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Bob Stoops remembers it well. The Oklahoma coach grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, alongside the Pelini family, far outside the proverbial footprint of the Big Eight.

It didn't matter. This time of year brought one of college football's premier rivalries, and Stoops was watching. He wasn't alone.

"Couldn’t wait for this game," Stoops said of the Oklahoma-Nebraska rivalry. "Just watching the two teams in red and white go at it was really special, because it was always a great game, great players, great coaches.

"You have to admit, everybody was watching it around the country."

They saw the "Game of the Century" in 1971, when No. 1 Nebraska beat No. 2 Oklahoma, 35-31. From 1971-82, neither team entered the game ranked lower than No. 11. In the 1980s, the two teams met four consecutive times with both carrying top 5 rankings. That stretch birthed Oklahoma's "Sooner Magic."

Heisman winners like Johnny Rogers and Mike Rozier, among other legends like Turner Gill, Tommie Frazier and Roger Craig all helped build the rivalry across from Sooner legends like Steve Owens, Billy Sims, and Greg Pruitt, all Heisman-winning running backs.

The coaches littered throughout the series, including Nebraska's Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne and Oklahoma's Barry Switzer and Bud Wilkinson, are some of the best ever.

"I was always kind of an OU fan, their style of play, coach Switzer. And look at all the backs they had," Stoops said. "As a young kid, of course everybody’s watching those flashy guys, how fast they were. Couldn’t wait to watch the game."

The annual series died with the Big Eight and birth of divisions in the Big 12, but with Nebraska prepared to leave for the Big Ten in 2011, there's plenty of nostalgia for everyone building up to the last game ever in a 12-team Big 12.

Fittingly, Stoops said, between the Sooners and Huskers one more time.

"I feel fortunate to be a part of it. It’s exciting and it’s earned," he said. "Both of us have earned it through tough division fights."

We're getting ready for more bowl games tomorrow night involving Big 12 teams.

But we can't start them unless we sift through our mailbag for some of the weekend's better letters.

Jason from Wichita, Kan., writes: Hey Tim, I love the blog...it has become my primary source of Big 12 football information. I was wondering your thoughts as to why every time a major coaching position in college or NFL positions come open, Bob Stoops is inevitably listed as the number one candidate and Mack Brown is never mentioned. Is this because most of the college football world (fans and the media) view Texas as more of a destination job than Oklahoma? With both receiving comparable pay, the only other difference I see is their ages.

Tim Griffin: Jason, first thanks for the compliment. I’ve always been interested in how Stoops seems to be mentioned or portrayed as the more desirable coach as far as other openings, while Brown seems to be permanently affixed to Texas. The point you made about their ages is a good point. Brown is 58 and Stoops is 49. Most would assume that Stoops has at least one more move after never serving as a head coach at another school. Brown has done it before at places like Appalachian State, Tulane and North Carolina before arriving at Texas.

The last time I can remember Brown being mentioned in connection with a job came when his good friend Red McCombs was looking for a head coach of the Minnesota Vikings after the 2001 season. McCombs instead hired Mike Tice at that time and sold the team to Zygi Wilf and five partners in 2005.

The point you made about both Texas and Oklahoma being destination college football jobs is correct. I would include both in the top six or seven jobs in college football -- particularly with the strong support that they receive from Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds and Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione.

I think it would take a special job to get either Stoops or Brown to leave their current jobs. And this will give us a chance to savor their rivalry in the Big 12 for at least another few years.

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Alex Headington from Iowa writes: Tim, the Big 12 North loses a lot of talent next season. Do you see Iowa State competing for the North title?

Tim Griffin: Even with the Cyclones’ improvement and bowl bid this season, their schedule gets much tougher in 2010. ISU trades Baylor, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M for Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech. Toss in non-conference foes like Northern Illinois and Utah and the Cyclones will be facing a rugged challenge.

Even with the return of players like Austen Arnaud and Alexander Robinson and a second season becoming familiar with Paul Rhoads' coaching style, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Cyclones with a better team in 2010 and a worse record.

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Brett Cooper from Piedmont, Okla., writes: Hey, Tim. I’m wondering if you are reporting the Big 12 or promoting the SEC with that statistic you dredged up about the SEC’s 10-3 record over the Big 12 in the bowls?

Tim Griffin: Brett, you can’t alibi your way around facts. And the fact is that the Big 12 has struggled mightily against SEC teams since 2003 with 3-10 record.

The Big 12 started slowly Monday night when Texas A&M enabled Georgia to score 30 unanswered points to cruise to an easy victory.

It will be up to Oklahoma State and Texas to claim upsets to give the Big 12 some bragging rights, or else the SEC will boat race them again in this season's bowl games.

It’s been that way since 1997 – the last time the Big 12 had a winning bowl record over the SEC. The only way the Big 12 can claim superiority is to win on the field, which is something its teams have had trouble accomplishing in the last few seasons against the SEC.

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James from Dallas/Fort Worth writes: Hey Tim, quick question about the Independence Bowl - what was ever the final reasoning on why it was right for A&M to have not gotten time back after the spike at the end of the first half when ESPN2 clearly showed 0.5 of a second left? It may not have been a game-changer, but it certainly changed the mood and morale of the team after they were sure they had gotten themselves in field goal range in time. Officials reviewed the Colt McCoy time issue at the end of the Nebraska game. Why couldn’t they fix this one?

Tim Griffin: James, I have no real answer for you. The only differences I could see was that the Texas play ended a game and the Texas A&M play ended a half. Also, there was less than a second left, 0.3 seconds I believe.

The chance not to stop the clock happened when Ryan Tannehill battled for extra yardage after making the catch with nine seconds left. He should have gone down and allowed Jerrod Johnson to make a quick spike which would have left a couple of seconds on the clock. I think the Mountain West Conference crew might have given them the call in that situation. Instead, after Tannehill’s catch, the ball was respotted and the clock started immediately without giving the Aggies at least a half-second to re-set.

In the grand scheme of things, the play didn’t really matter that much. But it would have given A&M a shot of momentum to start the second half. And we don't really know how the game would have turned out if the Aggies had gotten the call there.

Justin Kalemkiarian of Minneapolis, Minn., writes: In preparation for the Holiday Bowl, plus being on my "lunch break,” I was a bit curious about Roy Helu Jr.'s statistics. According to ESPN, Helu has rushed for 2,151 yards through this year's Big 12 Championship game. In the pantheon of Husker running backs that puts him at no. 22 all-time, right between Tony Davis and Steve Taylor. With a 100-yard game he would vault into 17th place and pass such heroes as Doug DuBose and Jeff Kinney. If he were to rush for another 1,000 yards in his career he would end up at fifth all-time, just 2 yards behind Calvin Jones for fourth place. This blows my mind!

I think most people would be hard-pressed to name Nebraska's starting running back and would be even more shocked to find out that he has a legitimate shot at ending his career as the no. 3 rusher in the team's history (he needs 1,284 yards to pass Eric Crouch)! What are your thoughts on Helu's place among Cornhusker greats?

Tim Griffin: It’s hard to argue with statistics, although Helu does get a break because would have played in four seasons and basically started for about 3 ½ of those seasons. But it does underscore the kind of numbers he has racked up during his career.

But considering the aggravating injuries that occurred at times in each of the last two seasons, it might be a big presumption to think that Helu will automatically be able to play through next season.

He’ll be an important element for the Cornhuskers – in Wednesday’s bowl game and into next season after Bo Pelini has hinted about moving to a more basic offensive attack.

And if he stays healthy and productive, Helu will go down in history as one of the greatest running backs in Nebraska’s storied history along with immortals like Mike Rozier, Ahman Green, Jones, Ken Clark and I.M. Hipp who rank as Nebraska's top five running back rushers of all time. All five of those players compiled their career totals in only three of playing time.

That's all the time for today. Keep the letters coming and I'll check back later this week.

Thanks again for all of the good correspondence.

I appreciate it.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Back in my former life at the newspaper in San Antonio, there was a wildly popular weekly column we used to run every Sunday called "Where Are They Now." A veteran staffer with loads of institutional knowledge tracked down some of the area's most memorable athletes and found out whatever happened to them after their athletic careers finished. 

The concept has always been intriguing. It's why the list I found today at lostlettermen.com was so interesting to me (hat tip to the wizofodds.com.)

And heck, it's even topical with today's stories highlighting all of our Heisman Trophy stories.

Lost Letterman lists what has happened to all 73 previous Heisman winners. It's fascinating to see what men who had such football success have done with the rest of their lives.

Here's a list of the Heisman Trophy winners from Big 12 schools along with what happened to them after their college careers.

1952: Billy Vessels (Oklahoma) -- Worked in the horse racing business and real estate in South Florida before dying of heart failure in 2001 at the age of 70.

1957: John David Crow (Texas A&M) -- Former college coach and athletic director, now retired and living in College Station, Texas (age 74).

1969: Steve Owens (Oklahoma) -- CEO of a real estate company, Steve Owens & Associates, in Norman, Okla. (age 61).

1972: Johnny Rodgers (Nebraska) -- Owns JetWear kid's bedroom store in Omaha, Neb. (age 58).

1977: Earl Campbell (Texas) -- Assistant to the vice president of student affairs at Texas (age 54).

1978: Billy Sims (Oklahoma) -- Owns a chain of Billy Sims BBQ restaurants in Oklahoma (age 53).

1983: Mike Rozier (Nebraska) -- Stay-at-home dad living in Sickerville, N.J. (age 48).

1988: Barry Sanders (Oklahoma State) -- Retired from the NFL in 1998. Currently resides in West Bloomfield, Mich. (age 41.) His son, Barry Sanders Jr., is currently a high school star in Oklahoma City.

1994: Rashaan Salaam (Colorado) -- Promotes martial arts fights in China. Currently resides in San Diego, Calif. (age 34).

1998: Ricky Williams (Texas) -- Member of the Miami Dolphins (age 32).

2001: Eric Crouch (Nebraska) -- Owns playground equipment business called "Crouch Recreation" in Nebraska (age 30).

2003: Jason White (Oklahoma) -- Owns memorabilia stores in Norman, Okla., and Oklahoma City (age 29).

2008: Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) -- Starting quarterback at Oklahoma (age 21).

It's hard for me to believe the Steve Owens, a player who I avidly followed when I was a kid growing up, is now 61 years old.

And in a way, I can see Mike Rozier as a stay-at-home dad. He was always one of my favorite players to deal with when I was covering the Houston Oilers back in the day. I'm sure he a great dad -- and a very colorful one at that.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Big 12 players dominated the Water Camp Player of the Year watch list announced Friday with eight players, including 2008 winner Colt McCoy of Texas.

The Big 12's number was double of any other conference. The Pac-10 and Southeastern Conferences were next with four players apiece.

Among the Big 12's nominees were quarterback Sam Bradford and tight end Jermaine Gresham of Oklahoma, running back Kendall Hunter and wide receiver Dez Bryant from Oklahoma State, McCoy and wide receiver Jordan Shipley of Texas, linebacker Sean Weatherspoon of Missouri and quarterback Todd Reesing of Kansas.

Oklahoma State, Texas and Oklahoma were among five schools to have two players nominated to the list. The others were Florida and Penn State.

McCoy became the fourth Big 12 winner of the award. Earlier winners included Ricky Williams of Texas in 1998, Josh Heupel of Oklahoma in 2000 and Nebraska's Eric Crouch in 2001.

Other winners from current Big 12 schools before the conference started included Oklahoma's Steve Owens in 1969, Nebraska's Johnny Rodgers in 1972, Oklahoma's Billy Sims in 1978, Nebraska's Mike Rozier in 1983, Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders in 1988 and Colorado's Rashaan Salaam in 1994.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Earlier in spring camp, Nebraska I-back Roy Helu Jr. predicted that competition for playing time among the Cornhuskers would be "cut-throat" this spring.

While there have been no incidents reported -- yet -- the battle for the starting job at I-back for the Cornhuskers might be one of the most intriguing in the Big 12.

A bigger, stronger Helu was involved in a tight battle with skinnier Quentin Castille for playing time before Helu tweaked his hamstring last week. It's kept him out of practice since then, although it doesn't necessarily worry Nebraska coach Bo Pelini.

"We're in no hurry right now with Roy," Pelini told reporters last weekend. "It's just not the time of year to rush him back. He had a phenomenal spring when he was going. He's had a great winter. More importantly than just finishing the spring, we want to him to be healthy as he's quickly as he can so he can get back into his training and offseason work.

His injury has opened a chance for Castille, who is poised to receive much of the action at Saturday's Red-White scrimmage to finish off Nebraska's spring practice.

Before Helu's injury, the position was shaping up as an intriguing one as both primary backs had transformed themselves since the end of the 2008 season.

Helu gained 24 pounds that he feels will make him a more powerful runner between the tacklers. He's now up to 222 with no resulting loss of speed after weighing 198 last season.

"To be honest, it's kind of a blessing and a curse. Every time I look in the mirror I look at myself now," Helu said. "I feel faster and more explosive and there's more muscle there than fat."

While Helu has bulked up, Castille has slimmed down. He now weighs about 235 and said he feels quicker and sleeker than at any previous time in his career.

"It was kind of my goal, but not really," Castille said. "I guess it just happened with the conditioning and the weight lifting, but I feel stronger and faster, too."

Together, the transformed I-backs could emerge into one of the nation's best combinations and a potentially lethal offense force for the Cornhuskers.

Helu bulked up late last season and the results were seen in the Cornhuskers' late charge. He rushed for at least 100 yards in three of Nebraska's final four games -- including a career-high 166 against Colorado -- to help the Cornhuskers claim that game and earn a share of the Big 12 North title.

The late charge enabled Helu to finish with a team-leading 803 yards and become the first Nebraska running back since 2000 to average at least 6 yards per carry.

Castille saved his biggest game for last. After dropping about 10 pounds because of a late-season injury, the sleeker Castille gashed Clemson for a game-high 125 yards in the Cornhuskers' comeback victory in the Gator Bowl. Included in that total were career-best runs of 58 and 40 yards as he emerged as an imposing breakaway threat along with his substantial abilities as a move-the-pile ball-carrier.

That late surge enabled Castille to produce 467 rushing yards to rank 19th in the conference despite his limited playing time.

It wasn't exactly the golden days when Mike Rozier was running behind Dean Steinkuhler, but it wasn't far from it. The Cornhuskers piled up 211.6 yards rushing per game over the second half of the season to become the backbone of the team. Earlier in the season, the Cornhuskers failed to produce 100 rushing yards in three of the first five games of the season.

And while offensive coordinator Shawn Watson still favors a balanced pass-run ratio, it almost a foregone conclusion that the Cornhuskers will lean more on the running game this season. Nebraska will be breaking in an untested quarterback throwing to a largely untested group of wide receivers that was thinned a little earlier this week when Niles Paul was suspended.

Helu's injury has temporarily halted the I-back competition for the rest of the spring. But the positional battle will shape up during the summer as one of the team's biggest strengths headed into the season.

Nebraska coaches are so confident about their combo of Helu and Castille that they moved Marcus Mendoza from I-back to wide receiver where he's likely to see playing time immediately. Mendoza likely could have been a productive ball-carrier on many Big 12 teams.

And while chatter of the message boards about the battle for the I-back position has been intense since the end of the season, Castille expects both he and Helu will receive many opportunities to help the team next season.

"Me and Roy just go out and there play," Castille said. "I don't know if it's going to be one of us who will steal the job from the other. He brings something totally different to table than I bring. I'm anxious to see what will happen during the season when both of us are playing."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin 

Picking my four selections for the Nebraska Mount Rushmore of football was excruciatingly difficult. But after bouncing ideas around for several days, I realized I'm going to have to leave at least one Heisman Trophy winner off my mountain, no matter which way I lean.

And that's tough.

Here are my four choices:

• Bob Devaney -- Led the Cornhuskers to a pair of national championships and produced eight conference championships in his 11-season coaching career.
• Tom Osborne -- Set the school record with 255 victories in his 25-season career as coach, including three national championships and at least nine victories in every season.
• Johnny Rodgers -- Heisman Trophy winner in 1972 who helped lead the Cornhuskers to a pair of national championships. When he left school he owned the NCAA records for all-purpose yards and punt returns for touchdowns.
• Mike Rozier -- Two-time consensus All-American won the Heisman Trophy in 1983, leading the nation with 2,148 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns.

It was hard not putting Tommie Frazier or Eric Crouch up on my Nebraska Rushmore. Same with Rich Glover, Dave Rimington, Dean Steinkuhler, Grant Wistrom and Trev Alberts.

Ultimately, I'm satisfied with my four picks. I'm hoping it would get the Herbie Husker seal of approval.  

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Nothing like a little good-natured trash talk to pump some life into what would appear to be a blowout game.

New Mexico State cornerback Davon House told the Associated Press earlier this week that his secondary is well-prepared to face Nebraska on Saturday in Lincoln, Neb., because "we believe our receivers are 10 times better than their receivers."

Nebraska wide receiver Nate Swift declined to respond to the comment when asked by reporters Tuesday.

When Swift was told of House's comments, the AP reported he let out a chuckle and said he wouldn't getting into a bragging match with the New Mexico State player.

Here's a few other statistics that House might want to keep in mind before opening his mouth again. Nebraska has outscored New Mexico State by a combined margin of 125-0 in the only two previous games of the series between the two teams.

In their most recent game against the Cornhuskers in 1982, Nebraska rolled up 883 yards of total offense, including 677 yards on the ground en route to a 68-0 trip to the woodshed.

And the Aggies are 14-95-2 all-time against BCS-affiliated schools and 1-18 since the Bowl Championship Series was implemented in 1998.

There likely aren't many standouts on Nebraska's roster this season who can match Nebraksa legends like Mike Rozier, Turner Gill and Irving Fryar from that 1982 team.

But it's still probably wise not to rile them up, either.