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I can guarantee your Halloween costume wasn't better than this.

• How did Kevin Durant end up at a flag football game on Oklahoma State's intramural field? Anthony Slater of the Daily O'Collegian caught up with the man who made it happen. Some sweet photos of the event here. A solid video here, too.
• So much for a short timeline on Mizzou to the SEC. Chancellor Brady Deaton isn't headed to India today as planned.
• A move to the SEC means an examination of whether Missouri is a Southern state, writes Alison Matas of the Columbia Missourian. Story complete with quotes from one of my favorite professors from back at Mizzou, resident sociologist/snake hunter Wayne Brekhus.
• Texas A&M endured a rough loss Saturday, but coach Mike Sherman says there's no time to wallow, writes Brent Zwerneman of the San Antonio Express-News.
• Oklahoma will unveil a statue of Barry Switzer on Saturday. The Sooners will likely get two big starters back, and running back Dominique Whaley will be placed on scholarship.
• Don't look now, but Texas is a win away from getting back to a bowl game, writes Randy Riggs of the Austin American-Statesman.
• Texas Tech may be starting a former wide receiver at cornerback for the first time on Saturday. Interesting.
• Who helped Oklahoma State build a defensive reputation for forcing turnovers? None other than Pete Carroll, writes Gina Mizell of The Oklahoman.
• Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star tracks the progress of Missouri corner E.J. Gaines.
• There's more on the line than you might think in Saturday's game between Iowa State and Kansas, writes Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World.

No worries, Aggie fans. The A&M coverage is coming. Yes, I was actually in College Station on April 1. No, it was not an April Fool's joke.

• Iowa State mic'd up defensive tackles coach Shane Burnham during a practice last week. Here's video of that experiment.

• Wisconsin is trying to secure a future home-and-home with Nebraska or Notre Dame, tweeted Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema.

• But Rich Kaipust at the Omaha World-Herald looks at a couple road blocks that might prevent the series from happening.

• Don Williams at the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal catches up with a couple of the four juniors who committed to the Red Raiders on a recent junior day.
• A new bowl game at the Cotton Bowl is coming together, and the Big 12 could be in on the action, writes Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News.

• Seahawks coach Pete Carroll shares a few thoughts on his visit to Austin last week for the Longhorns' Pro Day.

• Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star examines the fluctuating physique of Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

• The emphasis for Kansas State this spring is on finishing, writes Joshua Kinder of the Manhattan Mercury.

• Whoops. Remember San Antonio DT Quincy Russell from yesterday? Texas' latest commit? Not so fast, my friend.

• Matt Hinton at Yahoo! Sports takes a long look at one of his stars for next year, Texas A&M running back Christine Michael.

• Russ Lande of The Sporting News sees the first six picks in his latest mock draft coming from the Big 12.

• Oklahoma LT Eric Mensik suffered an MCL injury and will miss the remainder of the spring.

Every football fan has a different definition of what makes a game great. Some fans might prefer defensive struggles. Other enjoy torrents of points.

The Big 12 has provided a few of latter -- and more -- over the last decade with some of the most entertaining games in recent college football history.

Here are my favorite 10 games of the past decade. There are 10 to 15 other games that legitimately could have been included on this list.

1. Texas 41, USC 38 (Jan. 1, 2006): The Longhorns claimed the 2005 national title with a dramatic comeback capped by Vince Young’s game-winning 8-yard TD run with 19 seconds left. Michael Huff’s critical fourth-down stop of LenDale White set the stage on the preceding drive. And many observers still think that Pete Carroll could have gone for a game-tying field goal attempt on the final play of the game if he hadn't squandered a timeout before a two-point try after Young's TD run.

2. Texas Tech 39, Texas 33 (Nov. 1, 2008): Michael Crabtree’s 28-yard touchdown reception from Graham Harrell with one second remaining capped the wildest victory in Tech history -- made even more improbable after Blake Gideon dropped an interception on the play before Crabtree’s game-winning touchdown.

3. Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42 (Jan. 1, 2007): The Broncos won the 2007 Fiesta Bowl by fooling Bob Stoops’ team with three gadget plays: a game-tying hook and ladder play in regulation, an option pass from wide receiver Vinny Perretta to Derek Schouman in overtime to pull within one point and a game-winning two-point conversion by Ian Johnson on a Statue of Liberty play. Johnson proposed to his girlfriend, Chrissy Popadics, on the field after the play. After all the excitement, of course, she accepted.

4. Oklahoma State 49, Texas Tech 45 (Sept. 22, 2007): This classic offensive battle produced 62 first downs and 1,328 yards and wasn’t settled until Michael Crabtree dropped a potential game-winning touchdown pass in the end zone in the final minute of play. And we all still remember it more for the fireworks in the press conferences with Mike Leach and Mike Gundy than for what happened on the field, don’t we?

5. Oklahoma 35, Texas A&M 31 (Nov. 11, 2000): Torrance Marshall’s game-winning 41-yard interception return with 7:42 left enabled the Sooners to continue their charge to the 2000 national championship. Oklahoma overcame an 11-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter and a 10-point hole with less than 9 minutes remaining. Marshall’s heroics gave the Sooners the lead and the Oklahoma defense did the rest, turning away the Aggies twice deep in Oklahoma territory late in the game.

6. Kansas 40, Missouri 37 (Nov. 29, 2008): Four lead changes in the final 6:52 made this game memorable, even though Missouri had already clinched the North title coming into the game. Todd Reesing and Kerry Meier hooked up five times on the game-winning drive, capped by a 26-yard touchdown pass with 27 seconds left. Missouri had one last hope, but Jeff Wolfert’s 54-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the game was partially blocked by Phillip Strozier.

7. Texas 13, Nebraska 12 (Dec. 5, 2009) : In a conference that made its national reputation with wild offensive battles, it was refreshing to see a defensive struggle in the 2009 Big 12 title game. Nebraska, keyed by a ferocious defense that forced three interceptions and sacked Colt McCoy nine times, appeared to have taken control on a 42-yard field goal by Alex Henery with 1:44 left. Ndamukong Suh sacked McCoy a championship-game record 4.5 times. But McCoy withstood the rush and drove the Longhorns for the game-winning field goal after a controversial officiating decision put extra time back on the clock after it appeared the Longhorns had squandered their chance to win. Hunter Lawrence’s 46-yard field goal as time expired gave Texas the victory.

8. Texas 56, Oklahoma State 35 (Nov. 6, 2004): The Longhorns were in a 35-7 hole late in the second quarter before Vince Young hooked up on a 4-yard TD pass to Bo Scaife shortly before halftime. That opened the floodgates, as the Longhorns scored touchdowns on six straight drives. Cedric Benson rushed for 141 yards and five touchdowns and Vince Young rushed for 123 yards and completed 12 straight passes at one point en route to a then career-high 278 passing yards. The Longhorns piled up 600 yards of total offense in the wild comeback, outgaining the Cowboys 266-to-minus-5 in the third quarter of the comeback.

9. Nebraska 40, Colorado 31 (Nov. 28, 2008): Alex Henery’s school-record 57-yard field goal with 1:43 left gave the Cornhuskers the lead for good in this classic that Colorado needed to win to qualify for a bowl game. And Ndamukong Suh foreshadowed his monster season to come by icing the victory with a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown with 55 seconds left.

10. Baylor 35, Texas A&M 34 (Oct. 30, 2004): The Bears had been waiting for a long time for a chance to beat Texas A&M -- particularly after losing 73-10 to the Aggies in College Station the previous season. So it was understandable that Guy Morriss didn’t hesitate to go for the win after pulling within one point in overtime on Shawn Bell’s pass to Dominique Ziegler. Bell and Ziegler then hooked up again for the two-point conversion, snapping an 18-game winless streak to the Aggies.

I received a slew of comments about some of my early choices for my All-Decade teams across the conference. Hopefully, that will prove as popular during the rest of the week for the rest of the Big 12 teams as they are released.

Here's a representative example of some of the other missives I've received over the last few days.

Mike Heuertz of Iowa writes: Tim, even with Ndamukong Suh leaving Nebraska, as well as a couple other key defensive players, do you think the Blackshirts will be better next season? And what do you think Nebraska's record will be?

Tim Griffin: I talked with several Nebraska fans during my swing through the state last week who seemed almost giddy about the Cornhuskers’ chances next season.

That being said, the loss of Suh will be huge. I think he can be considered the arguably greatest defensive player in the history of the program. The Cornhuskers also will lose Barry Turner, Phillip Dillard, Larry Asante and the heart, grit and talent provided by Matt O’Hanlon.

Now I can see players like Prince Amukamara, Will Compton, Sean Fisher and Jared Crick getting a lot better gaining experience playing Bo Pelini’s defense. But it might be a little wishful thinking to hope for much improvement from this season -- considering the Cornhuskers’ big defensive personnel losses.

As far as their record, I would expect them to be one of the powers of the Big 12. They have a tricky game at Washington which will earn them a lot of national notoriety if they can win. Texas will be coming to Lincoln, as will Colorado and Missouri. A road game at Oklahoma State doesn’t look as daunting as it could be with the Cowboys breaking in a new quarterback. But an underrated challenge for the Cornhuskers might wait at Texas A&M with Jerrod Johnson and all of A&M’s strong returning offensive weapons back for next season.

Looking at that schedule, I’ll pick the Cornhuskers to go 10-2 and finish as the Big 12 North champion. Considering their returning talent and their schedule, I think that’s a relatively conservative pick.

But as far as next year's team being better than the 2009 version of the Blackshirts, that might be wishing for a little bit much -- even for the Pelinis.

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Chris Henson from Salt Lake City, Utah, writes: Tim, a quick addition to the Texas A&M-Oklahoma State tidbit. The Red, White, and Blue Out in 2001 was organized by a group of students first and foremost as a fundraiser for the victims of 9/11. I appreciate you noting this event as it really shows what Texas A&M is all about.

Tim Griffin: Chris, thanks for the clarification. Like you wrote, it was truly an emotional event. There’s a picture of the stadium that is still hung in the press box at Kyle Field of the stadium bedecked for that game. It still gives me goose bumps when I see it.

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Travis from Seattle writes: Tim, the players of the decade category has created quite a stir, with many saying, "...well how could X player be off the list." For the most part I agree with your list if you look at it being, who were great players, AND who did the most to influence their team's success, (thus why Graham Harrell is off, being a plug-and-play quarterback in that system although he did do a fine job).

But I propose a different category. Who were the best ATHLETES of the decade? And how about the best competitors, the ones who did everything to try to win. What are your thoughts?

Tim Griffin: You raise a good point about my list earlier being an all-around grouping of all qualities. As far as the best athletes of the decade in the Big 12 from the last decade, in no specific order I would include Ndamukong Suh, Eric Crouch, Robert Griffin, Chris Brown, Vince Young, Seneca Wallace, Dez Bryant, Dezmon Briscoe, Darren Sproles, Danario Alexander (before and after his injury), Brad Smith, Jeremy Maclin, Adrian Peterson, Brian Orakpo, Michael Huff, Earl Thomas, Reggie McNeal, Robert Ferguson, Sammy Davis and Michael Crabtree.

And among the top competitors I’ve seen include Stephen McGee, Crabtree, Colt McCoy, Roy Miller, Joe Pawelek, Jordan Lake, George Hypolite, Todd Reesing, Chase Daniel, Sean Weatherspoon, Matt O’Hanlon, Suh, Josh Fields, Brian Iwuh, Darrell Stuckey, Steven Sheffield, Wes Welker and Kliff Kingsbury. There are many others, but those are just some of the names that come to me off the top of my head. And the fact that Suh and Crabtree made both of those lists is pretty indicative of how exceptional they really were.

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Fred Dodge of Annapolis, Md., writes: Tim, in reference to your top 10 jobs in college football. You have a good list, BUT the one caveat that I think goes with this list or any list is context. Most of these are still the "right-guy-for-the-right-place" jobs -- as are coaches. Being a Husker, I lean toward Bo Pelini and Nebraska as my first examples. Bo would not be a good fit for many of these jobs...I just can't see Bo fitting at USC or Florida for example; but I also can't see Lane Kiffin or Pete Carroll being successful in Lincoln. And in my opinion there are only a few guys who can shape a program around their personality. Nick Saban could coach anywhere, Urban Meyer probably could, and Jim Tressel could in most places. But I have a difficult time seeing Mack Brown outside the southeast or southwest and Bo Pelini outside the midwest. All of these guys could still coach, but I think they would struggle in fan support -- and so they would also in recruiting.

Tim Griffin: You make an interesting point, although I think that Pelini would work in more places than you might suspect. He’s a dyed-in-the-wool football coach and would succeed at most traditional powers, although I think his style best suits him at Nebraska. But I could see him being successful in the Southeastern Conference, in the Big Ten or even at Notre Dame. Anywhere they have a deep appreciation for football, I can see Pelini working out.

I think coaches like Bob Stoops, Saban, Meyer and Tressel would work most places. I also think you might include some underrated coaches out there like Mike Riley of Oregon State, Gary Patterson of TCU, Jeff Tedford of California and Chris Peterson of Boise State would be adaptable at almost any job in the country. But it does seem that the smart coaches are the ones who pick places where they are comfortable and have the best chance for success.

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Kyle Zander of Fort Hood, Texas, writes: Will Chris Whaley and Desean Hales get playing time for Texas in 2010? I played against Hales in high school and the kid is the real deal, Texas needs to get him involved as soon as possible. And Whaley could help, too.

Tim Griffin: Texas needs to find some help for its running game. Whaley was hurt when he reported to practice last summer and never regained his form. If he’s willing to rededicate himself, there likely is a chance for him to earn some playing time this spring. He needs to have a big spring to get there.

Sales is in a similar situation. The Longhorns have wide receiving talent in players like senior-to-be John Chiles and James Kirkendoll. Malcolm Williams is a big strong receiver who will emerge in coming seasons and should be the team’s featured receiver in 2010. But there are catches – plenty of them -- available for Hales if he can force himself into the mix.

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Brett Stamm from Keller, Texas, writes: Tim, love the blog! Keep up the good work! Has Mike Sherman, or will Mike Sherman, or why will Mike Sherman not, consider Dat Nguyen for defensive coordinator? Talk about a guy who has done an outstanding job in his current position and would bring some instant credibility with players and recruits in a program that has pretty much let a proud defensive tradition die with questionable and mediocre hires. This is a guy who was the face of and exemplified the "Wrecking Crew" tradition for four years! Your thoughts?

Tim Griffin: Brett, Dat Nguyen has been a key member of Wade Phillips’ staff as an assistant linebacker coach and defensive quality control assistant with the Dallas Cowboys. But I would suspect that Sherman probably would like for Nguyen to have a little more seasoning and experience calling defenses before he would give him the responsibility of serving as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator.

In a way, Nguyen reminds me a little of Major Applewhite as they develop in their coaching careers. It won’t surprise me if both become successful coordinators and eventually outstanding head coaches. But they need more experience to get there.

Nguyen seems like a natural to join the A&M coaching staff in the future. But I think it might be a stretch to see him as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator at this stage of his career.

That’s all the time I have for today. Thanks again for all of the good questions and keep the letters and e-mails coming. I’ll check back again on Friday.

I’ve been intrigued by all the commentary in recent days about Lane Kiffin’s move from Tennessee to USC.

Fans and pundits have castigated Kiffin about his move to a job that has to rank among the top 10 in college football -- even after some of the Trojans’ pending dealings with the NCAA.

Soon thereafter, Texas assistant coach Will Muschamp was thrown into the conversation as a potential replacement for Kiffin at Tennessee. Muschamp, who is the coach-in-waiting at Texas, apparently had the chance to make an unprecedented salary for a first-time college football coach if had decided to lead the Volunteers.

Muschamp opted to stay in Texas, which I believe was a wise choice. The promise of the Longhorns’ top job, even if he has to wait on Mack Brown’s retirement for several seasons, is still is better than the Tennessee job will ever be.

And who can blame Kiffin for trading the life at Tennessee for the glitz and glitter of living in southern California? It seems like an easy choice, particularly because the USC program is a better job.

While I was talking with Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini last night, we started ticking off an informal list of the best jobs in college football. Here’s my list of the 10 most attractive head coaching positions in college football. Three of them are in the Big 12.

1. Texas: It’s got it all -- facilities, support, tradition and located within a rich recruiting base. Mack Brown has made this the nation’s best job. Muschamp would be crazy to skedaddle to Rocky Top and leave this behind.

2. Florida: Recruiting might be better than Texas and the location provides a beach lifestyle. The only trouble with this job, compared to Texas, is that Florida’s place in the SEC is a little more tenuous than Texas’ place in the Big 12.

3. Ohio State: Tradition, facilities and an unmatched place in the pecking order of the Big Ten. Some coaches would love the weather in Columbus, while snowbirds might see it lacking compared to places like those at the top..

4. USC: “Tailback U” has returned to the top thanks to Pete Carroll’s transformation. This is the football team for a southern California without an NFL franchise.

5. Alabama: Still wondering why Dennis Franchione left Alabama for Texas A&M. Another stadium expansion after this season’s national championship has made this a job that Nick Saban would willingly leave one of the NFL’s flagship franchises to return to. Considering his college allegiance, he’s a smart man.

6. Oklahoma: Bob Stoops might have the best setup in coaching considering he’s working for Joe Castiglione and David Boren. Recruiting will always be a matter of plucking Texas players and Stoops has done a marvelous job at that over the years.

7. Penn State: It will be interesting to see who follows Joe Paterno when he finally decides to hang up his whistle. This is one of the Big Ten’s best jobs with facilities and history to match. It might be daunting to follow Paterno, however.

8. Notre Dame: Still has the attention of NBC and the tradition of college football’s most storied program. Can they find the right coach to return Notre Dame to its place of dominance?

9. LSU: There’s a reason why Les Miles decided to stay here rather than pursue the Michigan job. Rabid talent base and SEC television money make this one special. And you can eat good crawfish any time you want.

10. Nebraska: The only drawback for this job is its lack of a fertile home recruiting area. But other than that, this job has got it all including one of the nation’s most knowledgeable fan bases. It’s the biggest unifier for the entire state as college football is clearly king here.

I would have a few other jobs like Georgia, Tennessee, Oregon, UCLA and Florida State ranked just below these top jobs. Texas A&M would be in my top 20. Oklahoma State -- as long as Boone Pickens is financially priming the pump -- would be in my top 30.

I’m curious what the readers might think in terms of a top 10 of destination coaching jobs? Please feel free to provide your rationale to back up your assertions.

We're coming down to the finish for recruiting season and Big 12 coaches are scrambling to fill their staffs.

In short, it's not a dead time around the Big 12, even though the season ended last week.

Here are some of the stories people are talking about around the conference.

• The Austin American-Statesman’s Kirk Bohls opines on Tommy Tuberville, Jordan Shipley and C.J. Mosley’s act of throwing down a Longhorn hat to pick Alabama at the Army All-America game in his marvelous nine things and one crazy prediction about college football.
• Texas A&M will interview Air Force defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter later this week for the Aggies’ vacant defensive coordinator position, the San Antonio Express-News’ Brent Zwerneman reports.
• Tommy Tuberville’s first act at Texas Tech will be to reunite the Red Raiders’ fractured fan base, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams reports. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal sports editor Courtney Linehan writes that Tech might have found the anti-Leach in Tuberville. But the Huntsville Times’ Bill Bryant wonders if the Red Raiders misfired by hiring Tuberville.
• The Orange County Register’s Jeff Miller ranks Mike Leach as the worst potential replacement for Pete Carroll at USC.
• Tulsa television station TUL reports that Dez Bryant has hired Eugene Parker as his agent. Parker also represented former NFL All-Pro Deion Sanders, who helped get Bryant into trouble with the NCAA earlier this season.
• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Tony Barnhart writes that witnessing Colt McCoy watch most of the national championship game from the sidelines was one of his saddest memories from the past season.
• Oklahoma State is losing recruiting traction in Georgia, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Michael Carvell reports.
• Texas and Nebraska are projected by the Omaha World-Herald's Dirk Chatelain as among the top 10 programs of the upcoming decade.
• Colorado is tied for 99th with Indiana among the College Football News’ final rankings -- lowest of any Big 12 team.
• Nebraska is back in the hunt for Owamagbe Odighizuwa, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive end prospect from Portland, Ore. -- the hometown of Ndamukong Suh. The Cornhuskers are challenging Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA and USC for Odighizuwa, the Lincoln Journal Star’s Brian Christopherson reports.

PASADENA, Calif. -- Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp looks loose and relaxed as some of his team has taken the field for early drills.

For several minutes, Muschamp stopped to talk to USC coach Pete Carroll, who is chatting up familiar coaches on both staffs.

Alabama coach Nick Saban took the field several minutes later, wearing a coat and tie as he was surrounded by two Alabama state troopers wearing their full regalia.

The Longhorns will be wearing their white uniforms tonight. It's the same uniform combination they wore in their previous Rose Bowl victories over Michigan in 2005 and USC in the 2006 BCS title game.

Bowl preparations and talks about conferences raiding other conferences for new members.

Almost puts you out of the Christmas spirit, doesn't it?

Maybe these piping hot links will bring back some holiday memories from your childhood.

Or at least give you something to read with your lunch this afternoon.

Feliz Navidad.

• The Lincoln Journal-Star’s Steve Sipple expects for Bo Pelini to have a hand in offensive changes that will result in a more “downhill” running attack for the Cornhuskers.
• Oklahoma has targeted massive 6-foot-6, 247-pound quarterback Cameron Newton of Blinn College among its top recruits, John Hoover of the Tulsa World reports.
• Charles Barkley tells the Birmingham News’ Kevin Scarbinsky he still thinks Auburn should have hired Turner Gill when it had the chance.
• The Kansas City Star’s Blair Kerkhoff writes about Turner Gill emphasizing hiring assistants with winning backgrounds.
• Walk-on Gerry Acevedo has become a special-teams terror for Texas Tech, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal's Don Williams writes.
• The Bryan Eagle's Robert Cessna explains why Texas A&M's game next Oct. 23 against Kansas has gotten much more interesting.
• The Omaha World Herald’s Tom Shatel writes that hiring Turner Gill will provide an image makeover for the Kansas program that will make football more palatable for discriminating Jayhawk fans.
• The Sporting News' All-America team is highlighted by three Texas players, including Colt McCoy, Jordan Shipley and Sergio Kindle. Other Big 12 first-team selections include Russell Okung, Von Miller, Gerald McCoy, Ndamukong Suh and Perrish Cox.
• The College Football News’ Matthew Zemek ranks Bob Stoops as his second-best coach of the decade -- behind only Pete Carroll.
• The Tulsa World’s Bill Haisten reports that Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson’s sprained right ankle has not responded well to treatment and remains an area of concern before the Cowboys’ Jan. 2 Cotton Bowl game against Mississippi.
• Mister Jones’ decommitment from Colorado and other recent recruiting losses for Colorado are analyzed by the Boulder Daily Camera’s Ryan Thorburn.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

USA Today produced its annual report on coaching salaries this week. There were several intriguing nuggets that were present for the Big 12's head coaches in the study.

The Big 12 has five of the 17 highest-paid coaches in college football. Oklahoma's Bob Stoops is second at $4.303 million for this season, trailing only USC's Pete Carroll at $4,386,652.

At the bottom of the Big 12 list is Iowa State's Paul Rhoads, who arguably has done as well as any Big 12 coach considering where his Cyclones are at today. ISU needs only one victory in their last two games to make their first bowl trip since 2005. For that performance, Rhoads is making $950,000.

Here's a list of the Big 12 coaches and their salaries in order, according to USA Today.

1. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma: $4, 303,000 (base $1,350,000) -- record: 5-4. National salary rank, 2.

2. Mack Brown, Texas: $3,060,500 (base $1, 540,000) -- record: 9-0. National salary rank, 8.

3. Mike Leach, Texas Tech: $2,700,000 (base $1,100,000) -- record: 6-3. National salary rank, 12.

4. Gary Pinkel, Missouri: $2,525,000 (base $575,000) -- record: 5-4. National salary rank, 13.

5. Mark Mangino, Kansas: $2,303,500 (base $529,000) -- record: 5-4. National salary rank, 17.

6. Bo Pelini, Nebraska: $1,852,000 (base unknown) -- record: 6-3. National salary rank, 27.

7. Bill Snyder, Kansas State: $1,850,000 (base $1,541,667) -- record: 6-4. National salary rank, 28.

8. Mike Sherman, Texas A&M: $1,801,651 (base $500,001) -- record: 5-4. National salary rank, 31.

9. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State: $1,800,000 (base $375,000) -- record: 7-2. National salary rank, tied for 32.

10. Dan Hawkins, Colorado: $1,000, 570 (base $174,720) -- record: 3-6. National salary rank, 55.

11. Paul Rhoads, Iowa State: $950,000 (base $250,000) -- record: 5-5. National salary rank, tied for 59.

12. Art Briles, Baylor: $943,830 (base unavailable) -- record: 4-5. National salary rank, 61.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Here's one from "I remember you" department.

Former Nebraska kicker Jordan Congdon has won the starting kicker job for USC heading into the Trojans' Sept. 5 opener against San Jose State.

Congdon was Nebraska's regular kicker in 2005 and 2006. He earned freshman All-American honors in 2005 when he converted 19 of 23 field goals and 31 of 32 extra points.

"I thought Jordan separated a little bit here in his numbers," USC coach Pete Carroll told reporters when making his announcement. "We kept track of everything they did -- the timing, all that stuff, and Jordan finished with considerably better numbers."

His playing time diminished the following season, when he converted only five field goals and scored 70 points.

His move to USC was triggered by "family issues," according to an announcement at the time of his departure. He's now closer to his San Diego, Calif., home, as he serves as a walk-on kicker for the Trojans.

Congdon had a huge kick late in the 2005 season for Nebraska that helped spark a late-season victory over Kansas State and helped boost them into the Alamo Bowl. Momentum from that late-season surge helped boost the Cornhuskers to the 2006 Big 12 North title -- their most recent division championship.

But in that season, the Cornhuskers only attempted seven field goals -- all by Congdon. I've always wondered if that lack of work convinced him that other locales would be attractive.

Three years later, he's playing at one of the nation's most prestigious programs at USC.

But the Cornhuskers aren't complaining about their kicker, either. Alex Henery could develop into one of the greatest kickers in school history if he keeps building on last season's memorable achievements.

It appears to be a happy ending in both cases.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

We all know that Bob Stoops' nickname is "Big Game Bob." 

But the question is, how big do sports fans really feel Stoops is?

SportsNation is ranking 20 coaches in terms of their power at this link. Among those on the list are Stoops, Texas football coach Mack Brown and Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self.

As of 10:30 a.m. ET, Stoops is ranked ninth in the poll, Brown is 11th and Self 18th among those coaches who have been included.

Stoops is ranked sixth among the football coaches and Brown is seventh. They trail, in order: USC's Pete Carroll (second), Florida's Urban Meyer (third), Penn State's Joe Paterno (fourth), Florida State's Bobby Bowden (seventh) and Alabama's Nick Saban (eighth).

Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski ranks at the top of the poll, which has received 2,186 votes up to this time.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Monday's announcement that Florida coach Urban Meyer has become the newest member of the exclusive $4 million-a-year club has pushed Bob Stoops down a notch on the list of the nation's highest-paid college football coaches.

The Orlando Sentinel had an interesting series on financing in college sports last week. One of the items they had was a list of salaries of all of the FBS head coaches ranked from 1 through 120.

Monday's announcement boosts Meyer into third place, trailing only USC's Pete Carroll ($4.4 million per year) and Notre Dame's Charlie Weis ($4.2 million per year). Alabama's Nick Saban is fourth at $3.9 million per year, LSU's Les Miles at fifth at $3.8 million and Stoops at sixth with a base contract for the 2009 season of $3.675 million after his most-recent contract extension with the school in June.

And that's not even including the "stay bonus" designed to keep Stoops at Oklahoma. If those are achieved, Stoops' deal will pay him more than $30 million through the end of 2015.

Here's a list of the annual salaries of the Big 12 coaches and where they rank, according to the figures provided by the Sentinel.

6. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma, $3.675 million
9. Mack Brown, Texas, $2.91 million
T12. Gary Pinkel, Missouri, $2.5 million
T16. Mark Mangino, Kansas, $2.3 million
25. Bo Pelini, Nebraska, $1.851 million
T28. Mike Sherman, Texas A&M, $1.8 million
T28. Art Briles, Baylor, $1.8 million
T32. Mike Leach, Texas Tech, $1.75 million
T53. Paul Rhoads, Iowa State, $1.15 million
T55. Dan Hawkins, Colorado, $1.1 million
T55. Bill Snyder, Kansas State, $1.1 million
64. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State, $1.05 million

The list actually has been revised after news surfaced last week that Gundy finally signed his contract that was agreed to last December. Gundy's new deal provides him with a base salary of $1.8 million, the Tulsa World reports. That figure would enable the Oklahoma State coach to crack the top 30 highest-paid coaches in the country.

The Big 12 also has an interesting connection that proves it should be considered among the ultimate "big boy" football conferences across the nation.

Along with the ACC and the SEC, all Big 12 head coaches earn at least $1 million per year.

It's nice work if you can get it.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Title-game clash of the titans remains the Big 12's game for the ages 

Date: Jan. 4, 2006
Place: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
Score: Texas 41, USC 38

After sorting through the moments that have made the Big 12's history so rich, the most memorable one was easy for me to pick.

	Mark J. Rebilas/US Presswire
	Vince Young threw for 267 yards and ran for 200 more.

All I had to do was think back to the greatest championship game in any sport that I've ever seen.

Admittedly, those are some strong words. But anybody who witnessed Vince Young's game-winning performance that night at the Rose Bowl against No. 1 USC would have to agree.

Young accounted for a Rose Bowl-record 467 yards, running for 200 yards and passing for 267 more. His 8-yard touchdown run with only 19 seconds left brought home the first undisputed national championship to Texas in 36 years, capping a wild 41-38 victory.

And making it even sweeter for the Longhorns, the victory  snapped the 34-game winning streak of a team that was judged as the greatest modern dynasty in recent college football history. USC had two Heisman Trophy winners in its starting backfield in Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush and scads of NFL-quality talent.

The game that preceded Young's late heroics only made the ending that much more unforgettable.

The Trojans and Longhorns combined for 60 first downs, 1,130 yards of total offense and only four punts. But in the end, a defensive play was the most pivotal in the game. 

USC was poised to wrap up the game, nursing a 38-33 lead. On a fourth-and-2 from his own 45-yard line, USC coach Pete Carroll gambled and tried to deliver a kill shot by calling a dive play by LenDale White.

But White was turned away inches short of the first down when he was met by Texas safety Michael Huff and defensive tackle Rod Wright among others.

That provided the opening for Texas' game-winning drive that started with 2:09 left. The Longhorns received a big break when USC defensive back Darnell Bing was flagged for a face-mask penalty after tackling Quan Cosby five yards short of a first down on third-and-12, giving Texas a first down.

Young then accounted for the next 33 yards on runs and passes to give the Longhorns a first down at the USC 13 with 50 seconds left. But after a 5-yard run sandwiched around two incomplete passes intended for Limas Sweed, the Longhorns were looking at a fourth-and-5 from the Trojan 8.

The Trojans gambled with a determined blitz, but Young scooted past them. And thanks to a crunching block from Texas right tackle Justin Blaylock, Young sped toward the right end zone in a serpentine path to the game-winning touchdown.

After Young converted a two-point play, USC had one more chance. Leinart and Bush hooked up on a 27-yard pass that pushed the ball to the Texas 42 for the final play. But Leinart's pass intended for Dwayne Jarrett sailed over his head at the Texas 25 to preserve the wild victory.

USC seemingly moved the ball at will early in the game, piling up a Rose Bowl-record 574 yards in the game. The Trojans struck first barely 2 minutes into the game on a 4-yard touchdown run by White to cap a 46-yard drive.

They were poised to score again when Bush snagged a 37-yard screen pass from Leinart on the second play of the second quarter. But the Heisman Trophy winner inexplicably attempted a sideways pitch to unprepared teammate Brad Walker. Huff fell on the loose ball and the Longhorns took control for the rest of the half.

Texas erupted for 16 straight points, scoring on its next three drives.

The binge started with a 46-yard field goal by David Pino, followed by a 10-yard option touchdown keeper by Young on a disputed play where his knee appeared to hit the ground. And Ramonce Taylor's 30-yard touchdown run extended the lead to 16-7 with 2:34 left in the half.

USC pulled within 16-10 on Mario Danelo's 43-yard field goal with two seconds left in the half. It was the fourth time during the season the Trojans trailed at the break.

A 3-yard scoring run by White enabled USC to reclaim the lead, capping a 62-yard scoring drive after Texas had been forced to punt to start the fourth quarter. But Young responded with a 14-yard touchdown run barely two minutes later to boost Texas back ahead at 23-17.

White's 12-yard scoring run boosted the Trojans back into a 24-23 lead after three quarters.

The Trojans' star power then took over. Bush raced on a spectacular 26-yard touchdown run, punctuated by a somersault in the end zone to boost the Trojans lead to eight with 11:19 left.

And after Pino added 34-yard field goal with 8:46 on the ensuing possession, USC's big-play offense struck again. Leinart whistled a 22-yard touchdown strike to Jarrett with 6:42 left to boost the Trojans' lead to 38-26, capping a four-play, 80-yard drive.

But Young was only getting started. He completed 5 of 6 passes and rushed twice for 25 yards on the next drive, capping the possession with a 17-yard scoring scamper that pulled Texas within 38-33 with 4:26 left.

And after his game-winning drive, the excitement from that ending still resonates to that day.

They said it, part I: "We never, ever, really thought we'd lose the ballgame," Texas coach Mack Brown, after his team's dramatic comeback.

They said it, part II: "You couldn't ask for anything better. This was a great football game. We gave our hearts, they gave their hearts and they came out on top." USC quarterback Matt Leinart on the disappointment of losing his final college game.

They said it, part III: "We couldn't stop them when we had to. Their quarterback ran all over the place. This is their night. It was wonderful doing what we've been doing. But we just didn't get it done tonight," USC coach Pete Carroll, on the end of the Trojans' 34-game winning streak.

They said it, part IV: "I still think we're a better football team. They just made the plays in the end." Leinart on Texas' late comeback.

They said it, part V: "The quarterback just ran all over the place. He's a fantastic player. He was the difference. And how classic was it that he ran it in on the last play?" Carroll on Vince Young's late heroics.

They said it, part VI: "Everybody showed so much heart on both sides of the ball. I said all week that it would come down to the last play of the game and it did," Texas quarterback Vince Young on his late-game heroics.

They said it, part VII: "We have Vince Young on the show tonight. We were able to do something USC couldn't do, we grabbed him," Tonight Show host Jay Leno, in his monologue  when Young appeared on his show several days after the game.

Factoids: Texas' conquest marked the second Rose Bowl comeback in as many years by Young, who orchestrated a 38-37 triumph over Michigan to account for Texas' first BCS bowl victory the previous season ... Bush accounted for 82 rushing yards and grabbed six passes for 95 yards ... Leinart completed 29 of 40 passes for 365 yards with one interception and was sacked three times ... Young was
30-of-40 passing for 267 yards ... Michael Huff earned game defensive MVP honors with 12 tackles, a fumble recovery and a tackle for loss ... On Young's controversial touchdown run in the second quarter, the play could not be renewed because of a malfunction for the monitor needed to supply different angles to the replay crew .... Both teams finished with 30 first downs, but USC had a 574-556 edge in total yardage. ... USC's 34-game winning streak that ended with the loss was tied for the sixth-longest in FBS history.  The Texas victory was the 800th in school history ... It was the first time that Texas had beaten a No. 1 ranked team since defeating Oklahoma on Oct. 12, 1963.

The upshot: Young's heroics helped boost his record as a starting quarterback to 30-2, finishing with a national championship. He decided to turn pro, informing Brown of his decision four days later.

Texas finished the season No. 1 with a 20-game winning streak. It was the Longhorns' first outright national championship since 1969. And it marked a share of their fourth national championship after claiming titles in 1963, 1969, and a shared one in 1970 with Nebraska.

The Longhorns would stretch their winning streak to 21 games before losing at home to Ohio State in the second game of the 2006 season. That represents Texas' second-longest winning streak in school history, behind only a 30-game streak from 1968-70.

USC has won 34 of their next 39 games since the Texas loss, including Rose Bowl victories to finish each season since then. The Rose Bowl loss to Texas is the only time Carroll has lost a bowl game from 2002 to the present. USC has gone 6-1 in bowl games during that period.

The countdown:

2. Michael Crabtree's last-second grab stuns Texas
3. Superman's leap. Roy Williams' tipped pass punctuates titantic defensive battle.
4. Davison's dramatic grab keeps Cornhuskers' national title hopes alive.
5. Bamboozled again and again and again. Boise State's gadget plays doom OU.
6. Yes, Sirr. Parker's dramatic catches lead A&M to first Big 12 title
7. Crouch's TD catch cements Heisman bid, beats Oklahoma
8. Sproles and Roberson stun top-ranked OU, leading KSU to its first Big 12 title.
9. Emotional A&M victory brings closure after Bonfire tragedy.
10. Roll left: James Brown guarantees victory and then backs it up.
11. When BCS meant "Boo Chris Simms" in Colorado's first Big 12 title.
12. A Buffalo stampede: Six Chris Brown TDs lead CU to first Big 12 title game.
13. Run, Ricky, run. Ricky Williams breaks NCAA career rushing record.
14. Wild game, wilder post-game rants when Gundy and Leach meet in 2007.
15. Rout 66: No, that score wasn't a typo.
16. KSU finally slays the Cornhuskers.
17. Kingsbury and Long hook up in a passing duel for the ages.
18. Henery and Suh make Colorado blue.
19. Stunning OSU rally leads to Stoops' first home loss.
20. It's never over for Texas Tech until it's over.
21. Reesing to Meier. Again and again.
22. A Texas-sized comeback -- Texas over Oklahoma State in 2004.
23. A Border War unlike any of the rest -- Missouri over Kansas in 2007.
24. Seneca Wallace's wild TD run vs. Texas Tech in 2001.
25. Baylor's "So Much for Taking a Knee" against UNLV in 1999.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

If it's Friday afternoon, it must be time for opening my mailbag.

We received some interesting questions and comments this week. Here are some of the best.

Bob Jackson from Sioux Falls, S.D., writes: Tim, I'm really enjoying your countdown on the top 25 moments in Big 12 history. But one question. Why did you pick the Missouri-Kansas game last year over the one in 2007 that had so much hype involved with it? I'm curious how you determined one from another.

Tim Griffin: Bob, hopefully all of my readers are enjoying the countdown of moments as much as I enjoyed developing the list.

My rationale for picking specific moments over others deals with the "wow factor" of the game. I wanted my top events to be moments that made people gasp with excitement when they were watching them live. It has no correlation to the importance of the game, although big plays in huge games tend to make those more memorable than others.

But I picked the 2008 game over the 2007 one because of those "wow" moments. The 2007 game had much more hype than any Missouri-Kansas game in history, but had trouble living up to that billing. Missouri jumped ahead early and really had to scramble only at the end of the game when a late sack and safety by Lorenzo Williams wrapped up the game.

The game last season had lessened stakes than that one. But it was hard to tell it by watching the game. There were four lead changes in the fourth quarter, including the dramatic game-winning score from Todd Reesing to Kerry Meier. The fact that both players were injured earlier in the season and battled back to play in the game heightened its drama, in my opinion. And the fact that Missouri had a chance to tie the game on the final play before a blocked kick only added to the excitement.

Both games were good, but the 2008 game was slightly more memorable to me than the one in 2007 because of those memorable plays. And that's why I ranked them in that order.

---

Bill Barkley from Waco, Texas, writes: Tim, Just a comment about Art Briles and Baylor. I think Briles is not only one of the best coaches in the Big 12 but he is one of the best coaches in the nation. NOBODY [Mike Singletary included] could be doing as good a job as he has done at Baylor. Robert Griffin is here as you know because of Briles. Put Mack Brown in Waco without Will Muschamp and Major Applewhite and see how many games he wins. Put Art Briles in Austin or College Station and we could be talking a top-5 team in the nation every year. This guy has it as a coach.

Tim Griffin: Bill, I agree with you on Briles' coaching acumen. Look at the job he did dominating Texas high school football before even coming to college. But one concern I might have if I was a Baylor backer and the Bears play as well as some of those rosy preseason predictions. Then, I'm wondering if other more attractive schools might come looking at him as a coach.

Obviously, making a bowl game is his most immediate goal. But if that happens and a football power school wants to hire him, it will then be interesting to see if Briles stays in Waco.

---

David Clouse from Pacola, Okla., writes: What are you expecting this season out of Oklahoma running back Chris Brown? He could be the most valuable RB in the conference, yet DeMarco Murray receives most of the attention. Brown will be a huge key for OU on third downs this year.

Tim Griffin: Actually, I think that Brown will also be effective on first, second and fourth  downs, too.

I think that together, Brown and Murray are the best combination in the Big 12 (Sorry, Nebraska fans). And working together only heightens their value. Both don't face the constant pounding that would be in place if they were both every-down backs. It's not to say that either couldn't fill that role, but just that they are each more effective with the other as a part of the team.

For example, I still think that Murray's presence in the BCS title game might have helped lead to a different result for the Sooners. It would have been interesting to see his explosive running and Brown's bullish between-the-tackles thrusts against Florida.

If both stay healthy, it wouldn't surprise me to again see Brown and Murray both rush for more than 1,000 yards. Neither will likely be in the mix for All-American honors, but their abilities together help make the Sooners one of the nation's top teams.

---

Ted Padberg of Independence, Mo., writes: I have news for you, Tim. Blaine Gabbert may just supplant Chase Daniel in the Mizzou record books and in the hearts of Tiger fans. He has that much potential.

Tim Griffin: Ted, I'm not arguing with you. Gabbert is coming into the Missouri lineup as likely the most hyped recruit in Gary Pinkel's tenure. He has better size and likely a better arm than Daniel did. He won't have the surrounding weapons - at least this season - so it will be interesting to see how patient Missouri fans will be after the Tigers' back-to-back championship game appearances in the last two seasons.

So there are huge expectations that he will be facing. He might someday do more than Daniel, but he arrives having to replace the most statistically successful quarterback in school history. And no matter how you consider it, those are some huge shoes to fill.

---

Matt from Lincoln, Neb., writes: Great blog Tim! I was just wondering how long you think it will take Bo Pelini to get Nebraska in a BCS game or national championship game. Will it be within four seasons?

Tim Griffin: Obviously, the quick turnarounds and early success that coaches like Bob Stoops, Pete Carroll and Jim Tressel have enjoyed have proven that tradition-rich programs can turn around quickly. And Pelini is in exactly that kind of position.

But in order to get into that BCS discussion, he's going to have to significantly improve the Cornhuskers' recruiting. He needs to start attracting a bunch of athletic difference makers that will be needed to enable the Cornhuskers to compete with Texas and Oklahoma for the Big 12 title. They'll need to be in that ballpark to get into the BCS mix.

Can that happen in four seasons? No doubt. But Pelini will have to build on his first season of success and ratchet up the Cornhuskers' program another couple of rungs to get them on that level.

And there still is a lot of work remaining to get there.

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Joe Bonds of Dallas writes: Tim, I will agree that Texas' non-conference schedule is extremely weak this year, but could someone please point out that it was not intentionally scheduled this way. Utah backed out, Arkansas backed out and UT tried to negotiate a game with Wisconsin this year. Texas does have some big-name programs on the schedule in the future. Why does no one point that out?

Tim Griffin: Joe, you are exactly right. But the BCS computers or pollsters aren't going to factor in that the Longhorns almost played Utah or that Arkansas didn't want to play them or that Wisconsin couldn't have been arranged.

We can point out who the Longhorns almost played, but it still won't take away the fact that their non-conference schedule includes games against Louisiana-Monroe, UCF, UTEP and Wyoming. Those will be the four games that Texas will be judged against.

And I still think that lack of competition, especially compared to some of the non-conference games that other potential national contenders are playing, could come back to haunt the Longhorns.

The road to a national championship is paved with good intentions. But that weak non-conference schedule remains something that Mack Brown and the Longhorns can't diminis
h. Because it's there.

---

Kenneth Smith of Houston writes: How will Brandon Banks will play this year? Considering teams know who he is now, will that change how he produces for Kansas State. Also how high will he go into the draft?

Tim Griffin: I've gone on record as thinking that Brandon Banks might be the most underrated player in the Big 12. And even though teams know about him a little more this season, they still have to stop him. And that's more easily said than done.

I've heard rumblings that Banks will have a new role with Del Miller as the offensive coordinator. It wouldn't surprise me to see him used in a modified role of a "Wildcat" where he would take direct snaps from center and perhaps and run and throw the ball a little like Darren McFadden originally did for Arkansas.

If he does that and is successful, it will only boost his national stature.

Banks is one of the fastest players in the country with reputed 4.28 speed in the 40-yard dash. But his professional chances are hampered by his size at 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds. Because of that size, I think it's a long shot he'll be drafted until he really tears things up this fall.

Thanks for all of the good questions. We'll check in again next week.  

Posted at ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Josh Smith will be free to leave Colorado, but the Buffaloes' program will grant him a release only to play football at USC.

Kyle Ringo of the Boulder Camera reports that Smith had been considering eight to 10 schools, but Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn will allow him only to transfer and play with the Trojans.

Smith has appealed Bohn's decision to a committee that oversees such situations, and he should know within two weeks whether the committee will overrule Bohn.

The committee is mandated for all schools under NCAA bylaw 13-1-1-31 and is made up of personnel outside of the athletic department. Colorado's panel consists of three professors.

Smith wanted to leave Colorado in order to pursue educational training for a musical career. Since high school, Smith has been producing rap demos and CDs.

And one school he was interested in was Arizona State. Smith is a friend of Arizona State quarterback Samson Szakacsy and they have recorded tracks together in the Phoenix area. That association seemingly would provide Smith with a big ally in case he wanted to transfer to the Sun Devils' program.

In a sense, the Buffaloes are making it tough on Smith by dictating specific teams where he can play. His chances to play at USC seemingly would be slimmer than other schools because of the talent that is stockpiled in coach Pete Carroll's program.

Also, Colorado associate athletic director for compliance Julie Manning told the Camera that Smith could choose to remain at Colorado and the school would honor his scholarship.

Although Colorado has made an official news release where it was acknowledged that Smith was leaving, he could stay.

"Just because a young man wants to explore his options doesn't mean we close the door on him," Manning told the Camera.

Smith finished 10th nationally in all-purpose yards, so he would be an attractive candidate to transfer to many schools.

But it remains to be seen whether one of them might be USC.