ESPN College Football

ESPN's Bruce Feldman released his annual "Freaks" list, but only one player from the Big 12 made his top 10 list and 11 others who just missed the cut.

Texas receiver Marquise Goodwin got the nod this year. Last year, Colorado offensive lineman Nate Solder was the only Big 12 player on the list.

Feldman on Goodwin:

Over the weekend, the 5-9, 177-pound junior set the Big 12 long jump record with a leap of 26 feet, 9 3/4 inches. In 2010, he won the NCAA long jump title. Goodwin also has run on Texas' 4x100 relay team and placed fifth in the Big 12 Indoor Championships in the 60-meter dash. The first-team Academic All-Big 12 pick caught 31 passes for 324 yards and a touchdown last fall.

It's been an impressive run for Goodwin, but for as big of a name on the track as he's become, the same hasn't been true on the field. In 2009, he had 30 catches for 279 yards and a score.

Granted, it's worth noting that the one score in 2009 was a huge one. Goodwin caught a short slant, broke a tackle and scored a third-quarter, go-ahead touchdown -- the Longhorns' only touchdown of the day -- in a 16-13 win against Oklahoma to remain undefeated on the way to the national title game.

The Longhorns will need more plays like that from their resident freak in 2011. Mike Davis is the team's leading returning receiver, but Goodwin is No. 2, and whoever wins the Longhorns' quarterback battle is going to need some help. Goodwin has to be a bigger part of the offense next season.

Who else would make your Big 12 freaks list?

I'd throw in a vote for Missouri linebacker Zaviar Gooden and Kansas defensive end Toben Opurum (leading rusher to contributor at defensive end in one season? Unreal.), but what about you?

The NFL draft has come and gone, and I hope you're all prepared for no more NFL anything for awhile. I know I'm not.

Anyway, here's how the Big 12 shook out over the weekend, with a few thoughts to follow.

First round (8)

• No. 2: Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M (Denver)
• No. 7: Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri (San Francisco)
• No. 10: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri (Jacksonville)
• No. 17: Nate Solder, OT, Colorado (New England)
• No. 19: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska (New York Giants)
• No. 21: Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor (Cleveland)
• No. 23: Danny Watkins, OL, Baylor (Philadelphia)
• No. 27: Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado (Baltimore)

Second round (2)

• No. 34: Aaron Williams, CB, Texas (Buffalo)
• No. 62: Daniel Thomas, RB, Kansas State (Miami)

Third round (2)

• No. 71: DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma (Dallas)
• No. 95: Curtis Brown, CB, Texas (Pittsburgh)

Fourth round (6)

• No. 103: Sam Acho, DE, Texas (Arizona)
• No. 105: Roy Helu Jr., RB, Nebraska (Washington)
• No. 108: Quinton Carter, S, Oklahoma (Denver)
• No. 115: Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma State (San Francisco)
• No. 118: Jalil Brown, CB, Colorado (Kansas City)
• No. 120: Alex Henery, K, Nebraska (Philadelphia)

Fifth round (3)

• No. 146: DeJon Gomes, S, Nebraska (Washington)
• No. 155: Niles Paul, WR, Nebraska (Washington)
• No. 164: Chykie Brown, CB, Texas (Baltimore)

Sixth round (1)

• No. 196: Keith Williams, OL, Nebraska (Pittsburgh)

Seventh round (8)

• No. 216: Mikail Baker, CB, Baylor (St. Louis)
• No. 227: Scotty McKnight, WR, Colorado (New York Jets)
• No. 229: Jonathan Nelson, DB, Oklahoma (St. Louis)
• No. 232: Baron Batch, RB, Texas Tech (Pittsburgh)
• No. 234: Andrew Gachkar, LB, Missouri (San Diego)
• No. 246: Jay Finley, RB, Baylor (Cincinnati)
• No. 247: Jeremy Beal, DE, Oklahoma (Denver)
• No. 248: Eric Hagg, S, Nebraska (Cleveland)

Here's how the Big 12 teams ranked in terms of total draftees:

1. Nebraska - 7
2. Baylor - 4
2. Colorado - 4
2. Oklahoma - 4
2. Texas - 4
6. Missouri - 3
7. Kansas State -1
7. Oklahoma State - 1
7. Texas A&M - 1
7. Texas Tech - 1
11. Iowa State - 0
11. Kansas - 0

And the major conferences (counting where players actually played):

SEC - 38
Pac-12 - 33
Big 12 - 30
Big Ten - 29
ACC - 35
Big East - 22

• Texas A&M had just one player drafted, but the Aggies will have plenty next year, including a handful of possible first-rounders. Cyrus Gray, Ryan Tannehill and Jeff Fuller could all go very early in 2012, depending on what happens between now and then.
[+] Enlarge
Matthew Emmons/US PresswireOklahoma defensive end Jeremy Beal was drafted in the seventh round by Denver.
• Interesting that Miller went 245 selections before the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Year, according to the media, Jeremy Beal. Also an interesting coincidence? The same team drafted both. I do think Beal will have a productive NFL career, and there's no denying what he did at Oklahoma, but the measurables were never quite there for Beal. What's not measurable? How difficult he is to block. That said, Miller was my vote for the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Year.
• Good to see some hard-working, perhaps under-respected guys get drafted. This was an important year for that, considering those left over won't be able to get into NFL minicamps until the lockout ends and won't be able to do anything to further their NFL careers besides work out on their own. I'll have a post later today on some of those snubs. There's no guarantee that late-drafted guys like Baron Batch, Scotty McKnight, Jay Finley or Eric Hagg will catch on in the the pros, but I'd be willing to guarantee they'll do everything in their power to maximize what opportunities they get.
• One of the most interesting selections? Mikail Baker. He wasn't invited to the combine, and played just one full season on defense at Baylor after working as a kick returner and a cornerback in 2009 before a season-ending knee injury. You don't see that kind of impressive athleticism at Baylor traditionally.
• Let the debate continue: Kendall Hunter vs. DeMarco Murray. Murray getting drafted 40-some spots earlier only intensified that discussion, if you ask me.
• Also, what's more impressive from Art Briles? That Baylor had four picks, the most in school history since 1996? Or that despite those four picks, Baylor's returning an even better team than last season, when it ended a 16-year bowl drought?
• Colorado's draft, meanwhile? Not exactly a ringing endorsement for Dan Hawkins' coaching job in Boulder.
• Alex Henery didn't win the Lou Groza Award, but his fourth-round selection makes him the earliest kicker draft pick since 2006. Will that end the state of Nebraska's blood feud against respectable OSU kicker Dan Bailey, who did win the Lou Groza Award? I doubt it. (Save your emails. For the 100th time, I agree, Nebraska fans. Henery > Bailey.)
• A few guys who went way lower than I thought they would. In order of my surprise level: Beal, Gabbert, Amukamara, Hagg, Hunter.
• A few guys who went way higher than I thought, in the same order: Aldon Smith, Batch, Gachkar, Baker.

• Vahe Gregorian of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was in New York for the draft and chronicled Blaine Gabbert's draft day. If the Jaguars take it slow, writes Bernie Miklasz of the Post-Dispatch, the pick could pay off, too.
• Could Kansas State long-snapper Corey Adams get a call from an NFL team this weekend? Bill Snyder thinks he should, reports Kellis Robinett of the Wichita Eagle.
• Tom Kensler of the Denver Post had some good stuff while waiting with Colorado lineman Nate Solder to be drafted. He gave a ringing endorsement of Texas A&M LB Von Miller, and didn't like it too much when Missouri DE Aldon Smith's highlights included him beating Solder.
• Texas Tech officials aren't commenting on Tommy Tuberville's comments about President Obama earlier this week. (Personal note: this is so, so far on the side of non-story. Unfortunate timing -- Obama releasing his birth certificate the following day -- is the only reason anyone cares about this. But the two things had just about nothing to do with each other.) Also, if you care about a college sports coach's political leanings, well, I just don't know what to tell you.
• Oklahoma landed the fifth commitment of its 2011 class on Thursday.
• Missouri was one of the draft's big winners, writes Paul Myerberg at Pre-Snap Read.
• Here's Mel Kiper's mock draft for the second round later today.
• Baylor's site has an all-access look with Danny Watkins and Phil Taylor, last night's first-round picks from Baylor.
• What does the first round mean for a handful of former Jayhawks? More than you might think. Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World has a look.

Thanks for all the questions once again today. Great chat. Here's the full transcript if you missed it. Didn't get your question in? Drop yours in my mailbag.

And a few highlights:

Dan in Philly asked: who's the best offensive lineman in the league?

David Ubben: Nate Solder has been that guy for a couple years, but since he left, I'd probably go with Levy Adcock at Oklahoma State. Luke Joeckel at A&M should be a good one, though. He's definitely on his way to a nice career.

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Ben in Kansas asked: David, all this talk about how stable the big 12 is now that the new contract never seems to address the in the increased inequality both within conference and eventually between conferences (the bottom of the big ten/SEC will continue to make more than the bottom of the big 12.) The argument that all these teams need to do is win to make more money is inherently flawed because each year in the Big 12 it becomes tougher and tougher for the bottom teams to beat the top 2. Look at the situation now where Texas's assistant coaches are payed almost on par with some head coaches. This can only lead to a lopsided conference that will get overlooked in the championship games in the future.

DU: I'm not sure about that. People want to talk about inequality, but it's not that much of a difference. I've said it tons of times. The importance of unequal revenue sharing is way, way overstated. And it's not like teams like Iowa State, Kansas State or Baylor have terrible facilities that aren't good enough to compete. Equal revenue sharing doesn't seem to help Kentucky football in the SEC or Indiana football in the Big Ten. The people that want to equate equal revenue sharing with parity are using faulty logic. Get the right coach in place, start recruiting well and you start winning games.

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Brendan in Lawrence asked: I'm an optimist, I'm also a KU football fan. With some key O-line players returning and recent additions, is it safe to say at least one of our RB's will have a good season? Also, why isn't there much talk about QB recruit Michael Cummings being in the running when he gets here? It's not like Webb or Mecham have set the bar very high.. Is Berglund that much better than everyone else that he very well could come into Lawrence this fall as a freshman and take over? I'm expecting a much better performance this year (I'm a realist, though), and another step closer to relevance.

DU: Yeah, I think James Sims will have a good year. I'm excited to see Darrian Miller, though. He's got a lot of buzz. As for the QB situation, there's a lot of talk about Berglund. He's going to be a bit behind the others when he starts practice this fall, but the feeling is his upside is far superior to anyone else currently on the roster.

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Steve in Moore, OK asked: Based on your interview with Kevin Sweeney, how confident are you the conference will thrive (survive)?

DU: I'm pretty confident, but it seems pretty lonely over here on this side of the fence. I'll be examining that issue a lot more in the coming week or so. It's fascinating to me... and I hope others.

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Andrew in College Station asked: When the Big 12 signed it deal with FOX, they left money on the table so 3rd tier rights could be pursued individually or collectively. How much more could the conference have gotten if they gave FOX 2nd and 3rd tier? And do you think most schools will be able to get that money back selling 3rd tier rights on their own? It seems unlikely since ESPN doesn't really seem interested in paying Baylor or Iowa State 20 million dollars for them like Texas.

DU: My sense is it wasn't very much. The Big 12 seemed confident the money schools could get from a concerted effort to monetize those rights would be greater than what they would get from Fox, who would be more focused on maximizing what they got out of the second-tier rights. Now, schools have a lot of motivation to put some work into marketing and monetizing those third-tier rights. It's an interesting approach.

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Kevin in Reno, Nev. asked: After OU-FSU, is TAMU-Arkansas the biggest OOC game for the Big XII?

DU: That's my pick. Missouri-ASU should be pretty good, too. Probably two top 25 teams there.

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LonghornDaniel in Cypress, Texas asked: how come the big 12 can't get TCU?

DU: For the 1,000,000th time, you've phrased that question wrong. The question is, why can't TCU get in the Big 12? The answer is they offer nothing new to the Big 12, have poor facilities, no alumni base and wouldn't bring in enough money to warrant what they would get in conference revenues by being given membership.

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Amy in Oklahoma asked: With as much grief as the Big 12 officials have garnered, especially over the last season, how often do you foresee the new excessive celebration penalty being used? It's just a matter of time before a major game is decided by one of these calls. When that happens and the chaos ensues, do you think they'll revisit the rule?

DU: Sweet sassy, this rule isn't even on the field yet, and I can't tell you how much I already hate it. Terrible, terrible, terrible. Who even decided this was a good idea? Since when has college football been plagued by excessive celebrations? Call me when guys start whipping out Sharpies to sign balls or make cell phone calls from the end zone. Sheesh. Pointless, and a controversy waiting to happen.

The official list of the Big 12's top 25 players is locked away in a vault in an undisclosed location, but we're revealing the list day by day here on the blog. Here's a refresher on my exact criteria.

We're inside the top 10 now, so things should heat up a little bit. Have a gripe with the list? Let me know in the mailbag.

No. 8: Nate Solder, OT, Colorado

2010 numbers: Solder was the rock on an offensive line that paved the way for 1,642 rushing yards. Colorado's offensive line also gave up just 21 sacks on the year, tied for 4th in the Big 12.

Most recent ranking: Solder was ranked No. 6 in our preseason list of the Big 12's top 25 players.

Making the case for Solder: Don't worry about the total numbers for the Buffaloes, whose running game ranked 11th in the Big 12 last year. Solder got it done once again. And, for what it's worth, the Buffaloes' featured runner, Rodney Stewart, rushed for 1,316 yards. That's good for third in the Big 12 and suggest a deficiency of runners more than the offensive line.

It's especially encouraging for the Buffaloes who gave up 43 sacks a year ago and just 21 this year. The offensive line stayed healthy, and when Colorado ran the ball well, it won. That was the case in wins over Georgia and Colorado, and Stewart had big days against Iowa State and Kansas State in the team's only two conference wins of the year.

The rest of the list:

• No. 9: Sam Acho, DL, Texas
• No. 10: Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
• No. 11: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
• No. 12: Lavonte David, LB, Nebraska
• No. 13: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
• No. 14: Levy Adcock, RT, Oklahoma State
• No. 15: Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska
• No. 16: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
• No. 17: Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M
• No. 18: Eric Hagg, DB, Nebraska
• No. 19: DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma
• No. 20: Orie Lemon, LB, Oklahoma State
• No. 21: Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska
• No. 22: Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma
• No. 23: Quinton Carter, S, Oklahoma
• No. 24: Tim Barnes, C, Missouri
• No. 25: Lyle Leong, WR, Texas Tech

Oh, yes. It's that time again.

I made my first go-around this summer, and it was definitely a fun experience that inspired tons of discussion. Perhaps my favorite moment: The group of you (much, much larger than I ever expected) who felt the need to fill my inbox with angry e-mails after I jokingly teased in July that Garrett Gilbert would be No. 1 on my list that was "heavily weighted toward players' actual accomplishments in their college careers." Oh, you readers.

Now, it's time to do the whole project all over again, starting Monday.

We're ranking the top 25 players in the Big 12. This list, however, is based solely on their performances during the 2010 season. I composed my preliminary list on Thursday, but it's nowhere near finished.

One quick note: This is one of the last cases in which Nebraska and Colorado will remain on the Big 12 blog. Since their players did play in the Big 12 in 2010, they're going to be included on this list.

Here's what my top 25 looked like before the season:

• No. 1: Jerrod Johnson, QB, Texas A&M
• No. 2: Daniel Thomas, RB, Kansas State
• No. 3: Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma
• No. 4: Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M
• No. 5: Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma
• No. 6: Nate Solder, LT, Colorado
• No. 7: Aaron Williams, CB, Texas
• No. 8: DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma
• No. 9: Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska
• No. 10: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
• No. 11: Jeremy Beal, DE, Oklahoma
• No. 12: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
• No. 13: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
• No. 14: Alexander Robinson, RB, Iowa State
• No. 15: Sam Acho, DE, Texas
• No. 16: Roy Helu, Jr., RB, Nebraska
• No. 17: Curtis Brown, CB, Texas
• No. 18: Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri
• No. 19: Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma State
• No. 20: Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M
• No. 21: Tim Barnes, C, Missouri
• No. 22: Brian Duncan, LB, Texas Tech
• No. 23: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
• No. 24: Tanner Hawkinson, OT, Kansas
• No. 25: Blake Gideon, S, Texas

As I'm sure you can tell, plenty of guys dropped off the early draft of the postseason list. Plenty of others will be crashing the party pretty high on the list.

Others made big moves up or down. I'm interested to hear your input before we get this thing kicked off.

So, who deserves to go where?

Colorado is new to the Pac-12 but old to the Big 12, so it makes sense to check in with Big 12 blogger David Ubben to get his take on the state of the Buffaloes as they welcome new coach Jon Embree.

Just who are these Buffaloes? What are their strengths and weaknesses and how will they fit into the Pac-12, specifically the Pac-12 South?

We went looking for insights and Ubben obliged.

Ted Miller: Well, David you -- and the Big 12 -- have to say goodbye to Colorado, with the Buffaloes looking to their future out West in the Pac-12. First of all, give Pac-12 fans a CliffsNotes description of the state of the program. Things haven’t gone so well in Boulder lately. Why?

David Ubben: Colorado is certainly in rebuilding mode as they kick off a new start under coach Jon Embree after firing Dan Hawkins in the middle of the 2010 season. They bring back two stars in quarterback Tyler Hansen and running back Rodney Stewart. But fitting those guys into Embree's new system and greatly improving from their 5-7 record seems like asking a lot.

Hawkins came to Boulder promising big things but never delivered. As for why it didn't go well? Any number of reasons. One that angered fans is Hawkins' tendency to play less talented players who knew the system well over more talented players that maybe didn't have as solid of a grasp of what they wanted to do on the field. Embree has said he'll do essentially the opposite, so I guess that's a start in the eyes of fans.

TM: OK, let’s look forward then. Tell Pac-12 folks about Embree, his new staff and the talent the Buffaloes have returning. What are strengths and what are question marks heading into the 2011 season?

DU: He's stocked his coaching staff with quite a few Buffaloes, but most of the names would be more recognizable as players. The biggest name is his offensive coordinator, former Buffs great Eric Bieniemy, who spent the past few years coaching Adrian Peterson as the running backs coach at the Minnesota Vikings. They also swiped Bobby Kennedy, a Boulder native, from Texas to coach receivers.

Last year, they ran the ball pretty well, and Stewart is back. He's a small, shifty back that seems way, way underrated. He rushed for more than 1,300 yards last year, and the only Big 12 backs who had more were Daniel Thomas and Kendall Hunter, who should be drafted this year. They lose tackle Nate Solder, another first-round pick, but Ryan Miller is back, and he's an all-conference level guard.

The big question for them next season will be if their defense can stop the pass -- which my sources tell me, is pretty important in the Pac-12. Maybe not as important as in the Big 12, but still necessary for big success. Both corners from last year, Jalil Brown and Jimmy Smith, should be drafted. They weren't great at stopping the pass last year (9th in the Big 12) so it's hard to see them being better at it next year.

TM: OK. Good stuff. Let’s wind it up. How would you have projected them in the Big 12 next fall? And do you have any feeling for how they might do in the new Pac-12 South?

DU: They definitely looked like a team in the bottom third of the Big 12 next year, and it seems like it'll be tough for them to finish in the top half of the Pac-12 South in 2011.

Right now, it's just about being competitive and maybe stealing a game or two that people didn't think they'd win. If that happens enough, a bowl game isn't out of the question. We don't have any idea what to expect out of an Embree-coached team, and that could be a good or a bad thing. We won't know for sure until next year, but if Embree can bottle up whatever Colorado had inside of them the way they played down the stretch last season after Hawkins was fired, it could be a real surprise 2011 for the Buffs.

The NFL released its list of invitations to the scouting combine late this month, and plenty of Big 12 players should be taking part.

Here's who got invitations:

• Sam Acho, DE, Texas
• Pierre Allen, DE, Nebraska
• Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
• Dan Bailey, K, Oklahoma State
• Jeremy Beal, DE, Oklahoma
• Chykie Brown, CB, Texas
• Curtis Brown, CB, Texas
• Jalil Brown, CB, Colorado (I hadn't realized it until just now. Were there really three NFL-caliber players in the Big 12 with the same last name at the same position in 2010? Seems so. And none of them are related. Odds, anyone?)
• Quinton Carter, S, Oklahoma
• Ugo Chinasa, DE, Oklahoma State
• Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
• DeJon Gomes, DB, Nebraska
• Eric Hagg, DB, Nebraska
• Roy Helu Jr., RB, Nebraska
• Alex Henery, K, Nebraska
• Ricky Henry, OL, Nebraska
• Kyle Hix, OL, Texas
• Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma State
• Jerrod Johnson, QB, Texas A&M
• Orie Lemon, LB, Oklahoma State
• Andrew McGee, CB, Oklahoma State
• Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M
• DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma
• Niles Paul, WR, Nebraska
• Kevin Rutland, CB, Missouri
• David Sims, S, Iowa State
• Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado
• Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri
• Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
• Adrian Taylor, DT, Oklahoma
• Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor
• Daniel Thomas, RB, Kansas State
• Danny Watkins, OT, Baylor
• Colby Whitlock, DT, Texas Tech
• Aaron Williams, CB, Texas
• Keith Williams, OL, Nebraska

That's a pretty solid (and lengthy) list. Add it up, and it's 36 players from 11 of 12 Big 12 schools, excluding Kansas. It's a little surprising that Missouri center Tim Barnes wasn't on the list. It's possible it was a mistake, but the first-team All-Big 12er and Rimington Trophy watch lister was named as one of the top centers in the draft last spring by Mel Kiper. Barnes had also earned some favorable reviews at the NFLPA Bowl this week.

It was good to see Aggies quarterback Jerrod Johnson get a shot to show scouts if he's regained any more strength in his arm, too.

Here's how it ranks by team, as well.

1. Nebraska - 9
2. Oklahoma State - 5
2. Texas - 5
4. Oklahoma - 4
5. Colorado - 3
5. Missouri - 3
7. Baylor - 2
7. Texas A&M - 2
9. Iowa State - 1
9. Kansas State - 1
9. Texas Tech - 1

You've seen the Big 12 players in the Senior Bowl up close throughout their careers. You've heard how they measured up to the competition during the week.

There was no Jerrod Johnson in this game, a high-profile player who hadn't seen extended playing time for several weeks, so there's not much else to say, but here's how all of the Big 12 talent in the Senior Bowl did in Saturday's game.

Actual game performances aren't nearly as important as the week of practice that precedes it, so don't put much stock into these numbers as they relate to each player's overall draft stock. However, it's still interesting to see how they do while perhaps wearing their school's helmet for the final time.

Baylor:

• Phil Taylor, DL - started, no stats.
• Danny Watkins, OL - started.

Colorado:

• Jalil Brown, DB - started, made three tackles.
• Nate Solder, OL - started.

Nebraska:

• Pierre Allen, DL - one tackle.
• Eric Hagg, DB - one tackle.
• Alex Henery, P - punted six times for an average of 42.8 yards and made an extra point. His longest punt went for 49 yards and one pinned the South team inside its 20-yard line.
• Roy Helu Jr., RB - two carries for 3 yards.
• Mike McNeill, TE - started, no stats.
• Niles Paul, WR - caught one pass for 5 yards, returned a kick 29 yards. Also made a tackle.

Oklahoma:

• Quinton Carter, DB - no stats.
• Jeremy Beal, DL - made four tackles and one sack for minus-7 yards.
• DeMarco Murray, RB - two carries, minus-4 yards.

Oklahoma State:

• Kendall Hunter, RB - two carries, zero yards. One reception, 2 yards.

Texas:

• Sam Acho, DL - Named MVP of the South team. Made three tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss and forced a fumble.
• Curtis Brown, DB - started, made a tackle.

Texas A&M:

• Von Miller, LB - started, named the game's defensive MVP. Four tackles on the day, including two tackles for loss.

Thanks for all the questions and comments, everybody.

Tarry Luna in McKinney, Texas, asks: David,I know there has been a lot of discussion about the UT/ESPN deal. There has been a lot of speculation that UT originally offered TAMU the opportunity to be a part of it, but TAMU turned it down. Are you aware of this, and is there documentation to verify that UT did indeed offer it to TAMU, and that TAMU turned it down? Thanks!

David Ubben: That's the first I've heard of that and I haven't seen any documentation to support it. That doesn't really make sense. Basically, what you'd have to have is one of two things.

1) You'd have to be convinced that Texas A&M content and money-making capability would be on par with Texas. I don't believe that's the case. The Aggies are right there alongside UT when it comes to alumni in the state, but Texas has way, way more casual fans. Those casual fans being willing to pony up for the network are a big reason why something like this is viable for a team like Texas and not for most programs.

Or...

2) Texas A&M joins up with them, but agrees to take a lower share of the profits from the network. Think that would go over well with the Aggies? No way.

Perhaps something like that was talked about, but your e-mail was the first I had heard of it. An interesting idea, but one that would never work. I do think, if Oklahoma's and Texas' networks are both successful, that an eight-team Big 12 Network is probably only a few years away from being a reality as long as Texas A&M doesn't get antsy and try to get into the SEC.

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Brent in Stillwater, Okla., asks: Yesterday you said Leach would be an imperfect fit for OK State mainly because it would be a one year fix, and leave the next OC with out Weeden and Blackmon. My question is this, what if Gundy likes the idea of promoting someone like Meacham, but doesn't think he knows the spread offense well enough yet, and would like to give him one more year to shadow an offensive mastermind? If that were the case would it not stand to reason the Leach would be a perfect one year fit? Give him a one year contract, and have Meacham watch and learn for one more season!

DU: There's some merit to that idea. I could buy into that, and the immediate payoffs are obvious. I don't think Oklahoma State should rule out hiring Leach. I just don't think it's a perfect move. It comes with a lot of positives, and I think further training Doug Meacham is probably one of them.

There aren't a lot of exciting possibilities at offensive coordinator right now, so I could certainly be convinced that hiring Leach would work out well in the long run.

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Daniel Hilburn in Pittsburgh, PA asks: Mr Ubben:What is your take on paying college athletes?

DU: I could write on this forever, but in short, it causes more problems than it fixes.

How do you decide who makes what? Should Cam Newton make the same as a backup punter, even if they're both on scholarship? If you let the free market decide, isn't that a dangerous road for college sports? And considering most football programs aren't even in the black to begin with, where does that money come from?

Do you let teams like Texas pay more for players than teams like Baylor? Doesn't that already further eliminate parity in a sport that's running low on parity to begin with?

I don't think there are any good answers for any of those questions, and there are plenty of others, too. The current scholarship + stipend system isn't perfect, but it's better than the alternative. Paying players sounds great in theory, until you start trying to make it happen.

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Frank in Oklahoma City, Okla., asks: OK, so we know that OU is stacked for the 2011 season. What positions and who will need to step up for the Sooners? Who do you see as darkhorses on a team of a plethora of talent? You can never be good enough.

DU: Well, obviously, Landry Jones has to continue to mature as a passer. He was a lot better in 2010 than in 2009. As for dark horses for the Sooners, they could use some big years from the defensive tackle spot. Jamarkus McFarland is loaded with potential and looked pretty good late last year, but a big year from him would be a huge help for the Sooners, who weren't fantastic against the run in 2010, especially early in the year. The same for Stacy McGee at the other tackle spot. He got some great experience this year after Adrian Taylor went down again.

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Dennis in Irving, Texas, asks: 1. Would you recommend Bedlam moving to Cowboys Stadium championship week? 2. Look at OSU's 2011 schedule. If an unbeaten from the SEC, BIG 10, and OSU remain at the end of 2011, OSU will play for the NC, right? I don't see how they would get left out.

DU: I'm not really a fan of that idea. Moving it to championship week is fine, and that should be a nationally relevant game next year, but it's the wrong game to move to Cowboys Stadium. Playing an Oklahoma in-state rivalry in Texas doesn't make much sense, does it? Bedlam is the game that makes the most sense during championship week, and I think that will happen, but it doesn't look like there's a big game that makes a ton of sense in Cowboys Stadium. The Lone Star Showdown won't work. Red River obviously won't, either.

It'll be interesting to see if that ever becomes a reality. My guess is if it does, it won't be anything close to a marquee game.

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Corbin in Austin asks: A&M's year was a fluke. I give them a 3% chance of competing for the conference championship next year. Especially since UT is going to be way better with our new coaching staff, and OU and OSU. Do you agree with me?

DU: Uh, no.

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Cliff in Nebraska asks: David, Not trying to get rid of you or anything. Just curious when the official switch will be made and I'll have to start reading Adam's blog for Husker news?

DU: We're discussing a transition date right now. It's coming soon, and you won't miss it. All I can tell you right now is to be patient, and be thankful we're both covering the Huskers for now.

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Drew in Columbia, Mo., asks: All the realignment talk got me thinking. Why doesn't the Big 12 raid the Dakotas for new members? The South Dakota State Jackrabbits have quite the following, and also have had successful basketball and football teams in the recent past. Also, they could go international and pick up schools like Oxford and Cambridge. Travel costs would be high, but the move would certainly improve the Big 12's academic perception. What do you think?

DU: I like it. If the Big 12 is supposedly sniffing around San Diego State, why stop there? I studied abroad at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, and let me tell you, they had a solid rugby team. It's basically the same thing. Just teach them a few tweaks from rugby to football and let's let Macquarie into the Big 12. What better TV market for the Big 12 than the global market? London? Sydney? There's cash to be made!

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Zachary Krider in Lewisville, Texas, asks: It seems like Von Miller is exceeding the expectations of scouts at the Senior Bowl. Do you see him possibly going in the top ten if he has a great Senior Bowl game?

DU: He definitely is. He, along with Colorado offensive tackle Nate Solder, have been two of the most impressive guys out there this week. By most accounts, Miller has just been unblockable and looks like he's played himself into the top 10. As for the game, it's not quite as important as the week of practice when coaches and scouts can get a front row seat to your workouts. The game doesn't matter all that much in the grand scheme, and unless he's just a completely different player on the field, and there's no evidence to suggest he will be, he's definitely helped his stock this week.

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Jeff Fuller in College Station asks: You forgot to add my left handed, behind my head leaping grab against Baylor in your plays of the year. Best catch of the year in the Big 12. Where's the love?

DU: My bad on that one, it probably deserved a spot on the list. Same with the one-handed catch late against Missouri. Seems like nobody had more one-handed grabs this year than Fuller. Another year of those highlights should be fun to watch.

We're now less than a week away from signing day. Any national recruiting class is littered with five-stars who don't quite meet their potential, and two-star recruits who turn into first-round picks.

Analyzing the recruiting game isn't perfect, but it's not worthless, either.

Looking back is always interesting, so here's how my All-Big 12 team from 2010 looked as recruits on signing day.

OFFENSE

QB: Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State -- walk-on, returned to OSU after minor league baseball career
RB: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State -- No. 73 running back, three stars
RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State -- signed with K-State out of junior college, ranked No. 35 overall JUCO recruit, four stars
WR: Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State -- No. 139 receiver, three stars
WR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma -- No. 58 athlete, four stars
TE: Michael Egnew, Missouri -- not ranked as receiver, two stars
C: Tim Barnes, Missouri -- No. 18 offensive guard, three stars
OL: Levy Adcock, Oklahoma State -- unranked JUCO prospect
OL: Nate Solder, Colorado -- No. 35 tight end, three stars
OL: Ricky Henry, Nebraska -- No. 53 offensive guard, three stars
OL: Danny Watkins, Baylor -- No. 39 overall JUCO recruit, four stars

DEFENSE

DE: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma -- No. 11 defensive end, No. 137 overall prospect, four stars
DT: Jared Crick, Nebraska -- No. 86 defensive end, three stars
DT: Lucas Patterson, Texas A&M -- No. 10 offensive guard, three stars
DE: Sam Acho, Texas -- No. 14 defensive end, No. 114 overall prospect, four stars
LB: Von Miller, Texas A&M -- No. 37 defensive end, three stars
LB: Lavonte David, Nebraska -- No. 7 overall JUCO recruit, four stars
LB: Orie Lemon, Oklahoma State -- No. 40 outside linebacker, three stars
CB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska -- No. 31 running back, three stars
CB: Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska -- No. 44 cornerback, three stars
S: Quinton Carter, Oklahoma -- No. 39 safety, three stars
S: Byron Landor, Baylor -- No. 48 safety, three stars in high school, No. 100 overall JUCO recruit

SPECIALISTS

P: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State -- unranked
K: Alex Henery, Nebraska -- walk-on, unranked
KR: Coryell Judie, Texas A&M -- No. 28 overall JUCO recruit, four stars
PR: Niles Paul, Nebraska -- No. 49 receiver, three stars

If you haven't been keeping track of our Senior Bowl blog, you should be. Our draft analysts -- Todd McShay, Steve Muench and Kevin Weidl -- are down in Mobile, Ala., providing daily updates from practices, and they've had plenty to say about a lot of talents in attendance.

So far this week, two former Big 12ers have emerged as the most impressive players at the Senior Bowl:

Writes Todd McShay in our Senior Bowl buzz:

Each year, there are players who separate themselves from the pack. They enter the week among the handful of players with first-round grades, but they quickly emerge as the elite class. ...While there have been just two practices this year, Texas A&M OLB Von Miller and Colorado OT Nate Solder are well on their way to joining that list. ...From what we see on the field and what we're hearing about their interviews off it, Miller and Solder are standing out the most this week. ... [Miller] was allowed to leave the LBs and join the D-linemen for one-on-one pass rush drills Tuesday, and it was impressive. He was unstoppable against players who are expected to go in the first two days of the draft.

... On the other side of the ball, Solder continues to be dominant. The thing that's impressed me is how stong he's been at the point of attack and finishing. We knew about his size and natural feet, and he's been all those things, but he's been nasty this week and it's been good to see. There are no cheap shots, but a couple of times when he could have finished a play a little easier, he just finished the guy.

There's plenty more about both players on our buzz page.

Here's a little more about the Big 12 seniors.

On Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray:

"Murray, who measured in at 6 feet and 214 pounds, is lean in the lower body. That could explain why he gets tripped up and goes down too easily. He has to get stronger in his lower body and also needs to learn to run with his legs higher. He's had that problem throughout his career and we saw it today as well. But he has the best burst and was the most explosive of the North running backs. He hit a crease faster than the other backs. During one-on-one passing drills, he looks like a wide receiver. He runs crisp routes, knows how to separate, has strong hands and makes it look effortless."

On Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller:

"Texas A&M LB Von Miller went down with the linemen to rush the passer in one-on-ones and was lights out. He's so quick around the corner and the blockers had no chance."

On Baylor offensive tackle Danny Watkins:

"Baylor OG Danny Watkins is a technician on the inside. He is very good at sliding and mirroring defenders to stay in front of them. He got a little chippy at the end of plays, too."

On Texas defensive end Sam Acho:

"Texas DT Sam Acho lacks quickness and power. He was shut out in one-on-ones, going 0-for-7 in the drill. Tough session for him."

On Nebraska receiver/tight end Mike McNeill:

"Nebraska TE Mike NcNeill lined up at fullback and did a good job of getting into position at the second level. He took good angles and made the blocks."

A couple other notes:

• Colorado offensive tackle Nate Solder measured at 6-foot-8 1/4, the tallest player at the Senior Bowl.
• Baylor defensive tackle Phil Taylor weighed in at 337 pounds, the heaviest player at the Senior Bowl, but impressed scouts with the way he carried the weight.

Inspired by our friends at the Big Ten and SEC blogs, we'll put together a long-overdue team composed of the league's best seniors.

We made a team full of freshmen, so why skimp on the old guys? Well, we won't.

My All-Big 12 team featured 16 seniors, and they're all on the team below, but plenty of other guys put together distinguished careers and 2010 seasons that deserve recognition.

Their careers may be over, but you can bet all these players will live on in school lore for quite some time. Here goes:

OFFENSE

QB: Taylor Potts, Texas Tech
RB: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
WR: Lyle Leong, Texas Tech
WR: Detron Lewis, Texas Tech
WR: Aubrey Quarles, Kansas State
C: Tim Barnes, Missouri
T: Nate Solder, Colorado
T: Danny Watkins, Baylor
G: Keith Williams, Nebraska
G: Ricky Henry, Nebraska

DEFENSE

DL: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma
DL: Lucas Patterson, Texas A&M
DL: Sam Acho, Texas
DL/LB: Brian Duncan, Texas Tech
LB: Von Miller, Texas A&M
LB: Orie Lemon, Oklahoma State
LB: Michael Hodges, Texas A&M
CB: Andrew McGee, Oklahoma State
CB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska
S: Quinton Carter, Oklahoma
S: Byron Landor, Baylor

SPECIALISTS

K: Alex Henery, Nebraska
P: Derek Epperson, Baylor
Returns: Niles Paul, Nebraska

Selections by school: Nebraska (5), Texas Tech (4), Oklahoma State (3), Texas A&M (3) Baylor (3), Kansas State (2), Oklahoma (2), Texas (1), Missouri (1), Colorado (1)

A few thoughts:

• It was kind of slim pickings at receiver, but only because the Big 12's top five and 11 of its top 15 receivers will be coming back in 2011. Colorado's Scotty McKnight only narrowly missed the team. I'd say he's probably a more talented receiver than Quarles, but Quarles' production was there in 2010. McKnight's, after adding freshman Paul Richardson to the mix, took a bit of a dive in his senior year.
• That's a heck of a defense. All 11 guys weren't very far off from making the regular All-Big 12 team. The same is true of the offensive line.
• Potts' year was a lot better than a few Texas Tech folks would have you believe, but he didn't have a lot of competition to make the cut on this squad. His own teammate, Steven Sheffield, was probably the only guy who could keep him from this squad. The only other Big 12 starters this year were Iowa State's Austen Arnaud, Kansas State's Carson Coffman and Colorado's Cody Hawkins.
• It's a solid group at running back, too. Thomas and Hunter were the same two guys on my All-Big 12 team, getting the nod just over Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray, Nebraska's Roy Helu Jr. and Baylor's Jay Finley. Definitely a great year for Big 12 running backs, especially the seniors.

The Senior Bowl isn't until Saturday, but practices this week will be televised on NFL Network and there will be plenty of Big 12 talent taking part.

Nebraska's Eric Hagg was added to the roster on Sunday, but here's another quick look at the now 18 players from across the league who will be on the field on Saturday.

The Huskers' six participants are the most of any team this year.

Baylor: Phil Taylor, DL; Danny Watkins, OL

Colorado: Jalil Brown, DB; Nate Solder, OL

Kansas State: Daniel Thomas, RB

Nebraska: Pierre Allen, DL; Eric Hagg, DB; Alex Henery, P; Roy Helu Jr., RB; Mike McNeill, TE; Niles Paul, WR

Oklahoma: Quinton Carter, DB; Jeremy Beal, DL; DeMarco Murray, RB

Oklahoma State: Kendall Hunter, RB

Texas: Sam Acho, DL; Curtis Brown, DB

Texas A&M: Von Miller, LB

The Under Armour Senior Bowl has finalized its roster, which features 17 participants from the Big 12.

The game is set for a 4 p.m. ET kickoff on Jan. 29 at Ladd-Peebles Satdium in Mobile, Ala. You can see it, and the entire week of practices, on the NFL Network.

Here's who'll be on the field if you tune in:

Baylor: Phil Taylor, DL; Danny Watkins, OL

Colorado: Jalil Brown, DB; Nate Solder, OL

Kansas State: Daniel Thomas, RB

Nebraska: Pierre Allen, DL; Alex Henery, P; Roy Helu Jr., RB; Mike McNeill, TE; Niles Paul, WR

Oklahoma: Quinton Carter, DB; Jeremy Beal, DL; DeMarco Murray, RB

Oklahoma State: Kendall Hunter, RB

Texas: Sam Acho, DL; Curtis Brown, DB



Texas A&M: Von Miller, LB