ESPN College Football

The Big 12 had a record-breaking performance in the 2010 NFL Draft, landing nine first-round picks and five of the first six picks.

A few of those picks have spent the first half of the season proving they were worth the hefty first-round price tag.

Scouts Inc. has updated its top 10 rookies rankings, and three of the top four are from the Big 12.

Analyst Matt Williamson is particularly impressed with former Nebraska star Ndamukong Suh, who is already eighth in the league with 6.5 sacks for the Detroit Lions and scored his first career touchdown on a fumble return in last week's game.

"Rarely do defensive tackles enter the league and make such a big impact right away. It is seldom discussed, but this is one of the hardest positions to become accustomed to at this level. The men blocking are much stronger and far more technically sound. Everything happens much faster in very tight quarters and reading the blocking schemes is much more difficult to do so quickly. But none of that has slowed down this marvelous player," Williamson writes. "As a run defender right now, Suh is only average, but he still demands a lot of attention from opposing blocking schemes. As a pass-rusher, he is out of this world. ... He sure looks like the Defensive Rookie of the Year to me."

Suh ranks No. 2 on Williamson's rookie rankings, behind former Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, who has the St. Louis Rams at 4-4 in his first season.

Former Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant and current Dallas Cowboy ranks No. 4, after catching six passes for 84 yards against Jacksonville last week and scoring three touchdowns in a Monday night game against the New York Giants two weeks ago.

Former Texas safety Earl Thomas, ranks No. 7 as a rookie with the Seattle Seahawks.

Texas defensive tackle Lamarr Houston (Oakland Raiders) and Oklahoma State cornerback Perrish Cox (Denver Broncos) are also listed among the notables.

The Big 12 had 30 players drafted over the weekend, fifth most among the major six conferences.


Here's a look at who went where when:

First round (9):

1. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma (St. Louis)

2. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska (Detroit)

3. Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma (Tampa Bay)

4. Trent Williams, OL, Oklahoma (Washington)

6. Russell Okung, OL, Oklahoma State (Seattle)

14. Earl Thomas, DB, Texas (Seattle)

19. Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri (Atlanta)

21. Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma (Cincinnati)

24. Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State (Dallas)

Second round (2):

43. Sergio Kindle, DE, Texas (Baltimore)

44. Lamarr Houston, DT, Texas (Oakland)

Third round (3):

80. J.D. Walton, C, Baylor (Denver)

84. Jordan Shipley, WR, Texas (Cincinnati)

85. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas (Cleveland)

Fourth round (4):

110. Darrell Stuckey, FS, Kansas (San Diego)

115. Phillip Dillard, LB, Nebraska (New York Giants)

121. Keenan Clayton, LB, Oklahoma (Philadelphia)

131. Roddrick Muckelroy, LB, Texas (Cincinnati)

Fifth round (6):

135. Dominique Franks, CB, Oklahoma (Atlanta)

137. Perrish Cox, CB, Oklahoma State (Denver)

141. Joshua Moore, DB, Kansas State (Chicago)

160. Larry Asante, SS, Nebraska (Cleveland)

162. Brody Eldridge, TE, Oklahoma (Indianapolis)

165. Kerry Meier, WR, Kansas (Atlanta)

Sixth round (4):

191. Dezmon Briscoe, WR, Kansas (Cincinnati)

196. Jamar Wall, CB, Texas Tech (Dallas)

198. David Gettis, WR, Baylor (Carolina)

202. Jordan Pugh, DB, Texas A&M (Carolina)

Seventh round (2):

228. Reggie Stephens, OL, Iowa State (Cincinnati)

250. Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma State (New England)

When you arrange those by team, Oklahoma comes out on top, with seven selections.

1. Oklahoma (7)

2. Texas (6)

3. Oklahoma State (4)

T-4. Nebraska (3)

T-4. Kansas (3)

6. Baylor (2)

T-7. Iowa State (1)

T-7. Kansas State (1)

T-7. Missouri (1)

T-7. Texas Tech (1)

T-7. Texas A&M (1)

12. Colorado (0)

Texas defensive tackle Lamarr Houston and Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford intend to join four other previously announced former Big 12 stars at the NFL draft on April 22.

Bradford, likely to be drafted No. 1 overall by the St. Louis Rams, is taking part in a two-day meeting with the Rams Tuesday and Wednesday. Both Mel Kiper and Todd McShay had Bradford atop their latest mock drafts.

Houston was not projected by either Kiper or McShay to be selected with one of the draft's first 32 picks, but Houston is expected to be drafted in the second round.

The six Big 12 players are the most of any conference. The ACC had the second most with four.

Also scheduled to attend the draft from the Big 12 are:

• Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
• Russell Okung, OL, Oklahoma State
• Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
• Trent Williams, OL, Oklahoma

Sixteen total prospects were on the NFL's list of attendees.

• Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
• Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State
• Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
• C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
• Jahvid Best, RB, Cal
• Joe Haden, CB, Florida
• Brandon Ghee, CB, Wake Forest
• Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa
• Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech
• Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

Florida's Tim Tebow was extended an invitation, but was not on the list of confirmed attendees.

The obvious story, of course, is Garrett Gilbert. His stat line (10-of-13, 165 yards, 3 TD) is impressive, but he did it with a variety of throws and showed a simple, important truth: Give him time, and he will deliver an accurate, catch-able ball. Yeah, it’s spring. Yeah, the defense didn’t provide the level of harassment Alabama did, but the tangible negatives from the outside looking in for Gilbert were pretty microscopic in Sunday’s scrimmage. His growth is going to be exciting to watch, and it could be very rapid.

“The team trusts him,” coach Mack Brown said after Sunday’s game. “They think he is the guy and at his age and not starting a game before, that’s pretty impressive for him.”

More on Gilbert in a bit.

• Texas held nine players out of Sunday’s game: LB Emmanuel Acho (hip), S Nolan Brewster (shoulder), WR John Chiles (hamstring), TE D.J. Grant (knee), RB Cody Johnson (hamstring), OT Paden Kelley (ankle), RB Vondrell McGee (shoulder), LB Jared Norton (shoulder), and OG Mason Walters (foot).

Brown told me last week he was trying to find a way to use running back Chris Whaley. In Sunday’s game, Whaley showed why. With Johnson sitting out, the 259-pounder played the role of bruiser, answering criticisms of his inability to use that frame.

“We want him to lose about 25 pounds,” Brown said. “If he can get down in the 240s and see if we think he has a chance to be a running back. He has to keep working because he shows spurts of doing some really good things.”

Whaley busted a long run out of the shotgun on his team’s first drive, and unleashed a nasty stiff-arm two carries later. Granted, he fumbled between those two carries, but still. If he can show some consistency, he’ll create his own carries.

He also had a nice run in the fourth quarter with a little under five minutes to play. When he gets in the secondary, he can make big things happen.

He finished with 70 yards on 14 carries, split between the two teams. He did a lot of that against reserves, and right now, the redshirt freshman is basically Johnson with less experience, but he’s definitely a guy to watch in coming years.

Fozzy Whittaker and Tre' Newton had ho-hum days (43 and 13 yards, respectively) on the stat sheet, but Whittaker looked pretty good hitting the hole a couple times and both guys showed a nice ability to lower their shoulder and deliver a hit.

“We can throw it every time with Garrett, but we want to go back and be more balanced,” Brown said. “I do like where we are. I like the progress we’ve made and we’re still not there. We still have to get a lot better to be consistent in the running game. Unlike last year, we’re not going to change it. We’re going to go back and we’re going to be good in the running game.”

• At this point, it’s probably stupid to say Gilbert is “underrated” at anything, but he’s got a really nice play fake. Not a bold prediction: That’s going to come in handy next season.

• DeSean Hales wins the day for the receivers, and it wasn’t close. His big highlight was a 41-yard touchdown on a post that Gilbert delivered beautifully in stride, and Hales turned on the jets, racing for the touchdown. He caught a game-high three passes for 77 yards and a touchdown. His first catch was the 41-yarder, and he also had a pair of 18-yard catches.

As for style, it’s tough to infer very much. Texas ran the ball for the first 11 plays of the scrimmage, but opened up the offense for plenty of the latter part of the game. Final play count: 43 runs, 31 passes for the two teams combined.

They did bust out a couple trick plays, staying true to Brown’s offseason hope of having “more fun.”

James Kirkendoll got the ball on a reverse for eight yards, and the Longhorns also ran an end around to Malcolm Williams for 21 yards, both from under center.

• Sophomore safety Kenny Vaccaro had a nice day for the highlight reel. He flattened Newton in the flats, drawing a very audible “Oooh” from about everyone. He also came closest to intercepting Gilbert. Vaccarro dove in front of a tight end on a rollout play, nearly coming away with possession, but managed the acrobatic pass break-up. That’s as close as Gilbert came to turning the ball over, and against a defense like Texas’, that’s a nice day.

• Lamarr Houston busted out his Nirvana T-shirt on the sidelines on Sunday. Can’t say I would have pegged him for a Kurt Cobain fan.

Lastly, Texas beat Fight, 34-3. So … yeah. Fight’s got a lot of work to do from now until September. Otherwise, they’ll be in for a long season. Texas looked like a juggernaut, scoring 34 consecutive points after falling behind 3-0 to the Fighting Fighters to start the game.

I suppose the title is somewhat misleading, since I'm actually in College Station today, but nonetheless, here's a few things from my visit to Austin Wednesday.

• The team's energy is, of course, reaching a crescendo with the spring game on Sunday. The players said having past Longhorns like Quan Cosby on campus for pro day only accentuated that. Hardly a distraction, but seeing guys who are where they want to be injected some energy into Wednesday's practice.
• Mack Brown feels pretty good about accomplishing his three big points for the spring. Among those:

Getting the punt return/block game back where it was in past years. Brown's really emphasizing that in the spring, and working defensive backs Aaron Williams and Curtis Brown, as well as receiver James Kirkendoll as returners. If the season began today, Williams would be the return man, and since they do, you know, have a game (kind of) on Sunday, look for Williams to get plenty of time back returning punts.

Re-establishing the offense. Much has been made of the Longhorns' move under center, but the style change is almost as big of an issue as the personnel changes Texas has undergone this spring. Brown doesn't know just yet exactly whom he wants to feature in the offense, but a big game on Sunday with plenty of eyes watching could give a receiver or running back a leg up heading into the fall. I'll have plenty more on that tomorrow, when we'll feature Texas on the blog.

Replenishing the defensive line. It really is remarkable how much talent has come through the defensive line at Texas in just the past couple of seasons. Kheeston Randall, Sam Acho and Eddie Jones will try to make the most of their time this season, but Roy Miller, Henry Melton and Brian Orakpo are all in the NFL. Sergio Kindle and Lamarr Houston should join them very soon.

• Texas plans on making a conscious effort to prepare to be ... prepared if it loses a key player like it lost Colt McCoy in the national championship game. You'd expect the entire team to be kind of shaken when it loses a leader like that in that type of situation, and the Longhorns' play in the first half suggested that was the case. Brown's not looking for a repeat of that in any game in 2010.
• Brown compared this team to his 2008 team, acknowledging that with all of the question marks, expectations will be lowered. Not that there isn't plenty of potential on both sides of the ball, but most of that potential is unproven. "This year, there’s so many unknowns, we’re not taking anything for granted," Brown said. "We’re making sure that we’re covering every little detail." In 2008, those question marks were answered to the tune of a BCS bowl win and just one loss.

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.

Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson needed a big week at the Senior Bowl to help his chances in the upcoming NFL draft.

Robinson got that and more in strong play for the South team at Saturday's game at Mobile, Ala.

His efforts in practices during the week enabled him to get most of the playing time for the South team in its 31-13 loss to the North.

The South team struggled, but it wasn't necessarily Robinson's fault. He completed 12 of 21 passes for a game-high 176 yards as he outplayed fellow South quarterbacks Tim Tebow of Florida and Jarrett Brown of West Virginia. Robinson hooked up with Colin Peak on a 19-yard touchdown pass shortly before halftime to account for the South team's only touchdown.

Robinson, like Tebow, had two fumbles including one lost. And Robinson had minus-9 yards in four carries including two sacks.

Here's a look at the individual statistics and participation for the Big 12 alumni in the game.

NORTH

• Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon: Started, two tackles, three assists, .5 tackle for a loss, one interception for 43 yards, one pass broken up.
• Nebraska linebacker Phillip Dillard: One tackle, two assists.
• Nebraska safety Larry Asante: Started, one tackle, one forced fumble.
• Oklahoma running back Chris Brown: Saw action.
• Missouri wide receiver Danario Alexander: Saw action.

SOUTH

• Oklahoma State cornerback Perrish Cox: Started, One tackle, one kickoff return for 11 yards.
• Texas linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy: One tackle.
• Texas defensive tackle Lamarr Houston: One assist.
• Baylor center J.D. Walton: Saw action.

It wasn't the best of days for Nebraska linebacker Phillip Dillard at Thursday's Senior Bowl practice in Mobile, Ala.

The Scouts Inc. reporters at the scene for ESPN.com didn't paint the brightest of pictures for Dillard after watching him in the North team practice with helmets and shorts.

Here's their report:

"Dillard's lack of athletic ability really showed up on Day 4, since players were in shorts and helmets, Dillard's ability to be physical between the tackles was negated. He looked tight during drills and struggled to make sudden changes of direction, and he also lacked good closing burst and straight-line speed during drills. Dillard struggled to stay with running backs in coverage during 7-on-7 drills (he was consistently two or three steps behind), and he showed a lack of natural ball skills. In pads, Dillard can mix it up inside, but we saw on Day 4 that his athletic limitations likely will drop him into the later rounds."

And here are some nuggets from Thursday's practices for Big 12-related players.

• Baylor C J.D. Walton was getting adequate hand placement but has no real power base and struggled against mammoth Alabama DT Terrence Cody.
• Texas DT Lamarr Houston exhibited a strong upper body and extended his arms well, using that combination to keep Arkansas OL Mitch Petrus off his frame during the team period of practice.

Both teams in Saturday's Senior Bowl will feature Big 12 players, according to the most recent rosters that have been posted for the game.

It's a little interesting because teams members from Oklahoma will be on the North team and those from Oklahoma State will be on the South. I guess the game officials didn't consult an atlas, considering that Norman is south of Stillwater on the Oklahoma map.

But whatever. The game, which will be played at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday and shown on NFL Network, annually showcases the top senior players from across the country. Ten Big 12 players from six conference schools will be able to show their stuff to an assembled group of NFL scouts during workouts this week before Saturday's game.

Here's a look at Big 12 players who will be participating.

North roster

Missouri

WR Danario Alexander

LB Sean Weatherspoon

Nebraska

DB Larry Asante

LB Phillip Dillard

Oklahoma

RB Chris Brown

South roster

Baylor

C J.D. Walton

Oklahoma State

CB Perrish Cox

QB Zac Robinson

Texas

DT Lamarr Houston

LB Roddrick Muckelroy

Dave Campbell Texas Football's winter edition will hit the newsstands in the next several days.

One of the interesting things about the magazine's winter edition is their annual All-Texas team for players from colleges across the Lone Star State.

Texas quarterback Colt McCoy and TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes were named as the offensive and defensive players of the year.

Here's a look at the other selections for the magazine.

All-Texas first-team offense

QB: Colt McCoy, Texas

RB: Donald Buckram, UTEP

RB: Charles Sims, Houston

WR: Jordan Shipley, Texas

WR: Emmanuel Sanders, SMU

WR: James Cleveland, Houston

TE: Dan Buckner, Texas

OL: Brandon Carter, Texas Tech

OL: J.D. Walton, Baylor

OL: Chris Hall, Texas

OL: Marshall Newhouse, TCU

OL: Marcus Cannon, TCU

K: Hunter Lawrence, Texas

All-Texas first-team defense

DL: Von Miller, Texas A&M

DL: Brandon Sharpe, Texas Tech

DL: Lamarr Houston, Texas

DL: Jerry Hughes, TCU

LB: Daryl Washington, TCU

LB: Sergio Kindle, Texas

LB: Joe Pawelek, Baylor

DB: Earl Thomas, Texas

DB: Rafael Priest, TCU

DB: Jordan Lake, Baylor

DB: Jamar Wall, Texas Tech

P: Chase Turner, Houston

Ret: Jeremy Kerley, TCU

The magazine all selected other awards for specific positional groups.

Best passer: Case Keenum, Houston

Best runner: Donald Buckram, UTEP

Best offensive lineman: Marshall Newhouse, TCU

Best receiver: Jordan Shipley, Texas

Best defensive lineman: Jerry Hughes, TCU

Best linebacker, Daryl Washington, TCU

Best defensive back: Earl Thomas, Texas

Most versatile: Von Miller, Texas A&M

DCTF also picked an all-Texas second team as well

All-Texas second-team offense

QB: Andy Dalton, TCU

RB: Lance Dunbar, North Texas

RB: Shawnbrey McNeal, SMU

WR: Jeff Moturi, SMU

WR: Tyron Carrier, Houston

WR: Kendall Wright, Baylor

TE: Justin Akers, Baylor

OL: Adam Ulatoski, Texas

OL: Jarve Dean, Houston

OL: Mike Aguayo, UTEP

OL: Lee Grimes, Texas A&M

OL: Charlie Tanner, Texas

K: Ross Evans, TCU

All-Texas second-team defense

DL: Scott Solomon, Rice

DL: Tyrell Graham, Houston

DL: Daniel Howard, Texas Tech

DL: Sam Acho, Texas

LB: Tank Carder, TCU

LB: Marcus McGraw, Houston

LB: Craig Robertson, North Texas

DB: Nick Sanders, TCU

DB: Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith, UTEP

DB: Blake Gideon, Texas

DB: Brandon Brinkley, Houston

Ret: Tyron Carrier, Houston

P: Derek Epperson, Baylor

Note: All Big 12 players are listed in bold facing.

The Big 12 had two national championship teams and five others that played in the BCS title game in the decade.

The two championship teams were the best of the conference's last 10 years. Some of the other BCS title participants were good, but not necessarily among the very best teams during the conference's recent history.

Here's how I rank the Big 12's top 10 teams over the last decade.

1. 2005 Texas: A star-studded team paced by All-Americans Michael Huff, Jonathan Scott, Rodrique Wright and Vince Young ran off 13 straight victories, capping the season with a BCS title-game victory over USC. The team averaged 50.2 points per game en route to a then-NCAA record 652 total points, earning Texas’ first undisputed national championship since 1969. It was the greatest team that Mack Brown ever coached and arguably the best team in the rich football history of Texas.

2. 2000 Oklahoma: Bob Stoops claimed a national championship in his second season coaching the Trojans behind Josh Heupel, who finished second in the Heisman race that season. All-Americans Heupel, linebacker Rocky Calmus and J.T. Thatcher helped the Sooners notch the first undefeated season and national championship in Big 12 history. After winning three of their final four regular-season games by less than five points, the Sooners dominated Florida State in a 13-2 triumph in the Orange Bowl for the national championship.

3. 2008 Oklahoma: Sam Bradford won the Heisman Trophy with this team, which overcame a midseason loss to Texas and still claimed the Big 12 title in a 12-2 season that was marred by a 24-14 loss to Florida in the national championship game. The Sooners rolled-up a record 702 points as Bradford passed for 50 touchdowns, Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray each rushed for 1,000 yards and Juaquin Iglesias topped 1,000 yards receiving. The Sooners scored 35 points in each regular-season game and finished the regular season with five straight games of at least 60 points before the BCS title-game loss.

4. 2004 Oklahoma: The Sooners charged to 12 straight victories before a dropping a 55-19 decision to USC in the Orange Bowl for the national title. Freshman running back Adrian Peterson rushed for an NCAA freshman record 1,925 yards to finish second in the Heisman. Jason White claimed the Heisman the previous season and his numbers were down with Peterson's arrival, but he still passed for 3,205 yards and 35 touchdowns. This group had strength in the trenches with All-Americans like Vince Carter, Dan Cody, Jammal Brown and Mark Clayton as it claimed Bob Stoops’ third Big 12 title.

5. 2009 Texas: After streaking to a school-record 13-0 mark through the Big 12 title game, the Longhorns dropped a 37-21 decision to Alabama in the national title game in a contest that changed when Colt McCoy was hurt on the fifth play of the game. McCoy became the winningest quarterback in NCAA history during this season, repeatedly hooking up with favorite target Jordan Shipley, who snagged a school-record 116 receptions, 1,485 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Longhorns led the nation in rush defense, and All-American safety Earl Thomas tied a school record with eight interceptions. Lamarr Houston and Sergio Kindle also added playmaking abilities to the defense.

6. 2004 Texas: The Longhorns overcame a midseason 12-0 loss to Oklahoma to finish the season with seven straight victories in a season capped by a dramatic 38-37 victory over Michigan in the Rose Bowl. The Longhorns ranked second nationally in rushing offense and seventh in total offense as Young gradually found his confidence as a passer late in the season. Cedric Benson rushed for 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns, and Young chipped in with 1,079 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. This team showed a knack for comebacks, overcoming an early 35-7 deficit against Oklahoma State and also coming from behind in an early-season victory at Arkansas.

7. 2007 Oklahoma: Bradford led the first of two consecutive Big 12 championships on a team that enabled the Sooners to become the first Big 12 school to win back-to-back titles. The Sooners dropped road games to Colorado and Texas Tech but still overcame Missouri in the Big 12 title game behind a huge defensive effort keyed by Big 12 defensive player of the year Rufus Alexander. Bradford led the nation in passing efficiency, but the Sooners' bowl struggles continued in an embarrassing 48-28 loss to West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl.

8. 2003 Kansas State: Don’t let the Wildcats’ 11-4 record fool you. After an early three-game losing streak to Marshall, Texas and Oklahoma State (by a combined margin of 15 points), Bill Snyder’s team won its final seven regular-season games by a combined margin of 271-66. That streak was culminated by a stunning 35-7 upset victory over Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game -- the last victory by a North Division team in the title game. The Wildcats ranked in the top 10 nationally in rushing, scoring, total defense, scoring defense and pass defense as Darren Sproles rushed for 1,986 yards and 16 touchdowns. The Wildcats dropped a 35-28 Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State in a game they fell into an early 21-0 deficit and had a chance to tie on the final play of the game after a frantic comeback directed by Ell Roberson.

9. 2007 Missouri: Chase Daniel led Missouri into the Big 12 title game for the first time in school history, taking the team to No. 1 nationally heading into the conference championship game. The Tigers lost twice to Oklahoma during a 12-2 season that was capped by 38-7 beatdown over Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. Tony Temple made that game memorable by rushing for a record 281 yards and four TDs that pushed Missouri to No. 4 nationally at the end of the season. A star-studded collection of talent including Daniel, Jeremy Maclin, Chase Coffman, Martin Rucker and Sean Weatherspoon helped the Tigers rank among the top-10 teams nationally in passing, total offense and scoring and 11th in turnover margin.

10. 2007 Kansas: The Jayhawks earned Mark Mangino the national coach of the year award by running to an 11-0 start before losing to Missouri in the regular-season finale. The Jayhawks rebounded for a 24-21 victory over Virginia Tech in their first BCS bowl appearance in school history, finishing a 12-1 season that set a school record for victories. Todd Reesing passed for 33 touchdowns to highlight a high-powered offense that scored 76 points against Nebraska and scored at least 43 points in eight games. The Jayhawks were a balanced team that ranked second nationally in scoring offense, fourth in scoring defense and in the top 10 nationally in eight different team statistics. Anthony Collins and Aqib Talib earned consensus All-America honors.

Sixteen Big 12 players hoping to better their draft status will be participating in the East-West Shrine Game Jan. 23 at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

Baylor linebacker Joe Pawelek, Iowa State offensive lineman Reggie Stephens, Kansas State defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald, Oklahoma State running back Keith Toston, Texas Tech cornerback Jamar Wall, Texas Tech guard Brandon Carter, Colorado tight end Riar Geer, Kansas wide receiver Kerry Meier, Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing, Kansas safety Darrell Stuckey, Missouri defensive tackle Jaron Baston, Nebraska safety Larry Asante, Oklahoma running back Chris Brown, Oklahoma cornerback Brian Jackson, Texas defensive tackle Lamarr Houston and Texas kicker Hunter Lawrence are on the West team's roster.

Every Big 12 program except Texas A&M will be represented in the annual all-star game, which will be played for the 85th time.

It will be particularly critical for players like Pawelek, Fitzgerald, Reesing and Toston as they perform before professional scouts in practices next week leading up to the game.

And keep an eye out for Stephens, who plans to work at guard after serving as a center for the Cyclones this season.

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.

PASADENA, Calif. -- The wear and tear was noticeable on their faces. Tired Texas players like Lamarr Houston and Roddrick Muckelroy showed the effects of trying to contain bruising Alabama running backs Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson during a long night at the Rose Bowl.

The Longhorns’ No. 1 national defense was gashed for a season-worst 205 rushing yards as Ingram rushed for 116 yards and Richardson added 109 in Alabama’s 37-21 victory in the Citi BCS National Championship game.

But despite those numbers, Texas made adjustments in the second half and the defense was one of the key reasons the Longhorns had a chance to win. Texas allowed only 57 rushing yards after the break, and continually came up with the key plays that were missing in the first half.

"The defense was out there a lot with (quarterback) Colt McCoy being gone,” Houston said. “We were playing tough and played through a lot of adversity all night long. And we were right there.”

The Longhorns’ defense came up with three, three-and-out possessions to start the second half, and Alabama's only two scores of the second half came off late turnovers. The Texas defense gave the Longhorns a chance to pull back into the game when the offense finally started clicking behind freshman quarterback Garrett Gilbert.

“We did all we could do to keep the game close,” Muckelroy said. “The defense stepped up and made some plays. They got us early, but in the end, about four plays killed us.”

Richardson’s 49-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter sliced through the middle of the Texas defense. It was one of four rushing touchdowns the Longhorns allowed Thursday night after giving up five rushing TDs in the 13 previous games.

“It was disappointing they got to us like that,” Houston said. “But we bounced back and did what we could to make adjustments to get back in the game.”

It was the second-most rushing yards against a Texas defense since Will Muschamp arrived last season. Only Oklahoma State's 217-yard effort last season surpassed the title game.

While Texas struggled containing the running game, Muschamp cooked up a pressure-heavy defensive front that sacked Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy five times.

The ringleader of the Texas pass rush was Sergio Kindle, who had his best game of the season with eight tackles, 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for losses.

“Our game plan was to get pressure on their quarterback,” Kindle said. “We thought their lineman were good in run blocking but might have slip-ups in pass coverage. We tried to get speed off the edge and middle. And those plays started coming for us as the game went on.”

But there weren’t enough of those big plays for the Longhorns to overcome the way the Tide won the battle in the trenches, using a methodical offensive philosophy.

“I’m not disappointed at all,” Houston said. “I’m proud of the team and our players for stepping up and almost winning this game. It was a good effort, but in the end it just wasn’t good enough.”