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The NFL labor dispute means undrafted college players were left without a job and no immediate football future. Teams aren't allowed to make transactions, so any free agents will remain so until a new collective bargaining agreement is reached and the lockout officially lifted.

But if you were unaware, the NFL isn't the only pro league in town any more. The United Football League is gearing up for its third season this fall, and had its annual draft on Monday night. The league is made up of five teams and mostly former NFL players. Among the most recognizable names to suit up in the league: Jeff Garcia, Maurice Clarett and Daunte Culpepper.

Because NFL teams weren't able to scoop up the remaining free agents, the talent pool was a bit deeper than usual. We took a look at some of the Big 12's NFL draft snubs on Monday, and a few of them had their names called by UFL teams.

• No. 1: Jerrod Johnson, QB, Texas A&M (Hartford Colonials)
• No. 8: Ugo Chinasa, DE, Oklahoma State (Sacramento Mountain Lions)
• No. 16: Ricky Henry, OL, Nebraska (Hartford)
• No. 20: Brad Thorson, OL, Kansas (Hartford)
• No. 21: Clint Ingram, LB, Oklahoma (Virginia Destroyers)
• No. 23: Mike Smith, OT, Nebraska (Omaha Nighthawks)
• No. 28: D.J. Jones, OL, Nebraska (Omaha)
• No. 32: Greg Smith, TE, Texas (Hartford)
• No. 37: Colby Whitlock, DT, Texas Tech (Hartford)

Great to see Johnson get a shot at the next level. He'll get a chance to prove his shoulder is back to full strength in the UFL and if he can do that, a ticket to the NFL might await. Traditionally, drafted players have a decision to make: Wait on the NFL or bank on the UFL. With no NFL, and the circumstances looking like it'll remain that way for awhile, that's not the case this year. Especially for Johnson, who sounds pretty reared up to go via Twitter.

Hartford,Connecticut it is... excited & blessed for the opportunity, thanx & gig em !! #makedreamsreality

Johnson will play for former NFL coach Jerry Glanville in Hartford.

That's a pretty good haul for Nebraska's offensive line, especially the pair of players headed to nearby Omaha to block for Clarett.

Chinasa is another player, like Johnson, who could parlay this into an NFL gig, but the athletic pass rusher is headed to Sacramento for now. He made one of the most athletic plays of the entire season in the Big 12, and I'd like to see him get a shot at the next level.

Texas Tech's Whitlock, coincidentally, ended up in Hartford, where he'll reunite with his old defensive coordinator. James Willis coached the Red Raiders last year, but after leaving the program, ended up coaching linebackers for the Colonials.

Ingram, a former Sooners linebacker, was actually drafted in the third round of the 2006 draft, but after landing in New Orleans with the Saints last season, was released in October.

A few other notable names to get drafted last night?

Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich, who famously returned to the field this year after receiving cancer treatment and missing the 2009 season, was drafted in the 10th round by Omaha.

Controversial Ole Miss quarterback and former Oregon Duck Jeremiah Masoli went 38th overall to Omaha.

We kicked off our top 25 list today, but unfortunately, it's only a top 25 list.

Narrowing it down was incredibly difficult, and there were a ton of talents that didn't quite make the cut.

For that, I'm sorry. I legitimately feel awful about all of them.

Every guy on this list is a top-25 caliber player who just couldn't get inside my list. If somebody else made one, I'd be fine with them being on it. But this time, they didn't make mine. There are a lot of great players in this league, and I could only recognize 25.

But here are the rest who came so, so close, in no particular order.

Rodney Stewart, RB, Colorado: Rushed for 1,316 yards to rank third in the Big 12. My biggest reason for leaving him off? His 4.54 yards per carry ranks 17th in the Big 12. He got it done this year, but he got 290 carries to do it. Other backs were more deserving.

Ricky Henry, OG, Nebraska: Nebraska's running offense was fearsome early this year, and despite some late struggles, still finished No. 1 in the Big 12. Henry was a big reason why, but other linemen slid on the list before him.

Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado: His 68 tackles were second on the team, and he broke up four passes, but it was hard to put Smith on the list over the cornerbacks who made it, even though the position is extremely important in the Big 12.

Roy Helu Jr., RB, Nebraska : Helu finished with another 1,000-yard season, but I didn't have very many running backs on the list. Helu had a great year, and I don't mean this as a knock on him, but I was more impressed with his 1,145 yards last year without much help. Defenses spent so much time defending Taylor Martinez, holes for Helu formed that weren't there in 2009.

T.J. Moe, WR, Missouri: Moe has my title as the toughest cover in the Big 12, and his time in the top 25 is coming. Just not yet.

Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor: Wright's production might have been higher had Baylor not found other receivers to give Robert Griffin III some help, but other emerging receivers pushed Wright off the list after he made our preseason list.

Colby Whitlock, DT, Texas Tech: Whitlock had a nice year with 57 stops and two tackles for loss, but it wasn't a great year for defensive tackles in the Big 12.

Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M and Jay Finley, RB, Baylor: Great years, obviously, but like I said, I just didn't put a lot of running backs on the list.

Taylor Martinez, QB, Nebraska: Never would have believed in October that he wouldn't make this list, but he wasn't a top 25 player in conference play. He works well for Nebraska in its offense, but plenty of other quarterbacks are above the freshman.

Andrew McGee, CB, Oklahoma State: Led the Big 12 in interceptions, with five, but defending the pass is about blanketing receivers, not picking off passes. That's not to say picking them off is a bad thing, but other corners were better at shutting down opposing receivers.

Jake Knott, LB, Iowa State: Racked up plenty of tackles, third in the Big 12 with 130, and he's a great player, but the book on how to beat Iowa State was out early. Running the ball against the Cyclones weak front four was effective, and opponents did it 512 times this year. Only 22 teams in college football faced more rushing attempts, and no Iowa State lineman made more than 40 tackles this year.

Michael Hodges, LB, Texas A&M: Hodges was the heart of Texas A&M's defense, and racked up 115 tackles, but other linebackers slid above him on the list.

Jamell Fleming, CB, Oklahoma: Fleming was all over the place after some early season struggles, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the list next year.

So, that's my list of close calls. Again, I felt terrible about not including every single one of those players, and if you want to make your own top 25 list and put them on it, they all definitely deserve it. But I can only fit 25 guys on my list, and putting one of these players on it would only mean another got snubbed.

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

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

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.

That was pretty shocking. I didn't give Washington much chance to win, and I don't think I was alone there. The Huskies proved us all wrong with a 19-7 victory.

How the game was won: Washington got physical and overpowered Nebraska's defensive line up front for 60 minutes. The Huskies had some success doing it the first time around, but a poor defensive performance kept them from doing it enough to win the game. The defense got it done this time, Washington's offensive line got consistent pushes up front and Jake Locker only had to throw into the Blackshirts fearsome secondary when he wanted to. More often, he used his legs to make plays, on called runs and scrambles as part of that success running the ball. The Huskies rode Locker and Chris Polk to a 268-yard rushing night and a convincing win over a team almost no one picked them to beat.

The Huskers, meanwhile, made constant mistakes, lost the turnover battle 2-0 and were penalized 12 times for 102 yards. One of the most costly came in the fourth quarter after a goal-line stand that looked like it might swing momentum with the Huskers trailing 17-7. Cody Green ran for a first down, but All-Big 12 guard Ricky Henry was called for holding in the end zone, resulting in a safety, which stretched the deficit to 19-7 and gave the ball back to the Huskies. Blame the supposed scapegoat, the dreaded "lack of motivation" if you'd like, but the Huskers' lack of execution in all three phases of the game is a bigger reason for the loss. I never, ever would have pegged Nebraska for seven points against Washington's defense after ringing up 56 in Seattle with three 100-yard rushers back in September.

Turning point: Locker scored on a 25-yard run early in the third quarter to cap a four-play, 53-yard drive that put Washington up 17-7. The game teetered at halftime even though the Huskies had dominated the line of scrimmage, but Locker's emotional run shifted control of the game firmly in Washington's favor.

Turning point II: Locker's return. The quarterback took a nasty-looking hit and remained on the ground for several minutes early in the second quarter. He left the game for a few plays, but was able to return and lead his team to a big bowl win after a winless season in 2008 and no bowl appearances since 2002. I don't wear hats often, but if I did, mine would be off to Steve Sarkisian. This was impressive.

Stat of the game: This wasn't the prettiest passing game. All the quarterbacks combined threw for 170 yards, a touchdown and an interception on 16-of-40 passing.

Player of the game: Jake Locker, QB, Washington. Polk racked up the yards, but Locker played smart, tough, and made plays with his feet. Polk and the offensive line have a legitimate case for player of the game, but Locker kept the Huskies' offense rolling and did exactly what he had to do for his team to win. Considering the nightmare outing he had last time against the Blackshirts, it's even more impressive.

Record performance: Nebraska linebacker Lavonte David topped 150 tackles on the season for a single-season school record in just his first year on the field. The junior juco transfer broke former Blackshirt Barrett Ruud's previous record of 149 tackles in 2003.

What it means: Nebraska's season began with so much promise. National championship aspirations arose following a thorough Thursday night undressing of Kansas State to move to 5-0. A loss to Texas and Taylor Martinez's midseason ankle injury were speed bumps for the Big 12 North champions, but a pair of offensive clunkers against Oklahoma and Washington end the Huskers' season with a frustrating thud on the way to the Big Ten.

Conference-wide, it's another loss for the Big 12, who is now 1-4 in bowl games and no loss was more shocking. The Huskers entered as two-touchdown favorites, and were completely outplayed in every way.

Yesterday, you saw my all-star teams broken down by division.

Before I offer my pick, here's a few thoughts and observations that emerged from selecting those teams.

• In comparing the divisions, there are several lopsided positions. The Big 12 South is every bit the quarterback oasis we thought it was, while the North, outside of Blaine Gabbert's arm and Taylor Martinez's legs, is a bit of a wasteland. All five quarterbacks in the South -- plus Steven Sheffield -- would represent the North after Gabbert, and based on the way Martinez played in conference games, maybe him, too.
• The same goes for the South and receivers. Somehow, Jeff Fuller couldn't make the South team, because he's got a pair of Biletnikoff finalists ahead of him. T.J. Moe and Scotty McKnight can get open in the middle of the field and both catch everything, but it's clear that all the big, fast receivers are in the South. The three aforementioned receivers, plus Kendall Wright, Lyle Leong, Detron Lewis and maybe Ryan Swope could have represented the North.
• Meanwhile, the running backs are the opposite, like we thought at the beginning of the year. Kendall Hunter is the league's best, but DeMarco Murray might have been bumped off the South team by a number of North backs, including Rodney Stewart, Daniel Thomas, Roy Helu Jr. Murray racks up a lot of catches and is probably more dangerous in the open field than any of those previous three, but those three got it done between the tackles way more often than Murray.
• Speaking of tackles, are there any good defensive tackles in the Big 12 North outside of Jared Crick? There are a lot of ends, so I put three on the team. Outside of maybe Nebraska's Baker Steinkuhler and Missouri's Terrell Resonno, there aren't many guys to fear in the middle of Big 12 North defenses. Could that perhaps be an explanation for the success of backs like Stewart, Thomas, and Helu? Can't hurt.

So what would happen?

Like we mentioned before, you'd see both teams rely on their strengths. If Blaine Gabbert is stepping back and throwing the ball 45 times to guys like McKnight and Moe all day, he's going to need a ton of completions to do it. The safer bet is to rely on those backs and a pretty strong offensive line. Ricky Henry and Zach Kendall might be two of the best run blockers in the Big 12, and their ballcarrier teammates benefited, so have them lead the way at the two guard positions.

It'd be a bit of a throwback offense for Gabbert, who is used to the spread at Missouri and in high school, but hey, it's only one game, right? He'll be OK. If the North was going to pull the upset, it'll have to do it with downhill running.

Meanwhile, expect the South to mix in plenty of those downhill runs with wide-open passing like most of them are used to. Swing passes to backs like Hunter and Murray would work well, and Ward served nicely as a lead blocker for Hunter.

Can you imagine the "backs" or "diamond" formation with Hunter, Murray and Ward? That's scary.

Through the air, how fantastic would Amukamara vs. Blackmon on one side and Broyles vs. Dennard on the other be? I want this game to happen. Somebody get Boone Pickens on the phone.

This game would be closer than it might seem coming in because of the North's salty secondary. That said, give me the boys down South by a touchdown.

South 27, North 20.

Like it or not, the Big 12 will be without divisions after 2010, no matter how many legends or leaders made their mark in the league's short history as a two-part conference.

Over that history, the South has been dominant with a pair of national powers, Texas and Oklahoma who were consistently racking up big win totals over the last decade while the North has, more often than not, sent a significantly less impressive team to the title game. That's measurable in plenty of ways, but I'll settle for the 11-4 advantage in the championship game and a 13-4 advantage in BCS bowl game appearances.

But what about this year? The South is clearly the deeper division when you talk total teams, but then I got this e-mail, which got me wondering:

John in Omaha, Neb., wrote: Bored at work, thought I'd give you a blog topic idea. If you had to pick two all star teams, one made entirely of B12 north players at each position and then a B12 south all star team at each position and then had them play a game. Who would win and who would be the players. Off the top of my head I'd say the south would but I bet it's pretty close once you break it down player by player.

My interest was piqued. We know what the All-Big 12 team looks like, but what if you broke it down by division? For reference, my All-Big 12 team had 11 players from the North and 15 from the South.

Here are my picks, when broken down by division:

Big 12 South

OFFENSE
QB: Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State
RB: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State; DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma
WR: Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State; Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma
TE/FB: Bryant Ward, Oklahoma State
OL: Levy Adcock, Oklahoma State; Danny Watkins, Baylor; Eric Mensik, Oklahoma; Matt Allen, Texas A&M, Lonnie Edwards, Texas Tech

DEFENSE
DL: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma; Lucas Patterson, Texas A&M; Colby Whitlock, Texas Tech; Sam Acho, Texas
LB: Von Miller, Texas A&M; Orie Lemon, Oklahoma State; Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
CB: Andrew McGee, Oklahoma State; Jamell Fleming, Oklahoma
S: Quinton Carter, Oklahoma; Byron Landor, Baylor

SPECIALISTS:
K: Dan Bailey, Oklahoma State
P: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State
KR: Coryell Judie, Texas A&M
PR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

Big 12 North

OFFENSE
QB: Blaine Gabbert, Missouri
RB: Rodney Stewart, Colorado, Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
WR: T.J. Moe, Missouri; Scotty McKnight, Colorado
TE/FB: Michael Egnew, Missouri
OL: Nate Solder, Colorado; Ricky Henry, Nebraska; Tim Barnes, Missouri; Zach Kendall, Kansas State, Ben Lamaak, Iowa State

DEFENSE
DL: Jared Crick, Nebraska; Aldon Smith, Missouri; Brad Madison, Missouri; Pierre Allen, Nebraska
LB: Lavonte David, Nebraska; Andrew Gachkar, Missouri; Jake Knott, Iowa State
CB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska; Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska
S: Eric Hagg, Nebraska; Ty Zimmerman, Kansas State

SPECIALISTS:
K: Alex Henery, Nebraska
P: Alex Henery, Nebraska
KR: William Powell, Kansas State
PR: Niles Paul, Nebraska

So, there are my teams. I'll offer some further observations, plus my pick in a post Tuesday. But for now ... who you got?

There were definitely plenty of tough calls in this group, and a lot of deserving guys who got left off, but here is my All-Big 12 team for the 2010 season. For reference, here is how the media voted, and how the coaches voted.

OFFENSE

QB: Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State
RB: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
WR: Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
WR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma
TE: Michael Egnew, Missouri
C: Tim Barnes, Missouri
OL: Levy Adcock, Oklahoma State
OL: Nate Solder, Colorado
OL: Ricky Henry, Nebraska
OL: Danny Watkins, Baylor

DEFENSE

DE: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma
DT: Jared Crick, Nebraska
DT: Lucas Patterson, Texas A&M
DE: Sam Acho, Texas
LB: Von Miller, Texas A&M
LB: Lavonte David, Nebraska
LB: Orie Lemon, Oklahoma State
CB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska
CB: Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska
S: Quinton Carter, Oklahoma
S: Byron Landor, Baylor

SPECIALISTS

P: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State
K: Alex Henery, Nebraska
KR: Coryell Judie, Texas A&M
PR: Niles Paul, Nebraska

I'll stop short of listing who I had to snub on my own team, but the easiest positions for me to pick were receiver, linebacker, kicker and tight end. The most difficult were cornerback, kick returner, safety, defensive tackle and quarterback.

Here's how it shook out by team:

1. Nebraska (7)
2. Oklahoma State (6)
3. Texas A&M (3)
3. Oklahoma (3)
5. Missouri (2)
5. Baylor (2)
7. Texas (1)
7. Kansas State (1)
7. Colorado (1)
10. Kansas (0)
10. Iowa State (0)
10. Texas Tech (0)

Here's how the media picked its All-Big 12 teams and awards:

Offensive Player of the Year: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

Defensive Player of the Year: Jeremy Beal, DE, Oklahoma

Offensive Newcomer of the Year: Taylor Martinez, QB, Nebraska

Defensive Newcomer of the Year: Lavonte David, LB, Nebraska

Coach of the Year: Mike Sherman, Texas A&M

FIRST TEAM

QB: Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State

RB: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State; Daniel Thomas, Kansas State

WR: Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State; Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

TE: Michael Egnew, Missouri

OL: Tim Barnes, Missouri; Levy Adcock, Oklahoma State; Ricky Henry, Nebraska; Nate Solder, Colorado; Danny Watkins, Baylor

RT: DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma

K: Alex Henery, Nebraska

DEFENSE

DB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska; Jamell Fleming, Oklahoma; Eric Hagg, Nebraska; Byron Landor, Baylor

LB: Lavonte David, Nebraska; Andrew Gachkar, Missouri; Orie Lemon, Oklahoma State; Von Miller, Texas A&M

DL: Sam Acho, Texas; Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma; Jared Crick, Nebraska; Colby Whitlock, Texas Tech

P: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State

SECOND TEAM

QB: Landry Jones, Oklahoma

RB: Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M; Rodney Stewart, Colorado

WR: Jeff Fuller, Texas A&M; Lyle Leong, Texas Tech

TE: Collin Franklin, Iowa State

OL: Wade Weibert, Kansas State; Dan Hoch, Missouri; Zach Kendall, Kansas State; Eric Mensik, Oklahoma; Mickey Okafor, Texas Tech

RT: Eric Stephens, Texas Tech

K: Dan Bailey, Oklahoma State

DEFENSE

DB: Quinton Carter, Oklahoma; Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska; Andrew McGee, Oklahoma State; Aaron Williams, Texas

LB: Michael Hodges, Texas A&M; Jake Knott, Iowa State; Travis Lewis, Oklahoma; Keenan Robinson, Texas

DL: Josh Hartigan, Colorado; Brad Madison, Missouri; Lucas Patterson, Texas A&M; Phil Taylor, Baylor

P: Kirby Van der Kamp, Iowa State

I'll have some thoughts on both teams later today.

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

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

Here's a look at my top performers:

OFFENSE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DEFENSE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SPECIALISTS

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

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

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

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Game day beckons in less than 24 hours.

Here are some stories to get ready for tomorrow.

• Break out the back bacon and loonies. The Waco Tribune-Herald’s John Werner profiles Baylor’s Canadian starting offensive tackles Danny Watkins and Philip Blake.
• Colorado running back Rodney “Speedy” Stewart vows to return to the Buffaloes’ lineup this week despite a nagging hamstring injury, the Boulder Daily Camera’s Kyle Ringo reports.
• The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Tom Timmermann details some of the obstacles facing the Big 12 as it analyzes whether to start its own television network.
• The Austin American-Statesman’s Kirk Bohls writes about the Texas secondary, which he says is stronger than a Roger Clemens denial.
• The Denver Post’s John Henderson analyzes the Big 12's biggest disappointments after two weeks.
• Nebraska guard Ricky Henry is working hard to keep his emotions in check on the field, according to the Lincoln Journal Star’s Steve Sipple.
• Iowa State safety David Sims tells the Des Moines Register’s Randy Peterson how he ended up at Iowa State after his commitment to Oklahoma was pulled. Sims leads the Big 12 with three interceptions after two games.
• The Topeka Capital-Journal’s Austin Meek analyzes running back Daniel Thomas' importance to Kansas State’s lineup.
• J. Brady McCullough writes about some of the unique challenges that face so-called “basketball schools” as they develop their football programs.
• The Tulsa World’s Dave Sittler writes that Oklahoma still is searching for an identity as the Sooners prepare to play underrated Tulsa.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
Here's a look at how I rank the Big 12 offenses heading into the season.


1. Oklahoma State – The conference’s most balanced offense also features the best rushing/receiving combination in Kendall Hunter and Dez Bryant and one of the Big 12's best offensive linemen in Russell Okung. Zac Robinson still has meltdown moments, but he’s gotten much better with experience. The big questions will be finding a No. 2 receiver and a tight end to replace Brandon Pettigrew.


2. Oklahoma: The Sooners have the most productive quarterback in school history in Sam Bradford with the conference’s best backfield combination in Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray and college football’s best tight end in Jermaine Gresham. The offensive line, however, isn’t nearly as good as some from the program's past. The line's development will largely determine if the Sooners can claim four-straight Big 12 titles.


3. Texas: Colt McCoy is back for his fourth season as starter and Jordan Shipley seemingly has been around long enough to collect a pension. That’s a great start. Vondrell McGee has emerged as a steady back who might end up earning the majority of carries running behind a deep offensive line. It will be interesting to see if they can find a tight end who will block consistently enough to keep the team from running multiple wide-receiver sets down the stretch. Developing that bruising running game will be the biggest challenge for the Longhorns.


4. Kansas: Todd Reesing might be the nation’s most underrated quarterback and the development of a tandem backfield in Jake Sharp and Toben Opurum will provide balance to the conference’s best receiving corps. It will be interesting to see how much better Kerry Meier can become by concentrating on offense. He adds with top deep threat Dezmon Briscoe, the underrated Jonathan Wilson and freshman addition Bradley McDougald. The Jayhawks’ title hopes will hinge on better pass blocking, particularly from new left tackle Tanner Hawkinson, a converted high school tight end.


5. Texas Tech: There are more questions with the loss of Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree, although Mike Leach seems very happy with Taylor Potts and his current group. The Red Raiders might be deeper at wide receiver with a collection of players than when Crabtree commandeered most of the catches. Baron Batch’s recovery from an elbow injury will be critical, but the Red Raiders have a big nasty offensive front keyed by All-Big 12 candidate Brandon Carter and the underrated Marlon Winn.


6. Baylor: Robert Griffin makes these guys go and he should be even more comfortable in his second season as a starter. Jay Finley might be one of the least-appreciated backs in the league and a deep collection of wide receivers will help boost production. The biggest concern will be the play of tackles Danny Watkins and Phillip Blake, who will be replacing decorated former starters Jason Smith and Dan Gay.


7. Missouri: This offense will be different from the attack in the Chase Daniel era. Look for new coordinator David Yost to utilize a strong running game keyed by Derrick Washington, who is finally healthy after being hurt most of the second half of 2008. New quarterback Blaine Gabbert obviously doesn’t have the experience in the Tigers’ offense as Daniel, but he might have a better deep arm which will give Yost more chances to attack with long passes. It’s a typically deep collection of receivers with Danario Alexander poised for a breakout season if he can stay healthy.


8. Colorado: Other than the fact that Dan Hawkins can’t decide on a starting quarterback, this unit might be a little underrated and ready to blossom. I really like their collection of running backs with Darrell Scott poised to fulfill his recruiting promise. Rodney Stewart and Demetrius Sumler add different running styles behind a nice line keyed by Ryan Miller, Nate Solder and Mike Iltis. The passing game might sputter early as Markques Simas misses the first two games and Andre Simmons plays his way into the rotation after missing most of fall practice. But it might be surprisingly productive by the time conference play rolls around.


9. Nebraska: Lack of an experienced quarterback and tested running backs behind Roy Helu Jr. cause them to drop a little after Quentin Castille’s dismissal. I’m hearing the Cornhuskers will feature more deep passing with Zac Lee, which might allow receivers Menelik Holt and Niles Paul a chance to go deep. The best part of their offense is their five-headed monster at tight end keyed by Mike McNeill and Dreu Young. Ricky Henry’s emergence at right guard has enabled Jacob Hickman to stay at center where he’ll anchor a developing line.


10. Texas A&M: Jerrod Johnson won the starting quarterback job this summer, but I was surprised that Ryan Tannehill will remain behind him as a backup rather than a wide receiver where he was the team’s leading receiver this season. Jeff Fuller might be one of the Big 12’s most underrated wide receivers and Jamie McCoy is a productive, pass-catching tight end. A bigger, stronger Cyrus Gray will get the start at tailback, although heralded freshman Christine Michael will push him for playing time. The biggest question remains an offensive line that struggled with injuries and produced only 89 yards rushing and 39 sacks. If they are healthy, they might be a surprise after last year’s consistent struggles.


11. Iowa State: New coordinator Tom Herman will attempt to retrofit his no-huddle attack that was so successful at Rice for the Cyclones. He has a tough, savvy quarterback in Austen Arnaud and a multi-talented running back in Alexander Robinson. Keep an eye out for Darius Reynolds who has emerged as the team’s slot receiver as Darius Darks overcomes a training-camp injury. The largest offensive line in FBS will be protecting Arnaud, but needs to do a better job of dominating at the point of attack.


12. Kansas State: Carson Coffman and Daniel Thomas were named as starters today by Bill Snyder. Coffman was effective at times last season as Josh Freeman’s backup, but remains a question mark as he takes over the starting job. The position changes of Lamark Brown and Logan Dold opened up the running back job in training camp and the 227-pound Thomas took advantage. Brandon Banks is a strong player who belies his size as a receiver and kick returner. The offensive line remains a question after a season-ending injury to Brock Unruh leaves only Nick Stringer and a cast of unknowns to share playing time.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Happy opening day for baseball.

The cool thing about this is that by the time baseball season ends, college football season will be in full swing.

That day can't come soon enough for me. And I'm sure it's that way for more than a few of you out there, as well.

Until then, here are some lunchtime links to help tide you over.

• The late Sal Aunese's legacy still lives on in the Colorado program, Boulder Daily Camera beat writer Kyle Ringo writes.
• Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman opines on the development of the Texas secondary that was on display at Sunday's spring game.
• Tough Nebraska guard Ricky Henry is earning the nickname "The Finisher" because of his ability to put opponents on their backs, Omaha World-Herald columnist Tom Shatel writes.
• Physical safety Quinton Carter has toned down his hitting at Oklahoma's practices, but not during games, the Oklahoman's Jake Trotter reports.
• John Hillman of Realfootball365.com reports that the development of offensive lineman Danny Watkins and defensive tackle Phil Taylor will be keys for Baylor to develop into a bowl team.
• Missouri coach Gary Pinkel is allowing his quarterback to take and give a few shots in practice this spring, the Kansas City Star's Mike DeArmond reports.
• With Oklahoma State's numbers depleted at receiver by Dez Bryant's injury and Bo Bowling's suspension, Justin Blackmon is emerging as one of the top producers of the spring, the Oklahoman's Scott Wright reports.
• Denver Post beat writer Tom Kensler writes that after five surgeries during an eight-month period in 2008, Colorado cornerback Benjamin Burney earned the nickname of "Joystick" because of one of his frequent medical procedures.
• Lubbock Avalanche-Journal beat writer Don Williams reports on converted high-school quarterback Austin Zouzalik, who is making the transition to wide receiver at Texas Tech this spring.