ESPN College Football

2009 overall record: 8-5

2009 conference record: 4-4

Returning starters: Offense (9), Defense(9) P/K (1)

Top returners: QB Blaine Gabbert, RB Derrick Washington, WR Wes Kemp, LB Will Ebner, DE Aldon Smith, CB Carl Gettis, CB Kevin Rutland

Key losses: WR Danario Alexander, LB Sean Weatherspoon, DE Brian Coulter, DT Jaron Baston, OL Kurtis Gregory, P Jake Harry

2009 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Derrick Washington* (865 yards)

Passing: Blaine Gabbert (3,593 yards)

Receiving: Danario Alexander (1,781 yards)

Tackles: Sean Weatherspoon (111)

Sacks: Aldon Smith* (11.5)

Interceptions: Kevin Rutland* (2)

Three spring answers

1. Rutland speaks up. Without Missouri’s best—and loudest player—on defense, Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri needed to find a new voice opposite the offense. It’s not quite as loud, but senior cornerback Kevin Rutland emerged as the defensive leader in the spring. He’ll need to back it up with his play, but did what he could in 15 practices, picking off four passes in the Tigers’ five scrimmages.

2. Depth at receiver: Found. Experienced juniors Wes Kemp and Jerrell Jackson figured to be big factors in the passing game after Danario Alexander graduated. Not so much for sophomore T.J. Moe, who caught just two passes as a freshman, would be as big of a factor as he became in the spring. A quarterback in high school, Moe came to Missouri as the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year, and found a new position at receiver. He caught more passes during scrimmages this spring than any other Missouri receiver, including 12 in the spring game.

3. No problems backing the line. Missouri is replacing Weatherspoon, but isn’t short on talent at linebacker. It might be the team’s strongest and deepest position. Luke Lambert and Andrew Gachkar are experienced seniors, and Missouri has plenty of others who can play, including Will Ebner, Donovan Bonner and Zaviar Gooden.

Three fall questions

1. Will the secondary improve? Missouri’s pass defense was the second-worst in the conference a season ago. They’ll be fielding the same four players in the secondary, now all seniors. But will the experience mean improvement? It better, otherwise Missouri will have to score in the 30s to consistently win games.

2. How good can Blaine Gabbert and Aldon Smith be? Both have the potential to become one of, if not the best in college football at their positions. But as of now, it’s just that. Both were extremely productive in 2009, and Gabbert did most of it on a gimpy ankle. If both continue to get better like coach Gary Pinkel believes they will, a North title is certainly within reach. If not, the Tigers won’t stray far from eight wins.

3. Can the Tigers get over the hump? Oklahoma stood between Missouri’s first Big 12 title twice in the past two seasons. The Tigers were dominated by Texas in Columbia last season, and now Nebraska looks like the favorite to win the North. They’ll take on the Huskers in Lincoln this year, but for Missouri to win the Big 12, it’ll have to win more games it’s not supposed to win than it’s had to in awhile.

Nine players from the Big 12 were drafted in the first round, but not everybody can make millions. Here's where a few notable Big 12ers ended up after going undrafted:

Baylor

• LB Joe Pawelek - Seattle

Four-time All-Big 12er will try to fit in with new coach Pete Carroll.

• S Jordan Lake - unsigned

Everyone respects Lake as a hitter, but a lack of speed will likely keep the Thorpe Award candidate from succeeding at the pro level.

Kansas

• QB Todd Reesing - unsigned

Might end up in Canada after struggling to show scouts he could compensate for his lack of height.

Kansas State

• TE Jeron Mastrud - Tampa Bay
• WR/KR Brandon Banks - unsigned

Banks ran a 4.43 at the combine, the fifth-fastest time recorded by a receiver, but his size will keep him from playing receiver at the next level. Some team will give him a shot as a return man eventually. What he does with it is up to him.

Missouri

• WR Danario Alexander - unsigned

NFL teams are waiting on Alexander to pass a physical after undergoing his fourth knee surgery in just over a year. The nation's receiving leader can't seem to catch a break.

• OL Kurtis Gregory - Carolina
• DT Jaron Baston - Denver

Baston and Gregory were second-team All-Big 12ers and Carolina began contacting Gregory during the sixth round, expressing its interest in signing him.

Nebraska

• DE Barry Turner - Chicago
• S Matt O'Hanlon - Carolina

Turner and O'Hanlon make five Blackshirts who ended up on NFL rosters after leaving Nebraska. DT Ndamukong Suh, S Larry Asante and LB Phillip Dillard were drafted.

Oklahoma

• DE Auston English - Cleveland

An ankle injury ended English's season early and any chance the defensive end, who was named to the All-Big 12 first team as a freshman, had of being drafted.

• DT DeMarcus Granger - Seattle

Former blue-chip recruit never recovered from offseason back surgery before last season and didn't play until the bowl game.

• RB Chris Brown - Denver

Solid runner led the Sooners in rushing the past two seasons. Might be able to slip into Josh McDaniels' uncertain situation at running back. Lesser accomplished backs have done it in Denver in the past, but that was under Mike Shanahan, who's now in Washington.

Oklahoma State

• RB Keith Toston - St. Louis

Toston stepped in after Kendall Hunter was injured and ran for over 1,000 yards.

• OL Andrew Lewis - Kansas City
• OL Brady Bond - San Diego

Lewis began the season on the cover of SI, and Bond came to Oklahoma State after playing eight-man football. Both are now on current NFL rosters.

Texas

• K Hunter Lawrence - Tampa Bay

The most accurate kicker in Texas history, Lawrence doesn't seem likely to beat out the solid Connor Barth, who took over the job midseason last year, for the starting job. But impress during minicamp, or stay on the roster through training camp, and other teams could take notice.

• OL Adam Ulatoski - Houston
• OL Charlie Tanner - New York Jets

Ulatoski has the size (6-foot-6, 310 pounds) to succeed in the NFL, he just has to prove it with the Texans. Tanner and Ulatoski have a handful of All-Big 12 honors heading into the next level.

Texas A&M

• TE/FB Jamie McCoy - St. Louis

McCoy caught 35 passes for 367 yards and two scores and made the All-Big 12 second team.

Texas Tech

• DE Brandon Sharpe - New Orleans

Sharpe finished second in the Big 12 with 15 sacks.

• OL Brandon Carter - New Orleans

Carter, most known for his hair and makeup, turned an All-Big 12 first-team effort in 2009 into a free-agent deal with the world champs.

The NFL has released its final list of late additions to its annual pre-draft player combine, which will take place in Indianapolis from Feb. 24 to March 2.

The Big 12 is well represented on the list of invited players, with every team but Iowa State and Texas A&M having at least one representative.

Here's the final list. The late invitations, typically from underclassmen who declared for the draft, are listed in bold.

BAYLOR (2)

WR David Gettis

C J.D. Walton

COLORADO (1)

TE Riar Geer

KANSAS (3)

WR Dezmon Briscoe

WR Kerry Meier

S Darrell Stuckey

KANSAS STATE (3)

WR Brandon Banks

TE Jeron Mastrud

CB Joshua Moore

MISSOURI (4)

WR Danario Alexander

G Kurtis Gregory

WR Jared Perry

LB Sean Weatherspoon

NEBRASKA (4)

S Larry Asante

LB Phillip Dillard

C Jacob Hickman

DT Ndamukong Suh

OKLAHOMA (9)

QB Sam Bradford

RB Chris Brown

OLB Keenan Clayton

TE Brody Eldridge

CB Dominique Franks

TE Jermaine Gresham

CB Brian Jackson

DT Gerald McCoy

T Trent Williams

OKLAHOMA STATE (6)

S Lucien Antoine

WR Dez Bryant

CB Perrish Cox

T Russell Okung

QB Zac Robinson

RB Keith Toston

TEXAS (7)

DT Lamarr Houston

DE Sergio Kindle

QB Colt McCoy

LB Roddrick Muckelroy

WR Jordan Shipley

S Earl Thomas

T Adam Ulatoski

TEXAS TECH (2)

G Brandon Carter

CB Jamar Wall

As we all pore over the recruiting ratings of each school for the next few days, it's wise to take all of these rankings and ratings with a healthy grain of salt.

Recruiting is, always has been and always will be an inexact science. For every can't miss product, there are others who emerge out of nowhere to become standout players.

This trend was shown after I analyzed the first- and second-team All-Big 12 teams from the 2009 season and went back to check their original ESPNU grades. On some, the service hit. But on many others, it missed like Sean Weatherspoon and Danario Alexander.

Both had scores of 40 when they came out in their recruiting class. Weatherspoon weighed 195 pounds. Alexander was projected as a safety. And both put aside their dubious recruiting marks to develop into two of the best players in the country at their position over the course of their college career. I thought it was interesting to go back and look at the best players in the conference and see where they were ranked coming into college.

The ESPNU ratings database goes back only to 2006. That does not allow us to get ratings for players who took a redshirt year during their college careers. But it gives a pretty accurate picture about the crap shoot that college recruiting really is.

Here's a look at the Big 12's coaches' first and second teams for 2009. The positional rankings, typically listed second for most players, are national rankings.

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

QB: Colt McCoy, Texas: Class of 2005, no information available.

RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State: Junior college class of 2009.

RB: Keith Toston, Oklahoma State: 77 rating; ranked 44th among all safeties; ranked 73rd in state.

FB: Bryant Ward, Oklahoma State: Walk-on.

WR: Jordan Shipley, Texas: Class of 2004, no information available.

WR: Danario Alexander, Missouri: 40 rating (as safety), ranked 229th in state.

WR: Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas: 40 rating, ranked 363rd in state.

TE: Jeron Mastrud, Kansas State: 40 rating, ranked 13th in state.

OL: Russell Okung, Oklahoma State: 73 rating, ranked 61st among all tackles, 138th in state.

OL: Trent Williams, Oklahoma: 76 rating, ranked 22nd among all guards, 78th in state.

OL: Nick Stringer, Kansas State: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: Brandon Carter, Texas Tech: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: Nate Solder, Colorado: 40 rating (as tight end), ranked 48th in state.

PK: Grant Ressel, Missouri: Walk-on.

KR/PR: Brandon Banks, Kansas State: Junior college class of 2008.

---

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE

DL: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska: Class of 2005, no information available.

DL: Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma: 89 rating, ranked 2nd among all defensive tackle, ranked first in state, ranked 21st in nation.

DL:Von Miller, Texas A&M: 77 rating, ranked 37th among all defensive ends, ranked 52nd in state.

DL: Brandon Sharpe, Texas Tech: Junior-college class of 2007.

DL: Jared Crick, Nebraska: 73 rating, ranked 86th among all defensive ends, ranked seventh in state.

LB: Jesse Smith, Iowa State: Class of 2005, no information available.

LB: Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri: 40 rating, ranked 294th in state.

LB: Travis Lewis, Oklahoma: 75 rating, ranked 86th among all running backs, ranked 96th in state.

DB: Earl Thomas, Texas: 71 rating, ranked 75th among all cornerbacks, ranked 170th in state.

DB: Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State: 77 rating, ranked 25th among all cornerbacks, ranked 57th in state.

DB: Dominique Franks, Oklahoma: 74 rating, ranked 53rd among all cornerbacks, ranked 15th in state.

DB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska: 78 rating, ranked 31st among all running backs, ranked fifth in state.

DB: Larry Asante, Nebraska: Junior college class of 2007.

P: Derek Epperson, Baylor: 76 rating, ranked 15th among all kickers, ranked 87th in state.

---

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

QB: Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M: 79 rating, ranked first among all athletes, ranked 29th in state.

RB Roy Helu Jr., Nebraska: 73 rating, ranked 113th among all running backs, ranked 97th in state.

RB: DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma: 92 rating, ranked first among all running backs, ranked first in state, ranked sixth in nation.

FB: Jamie McCoy, Texas A&M: Class of 2005, no information available.

WR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma: 77 rating, ranked 58th among all wide receivers, ranked fourth in state.

WR: Kerry Meier, Kansas: Class of 2005 , no information available.

WR: Brandon Banks, Kansas State: Junior college class of 2008.

TE: Riar Geer, Colorado: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: J.D. Walton, Baylor: Class of 2005, no information available (transfer from Arizona State).

OL: Chris Hall, Texas: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: Kurtis Gregory, Missouri: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: Adam Ulatoski, Texas: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: Brody Eldridge, Oklahoma: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: Lee Grimes, Texas A&M: Class of 2005, no information available.

PK: Alex Henery, Nebraska: Walk-on.

KR/PR: Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State: 77 rating, ranked 25th among all cornerbacks, ranked 57th in state.

---

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

DL: Sergio Kindle, Texas: 92 rating, ranked first among all outside linebackers, ranked second in state, ranked seventh in nation.

DL: Lamarr Houston, Texas: 78 rating, ranked seventh among all fullbacks, ranked fourth in state.

DL: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma: 80 rating, ranked 11th among all defensive ends, ranked 17th in state, ranked 137th nationally.

DL: Jaron Baston, Missouri: Class of 2005, no information available.

DL: Daniel Howard, Texas Tech: Junior college class of 2007

LB: Joe Pawelek, Baylor: Class of 2005, no information available.

LB: Roddrick Muckelroy, Texas: Class of 2005, no information available.

LB: Phillip Dillard, Nebraska: Class of 2005, no information available.

DB: Jamar Wall, Texas Tech: 72 rating, ranked 79th among all safeties, ranked 142nd in state.

DB: Quinton Carter, Oklahoma: 77 rating, ranked 39th among all safeties, ranked third in state.

DB: Brian Jackson, Oklahoma: Class of 2005, no information available.

DB: Jordan Lake, Baylor: Class of 2005, no information available.

DB: Cha’pelle Brown, Colorado: 40 rating, ranked 287th in state.

DB: Trent Hunter, Texas A&M: 68 rating, ranked 90th among all cornerbacks, ranked 250th in state.

P: Tress Way, Oklahoma: 78 rating, ranked sixth among all kickers, ranked sixth in state.

It's interesting to note that only four members of the two teams were ESPNU top 150 selections: Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy, DeMarco Murray and Jeremy Beal and Texas' Sergio Kindle.

After sputtering in the early part of the decade, the Tigers became consistent winners in the latter part of the decade, soaring as high as No. 1 nationally in the week before the 2007 Big 12 title game.

The Tigers are still looking for their first Big 12 title, but they've had many memorable players dot their rosters over the decade.

Here's a look at the best of them. The toughest decision was to leave Justin Gage off the team at wide receiver, although I opted to go with an alignment much like offensive coordinator David Yost preferred, with one running back, two wide receivers and two tight ends. My team is reflected with that strategy.

OFFENSE

QB: Chase Daniel

RB: Zack Abron

WR: Jeremy Maclin

WR: Danario Alexander

TE: Chase Coffman

TE: Martin Rucker

OL: Joel Clinger

OL: Tony Palmer

OL: Kurtis Gregory

OL: Rob Droege

C: Adam Spieker

DEFENSE

DL: Justin Smith

DL: Atiyyah Ellison

DL: Lorenzo Williams

DL: Ziggy Hood

LB: Sean Weatherspoon

LB: Marcus Bacon

LB: Brock Christopher

DB: William Moore

DB: Pig Brown

DB: David Overstreet

DB: Shirdonya Mitchell

K: Jeff Wolfert

P: Jake Harry

KR: Jeremy Maclin

Offensive player of the decade: QB Chase Daniel. Orchestrated the Tigers’ back-to-back North Division championship teams in 2007-08, finishing fourth in the Heisman race in 2007 and setting the school’s career total offense and passing records as a senior.

Defensive player of the decade: LB Sean Weatherspoon. Lightly recruited player who emerged to become the dominant defensive player for the Tigers during his three-season career as a starter, leading the team in tackles each season.

Coach of the decade: Gary Pinkel. After struggling in his first two seasons, has taken the Tigers to a bowl game in every season except one, including two Big 12 title games and a No. 4 finish in the 2007 season.

Memory of the decade: Missouri’s 36-28 victory over Kansas in a 2007 showdown for the Big 12 North title pushed the Tigers to their first Big 12 championship game appearance. Daniel completed 40 of 49 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns, but the game wasn’t settled until Lorenzo Williams sacked Todd Reesing for a safety to ice the victory.

The Big 12 will be well represented when the NFL holds its scouting combine in Indianapolis.

The official list has not been released, although SportingNews.com has accounted for most of the early players. The list does not include juniors and other players who might be invited late to the festivities, which will begin Feb. 24 in Indianapolis.

I would think Baylor linebacker Joe Pawelek, Baylor safety Jordan Lake and Texas center Chris Hall all will be invited later.

And I would expect eligible juniors such as Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford and Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant to get their opportunity at the combine.

Baylor: WR David Gettis, C J.D. Walton.

Colorado: TE Riar Geer.

Iowa State: None.

Kansas: WR Kerry Meier, S Darrell Stuckey.

Kansas State: WR Brandon Banks, TE Jeron Mastrud.

Missouri: WR Danario Alexander, G Kurtis Gregory, WR Jared Perry, LB Sean Weatherspoon.

Nebraska: S Larry Asante, LB Phillip Dillard, C Jacob Hickman, DT Ndamukong Suh.

Oklahoma: RB Chris Brown, TE Brody Eldridge, TE Jermaine Gresham, CB Brian Jackson, T Trent Williams.

Oklahoma State: CB Perrish Cox, T Russell Okung, QB Zac Robinson, RB Keith Toston.

Texas: DT Lamarr Houston, DE Sergio Kindle, QB Colt McCoy, LB Roddrick Muckelroy, WR Jordan Shipley, OT Adam Ulatoski.

Texas A&M: None.

Texas Tech: G Brandon Carter, DB Jamar Wall.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Fifteen Big 12 players, including quarterbacks Sam Bradford of Oklahoma and Todd Reesing of Kansas, were selected Thursday on the 2009 CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District team.

The Big 12 area includes two districts with South teams in District 6 and North teams in District 7.

Players who were selected to the first team will be placed on the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration.

Here's the list of players who were selected.

Big 12 players on 2009 CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District teams DISTRICT 6 FIRST TEAM Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown GPA Major QB Sam Bradford Oklahoma Jr. Oklahoma City, Okla. 3.94 Finance WR Alex Torres Texas Tech So. El Paso, Texas 3.34 Business OL Will Harvey Texas Sr. Houston, Texas 3.52 Finance OL Adam Ulatoski Texas Gr. Southlake, Texas 3.53 Corp. Comm. (BA); Adv. (MA) DB Cody Davis Texas Tech So. Stephenville, Texas 3.61 Business LB Joe Pawelek Baylor Sr. San Antonio, Texas 3.71 Finance / economics DL Sam Acho Texas Jr. Dallas, Texas 3.62 Honors business DL Jason Lamb Baylor Sr. Richardson, Texas 3.33 Mgmt / HR mgmt. P Derek Epperson Baylor Jr. Southlake, Texas 3.47 Management / MIS DISTRICT 7 FIRST TEAM Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown GPA Major QB Todd Reesing Kansas Sr. Austin, Texas 3.64 Finance & economics TE Jeron Mastrud Kansas State Sr. Beaverton, Ore. 3.81 Management OL Kurtis Gregory Missouri Gr. Blackburn, Mo. 3.48 Agriculture OL Nate Solder Colorado Jr. Buena Vista, Colo. 3.45 Biology DB Austin Cassidy Nebraska So. Lincoln, Neb. 3.84 Psychology LB Drew Dudley Kansas Jr. College Station, Texas 3.67 Civil engineering

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Eight Big 12 players, including Texas quarterback Colt McCoy and Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing, are among the semifinalists announced today for the William V. Campbell Award presented by the National Football Foundation.

The award was previously known as the Draddy Award and has been considered the "academic Heisman Trophy."

Big 12 nominees include:

• Baylor linebacker Joe Pawelek
• Colorado fullback Jake Behrens
• Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing
• Kansas State tight end Jeron Mastrud
• Missouri guard Kurtis Gregory
• Nebraska wide receiver Wes Cammack
• Oklahoma defensive end Auston English
• Texas quarterback Colt McCoy

Players are nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each. Semifinalists must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship.

The 15 finalists will be announced on Oct. 29 and will receive an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The winner of the Campbell Award will be announced at the National Football Foundation's annual awards dinner in New York City on Dec. 8.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Missouri's second scrimmage didn't provide much encouragement for Coach Gary Pinkel as the Tigers continue preseason practice.

In fact, the Tigers might have taken a big step backwards as the Tigers prepare for their Sept. 5 opener in St. Louis against Illinois.

"I thought it was kind of sloppy," Pinkel told reporters after Thursday's practice. "The (first-string) one offense was lethargic out there, made a lot of mistakes. And when you have penalties, you have sacks.

"It just dissolves execution. I'm disappointed in that."

Pinkel was also angry that his defense was singed for three touchdowns in two-minute and short-field situations.

"The one defense played pretty good," Pinkel said, "but certainly giving up a couple of big plays at the end is certainly not what you want to be about."

The Tigers line struggled without starting tackle Dan Hoch. His replacement, All-Big 12 guard Kurtis Gregory, was beaten several times at his new position by backup defensive end Brad Madison.  

The defense won the scrimmage, 34-20, as points were given for three-and-outs, sacks, turnovers and other big plays.

Projected QB starter Blaine Gabbert was 14-of-21 for 121 yards and a 11-yard touchdown to Danario Alexander. Jimmy Costello was 18-of-25 for 137 yards with an interception and a 29-yard TD strike to Rolandis Woodland. Blaine Dalton was 12-of-22 for 72 yards and a 3-yard TD pass to Michael Egnew.

Gilbert Moye was the leading rusher with 40 yards on three carries.  Jerrell Jackson, the recent addition to Missouri's No. 1 offensive unit, produced team-best totals of six receptions and 60 receiving yards.

Linebacker Will Ebner and defensive Aldon Smith each produced a sack and two tackles for losses. And freshman linebacker Andrew Wilson and redshirt freshman cornerback Robert Steeples accounted for interceptions. 

But the Tigers' struggles left Pinkel knowing that more immediate improvement will be needed soon with the start of the season looming barely two weeks away.

"I just think we should be further ahead than we are right now," Pinkel said.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Here's a look at my preseason All-Big 12 team:

Offense

QB Colt McCoy, Texas
RB Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
RB DeMarco Murray Oklahoma
WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State
WR Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas
TE Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma
OL Russell Okung, Oklahoma State
OL Kurtis Gregory, Missouri
OL Trent Williams, Oklahoma
OL Adam Ulatoski, Texas
C Chris Hall, Texas

Defense

DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
DE Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma
DE Sergio Kindle, Texas
LB Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
LB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri
LB Joe Pawelek, Baylor
DB Dominique Franks, Oklahoma
DB Darrell Stuckey, Kansas
DB Earl Thomas, Texas
DB Jordan Lake, Baylor

Special teams

K Alex Henery, Nebraska
P Derek Epperson, Baylor
KR Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State
PR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Oklahoma and Texas played two players apiece on the Outland Trophy watch list released Tuesday by the Football Writers of America. 

The Sooners and Longhorns were joined by Florida, Penn State, Alabama, Georgia and USC as the only teams to place two members on the 40-man watch list.

The Big 12 had nine players on the list, trailing only 10 players from the Southeastern Conference. No other conference had more than four.  

Here's the list of Big 12 nominees

• Baylor C J.D. Walton
• Missouri G Kurtis Gregory
• Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh
• Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy
• Oklahoma T Trent Williams
• Oklahoma State T Russell Okung
• Texas T Adam Ulatoski
• Texas C Chris Hall
• Texas Tech G Brandon Carter

The Outland Trophy, presented annually since 1946, is the third-oldest award in major college football. The winner will be announced on the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show on Dec. 10 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

The Outland Trophy presentation banquet, sponsored by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee, will be held on Jan. 14 in Omaha, Neb.

The Big 12 has had two previous winners in its history with Aaron Taylor of Nebraska in 1997 and Jammal Brown of Oklahoma in 2004.

Among the previous winners from Big 12 schools before the conference was created include Larry Jacobson, Rich Glover, two-time winner Dave Rimington, Dean Steinkuhler, Zach Wiegert, and Will Shields, all of Nebraska; Jim Weatherall, J.D. Roberts, Lee Roy Selmon and Greg Roberts, all of Oklahoma; and Scott Appleton, Tommy Nobis and Brad Shearer, all of Texas.  

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

IRVING, Texas -- We should have a lot of juicy story topics today in the second day of the three-day Big 12 confab at the Westin Hotel.

Here's a look at the lineup for this morning. The proceedings will be available both on ESPNEWS and Big12sports.com:

Missouri (10 a.m. ET) I'll be interested to see if Gary Pinkel and his team play the "no respect" card after they were picked fourth in the preseason media poll. Sean Weatherspoon is one of the league's better quotes and I'm sure he'll be grilled on his recent comments about wanting to "squeeze the pulp" out of Illinois quarterback Juice Williams in the Tigers' season opener. And defensive tackle Jaron Baston and guard Kurtis Gregory will likely be asked about the Tigers' line -- which should be one of the team's strengths.

Baylor (10:45 a.m. ET) Some observers expect the Bears to break through and make a bowl this season, despite Baylor's 15-season drought that dates back to 1994 and is the longest in the conference. Robert Griffin decided to give up track to concentrate to concentrate on football. A lot will depend on Baylor's defense and veteran players Joe Pawelek and Jordan Lake will be queried about that unit's growth.

Kansas (11:30 a.m. ET) I wonder how long it will take before coach Mark Mangino shares something about the status of wayward wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe. I just can't see the Jayhawks contending for the North without him as an integral part. Todd Reesing also will be appearing and likely answering a lot of questions about being one of the underrated players in the conference.

Oklahoma (12:15 p.m. ET) The conference's three-time defending champions will be answering a lot of questions about the three-way tie that involved Texas and Texas Tech. I'm sure we'll hear a few questions about Bob Stoops' recent BCS woes. I'm expecting Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford to attract the biggest crowd of any player. And Gerald McCoy is one of my favorite players in the conference -- both for his production on the field and his verbiage away from it.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The Big 12 announced most of the players who will be attending the conference's annual media days, beginning next Monday in Arlington, Texas.

One interesting trend this season is that several coaches are planning to bring assistant coaches with them. Baylor coach Art Briles will be joined by defensive coordinator Brian Norwood, Colorado coach Dan Hawkins will be assisted at the proceedings by veteran linebackers coach Brian Cabral and Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy will be joined by cornerbacks coach Jason Jones.

Here's a look at the daily breakdown of teams and who will be attending to represent each school.

Monday July 27

• Nebraska: Coach Bo Pelini, RB Roy Helu Jr., C Jacob Hickman, DT Ndamukong Suh.
• Oklahoma State: Coach Mike Gundy, cornerbacks coach Jason Jones, QB Zac Robinson, LB Andre Sexton, WR Dez Bryant.
• Iowa State: Coach Paul Rhoads; QB Austen Arnaud, G Reggie Stephens, NG Nate Frere.
• Texas A&M: Coach Mike Sherman, players to be announced.

Tuesday July 28

• Missouri: Coach Gary Pinkel, LB Sean Weatherspoon, NT Jaron Baston, G Kurtis Gregory.
• Baylor: Coach Art Briles, defensive coordinator Brian Norwood, QB Robert Griffin, S Jordan Lake, LB Joe Pawelek, C J.D. Walton.
• Kansas: Coach Mark Mangino, QB Todd Reesing, WR Kerry Meier, DE Max Onyegbule.
• Oklahoma: Coach Bob Stoops, QB Sam Bradford; DT Gerald McCoy, TE Jermaine Gresham.

Wednesday July 29

• Kansas State: Coach Bill Snyder, players to be announced.
• Texas Tech: Coach Mike Leach, T Brandon Carter, CB Jamar Wall, DT Colby Whitlock.
• Colorado: Coach Dan Hawkins, linebackers coach Brian Cabral, TE Riar Geer, LB Marcus Burton, LB Jeff Smart.
• Texas: Coach Mack Brown, players to be announced.

It looks like we were able to get most of the players with compelling story lines. I expect Texas quarterback Colt McCoy and Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson both to make appearances for their respective schools, as well.

Just curious if any of you have any specific questions you'd like me to ask the players.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The Big 12 has set the order of media days that will occur July 27 to July 29 at the Westin Hotel in Irving, Texas. It serves as an unofficial kickoff to media hype for the upcoming season. The head coach and three or four players from each team will attend.

I believe that all coaches will attend this season. We've only had a couple of coaches miss the proceedings over the years. I think that Tom Osborne skipped things the first year or so. And we had that bizarre tape of Gary Barnett a few years back where he answered questions from esteemed Colorado sports information director David Plati in an interview filmed back in Boulder. It wasn't quite the same as if he had graced us with his presence.

Each day is split with four teams and there should be good storylines on each day. Here's how they break out.

July 27

Nebraska
Oklahoma State
Iowa State
Texas A&M

July 28

Missouri
Baylor
Kansas
Oklahoma

July 29

Kansas State
Texas Tech
Colorado
Texas

Unlike many conferences, the Big 12 did not release the attendees who will be coming to the festivities. Those names usually aren't released until the week before the meetings.

And I know that coaches don't ask the media who should be coming, but this would be my choice for each school if they inquired about my picks.

Nebraska: QB Zac Lee, I-back Roy Helu Jr., DT Ndamukong Suh, K Alex Henery.

Oklahoma State: QB Zac Robinson, RB Kendall Hunter, WR Dez Bryant, T Russell Okung, LB Andre Sexton.

Iowa State: QB Austen Arnaud, RB Alexander Robinson, WR Darius Darks, CB Leonard Johnson.

Texas A&M: QB Jerrod Johnson, WR Jeff Fuller, S Jordan Pugh, LB Von Miller.

Missouri: QB Blaine Gabbert, TB Derrick Washington, G Kurtis Gregory, NT Jaron Baston, LB Sean Weatherspoon.

Baylor: QB Robert Griffin, C J.D. Walton, LB Joe Pawelek, S Jordan Lake.

Kansas: QB Todd Reesing, WR Kerry Meier, WR Dezmon Briscoe, LB Angus Quigley, S Darrell Stuckey.

Oklahoma: QB Sam Bradford, LB Travis Lewis, TE Jermaine Gresham, DT Gerald McCoy.

Kansas State: QB Carson Coffman, WR Brandon Banks, DE Brandon Harold, CB Joshua Moore.

Texas Tech: QB Taylor Potts, RB Baron Batch, G Brandon Carter, DT Colby Whitlock.

Colorado: QB Cody Hawkins, RB Darrell Scott, LB Shaun Mohler, CB Cha'pelle Brown.

Texas: QB Colt McCoy, WR Jordan Shipley, DE-LB Sergio Kindle, S Earl Thomas.

Notice a recurring trend in my choices? If I were the Big 12 commissioner, there would be a rule that each team had to bring their starting quarterback among their attendees. No excuses.

Do I think that rule will ever be proposed?

Not on your life.

But here's a guess on the most likely and least likely to attend, for obvious reasons.

I bet there's probably a good possibility that Bradford and McCoy will be attending. Most Heisman Trophy candidates attend these affairs.

But I'm just as sure that Briscoe and Potts won't be there, either.

These are my choices. Hopefully they all will attend, or most of them, anyway.

Anybody else have other players they would like to attend, and why?

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

My friends joke with me about how possessive I get about my "college football bible" that I carry everywhere in my work satchel.

But after losing one Phil Steele several years ago, I learned my lesson. The first thing I do is put my name is big block letters on the inside page. And I usually buy two copies, one for my office and one for carrying around.

So you can imagine my excitement the other day when a crisp 2009 copy arrived at my mailbox. My wife said I was more thrilled about that delivery than our little boy was when he got his train set for his birthday last year.

But I digress. The reason why I and so many others utilize Phil Steele is because he's right more often than not in his predictions. If you don't believe it, look at the cover. In big block letters, Phil trumpets the fact that he's been "the most accurate preseason magazine in the last 10 years!"

Who am I to doubt him?

I quickly thumbed through the national stuff and found Steele's predictions for the Big 12 this season.

Here are his predictions for this season, along with the bowl matchup he's picking for each school. Several will open some eyes.

North Division

1. Nebraska (Holiday Bowl vs. California)

T2. Colorado (Independence Bowl vs. Auburn)

T2. Kansas State (Insight Bowl vs. Wisconsin)

4. Kansas (Alamo Bowl vs. Michigan State)

5. Missouri

6. Iowa State

South Division

1. Texas (BCS title game vs. Florida)

2. Oklahoma (Fiesta Bowl vs. Boise State)

3. Oklahoma State (Cotton Bowl vs. LSU)

4. Texas Tech (Sun Bowl vs. UCLA)

5. Baylor (Texas Bowl vs. Navy)

6. Texas A&M

Among the Big 12 players that Steele picked on his All-America team include Kendall Hunter, Dez Bryant and Russell Okung of Oklahoma State, Jermaine Gresham and Gerald McCoy of Oklahoma, Sean Weatherspoon of Missouri and Sergio Kindle of Texas. Bryant was chosen twice, both as a first-team All-American at wide receiver and a punt returner.

And here is Steele's choices for All-Big 12 first team:

QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma

RB Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State

RB DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma

WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State

WR Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas

WR Jordan Shipley, Texas

TE Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma

T Russell Okung, Oklahoma State

T Trent Williams, Oklahoma

G Brandon Carter, Texas Tech

G Kurtis Gregory, Missouri

C Chris Hall, Texas

DE McKinner Dixon, Texas Tech

DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma

DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska

DE Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma

LB Joe Pawelek, Baylor

LB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri

LB Travis Lewis, Oklahoma

LB Sergio Kindle, Texas

CB Cha'pelle Brown, Colorado

CB Dominique Franks, Oklahoma

SS Darrell Stuckey, Kansas

FS Jordan Lake, Baylor

K Alex Henery, Nebraska

P Derek Epperson, Baylor

KR Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State

PR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State 

Needless to say there's all kinds of other information available. And it will be hitting newsstands across the entire Big 12 readership area by June 9.