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No. Just ... no, Mizzou. Kids, a lesson: Thinking of making a rap video about your school?

Don't.

• Can't get West Virginia for 2012? How about two Red River Rivalry games, with a coin flip for one team to get a home game? Kirk Bohls throws out the idea, plus eight more and a prediction.
• Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal unearthed some contentious emails between departed Texas Tech defensive coordinator Chad Glasgow and athletic director Kirby Hocutt. Glasgow left with a $100,000 separation payment.
• Kent Babb of the Kansas City Star profiles the most wanted man in Big 12 country these days: Dorial Green-Beckham. The battle to get him could be the first of many between Mizzou and Arkansas. Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has more from DGB-mania on Mizzou's campus this weekend.
• Mack Brown's sticking around Texas? Bob Stoops and Mike Gundy have to be happy about that, writes Dave Sittler of the Tulsa World, who also says goodbye in a retirement column.
• Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star checks in on the rivalry between Mizzou and Kansas, which is boiling as it nears an end.
• Peter King of SI.com weighs in on Brandon Weeden and the age question.
• The Austin American-Statesman has an update on where the Big 12 recruiting stands.
• Texas will have 62 baseball and softball games on the Longhorn Network.
• Former Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman landed as the new offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins.
• Texas swiped an ESPNU 150 commit from TCU, an all-purpose player named Daje Johnson.
• The newest Sooners on the field and on the sideline? Travis Haney of The Oklahoman says give 'em a chance.
• The Aggies added a top defensive end to their class on Sunday night, reports Matthew Reagan of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• Kansas added two recruits to its class over the weekend and lost one, reports Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World.

We're offering up grades for each team in the Big 12 after their seasons conclude, so here's a look at how the 7-6 Texas A&M Aggies graded out in 2011.

More report cards:

• Kansas
• Texas Tech
• Missouri
• Texas
• Baylor
• Iowa State
• Oklahoma

OFFENSE: The past two seasons, Texas A&M has had as much, if not more, offensive talent than any team in the Big 12 to begin the season. Yet, it never quite works out. Last season, Jerrod Johnson's shoulder was the biggest problem with an early-season swoon. This season, the late-game collapses didn't have a single culprit, but injuries to Jeff Fuller, Christine Michael and Cyrus Gray certainly didn't help.

Those weren't the biggest problems, though. Too often in the second half of crucial games the Aggies' offense sputtered. Every loss was something different it seemed. After scoring 20 points in the first half against Oklahoma State, it managed just seven in the second. A week later, a 35-point first half was followed by a three-point second half in a loss to Arkansas.

Ryan Tannehill's decision making, especially in those infamous second halves, was poor, and resulted in 15 interceptions for the season. Mike Sherman's play calling didn't help much, running the ball just six times in the second half of the OSU loss that started it all, despite rolling over OSU's defense in the first half.

The Aggies had a lot of firepower. That's hard to ignore. They finished fourth in the Big 12 (seventh nationally) in total offense and 11th nationally in scoring offense, with just under 40 points a game.

But it's impossible to ignore that when that firepower was needed most, it was mostly a dud. With the Aggies, you have to grade on a curve, considering the amount of talent on the field and the depth of offense in the Big 12.

GRADE: D+

DEFENSE: The loss of Von Miller was bigger than maybe anyone could have imagined. The Aggies' Wrecking Crew wasn't so fearsome this season, possessing a powerful pass rush, but doing so by bringing lots of blitzes.

The Aggies had 51 sacks in 2011, five more than any team in the nation. However, they gave up more than 275 passing yards a game, more than all but 11 teams in college football. When opponents passed on the Aggies, it seemed like it was always going to be a big play for at least one team.

Early in the season, the Aggies went 22 quarters without a turnover and finished the season minus-nine in turnover margin, forcing a Big 12-low 15 turnovers. That's unacceptable, and the coverage struggles in the secondary made the defense look hopeless at times, letting five quarterbacks set career highs for pass yardage throughout the season, including 510 yards to Arkansas' Tyler Wilson.

The Aggies were a fun team to watch, but defensively, were too often a mess.

GRADE: D

OVERALL: Well, its coach was fired, so you know this grade won't be a good one. Give the Aggies this, at least: They beat Texas at something. The Aggies were a far bigger disappointment this season than Texas in 2010, when the Longhorns went 5-7.

That was a young team with no proven offense. The Aggies were loaded on both sides of the ball, even without Miller. The pieces were there to win the Big 12 and maybe even the national championship. You don't lead by double digits in 12 of 13 games in the Big 12 without having tons and tons of talent. The Aggies had it.

They finished with seven wins, and only one (Baylor) was impressive. The second-half meltdowns were too much, and led to Sherman's firing after snatching the title of the Big 12's most disappointing team, and having an argument as the nation's biggest disappointment after starting the season in the top 10.

The losses piled up and ended with one final indignity: a loss to Texas that should never have happened. The program will have to live with that loss for decades at least, and perhaps forever. It'll go down as the most painful night in one of the most painful seasons in school history, and the defining moment in a season that Texas A&M would love to forget.

GRADE: F

As quickly as it arrived, the Big 12 season is gone.

Alas, here's a look at the 10 moments we'll remember most from the 2011 season. These aren't necessarily the best or worst moments, but simply that: memorable. When we look back on 2011, this is what will stick out.

1. Heisman moment? Take your pick. There were plenty of them in Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III's run to an "unbelievably believable" Heisman win. What about his only reception of the season (that resulted in him getting the wind knocked out of him) on a dramatic final drive to beat TCU in the opener? What about a 21-point comeback in the fourth quarter of an overtime win over Kansas? The best on-field moment was probably his 39-yard TD pass to Terrance Williams in the final seconds to beat Oklahoma for the first time and thrust himself back into the Heisman race, despite three losses. And after beating Texas: "I think Baylor just won its first Heisman tonight," he said. Yep. It did.

2. Iowa State storms the field ... and bowl season. Oklahoma State looked headed for a showdown with Oklahoma to play for a national title, but Iowa State had other things in mind. Jared Barnett topped 375 yards passing and 75 yards rushing in just his third start to give the Cyclones a win over a top six team for the first time in 58 tries. It set off a party on the field at Jack Trice Stadium and put ISU into its second bowl in three years.

3. Texas A&M and Missouri say adios, muchachos. The Aggies had enough of Texas and wanted some of Alabama. Missouri had enough drama and wanted some stability. Texas A&M made it official in late September and Mizzou followed in early November. Texas A&M called it a "100-year decision."

4. The Big 12 says hello to two new friends. With Texas A&M and Missouri gone, expansion was the obvious necessary step. The Big 12 took it by welcoming Southwest Conference expatriate TCU home into the Big 12 on Oct. 11. And 17 days later, West Virginia followed, announcing its plans to help expand the Big 12's footprint wayyy, wayyy east.

5. The Aggies sound like a broken record. Shattered record, maybe. Texas A&M started as a Big 12 title contender with a top-10 ranking. It led 12 games by double digits. It lost six games. How'd it happen? Nobody knew, and as a result, coach Mike Sherman was fired. Over and over, it was the same story. The 20-3 and 35-17 halftime leads over Oklahoma State and Arkansas evaporated. The Aggies blew big leads over Missouri, Kansas State and Texas, too.

6. Oklahoma State finds new life ... twice. Most were resigned to Alabama and LSU meeting again for the title, but OSU made it interesting with a satisfying 44-10 embarrassment of Oklahoma, putting late pressure on voters and finishing behind Alabama by the slimmest margin in BCS history. And once OSU was in its bowl game, Stanford's Jordan Williamson yanked a 35-yard kick to send the game into overtime, where the Cowboys capitalized in a 41-38 win.

7. Texas grabs Lone Star Showdown bragging rights for...ever? The Longhorns were the underdogs in a veritable powder keg that was Kyle Field on Thanksgiving night. Then Colt, er, Case McCoy got loose for a 25-yard scramble that set up Justin Tucker's game-winning 40-yard field goal that gave Texas bragging rights in the now-defunct rivalry for as long as it would like. The Longhorns say they have no plans to continue the rivalry after the Aggies leave for the SEC.

8. The Little Apple hosts a classic. You never know when the longest game in Big 12 history is going to show up. Kansas State and Texas A&M played it. The Aggies led by 10 midway through the fourth quarter, but Collin Klein rallied the Wildcats and got the 53-50 win on — what else — a QB sneak for a game-winning touchdown.

9. Texas Tech ends Oklahoma's epic streak. The night began with ominous thunderstorms that delayed the game, but the Sooners struggled against Texas Tech's slip screens, and let Alex Torres go wild for three touchdown catches. The four-touchdown underdogs walked into Owen Field and became the second Big 12 team to ever beat Bob Stoops on his home field, and first since 2001. The Red Raiders also became the first team since 2005 to win there, ending the Sooners' 39-game home winning streak. The problem: Tech didn't win another game the rest of the season, and finished with the first losing season since 1992.

10. Dan Beebe gets the ax. The damage was done. Beebe was seen as someone who ceded to Texas at all costs, even if he did it as a last option to keep the Big 12 together in the summer of 2010. That hurt the league, and Oklahoma called for Beebe to be removed. He was, and replaced by interim commissioner Chuck Neinas, who had helped many of the league's ADs hire coaches. A permanent replacement still hasn't been named.

Honorable mention: OSU FB Kye Staley and Texas TE Blaine Irby score touchdowns in emotional returns from catastrophic knee injuries, K-State runs out of time in a near upset over Oklahoma State (and an earthquake followed), Kansas State becomes the first team to intercept RG3 and stays undefeated in an "upset" of Baylor, RG3 has his version of the "Immaculate Reception"; Missouri QB James Franklin goes beast mode on a 20-yard touchdown run in a win over Texas A&M; Missouri coach Gary Pinkel "ices" his own kicker in a loss to Arizona State; Kansas reaches a new low and trails Oklahoma State 56-7 at halftime; Ryan Broyles' career meets an unfair end with a torn ACL.

The bowl season is over, and it's time to pass out a few awards.

Best offensive player: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State. Blackmon went nuts against Stanford after the Cowboys were shut out in the first quarter against Stanford. His first two catches went for touchdowns, and he finished with 186 yards on eight grabs and his third three-touchdown game of his career. That was the first time he'd done that since the Tulsa game in 2010, the third game of the season.

Second-best offensive player: Terrance Ganaway, RB, Baylor. Ganaway ended his career in style, taking plenty of heat off his Heisman-winning quarterback, Robert Griffin III. He scored five touchdowns and ran for 200 yards, leading the way for three Bears 100-yard rushers in the 67-56 win over Washington in the Alamo Bowl.

Best defensive player: Jamell Fleming, CB, Oklahoma. Passing? I think not, Iowa. Matched up with NFL-bound, Skycam-attacked Marvin McNutt, Fleming made seven tackles, returned an interception 21 yards and broke up three passes. Well done.

Best team performance: Oklahoma State. The Cowboys got the Big 12's best win of the entire season, knocking off a solid Stanford team and handing Andrew Luck a loss in his final game as a Cardinal. Maybe they got lucky with a missed 35-yard field goal attempt to force overtime, but the Cowboys played well after a shaky first quarter and beat the nation's No. 4 team on a neutral field. Well done.

Best play: Robert Griffin III's post-Heisman "Heisman moment." He somehow backpedalled out of a handful of Washington tacklers, escaped outside and galloped to the pylon, diving into the end zone as he took a big hit before scoring. A big-time play from the Heisman winner for a 24-yard score.

Craziest play: North Carolina's Bryn Renner whipped a strike to Dwight Jones, but a hit jarred it loose. Somehow, it ended up on Jones' shoulder and rolled across his back, staying there long enough for Missouri LB Zaviar Gooden to sprint over and slide in to intercept the pass before it hit the ground.

Scariest play: Marvin McNutt, WR, Iowa. McNutt was minding his own business in the Iowa huddle. Then the Skycam at Sun Devil Stadium came crashing down and sent McNutt into a panic. Fortunately, nobody was hurt, but it was memorable incident. The camera was grounded for the Fiesta Bowl later in the week.

Best out-of-nowhere performance: Colton Chelf, WR, Oklahoma State. Starter Tracy Moore was reportedly suspended, and Chelf filled the void well. He caught just 16 balls in 12 games, but hauled in five for 97 yards in the win over Stanford, including a 24-yarder in overtime that was ruled a touchdown before being reversed and giving way to a game-winning field goal.

Worst performance: Kansas State. It was shocking to see. The Wildcats made too many early mistakes that they hadn't made all year. There was a fumble to give Arkansas an easy three points, a handful of dropped passes, a wave of penalties and an ill-advised punt to Joe Adams that swung the game in favor of the Hogs. Not good, and K-State didn't give itself a chance in the 29-16 loss.

Best handling of distractions: Texas A&M had to deal with the loss of senior offensive lineman Joey Villavisencio, who died in a car crash on his way home for Christmas. It fired coach Mike Sherman earlier. Interim coach Tim DeRuyter left for Fresno State, but stayed to coach the bowl game. The team was prepping for a move to the SEC and playing its bowl game in the home of its new coach, Kevin Sumlin. The Aggies, though, played pretty well against Northwestern and controlled most of the game in the 33-22 win.

Best atmosphere: Cotton Bowl. For a second consecutive year, this bowl takes the cake. K-State and Arkansas fans absolutely packed Cowboys Stadium and cheered loudly from an hour before the game through the entire matchup. A big-time atmosphere for what should be a big-time game.

Four Texas A&M players will suit up for the Senior Bowl on Jan. 28 in Mobile, Ala.

• Ryan Tannehill, QB
• Cyrus Gray, RB
• Jeff Fuller, WR
• Randy Bullock, K

Cornerback Coryell Judie was also invited and accepted, but he won't be able to participate after breaking his wrist in Texas A&M's 33-22 win over Northwestern in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas.

They'll join three Baylor players in Mobile for the week.

The game is big, but really, the Senior Bowl week is most about the practices, while scouts flood to Alabama to see NFL draft talent go head-to-head in rep after rep for the week of practice. Those, like the game, are televised on the NFL Network.

Draft stocks can rise and fall during the week just as much as they can during the combine.

Their NFL futures offer even more reason to be disappointed with the 2011 season. The talent was obvious, especially in these four, who are just about as good as anyone at their position in the Big 12. The Aggies' 6-6 finish after warranted preseason hype cost Mike Sherman his job.

Tannehill, Gray, Fuller and Bullock will get a chance to show what they can do at the Senior Bowl, and I'd expect them all to have solid careers at the next level. Judie, too.

But there's no forgetting what could have been -- and wasn't -- in 2011.

Email of the day: Brad in Nair, Iowa writes: Why no bowl games on New Years Day?! Everyone has day off it would be a high viewing day?! It's tradition and nothing this year?!.........Big Disappointment!!!

David Ubben: Curse you, Gregorians.

• The "all-purpose" label doesn't fit anyone better than Collin Klein, writes Kellis Robinett of the Wichita Eagle.
• I hope you're ready for Oklahoma to have its own network. It's coming soon, writes John Ourand and Michael Smith of the Sports Business Journal.
• Could Mike Sherman land as the new Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach? Your thoughts, Aggies?
• Be thankful Mike Gundy has guts others on his coaching staff did not, Pokes. He put the game in the hands of his two best players, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman.
• Future Texas back Johnathan Gray has a whole lot in common with his dad, writes colleague Mitch Sherman.
• Oklahoma State's game against Kansas State? It could have had a very, very different finish. It maybe should have.
• The TV ratings for the Fiesta Bowl were way, way up, as you might expect.
• John Helsley of The Oklahoman takes you to Stillwater's airport, where Cowboys fans waited to welcome their Big 12 champions on Tuesday.
• Missouri AD Mike Alden will meet with Kansas City officials to discuss the school's presence in the city, reports Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star.
• Defensive coordinator Chad Glasgow left Texas Tech, but he's sticking around the Big 12, reports Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reports that another former Tommy Tuberville assistant was in Lubbock this week.
• Oklahoma State's newest QB confirmed he's coming to campus next week and will go through spring drills.
• K-State's unveiling a $75 million upgrade to Bill Snyder Family Stadium this week.

After a rough season that included the death of teammate Joey Villavisencio last week and the firing of coach Mike Sherman, the Aggies got a bowl win. It's been an emotional year at Texas A&M, but it will end in fine fashion with a good win over Northwestern.

The Aggies did it without top rusher Cyrus Gray, too. Gray missed his second consecutive game and the final game of his career with a stress fracture in his shoulder that he suffered early in a win over Kansas.

Here's some instant analysis.

How the game was won: Texas A&M was the better team and proved it for the first three quarters, but like we've seen all year, the team swooned in the second half. This time it came in the fourth quarter. The Aggies survived via two huge third-down catches from Uzoma Nwachukwu and Jeff Fuller to keep the ball out of Northwestern's hands in the final minutes. This season, the Aggies blew leads of 18 (Arkansas), 17 (Oklahoma State), 14 (Missouri), 13 (Texas) and 10 (Kansas State). They avoided a sixth loss in extravagant fashion this season with a clutch late drive to close out the Wildcats.

Turning point: Trailing 7-3, Texas A&M scored on its final three drives of the first half, highlighted by a vertical, 26-yard touchdown catch by Jeff Fuller from Ryan Tannehill. The Aggies took control and the Wildcats weren't able to get within realistic reach the rest of the game. The Aggies scored the first 10 points of the second half for a 30-7 lead.

Player of the game: A&M receiver Ryan Swope. Swope continued his tear this season with eight catches for 105 yards and broke a few tackles on a 37-yard catch-and-run to set up an early touchdown that put the Aggies ahead for good. Fuller had a huge catch late to seal the game, but Swope kept the A&M offense humming in the first half while it built the big lead.

Unsung hero: Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter. He spelled what looked like a gimpy Dan Persa and ran for 65 yards and a touchdown in a nice performance.

What it means: One epic bowl losing streak ended while another lives on. Northwestern had lost five bowl games going back to 1949 and made it a sixth. Texas A&M ended its eight-game bowl losing streak dating back to 2001. The Northwestern streak was represented on the sidelines by a monkey wearing a No. 63 jersey, the number of years since the Wildcats won a bowl.

Well wishes: Coryell Judie. The Aggies' kick returner and cornerback finally returned to full health against Texas on Thanksgiving after missing a handful of games with a hamstring injury. However, he suffered a fractured wrist during his final collegiate game. It's a rough break for a huge talent, but he'll hear his name called next April in the NFL draft.

Record performance: With his first field goal midway through the first quarter, kicker Randy Bullock broke Texas A&M's single-season scoring record set back in 1927. The Lou Groza Award winner surpassed Joel Hunt's record of 128 points and finished the season with 139 points after making three field goals and three extra points on Saturday.

Texas A&M and Northwestern will kick off the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas on Saturday at noon ET at Reliant Stadium in Houston, but here's a look at what the Aggies have to do to grab the win.

1. Be extra careful in those third quarters. It seemed like a fluke at first. Clearly, it was not. Every time, it seems like it's been something different. The common denominator in most of the second-half meltdowns, though, has been turnovers. Limit those in the second half, and Texas A&M should be fine. The Aggies are the better team here. Take care of business, and they win.

2. Make sure Dan Persa is one-dimensional. Persa's a good quarterback, and hasn't run nearly as much this year as he did in 2010 before he suffered a torn Achilles tendon. Still, the Aggies have plenty of speed at linebacker to keep Persa contained, and his arm won't be better than ones the Aggies have already seen, though they've struggled against some. Brandon Weeden, Tyler Wilson, Landry Jones, Robert Griffin and Seth Doege all have better arms than Persa, and all but perhaps Doege have better teams around them. Making sure Persa's legs are a non-factor should be enough for the defense to get the job done.

3. Play with a purpose, whatever that is. It's easy to see this game doesn't have much meaning for the Aggies. What could have been a season for the history books became a forgettable one very fast. At 6-6, the Aggies would seem to be the team that doesn't want to be here. There's plenty to play for, though. A loss would be one final indignity before leaving the Big 12 for the SEC, and a losing season with one of the most talented teams in College Station in a long time. Additionally, these guys could play as a tribute to a well-liked coach, Mike Sherman, especially the seniors. Maybe younger players can play to impress new coach Kevin Sumlin. Teammate Joey Villavisencio was killed in a car accident last week, too. He'd want nothing more than to see his team play its best game of the year. There's no reason to not give 100 percent in the preparation and in-game performance, even if that might seem like the case. If the Aggies show up and play like they're capable of playing, they win this game.

Texas A&M and Northwestern will kick off the New Year's Eve action in Houston with a noon ET kickoff at Reliant Stadium in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas.

Here's a bit of what to expect:

WHO TO WATCH: Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M. The Aggies' backfield has been banged up this year, and it already lost top back Christine Michael to a torn ACL. Gray was sorely missed in a season-ending, heartbreaking loss to Texas after suffering a stress fracture in his shoulder against Kansas. Gray is expected to return, and he's at his best when his team has to use him as the lone featured back. That will likely be the case in this one, and we'll see if he's back to 100 percent after the injury.

WHAT TO WATCH: Texas A&M's second half. You have to, don't you? The Aggies haven't played since Thanksgiving night, but a promising season was ruined by five losses in which the Aggies led by double digits, including early season losses to Oklahoma State and Arkansas in which the Aggies led by 17 and 18 points, respectively, and lost. Coach Mike Sherman was fired because of those losses, and Tim DeRuyter is temporarily in charge before leaving, but we'll see if this season-ruining trend ends.

WHY TO WATCH: Who knows what's going to happen with this team? The talent gap between these two teams is enormous, but the Aggies have underachieved all year. With a month off, a coach gone, another coach leaving and their new coach, Houston's Kevin Sumlin, roaming around practice, it's anyone's guess how this unpredictable bunch responds. It should be a fun one.

PREDICTION: Texas A&M 31, Northwestern 21: The Aggies are shaken up, with one coach (Mike Sherman) fired and its interim coach (Tim DeRuyter) getting ready to take over at Fresno State. The Aggies' talent takes over in this one, and Cyrus Gray is expected to return. The Wildcats rebounded later in the season to reach a bowl game, but have only one quality win all season: Nebraska. Texas A&M's talent takes control, and this big lead is safe.

Time to dish out a few predictions for the Big 12's non-BCS bowls.

I notched perfection in the season's final weekend, but bowl picks are always tough.

For the curious, here's how I've done predicting each team's games this year. You guys gave me a solid B. I'll take it.

Last week: 3-0

Overall: 57-18 (.760)

Today

Missouri 34, North Carolina 28: The Tigers match up pretty well with UNC, and take care of business with a solid performance from James Franklin, who tops 125 yards rushing and throws for 225, accounting for four touchdowns. The Tigers head to the SEC on the right note.

Dec. 28

No. 24 Texas 20, California 17: The Longhorns suffocate another offense in this one, quieting Keenan Allen and Zach Maynard. Texas has seen better offenses and played well. They take care of business out in San Diego to notch a Holiday Bowl win. A healthy backfield of Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron get back down to business and build toward a big sophomore year.

Dec. 29

No. 12 Baylor 47, Washington 31: RG3 doesn't give many clues as to his future plans, but he looks the part of an NFL quarterback in this one, sending Kendall Wright into the NFL with a big day. We expected plenty of offense in this one, and both teams delivered. Chris Polk racks up big yardage on a suspect Baylor defense, but the Bears pull away late.

Dec. 30

Iowa State 24, Rutgers 21: Doubt Paul Rhoads' teams in bowl games at your own risk. They say the team that wants to be in bowl games the most wins them, and games like these are huge for the Cyclones. They'll be ready to go against a mediocre Rutgers team. It should be interesting to see what Jared Barnett looks like with a month to prepare, and I'm betting he looks pretty good.

No. 14 Oklahoma 23, Iowa 21: On the flip side of the "Bet who wants to be here more" coin is Oklahoma, whose trip to the Insight Bowl is far from what they'd hoped in a season that began with national title hopes. The Sooners are banged up and dealing with player exits, but they're still significantly better than Iowa. We see a pretty lackluster performance from the Sooners, but they survive. Iowa is, after all, a team that lost to Iowa State, Minnesota and Penn State, and is playing without its top two running backs.

Dec. 31

Texas A&M 31, Northwestern 21: The Aggies are shaken up, too, with one coach (Mike Sherman) fired and its interim coach (Tim DeRuyter) getting ready to take over at Fresno State. The Aggies talent takes over in this one, and Cyrus Gray is expected to return. The Wildcats rebounded later in the season to reach a bowl game, but have only one quality win all season: Nebraska. Texas A&M's talent takes over this big lead is safe.

Jan. 6

No. 6 Arkansas 24, No. 8 Kansas State 23: This could be a classic. The Wildcats win the time of possession game (they always do. K-State ranks fourth nationally in the stat) and suffocates Arkansas' offense, which has struggled running the ball all year, ranking ninth in the SEC. K-State finally loses a close game, though, and like the loss to Oklahoma State, a late drive comes up short. A strong performance from the defense though, and K-State enters 2012 as one of the Big 12 favorites.

We're not done spinning just yet, but if you're a bit lost, here's the changes to the coaching staffs across the Big 12 thus far.

BAYLOR (9-3)

• Out: Receivers coach Dino Babers took the head-coaching job at Eastern Illinois. No replacement named.

IOWA STATE (6-6)

• Out: Offensive coordinator Tom Herman took the offensive coordinator job under Urban Meyer at Ohio State. No replacement named.

KANSAS (2-10)

• Out: Head coach Turner Gill fired. Other staff positions up for discussion.
• In: Florida offensive coordinator Charlie Weis hired to replace Gill. Akron QB coach Ron Powlus hired to coach quarterbacks. Bishop Miege (KS) coach Tim Grunhard hired to coach offensive line. Running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Reggie Mitchell retained from Gill's staff.

KANSAS STATE (10-2)

• No changes.

MISSOURI (7-5)

• Out: Safeties coach Barry Odom left to become defensive coordinator at Memphis. No replacement named.

OKLAHOMA (9-3)

• No changes.

OKLAHOMA STATE (11-1)

• No changes yet, but OC Todd Monken has drawn interest from several programs.

TEXAS (7-5)

• No changes, though Texas was forced to proactively shoot down rumors of Mack Brown's retirement. Defensive backs coach Duane Akina is also a candidate for the Hawaii job.

TEXAS A&M (6-6)

• Out: Fired coach Mike Sherman. Defensive coordinator/interim coach Tim DeRuyter took head-coaching job at Fresno State but will remain on staff through the bowl game. Other staff positions up for review.
• In: Hired Houston coach Kevin Sumlin. Sumlin will recruit while the other coaches prepare for the bowl game.

TEXAS TECH (5-7)

• Out: Fired DBs coach Otis Mounds and offensive line coach Matt Moore. Moved defensive line coach Sam McElroy into a non-coaching role on staff.
• In: Hired former Miami DC John Lovett to coach defensive backs and former Ole Miss defensive line coach Terry Price to coach the defensive line. No offensive line replacement named yet.

Two Big 12 jobs came open and have been filled since. Where do they rank in the scale of college football?

Analyst Brock Huard weighed in on ESPN Insider, ranking nine of the most recent hires. Urban Meyer came in at No. 1, but Texas A&M's hire of Kevin Sumlin checked in at No. 3, under the heading of "The ideal fits."

It was paramount for the program to find a coach with established recruiting contacts in Houston and the state of Texas and a charismatic figure who could attempt to infiltrate the recruiting hotbeds of the Southeast.

It would be preferred if that coach had an understanding of the culture and expectations in College Station and a track record of success.

Therefore, Sumlin's the fit. I liked the hire for the Aggies, but like I've said, he's in a difficult spot with a lot to prove. He won't be starved for motivation.

Huard ranked Kansas' hire of Charlie Weis last, at No. 9, calling it a "head-scratcher."

Mark Mangino went 50-48 in eight seasons in Lawrence and was just 23-41 in conference play. If those are the expectations for Weis, who finished 16-21 in his final three years as coach at Notre Dame, then this move is understandable. However, Weis brings a pedigree, name, Super Bowl rings and a resume of success as the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive coordinator that far exceeds mediocre standards.

This rebuilding job will take significant time. Turner Gill went the developmental route through the recruitment of high school players and the disparity in size, speed and strength on the field was pronounced in 2011. Weis will bring Kansas recognition and conversation, and Jimmy Clausen, Brady Quinn, Matt Cassel and Tom Brady can attest that he knows how to make a quarterback and an offense better.

I'm not quite as down on the Weis hire as most, even if it's pretty easy to see this becoming one that both sides regret. That said, this is a valuable second chance for Weis at a place that couldn't be more different than Notre Dame. Maybe the results are different this time around, too.

Here are a few things to keep an eye on in the bowl games involving teams from the Big 12 this season.

1. The headless Aggies. A team playing in a bowl after firing its coach is a bit of a rarity, but that's where the Aggies are as they prepare to face Northwestern on Dec. 31 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas. Defensive coordinator and interim head coach Tim DeRuyter is leaving to become the coach at Fresno State. Former coach Mike Sherman served as their offensive coordinator, too, and it'll be interesting to see what Texas A&M looks like without him. Cyrus Gray is questionable, but Northwestern's defense is a lot different than Texas'. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill should be able to win this game, but will Texas A&M look like it's playing for anything, and will it show it has fixed the second-half woes?

2. Oklahoma State on the big stage. Oklahoma State has played in a lot of big games over the past two years, but the two biggest -- Oklahoma in both years -- were played in its home stadium. The Cowboys never played in a Big 12 title setting and never played in a huge neutral-site game against a team suited to beat them. The Jan. 2 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, opposite Stanford, will be all new for the Cowboys. Will the team look the same after a week unlike anything it has experienced before?

3. Sooners stopping a swoon? Oklahoma finished the season with two losses in its final three games and now will be without Jaz Reynolds in the Dec. 30 Insight Bowl against Iowa. Landry Jones will be missing his No. 1 and No. 3 receivers, and the Hawkeyes' offense will take on a defense that struggled late in the year against Baylor and Oklahoma State. Iowa is closer to Iowa State -- Oklahoma's only victory in the final three games -- but the Sooners had better show up in this one, or this season will get even more forgettable.

4. A finale for RG3? At Baylor, 2011 has been unforgettable. The Bears already have nine wins, a third-place finish in the Big 12 and the school's first Heisman winner. Quarterback Robert Griffin III has become must-see TV, but the Valero Alamo Bowl against Washington on Dec. 29 might be the last time we see him in green and gold. There's no guarantee on either side, but what's Griffin got in store for the finale?

5. Did the Longhorns learn? Texas lamented its holidays at home last year, with players saying they never wanted to experience the feeling again. Several said they couldn't even watch the bowls. Well, the Longhorns are back. How much will they relish the Dec. 28 Holiday Bowl meeting with Cal? Texas should be back to health by then, and a big win in this game might produce big results next fall for a young offense that needs good vibes heading into the offseason.

Both Big 12 coaching vacancies have been filled. Charlie Weis replaced Turner Gill at Kansas and Kevin Sumlin replaced Mike Sherman at Texas A&M.

There's still a few coaching openings, though, and colleague Gene Wojciechowski, in a cool column, pieces together the perfect coach made up of his favorite traits from coaches around the country.

A few Big 12 gems:

The perfect coach loves to win, but like Oklahoma's Bob Stoops, doesn't put winning above his values or sense of perspective.

And [has] the calm, reassuring presence of Kansas State's Bill Snyder.

The perfect coach has the ego of Kansas' Weis.

The perfect coach, such as Baylor's Art Briles, rebuilds patiently.

The perfect coach doesn't distance himself from a school's traditions, but instead, like Mack Brown did at Texas, gives them a huge bear hug.

The perfect coach knows you have to be willing to fail in order to succeed, which explains all those calculated risks Texas Tech's Tommy Tuberville has taken with the game on the line.

The perfect coach answers an honest question the same way Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy answered them this season: honestly, and from the heart.

The perfect coach can win on the road like Texas' Brown (of coaches with 35 or more road games, Brown has the best winning percentage and is 43-8).

The perfect coach remembers where he came from, like Iowa State's Paul Rhoads.

The perfect coach … doesn't exist. And never will.

What else does the perfect coach do?

The perfect coach earnestly cares about his players as men and people, not just as football players, like Gill did.

The perfect coach, like Sherman, never lets his team forget its potential, no matter what its record says.

The perfect coach isn't afraid to cry in front of anyone, like Rhoads.

The perfect coach mans up when he makes a mistake, no matter how embarassing, like Gary Pinkel.

The perfect coach "never misses an opportunity to promote his program," as Tuberville often says.

The perfect coach is subtly funny and keeps everyone but his team guessing about his intentions, like Snyder.

What else does a perfect coach do?

New Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin isn't being shy about the challenges ahead in his first major-conference coaching job.

He'll be doing it in college football's toughest division (RIP, Big 12 South, and the "arguably" that its death removed from that title), the SEC West.

"I didn't come here to do anything but win," he said.

Sumlin will be paid $2 million per year for the duration of his five-year contract, athletic director Bill Byrne said. It has yet to be approved by the university regents.

Vanderbilt's James Franklin's salary information was not made public by USA Today recently, but Sumlin will be paid more than only Kentucky's Joker Phillips in the new 14-team SEC.

Sumlin replaces Mike Sherman, who went 6-6 in 2011, his fourth season.

More on Sumlin's introduction here.

I'll have a few more thoughts on the introductory news conference later.