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This is a history-making post for me, my 4,000th over the past 18 months.

When you figure roughly 500 words per post -- give or take a few extra during the season -- that's more than 2 million words that have been churned out about the Big 12.

I feel like we should celebrate -- with a few lunch links.

So how about these?

• Texas and Texas A&M will be among 60 universities audited by the Internal Revenue Service as it focuses on executive compensation practices and income unrelated to the university’s educational mission, the Austin American Statesman’s Ralph K.M. Haurwitz reports. Something tells me that Mack Brown's and Mike Sherman’s whopping salaries could receive some close scrutiny.
• Ruffin McNeill and Kevin Wilson have emerged among the favorites as potential head coaches at East Carolina University, Nathan Summers of the Greenville (N.C.) Daily Reflector reports.
• The Lincoln Journal-Star’s Steve Sipple writes that Bo Pelini's equity building in the Nebraska program is a contrast to many other coaches across the country.
• Anthony Gimino of the Tucson Citizen reports that Arizona coach Mike Stoops could be targeting Josh Heupel as his new offensive coordinator after Sonny Dykes’ departure for the Louisiana Tech head coaching job.
• Former Colorado tight end and assistant coach Jon Embree has joined Mike Shanahan’s staff with the Washington Redskins, the Boulder Camera’s Kyle Ringo reports.
• The Bryan Eagle reports that the hiring of Tim DeRuyter is expected to be approved by the Texas A&M Board of Regents during their meeting on Thursday.
• Joe Pawelek has shown strong physical work but has struggled changing directions in early East-West Shrine game practices, according to the Sporting News’ Russ Lande.
• New Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen says that Mike Gundy hired him because he wants to do a better job of managing the game, the Oklahoman’s Brandon Chatmon reports.
• The Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Ken Youngblood reports that Oklahoma State offensive assistant Gunter Brewer is on Tim Brewster’s short list for the vacant offensive coordinator position at Minnesota.
• The Big Red Network’s Steve Hanway wonders why Tommy Tuberville chose to employ a 3-4 defense at Texas Tech.
• SI.com’s Stewart Mandel gives the hiring of Turner Gill an A and Tuberville a B in his report card of coaching hires.
• The recent departure of top prospects like Geneo Grissom and Blake Bell signal a talent drain of top players leaving the state of Kansas, the Hutchinson News' Pat Sangimino opines.

It was the best of times and worst of times for the Big 12 during the bowl games -- at least as far as television ratings went.

The Big 12 had the bowl with the highest television rating and also the lowest rating, according to information compiled by the Sports Business Daily.

Here's a look at how the Big 12's bowls fared, according to a chart compiled by the Birmingham News.

• The Citi BCS National Championship Game between Texas and Alabama on ABC garnered a 17.2 ranking -- the top ratings of any bowl and up 9 percent from last season.
• The controversial firing of Mike Leach helped the Valero Alamo Bowl game between Texas Tech and Michigan State earn the second-highest ranking for the conference and the highest by any bowl shown on ESPN in history. The game earned a 4.8 rating, up 23 percent from last season.
• The AT&T Cotton Bowl ranked ninth among all bowls and third among Big 12 games. The Oklahoma State-Mississippi game earned a 4.5 rating, up 2 percent from last season.
• The Pacific Life Holiday Bowl between Nebraska and Arizona checked in at 15th place and fourth among Big 12 games. The game earned a 3.7 rating, down 5 percent from last season.
• The Brut Sun Bowl was in 17th place and fifth among Big 12 games. The Stanford-Oklahoma game earned a 3.3 rating, up 50 percent from last season.
• The Texas Bowl was in 23rd place and sixth among Big 12 games. The Missouri-Navy game earned a 2.1 rating during its first time on ESPN, up 2,000 percent from the ratings last season on the NFL Network.
• The AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl was in 25th place and seventh among Big 12 bowl games. The Texas A&M-Georgia game earned a 2.0 rating, up 150 percent from last season.
• The Insight Bowl between was in 34th place and eight among Big 12 bowl games. The Iowa State-Minnesota game carried by the NFL Network earned an 0.4 rating, unchanged from last season.

Here's my final look at the Big 12 power rankings for this season.

1. Texas: Longhorn fans will always remember Colt McCoy’s injury in the national championship game and what could have been. Texas overcame every challenge during the regular season, but came up lacking without its leader in the biggest game of the year. The way the Alabama game played out will always haunt Texas fans. If they could have ever grabbed a touchdown lead or more over Alabama, was there any real indication that Alabama could have won with Greg McElroy and the Crimson Tide’s leaky offensive line? But it went the other way and the Longhorns were ground into submission by Alabama’s potent rushing attack to put a disappointing capper on an otherwise memorable season.

2. Nebraska: The Cornhuskers finished 10-4 and were only five or six plays removed from winning three of those games -- losses to Texas, Iowa State and Virginia Tech. If that had happened, it’s not out of the realm of possibility the Cornhuskers could have finished in the top five or six teams nationally. But the convincing victory over Arizona, especially with the unexpected offensive firepower, should build confidence and embolden Bo Pelini and his team for bigger and better things next season.

3. Texas Tech: A roller-coaster season finished with Mike Leach and Ruffin McNeill looking for work despite an impressive 9-4 record where the Red Raiders overachieved to a Top 25 finish. Tommy Tuberville’s arrival will bring changes, but Tech returns with a strong nucleus starting of quarterbacks Taylor Potts and Steven Sheffield and running back Baron Batch. If Tuberville can get the Red Raiders up and running quickly, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that his new team could challenge Texas and Oklahoma next season. But it will be tough as he tries to change the culture of the most memorable era of Tech football.

4. Oklahoma: A fast finish took some of the sting out of Bob Stoops’ most disappointing recent season. The Sooners’ hopes of a Big 12 four-peat were doomed as soon as Sam Bradford was lost for the season. And Jermaine Gresham’s injury before the season changed the way Kevin Wilson’s offense could operate. But at the end of the season, Landry Jones showed enough promise to give him a foothold for the starting position next season. The defense developed some young playmakers like David King and Demontre Hurst who showed promise in the bowl game for future growth. The Sooners will be back challenging for the Big 12 title next season if those players build on their late-season efforts.

5. Oklahoma State: All of the promise at the start of the season unraveled with a disappointing string of injuries and suspensions. And even with all of those struggles, the Cowboys still had a chance to play in a Bowl Championship Series game if they had beaten Oklahoma. Losses in the last two games of the season left a bad taste for what could have been Mike Gundy’s breakout season. The defense played much better than expected under new coordinator Bill Young, but the offense didn’t live up to the promise -- especially when Zac Robinson was hurt and his offensive weapons were stripped away. All things considered, a 9-4 record with everything the Cowboys overcame this season was better than could be expected.

6. Missouri: As well as the Tigers played at times during the season, their season was marked by their fourth-quarter home collapse against Nebraska and their confounding Texas Bowl upset loss to Navy. Truthfully, it was expected to be a rebuilding year after losing Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin and Co., but some of that was lost after a four-game winning streak to start the season. Blaine Gabbert surpassed expectations and is in line to become the conference’s best quarterback over the next couple of years. And Danario Alexander was the best receiver in the nation over the second half of the season. Defensive woes hurt them, but Gabbert’s return and some young defensive talent should have the Tigers pointed to improvement next season and maybe a challenge at the North title.

7. Iowa State: Was there a better moment in the 2009 Big 12 season than Paul Rhoads’ emotional response to his team’s upset victory over Nebraska which became a YouTube staple? Rhoads’ first season far surpassed expectations with a 7-6 record, the Insight Bowl victory over Minnesota and all of the other surprising accomplishments. Alexander Robinson was the most underrated player in the Big 12 and the gritty Iowa State defense played just like you would expect from a Rhoads-coached team. It won’t be easy for them to duplicate next year as they switch to the Texas-Texas Tech-Oklahoma gauntlet of South Division opponents. But it was a nice first step for Rhoads in building his program.

8. Kansas State: The Wildcats missed out on a bowl trip because of playing too many creampuffs during the nonconference season, but Bill Snyder’s first season was better than expected. The Wildcats received huge contributions from Grant Gregory and Daniel Thomas, who both arrived before summer practice with no real expectations coming into the season. Thomas developed into one of the conference’s best backs and should return for more next season. If Oregon transfer Chris Harper can develop into a playmaker at either quarterback or wide receiver and the defense comes together, the Wildcats might be a threat to make a bowl appearance in 2010.

9. Texas A&M: For all of their offensive weapons, the Aggies’ defense and special teams were the primary culprits in a 6-7 season capped by a disappointing Independence Bowl loss to Georgia. Jerrod Johnson posted the top statistical numbers ever produced by an A&M quarterback and he’s surrounded by a bevy of strong offensive weapons. But Mike Sherman’s new coordinator is going to need to produce more improvement from a young defense if the Aggies have any hopes of contending in the South Division next season and beyond.

10. Kansas: The Jayhawks’ leaky defense did it with mirrors against a weak early schedule, but it all caught up with them during a seven-game losing streak to close the season that precipitated Mark Mangino’s resignation. Todd Reesing, Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe all finished careers that will go down among the top players in Kansas history. But the challenge for new coach Turner Gill and defensive coordinator Carl Torbush will be to rebuild a defense that allowed at least 31 points in seven of eight conference games.

11. Colorado: Dan Hawkins popped off about challenging for a Big 12 North title at the end of last season. Instead, his team’s struggling performance ended his hopes of “10 wins and no excuses” before conference play even began. The season started off badly with embarrassing nationally televised losses to Colorado State, Toledo and West Virginia and didn’t get much better once conference play began. The Buffaloes did start Kansas’ losing streak and beat Texas A&M, but sputtered offensively as they ranked in the bottom 10 teams in rushing, passing efficiency and sacks allowed and in the bottom 20 teams in total offense. Tyler Hansen emerged as the quarterback of the future. His development will be critical in Hawkins’ hopes at a contract extension.

12. Baylor: The Bears started the season with a confidence-building upset at Wake Forest, but their season for all intents and purposes ended as soon as Robert Griffin sustained a season-ending injury in the third game. Griffin should be back next season but key defensive players like Joe Pawelek and Jordan Lake won’t be. The quarterback's return will be critical in rebuilding offensive confidence that was booming heading into the season. The Bears might have the opportunity to snap the conference's longest bowl drought next season in a more balanced Big 12 South, but the key for the season will be developing a defense that can better challenge the South Division’s powers.

After watching all of the Big 12's bowl games, I came away with a clearer picture of the conference and it's relative position in college football.

Here are some specific observations I gleaned after watching the conference's bowl games.

• Garrett Gilbert looks like a keeper at quarterback. Although the national championship game was a difficult learning laboratory, the freshman Texas quarterback showed the kind of flashes that helped make him last season's most heralded quarterback recruit. Gilbert will still be learning as he goes into his sophomore season, but appeared to have confidence in throwing the ball downfield against the tough Alabama secondary as the game progressed. That success was the major reason the Longhorns were able to improbably climb back into the game against the Crimson Tide. With speedsters Malcolm Williams, Marquise Goodwin and D.J. Monroe back for next season, expect the Longhorns to employ a more vertical passing game with Gilbert in charge than the short-passing game that was favored with Colt McCoy during his career.
• Texas Tech's quarterback battle in 2010 will be the most interesting in the conference. Taylor Potts and Steven Sheffield both were productive in the Red Raiders' Valero Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan State. Potts claimed the Valero Alamo Bowl's most valuable offensive player honors and Sheffield directed the Red Raiders' comeback over the Spartans. But both quarterbacks will come in even with new coach Tommy Tuberville and a new offensive coordinator taking over. The job is there for the taking for either one of them.
• Iowa State's surprising success likely will be short lived. The Big 12's feel-good story of the season was capped with Iowa State's victory over Minnesota in the Insight Bowl. Paul Rhoads' victory should resonate for the ISU program for the next several months. And the way it finished couldn't have been more fitting as cornerback Ter'ran Benton, who missed most of the season with a broken leg, iced the victory by recovering a Minnesota fumble in the final minutes. But as sweet as the bowl victory might have been for ISU fans, a significantly more difficult schedule looms next season. They better enjoy the spoils of a bowl victory while they can with Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Utah and Northern Illinois looming on the 2010 schedule.
• Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson had the best bowl game of anybody around the Nebraska program. And he needed it. Complaints about Watson's offensive philosophy were growing after the Cornhuskers' offense limped toward the finish line at the end of the regular season. Watson utilized the time off before the Holiday Bowl to help rebuild Zac Lee's confidence, find a way to get Niles Paul involved and utilize a Wildcat attack with Rex Burkhead running the ball. All worked masterfully in the Cornhuskers' 33-0 victory over Arizona in their top offensive performance of the season. That production should help turn around public perception about Watson's offense and catapult the Cornhuskers into spring practice with some badly needed offensive confidence.
• Missouri's refusal to run the ball against Navy was the biggest shock in the Texas Bowl. The Tigers had all kinds of chances to take control of the game, utilizing their superior size in the trenches against Navy's undersized read-and-react defense. And they still didn't do it in a stunning 35-13 loss to the Midshipmen. Even as Navy defensive coordinator Buddy Green used a two-man defensive front, Missouri offensive coordinator David Yost stubbornly tried to keep throwing the ball. Missouri's running backs only ended up with 16 carries in the game. It was understandable that Yost thought the Tigers could keep passing with Blaine Gabbert and Danario Alexander. But a little balance would have kept the game from getting away from them.

It was a forgettable bowl season for much of the Big 12.

But there were still enough top producers to fill out a team of top performers from the conference's 4-4 bowl season.

Here's a look at my top performers:

OFFENSE

QB Landry Jones, Oklahoma: Passed for career-best 418 yards and added three passing TDs to direct Sooners’ Sun Bowl victory over Stanford.

RB Alexander Robinson, Iowa State: Rushed for 137 yards -- his sixth 100-yard game of the season -- to pace Cyclones’ victory over Minnesota in the Insight Bowl.

RB Baron Batch, Texas Tech: Rushed for 100 yards, scored two TDs and produced six receptions for 85 yards in Red Raiders’ comeback victory in the Alamo Bowl over Michigan State.

WR Jordan Shipley, Texas: Overcame slow start to produce 10 catches for 122 yards and two TDs against Alabama, becoming Texas’ leading career receiver.

WR Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma: Produced career-best totals of 13 receptions, 156 receiving yards and also matched career high with three TD receptions to help beat Stanford in the Sun Bowl.

TE Trent Ratterree, Oklahoma: Grabbed three receptions for 86 yards, including pivotal 38-yard catch that was Jones’ longest pass of game in Sun Bowl victory over Stanford.

OL Ricky Henry, Nebraska: Helped Cornhuskers dominate in the trenches in biggest Cornhuskers' bowl victory since 2000.

OL Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State: Dominant effort helped Cyclones claim first bowl victory since 2004 and only third bowl victory in school history.

OL Jacob Hickman, Nebraska: Cornhuskers’ center set the tone for easy victory over Arizona.

OL Brandon Carter, Texas Tech: Colorful lineman helped Tech roll up school bowl-record 31 first downs, 579 total yards against Michigan State.

OL Trent Williams, Oklahoma: All-American moved from tackle to center and didn’t miss a beat in the Sooners’ Sun Bowl triumph.

DEFENSE

DL Sergio Kindle, Texas: Had his best game of the season with eight tackles, 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for losses against Alabama.

DL Pierre Allen, Nebraska: Set the tone for Nebraska’s pass rush with two sacks, four tackles, forced a fumble and notched a quarterback hurry in the Cornhuskers’ shutout over Arizona -- first for a Big 12 team in a bowl game in conference history.

DL Christopher Lyle, Iowa State: Insight Bowl defensive MVP produced five tackles, including two for losses and one sack to lead Cyclones’ victory over Minnesota.

DL Rajon Henley, Texas Tech: Four tackles, four quarterback hurries, one sack against Michigan State.

LB Phillip Dillard, Nebraska: Produced team-high seven stops, broke up one pass in Cornhuskers’ shutout over Arizona.

LB Ryan Reynolds, Oklahoma: Produced 12 tackles (three solo, nine assists), two quarterback hurries and one tackle for loss against Stanford.

LB Andre Sexton, Oklahoma State: Produced 10 tackles, two interceptions and one tackle for a loss in Cotton Bowl loss to Mississippi.

DB Matt O’Hanlon, Nebraska: Earned Holiday Bowl defensive MVP honors with five stops, a 37-yard interception and a pass broken up against Arizona.

DB Ter’ran Benton, Iowa State: In his first game back after recovering from mid-season broken leg, notched five tackles and game-clinching fumble recovery in Cyclones’ Insight Bowl victory over Minnesota.

DB Jamar Wall, Texas Tech: Produced six tackles, broke up two passes and one interception against Michigan State.

DB Quinton Carter, Oklahoma: Notched eight stops (five tackles, three assists) and added an interception in Sun Bowl victory over Stanford.

SPECIALISTS

P Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State: Averaged 50.2 yards per punt on his eight punts, including four punts inside 20 in Cotton Bowl.

K Alex Henery, Nebraska: Converted all four field goals of 47, 50, 43 and 22 yards to set the Holiday Bowl record. His big night gave him a Nebraska single-season record of 24 for the season.

RET Niles Paul, Nebraska: The Holiday Bowl offensive MVP amassed 94 yards in returns, including a 49-yard kickoff return and a 28-yard punt return. He also added four catches for 123 yards, including a clinching 74-yard TD grab from Zac Lee.

Here a look back at some of the highs and lows of the Big 12's bowl games.

Best game: In the grand scheme of things, Iowa State’s 14-13 triumph over Minnesota in the Insight Bowl was a matchup of two 6-6 teams. But the Cyclones’ pulsating victory still provided much excitement for the Cyclones. Alexander Robinson rushed for 137 yards in the victory that was settled by a late fumble recovery by ISU cornerback Ter’ran Benton, who was playing in his first game since breaking his leg on Oct. 24. Benton pounced on the turnover by Minnesota’s MarQueis Gray and the ISU did the rest with a clock-killing drive that provided an unexpected bowl victory for coach Paul Rhoads. Yes, that’s the same team that was expected to struggle to stay out of the North Division cellar before the season.

Best relief performance: Texas Tech starting quarterback Taylor Potts had a strong game in the Valero Alamo Bowl, but the Red Raiders needed a spark as they trailed Michigan State 31-27 early in the fourth quarter. Backup quarterback Steven Sheffield responded by completing his first six passes after relieving Potts, driving for two touchdowns to claim the victory. Potts earned the game’s most valuable player honors, but Sheffield finished by completing 9-for-11 passes for 88 yards as he directed the comeback.

Best use of bowl practice: Nebraska’s maligned offense showed some unexpected punch against Arizona in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl. Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson took advantage of bowl preparations to rebuild quarterback Zac Lee’s confidence and incorporate freshman Rex Burkhead into the Wildcat formation. The result was a 33-0 victory over the Wildcats with 223 yards of rushing -- most for the Cornhuskers since the first game of the season.

Best bow to youth: Injuries forced Oklahoma to employ freshmen defenders including defensive linemen David King, defensive tackle Jamarkus McFarland and cornerback Demontre Hurst against Stanford in the Brut Sun Bowl. The trio came up big throughout the game to spark the Sooners’ 31-27 victory over the Cardinal. “The future’s bright,” Oklahoma defensive ends coach Chris Wilson understated to the Oklahoman after the game.

Most significant injury: Texas moved the ball smartly against Alabama, gaining 26 yards on five plays with Colt McCoy in charge. But McCoy went down with nerve damage to his right shoulder, the Longhorns’ offense unraveled during the rest of the half with backup Garrett Gilbert at quarterback. Alabama took advantage to charge a 24-6 halftime and take control of the Citi BCS National Championship Game.

Worst reaction to a defensive formation: Navy defensive coordinator Buddy Green dared Missouri to run the ball by using an alignment with two down linemen. Even with Derrick Washington in the backfield, the Tigers could produce only 65 yards rushing as they repeatedly passed and sputtered in a 35-13 loss to the Midshipmen.

Worst finish: Mississippi’s defense took over down the stretch, forcing turnovers on the Cowboys’ final six turnovers. Zac Robinson’s offense contributed four interceptions and his team lost two fumbles as the Rebels claimed a 21-7 victory over Oklahoma State in the AT&T Cotton Bowl.

Worst play call: Texas could have gone to halftime trailing by only 11 points. But Texas coach Mack Brown elected to have Garrett Gilbert attempt a seemingly safe shovel pass to D.J. Monroe. The ball was batted around and finally ended up in the arms of Alabama defensive lineman Marcell Dareus, who then stiff-armed Gilbert to the ground and pirouetted around Kyle Hix en route to a 28-yard touchdown return.

Worst officiating call: With about nine minutes remaining in a tie game, Oklahoma State had the ball on the Ole Miss 19-yard line and appeared poised to claim the lead. Ole Miss defensive tackle Jerrell Powe looked to have obviously jumped offsides on a snap as he charged past center Andrew Lewis before the snap was completed. Feeling that he had a free play, Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson threw to the end zone, where he was intercepted by Ole Miss free safety Kendrick Lewis in the end zone. Robinson begged to have the call overturned, but the officials didn’t do it. The Cowboys unraveled from that point in the game.

Worst special teams: Texas A&M’s struggles on special teams were the biggest reason the Aggies dropped a 44-20 loss to Georgia in the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl. The Bulldogs blocked a field-goal attempt, returned a kick for a touchdown and blocked a punt in the first half. The Aggies capped the debacle by snapping the ball over A&M punter Ryan Epperson's head in the third quarter, leading to another Georgia touchdown. The special-teams meltdown was the major reason the Aggies dropped their 11th game in their last 13 bowl games.

There’s really no way to sugarcoat it. The 2009 season was a disappointment in the Big 12.

The bowl season only added to those miseries.

The conference finished 4-4 in its bowl games, but lost in the BCS title game for the second straight season as Texas fell to Alabama. Colt McCoy’s injury may have left an asterisk on that defeat in the minds of most Longhorn fans and even for Barack Obama, but it’s a loss nonetheless.

McCoy’s injury was the capper in a jinxed season for the Big 12 that included season-ending injuries to Sam Bradford and Robert Griffin, a season-ending NCAA suspension to Dez Bryant and season-long injury struggles for 2008 leading rusher Kendall Hunter.

The final Associated Press rankings underscored that sentiment. The Big 12 finished with only three teams ranked among the top 25, the fewest since a record-low two teams were ranked at the end of the 2006 season. Texas finished at No. 2, Nebraska was No. 14 and Texas Tech was No. 21.

Most notably, the Big 12 lost all three bowl games against the Southeastern Conference. The nation’s baddest conference bullied the Big 12 again, stretching its record in bowl games against the Big 12 to 12-3 since 2003. Convincing victories by Alabama over Texas in the BCS title game, Mississippi over Oklahoma State in the AT&T Cotton Bowl and Georgia over Texas A&M in the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl came by an average of 18 points per game.

Missouri was flummoxed by Navy’s triple-option offense in a humbling 35-13 Texas Bowl loss where it appeared the Tigers’ coaches had little inkling for making in-game adjustments.

Despite a victory over Stanford in the Brut Sun Bowl, Oklahoma finished the season out of the top 25 for the first time since Bob Stoops’ first season in 1999. The Sooners finished 2009 with five losses, most since Stoops’ first season.

Texas Tech overcame a suspension-depleted Michigan State team in the Valero Alamo Bowl in a game that was overshadowed by Mike Leach’s firing three days before kickoff.

Oklahoma State skidded out of the top 25 after starting the season at ninth in the preseason Associated Press poll.

The Big 12’s two most impressive bowl victories came with upset triumphs from North Division teams. Nebraska stymied Arizona with a vintage defensive performance in Ndamukong Suh’s final game in a 33-0 victory over Arizona. And Iowa State punctuated the conference’s feel-good story of the season as Paul Rhoads’ team produced an emotional 14-13 triumph over Minnesota.

But conquests like those were too few and far between for the Big 12 in a season to forget for the conference’s power elite.

You might see Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster tonight at the Rose Bowl.

He'll be sitting in a section with the other parents of Texas players. He's trading in his maroon and gold and will be decked out in burnt orange.

For one night, Brewster isn't a major college head coach. He's a dad. And when his son Nolan, a reserve safety who backs up both Longhorns starters, takes the field with his Texas teammates for the BCS national title game, Brewster will feel the same mixture of pride and anxiety as the other parents.

"It's very cool to be at a game and not be so wired into the coaching aspects of it, but just be a dad," Brewster said earlier this week from Philadelphia, where he was recruiting for the Gophers. "That's what I try to be when I go watch Nolan play or any of my other boys. You're a dad, and you're a proud dad.

"To have a son playing for the national championship ... it's as good as it gets."

All three of Brewster's sons -- Eric, Clint and Nolan -- are former or current college football players. Eric played wide receiver at Northern Arizona, Clint started off playing quarterback at Minnesota before transferring to Tennessee Tech. Nolan, a mainstay on special teams, has appeared in every game his first two seasons at Texas, where his father worked as an assistant from 1998 to 2001.

Tim has seen Nolan play twice, last season against Missouri and this year in the Big 12 title game against Nebraska. But the Gophers' coach receives every Texas game tape and reviews it with his son.

"The deal is, Nolan asks me what I think," Brewster said. "That's the way we've always done it. I never forced football on my guys. Nolan was always a competitive young kid. He's always looking to improve [and asks] 'Dad, what did you see here? What did you see there?' And not just on defense, but in the kicking game."

Brewster loves watching Nolan play, but when the ball is kicked off, he locks into the action on the field. He reviews a play and wonders what he would do in the same situation.

A bit of friendly advice: Don't approach him during the game.

"I'm very quiet," Brewster said. "I don't like to be talked to. If I could watch it by myself, I'd watch it by myself. Every play my son's on the field, I play the play with him. I want to help him make the play. That's the way it's always been for me. I'm totally invested."

At least until the game ends.

Brewster will spend Friday recruiting for Minnesota in the Los Angeles area.

"I'll come out of the game," he said, "and I'll make sure I get my Minnesota shirt back on."

No games today, but do we have some links for you.

Read these to keep your mind on Big 12 football while everybody else hogs the New Year's Day spotlight.

• Texas Tech inside receivers coach Lincoln Riley was a high school quarterback at Muleshoe, Texas, during Mike Leach’s first two seasons at the school. Now, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams reports, Riley will be calling the team’s plays Saturday night in the Valero Alamo Bowl against Michigan State.
• Austen Arnaud credited Iowa State’s defense for coming together to provide the Cyclones’ Insight Bowl victory over Minnesota, Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register reports. And the Register’s Sean Keeler opines that the Cyclones’ victory won’t earn many style points, but who’s complaining?
• Oklahoma’s first bowl victory since 2005 was an emotional statement for the Sooners, the Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel reports.
• Gary Pinkel tells the Kansas City Star’s Mike DeArmond that Missouri’s 35-13 thumping at the hands of Navy was the worst bowl-game performance in his head-coaching career. And the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Bernie Miklasz details five reasons why the Midshipmen unexpectedly dominated the Tigers in the Texas Bowl.
• It was fitting that El Paso was the site of Landry Jones’ record-setting bowl passing performance for Oklahoma, according to the Tulsa World’s Dave Sittler.
• ESPN.com’s Ivan Maisel predicts that Oklahoma will return to the top 10 next season.
• Richmond defensive coordinator and former Baylor coach Vic Shealy will join Turner Gill’s staff at Kansas, Dugan Arnett of the Lawrence Journal-World reports.
• Brian Hamilton of Chicago Breaking Sports.com reports that former Kansas offensive coordinator Ed Warriner will join Brian Kelly’s staff at Notre Dame as an offensive line coach.
• The Associated Press’ Alan Scher Zagier reports that athletes including football players were 10 times as likely to get special admission exemptions at Baylor, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma than the general student population.
• The Tulsa World’s Bill Haisten writes about the personnel challenges that Zac Robinson has overcome to take Oklahoma State to a 9-3 record this season.
• The Birmingham News’ Kevin Scarbinsky thinks that Auburn made an astute move in avoiding Mike Leach.
• The Valero Alamo Bowl might be better suited for Court TV, according to the Detroit Free Press' Michael Rosenberg.

Iowa State pushed the Big 12's bowl record to 3-2 with an upset victory over Minnesota in the Insight Bowl.

Here's how the Cyclones pulled off the victory.

How the game was won: Minnesota was driving for a winning score when quarterback MarQueis Gray fumbled at the Iowa State 20. Cornerback Ter’ran Benton made the recovery to kill the Gophers’ final possession with 4:03 left in the game.

It’s notable: ISU’s victory snapped a 21-game winless streak against Minnesota. It was ISU’s first victory over the Gophers since notching a 6-0 triumph over the Gophers on Oct. 22, 1898.

Turning point: After struggling offensively through the beginning of the game, the Cyclones scored touchdowns on back-to-back possessions late in the first half to account for all of their scoring. ISU went 71 yards on 10 plays on the first touchdown and executed offensive coordinator Tom Herman’s no-huddle offense to perfection on the following drive. Austen Arnaud completed all four passes on that 89-yard drive drive, capping it with a 38-yard strike to Jake Williams that boosted them to a 14-3 halftime advantage.

Player of the game: ISU running back Alexander Robinson dominated with a game-high 137 rushing yards and a key 26-yard reception that helped tilt field position in the fourth quarter.

Stat of the game: 168:51. The amount of time between offensive touchdowns for Minnesota. Nick Tow-Arnett’s 23-yard touchdown pass from Adam Weber in the third quarter snapped a touchdown drought for the Gophers’ offense that dated to their game against Illinois on Nov. 7 - a stretch of more than 11 quarters.

Best call: Despite some earlier struggles, Arnaud’s 38-yard TD strike to Williams gave the Cyclones a comfortable halftime lead they were able to barely maintain for the rest of the game.

What it means: The 7-6 Cyclones finished a remarkable turnaround in Coach Paul Rhoads’ first season, improving by five games over their 2-10 record last season. It enabled them to finish with a winning record for the first time since 2005 as they claimed only the third bowl victory in the 118-season history of the program. And while 2009 made the Cyclones one of the biggest surprises in the Big 12, Rhoads will be hard-pressed to duplicate this season’s surprising success. The Cyclones schedule will become much harder next year with Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Northern Illinois and Utah added to the schedule. It will be a huge challenge for the Cyclones to duplicate their first-season success with Rhoads.

It might not be the most attractive of bowl matchups as 6-6 Iowa State hooks up with 6-6 Minnesota in the Insight Bowl.

But the game should prove interesting as the enthusiastic Cyclones play in their first bowl game since 2005.

Here’s how the game should shake out.

WHO TO WATCH: Alexander Robinson, RB, Iowa State

If the Cyclones are going to be successful in their bowl game, their running game will be the key reason. And Robinson is the key weapon after rushing for 1,000 yards for the first time in his career as he finished with 1,058 yards to rank third in the Big 12. He rushed for three 100-yard games in non-conference play a career-high 152 yards against Kansas. His running will be critical in the Cyclones’ upset hopes, as well as setting up the Cyclones’ play-action passing attack with quarterback Austen Arnaud.

WHAT TO WATCH: Will the Cyclones be as enthusiastic to play as their fans are to watch?

Considering the snow that has socked the Midwest over the last week, it’s understandable why Iowa State fans would consider their trip to the Insight Bowl as manna from heaven. ISU’s fan support helped sway bowl organizers to offer them the bowl over a team like Missouri that had a better record and a head-to-head victory over the Cyclones. Iowa State should be similarly stoked for the game and a chance to finish the season with an improbable winning record in Coach Paul Rhoads’ first season.

WHY TO WATCH: A rare matchup between two old rivals

Minnesota and Iowa State once played fairly often, meeting 20 times during a 21-season period from 1895-1915. The two teams met when iconic Iowa State running back Jack Trice was mortally injured in a 1923 game in Minneapolis. After that game, the two teams have met only four times in the ensuing seasons. The Gophers have dominated the series, claiming a 20-0-1 edge with Iowa State’s last victory in the series coming in 1898. Despite that past history, Wednesday’s game should be entertaining between two evenly matched teams.

PREDICTION: This game might be decided on what team is more excited to be at Sun Devil Stadium. Iowa State is making its first trip to a bowl game since 2005. And Minnesota is making its third trip to the Insight Bowl in four seasons. It could be worse --the Gophers could be playing at the Motor City Bowl. But the Insight Bowl appears to have become a destination for Minnesota in late December, not exactly a strong show of growth for a developing program. Look for the Cyclones to be more enthusiastic to be here, which might boost them to an upset. Iowa State 27, Minnesota 24.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Kansas senior linebacker Arist Wright and senior safety Darrell Stuckey have seen the development of the Jayhawks' football program from the beginning.

Both players redshirted as freshmen during the 2005 season when coach Mark Mangino culminated the season with a victory over Houston in the Fort Worth Bowl.

Before that time, attention on the Kansas football program was almost non-existent, the players said.

"I'd go out to the malls and shops and not see any apparel or gear anywhere," Wright said. "It was all basketball, all the time. People used to see us and think we were on the basketball team."

But after winning three bowl games in the past four years and making the first back-to-back bowl appearances in the 119-year history of the program, the change in attention on the Kansas football program is striking to Stuckey.

"Before, you'd never see a Kansas football jersey anywhere, unless it was game day in Lawrence," Stuckey said. "But that's changing."

The most visible sign of Kansas' football support was when Stuckey attended several Kansas men's basketball games after the Jayhawks' Insight Bowl victory over Minnesota last season. 

"Now people are coming up to us and telling us how excited they are in the football team and how they wish the season was starting," Stuckey said. "It's been great to be a part of all that."

While football might never overstep basketball at Kansas -- it is, after all, the birthplace of the game -- Mangino's program has carved out some impressive growth in recent seasons.

Excitement in the program has arguably never been higher than the upcoming season, when 14 returning starters have helped make the Jayhawks a fashionable pick to contend for their first Big 12 North title.

Seeing the program and comparing it to where it was when he arrived at Kansas has been one of the most rewarding parts of Stuckey's college career.

"It was a little weird talking about football around here in March. But we can only make it more balanced by adding another top sport here," Stuckey said. "To be here and be a part of witnessing the growth of the football program has really been something to be proud to be a part of."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Busy today with all kinds of interviews, including more later this afternoon at Texas A&M.

But would I forget your lunchtime links?

Not a chance.

• Texas safety Blake Gideon tells USA Today's Steve Wieberg that he's using last season's critical dropped interception against Texas Tech as motivation to prepare him for 2009.
• Iowa State wide receiver Darius Darks could miss the Cyclones' Sept. 3 opener against North Dakota State as he recovers from a hamstring injury, the Des Moines Register's Randy Peterson reports. Darks set an ISU freshman record for receptions last season.
• Lawrence Journal-World columnist Tom Keegan writes about the early production of Kansas freshman linebacker Huldon Tharp.
• Nebraska tight ends coach Ron Brown tells the Lincoln Journal-Star's Steve Sipple he's excited about the Cornhuskers' wealth of talent at the position.
• The Topeka Capital-Journal's Austin Meek writes about how fatherhood has matured former Minnesota transfer and current Kansas State walk-on wide receiver Broderick Smith.
• Even six likely starting sophomores and another freshman hasn't dampened the enthusiasm for veteran Texas A&M coordinator Joe Kines, the San Antonio Express-News/Houston Chronicle's Brent Zwerneman reports.
• The Daily Nebraskan's Kris Knowlton ranks the Big 12 coaches from worst to first.
• College Football News' Pete Fiutak examines the scariest potential letdown game for each Big 12 team.
• The Oklahoman analyzes Oklahoma tackle Trent Williams and Oklahoma State tackle Russell Okung, who the paper calls the two best tackles in the nation.
• The Denver Post's Tom Kensler writes about Colorado's return to a power running game.
• Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin expects massive defensive tackle Phil Taylor to have an immediate impact on the Bears' defense, the Waco Tribune-Herald's John Werner reports.
• Tulsa World columnist Dave Sittler writes about the improvement in Oklahoma State's defense as nurtured by veteran coordinator Bill Young.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Heading into the season, I thought that North Dakota State might have a chance to spring an upset and ruin Paul Rhoads' first game as a head coach at Iowa State on Sept. 3.

But recent news has tempered those upset plans.

North Dakota State coach Craig Bohl announced Tuesday that three more key players will be suspended for his team's opener, the Fargo Forum reported. All were arrested last spring for driving under the influence.

Starting wide receiver Shamen Washington, defensive end Garrett Johnson and backup quarterback Jose Mohler all will be missing for the Iowa State game. And backup linebacker Blake Sczepanski, the fourth Bison cited for DUI in the past six months, remains indefinitely suspended.

"We've probably faced more adversity than we've ever had," Bohl told the Forum.

Already, backup quarterback Troy Jackson was dismissed from the team for off-the-field issues unrelated to being arrested for marijuana possession. Wide receiver Jordan Schultenover was dismissed from the team in May and later charged with possession of marijuana and intent to deliver.

Bohl, a former Nebraska defensive coordinator, had fashioned an impressive FCS program that had a knack for playing FBS opponents closely in previous seasons. The Bison won at Ball State in 2006, at Minnesota in 2007 and nearly upset Wyoming in Laramie last season.

I would have thought that Bohl's familiarity with the Iowa State program, coupled with first-game jitters from the Cyclones under Rhoads, might provide NDSU with the opportunity to spring another surprise.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

There are several obvious games that are already noticeable that should carry an extra bit of trepidation for Big 12 teams as they prepare for the upcoming season. Even with Big 12 teams likely to be solidly favored in these games, here are five games that should come with a warning label considering the opponent and the circumstances of the game.

North Dakota State at Iowa State, Sept. 3: Craig Bohl will have the Bison fired up for their game in Ames. And he knows a little bit about beating the Cyclones, considering his history as a defensive coordinator at Nebraska.

This game has all the marking of one to worry about for the Cyclones. It's Paul Rhoads' first game as a head coach. The Bison have been tough in other road games at FCS teams in recent seasons, losing by three points at Wyoming last season, beating Minnesota and Central Michigan on the road in 2007 and losing by one point at Minnesota and beating Ball State on the road in 2006. Even with the talent disparity, this game might be closer than expected.

Rhoads should ask Colorado coach Dan Hawkins how much losing to an FCS team in your first game at a Big 12 school can ruin your first season. That 2006 opening-game loss to Montana State was a particularly bad start for Hawkins' coaching tenure there.

Houston at Oklahoma State, Sept. 12: This game is coming at a tricky time for Oklahoma State, which will be coming back for a second game after a huge emotional opener against Georgia the week before. The Cougars will have 5,000-yard passer Case Keenum along with 1,000-yard rusher Bryce Beall and 1,000-yard receiver Tyron Carrier among a group of 15 returning starters.

And not only do the Cougars return a lot of experience, but they also have a modicum of confidence against OSU. Houston led the Cowboys last season, 16-7, late in the first half before the Cowboys' offense blitzed them for four touchdowns in a span of barely 7½ minutes. If Houston can do a better job defensively this season, it could make Mike Gundy sweat against the preseason Conference USA West Division's favorites.

Kansas at UTEP, Sept. 12: The trip to the Sun Bowl might be a little more harrowing than expected for the Jayhawks.

UTEP quarterback Trevor Vittatoe threw for 33 touchdown passes and 3,274 yards last season. The Miners also surround him with 14 other returning starters. If Vittatoe can stay protected, he might be able to singe the Jayhawks' questionable linebacking corps and perhaps win a shootout. Stranger things have happened -- particularly playing in front of what should be a sellout crowd at the Sun Bowl.

And here's a statistic to keep in mind before the game: The Jayhawks have lost their last three true nonconference road games and haven't claimed a nonconference road game since winning at Wyoming in 2003. Their trip to El Paso won't be a picnic.

Wyoming at Colorado, Sept. 19: On paper, this looks like a game the Buffaloes should easily win. But a couple of trends might prove to benefit new Wyoming coach Dave Christensen, who will be playing his first road game.

Christensen was the offensive coordinator of a Missouri team that beat Colorado by a combined margin of 113-10 over the past two seasons, including a 58-0 victory last season. He won't have Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin or Chase Coffman in this game, but he still has confidence of being successful against Colorado's defense.

The Cowboys won at Tennessee last season so they aren't intimidated by hostile road environments. They have 17 starters back, including eight defensive players who will be facing Colorado's defense with some confidence after strong play late last season.

Colorado has a history of struggling as a big favorite in previous nonconference home games, winning by seven against Eastern Washington last season and losing at home to Montana State in Hawkins' first game in 2006. The signs point to this being a game where the Buffaloes potentially could struggle.

Missouri at Nevada, Sept. 25: This Friday night game will set up nicely for veteran Nevada coach Chris Ault and the Wolf Pack, who will showcase their program on national television in this game.

Nevada has the explosive Pistol offense keyed by quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the returning Western Athletic Conference player of the year who will be looking to make a national name for himself with a big performance. Also back are 2008 WAC leading rusher Vai Taua and 2007 leading rusher Luke Lippincott, who sustained a season-ending knee injury in the second game last year. And they'll be facing a retooled Missouri defense.

The Wolf Pack still remember a gadget pass for a touchdown by Missouri wide receiver Tommy Saunders when they were behind 45-17 midway through the third quarter of a game they eventually lost 69-17 in Columbia last season. Could revenge spur a better effort at home? It will be interesting to see if the Wolf Pack can similarly make the Tigers sweat in a game played at high altitude at Reno.