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Oklahoma State has emerged as a consistent power under Les Miles and Mike Gundy with bowl trips in seven of the last eight seasons.

The Cowboys have done it with a star-studded array of top players who have dotted their rosters over the last few years, most notably at wide receiver and running back. I was left with a tough choice between Adarius Bowman or Dez Bryant as the second wide receiver behind Rashaun Woods. And at running back, I went over and over as I tried to decide between Kendall Hunter, Keith Toston or Vernand Morency to go along with Tatum Bell.

After some careful deliberation, here are my choices for the Cowboys' top players of the last decade.

OFFENSE

QB: Zac Robinson

RB: Kendall Hunter

RB: Tatum Bell

WR: Rashaun Woods

WR: Dez Bryant

TE: Brandon Pettigrew

OL: Russell Okung

OL: Corey Hilliard

OL: Sam Mayes

OL: Charlie Johnson

C: David Washington

DEFENSE

DL: Kevin Williams

DL: LaWaylon Brown

DL: Juqua Thomas

DL: Greg Richmond

LB: Terrence Robinson

LB: Dwayne Levels

LB: Patrick Lavine

DB: Perrish Cox

DB: Vernon Grant

DB: Elbert Craig

DB: Darrent Williams

K: Luke Phillips

P: Matt Fodge

Ret: Perrish Cox

Offensive player of the decade: WR Rashaun Woods. His emergence in the early part of the decade foreshadowed the Big 12’s development into the most pass-happy conference in the nation. Despite facing constant double-coverage, he produced 293 catches and was the first receiver in Big 12 history to reach 4,000 career receiving yards.

Defensive player of the decade: DT Kevin Williams. Excelled as a mainstay in the Cowboys’ defensive front, making 42 starts in his career. He helped transform the Cowboys’ defense into a tough run-stuffing unit, making 160 tackles and 18.5 sacks over his career.

Coach of the decade: Mike Gundy. His coaching career is no longer dominated by sound bites of eruptions at press conferences. Gundy has directed the Cowboys to four straight bowl trips and back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time in 21 seasons.

Moment of the decade: Josh Fields directs 2001 comeback victory at Oklahoma. Fields came off the bench to rifle a 14-yard touchdown pass to Rashaun Woods with 1:36 left, and the Cowboys held on for a 16-13 victory. The Oklahoma State defense notched three interceptions and seven sacks of Nate Hybl and gave Bob Stoops his first home loss.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Here’s a look at some of those who are sizzling and fizzling across the Big 12 after the first three weeks of the season.

Hot: Oklahoma's defense, which posted back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1987.

Not: Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin, who produced a career-low 139 yards against Connecticut.

Hot: Iowa State’s special teams, which recovered two fumbles on Kent State punt returns last week.

Not: Iowa State’s offense, which has produced 10 turnovers in the last two games -- six interceptions and four lost fumbles.

Hot: Missouri wide receiver Danario Alexander, who became the first Tiger player to catch and throw a touchdown pass in the same game since Chase Coffman in the 2006 Sun Bowl.

Not: Kansas State’s offenses has scored 45 points in first three games -- lowest since Bill Snyder’s first season in 1989. The Wildcats had six drives that reached UCLA territory last week and came away with nine points.

Hot: Baylor linebacker Joe Pawelek, who contributed a career-high 21 tackles against Connecticut.

Not: Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee, whose first road game against Virginia Tech was one to forget. He completed 11-of-30 passes with two interceptions for 136 yards. It was the lowest Nebraska passing production since the Cornhuskers passed for 129 yards against Oklahoma State in 2007 -- a period of 20 games.

Hot: Oklahoma State punter Quinn Sharp, who is making Cowboy fans forget all about Ray Guy Award winner Matt Fodge from last season. Sharp had kicks of 50 and 61 yards last week against Rice, giving him six punts of 50 or more yards after three games. And six of his 12 punts this season have been downed inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

Not: Texas Tech running back Baron Batch, who gashed Texas for 18 yards on his first carry last week and produced five more yards during the rest of the game. Batch also struggled with two fumbles.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Here are a few Big 12 links to get you through the lunch hour.

• Lawrence Journal-World columnist Tom Keegan writes that it’s time to call a truce between Kansas’ feuding basketball and football teams.
• The Boulder Camera’s Neill Woelk advocates thinking about a change -- both in terms of opposition and playing dates -- for Colorado’s made-for-television schedule.
• Bob Stoops tells the Oklahoman’s Jake Trotter that he’s not ready to speculate when Sam Bradford will return to the lineup.
• Iowa State’s emerging running game will test Army, the Ames Tribune’s Bobby La Gesse reports.
• Baylor’s loss to Connecticut has slapped the program back into reality as it prepares for Saturdays’ game against Northwestern State, John Werner of the Waco Tribune-Herald reports.
• The Tulsa World’s Matt Baker catches up with Oklahoma State redshirt freshman punter Quinn Sharp, who has provided the Cowboys with a punting upgrade over Ray Guy winner Matt Fodge from last season.
• The Topeka Capital-Journal’s Kevin Haskin wonders if Kansas State coach Bill Snyder felt like he was coming from, or going to work, when the Wildcats returned home around 5:45 a.m. Sunday from their trip to UCLA.
• The Lincoln Journal-Star’s Steve Sipple wonders how good Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee really is after his struggles last week at Virginia Tech.
• Soft-spoken Texas middle linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy is emerging as the Longhorns’ key defensive player, Alan Trubow of the Austin American-Statesman reports.
• The San Antonio Express-News’ Brent Zwerneman advises fans to bring plenty of repellent to Texas A&M's game Saturday night against UAB after recent rains have caused an infestation of thousands of bugs at Kyle Field.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

I know this makes me sound like a coaches, but I actually think that special teams really does account for a third of a team's success. And I think that solid play in all facets is especially critical in the Big 12 because of the small margin of error in most games.

Here's a look at how I rank the special teams in the conference, giving each team a master rating including all facets of the kicking game.

1. Texas: The best combination kicking game in the league with two-deep talent at both kicker and punter and Jordan Shipley to take care of the returns. The Longhorns always have fast, talented athletes covering kicks as well. And I'm curious to see if Justin Tucker really will be able to produce rugby-style punts with both feet.

2. Oklahoma State:The Cowboys have the best kickoff/punt returners in the conference in Dez Bryant and Perrish Cox. Special-teams coach Joe DeForest always does an outstanding job, although he’ll be in tough spot replacing Matt Fodge as his punter this season.

3. Nebraska: Alex Henery was the best kicker in the conference with a knack for making huge kicks. It's curious that Nebraska coaches would risk that success by having him double up as a punter this season. But he actually came to college as a walk-on punter. Niles Paul will get the start as both punt returner and kick returner. And Adi Kunalic led the nation in touchbacks as a kickoff specialist.

4. Kansas State:I’m basing this as much on past success as anything else -- Ron Prince’s team blocked four punts for touchdowns last season. Brandon Banks is a threat to break a big return on every play and he’ll be doubling as a kick and punt returner this season. Even with Bill Snyder taking over, I’m still thinking this will be a productive unit as they break in new kicker Josh Cherry and new punter Ryan Doerr.

5. Baylor: The Bears have the most consistent punter in the conference with Derek Epperson. Look for improvement from kicker Ben Parks. One key will be boosting punt returns with new returner Krys Buerck after ranking only 118th nationally as a team last season.

6. Iowa State: I think that Jack Trice Stadium might be the toughest facility in the conference because of its swirling winds. Paul Rhoads has some confidence with Grant Mahoney back at kicker and Mike Brandtner at punter. Leonard Johnson is one of the most effective kickoff returners in the conference. But the Cyclones need a boost on punt returns and in covering kicks.

7. Oklahoma: For a team with as many athletes as the Sooners, I was surprised with their difficulties in covering kicks last season. That’s the immediate concern for them. DeMarco Murray was a threat on every return, but I doubt he plays there much because of his recent injury problems. Dominique Franks, Ryan Broyles and Cameron Kenney are expected to contribute in the return game. And Kenney might even push Tress Way for punting duties. Coaches have also been impressed with the improved range of kicker Jimmy Stevens. We’ll see if that holds up when the season starts.

8. Texas Tech: The story about Matt “Lynwood” Williams was one of the best in college football last year as he emerged from an in-game kicking contest to win most of the kicking honors for the Red Raiders. Donnie Carona was a disappointment as a kicker, but may emerge as a punter along with Ryan Erxleben (yeah, he’s the son of former Texas punter Russell Erxleben) as the Red Raiders wait for Jonathan LaCour to come off a Big 12-mandated suspension. Edward Britton and Jamar Wall will be involved in returning kicks, along with many others.

9. Texas A&M: Here’s a stat that shows how far Texas A&M’s once vaunting kicking game has fallen in recent years. The Aggies haven’t converted a field goal of 50 yards or more since 2000. Randy Bullock is back as the kicker and freshman Ryan Epperson and Ken Wood are still battling for the punting job. Christine Michael inherits the kickoff return duties, but look for heralded junior-college cornerback Coryell Judie to be involved some way.

10. Missouri: No Jeremy Maclin and Jeff Wolfert means that the Tigers will rebuild one of their strongest units last season. Their net punting figures to improve after Jake Harry’s strong start. Grant Ressel won the kicking job in a tight battle, but might be pushed this season. Gary Pinkel is sorting through his options in the return game but won’t have anybody nearly as gifted as Maclin. And they need to do a better job covering kicks after allowing a kickoff return for a touchdown for the first time last season.

11. Kansas: The Jayhawks desperately need some improvement in this category. Jacob Branstetter converted 75 percent of his kicks, but his longest was only 34 yards. Punter Alonso Rojas’ net average was only 33.9 yards. And the Jayhawks ranked 118th nationally in kickoff returns as Marcus Herford accounted for most of the returns. They showed some strong improvement late in the season when Dezmon Briscoe took over.

12. Colorado: The Buffaloes had the worst field-goal percentage in the country as they converted only 29 percent last season. They also lose Josh Smith, who set a school record for total kick return yards. Coaches think that Andre Simmons will be able to help here, but I’ll take a wait-and-see attitude before I get too excited.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Baylor punter Derek Epperson is among the 10 players on the Ray Guy Award's initial 2009 watch list.

The Greater August Sports Council of Augusta, Ga., provides the award to the nation's top punter. More candidates will be added in late October.

Epperson is one of five semifinalists from the 2008 season who were named to the watch list. Others included Bryan Anger of California, Iowa's Ryan Donahue, Florida's Chas Henry and Michigan's Zoltan Mesko.

Epperson averaged 44.3 yards per punt last season to rank second among Big 12 returning punters. John Gold of Texas led Big 12 returning punters with an average of 45.0 yards per punt on 21 kicks last season.

There were no other Big 12 representatives on Wednesday's watch list.

The Big 12 has claimed four of the nine Ray Guy winners since the award was inaugurated in 2000. Included in the list include Baylor's Daniel Sepulveda, the only two-time winner of the award. Sepulveda was honored in 2004 and 2006. Other Big 12 winners have included Colorado's Mark Mariscal in 2002 and Oklahoma State's Matt Fodge in 2008.

The winner will be announced live during the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show airing on ESPN December 10.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Even in the middle of his summer vacation, Oklahoma State special teams coach Joe DeForest still gets charged about his plans for the upcoming season.

	Donald Miralle/Getty Images
	While he stars as a receiver, Dez Bryant also excels as a punt returner.

The Cowboys' Sept. 5 opener against Georgia might be 2½ months away, but DeForest's excitement is understandable even as he relaxed last week on a Florida beach with his family.

The Cowboys traditionally have been one of the nation's best in special teams. And it could be even better this season with the return of game-breaking players like Dez Bryant and Perrish Cox to help charge those units.

"It's how you approach it with the kids," DeForest said. "We emphasize that aspect and people want to be a part of it. It's respected as a big part of what we do and the fans understand that as well."

The best example of the importance that Mike Gundy places on that facet of the game can be seen with the fact that Bryant was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award.

"It all starts with the head coach and the fact that he gives me the ability to use our best players," DeForest said. "The fact we use Dez Bryant to run back punts says a lot about the importance we place on it."

Talent plays a part in OSU's success, but the Cowboys have developed a distinctive attitude on their special teams that permeates that aspect of their program.

OSU special-teams players wear special black T-shirts that aren't given out, but are earned on the field of play. They eat first, before any of their teammates. And they are held to a different standard than the rest of the squad.

"Our motto for our special teams around here is 'one play and out,' and that's what we've been able to build on over the years," DeForest said. "There aren't eight plays like you get on an offensive drive or several plays on defense. We've got one play to make something happen -- one chance. And that's what we try to do."

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Oklahoma State Cowboys 2008 overall record: 9-4 2008 conference record: 5-3 Returning starters Offense: 8, defense: 6, kicker/punter: 1 Top returners QB Zac Robinson, RB Kendall Hunter, WR Dez Bryant, T Russell Okung, DE Ugo Chinasa, LB Andre Sexton, CB Perrish Cox Key losses C David Washington, TE Brandon Pettigrew, DT Tonga Tea, DT Jeray Chatham, CB Jacob Lacey, S Ricky Price, P Matt Fodge 2008 statistical leaders (* returners) Rushing: Kendall Hunter* (1,555 yards) Passing: Zac Robinson* (3,064 yards) Receiving: Dez Bryant* (1,480 yards) Tackles: Andre Sexton* (100) Sacks: Jeremiah Price* (3) Interceptions: Patrick Lavine *, Donald Booker*, Perrish Cox* (2) Spring answers 2009 Schedule Sept. 5 Georgia Sept. 12 Houston Sept. 19 Rice Sept. 26 Grambling State Oct. 10 at Texas A&M Oct. 17 Missouri Oct. 24 at Baylor Oct. 31 Texas Nov. 7 at Iowa State Nov. 14 Texas Tech Nov. 19 Colorado Nov. 28 at Oklahoma 1. Wide receiver depth: OSU coaches were concerned about developing additional players with Dez Bryant missing spring practice as he recovered from knee surgery. Redshirt freshman Juston Blackmon was a pleasant surprise -- he was one of the Cowboys' most consistent players in the spring. And sophomore Hubert Anyiam finally started showing the promise that made him one of the top recruits of the 2007 class. 2. Development at linebacker: No player has soaked in the defensive philosophy of new coordinator Bill Young more than Donald Booker. The former junior college transfer was a hitting machine throughout spring practice and appears to have won a starting job at middle linebacker. 3. Chris Donaldson: The Cowboys lost both starters at defensive tackle with the departure of Tonga Tea and Jeray Chatham. Donaldson, a massive 286-pound run-stuffer, struggled with injuries in his first season in the OSU program after transferring from Coffeyville Community College last season. After his strong spring, he could be in line for a starting position. Fall questions 1. Backup quarterback: Late in spring practice, coach Mike Gundy appeared ready to install third-year sophomore Brandon Weeden as his No. 2 quarterback behind Zac Robinson. But Weeden struggled in the spring game and Alex Cade is back in the mix in the battle for playing time behind Robinson. Weeden, a former minor league baseball player, has the edge in maturity. But Cade has a knack for making plays that OSU coaches love. 2. Pass rush: Young's first task is to try to juice production for the defensive front that ranked last in the conference with 15 sacks last season. Richetti Jones, one of the nation's top recruits before breaking his hip as a high school senior in 2006, appears to have regained his form after a long comeback. The productive return of the 6-foot-3, 253-pound Jones would be important in the Cowboys' defensive growth. 3. Punter: The Cowboys have to find a replacement for Matt Fodge, who won the Ray Guy award last season but graduated. Redshirt freshman Quinn Sharp appeared to have claimed the top position, but he struggled with inconsistency during the spring and had two poor punts in the spring game.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

I'll be back later today with a complete breakdown of the Big 12's draft.

But here's something to watch as Monday plays out.

There are still some pretty good players available from Big 12 schools who were not drafted.

Most notably are three quarterbacks who set records and took their teams to bowl games this past season.

Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell, Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel and Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz all went undrafted.

Look for teams to be dickering with them for free-agent contracts throughout the day.

Here's a list of some of the more notable Big 12 players who went undrafted.

• Texas A&M DE Michael Bennett
• Texas A&M P Justin Brantly
• Kansas State DE Ian Campbell
• Oklahoma C Jon Cooper
• Texas WR Quan Cosby
• Missouri QB Chase Daniel
• Texas G Cedric Dockery
• Oklahoma State P Matt Fodge
• Nebraska QB Joe Ganz
• Baylor T Dan Gay
• Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell
• Oklahoma S Lendy Holmes
• Nebraska I-back Marlon Lucky
• Texas CB Ryan Palmer
• Texas Tech T Rylan Reed
• Nebraska WR Nate Swift
• Oklahoma OL Brandon Walker

There are some pretty good players on that list. I wouldn't be surprised to see a couple of them make an NFL roster if given the opportunity.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

And then there were three.

Teams, that is.

With Texas Tech starting spring practice this afternoon, only Texas A&M, Colorado and Kansas State still haven't started their spring work. And the Aggies kick off spring practice on Thursday.

With camps opening across the Midwest, it means more news.

And thankfully, more potential sources for lunchtime links from across the conference.

Here are today's offerings.

• Texas Tech defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill plans to alternate Ra'Jon Henley and Brandon Sesay at defensive tackle and end this spring, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal beat writer Don Williams reports.
• So much for any lingering bad feelings after he was demoted as Iowa State's defensive coordinator late last year before left the school. Charles Goldberg of the Birmingham News reports that Gene Chizik has hired former ISU assistant Wayne Bolt as Auburn's director of football operations.
• New Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads avoided confusion with his team by having his players tape their names on the front of their helmets to make for easier recognition on the Cyclones' first day of spring practice, Andrew Logue of the Des Moines Register reports. And Rhoads told Chuck Schoffner of the Cedar Rapids Gazette that his first day of practice was "boring."
• Kansas coach Mark Mangino will be honored Sunday when he's inducted into the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame, the Topeka Capital-Journal's Tully Corcoran reports.
• Newsday's Mike Rose has Baylor ranked No. 1 among five national programs set to rise in 2009.
• Brian Christopherson of the Lincoln Journal-Star details the higher expectations that Bo Pelini has for his program as he begins his second spring as head coach.
• NCAA heavyweight champion Mark Ellis plans to join Missouri's football team after spring break as a walk-on defensive end, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports.
• Tulsa World beat writer Bill Haisten details how Oklahoma State will rebuild its punting game without Ray Guy Award winner Matt Fodge.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

When I was a little kid, one element among my favorites of going to a football game was collecting a game program. I loved nothing better than to scan rosters and check the heights and weights of players as I looked at them through my father's binoculars.

It led me to collecting many programs that probably still are around my parents' house somewhere. I guess I just wanted to add to the clutter of my bedroom.

If I had known then what I know now, I might not have been so diligent about all of the effort. Little boys don't know those heights and weights for their football heroes aren't always correct.

The best way to analyze the discrepancy is by comparing the heights and weights of some of the Big 12 players who attended the recent NFL combine and compare them with what they were listed at during their college careers.

The before is their listed height and weight during last season. The after is what they were measured over the weekend by the NFL.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Here's the official list of 41 Big 12 players who have been invited to the NFL combine Feb. 18 through Feb. 24 in Indianapolis.

Oklahoma led all Big 12 teams with eight players invited to the combine, followed by Texas, Missouri and Nebraska with six players each and Texas Tech with five players.

All Big 12 schools were represented with the exception of Colorado, Iowa State and Kansas.

All players are expected to attend with the exception of Texas wide receiver Jordan Shipley, who was granted an extra season of eligibility and will remain in college. Shipley recently underwent shoulder surgery and will not be able to participate when spring practice begins for the Longhorns later this week.

NFL officials have calculated that players invited to the NFL combine typically are drafted 64 percent of the time. So these players would appear to have the best chance of being picked among eligible players from the Big 12.

Here's a list of invited players listed by their schools.

Baylor: T Dan Gay, T Jason Smith.

Colorado: None.

Iowa State: None.

Kansas: None.

Kansas State: QB Josh Freeman, DE-LB Ian Campbell.

Missouri: TE Chase Coffman, QB Chase Daniel, DT Ziggy Hood, WR-KR Jeremy Maclin, S William Moore, DE Stryker Sulak.

Nebraska: LB Cody Glenn, RB Marlon Lucky, T Lydon Murtha, DE Zach Potter, G Matt Slauson, WR Nathan Swift.

Oklahoma: C Jon Cooper, S Nic Harris, S Lendy Holmes, WR Juaquan Iglesias, WR Manuel Johnson, T Phil Loadholt, G Duke Robinson, G Brandon Walker.

Oklahoma State: P Matt Fodge, TE Brandon Pettigrew.

Texas: WR Quan Cosby, DT Roy Miller, RB Chris Ogbonnaya, DE Brian Orakpo, CB Ryan Palmer, WR Jordan Shipley.*

Texas A&M: DE Michael Bennett, P Justin Brantly, RB Michael Goodson, QB Stephen McGee.

Texas Tech: WR Michael Crabtree, QB Graham Harrell, S Darcel McBath, G Louis Vasquez, DE Brandon Williams.

*  Note: Shipley has elected to stay for a sixth season of eligibility with Texas. He will be available for the 2010 draft.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky showed something to pro scouts with a big performance in Saturday's East-West Shrine Game in Houston.

Lucky, who finished the season as the Cornhuskers' No. 3 I-back behind Roy Helu Jr. and Quentin Castille, rushed for a game-high 68 yards and a touchdown to earn Most Valuable Player honors in the East's 24-19 victory over the West on Saturday afternoon.

"It was a big one for me," Lucky told the Associated Press. "I didn't have a strong year and to just come out and play my game and show what I can do, I seized the opportunity. Now it's back to training."

Some Big 12 players had better outings than others. Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee passed for 128 yards, including a 35-yard TD strike to Rice wide receiver Jarett Dillard, and rushed for four yards on three carries.

Mammoth 295-pound Texas A&M running back Jorvorskie Lane, who set a school record with 49 rushing touchdowns, was stopped three times inside the East's 5-yard on unsuccessful attempts to score. Lane produced six yards on four carries and added three receptions for 13 yards.

Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel struggled through a difficult performance for the East, completing 2 of 9 passes for 1 yards, with a long pass of 4 yards.

And Ray Guy award winner Matt Fodge of Oklahoma State had an inconsistent game, averaging 32.8 yards per kick on four punts. Fodge's longest punt was 67 yards, but he also shanked kicks of 28 and 5 yards.

Here's a look at some of the numbers for other Big 12 players in Saturday's game.

• Missouri defensive end Stryker Sulak (East): Three tackles (one solo), one pass deflection, .5 of a tackle for a loss.
• Texas defensive tackle Roy Miller (West): Tied for team-high honors with six tackles and four solo stops. Also added a team-high tackle for a loss.
• Oklahoma defensive back Lendy Holmes (West): One solo tackle, three total tackles.
• Texas cornerback Ryan Palmer (West): Two tackles.
• Texas A&M defensive end Michael Bennett (West): One assist, one quarterback hurry.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

All right, admit it. You are going through college football withdrawal after seven days without a game.

If you are really missing college football, check out the Shrine East-West Shrine Game at 4 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN2 from Houston's Robertson Stadium.

The Big 12 will be heavily represented. Below is a list of players and their uniform numbers if you want to give them a look on Saturday. You can find the rest of the roster on the Shrine Game web site.

East: Missouri QB Chase Daniel (No. 10), Nebraska RB Marlon Lucky (No. 20), Missouri DE Stryker Sulak (No. 38), Nebraska OL Matt Slauson (No. 75), Nebraska LS T.J. O'Leary (No. 82),

West: Oklahoma WR Manuel Johnson (No. 1), Texas DB Ryan Palmer (No. 2), Texas Tech DB Darcel McBath (No. 3), Texas A&M RB Jorvorskie Lane (No. 11), Texas A&M QB Stephen McGee (No. 12), Oklahoma State P Matt Fodge (No. 17), Oklahoma DB Lendy Holmes (No. 22), Oklahoma C Jon Cooper (No. 50), Texas Tech OL Louis Vasquez (No. 66), Baylor OL Dan Gay (No. 71), Texas OL Cedric Dockery (No. 73), Texas A&M DE Michael Bennett (No. 92), Texas DT Roy Miller (No. 98),

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The Holiday Bowl should be one of the most entertaining games during this bowl season with two high-powered offenses and two defenses that struggled against top opposition. Brace yourself for a shootout with all of the top talent on both sides of the field.

Who to watch: Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson reverted to the form that made him one of the nation's best runners last season in the Cowboys' regular-season finale, gashing Oklahoma for a season-best 90 rushing yards. OSU will need Robinson's passing skills against a leaky Oregon defense, but he'll also need to make some improvisational plays with his feet. That balance will be particularly important against an Oregon defense that ranks 80th nationally in total defense and 108th in pass defense.

What to watch: Oklahoma State's special teams made big plays all season, with Dez Bryant leading the Big 12 in punt returns (17.9 yards per return), Perish Cox pacing the conference in kick returns (30.1 yards per return) and Matt Fodge earning the Ray Guy Award as the nation's top punter. With Tuesday's game against Oregon figuring to be as close as it appears, a clear advantage in special teams could propel the Cowboys to the victory.

Why to watch: The Holiday Bowl has developed a national reputation for entertaining offensive battles and tonight's game should be no exception. Both teams are in the top eight nationally in rushing, total offense and scoring. So it wouldn't be a stretch to see both teams combine for 1,000 yards of total offense and maybe even 100 total points. OSU must cope with Oregon's explosive offense without defensive coordinator Tim Beckman, who left after the season for the Toledo head coaching job. Coach Mike Gundy has divvied up his responsibilities among the remaining defensive assistants and it will be interesting to see how they respond against a high-powered attack like the Ducks have. Their work could determine whether OSU claims its 10th triumph this season for the first time since 1988 and only the fourth time in the 108-season history of the program.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Here are a few letters that I've received in the last several days. I don't have a Christmas card for everybody, but how about a few honest answers?

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Drew from St. Louis writes: Tim, I know Texas is your early favorite for next year but I think Oklahoma will have the best defense in the Big 12. They return nine starters including their D-line and two All-American caliber linebackers in Travis Lewis and Ryan Reynolds. I think it all rests on Sam Bradford returning.

Tim Griffin: Let's not assume that you can immediately plug Reynolds back into the starting lineup as he will be recovering from knee surgery. He's shown great recuperative powers in the past, but we can't assume anything. And the Sooners will lose safeties Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes, who both will be difficult to replace.

But I agree with you that the Sooners' hopes of repeating will hinge greatly on whether Bradford returns or stays in school.

Also, I think that Oklahoma State will be a contender with most of its offensive weapons coming back. The South Division will be extremely competitive again next year and I think that Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are my early favorites for the top three positions.

I think the Cowboys' unexpected charge into South contention has helped build some confidence in players like Zac Robinson, Kendall Hunter and Dez Bryant. Next season, I think the Cowboys are going to expect to be in contention, rather than just happy to be included.

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Steve from Norman, Okla., writes: I've watched every OU game for 5 years and attend practices as well and also coach 6A football here in Oklahoma. Lendy Holmes is not even the best safety on his team. Nic Harris will be a pro and also has had a little better year than Holmes.

Tim Griffin: Obviously, Steve, my only point of reference I could employ for my All-Big 12 teams were the Oklahoma games I actually have seen. None of us media types have the insight that we could have gleaned by watching practice.

It was a tough decision between Holmes and Harris for me. In the end I picked Holmes because he played every game at defensive back and wasn't switched to linebacker for one game like Harris was. And I also gave Holmes an edge because he produced eight turnovers (five interceptions, three fumble recoveries) while Harris had one fumble recovery. Where they will be playing in the pros had no relevance in picking my team from this year.

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Jordon Olson from Durant, Okla., writes: Hey Mr. Griffin, First of all I love the blog. But why did you put A & M's Justin Brantly as your All Big-12 punter when OSU's Matt Fodge won the Ray Guy Award? With all due respect to Justin, I'm sure he is also a great punter.

Tim Griffin: Oklahoma State did lead the conference in net punting, but the biggest reason were the return yards that Texas A&M gave up in comparsion with other teams in the conference -- much like the defensive struggles that bedeviled the Aggies all season. I thought Brantly was a tad better than Fodge, despite having to kick much more often. His gross average was about one yard per kick better. And that's ultimately why I chose him.

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Steve from Braymer, Mo. writes: I don't understand why the Holiday Bowl and Alamo Bowl pick their Big 12 teams ahead of the Gator Bowl. The Gator Bowl pays more money, and is a New Year's Day bowl . New Year's Day bowls have always been considered the more prestigious bowl games and who doesn't want more money? Can you explain this please?

Tim Griffin: The Gator Bowl's contract with the Big 12 enables it to pluck a team from the conference twice in a four-year period. It's a shared pick with the Big East and would give them access to a Big East team or Notre Dame when they don't pick from the Big 12.

The Gator Bowl is considered more prestigious only from a historical bent, in my opinion. And I've got to think the chance to play a game in either San Diego or San Antonio is just as attractive as playing in Jacksonville. And the appeal for many schools of playing as the only game on their particular night - like Missouri in the Alamo Bowl - is even more attractive than getting lost on New Year's Day among a jumble of games.

The Gator Bowl's contract enables it to get the fourth pick among Big 12 teams twice in a four-season period. It picks after the Holiday Bowl and before the Alamo Bowl. And it did have a caveat in its contract where it could have even jumped ahead of the Holiday Bowl in a season where the Big 12 only had one team in the BCS.

The Gator now has taken two teams from the Big 12 in back-to-back years with Texas Tech and Nebraska. It means they will not pick from the Big 12's pool of teams next season.

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Ryan from Round Rock, Texas, writes: Tim, Why does everyone fawn over Josh Freeman? I know he has prototypical size for a QB, but he's maddeningly inconsistent. He's Chris Simms, except in a purple uniform. If I were Bill Snyder, I'd make him Kerry Meier 2.0 and put in a signal caller than can really read defenses.

Tim Griffin: The scouts I talk to all love Freeman's size and arm and his ability to move in and outside the pocket, but like you aren't enthralled with his consistency. I think he would do better to return to school, but I think some NFL team will make him a first-day selection if he was to declare.

And with all of the talk about the upcoming rookie salary scale, I think we'll probably see more players than ever declare for the draft this season.

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Brian from Washington, D.C., writes: Five Texas posts in a row, Tim? You have done a great job all year long being unbiased. Don't fail me now and turn it into a Longhorn blog.

Tim Griffin: Brian, I appreciate your concern about the slant of my blog. I had a lot of Texas posts yesterday afternoon after spending the day with the Longhorns at their pre-bowl media availability. I'll chip in with some stuff from Oklahoma early next week as the Sooners conduct a similar press gathering before they break for the holidays.

Again, thanks for all of the questions and we'll do this again next week.