn't as explosive of a runner?

DU: It seems that way in the last few months, but it seems like a bit of "What have you done for me lately?" syndrome. Michael was outplaying Gray before he got hurt -- there's no doubt about that. Michael had just under 600 yards in the Aggies' first six games, while Gray had just seven yards on 11 carries during the three-game losing streak that landed A&M at 3-3 midway through the season.

But Gray took a page from Marshawn Lynch and shifted into Beast Mode after Michael went down.

The good news for A&M is they've already got what looks like a franchise back, and if Michael is back to his usual self this fall, they'll have two now.

For just the second time ever, the first round of the NFL draft will be the only part of the draft's first day, set for primetime on Thursday night.

This year, the Big 12 could have as many as five first-round picks, and five players from the league are in New York for the draft.

So, let's take a look back. Since the first NFL draft of the Big 12 era, who has the most first-rounders?

Texas: 16

• 2010: S Earl Thomas, 14th overall, Seattle Seahawks
• 2009: DE Brian Orakpo, 13th overall, Washington Redskins
• 2007: S Michael Griffin, 19th overall, Tennessee Titans
• 2007: CB Aaron Ross, 20th overall, New York Giants
• 2006: QB Vince Young, third overall, Tennessee Titans
• 2006: CB Michael Huff, seventh overall, Oakland Raiders
• 2005: RB Cedric Benson, fourth overall, Chicago Bears
• 2005: LB Derrick Johnson, 15th overall, Kansas City Chiefs
• 2004: WR Roy Williams, seventh overall, Detroit Lions
• 2004: DT Marcus Tubbs, 23rd overall, Seattle Seahawks
• 2002: OL Mike Williams, fourth overall, Buffalo Bills
• 2002: CB Quentin Jammer, fifth overall, San Diego Chargers
• 2001: OL Leonard Davis, second overall, Arizona Cardinals
• 2001: DT Casey Hampton, 19th overall, Pittsburgh Steelers
• 1999: RB Ricky Williams, fifth overall, New Orleans Saints
• 1997: CB Bryant Westbrook, fifth overall, Detroit Lions

Oklahoma: 12

• 2010: QB Sam Bradford, first overall, St. Louis Rams
• 2010: DT Gerald McCoy, third overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 2010: OT Trent Williams, fourth overall, Washington Redskins
• 2010: TE Jermaine Gresham, 21st overall, Cincinnati Bengals
• 2007: RB Adrian Peterson, seventh overall, Minnesota Vikings
• 2006: OL Davin Joseph, 23rd overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 2005: OL Jammal Brown, 13th overall, New Orleans Saints
• 2005: WR Mark Clayton, 22nd overall, Baltimore Ravens
• 2004: DT Tommie Harris, 14th overall, Chicago Bears
• 2003: CB Andre Woolfolk, 28th overall, Tennessee Titans
• 2002: S Roy Williams, eighth overall, Dallas Cowboys
• 2001: Stockar McDougle, 20th overall, Detroit Lions

Oklahoma State: 6

• 2010: OL Russell Okung, sixth overall, Seattle Seahawks
• 2010: WR Dez Bryant, 24th overall, Dallas Cowboys
• 2009: TE Brandon Pettigrew, 20th overall, Detroit Lions
• 2004: WR Rashaun Woods, 31st overall, San Francisco 49ers
• 2003: DE Kevin Williams, ninth overall, Minnesota Vikings
• 1998: CB R.W. McQuarters, 28th overall, San Francisco 49ers

Missouri: 4

• 2010: LB Sean Weatherspoon, 19th overall, Atlanta Falcons
• 2009: WR Jeremy Maclin, 19th overall, Philadelphia Eagles
• 2009: DT Ziggy Hood, 32nd overall, Pittsburgh Steelers
• 2001: DE Justin Smith, fourth overall, Cincinnati Bengals

Kansas State: 3

• 2009: QB Josh Freeman, 17th overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 2003: CB Terence Newman, fifth overall, Dallas Cowboys
• 1997: DB Chris Canty, 29th overall, New England Patriots

Texas A&M: 2

• 2003: DT Ty Warren, 13th overall, New England Patriots
• 2003: DB Sammy Davis, 30th overall, San Diego Chargers

Texas Tech: 1

• 2009: WR Michael Crabtree, 10th overall, San Francisco 49ers

Kansas: 1

• 2008: CB Aqib Talib, 20th overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Baylor: 1

• 2009: OL Jason Smith, 2nd overall, St. Louis Rams

Iowa State: none since 1973 (George Amundson)

A few thoughts and observations:

• I doubt many would be surprised that this list is also a reasonably accurate reflection of overall success since the Big 12's inception in 1996. Obviously, Texas and Oklahoma have dominated. Since 2000, Texas has the nation's fourth-most first-rounders. Oklahoma is No. 6. Their success has paralleled that, along with recruiting rankings.
• In that same breath, it's impossible to look at this list and not once again be impressed with what Mike Leach did. He obviously has the reputation as an overachiever, but looking big picture, he was able to do it with one first-round pick. Nobody beat Texas and Oklahoma more and Leach helped put together what is still the Big 12's longest bowl streak.
• Texas' consistency sticks out, too. Since just 2001, Texas has had two first-rounders in six different seasons. If you've got two first-rounders on your team, you're probably going to be pretty good. The Longhorns, if you haven't noticed, have been. Those two first-rounders in six seasons are more or as many as half the league has in the history of the Big 12. What else you should note? Texas is unlikely to have a first rounder this year, and after Aaron Williams is drafted, Sam Acho probably will be the next to go, which won't be until the third or fourth round.
• Oklahoma State and Missouri's rise over the past three seasons has paid off in the NFL draft. Missouri had three first-rounders in the last two seasons and figures to add two more this year after having just one in the 12-year history of the league before 2009. That's quite a streak, and even more proof of what Gary Pinkel has built at Missouri. One more piece of evidence? Despite losing those two first-rounders, Missouri should be back in the preseason polls next year after losing two of its top players. That's definitely something new in Columbia. The Cowboys figure to add more soon with Justin Blackmon at least. As long as Pinkel and Gundy are at the helm for their respective programs, expect them to continue to rise.
• Don't be surprised by Texas A&M's swoon following R.C. Slocum's departure. From 1990-1998, the Aggies won nine games every season but one. From 1990-96, the Aggies had eight first-round picks. Since 1998? Two seasons with at least nine wins and just two first-round picks.
• More evidence you can't underestimate the importance of having first-round picks? None for Baylor in the history of the Big 12 before Art Briles. In just three years, Briles may have three if the Bears add two more this year with Phil Taylor and Danny Watkins. Taylor and Watkins both came from unlikely sources. Taylor was a Penn State transfer and Watkins a juco transfer that formerly worked as a fireman in Canada.

NORMAN, Okla. -- This time last year, receiver was still a glaring question mark on a team with Big 12 title hopes. Ryan Broyles was a likely All-American, but he was the only established player from a group that was one of the Sooners' weak spots in 2009.

"I felt like we almost didn’t have a purpose," Broyles said of the nightmarish '09 campaign. "We set out with the greatest quarterback in OU history, I feel: Sam Bradford. One of the greatest tight ends [Jermaine Gresham], and both of those guys got hurt early in the season, so we lost that first game against BYU, and I felt like the season was just up in the air."

A return to the national title game, where Oklahoma had been denied by Florida months earlier, looked unlikely just 30 minutes into the 2009 season, when Bradford suffered a shoulder injury that cost him most of his junior season. Gresham never made it on the field after a knee injury just days before the opener. Two of the biggest pieces of the national runner-up were gone.

"We really lost out on what we were working toward after the first game, so I felt like it was almost like we were going through the motions, and it showed," Broyles said. "We went 8-5, and that was one of the biggest things that hurt us."

Freshman Kenny Stills burst onto the scene in the spring of 2010 after enrolling early at Oklahoma, but few knew what to expect from the receivers come fall.

They did a great job, especially toward the second half of the year," Sooners coach Bob Stoops said.

Most impressive, besides Broyles' nation-leading 131 receptions, was the unit's depth.

Stills was second on the team with 786 yards on 61 catches, including five touchdowns. A torn mensicus sidelined Dejuan Miller in mid-October after the junior had played two of his best games of the year against Texas and Cincinnati. But even with Miller out, Oklahoma had an answer.

Senior Cameron Kenney caught just 14 passes in Oklahoma's first 11 games but finished with 19 in its final three -- the Sooners' three biggest of the season. He accounted for 264 yards and three scores, including a momentum-swinging, third-and-long, 86-yard touchdown against Oklahoma State in Stillwater to help the Sooners win a South title.

"That was a major spark," Stoops said. "There’s no question they became a strength, and it became a big difference in the latter part of the year."

Freshman Trey Franks added 29 receptions, and although Kenney's eligibility is done, the Sooners' receiving corps looks like one of the Big 12's deepest heading into 2011.

"They worked," Stoops said. "[Receivers and co-offensive coordinator] coach [Jay] Norvell did a great job working with them, and they gained a little maturity and confidence as they went and gained positive experience."

Stills, after another spring, looks to cement his place as one of the league's best receivers in 2011.

"He came in early in the spring, he learned the offense, and that helped," Broyles said. "Guys come here in the summer and they’re a step behind. It’s not as easy. The faster you get out there, the easier it is to relax and be able to play the way you can play. He was able to get out and get in crunch time. He’s going to be electrifying. People label me as a guy you can expect great things from every game. And he’s another one of those guys."

Broyles, a senior, is plugging what he's learned into young receivers like Franks. He's gearing up for what could be that big year the Sooners missed out on in 2009.

"To be honest, it took me three years to learn the offense and what the coaches expected," Broyles said. "But I feel like those guys are getting a grasp of that."

The official list of the Big 12's top 25 players is locked away in a vault in an undisclosed location, but we're revealing the list day by day here on the blog. Here's a refresher on my exact criteria.

We're inside the top 10 now, so things should heat up a little bit. Have a gripe with the list? Let me know in the mailbag.

No. 3: Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma

2010 numbers: Broyles caught 131 passes for 1,622 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also returned 35 punts an average of 7.88 yards.

Most recent ranking: Broyles was ranked No. 5 in our preseason list of the Big 12's top 25 players.

Making the case for Broyles: For most of his career Broyles has been one of the league's toughest covers. That didn't change in 2010, when his 131 receptions were 12 more than any other receiver in the country. That number is inflated by Oklahoma's use of the bubble screen, but why do you think the Sooners throw it so much? One-on-one, Broyles might be the hardest player in the league to lay a solid shot on. He's quick, elusive, and has arguably the best hands in the league. Rarely, if ever, will you see him drop a pass, and he's earned quarterback Landry Jones' trust that way.

Inflated reception totals or not, yards are yards, and Broyles accounted for at least 100 of them in 10 games last season. He also topped 200 yards once and had a pair of three-touchdown games in conference play. His 1,622 yards were third-most nationally, and helped him earn a well-deserved spot as a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the nation's best receiver.

He should end up there again in 2011 with another big season for the Sooners. Jones is back at quarterback and he also targeted sophomore Kenny Stills to help take some pressure off Broyles. Stills broke Broyles' freshman receiving record, but the senior-to-be holds every other receiving record in Oklahoma's record book. Last season was the best receiving season in Oklahoma history, and with a year to go, Broyles already has the career record. He holds the game records for yards and receptions and the season record for touchdowns and receptions. Only one record remains: Jermaine Gresham's four touchdowns in a single game in 2007. We'll see if he gets it in 2011.

The rest of the list:

• No. 4: Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma State
• No. 5: Jeremy Beal, DE, Oklahoma
• No. 6: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
• No. 7: Daniel Thomas, RB, Kansas State
• No. 8: Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
• No. 9: Sam Acho, DL, Texas
• No. 10: Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
• No. 11: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
• No. 12: Lavonte David, LB, Nebraska
• No. 13: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
• No. 14: Levy Adcock, RT, Oklahoma State
• No. 15: Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska
• No. 16: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
• No. 17: Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M
• No. 18: Eric Hagg, DB, Nebraska
• No. 19: DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma
• No. 20: Orie Lemon, LB, Oklahoma State
• No. 21: Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska
• No. 22: Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma
• No. 23: Quinton Carter, S, Oklahoma
• No. 24: Tim Barnes, C, Missouri
• No. 25: Lyle Leong, WR, Texas Tech

On Wednesday, we wrapped up our look back at the last five years of ESPNU 150 recruits that signed with Big 12 teams.

Here's a quick refresher course on every Big 12 ESPNU 150 signee:

• Big 12 signees in the 2006 ESPNU 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2007 ESPNU 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2008 ESPNU 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2009 ESPNU 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2010 ESPNU 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2011 ESPNU 150

I learned a lot in looking back on these classes, and the spectrum of results was fascinating. Here are a few thoughts:

• There wasn't a Heisman Trophy winner among the bunch -- Oklahoma's Sam Bradford was a three-star recruit -- but there were plenty of All-Americans and All-Big 12 talents, as well as a few draft picks. It's interesting to note that the 2010 class was the only one in which more than one Big 12 Freshman of the Year came to campus as an elite recruit. Oklahoma State linebacker Shaun Lewis and Oklahoma safety Tony Jefferson shared the defensive honors last season.
• I'll count probable draft picks, but here's how many NFL draft picks emerged from each class. Obviously, the most recent classes won't be included, and it tapers off quite a bit as you reach the '08 class, which will have a few more drafted eventually. Any players after the 2008 class are ineligible for the draft.
• 2006: 8
• 2007: 3 (Dez Bryant, Sam Acho, Curtis Brown)
• 2008: 1 (Blaine Gabbert)
• Additionally, I don't have a ton to say about the 09-11 classes because, well, at this point, you can't have much to say. Oklahoma or Texas don't have too many four-year, or even three-year starters at too many positions. It's still very, very early to pass judgment on those guys.
• Obviously there's still time, but the 2008 class looking back was pretty weak in comparison to those around it. It's easily the worst of the four classes, not including 2011. Two of the top five recruits have transferred. The other three in that group have yet to make significant contributions. Players like Jon Major, Cyrus Gray, Emmanuel Acho, Kendall Wright and Landry Jones join Gabbert as some of the best in the class, but guys like Jameel Owens, Kye Staley, Lynn Katoa and Justin Johnson aren't even with the teams they've signed anymore. Plenty of others haven't come close to the projected impact others would hope.
• Compare that to the accomplished 2006 class, which was loaded at the top of the board. DeMarco Murray, Sergio Kindle, Jevan Snead, Gerald McCoy and Eddie Jones won't make anybody say, "Who?" That's a strong top 5. Mike Goodson, Jeremy Beal, Josh Freeman, and Jermaine Gresham could all have solid NFL careers, too. In my book, this is the class others will have to live up to.
• One quick thought: Are Jevan Snead and Josh Freeman's careers the inverses of each other?
• I'll give a full breakdown of the team totals later on next week, but I was shocked at how few Nebraska reeled in. From 2006-10, they had just three. S Rickey Thenarse signed in '06, OT Baker Steinkuhler signed in '08 and OG Andrew Rodriguez signed in '10. Steinkuhler, of course, has moved to defensive tackle since. For a team that's won the North the past two seasons and at times looked like a national title contender in 2010, that's a pretty solid endorsement of Bo Pelini's coaching. He's won 29 games in his first three seasons, and his nationally-ranked class in 2011 signed four ESPNU 150 recruits alone. For all you non-mathematicians out there, that's more than 06-10 combined. That has to give Nebraska fans a whole lot of confidence about the program moving forward, even if three of those four signees are from Texas, where Nebraska may struggle to recruit after its move to the Big Ten. That, however, is a whole different post and discussion.
• As an overview of all this, I can't stand it when people decry the recruiting rankings system all together, declaring it worthless. It's not. I also can't stand it when others contend the rankings mean everything. They don't. The truth is right where it usually is: somewhere in the middle. Cite all the two-star recruits you want. I can come back with 10 more that showed in their college careers why they were two-star recruits. You can build a successful program on three and four-star signees, but the facts are this: if you keep reeling in top-level recruits, you've got a much, much greater chance of having big success. Bottom line, that's the truth. You'll encounter some busts among the five-stars. You'll encounter some gems in the two-stars. But recruiting rankings mean something, just not as much or as little as people like to think sometimes.

We've seen this show before.

This time two years ago, Oklahoma was beaming. Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford announced his intention to return to Oklahoma for his junior season, despite being a possible No. 1 pick.

Tight end Jermaine Gresham, offensive tackle Trent Williams and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy elected to do the same.

Their intentions were clear: national championship or bust.

The Sooners had been denied by Florida in the title game weeks earlier, but looked in position for a second run in 2009.

Fresh off a dominant 48-20 win over 8-4 Connecticut in the Fiesta Bowl, linebacker Travis Lewis elected to return for his senior season. Coach Bob Stoops advised both Lewis and receiver Ryan Broyles to stay at Oklahoma.

"I’m coming back to win a national championship," Lewis said. "Anything else would be a disappointment."

Sound familiar? It should.

Even with Broyles, Oklahoma won't look the part of the defending national runner-up that came back for the 2009 season. But one thing is certain, it'll be a whole lot better than the Oklahoma team that finished the 2009 season in the Sun Bowl.

Gresham never made it to the season opener, tearing cartilage in his knee just days before and missing the entire season. Bradford's season was derailed in the first half of the opener when he sprained his AC joint in his throwing shoulder and eventually required surgery.

Williams and McCoy had solid seasons, but with apologies to Ndamukong Suh, offensive and defensive tackles don't win ballgames in the Big 12.

Now, a year after beating Stanford in the Sun Bowl, Lewis is willing to risk injury in the pursuit of the Sooners' first title since 2000.

Despite Gresham and Bradford's serious injuries, both remained first-round picks. Bradford was drafted No. 1 and looks like a favorite for the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Broyles is still undecided, but Stoops' recommendation that he stay has to weigh heavily on the receiver. Considering the past, why wouldn't it?

Lewis wasn't scared, and if Broyles commits to being a Sooner in 2011, you can be sure, any memory of those costly injuries is distant.

The Oklahoma Sooners earned an unfavorable reputation as the 2009 season dragged. With a perfect 6-0 record at home, the Sooners looked almost invincible at Owen Field. Away from home, Oklahoma was just 2-5.

This year's Sooners are different and they have plenty to prove -- only part of which is shedding that tag of a team that leaves its best play at home. Oklahoma already outlasted Texas in the Cotton Bowl earlier this month and beat Cincinnati at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati in September.

"We’re staying healthy and we’ve got the whole nucleus from last year back this year. We’re just a tougher team," said linebacker Travis Lewis. "We learned from those close games, those tough losses. Then you mix that with this team this year and we're just a tougher, more healthy team."

This team will face its toughest road test of the season so far on Saturday when it travels to No. 11 Missouri to play the Tigers.

Win this game, and any talk of a team that struggles on the road should end immediately. Last year's offense was hit the worst by the injuries: shuffling out offensive linemen nearly every week, and playing without two of its best players in tight end Jermaine Gresham and quarterback Sam Bradford for almost the entire season.

This year's defense lost both cornerbacks, two linebackers and three defensive linemen to the NFL, including Gerald McCoy, who was picked third overall in April's draft. After early struggles by the unit, including giving up more than 350 yards on the ground to Air Force and more than 340 yards through the air to Utah State, the defense is finding the consistency to keep its winning streak alive.

"We've always known we were capable of being a great defense, we just haven't been consistent, and we've been giving up some big plays," Lewis said.

That wasn't the case last week, when the Sooners shut out Iowa State and looked more like their dominant selves in 2009, when they recorded shutouts against Oklahoma State, Tulsa and Idaho State.

"That bye week helped," Lewis said. "It helped settle us down, brought us back to health and helped us get a reality check."

And after that performance, the Sooners bring a No. 1 rank in the BCS standings to take on the Tigers. On Monday, the day after the Sooners won the meaningless midseason crown, Lewis, a team captain, exercised some leadership.

"It’s great from a recognition standpoint, but it can also be a bad thing. Some guys can become complacent. I just stressed to our players, don’t talk about it, don’t think about it, you still have to win every game. Go out there and play," Lewis said. "I told them I've been on No. 1 teams, I've played No. 1 teams ... Ohio State lost last week. Alabama lost the week before. No. 1 means nothing. It just means you've got a bigger target on your chest and you have to work that much harder."

And when Lewis looks back on how his team has played through its first six games, it's hard to find any satisfaction in the ranking.

"We’ve still got a lot to prove. Especially from a defense standpoint. We're ranked like 80th or 90th in the country, so we don't have much room to be complacent," Lewis said. "We all feel the same way, that we haven’t played like the No. 1 team in the nation."

Schedule: Practice starts today

What’s new: The cornerbacks. Brian Jackson and Dom Franks are gone, but they'll be replaced by some combination of Demontre Hurst, Jamell Fleming Gabe Lynn or incoming freshman Tony Jefferson.

Key battle: The two linebacking spots alongside Travis Lewis. Oklahoma has lots of talent on the defense's second line, but sophomore Ronnell Lewis and redshirt freshman Tom Wort will try to hold off the more experienced junior Austin Box and sophomores Daniel Franklin and Jaydan Bird for the starting spots.

New on the scene: Wide receiver Kenny Stills. The early-enrolling receiver made a splash in the spring and will try to to challenge Dejuan Miller as the No. 2 receiver opposite the conference's best, Ryan Broyles, in the Sooners offense.

Breaking out: Left tackle Donald Stephenson. The 6-foot-6, 285-pound junior sat out all of last season because of eligibility issues, but Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops raved about Stephenson throughout the spring and continued to do so at last week's media days. Stoops says he has comparable talent to last year's left tackle, Trent Williams, who was drafted fourth overall in the NFL Draft.

Don’t forget about: Quinton Carter. One of the conference's hardest hitters, Carter will return for another year patrolling the secondary at free safety. Jonathan Nelson, Marcus Trice and last year's starter Sam Proctor give the Sooners great depth on the defense's back line.

All eyes on: The sidelines. Oklahoma's star power spent most of the season there last season with Heisman winner Sam Bradford and All-American tight end Jermaine Gresham forced to watch. Common sense says it can't happen again, but any more serious, impactful injuries would be increasingly frustrating for Oklahoma.

Quoting: "I really believe, going through a year ago, losing the number of seniors that we did, that we gained experience that you didn't want at the time. That will definitely give us -- make us a better and stronger team coming into this year. More experienced team maybe than we would have been." -- Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops

Only two Big 12 teams made the bracket for our NFL pipeline project this week, Oklahoma State and Nebraska. But ESPN Insider Chris Sprow took a closer look at the data, breaking down the production by decade.

Though the Sooners didn't make the overall bracket, if we had limited it to NFL production in the 2000s, Oklahoma would have been No. 5. They can thank safety Roy Williams, running back Adrian Peterson and defensive lineman Tommie Harris. Those three combined have been to 11 of Oklahoma's 14 total Pro Bowls this decade.

Mel Kiper also forecasted who will rise to the top in the coming decade. The Sooners topped his list after placing three players in the top four of this year's NFL Draft and sending another first rounder into the league in tight end Jermaine Gresham.

"We have to call them the clubhouse leader for this current decade, because remember, they have three of the top four picks of the first draft of the decade in Sam Bradford, Gerald McCoy and Trent Williams," Kiper wrote. "There's got to be a few Pro Bowls in that group."

Nebraska's strong defensive presence on the field and sideline put the Huskers on Kiper's four-team list of "sleepers."

"Ndamukong Suh could rack up multiple Pro Bowls, and Bo and Carl Pelini could keep churning out defensive talent year after year," Kiper wrote.

Here, we'll take a look at a couple of key players going, staying and coming for each team in the Big 12.

Going:

Trent Williams, OT

Before last season, offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson called Williams the best lineman he'd ever coached. Even though the offensive line heard plenty of criticism during last season, Williams parlayed his performance into a top-five selection in the NFL draft. He and Gerald McCoy were the only ones among Oklahoma's Big Four who came back after a national runner-up season in 2008 that didn't suffer a serious injury. The first-team All-American showed he was the nation's best offensive tackle last season, which was confirmed in April's draft.

Gerald McCoy, DT

McCoy was the heart of Oklahoma's top-10 defense in 2009 and stayed healthy throughout the season, unlike fellow first-round draft picks Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham. McCoy was drafted No. 3 in last month's draft after starting every game for three seasons and notching 15.5 tackles for loss in 2009.

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Staying:

Ryan Broyles, WR

Broyles enters his junior season as the top returning receiver in the conference. His 1,120 receiving yards on 89 catches helped spur Landry Jones' development, and he did it while missing almost two full games and playing with a still-healing fractured shoulder blade against Texas. The speedy, 5-foot-11 Broyles is one of the most dangerous players in the conference after the catch and in the open field, and could continue his punt-returning duties (first-team All-Big 12) in what should be another big year in 2010.

Travis Lewis, LB

Lewis embraced his role as the new voice and leader of the Sooners defense this spring, gearing up for a season alongside two newcomers at linebacker. Lewis led the team in tackles as a freshman (144) and sophomore (109) and could do it again in 2010. Lewis was named to the All-Big 12 first team in both seasons and it'd be surprising to not see him there again this season.

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Coming:

Kenny Stills, WR

Stills could help bolster a unit that, outside of Broyles, struggled in 2009. The Sooners worked all season to find a second target opposite Broyles, and may have done it in junior Dejuan Miller, but Stills showed he had potential to be an impact player as a true freshman. The early enrolling freshman came to Oklahoma as the No. 36 receiver in his class, according to Scouts Inc., but he could end up being the No. 2 receiver for the Sooners. He led all receivers in the spring game with 84 yards and a touchdown on six catches.

Bronson Irwin, OL

Oklahoma's offensive line was forced to enlist the services of walk-on Brian Lepak late last season. Irwin, who also enrolled early, could give the line the additional depth it could have used last season, but might need to use this season. The 6-foot-5, 322-pound Mustang, Okla., native came to Norman as the nation's No. 22 offensive tackle prospect, and got a jump start on his fellow incoming linemen with his work this spring.

More Revolving Door:

• Baylor
• Colorado
• Iowa State
• Kansas
• Kansas State
• Missouri
• Nebraska
  

• Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World looks back on Turner Gill's day at the race track.
• Oklahoma fans got an inside look at the football facilities over the weekend, writes Guerin Emig of the Tulsa World.
• Prince Amukamara wanted to be a running back when he came to Nebraska. Obviously, moving to cornerback has worked out well, writes Brian Christopherson of the Lincoln Journal Star.
• Former Baylor DL Trey Bryant signed a free agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
• Four Big 12 teams are in colleague Mark Schlabach's post-spring Top 25, including newcomer Texas A&M.

Realignment

• Austin Murphy pens a story for Sports Illustrated outlining three expansion scenarios.
• Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star says expansion could hurt Kansas and Kansas State the most.
• There are lots of expansion questions surrounding Nebraska, and Tom Shatel of the Omaha World-Herald is trying to answer them.
• Dave Sittler at the Tulsa World says commissioner Dan Beebe needs to fend off the conference's raiders, or else its fate won't be a good one.

A few reports from the rookie mini-camps that a couple of the Big 12's first-rounders attended over the weekend:

• Dez Bryant is ready to move on in Dallas after controversy about his pre-draft interview with the Dolphins.
• Bryant also turned his ankle yesterday in practice.
• Nicholas J. Cotsonika at the Detroit Free Press says the Lions' rookies need to get in shape. Except for one. You know who. Suh.
• Warren Sapp wants to help Gerald McCoy become a star.
• Matt Baker of the Tulsa World reports on Sam Bradford's debut in the blue and gold.
• Russell Okung and Earl Thomas are teammates in Seattle now.
• Hurricane Rita had a big impact on Falcons rookie Sean Weatherspoon, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• Joe Reedy at the Cincinnati Enquirer reports Bengals coach Marvin Lewis has been impressed with the early effort of tight end Jermaine Gresham.