ESPN College Football

You might have heard something about this, but 2010 is the last season of the Big 12 as we know it. To commemorate the league's run as a 12-team conference, a panel of 20 media members compiled their all-time Big 12 team. Here's who made it, and you can see the full votes here.

All-time Top Offensive Player: Vince Young, QB, Texas

All-time Top Defensive Player: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

All-time Coach: Bob Stoops, Oklahoma

OFFENSE:

QB: Vince Young, Texas

RB: Ricky Williams, Texas and Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma

WR: Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech and Rashaun Woods, Oklahoma State

TE: Chase Coffman, Missouri

OL: Dominic Raiola, Nebraska; Jammal Brown, Oklahoma; Aaron Taylor, Nebraska; Justin Blalock, Texas; Russell Okung, Oklahoma State

DEFENSE

DL: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska; Tommie Harris, Oklahoma; Grant Wistrom, Nebraska; Brian Orakpo, Texas

LB: Derrick Johnson, Texas; Dat Nguyen, Texas A&M; Rocky Calmus, Oklahoma; Teddy Lehman, Oklahoma

DB: Roy Williams, Oklahoma; Terence Newman, Kansas State; Derrick Strait, Oklahoma; Michael Huff, Texas

SPECIAL TEAMS

All-purpose: Darren Sproles, Kansas State

K: Mason Crosby, Colorado

P: Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor

Here's how it breaks down by team:

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

Who got snubbed? Who doesn't belong?

With all of the looking back we've done this week, I couldn't leave without picking my own All-Big 12 all-decade team.

It was a tough choice at several positions, but here's my all-decade team.

Please feel free to provide any changes you would make, and explain why you would make them.

Believe me, it's a hard choice. I spent more than an hour trying to choose between Darren Sproles and Cedric Benson and Jermaine Gresham and Chase Coffman.

OFFENSE

QB: Vince Young, Texas

RB: Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma

RB: Cedric Benson, Texas

WR: Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech

WR: Rashaun Woods, Oklahoma State

TE: Chase Coffman, Missouri

T: Russell Okung, Oklahoma State

T: Jammal Brown, Oklahoma

G: Duke Robinson, Oklahoma

G: Derrick Dockery, Texas

C: Andre Gurode, Colorado

DEFENSE

DE: Brian Orakpo, Texas

DT: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska

DT: Tommie Harris, Oklahoma

DE: Dan Cody, Oklahoma

LB: Derrick Johnson, Texas

LB: Rocky Calmus, Oklahoma

LB: Teddy Lehman, Oklahoma

CB: Terence Newman, Kansas State

CB: Derrick Strait, Oklahoma

S: Roy Williams, Oklahoma

S: Michael Huff, Texas

K: Mason Crosby, Colorado

P: Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor

Ret: Wes Welker, Texas Tech

Oklahoma was the dominant program of the last decade in the Big 12, leading the conference with six titles, seven conference title-game appearances and four BCS title-game appearances.

All of those accomplishments are a testament to Bob Stoops, one of two conference coaches to direct his team throughout the decade.

Setting the Sooners’ all-decade team was difficult. The choice at wide receiver next to Mark Clayton was extremely difficult. Malcolm Kelly, Juaquin Iglesias or Ryan Broyles all would have been good choices. I went with Broyles because of his proficiency despite constant double-team defenses this season when he produced 89 receptions.

And at quarterback, I went with Sam Bradford over Jason White in a tough positional choice between two Heisman Trophy winners.

Here’s my choice for Oklahoma’s all-decade team.

OFFENSE

QB: Sam Bradford

RB: Adrian Peterson

RB: Quentin Griffin

WR: Mark Clayton

WR: Ryan Broyles

TE: Jermaine Gresham

OL: Jammal Brown

OL: Trent Williams

OL: Davin Joseph

OL: Phil Loadholt

C: Vince Carter

DEFENSE

DL: Dan Cody

DL: Tommie Harris

DL: Gerald McCoy

DL: Jeremy Beal

LB: Teddy Lehman

LB: Rocky Calmus

LB: Curtis Lofton

DB: Derrick Strait

DB: Roy Williams

DB: Andre Woolfolk

DB: Brandon Everage

K: Garrett Hartley

P: Jeff Ferguson

Ret: Ryan Broyles

Offensive player of the decade: QB Sam Bradford. He became the first quarterback in Big 12 history to lead his team to back-to-back titles, capping his sophomore season by throwing for 50 touchdowns and earning the Heisman Trophy. His final season in college didn’t go as expected, but he still leaves school as a player who will be immortalized with a statue at Owen Field in the not-too-distant future.

Defensive player of the decade: S Roy Williams. He was such a natural that Bob Stoops created a position “the Roy” especially for his talents. He set the standard as a physical run-stuffing safety and sealed his legacy with the hit on Chris Simms that sealed the 2001 victory over Texas.

Coach of the decade: Bob Stoops. The only coach of the decade for the Sooners had more unprecedented early success than any coach in Big 12 history, winning the national championship in his second season and claiming a record six conference championships. They aren’t calling him “Big Game Bob” as much as before, but Stoops still ranks among the most pivotal figures in Big 12 history.

Most memorable moment of the decade: On a misty night at Pro Player Stadium, the Sooners’ defense turned in a masterful performance to claim the 2001 Orange Bowl and bring home the 2000 national championship. Josh Heupel managed to direct the offense despite a sore elbow and the Oklahoma defense would have pitched a shutout in a 13-2 triumph over Florida State except for a special-teams safety in the final minute of play.

The Big 12 had two national championship teams and five others that played in the BCS title game in the decade.

The two championship teams were the best of the conference's last 10 years. Some of the other BCS title participants were good, but not necessarily among the very best teams during the conference's recent history.

Here's how I rank the Big 12's top 10 teams over the last decade.

1. 2005 Texas: A star-studded team paced by All-Americans Michael Huff, Jonathan Scott, Rodrique Wright and Vince Young ran off 13 straight victories, capping the season with a BCS title-game victory over USC. The team averaged 50.2 points per game en route to a then-NCAA record 652 total points, earning Texas’ first undisputed national championship since 1969. It was the greatest team that Mack Brown ever coached and arguably the best team in the rich football history of Texas.

2. 2000 Oklahoma: Bob Stoops claimed a national championship in his second season coaching the Trojans behind Josh Heupel, who finished second in the Heisman race that season. All-Americans Heupel, linebacker Rocky Calmus and J.T. Thatcher helped the Sooners notch the first undefeated season and national championship in Big 12 history. After winning three of their final four regular-season games by less than five points, the Sooners dominated Florida State in a 13-2 triumph in the Orange Bowl for the national championship.

3. 2008 Oklahoma: Sam Bradford won the Heisman Trophy with this team, which overcame a midseason loss to Texas and still claimed the Big 12 title in a 12-2 season that was marred by a 24-14 loss to Florida in the national championship game. The Sooners rolled-up a record 702 points as Bradford passed for 50 touchdowns, Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray each rushed for 1,000 yards and Juaquin Iglesias topped 1,000 yards receiving. The Sooners scored 35 points in each regular-season game and finished the regular season with five straight games of at least 60 points before the BCS title-game loss.

4. 2004 Oklahoma: The Sooners charged to 12 straight victories before a dropping a 55-19 decision to USC in the Orange Bowl for the national title. Freshman running back Adrian Peterson rushed for an NCAA freshman record 1,925 yards to finish second in the Heisman. Jason White claimed the Heisman the previous season and his numbers were down with Peterson's arrival, but he still passed for 3,205 yards and 35 touchdowns. This group had strength in the trenches with All-Americans like Vince Carter, Dan Cody, Jammal Brown and Mark Clayton as it claimed Bob Stoops’ third Big 12 title.

5. 2009 Texas: After streaking to a school-record 13-0 mark through the Big 12 title game, the Longhorns dropped a 37-21 decision to Alabama in the national title game in a contest that changed when Colt McCoy was hurt on the fifth play of the game. McCoy became the winningest quarterback in NCAA history during this season, repeatedly hooking up with favorite target Jordan Shipley, who snagged a school-record 116 receptions, 1,485 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Longhorns led the nation in rush defense, and All-American safety Earl Thomas tied a school record with eight interceptions. Lamarr Houston and Sergio Kindle also added playmaking abilities to the defense.

6. 2004 Texas: The Longhorns overcame a midseason 12-0 loss to Oklahoma to finish the season with seven straight victories in a season capped by a dramatic 38-37 victory over Michigan in the Rose Bowl. The Longhorns ranked second nationally in rushing offense and seventh in total offense as Young gradually found his confidence as a passer late in the season. Cedric Benson rushed for 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns, and Young chipped in with 1,079 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. This team showed a knack for comebacks, overcoming an early 35-7 deficit against Oklahoma State and also coming from behind in an early-season victory at Arkansas.

7. 2007 Oklahoma: Bradford led the first of two consecutive Big 12 championships on a team that enabled the Sooners to become the first Big 12 school to win back-to-back titles. The Sooners dropped road games to Colorado and Texas Tech but still overcame Missouri in the Big 12 title game behind a huge defensive effort keyed by Big 12 defensive player of the year Rufus Alexander. Bradford led the nation in passing efficiency, but the Sooners' bowl struggles continued in an embarrassing 48-28 loss to West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl.

8. 2003 Kansas State: Don’t let the Wildcats’ 11-4 record fool you. After an early three-game losing streak to Marshall, Texas and Oklahoma State (by a combined margin of 15 points), Bill Snyder’s team won its final seven regular-season games by a combined margin of 271-66. That streak was culminated by a stunning 35-7 upset victory over Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game -- the last victory by a North Division team in the title game. The Wildcats ranked in the top 10 nationally in rushing, scoring, total defense, scoring defense and pass defense as Darren Sproles rushed for 1,986 yards and 16 touchdowns. The Wildcats dropped a 35-28 Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State in a game they fell into an early 21-0 deficit and had a chance to tie on the final play of the game after a frantic comeback directed by Ell Roberson.

9. 2007 Missouri: Chase Daniel led Missouri into the Big 12 title game for the first time in school history, taking the team to No. 1 nationally heading into the conference championship game. The Tigers lost twice to Oklahoma during a 12-2 season that was capped by 38-7 beatdown over Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. Tony Temple made that game memorable by rushing for a record 281 yards and four TDs that pushed Missouri to No. 4 nationally at the end of the season. A star-studded collection of talent including Daniel, Jeremy Maclin, Chase Coffman, Martin Rucker and Sean Weatherspoon helped the Tigers rank among the top-10 teams nationally in passing, total offense and scoring and 11th in turnover margin.

10. 2007 Kansas: The Jayhawks earned Mark Mangino the national coach of the year award by running to an 11-0 start before losing to Missouri in the regular-season finale. The Jayhawks rebounded for a 24-21 victory over Virginia Tech in their first BCS bowl appearance in school history, finishing a 12-1 season that set a school record for victories. Todd Reesing passed for 33 touchdowns to highlight a high-powered offense that scored 76 points against Nebraska and scored at least 43 points in eight games. The Jayhawks were a balanced team that ranked second nationally in scoring offense, fourth in scoring defense and in the top 10 nationally in eight different team statistics. Anthony Collins and Aqib Talib earned consensus All-America honors.

Two Big 12 linebackers have been chosen among the five finalists for the Butkus Award.

Texas' Sergio Kindle and Missouri's Sean Weatherspoon both were among the finalists announced Friday by the Butkus Foundation.

Kindle has produced 49 tackles, three sacks, 14 tackles for losses, 26 quarterback pressures , forced two fumbles and broken up two passes this season for the Longhorns. He's alternated between linebacker and defensive end.

Weatherspoon leads the Tigers with 93 tackles with 12 tackles for losses, 3 1/2 sacks, two pass deflections, an interception, a forced fumble and a quarterback pressure.

The winner of the award will be announced in early December.

The five Butkus Award finalists include:

• Sergio Kindle, Texas
• Rolando McClain, Alabama
• Eric Norwood, South Carolina
• Brandon Spikes, Florida
• Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri

Four different Big 12 players have been awarded the Butkus Award since the conference began play in 1996 -- Colorado's Matt Russell (1996), Oklahoma's Rocky Calmus (2001), Oklahoma's Teddy Lehman (2003) and Texas' Derrick Johnson (2004). And schools from the Big 12 and the Big Ten have produced the most winners since the award began in 1985 with eight honorees apiece.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Maybe “Sooner Magic” really is cyclical. And Oklahoma’s struggles this season are explainable as some kind of cruel karmic payback for the run of good fortune that smiled on the program in previous championship seasons.

Bob Stoops has lived through a frustrating season this year marked by injuries, maddeningly inconsistent play and attrition.

Serious questions are dogging the Sooners after their unexpected struggle in 2009. Their 5-4 record is the worst ever recorded by a Stoops-coached team at this juncture of the season.

	Tim Heitman/US Presswire
	Bob Stoops’ Sooners have lost four games this season by a combined 12 points.

The Sooners need one more victory over their final three games to become bowl eligible. Their best chance should be Saturday against Texas A&M, which the Sooners have beaten nine times in 10 tries under Stoops. Included in that streak are five previous victories at Owen Field by an average margin of 35.4 points per game.

After that it might get dicey with games at Texas Tech and a difficult home finish against Oklahoma State. That tough schedule could send the Sooners skidding to bowls in places like San Antonio and El Paso -- locales that would be a huge disappointment for a team that came into the season with legitimate hopes of stretching its unprecedented streak of three consecutive Big 12 titles.

The Sooners expected to be challenging for a BCS bowl or perhaps even playing for the national championship rather than sampling Tex-Mex.

But a disastrous run of injuries has made this the most difficult of Stoops’ 11 seasons at Oklahoma. The Sooners have lost nine starters for a total of 31 games, making their injuries more pronounced than any team in the conference.

Compare this season’s struggles to Stoops’ championship team of 2000 when he lost no starters to injury during that entire season. Even when quarterback Josh Heupel struggled with a sore arm and linebacker Rocky Calmus had a broken arm, they played through the injuries and helped the Sooners to their most recent of seven national championships.

The injury to Sam Bradford, last season’s Heisman Trophy winner, has been the most devastating. It’s rushed redshirt freshman quarterback Landry Jones into the starting lineup well before he was thought to be ready.

Jones has shown flashes of strong play, like when he threw a school-record six touchdown passes against Tulsa earlier this season. But he struggled last week against a strong Nebraska defense when he threw a school-record five interceptions as the Sooners failed to score a touchdown for the first time in Stoops’ 142-game coaching tenure.

“I didn't really talk to anyone after the game. I was really upset about it," Jones told the Tulsa World earlier this week. "I can't remember a game as bad as Saturday."

Stoops said that Jones wasn’t entirely to blame on all of the interceptions.

“Our receiver quit," Stoops told reporters earlier this week. "Doesn't finish the route. He needs to fight for an incompletion there, or an interference call and not bail on it. ... So sometimes it appears it's always [Jones] but it isn't always him. And then sometimes, a couple others that sailed down the middle on him, that he has to learn from. That's part of the process."

Those comments and others in recent weeks made several members of the Oklahoma media corps wonder if Stoops was throwing his players under the bus and blaming them for problems on the team.

“Here’s the problem,” Stoops said. "Don’t ask us questions then. If you want to ask me what went wrong, I’m supposed to say everything's our fault? Then I can’t answer questions if you want me to answer truthfully. There are some things players gotta handle, too. It’s always going to be both of us.

"So don’t ask the question if you don’t want the right answer. And don’t go criticizing if we give you the right answer and it is on them.”

Compare that attitude with Missouri coach Gary Pinkel, whose struggling team dropped into the North Division cellar after losing four of its first five conference games after making back-to-back championship game appearances.

Pinkel took full responsibility for his team’s recent meltdown, saying that any blame about his team starts with him.

The problem for Oklahoma’s team didn’t come on the practice field, but instead on the recruiting trail. The Sooners are paying this season for earlier struggles in attracting the wrong players.

A study commissioned by the Tulsa World indicated that no team in the Big 12 South has lost as many recent offensive line recruits as the Sooners. Since the class of 2005, the Sooners have prematurely lost 10 of their 25 linemen. That 40 percent figure dwarfs any other team in the division.

And when a disastrous run of injuries occurs like this season, it leaves the Sooners paying for their lack of depth. They will go into Saturday’s game against A&M with seven healthy offensive linemen. That attrition has helped pave the way for a frustrating season that has featured four losses by a combined 12 points.

“They’ve had a lot to juggle through the year,” Stoops said. "Certain parts of the year, they’ve managed it well. Other times we haven’t.

"Some of the discipline issues ... our players need to make improvements. Ultimately, we’ve got to get them to do it right. In the end, it’s always the two of you [coaches and players]. End of story. It’ll be that way till they quit playing football.”

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Four Big 12 linebackers were named Friday as semifinalists for the Butkus Award, presented each year by the Butkus Foundation to the nation's best linebacker.

Among those who were named include Oklahoma's Travis Lewis, Missouri's Sean Weatherspoon, Texas A&M's Von Miller and Texas' Sergio Kindle.

Interestingly, both Miller and Kindle have gotten much of their use this season as pass-rushing defensive ends.

Here's a look at the complete group of 16 semifinalists.

• Obi Ezeh, Michigan
• Chris Galippo, USC
• Greg Jones, Michigan State
• Sean Lee, Penn State
• Rolando McClain, Alabama
• Brandon Spikes, Florida
• Daryl Washington, TCU
• Eric Norwood, South Carolina
• Perry Riley, LSU
• Quan Sturdivant, North Carolina
• Rennie Curran, Georgia
• Mark Herzlich, Boston College
• Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
• Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri
• Von Miller, Texas A&M
• Sergio Kindle, Texas

Lewis has one thing going for him as he continues his quest for the award. No school has produced more Butkus Award winners than Oklahoma, which has four previous winners. Among the former Sooners who won the award include Brian Bosworth in 1985 and 1986, Rocky Calmus in 2001 and Teddy Lehman in 2003.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

With Texas A&M starting practice today in College Station, every Big 12 team is back at work to prepare for the 2009 season.

The Aggies will condition in the sweltering sweatbox that can be College Station in August. But it should have them in outstanding shape for the start of the season.

Only 24 days remain until the start of the season. Here are a few stories from across the Big 12 to get you primed.

• The Oklahoman's Berry Tramel writes that Oklahoma State must be tougher than it was in the Holiday Bowl if it wants to live up to its early hype.
• Colorado will shift seamlessly between three-man and four-man defensive fronts this season, the Denver Post's Tom Kensler reports.
• Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin tells The Dallas Morning News' Chuck Carlton why he decided to give up track this spring in order to become a full-time football player.
• New Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee's role will be that of a caretaker of the Cornhuskers' offense, Omaha World-Herald columnist Tom Shatel writes. And the Lincoln Journal-Star's Steve Sipple writes that Lee has a chance to back up the early hype he has been steadily receiving from coaches and teammates.
• CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodds' all-decade team had a significant crimson and cream hue with four Oklahoma players selected -- Adrian Peterson, Jammal Brown, Rocky Calmus and Roy Williams. 
• The Kansas City Star's Paul Suellentrop profiles versatile Kansas State running back/quarterback Daniel Thomas.
• The Topeka Capital-Journal's Kevin Haskin writes that Todd Reesing excels in and is reveling in his college experience.
• The Austin American-Statesman's Kirk Bohls writes that Texas' defense has room for much improvement in its second season working with coordinator/head-coach-in-waiting Will Muschamp.
• Oklahoma wide receiver Cameron Kenney is turning heads not only with his catching skills but also with his punting, Jake Trotter and Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman report.
• The Lubbock Avalanche Journal's Don Williams analyzes the battle for playing time among Texas Tech's wide receivers.
• Junior college cornerback Coryell Judie and freshman defensive lineman Chris Henderson were missing as Texas A&M prepared for Monday's first day of practice, the Houston Chronicle/San Antonio Express-News' Brent Zwerneman reports.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Oklahoma's three legendary coaches made for an easy trio of anchors on my personal Sooner Mount Rushmore, leaving room for the greatest football player in school history as my fourth selection.

And you think it's easy to do that?

Here are my selections:

• Bud Wilkinson -- The father of modern Oklahoma football and a pretty good football analyst during my youth. He set the school record with 145 victories, including an NCAA FBS record 47-game winning streak from 1953 through 1957.
• Barry Switzer -- The lovable rogue who perfected the wishbone offense with scores of great Texas expatriates. It helped him finish with 157 career triumphs, three national championships and a share of every Big Eight title from 1973 to 1980.
• Bob Stoops -- The most successful coach in Big 12 history has claimed six Big 12 titles, including an unprecedented current streak of three straight championships. Recent BCS title games haven't been kind to him, but he still claimed the 2000 national championship in only his second season as the Sooners' head coach.
• Billy Sims -- He still makes Heisman Trophy presentations a lively affair, particularly when an Oklahoma player wins the award. He won the Heisman in 1978 and finished second the following season, leading the nation in rushing and scoring in both seasons.

I had many potential nominees for the Oklahoma football Rushmore. A case could be made for Bennie Owen, Billy Vessels, Tommy McDonald, Jerry Tubbs, Bob Kalsu, the Selmon Brothers, Brian Bosworth, Tony Casillas, Prentice Gautt, Granville Liggins, Keith Jackson, Roy Williams, Tommie Harris, Rocky Calmus, Josh Heupel, Adrian Peterson and Jason White.

I could go on and on.

And if he has another Heisman-winning season, it might be especially hard to argue with that Sam Bradford fellow, too.

Anybody I've forgotten, or grossly underrated or overrated?  

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Big 12 defenses needed to strike back.

And after Monday's announcements, it appears that a little of the balance is returning to the conference in terms of personnel.

The return of key defensive players like Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and Texas defensive tackle Lamarr Houston and linebackers Sergio Kindle and Roddrick Muckelroy will mean several potential All-Big 12 players are returning for another season.

Their announced returns are coming on the heels of the already announced departures of Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman and Missouri wide receiver/kick returner Jeremy Maclin to the NFL draft, the expected Tuesday announcement of Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree's departure for the NFL draft and the potential declaration of Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford before the Jan. 15 deadline.

Not too long ago, the Big 12 was known for its defensive prowess where players like Roy Williams, Rocky Calmus, Derrick Johnson and Terrence Newman made teams think of defense first and everything else later.

But that all changed over the last several years -- particularly this season when the conference became known for its pinball-like scoring numbers as record totals for points and total offense have been produced across the conference.

It will take time for that perception to change. But maybe some of Monday's personnel decisions will help the pendulum swing back and Big 12 defenses won't be an afterthought in the future.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Earlier this season, Travis Lewis didn't know if he would ever learn the intricacies of Oklahoma's defense.

Understand that Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables' concepts are sometimes difficult to comprehend for even the most seasoned of veteran players. So some growing pains were to be expected for a redshirt freshman like Lewis who had seldom played the position before coming to college.

	Jerry Lai/US Presswire
	Travis Lewis (28) is looking forward to trying to slow down Florida's offense Thursday night.

But when injuries and the struggles of others contributed to Lewis moving forward on the depth chart, he still burned with fury because he thought he hadn't won the starting job because of his play.

"Things contributed to me starting ... it wasn't me being the best option," Lewis said. "But I wouldn't have it any other way. Going through that taught me how to play with a chip on my shoulder.

"I still treat every day like I'm third on the depth chart. I think about it every day when I wake up and every day before I go to practice."

That rage has fueled a remarkable debut season for Lewis, who has developed into the most productive freshman linebacker in Oklahoma history despite his lack of playing experience at the position.

"He came from out of nowhere," Venables said. "Travis has been able to overcome his lack of experience and technique and fundamentals because he plays so incredibly hard. He's been able to cover up his mistakes because of that."

The Sooners' program has been dotted by playmaking linebackers during the era that Venables has served as the Sooners' linebackers coach and defensive coordinator. Playmakers like Rocky Calmus, Teddy Lehman, Curtis Lofton and Rufus Alexander all have turned the position into one of the biggest strengths throughout the Bob Stoops era.

But none of them has had as quick a start as Lewis, who was a consensus All-Big 12 player and was named defensive newcomer of the year by the Associated Press and the league's coaches.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Oklahoma's dynasty under Bob Stoops wasn't built on fancy offensive attacks that rolled up yards and produced point-a-minute scoring totals.

At its very peak when the Sooners claimed the 2000 national title, Oklahoma had a solid offensive attack. But the Sooners' major claim to fame was a bruising defense that was seldom dented by opposing teams.

Players such as Rocky Calmus, Roy Williams, Torrance Marshall and Derrick Strait dotted the Sooners' roster back then. In those days, Oklahoma's means of stopping opponents was about as subtle as a roundhouse punch.

Those days appear to be long gone as the Sooners are struggling through the worst statistical defensive season of Stoops' 10-season coaching tenure. The Sooners have already allowed 298 points, more than in any season since 1997. And their 249.7 yards per game allowed through the air would be the worst mark in the school's records, which date to 1937.

Those figures have intensified scrutiny on a defense that has allowed at least 28 points in six of its last seven games heading into Saturday's championship game against Missouri.

The Tigers' chances will likely depend on getting into a shootout with the Sooners' explosive offense. Quarterback Chase Daniel keys an explosive attack that ranks fourth nationally in scoring and passing and sixth in total offense, which might give Missouri a chance to upset the Sooners.

And considering that third-string linebacker Mike Balogun will be making his first career start after playing only 20 snaps earlier this season, the Sooners' defense could have a weak link in the middle.

Such talk has caught the attention of the Sooners as they prepare for Saturday's game.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

It's not unprecedented that Oklahoma could come back from a loss to Texas and still win the Big 12 South title and maybe a factor in the national title chase.

But it's going to be very hard.

The Sooners are left with this predicament after suffering a 45-35 loss to the Longhorns last week, twice blowing double-digit leads against their resilient archrivals who are now in the driver's seat for the South Division title.

If Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops has any legitimate shot at earning a three-peat of Big 12 titles, he'll need to fix several nagging concerns quickly as the Sooners head into Saturday's pivotal game in Norman against North Division leader Kansas.

The Sooners' biggest concern is replacing playmaking middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds, who was lost for the season after blowing out his right knee early in the third quarter last Saturday.

After Reynolds' departure, the Longhorns took over running the ball, producing 164 rushing yards in the second half. Texas was limited to minus-3 yards rushing in the first half.

Before Reynolds' injury, the Longhorns produced 4.6 yards per snap. After he left the lineup, Texas gashed the Sooners for 8.3 yards per play and outscored the Sooners 25-7 to claim the comeback victory.

Brandon Crow struggled as Reynolds' replacement in the Texas game against both the run and the pass. It is unlikely he'll get the chance to start against Kansas.

Stoops mentioned starting weakside linebacker Travis Lewis as a possible replacement in the middle, but after the redshirt freshman produced 19 tackles against Texas, it is unlikely that he would move. A more plausible solution would be moving his backup, redshirt freshman Austin Box, or junior-college transfers J.R. Bryant and Mike Balogun.

The hole is the middle is present because 2007 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Curtis Lofton left school a year early to declare for the NFL Draft. And heralded 2007 junior-college prospect Mike Reed left school earlier this year, robbing the position of additional depth.

"These other guys are going to have to step up," Stoops said.

Another huge concern has been the Sooners' struggles covering kicks. The Sooners rank 109th nationally, allowing an average of 25.33 yards per kick. They've been burned for touchdowns by Mardy Gilyard of Cincinnati and Jordan Shipley of Texas and nearly gave up a touchdown to Aaron Brown of TCU.

The memory of Shipley's return still stings because it enabled the Longhorns to stay in the game when it appeared the Sooners were on the verge of a knockout after going ahead 14-3 early in the game.

"We just haven't been able to get it done," Stoops said.

The Sooners also rank ninth or worse in the Big 12 in punt return average and net punting. It's a very rare problem for a Stoops-coached team to have.

The Oklahoma coach was a pioneer among modern coaches of putting starting players on his special teams. Key contributors like Teddy Lehman, Rocky Calmus, Roy Williams and Trent Smith all had their time on those special-teams units.

But the Sooners have gotten away from that in recent years. Stoops hinted earlier this week that that attitude could change after playing only four starters on the kick coverage unit last week against Texas.

"We aren't doing anything differently, it's just people," Stoops said. "We have got to get the right guys in there who can recognize and be where they need to be. Sometimes, we've been where we needed to be and we just didn't make the play."

The Sooners also need to be more balanced offensively after struggling to run the ball against both Texas and TCU in their last three games. Oklahoma produced 48 yards against the Longhorns after netting 25 against TCU.

"We know that it hasn't been as good as it has been since the beginning of the season," Oklahoma tailback Chris Brown said. "We have to take responsibility for what is going on in the running game. It's not just the offensive line. It's the backs and the complete offense. This is a week where we have to establish our running game and get it back like normal."

Tailback DeMarco Murray is clearly not the same back he was last season before dislocating his kneecap in a late-season loss at Texas Tech. Murray has had only one gain of more than 20 yards this season and is averaging 4.8 yards per carry this season after averaging 6.0 yards last season.

"We need to be a better run team because we're not trying to be a finesse team," Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. "If the run game is not going, I have to make it work and give us a chance to win."

Those adjustments will be critical for the Sooners to make immediately. Their Big 12 title hopes will be riding on them.

But the Sooners like their place in the national title hunt midway through the season -- even after the loss to Texas.

"There's still a lot of football left," Lewis said. "There's a lot of football still to be played."