ESPN College Football

I've been inspired by the boys at the Big Ten Blog, and this should be a fun walk-through each week in the new-look Big 12 next season. I'll pick one game a week during the season that I'd attend if it were entirely up to me. I don't make the call, and things change as games are played, of course. But right now, this is how it would look if it were up to me. I'll include road nonconference games, too.

• Week 1: West Virginia vs. Marshall
• Week 2: Kansas State vs. Miami
• Week 3: Texas at Ole Miss
• Week 4: Kansas State at Oklahoma
• Week 5: Texas at Oklahoma State
• Week 6: West Virginia at Texas
• Week 7: Oklahoma vs. Texas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas
• Week 8: Kansas State at West Virginia
• Week 9: Notre Dame at Oklahoma
• Week 10: Oklahoma State at Kansas State
• Week 11: Kansas State at TCU

Here's the Week 12 slate in the Big 12:

• Oklahoma at West Virginia
• Texas Tech at Oklahoma State
• Kansas State at Baylor
• Iowa State at Kansas

My pick: Oklahoma at West Virginia

This one's a no doubter. K-State and Baylor played an absolute classic last year, but Oklahoma's maiden Big 12 voyage to Morgantown might be the Game of the Year in the entire conference.

Last year, it was clear early in the season that Bedlam would decide the Big 12 title. This time around, my bet is this showdown of new conference rivals, and if they're both in the top 10, don't be surprised if ESPN's "College GameDay" makes its second trip to Morgantown, a sequel to last year's visit the weekend of the LSU game.

That was a fantastic atmosphere, and GameDay or not, Oklahoma will be walking into one of the toughest atmospheres it'll see all season in this one. It'll also be another shot for Dana Holgorsen to take down the Sooners. He came dangerously close as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State in 2010, when the Big 12 South title was on the line. Additionally, the Big 12's top two passers, Geno Smith and Landry Jones, will go head to head for the first and only time in their careers. The last time West Virginia and Oklahoma played, the Mountaineers trounced the Sooners, 48-28, in the Fiesta Bowl behind Pat White, Noel Devine and Owen "Runaway Beer Truck" Schmitt.

This year's game will have higher stakes for Oklahoma than West Virginia. If West Virginia wins, it could be very, very close to clinching the league. It finishes its Big 12 schedule with Iowa State and Kansas, who'll be picked to finish at the bottom of the Big 12. But Oklahoma?

If the Mountaineers lose, there's still hope the Sooners could lose and give WVU a share of the title or more. Oklahoma must host rival Oklahoma State before finishing up with a trip to Fort Worth to face TCU. This will be a fun one, and definitely the game of the year in Morgantown. Will it be the game of the year in the Big 12? Time will tell.

The Texas offense struggled through a miserable Big 12 championship game, when the Longhorns permitted nine sacks and were fortunate to escape with a 13-12 victory over Nebraska.

In the game, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh waged a one-man assault against Colt McCoy, posting 12 tackles and a Big 12 championship game record 4.5 sacks against the beleaguered Texas front.

If the Longhorns struggled with the 6-foot-4, 305-pound Suh, many observers are predicting more bad moments in Thursday's Citi Bowl Championship Series title game against Alabama and mammoth 6-foot-5, 365-pound defensive tackle Terrence "Mount" Cody.

Cody isn't nearly as active or as fit as Suh. He often sits out third-down plays for more mobile defensive linemen. He's not as much of a producer as Suh, either. Cody has notched 25 tackles and no sacks this season. But he's caught the attention of Texas offensive linemen who struggled against Suh.

"He is what he is," Texas center Chris Hall said of the largest player the Longhorns will face this season.

There's actually less of him now than earlier in his career. Cody weighed 410 pounds while playing high-school football in Fort Meyers, Fla. College recruiters still tell the story of when Cody tackled current West Virginia running back Noel Devine in a high-school game, causing Devine to vomit when Cody landed on top of him.

Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis sees the opportunity for similar catastrophic-producing moments Thursday night unless the Longhorns do a better job protecting McCoy from the middle of the Alabama defense.

And it's led Davis to see at least one similarity between Suh and Cody.

"They're like two monsters fighting in those old sci-fi movies," Davis told the Austin American-Statesman. "You see 'em covered up, then the offensive lineman gets discarded, and the monster eats your back up."

It won't be a good night Thursday for Hall and his mates along Texas' offensive line unless they account for Cody on every play.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

When Colorado coach Dan Hawkins made his claim that his team would win “10 games without any excuses” after last season, he couldn’t have imagined how wrong his prediction would be.

West Virginia’s methodical 35-24 victory over the Buffaloes ended Hawkins’ hopes of matching that pick -- at least in the regular season -- before conference play even begins.

And in a microcosm, the Buffaloes’ loss Thursday night showed the faults that have been so apparent all season.

Colorado looked slow on defense as West Virginia tailback Noel Devine gashed them for 220 rushing yards.

The Buffaloes had their chances but gave up too many big plays. It’s the same formula that bewitched them in earlier prime-time losses against Colorado State and Toledo.

West Virginia had four first-half turnovers which kept them from piling up more points. The final score was made more presentable by a garbage-time touchdown by Colorado in the final moments.

And it could get a lot worse before it gets better. The Buffaloes face Texas and Kansas in the next two weeks and could be staring at a 1-5 record halfway through the season.

A blowout 70-3 loss to Texas four years ago in the Big 12 championship game was the tipping point that led to a coaching change in Colorado.

It will be interesting to see what happens if the Buffaloes endure another Texas blowout next week.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

It wasn’t the most productive first half for either West Virginia or Colorado.

But something tells me that Colorado coach Dan Hawkins won’t complain too much.

The Colorado defense has been gashed for 255 yards in the first half, but the Buffaloes are trailing the Mountaineers only 14-10 because of that same defense.

The Colorado defense has forced four West Virginia fumbles, keeping the game close despite giving up yardage by the bushel basket throughout the first half.

West Virginia’s inability to protect the ball prompted a terse remark from their coach, Bill Stewart, as he left the field at the break. But as disappointed as he might be about all the mistakes, Colorado has contributed its share as well.

Cody Hawkins has been intercepted twice and Aric Goodman misfired on two field goals.

But still, the Buffaloes have battled back after a big first drive that could have sunk them early in the game. They have shortened the game to only 30 minutes and are right there for a chance to escape with an upset.

They’ll have to do a better job of containing Noel Devine, who has gashed them for 142 rushing yards on only eight carries.

If Colorado can keep up its opportunistic ways -- as most of West Virginia’s opposition has been able to do this season -- the Buffaloes still might have a chance no matter how many yards they are allowing.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Oh, so close to perfection last week.

I came close to my first perfect week of the season, missing only on Texas Tech’s late collapse at Houston.

I’m hoping for better luck this time around with an abbreviated schedule of six games that will only feature seven Big 12 teams in action.

Here are my picks:

West Virginia 34, Colorado 17: The Mountaineers will be intent on gaining revenge for their loss last season in Boulder, along with bouncing back from their recent loss at Auburn. The Buffaloes should have Darrell Scott and Rodney Stewart close to 100 percent, although they should struggle against West Virginia’s imposing run defense. West Virginia quarterback Jarrett Brown is looking for some retribution after he was knocked out of the Auburn game after earlier contributing five turnovers. Look for the Mountaineers to try to dictate tempo by running Noel Devine (16th nationally in rushing) against a weak Colorado rush defense (103rd nationally). West Virginia has too many weapons to keep this from being very competitive.

Iowa State 27, Kansas State 24: The winner of "Farmageddon" at Arrowhead Stadium will take an early step to staying out of the Big 12 North cellar and perhaps contending for a bowl berth. Austen Arnaud has played better in recent games and Alexander Robinson's cutback style has emerged in Tom Herman’s running attack. The Cyclones will face an underrated Kansas State defense that ranks among the top 26 teams in each of the major statistical categories of rush defense, pass defense, total defense and scoring defense. In order to be successful, Arnaud will have to make some plays and stay away from turnovers. But in the end, this game will be settled in the special teams. Kansas State needs to get Brandon Banks involved and Iowa State hopes that Mike Brandtner’s directional punting keeps the Wildcats bottled up. I like Iowa State by a small margin because it has better kicking with Grant Mahoney over Josh Cherry.

Texas Tech 56, New Mexico 20: “The Dysfunctional Bowl” will feature two programs that have been featured in the headlines for reasons off the football field. New Mexico coach Mike Locksley scuffled with his assistant J.B. Gerald while Mike Leach banned Twitter usage among his players after some critical comments were made about him by players after their tough loss at Houston last week. The Red Raiders have way too much offense in this one. Taylor Potts and the Tech offense should be able to pile up the points and yards -- particularly if the Red Raiders’ running game emerges again. The weak New Mexico defense ranks 111th on the ground and 107th or worse in the other three major defensive categories. Everything will be peachy for the Red Raiders after a big win in this one.

Baylor 34, Kent State 14: It will be interesting to see how the Bears approach this game after losing quarterback Robert Griffin to a season-ending knee injury and backup Blake Szymanski’s uncertain status with a bruised shoulder. The Bears still have enough offensive weapons to win, particularly against a Kent State defense that allowed 552 yards last week, but produced five turnovers in a 29-19 victory over Miami (Ohio). I’m expecting Baylor to lean on its rushing attack keyed by Jarred Salubi and Terrance Ganaway to dictate the game for the Bears. The loss of Griffin will hurt, but Baylor still has too many weapons to worry in this one.

Texas A&M 35, Arkansas 34: Texas A&M hasn’t faced a top-notch defense and has posted some monster offensive and defensive numbers attributable to its weak competition. That won’t be the case in this one as the Aggies will face a potent Arkansas passing offense keyed by Ryan Mallett and Greg Childs. In the end, Jerrod Johnson, Ryan Tannehill and Uzoma Nwachukwu should be able to exploit a weak Arkansas pass defense that has played better teams, but still ranks 119th nationally in pass efficiency defense.

Oklahoma 24, Miami 14: The big question all week is whether we will see Sam Bradford back in the lineup. The Sooners likely don’t need him -- particularly if backup Landry Jones shows the form he employed in his record-breaking start against Tulsa. And he has a playmaking Oklahoma defense that has been responsible for 12 sacks and nine takeaways primed for the challenge. Miami is coming to the end of the nation’s toughest four-game scheduling gauntlet to start the season. Virginia Tech's defense showed some cracks in Miami's offense as Jacory Harris struggled through a miserable game. And it won’t be any easier this week when the Sooners bring one of the nation’s best defenses to Land Shark Stadium.

Last Week: 9-1 (90 percent)

Season: 35-9 (77.3 percent)

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

College Football News published an interesting list of the top 200 players in college football a couple of weeks ago.

We earlier listed the Big 12 teams and their selections.

But here's a way to introduce you to some of the better players from the nonconference teams that Big 12 teams will be facing this season.

First, the Big 12 North Division and its nonconference opponents.

And don't say we didn't warn you about some of these players.


NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS
Florida Atlantic (Sept. 5): QB Rusty Smith (No. 89)Arkansas State (Sept. 12): DE Alex Carrington (No. 97), RB Reggie Arnold (No. 124), QB Corey Leonard (No. 129)at Virginia Tech (Sept. 19): QB Tyrod Taylor (No. 93), G Sergio Render (No. 98), CB Stephan Virgil (No. 147)Louisiana-Lafayette (Sept. 26): None
KANSAS JAYHAWKS
Northern Colorado (Sept. 5): Noneat UTEP (Sept. 12): QB Trevor Vittatoe (No. 163)Duke (Sept. 19): DT Vince Oghobaase (No. 102)Southern Mississippi (Sept. 26): RB Damion Fletcher (No. 67)
MISSOURI TIGERS
Illinois (at St. Louis, Sept. 5): WR Arrelious Been (No. 25), QB Juice Williams (No. 41), LB Martez Wilson (No. 174)Bowling Green (Sept. 12): NoneFurman (Sept. 19): Noneat Nevada (Sept. 25): QB Colin Kaepernick (No. 34), DE Kevin Basped (No. 149), DE Dontay Moch (No. 167), RB Vai Taua (No. 200)

COLORADO BUFFALOES
Colorado State (Sept. 6): Noneat Toledo (Sept. 11): SS Barry Church (No. 128)Wyoming (Sept. 19): DT John Fletcher (No. 161)at West Virginia (Oct. 1): RB Noel Devine (No. 75), LB Reed Williams (No. 96), DT Scooter Berry (No. 125), QB Jarrett Brown (No. 140)
KANSAS STATE WILDCATS
Massachusetts (Sept. 5): NoneLouisiana-Lafayette (Sept. 12): NoneUCLA (Sept. 19): DT Brian Price (No. 21), CB Alterraun Verner (No. 83), LB Reggie Carter (No. 107)Tennessee Tech (Sept. 26): None.
IOWA STATE CYCLONES
North Dakota State (Sept. 3): NoneIowa (Sept. 12): T Bryan Bulaga (No. 80), LB Pat Angerer (No. 177)at Kent State (Sept. 19): RB Eugene Jarvis (No. 94)Army (Sept. 26): None
Coming Thursday: The South Division and its nonconference opponents.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Colorado's defense had been rocked and knocked back on its collective heels early in its most recent game against Eastern Washington.

Despite those struggles against an FCS opponent, Colorado DT George Hypolite's confidence never wavered. He knew his unit would come back, loudly proclaiming to anyone who would listen that the Buffaloes' defense would eventually provide the difference in the game.

"Even after those early struggles, we had to have a short memory," Hypolite said. "I told everybody on the bench that we were coming back and making a play to win us the game. Fortunately, Cha'pelle was listening."

Undersized CB Cha'pelle Brown made Hypolite sound like a prophet. His 27-yard interception return for a touchdown with 1:44 left enabled the Buffaloes to escape with a 31-24 victory over the plucky Eagles, allowing Colorado to avoid the ignominy of losing two straight games against FCS opponents in three seasons.

Those struggles against the Eagles wouldn't appear to bode well before Colorado's game Thursday night against West Virginia and talented multi-faceted QB Pat White. But Hypolite is ready for the challenge and excited about improvements the Colorado defense has made during a bye week to prepare for the Mountaineers.

"This is one of those games you dream about playing," Hypolite said. "Everybody in the country will be watching. It's the only game on. If you make big plays, you're going to be getting text messages from your friends around the country for the next few days. I'm excited about it."

White has his own struggles. The Mountaineers managed only 251 yards and converted only three of 12 third-down plays in a loss to East Carolina two weeks ago. And the Mountaineers will be matched against a Colorado defense that is permitting only 59 yards rushing per game (11th nationally) and hasn't allowed an opposing back to rush for 100 yards since 2004.

The Mountaineers will be running the same spread-option attack that has helped them to three straight bowl victories and a combined 34-6 record in the last three-plus seasons. The Mountaineers have ranked fourth, second and 18th nationally in rushing from 2005-07.

"It's not really the offense, but just the players they have," Hypolite said. "Pat White and Noel Devine really make it difficult on a defense. You can do a great job on them for most of a game and then they can jump on you for three or four plays. And it's really difficult because we don't see a lot of spread option offenses in this part of the country."

Colorado coach Dan Hawkins said that containing White will rank among the most difficult challenges his team will face this season.

"He's as fast, if not faster than anybody in our conference," Hawkins said. "He can throw it and he's definitely a dual-threat guy. If you look at their game against Oklahoma last year, he had some huge throwing plays. I don't know if we've seen anybody who runs like him. You're talking about him being one of the best players in the country."

The challenge in the secondary will fall to Brown, who has been tested by bigger competitors most of his career.

"People have always questioned me because of my height," the 5-foot-7 Brown said. "But that doesn't matter -- as a defensive back we want to prove ourselves. I've played with a chip on my shoulder my entire career because of that."

That attitude has permeated the Colorado defense, which has similarly disproved naysayers in the first two games of the season.

"We knew going into the season that we were inexperienced and didn't have much depth," Hypolite said. "We knew we would play like a young team at times. But against Eastern Washington, we dug deep and exhibited a lot of resiliency. That shows a lot about this team and our character."