ESPN College Football

Take heed, football fans: Three months from Monday we'll be digesting our first weekend of college football. That means nonconference play.

No team in the Big 12 has a schedule stocked solely with cream puffs, but like we all know, not all nonconference schedules are created equal. Here's how they rank in the Big 12, according to toughness.

1. Oklahoma -- Tulsa, at FSU, Ball State

The Sooners' headliner is a mammoth matchup in Tallahassee with Florida State on Sept. 17, but in-state opponent Tulsa visits Norman to open the season. The Golden Hurricane won 10 games last season. Oklahoma also faces Ball State.

2. Texas A&M -- SMU, Idaho, Arkansas

The Aggies and Hogs will meet up in Cowboys Stadium for the Big 12's second-best nonconference game. June Jones is building a solid program at SMU, which has been to bowl games in two consecutive seasons. Idaho will also visit College Station.

3. Texas -- Rice, BYU, at UCLA

Texas' nonconference slate should give a solid indication of what to expect in Year One of Mack Brown: Redux. After opening with Rice in Austin, Brigham Young comes to town. The Cougars can beat the Longhorns in Austin, and a trip to UCLA won't be easy, even with revenge in mind from last season's 34-12 embarrassment at home.

4. Iowa State -- Northern Iowa, Iowa, at UConn

The Cyclones' trip to Connecticut isn't as daunting as it could have been last season. The reigning Big East champs lose five starters on offense, including All-American running back Jordan Todman. Paul Rhoads will host Iowa and try to get his first win over the Hawkeyes, and the Cyclones host in-state opponent Northern Iowa.

5. Oklahoma State -- Louisiana-Lafayette, Arizona, at Tulsa

A rematch with Alamo Bowl opponent Arizona is the highlight of the Cowboys nonconference schedule, but OSU also travels to Tulsa. Avoiding the early struggles they had in last season's Friday night win over Louisiana-Lafayette in the Bayou would be welcomed in the Ragin' Cajuns return game to Stillwater.

6. Baylor -- TCU, Stephen F. Austin, Rice

The Bears, hosting TCU this time around, would like to atone for last season's 45-10 beat down in Fort Worth. Weaker in-state opponents didn't give the Bears trouble last season, but Stephen F. Austin and Rice will try to trip up the Bears in Waco after the opener against the Horned Frogs.

7. Missouri -- Miami OH, at Arizona State, Western Illinois

The Tigers got gypped in last season's nonconference schedule rankings, after Illinois and San Diego far exceeded expectations. A trip to Tempe to face the Sun Devils is the highlight this season, but Miami (OH) and Western Illinois won't have fans stuffing Faurot Field early on.

8. Kansas State -- Eastern Kentucky, Kent State, at Miami

Miami, like the Wildcats themselves, is a wild card this season in the program's first year under Al Golden. The trip to Coral Gables, Fla., won't be easy for the Cats. The back end of Ron Prince's ambitious scheduling is nearly finished, but in the new Big 12 under Bill Snyder having opponents like Eastern Kentucky and Kent State will be more common.

9. Kansas -- McNeese State, Northern Illinois, at Georgia Tech

Kansas got its best win last season against defending ACC champs Georgia Tech, but the Yellowjackets disappointed the rest of the way and finished 6-7. Northern Illinois is a good MAC team capable of beating Kansas, but the Jayhawks should be able to handle McNeese State.

10. Texas Tech -- Texas State, at New Mexico, Nevada

Nevada loses franchise quarterback Colin Kaepernick and New Mexico has shown no reason it won't be dreadful once again after winning only two games in two years under Mike Locksley. Texas State, meanwhile, is adjusting to life in the FBS.

The coaches' ballots for the ESPN/USA Today top 25 poll are not made public during the season.

At the end of the regular season, the veil comes off. Every now and then, there's an interesting note or two, and this year is no exception.

You can see all the coaches' ballots in this well-done chart.

Note: Plenty of coaches let a graduate assistant handle the duties during the season, but the majority will take over duties at the end of the season for the ballot that becomes public.

The following Big 12 coaches are voters: Art Briles (Baylor), Bo Pelini (Nebraska), Gary Pinkel (Missouri), Mike Sherman (Texas A&M), Paul Rhoads (Iowa State), Tommy Tuberville (Texas Tech)

The coaches poll is factored into the BCS standings, along with the computer rankings and the Harris poll.

A few notes:

• All but four coaches voted their teams higher than its actual rank, but Bo Pelini ranked Nebraska No. 8, eight spots higher than its actual rank. Robb Akey at Idaho had the Huskers the next-highest, at No. 11. The Huskers beat the Vandals earlier this season.
• Pinkel ranked Missouri No. 11. The Tigers came in at No. 14 in the final poll.
• Sherman ranked Texas A&M No. 15. The Aggies came in at No. 17 in the final poll.
• Pelini and Pinkel were the only voters in the Big 12 whose ballots contained all 25 teams on the final poll.
• Who had Auburn No. 1? Pelini, Rhoads and Tuberville.
• Who had Oregon No. 1? Briles, Pinkel and Sherman.

Finally, here's who ranked the Big 12 teams the highest and the lowest.

• No. 8 Oklahoma: Jim Harbaugh, Stanford (No. 5); Three coaches ranked Oklahoma No. 12. (Steve Fairchild, Colorado State; Al Golden, Temple; Chris Petersen, Boise State)
• No. 13 Oklahoma State: Two coaches ranked OSU No. 11. (Jim Harbaugh, Stanford; Tom O'Brien, NC State.) Interestingly, no coaches voted OSU at No. 17, but two had it at No. 18. (Mike MacIntyre, San Jose State; Robb Akey, Idaho)
• No. 14 Missouri: Three coaches had Missouri at No. 11. (Todd Berry, Louisiana-Monroe; Gary Pinkel, Missouri; Ron Zook, Illinois). Greg Schiano at Rutgers had the Tigers the lowest, at No. 17.
• No. 16 Nebraska: Pelini obviously had the Huskers the highest, at No. 8, and Akey had them at No. 11. New Mexico coach Mike Locksley had the Huskers at No. 21.
• No. 17 Texas A&M: Brian Kelly at Notre Dame had the Aggies the highest, at No. 11. Five coaches had the Aggies at No. 19.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

So much for Texas Tech's recent two-game losing streak extinguishing ticket-buying interest among Red Raider fans.

Tech officials have announced that Saturday's game against New Mexico at Jones AT&T Stadium is a sellout, meaning a crowd of about 55,000 will attend in the reconfigured stadium.

That shows me that Tech fans aren't buying into any controversy around the program after tough road losses to Texas and Houston in the last two weeks.

It's the first sellout of the season after the Red Raiders failed to fill the stadium after earlier home games against North Dakota and Rice.

Mike Locksley's team at New Mexico has struggled in an 0-4 start. The Lobos ranked 100th or worse in every team statistical category tracked by the NCAA with the exception of pass defense (65th) and tackles for losses (tied for 42nd).

So the big crowd in Lubbock appears primed for a Tech victory, which would stress their home winning streak to 11 games. A victory Saturday would enable the Red Raiders to match the longest home winning streak in the Mike Leach coaching era -- an 11-game winning streak between 2004 and 2006.

Even bigger crowds at Jones Stadium will be accomodated later this month when a $6 million expansion of about 6,000 more seats will be included in the stadium's capacity. The additional seats will push the stadium's capacity past 61,000 for the Texas A&M game on Oct. 24.

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 are 10 things to watch for in Big 12 games this weekend:

1. Will Sam Bradford play or not? Oklahoma didn’t look like it needed Bradford in back-to-back victories over Idaho State and Tulsa. A trip to Land Shark Stadium Saturday night against Miami might be different. The Sooners offense hummed when Landry Jones threw for a school-record six touchdown passes against Tulsa. It might be in for a more challenging game against Miami, which will be looking to bounce back after the its struggles last week at Virginia Tech.

2. Oklahoma’s defensive dominance: The Sooners enter the game with a scoreless streak of 123 minutes, 3 seconds after posting back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1987. The unit is still haunted by the late touchdown it allowed in the opener against BYU that ended up being the difference in that loss. Since then, the Sooners have forced nearly as many punts (19) as first downs allowed (22), and allowed opponents a scant 2.39 yards per snap. Miami, however, will be a different challenge with Jacory Harris, Graig Cooper, Javarris James and Leonard Hankerson all ready.

3. Texas A&M’s first big test: The Aggies have emerged as one of the nation’s biggest statistical surprises as they rank among the top seven teams nationally in rushing, passing, total yards and scoring and lead the nation in sacks. Those feats have all been accomplished against a tissue-soft schedule that hasn’t provided a true test yet. That will all change Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium as Arkansas and massive quarterback Ryan Mallett will challenge A&M in ways it hasn't seen yet this season.

4. Jerrod Johnson: The Aggies’ junior quarterback has shown vast growth since last season as he ranks third in the nation in total offense and is coming off a record game where he accounted for six touchdowns against UAB. Johnson has rushed for four touchdowns, passed for nine touchdowns and yet to be intercepted in 111 attempts this season. Arkansas will be his first BCS conference opponent of the season, but the Razorbacks have struggled against the pass. It could be more of the same for them against Johnson, too.

5. Alexander Robinson’s amazing recent rushing streak: Robinson’s cutback running has been a key to Iowa State’s 3-1 start as he’s rushed for 100 yards in his last three games -- the first Iowa State player to accomplish that feat since Ennis Haywood rushed for at least 100 yards in his first four games of the 2000 season. Robinson has provided some nice balance to what was expected to be a pass-heavy attack. His production will be pivotal as the Cyclones attempt to take a big step toward getting closer to bowl eligibility against Kansas State on Saturday.

6. Paul Rhoads vs. Bill Snyder: The conference’s two new coaches this season have a wide difference in coaching game experience as Kansas State’s Bill Snyder will be directing the Wildcats in his 209th career game and Paul Rhoads will be coaching Iowa State in his fourth. There’s some history between these two as Snyder used to recruit the high schools where Rhoads’ father, Cecil, worked during Rhoads' Hall of Fame career as a high school coach in Iowa. It will be interesting to see if Snyder’s experience provides him an edge in this matchup.

7. “The Dysfunctional Bowl:” Which coach has faced more off-the-field headlines this weekend? Is it Mike Leach’s Texas Tech team that dropped a disappointing loss at Houston, soon followed by the indefinite suspension of team captain Brandon Carter and Leach's banning of his team’s tweeting privileges after several uncomplimentary remarks became widely known. Or is it New Mexico’s Mike Locksley, who has received verbal and written reprimands from his superiors at New Mexico after splitting the upper lip of receivers coach J.B. Gerald after an altercation where a police report was filed. And that’s on top of an 0-4 start for the Lobos. It’s obvious that playing the game will be a relief for both coaches.

8. Texas Tech’s emerging running game: The Red Raiders appeared to have taken control of the game against Houston behind a bruising running game, keyed by a career night by Baron Batch, who rushed for a career-best 114 yards last week. Tech inexplicably got away from running the ball late in the Houston game and that switch might have cost them the game after the Red Raiders appeared to have dictated tempo during the middle of the game. They will have another chance Saturday against New Mexico, which ranks 111th in rushing defense and allowed 245 rushing yards to Texas A&M and 298 to Air Force earlier this season. The Red Raiders won’t run for that much, but they should be able to control the trenches against the Lobos, leading to a big game rushing if they want it.

9. Can Colorado build on its first 2009 victory? The Buffaloes are coming off a bye week after their triumph over Wyoming that turned some of Dan Hawkins’ self-described “conflama” that had dogged his program after two losses to start the season. His team will be facing a tough Thursday night challenge against West Virginia, which blew a fourth-quarter lead in the turnover-marred loss at Auburn. Colorado is a huge underdog in this game and will need a big effort to keep the game from getting away like earlier nationally televised losses to Colorado State and Toledo.

10. Baylor’s injury-plagued quarterbacks: Robert Griffin sustained a season-ending knee injury last week against Northwestern State. His backup, Blake Szymanski, bruised his shoulder later in the game and is listed as day to day. Szymanski will try to keep Baylor’s momentum going against Kent State, if he’s healthy. But if he can’t play, freshman Nick Florence will make the first start of his career against the Golden Flashes. Baylor’s bowl hopes -- so bright after their upset victory over Wake Forest to start the season -- have never looked more evanescent since Griffin’s injury.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Here’s a quick spectator’s guide for this weekend’s games. A ranking of four stars indicates absolutely, positively must-see football. Three-star games are definitely worth an extensive investment in time, although you can be forgiven if you turn the station during commercial breaks. Two-star games bear a quick glimpse or two for occasional score updates, but little more. And one-star games mean you might be better off washing your car than watching or attending the game.

Check out this list and plan your Saturday schedules accordingly. All times are for Saturday games unless otherwise noted.

Four-star games

Texas A&M vs. Arkansas at Arlington, Texas (ESPN2, 7:30 p.m. ET): This one should be fun. Two old Southwest Conference rivals square off in the first of a 10-game series to be played at the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium. The Aggies are looking for their first victory over a "name" opponent after cruising through a pastry-wagon schedule featuring games against New Mexico, Utah State and UAB. They will be challenged to keep up offensively against Arkansas, which ranks fourth nationally in passing but is coming off disappointing losses to Georgia and Alabama. This will be the Aggies' toughest game to date and their defense will be supremely challenged to check Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett. But Jerrod Johnson will have his chances against an Arkansas pass defense that ranks 119th nationally. First team to 40 points might win this game.

Oklahoma at Miami (ABC-TV, 8 p.m.): Will Sam Bradford play in this one or not? We'll learn in the next 48 hours or so if Bob Stoops wants to risk putting Bradford back into action or will rely on Landry Jones for one more week. The Sooners had last week off to prepare for the Hurricanes, who struggled in the Virginia Tech slop for their first loss of the season. The playing surface should be a lot drier at Land Shark Stadium Saturday night, giving the Hurricanes a better chance of defending their home turf.

Three-star games

Iowa State vs. Kansas State at Kansas City (3 p.m.): The winner of this one looks to be ready to avoid the Big 12 North cellar. Iowa State has been a surprise since an early-season loss to Iowa, claiming back-to-back games thanks to a strong running attack and strong run defense. Kansas State showed flashes of rebuilding against Tennessee Tech last week as Brandon Banks emerged as the playmaker expected before the season. It will be interesting to see how many fans turn out for "Farmageddon" at Arrowhead Stadium.

Colorado at West Virginia (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. Thursday): Colorado arrives off a bye with confidence generated after an impressive victory over Wyoming. But they could be running into a hornet's nest at Morgantown, where the Mountaineers still remember their overtime loss last season in Boulder. This doesn't look to be a good matchup for the Buffaloes, who rank 101st in total defense and will be facing a potent West Virginia attacked keyed by multi-talented quarterback Jarrett Brown.

Two-star games

New Mexico at Texas Tech (3:30 p.m.): Call this "The Dysfunction Bowl" as the tweet-challenged Red Raiders run into Mike Locksley and his battling -- amongst themselves -- coaching staff. Tech coach Mike Leach has forbidden Twitter accounts after critical remarks about his coaching surfaced earlier this week from a couple of Tech players. But that's nothing like what Locksley and coaches jostle about during routine staff meetings. Tech quarterback Taylor Potts struggled last week against Houston, but should regain his confidence against a Lobos defense that ranks 114th nationally in pass efficiency defense.

Kent State at Baylor (7 p.m.): The hard-luck Bears will play this one without Robert Griffin and maybe without backup Blake Szymanski, too, depending on his recovery. If that's the case, third-stringer freshman quarterback Nick Florence might get his first career start against the Golden Flashes, who won last week against Miami thanks to a kickoff return for a touchdown, a blocked punt, two interceptions and three recovered fumbles. They didn't make any turnovers. So needless to say, it would behoove Szymanski or Florence to be careful against this opportunistic team.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

If it's a Friday afternoon, it must mean it's time to check the mailbag.

With the season starting, we've got some interesting correspondence this week. Here are some of the more notable missives.

Calvin Kirkpatrick of Kyle, Texas, writes: Hey, Tim. What’s the deal with Colorado sucking up all of the Big 12's television time? Every time it looks like I’ll be tuning in this season they'll be playing somebody on national television.

Tim Griffin: Calvin, I will say one thing for Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn: He’s willing to play on some non-traditional nights to get exposure for his program. Most of the major powers aren’t willing to do that, feeling their games on Saturdays are almost sacrosanct. It hasn’t always been that way. I remember that Oklahoma traveled to Tulsa a few years ago to play on a Friday night. And who can forget Texas’ struggles on that Sunday night in 1994 when the Longhorns and John Mackovic lost to Rice?

But Colorado’s athletic department appears to be the most willing in the Big 12 to take this unconventional approach. It will provide them some additional money from playing in these games. But it also will provide them with the difficulty of playing on five days this week at Toledo. I imagine that Dan Hawkins probably isn’t as enthralled about this idea today as he might have been a few months ago.

But brace yourself for even more. The Buffaloes’ games against West Virginia (Thursday Oct. 1), at Oklahoma State (Thursday Nov. 19) and Nebraska (Friday Nov. 27) all will be played on days other than Saturday.

The game tonight might be the biggest one that Hawkins has coached at Colorado.

And I can’t wait to watch it.

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Rusty from Hesston, Kan., writes: Tim, I enjoy your blog and find that I check multiple times each day. I’d thought I’d throw you a curveball in terms of your likes and dislikes. I’d like to know which uniforms you like in the Big 12 and which ones you don’t like.

Tim Griffin: Rusty, I appreciate the kind words. I’ve never been asked about my judgment about fashion, but here goes.

I always have been partial to the traditional, clean look for uniforms. Those worn by Texas and Oklahoma have remained relatively unchanged over the years and are my two favorites in the league. One of my favorite old uniforms was the Texas A&M uniforms from back in the 1970s when they had vertical stripes on the uniforms. I also really liked the Aggies’ helmets back then, as I do any helmet that has the player’s uniform numbers on it. I’m looking forward to seeing Nebraska’s throwback uniforms when they play Louisiana-Lafayette on Sept. 26.

I don’t dislike many uniform combinations. But I wasn’t crazy about Baylor’s all-white look they sported for the Wake Forest game. It made them look like they should have been delivering Cookies and Cream from the "Little Creamery in Brenham" than playing football.

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David from Newport, R.I., writes: Tim, in regards to your grading the offenses and defenses. I like the idea and the comments others have made. How about this idea? Instead of using 1 or .5 points for the touchdown and FG, respectively, why not divide total points by 7 so the missed extra points and two point conversions are also included. Also, why not have a comparison between the offensive and defensive production similar to baseball’s run differential to get an idea how each team has compared to their opponents.

Tim Griffin: David, my offensive and defensive rankings prompted a lot of comments from readers. I appreciate them all. Some blasted them because they were so simple, or because they didn’t factor in strength of schedule or special teams.

I didn’t want to do that. I just wanted an easy-to-measure way to judge the effectiveness of an offense. I thought in terms of a batting average in baseball, which is clear and easy to understand. And using that same thought process, I thought I could come up with something like a batting average. And I think my measure does that, giving us a percentage of how well a team operates by judging its percentage of scoring drives. I wasn't interested in doing much more than that, like grading it on the measure of an opponent or anything like that.

That’s why I decided to go the way I did. I do like your mention of the run differential and might try that out to see if can determine the effectiveness of a team.

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(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Big 12 teams should be seldom tested before conference play begins as most teams again are opting to compete with a pillow-soft slate of opponents.

Here's the toughest and weakest of the Big 12 nonconference schedules:

1. Oklahoma: BYU (at Arlington, Texas), Idaho State, Tulsa, at Miami

The Sooners deserve props for adding the BYU game late. The nationally televised game should showcase Oklahoma's defense as it thwarts Max Hall and Harvey Unga for the Cougars. Idaho State is a bad Division I-AA team that went 1-11 last season. Tulsa and Miami both went to bowl games last season. The Golden Hurricane will be breaking in a new quarterback and a new coordinator -- not a good recipe for success for a road team at Owen Field. And although the game against Miami brings back memories of Jimmy Johnson vs. Barry Switzer, the fact is that the Hurricanes could be worn out by the time Oklahoma visits. Miami starts the season with a meat-grinder schedule of Florida State, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech before the Sooners visit.

2. Colorado: Colorado State, at Toledo, Wyoming, at West Virginia

Coach Dan Hawkins has this team pegged for good things in the conference. The Buffaloes will be tested by four FBS opponents, including two on the road. The rivalry game against Colorado State should be decided in the trenches and the Buffaloes' offensive line will be a load for the Rams. The Toledo game might be trickier than expected considering the Buffaloes will be playing this one only five days after the Colorado State game. But Colorado still should have the talent to prevail. Something tells me that Hawkins will remember that new Wyoming coach Dave Christensen's offense hung 113 points against his defense the last two seasons when he was at Missouri. And the West Virginia trip will be a challenge, although new Mountaineers quarterback Jarrett Brown is largely untested.

3. Missouri: Illinois (at St. Louis), Bowling Green, Furman, at Nevada

The Tigers' inexperienced defense will get a huge challenge in the opener against Illinois' pass-and-catch tandem of Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn. They'll be facing another experienced quarterback in three-year Bowling Green starter Tyler Sheehan, but the Falcons' defense will be breaking in two new cornerbacks. Furman has a talented quarterback in Jordan Sorrells, but the Paladin's defense shouldn't be able to match Missouri. The trip to Nevada might be a hornet's nest. The Wolf Pack have made four straight bowl trips, multi-purpose quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the Western Athletic Conference's last two leading rushers. And, oh, yeah, the Wolf Pack probably still remember that 69-17 beatdown to the Tigers last season in Columbia.

4. Nebraska: Florida Atlantic, Arkansas State, at Virginia Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette

No truth to the rumor that the Cornhuskers are gunning for the September version of the Sun Belt championship. Their road game at Virginia Tech is the toughest game that any Big 12 team will play this season. But Bo Pelini will have two games to get his defense ready for Tyrod Taylor and Co. Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger made his career name by beating the Cornhuskers in the 1984 Orange Bowl while at Miami. He won't be nearly as successful this time around. Arkansas State stunned Texas A&M last season, but the Red Wolves will be utilizing a new offensive line this season. And Louisiana-Lafayette's offense is very young and the Cornhuskers will be catching them the week after they have met up with LSU.

5. Oklahoma State: Georgia, Houston, Rice, Grambling

Four home games make for an ideal schedule for the Cowboys to make some national noise. The Georgia game will be arguably the biggest home nonconference game in school history. But the Cowboys grab a break as the Bulldogs try to break in new quarterback Joe Cox. Houston will have Case Keenum and a high-powered offensive attack, but the Cowboys blistered the Cougars for 56 points last year and could score more this season. Rice won't be as good this season after losing most of its offensive firepower. And Grambling has a great football history and an even better band.

6. Baylor: at Wake Forest, Connecticut, Northwestern State, Kent State

The nonconference schedule could determine whether the Bears can snap that long bowl drought. And it won't be an easy one considering that Baylor is the only Big 12 team with two opponents from "Big Six" conferences. The Wake Forest opener will be a huge test, but Robert Griffin might be able to feast on a depleted Demon Deacon defense that lost four starters to the NFL draft. The Bears nearly beat Connecticut last season on the road and the Huskies lose their starting quarterback and top rusher from that team. New coach Bradley Dale Peveto will bring new ideas for Northwestern State, but the Bears have a big edge. And Kent State will be breaking in a new quarterback for a team that has won only 19 games in the last five seasons under Doug Martin.

7. Kansas: Northern Colorado, at UTEP, Duke, Southern Mississippi

The Jayhawks should be able to name their margin against Northern Colorado in the opener. The trip to the Sun Bowl against UTEP the following week might be a different matter. UTEP quarterback Trevor Vittatoe could be a challenge, although the Jayhawks should have enough firepower to outscore them. A Kansas-Duke game would be a made-for-national television delight in basketball. Football, however, is a different story. And Southern Mississippi might be poised to challenge for the Conference USA title and might be a chore with leading conference rusher Damion Fletcher and all of its starting secondary back to challenge Todd Reesing and Dezmon Briscoe.

8. Texas A&M: New Mexico, Utah State, UAB, Arkansas (at Arlington, Texas)

The Aggies desperately need to build confidence and collect a few victories before the South Division gauntlet begins. After last season's opening-game loss against Arkansas State, expect coach Mike Sherman to have the Aggies focused for all of the games. They catch new New Mexico coach Mike Locksley with an uncertain quarterback in the Lobos' opener. Utah State is universally picked to finish last in the Western Athletic Conference. UAB will be rebuilding its defense and likely won't pose many problems for Jerrod Johnson. But the game against Arkansas at
the new Dallas Cowboys' stadium will be a challenge for A&M's defense. The Razorbacks should be much improved in Bobby Petrino's second season. Fans are paying premium prices and expect big things from both teams. The Aggies may catch a break considering the Razorbacks will play SEC contenders Georgia and Alabama in their previous two weeks.

9. Texas Tech: North Dakota, Rice, at Houston, New Mexico

Mike Leach's nonconference schedule won't be as bad as last season's trip to the pastry wagon, but not by much. North Dakota is transitioning into FCS status this season after ranking 137th among the 148 Division II passing teams last season. Sounds like target practice for Taylor Potts, doesn't it? Rice won't be nearly as tough as last season without James Casey, Jarrett Dillard and Chase Clement gone. The trip to Houston will be Tech's biggest challenge and Case Keenum will test Tech's rebuilt secondary in the first battle between the old Southwest Conference rivals since 1995. And New Mexico will have had several weeks to work under Locksley's system, making them a tougher challenge for the Red Raiders in early October.

10. Texas: Louisiana-Monroe, at Wyoming, UTEP, Central Florida

The Longhorns had a couple of game against Utah and Arkansas fall through in their planning. But don't expect the Longhorns to get that much sympathy for a group of opponents that won't give them much BCS bounce. Louisiana-Monroe will be breaking in a retooled offense with a new quarterback. The road trip to Wyoming doesn't resonate like some the Longhorns have made to places like Ohio State and Arkansas in recent seasons. The Cowboys will be breaking in a new quarterback, too. UTEP could contend for the Conference USA West title, but the Miners are a different team on the road. And the Nov. 7 game against Central Florida will bring the nation's worst offensive team from last season into Austin.

11. Iowa State: North Dakota State, Iowa, at Kent State, Army

Paul Rhoads doesn't want any surprises early in his first season and his nonconference schedule. North Dakota State has posed problems to FBS teams like Minnesota in the past. Iowa doesn't have Shonn Greene back, but has almost everybody else back on a stout defense that will challenge the Cyclones. Mighty mite 5-foot-5, 170-pound tailback Eugene Jarvis will test ISU's defense and the trip to Kent State won't be a gimme. And new Army coach Rich Ellerson will bring 6-10, 283-pound wide receiver Ali Villanueva along with starting quarterback Chip Bowden from a team that won three games last season.

12. Kansas State: Massachusetts, at Louisiana-Lafayette, at UCLA, Tennessee Tech

The schedule doesn't provide as many gooey treats as some that Bill Snyder's teams have feasted on in the past, but it's still nothing to write home about. Massachusetts is a contender in the CAA, which is the toughest top-to-bottom FCS conference in the nation. Louisiana-Lafayette will have to replace a lot of offensive talent, but can be troublesome at Cajun Field. UCLA struggled offensively last year and will be breaking in a new quarterback with four new offensive linemen. KSU might be able to compete in that one better than most might think. And Tennessee Tech coach Watson Brown, older brother of Texas coach Mack Brown, returns a talented pass-and-catch combination of Lee Sweeney and Tim Benford. KSU still should roll, however.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The Web site Coacheshotseat.com is one of my must reads every day. They always have an interesting spin on various college football topics and a lot of original content.

One post this afternoon was particularly interesting. The Web site ranks the 22 hirings of new FBS head coaches since the end of last season.

Here's a list of hirings of all new Division I head coaches. The ones that are highlighted have Big 12 connections. 

1. Dave Christensen, Wyoming

2. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State

3. Rich Ellerson, Army

4. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

5. Brady Hoke, San Diego State

6. Steve Sarkisian, Washington

7. Doug Marrone, Syracuse

8. Danny Hope, Purdue

9. Mike Locksley, New Mexico

10. Ron English, Eastern Michigan

11. Mike Haywood, Miami (OH)

12. DeWayne Walker, New Mexico State

13. Chip Kelly, Oregon

14. Paul Rhoads, Iowa State

15. Gene Chizik, Auburn

16. Gary Anderson, Utah State

17. Frank Spaziani, Boston College

18. Tim Beckman, Toledo

19. Stan Parrish, Ball State

20. Dave Clawson, Bowling Green

21. Bill Snyder, Kansas State

22. Lane Kiffin, Tennessee

It's particularly interesting to look at the difference between former Missouri coordinator Dave Christensen and former Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Tim Beckman.

They believe that Christensen's success bringing his version of the spread to Wyoming will pump new life into the Mountain West Conference. And they compare that to the largely unknown Beckman, who will be challenged to succeed in the balanced Mid-American Conference.

The switch from Gene Chizik to Paul Rhoads appears to be a wash, as Rhoads' hiring is ranked No. 14 while Chizik checks in at No. 15.  

But the most interesting comments to me were how the Web site viewed Bill Snyder replacing Ron Prince at Kansas State.

21. Bill Snyder for Ron Prince at Kansas State

"We could have gone either way on the firing of Ron Prince, but bringing Bill Snyder back to Kansas State? No, we cannot understand that move by KSU. OK...Bill Snyder was a great football coach, but that was in another time and another place. Snyder put up some great seasons at K-State, but in his last two years, which happened to correspond to the rise of Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Missouri in the Big 12, Snyder went 4-7 in 2004 and 5-6 in 2005. There is a reason that Bill Snyder was fired after the 2005 season and that reason has not changed and we believe K-State will regret hiring Snyder because he will not move the football program forward in what has become a much tougher Big 12. Instead of Bill Snyder, we would have hired Buffalo's Turner Gill, Oklahoma's Brent Venables, Illinois Mike Locksley, Missouri's Dave Christensen or even Dennis Franchione over bringing back Bill Snyder and we believe Kansas State will regret this coaching move."

I would criticique Coacheshotseat.com for saying that Snyder was fired after the 2005 season. He actually resigned. But I'm still intrigued by their comments.

It will be interesting to see how Snyder's return to KSU plays out. Either it will be a home run or a colossal flop.

I'm betting that Snyder's work ethic and his return of a veteran group of coaches familiar with the KSU program will work and work to ensure the program's success.

But even that might not be enough, considering the Big 12's strength.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

I feel a little remiss that we didn't celebrate Nebraska coach Bo Pelini's birthday last week in a suitable manner.

Pelini turned 41 on Saturday, a likely day for stoppage of mail and garbage delivery considering his early success with the Cornhuskers.

A rash of recent hirings of younger coaches has dropped Pelini to 13th among the youngest FBS head coaches. And his matchup with Clemson's Dabo Swinney in the Gator Bowl will be only the second time that Pelini has been older than his opposing coach. The only other time that happened was when he beat Ron Prince and Kansas State earlier this season.

And here's another way to place Pelini and Swinney's youth in perspective. Their combined ages at kickoff for the Jan. 1 game in Jacksonville will be 80 years, 1 month and 31 days. That total is far less than Penn State's Joe Paterno, who will be 82 years and 11 days old on that date.

Here's a look at the youngest FBS coaches in the nation. Coaches who have been hired since the end of the season to their new jobs are indicated with an asterisk.

Youth Movement Name School Age Birthdate Bowl berth Lane Kiffin * Tennessee 33 May 9, 1975 -- Pat Fitzgerald Northwestern 34 Dec. 2, 1974 Alamo Steve Sarkisian* Washington 34 March 8, 1974 -- Dan Mullen* Mississippi State 36 April 27, 1972 -- David Elson Western Kentucky 37 Aug. 26, 1971 -- Mario Christobal Fla. International 38 Sept. 9, 1970 -- Bret Bielema Wisconsin 38 Jan. 13, 1970 Champs Sports Mike Locksley* New Mexico 38 Dec. 25, 1969 -- Dabo Swinney* Clemson 39 Nov. 20, 1969 Gator Al Golden Temple 39 Aug. 4, 1969 -- Derek Dooley Louisiana Tech 40 June 10, 1969 Independence Butch Jones Central Michigan 40 Jan. 17, 1968 Motor City Bo Pelini Nebraska 41 Dec. 13, 1967 Gator