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Oklahoma State safety Lucien "The Punisher" Antoine provided a big game in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Texas vs. the Nation All-Star Challenge game.

Antoine produced two tackles and an assist for the Texas team, which rolled to a 36-17 victory over the Nation at the Sun Bowl in El Paso.

Several other former Big 12 players participated in the fourth annual February all-star game.

Here's a look at what the Big 12 players accomplished in the game. All of them played for the Texas team.

• Texas A&M FB Jamie McCoy: Rushed twice for 12 yards and produced one catch for 5 yards.
• Iowa State P Mike Brandtner: Two kicks for a 33.0 yard average. His longest was 43 yards and he had one pooch kick inside the 20.
• Baylor S Jordan Lake: Two assists, a shared tackle for a loss and one pass broken up.
• Missouri WR Jared Perry: One reception for 16 yards.

Several players who appeared on game rosters earlier in the week did not participate. Among those who were missing included Baylor wide receiver David Gettis, Oklahoma State guard Andrew Lewis, Texas A&M center Kevin Matthews, Texas Tech defensive end Brandon Sharpe and Texas Tech tackle Marlon Winn, according to the official statistical game book that was posted at the game's web site.

After the game, organizers told the El Paso Times that they were disappointed with an announced crowd of 26,041 for the game. That attendance was down significantly from last season's attendance of 42,000.

Game CEO Kenny Hansmire told the Times the game could be headed for San Antonio or Dallas because of the attendance decline.

Some of the nation's more underrated draft prospects will see action at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Texas vs. the Nation All-Star Challenge game at 2 p.m. ET Saturday at the Sun Bowl in El Paso.

The Big 12 will be represented by a group of players looking to make some pre-draft buzz.

Here's a look at the prospects representing the Big 12 schools, who will participate on the Texas team in the game.

Baylor

WR David Gettis

S Jordan Lake

Iowa State

P Mike Brandtner

Missouri

WR Jared Perry

Oklahoma State

S Lucien Antoine

G-C Andrew Lewis

Texas A&M

FB-H-back Jamie McCoy

C Kevin Matthews

Texas Tech

DE Brandon Sharpe

T Marlon Winn

Former Dallas Cowboys standout Bill Bates and Florida Atlantic University head coach Howard Schnellenberger will serve as the coaches at Saturday's game.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The Big 12 had seven players who were selected as nominees for the Ray Guy Award given to the nation's top punter.

That total was more than any other conference. Conference USA had six nominees and the Big Ten and SEC had five players apiece selected.

Big 12 nominees include: Iowa State's Mike Brandtner, Colorado's Matt DiLallo, Baylor's Derek Epperson, Missouri's Jake Harry, Nebraska's Alex Henery, Kansas' Alonso Rojas and Oklahoma State's Quinn Sharp.

The list of nominees will be trimmed to 10 semifinalists on Nov. 13. The award, presented by the Greater Augusta (Ga.) Sports Council, will be awarded during the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show airing on ESPN December 10.

Here is a look at the candidates with the Big 12 nominees in bold.

2009 Ray Guy Award Candidates

Delbert Alvarado, South Florida

Bryan Anger, California

Ben Armer, Western Michigan

Jeremy Boone, Penn State

Brent Bowden, VA Tech

Mike Brandtner, Iowa State

Drew Butler, Georgia

Peter Caldwell, Utah State

Desi Cullen, Connecticut

David Defatta, Middle Tennessee

Kyle Delahooke, Navy

Matt DiLallo, Colorado

Matt Dodge, East Carolina

Ryan Donahue, Iowa

Clinton Durst, Auburn

Derek Epperson, Baylor

P.J. Fitzgerald, Alabama

Reid Forrest, Washington State

Will Goggans, Troy

Mickey Groody, Florida Atlantic

Trevor Hankins, Arizona State

Jake Harry, Missouri

Johnny Hekker, Oregon State

Alex Henery, Nebraska

Chas Henry, Florida

Kevin Jones, Duke

Scott Kozlowski, West Virginia

Spencer Lanning, South Carolina

Jeff Locke, UCLA

Rob Long, Syracuse

Kyle Martens, Rice

Zoltan Mesko, Michigan

Brad Nortman, Wisconsin

Matt Reagan, Memphis

Alonso Rojas, Kansas

Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State

Brian Stahovich, San Diego State

Michael Such, Tulsa

Chris Summers, Purdue

Matt Szymanski, SMU

Ross Thevenot, Tulane

Kyle Watson, UNLV

The Big 12 has had more Guy Award winners than any other conference with four since the awarded started in 2000. Big 12 winners included Mark Mariscal of Colorado in 2002, Baylor's Daniel Sepulveda in 2004 and 2006 and Matt Fodge of Oklahoma State in 2008.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, Iowa State linebacker Jessie Smith and Iowa State punter Mike Brandtner were named as the Big 12's offensive, defensive and special teams players of the week. It was the fifth time that McCoy has been honored and the first time for Smith and Brandtner.

Here's a look at the efforts that won each player his award:

Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week

Texas QB Colt McCoy, Sr., Tuscola, Texas (Jim Ned H.S.)

McCoy completed 26 of 31 passes for269 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Longhorns' 41-7 triumph over Missouri. McCoy completed his first 11 passes, connecting with eight different receivers. The Longhorns' offense was proficient as it scored touchdowns on four of their first five drives in Texas' first conference road game.

Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week

Iowa State LB Jesse Smith, Sr., Altoona, Iowa (Southeast Polk H.S.)

Smith was the standout in the Cyclones' strong defensive effort in a 9-7 victory over Nebraska. He contributed 12 tackles, including two tackles for losses, recovered a fumble and provided the game-sealing interception with 1:53 left to preserve the Cyclones' victory. The big effort enabled the Cyclones to win for the first time at Nebraska since 1977 and the first Big 12 road triumph since a 2005 victory at Texas A&M. The Cyclones' defense has permitted 17 points in its last two conference games -- victories over Baylor and Nebraska.

Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week

Iowa State P Mike Brandtner, Sr. Bettendorf, Iowa (Davenport Assumption H.S.)

Brandtner set up the Cyclones' only touchdown with a 20-yard run on a fake punt. The Cyclones scored on the next play on a 47-yard TD pass from Jerome Tiller to Jake Williams. Brandtner averaged 40 yards on his nine punts, including efforts of 60, 58 and 50 yards. He also produced five kicks inside the Nebraska 20.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Oh, so close to perfection last week.

I came close to my first perfect week of the season, missing only on Texas Tech’s late collapse at Houston.

I’m hoping for better luck this time around with an abbreviated schedule of six games that will only feature seven Big 12 teams in action.

Here are my picks:

West Virginia 34, Colorado 17: The Mountaineers will be intent on gaining revenge for their loss last season in Boulder, along with bouncing back from their recent loss at Auburn. The Buffaloes should have Darrell Scott and Rodney Stewart close to 100 percent, although they should struggle against West Virginia’s imposing run defense. West Virginia quarterback Jarrett Brown is looking for some retribution after he was knocked out of the Auburn game after earlier contributing five turnovers. Look for the Mountaineers to try to dictate tempo by running Noel Devine (16th nationally in rushing) against a weak Colorado rush defense (103rd nationally). West Virginia has too many weapons to keep this from being very competitive.

Iowa State 27, Kansas State 24: The winner of "Farmageddon" at Arrowhead Stadium will take an early step to staying out of the Big 12 North cellar and perhaps contending for a bowl berth. Austen Arnaud has played better in recent games and Alexander Robinson's cutback style has emerged in Tom Herman’s running attack. The Cyclones will face an underrated Kansas State defense that ranks among the top 26 teams in each of the major statistical categories of rush defense, pass defense, total defense and scoring defense. In order to be successful, Arnaud will have to make some plays and stay away from turnovers. But in the end, this game will be settled in the special teams. Kansas State needs to get Brandon Banks involved and Iowa State hopes that Mike Brandtner’s directional punting keeps the Wildcats bottled up. I like Iowa State by a small margin because it has better kicking with Grant Mahoney over Josh Cherry.

Texas Tech 56, New Mexico 20: “The Dysfunctional Bowl” will feature two programs that have been featured in the headlines for reasons off the football field. New Mexico coach Mike Locksley scuffled with his assistant J.B. Gerald while Mike Leach banned Twitter usage among his players after some critical comments were made about him by players after their tough loss at Houston last week. The Red Raiders have way too much offense in this one. Taylor Potts and the Tech offense should be able to pile up the points and yards -- particularly if the Red Raiders’ running game emerges again. The weak New Mexico defense ranks 111th on the ground and 107th or worse in the other three major defensive categories. Everything will be peachy for the Red Raiders after a big win in this one.

Baylor 34, Kent State 14: It will be interesting to see how the Bears approach this game after losing quarterback Robert Griffin to a season-ending knee injury and backup Blake Szymanski’s uncertain status with a bruised shoulder. The Bears still have enough offensive weapons to win, particularly against a Kent State defense that allowed 552 yards last week, but produced five turnovers in a 29-19 victory over Miami (Ohio). I’m expecting Baylor to lean on its rushing attack keyed by Jarred Salubi and Terrance Ganaway to dictate the game for the Bears. The loss of Griffin will hurt, but Baylor still has too many weapons to worry in this one.

Texas A&M 35, Arkansas 34: Texas A&M hasn’t faced a top-notch defense and has posted some monster offensive and defensive numbers attributable to its weak competition. That won’t be the case in this one as the Aggies will face a potent Arkansas passing offense keyed by Ryan Mallett and Greg Childs. In the end, Jerrod Johnson, Ryan Tannehill and Uzoma Nwachukwu should be able to exploit a weak Arkansas pass defense that has played better teams, but still ranks 119th nationally in pass efficiency defense.

Oklahoma 24, Miami 14: The big question all week is whether we will see Sam Bradford back in the lineup. The Sooners likely don’t need him -- particularly if backup Landry Jones shows the form he employed in his record-breaking start against Tulsa. And he has a playmaking Oklahoma defense that has been responsible for 12 sacks and nine takeaways primed for the challenge. Miami is coming to the end of the nation’s toughest four-game scheduling gauntlet to start the season. Virginia Tech's defense showed some cracks in Miami's offense as Jacory Harris struggled through a miserable game. And it won’t be any easier this week when the Sooners bring one of the nation’s best defenses to Land Shark Stadium.

Last Week: 9-1 (90 percent)

Season: 35-9 (77.3 percent)

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Here’s a look at the Big 12 rankings for this week:

1. Texas: The Longhorns finally put together a complete game, snuffing out UTEP with a huge effort. Their big victory resulted in their largest margin of victory since the 2005 Big 12 Championship Game, taking apart the Miners with their best offensive and defensive effort of the season. Colt McCoy overcame an early interception to help the Longhorns score on eight of their first nine possessions. The offense gained 639 yards with more than 300 yards rushing and passing in the same game for only the second time in school history. And the defense was even better, limiting UTEP without a touchdown and 53 yards on 51 snaps.

2. Oklahoma: The week off gave the Sooners a chance to rest up for the game against Miami, which lost to Virginia Tech. Sam Bradford left to meet with Dr. James Andrews, providing some hope that he will be able to return by Saturday’s game. But if he’s not ready, there’s not the immediate pressure because of Landry Jones’ recent passing binge. The Sooners' defense will remain pivotal for whoever plays at quarterback. Oklahoma’s defense has notched back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1987 and hasn’t allowed a score in opponents' last 32 possessions.

3. Oklahoma State: Even without Dez Bryant, Kendall Hunter and Perrish Cox, the Cowboys cruised to a big victory over Grambling State. Zac Robinson orchestrated an offensive explosion that produced 587 yards, despite having the starters play for only a half. Jeremy Smith raced for 160 yards in his first substantial action to set a school first-game freshman rushing record. And the Cowboys only passed 23 times in the game. The defensive starters were nearly as good, keeping Grambling without a first down on its first six possessions and only one first down in their first seven.

4. Kansas: The Jayhawks had their toughest game of the nonconference schedule, but their best building block with the strong late finish that propelled them past Southern Mississippi. The offense overcame some uncharacteristic mistakes to still pile up 35 points. Todd Reesing passed for 331 yards and stretched his touchdown pass streak to a nation-best 22 games. The Jayhawks played without leading rusher Jake Sharp, but backup Toben Opurum provided 109 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns. Wide receiver Kerry Meier had a career day with 141 yards and two TD grabs. But the defense was the biggest story as it turned away Southern Mississippi without a score on four-straight fourth-quarter possessions to salt away the victory. It’s a defensive performance for the Jayhawks to build on heading into Big 12 play.

5. Nebraska: Bouncing back from their loss at Virginia Tech, the Cornhuskers had no hangover against Louisiana-Lafayette. Nebraska scored 27 points in the first 19 minutes of the game, scoring on their first five possessions. Zac Lee rebounded from last week’s struggles to complete 15 of 18 passes for 238 yards. And the Nebraska defense limited Louisiana-Lafayette to 222 yards, forcing three turnovers and even getting a touchdown on Larry Asante’s 74-yard pass interception return. It was a good victory that should build some momentum heading into their pivotal early-season showdown at Missouri next week.

6. Missouri: The Tigers’ national television performance at Nevada punctuated the Tigers’ record 14th-straight nonconference victory. Blaine Gabbert threw for a career-high 414 passing yards and had five passes of at least 30 yards. Danario Alexander is emerging as one of the Big 12’s top deep threats with a career-high 170 receiving yards. The running game struggled a little, but Gabbert picked them up. And the defense overcame allowing 218 rushing yards to produce two interceptions against Nevada. Still the Tigers have room for much defensive improvement heading into the Nebraska game.

7. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders are kicking themselves for losing at Houston. The Red Raiders appeared to have taken control when their running game starting kicking in late in the first half. Baron Batch rushed for a career-best 114 rushing yards as they repeatedly gashed the smaller Houston defense. But they got away from that strategy and inexplicably started throwing the ball when they could have killed the clock on the ground. The defense played well before wearing down in the cauldron of heat and humidity at Robertson Stadium. The best example could be seen by the fact that four Texas Tech defenders had double-figure totals in tackles, and two others had nine and eight stops. That’s the best indication of how tough it was to withstand Houston’s 94-play onslaught.

8. Baylor: It was fun while it lasted. Robert Griffin gave the Bears hope of making their first bowl trip since 1994. But his season-ending knee injury could be too much for Art Briles’ team to overcome. The Bears are coming off a landmark performance in Griffin’s last game this season, rolling for a 68-13 victory over Northwestern State. Jarred Salubi rushed for 137 yards as he started in place of Jay Finley as the Bears had a balanced offensive attack. And the defense played well after allowing a touchdown on the opening drive, yielding only two field goals during the rest of the game as they limited the Demons to 248 yards.

9. Texas A&M: We’ll find out about the Aggies soon enough -- like Saturday in Arlington against Arkansas. The Aggies rank among the top seven teams nationally in rushing, passing, total offense and scoring. For good measure, they also rank in the top 10 nationally in sacks, tackles for loss, net punting and pass efficiency. A&M’s 56-19 beatdown of UAB featured Jerrod Johnson accounting for six touchdowns -- three TD runs and three passes -- as they didn’t seem to miss Jeff Fuller very much. Most impressively, the Aggies converted 14 of 17 third downs as they limited UAB to a season-low 74 passing yards and thoroughly dominated play.

10. Iowa State: Very quietly, Paul Rhoads has boosted his team to a 3-1 start, which might not make a bowl trip such a far-fetched scenario for the Cyclones. It's the best start for an Iowa State coach since George Veenker in 1931, who started 5-1. Alexander Robinson has keyed the recent offensive spurt with three-straight 100-yard rushing games and also added a pair of touchdown grabs against Army. The Cyclones are tied for the national lead after allowing only two sacks in their first four games and also rank fifth in net punting with Mike Brandtner. The defense came up big against Army, limiting the Black Knights to a season-low 186 rushing yards. This week's "Farmageddon" against Kansas State at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City will be huge in determining what team will be able to avoid the Big 12 North cellar.

11. Kansas State: Brandon Banks kick-started the Wildcats' big victory over Tennessee Tech, scoring a pair of touchdowns on kickoff returns. His recent struggles as a deep receiver appear to be over after he averaged 30 yards a catch. Sure, it was an FCS opponent. But rushing for 296 yards -- best for Kansas State since 2005 -- had to build confidence for the running game. Carson Coffman wasn’t asked to do too much and he was fine. And the defense came up big by limiting Tennessee Tech to minus-19 yards rushing and 107 yards of total offense -- the best outing by a KSU defense since 2000. But the Iowa State game will determine how far the Wildcats still have to go.

12. Colorado: The Buffaloes got the week off before a tough trip to West Virginia, which still remembers the Mountaineers' tough loss in Boulder last season. Rodney Stewart was the key in that triumph with a career-best 166 yards. He likely will be called on again against a tougher West Virginia run defense that ranks No. 14 nationally. Defensive improvement will be key this week for the Buffaloes as they gear up for a challenging West Virginia team led by multi-purpose quarterback Jarrett Brown and Jock Sanders, who ranks third nationally in receptions per game.

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

Leave it to Texas to upstage excitement for the biggest Big 12 game of the season with their own announcement. But Will Muschamp's hiring as the coach-in-waiting behind Mack Brown was that big of a story.

Here are some links from around the Big 12 in a busy 24-hour news cycle.

• Austin American-Statesman columnist Kirk Bohls said that Texas made a wise decision when it hired defensive coordinator Will Muschamp as Mack Brown's eventual replacement. And the San Antonio Express-News' Mike Finger said the preemptive move to take Muschamp off the coaching market was one that only the wealthiest of schools could afford.
• Bob Stoops has got Oklahoma fans in an uproar with his comments that fans at Owen Field have had little effect in the team's nation-best 23 game winning streak and 59-2 record during his coaching tenure, the Oklahoman's Jake Trotter reports.
• Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Michael Crabtree built his confidence this summer by holding his own in drills against former All-Pro cornerback Deion Sanders and current Dallas cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones. "I caught every pass they threw to me; that's all I was worried about," Crabtree told Price. "It was fun, though."
• The Waco Tribune Herald's staff breaks down a variety of subjects in an interesting podcast, including Baylor's big effort against Texas A&M, Joe Pawelek's NFL chances and the upcoming Texas Tech-Oklahoma game.
• Colorado linebacker Nate Vaiomounga was dismissed from the football team on Tuesday after being arrested Monday in connection with the theft of a purse last week on campus, the Boulder Camera's Kyle Ringo reports. Vaiomounga was academically ineligible this season.
• Des Moines Register Andrew Logue opines for Iowa State punter Mike Brandtner as the team's most valuable player. Seriously.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Here's a collection of tidbits, notes and quotes I've been saving for Friday afternoon. Enjoy them.

WHO'S HOT AND NOT

Sizzling: Oklahoma's running game. Tailbacks Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray have produced 421 yards and six touchdowns in the Sooners' last two games, averaging 6.5 yards per carry.

Hot: Kansas State receiver Ernie Pierce, who produced 11 catches for 176 yards last week against Oklahoma. He had six catches all season before last week.

Not: Colorado, which fumbled on two of its first four snaps and went downhill from there in a 58-0 shellacking at Missouri.

Hot: Baylor quarterbacks, who have gone seven straight games without throwing an interception.

Not: Baylor kicker Ben Parks, who shanked a 19-yard field goal and had an extra point blocked last week against Nebraska.

Hot: Kansas wide receiver Kerry Meier, who needs seven receptions to set the school's single-season record of 70 set by Richard Estell in 1985.

Not: Kansas punt returner Daymond Patterson, who has four muffs in his last four games.

Hot: Missouri defensive end Stryker Sulak, who has forced five fumbles in his last eight games.

Not: Nebraska's defense, which allowed plays of 43, 40, 47, 34 and 44 yards against Baylor last week.

Hot: Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson, who has combined for 1,083 passing yards and six touchdowns in his last three games.

Not: Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing, who had less than 200 yards passing last week for the first time in 13 games.

Hot: Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz. When the final three games of last season are included, Ganz has fired 30 touchdown passes in his last 11 games.

Not: Oklahoma State's offensive line, which allowed five sacks last week against Texas after allowing seven in the previous seven games of the season.

Frigid: Colorado's offense. The Buffaloes are averaging 10.5 points per game in conference games. The next lowest team, Baylor, is averaging 20.2 points per game.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Nothing quite says October and college football like the drives I typically make on Saturday mornings in the fall. And the one from Kansas City to Manhattan, Kan., is just about the right length to get me excited about some Big 12 football.

And the Sirius radio in my rental car will come in handy, too.

Today is the first day of conference play. Hype for the Big 12 couldn't be higher across the country. But today, it all starts in earnest when the teams start beating up on each other.

The buzz word this week has been "cannibalization." The SEC has already started it and the Big 12 likely will begin its own form of it today.

But I'm just excited for some conference football.

Here are some links to get ready on gameday.

• The Oklahoman's Scott Wright wonders whatever happened to the dominant Texas A&M program that used to be the scourge of the Big 12 back in the day.
• The Missouri-Nebraska rivalry has been dominated by home teams during the last six seasons. Home teams have won those games by an average of 19.2 points per game.
• Bob Stoops' hiring of Mike Leach as his original offensive coordinator in 1999 helped boost the evolution of spread offenses across the Big 12.
• Boulder Daily Camera columnist Neill Woelk says that Colorado has a puncher's chance of stealing an upset tonight over Texas.
• Iowa State coach Gene Chizik says his team is only a couple of players away from being able to upset ranked teams like Kansas. Des Moines Register beat writer Andrew Logue says that the Cyclones' upset bid begins with strong games from punter Mike Brandtner, linebacker Fred Garrin and quarterback Austen Arnaud.
• Baylor players aren't intimidated by the challenge of playing No. 1 Oklahoma, despite an 0-17 record in school history against the Sooners.