ESPN College Football

We've already looked at the conference's best quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers. Let's flip across the other side of the ball and take a look at the conference's top-10 linebackers.

Check out part one, featuring linebackers 6-10, from this morning.

1. Travis Lewis, Oklahoma

There are disagreements about whether Lewis or Von Miller is the conference's top linebacker, and it's very, very close. But in the Big 12, the strength should be shifted slightly to the running game, especially among the conference's top-three teams --Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. In short, having a run-stopping linebacker is slightly more valuable than having a crazy-good pass rusher. That said, they're both -- by far -- the best at what they do. Lewis has 253 tackles in two seasons at Oklahoma and is entering only his junior year, while Miller has one season of excellence in three years at Texas A&M leading up to his senior season. Both were All-Big 12 first-teamers in 2009, and both should be again in 2010.

2. Von Miller, Texas A&M

Miller and Lewis are a step above the rest of the linebackers in the conference, and Miller has no returning contemporary when it comes to sacks. He had 5.5 more than any returning Big 12 player (Missouri DE Aldon Smith), and will play a position in new defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter's 3-4 scheme built for his talents. The speedy, athletic 6-3, 240-pounder will be DeRuyter's "Joker," a hybrid defensive end/linebacker position.

3. Brian Duncan, Texas Tech

Duncan led the Red Raiders in tackles in 2009 with 87, and though he was held without a sack as a junior, the 6-foot-1, 240-pound senior may get big opportunities for game-changing plays in 2010. New defensive coordinator James Willis moved him to the outside of his 3-4, aggressive scheme, and Duncan should spend a lot more time in the offensive backfield with Willis' penchant for blitzing.

4. Keenan Robinson, Texas

Only two Longhorns had more tackles than Robinson's 63 from 2009, and both (Roddrick Muckelroy and Earl Thomas) were 2010 NFL draft picks. He'll be one of the leaders of a Texas defense that should be among the nation's best once again, with Robinson holding down one of the outside linebacker spots for the second season. His four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks earned him All-Big 12 honorable mention.

5. Orie Lemon, Oklahoma State

Lemon missed all of the 2009 season after tearing his ACL, but he's back this spring and sounds back on track. He was second on the team in tackles in 2008 with 90 stops, and this spring, defensive coordinator Bill Young said his linebacker was among the best middle linebackers in the country. Based on his placement on this list, I don't agree 100 percent, but he's definitely one of the best in the conference. The 6-foot-1, 240-pound senior's injury delayed his career, but it gives the Cowboys some much-needed maturity and leadership on a defense that lost seven starters from a season ago.

See Nos. 6-10 on our list.

Christian Scott, S

Looks likely to succeed Earl Thomas alongside Blake Gideon as Texas' second safety. Scott sat out the 2009 season--excluding the national title game -- because of unresolved eligibility issues that were resolved at the semester's end. A former ESPNU 150 recruit, Scott played in all 13 games for Texas as a sophomore, notching 15 tackles, including two in a win over Ohio State. He'll have competition from Kenny Vaccaro at safety, but if he holds him off, he could finish the season with great tackle and interception numbers in a loaded Longhorns secondary.

Dustin Earnest, LB

Scott isn't the only one filling a hole left by the NFL draft. Earnest should step into departed linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy's spot as a senior after sitting behind starter Muckelroy for two seasons. Like Scott, the talent around him should help. Fellow linebackers Keenan Robinson and Emmanuel Acho look likely to earn All-Big 12 honors in 2010. When Earnest did get a chance to fill in for Muckelroy, he made 26 stops -- 17 without assistance -- and a sack. He's played in 38 of 40 games over the past three seasons, but he should finally be counted on for consistent playing time this season.


Barrett Matthews, TE

Matthews gave a nice preview of what could come later in the Longhorns' spring game, proving to be an effective safety blanket for fellow sophomore, quarterback Garrett Gilbert. Greg Smith started last season, but coach Mack Brown says if Matthews eliminates his inconsistencies in the passing game, Smith will move to H-back and be more of a blocker and utilized in short passing routes. Matthews, a former ESPNU 150 recruit who ESPN named as the nation's No. 3 tight end, caught three passes for 31 yards and a touchdown in the game. If Blaine Irby can get back to playing form after missing almost all of the past two seasons with a knee injury, and Texas has success establishing the run game, it would also have an impressive two-tight end formation to utilize in play-action and give Gilbert two good options in the middle of the field that defenses would be forced to account for.

More Fresh Faces:

• Texas Tech
• Texas A&M

2009 overall record: 13-1

2009 conference record: 8-0

Returning starters: Offense (6), Defense(7) P/K (1)

Top returners: CB Chykie Brown, CB Aaron Williams, S Blake Gideon, WR James Kirkendoll, RB Tre’ Newton, DE Sam Acho, DT Eddie Jones, DT Kheeston Randall

Key losses: QB Colt McCoy, WR Jordan Shipley, DE Sergio Kindle, S Earl Thomas, DT Lamarr Houston, OL Adam Ulatowski, OL Charlie Tanner, LB Roddrick Muckelroy, WR Dan Buckner (transfer)

2009 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Tre’ Newton* (552 yards)

Passing: Colt McCoy (3,521 yards)

Receiving: Jordan Shipley (1,485 yards)

Tackles: Roddrick Muckelroy (84)

Sacks: Sam Acho* (7)

Interceptions: Earl Thomas (8)

Three spring answers

1. Check out the new style. Texas is going under center. And while offensive coordinator Greg Davis warns the style change isn’t as radical as some believe, it’s still a departure from the spread attack under the accurate Colt McCoy, which was a departure from the zone read scheme under the athletic Vince Young. If the running game materializes, everything else will come easier for the Longhorns.

2. National Championship was no fluke. The hype surrounding Garrett Gilbert’s impending ascension to starter this spring was expanded tenfold by his performance in the national championship game after McCoy was sidelined with a shoulder injury. This spring, as best he could, he validated that hype. He’s taken control of the team, and performed solidly all spring, capped off by an impressive 10-of-13 for 165 yards and three touchdowns in the spring game.

3. Secondary strengths. After this spring, Mack Brown believes his secondary has three NFL-bound defensive backs in Chykie Brown, Curtis Brown and Aaron Williams. They could terrorize Big 12 quarterbacks this season, even though they lost safety and first-round pick Earl Thomas to the NFL last season.

Three fall questions

1. Will the broken record fix itself? The past couple springs have been all about establishing the running game in Austin. The past two falls have come and gone without a solid, consistent runner for Texas. This year, Tre’ Newton and Fozzy Whittaker have separated from a talented group of running backs as the featured runners in the offense heading into fall. If they’re not productive, we’ll be right back here again next spring.

2. What receivers will fit where? Other than Jordan Shipley, no Texas receiver could be counted on for Colt McCoy. Now, players like Malcolm Williams, James Kirkendoll, DeSean Hales, Marquise Goodwin and John Chiles will try to change that. But when fall comes, so does the nation’s best receiving class. Texas signed two of the top three receivers and three of the top 11, as well as ATH Demarco Cobbs, who could also play receiver. Mike Davis, Darius White and Chris Jones will be nipping at the heels of any older receivers who slip up in preseason camp.

3. Will the dominance over Oklahoma continue? The Red River Rivalry has favored the south side, Texas, in four of the past five seasons. As usual, the Sooners and Longhorns will meet again at the Cotton Bowl in October, and Oklahoma will be hungry to reverse their fortunes against the burnt orange. How Texas responds will have a big impact on the South race, even though a victory in the 2008 game didn’t put the Longhorns into the Big 12 title game.

The Big 12 had 30 players drafted over the weekend, fifth most among the major six conferences.


Here's a look at who went where when:

First round (9):

1. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma (St. Louis)

2. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska (Detroit)

3. Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma (Tampa Bay)

4. Trent Williams, OL, Oklahoma (Washington)

6. Russell Okung, OL, Oklahoma State (Seattle)

14. Earl Thomas, DB, Texas (Seattle)

19. Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri (Atlanta)

21. Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma (Cincinnati)

24. Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State (Dallas)

Second round (2):

43. Sergio Kindle, DE, Texas (Baltimore)

44. Lamarr Houston, DT, Texas (Oakland)

Third round (3):

80. J.D. Walton, C, Baylor (Denver)

84. Jordan Shipley, WR, Texas (Cincinnati)

85. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas (Cleveland)

Fourth round (4):

110. Darrell Stuckey, FS, Kansas (San Diego)

115. Phillip Dillard, LB, Nebraska (New York Giants)

121. Keenan Clayton, LB, Oklahoma (Philadelphia)

131. Roddrick Muckelroy, LB, Texas (Cincinnati)

Fifth round (6):

135. Dominique Franks, CB, Oklahoma (Atlanta)

137. Perrish Cox, CB, Oklahoma State (Denver)

141. Joshua Moore, DB, Kansas State (Chicago)

160. Larry Asante, SS, Nebraska (Cleveland)

162. Brody Eldridge, TE, Oklahoma (Indianapolis)

165. Kerry Meier, WR, Kansas (Atlanta)

Sixth round (4):

191. Dezmon Briscoe, WR, Kansas (Cincinnati)

196. Jamar Wall, CB, Texas Tech (Dallas)

198. David Gettis, WR, Baylor (Carolina)

202. Jordan Pugh, DB, Texas A&M (Carolina)

Seventh round (2):

228. Reggie Stephens, OL, Iowa State (Cincinnati)

250. Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma State (New England)

When you arrange those by team, Oklahoma comes out on top, with seven selections.

1. Oklahoma (7)

2. Texas (6)

3. Oklahoma State (4)

T-4. Nebraska (3)

T-4. Kansas (3)

6. Baylor (2)

T-7. Iowa State (1)

T-7. Kansas State (1)

T-7. Missouri (1)

T-7. Texas Tech (1)

T-7. Texas A&M (1)

12. Colorado (0)

Texas will be without safety Nolan Brewster and guard Mason Walters when the Longhorns begin spring practice in early March.

Texas athletic trainer for football Kenny Boyd said that Brewster (right shoulder) and Walters (left foot) will miss work that will begin with their practice in pads. And linebacker Emmanuel Acho, who underwent surgery for a sports hernia repair, will be limited when the Longhorns start.

Two practices will be open to the public on March 2 and March 8 at Texas' Denius Fields. They will begin at 4 p.m.

And the Longhorns also have scheduled their annual Spring Football Jamboree and Orange-White Game for Sunday April 4. More information and the starting time will be released by the school later.

Brewster's injury is significant because he would have had a shot at winning a starting safety slot during spring practice. He was backup to Earl Thomas last season. Christian Scott, Ben Wells and Blake Gideon are the prime returning players at that position.

Walters missed much of last season with the injury. His absence will keep him from immediately challenging in the battle to replace departing starting tackle Adam Ulatoski.

And with Acho missing at linebacker along with the departing Roddrick Muckelroy, players like Ryan Roberson, Dustin Earnest and Tariq Allen a chance for extra work .

The NFL has released its final list of late additions to its annual pre-draft player combine, which will take place in Indianapolis from Feb. 24 to March 2.

The Big 12 is well represented on the list of invited players, with every team but Iowa State and Texas A&M having at least one representative.

Here's the final list. The late invitations, typically from underclassmen who declared for the draft, are listed in bold.

BAYLOR (2)

WR David Gettis

C J.D. Walton

COLORADO (1)

TE Riar Geer

KANSAS (3)

WR Dezmon Briscoe

WR Kerry Meier

S Darrell Stuckey

KANSAS STATE (3)

WR Brandon Banks

TE Jeron Mastrud

CB Joshua Moore

MISSOURI (4)

WR Danario Alexander

G Kurtis Gregory

WR Jared Perry

LB Sean Weatherspoon

NEBRASKA (4)

S Larry Asante

LB Phillip Dillard

C Jacob Hickman

DT Ndamukong Suh

OKLAHOMA (9)

QB Sam Bradford

RB Chris Brown

OLB Keenan Clayton

TE Brody Eldridge

CB Dominique Franks

TE Jermaine Gresham

CB Brian Jackson

DT Gerald McCoy

T Trent Williams

OKLAHOMA STATE (6)

S Lucien Antoine

WR Dez Bryant

CB Perrish Cox

T Russell Okung

QB Zac Robinson

RB Keith Toston

TEXAS (7)

DT Lamarr Houston

DE Sergio Kindle

QB Colt McCoy

LB Roddrick Muckelroy

WR Jordan Shipley

S Earl Thomas

T Adam Ulatoski

TEXAS TECH (2)

G Brandon Carter

CB Jamar Wall

As we all pore over the recruiting ratings of each school for the next few days, it's wise to take all of these rankings and ratings with a healthy grain of salt.

Recruiting is, always has been and always will be an inexact science. For every can't miss product, there are others who emerge out of nowhere to become standout players.

This trend was shown after I analyzed the first- and second-team All-Big 12 teams from the 2009 season and went back to check their original ESPNU grades. On some, the service hit. But on many others, it missed like Sean Weatherspoon and Danario Alexander.

Both had scores of 40 when they came out in their recruiting class. Weatherspoon weighed 195 pounds. Alexander was projected as a safety. And both put aside their dubious recruiting marks to develop into two of the best players in the country at their position over the course of their college career. I thought it was interesting to go back and look at the best players in the conference and see where they were ranked coming into college.

The ESPNU ratings database goes back only to 2006. That does not allow us to get ratings for players who took a redshirt year during their college careers. But it gives a pretty accurate picture about the crap shoot that college recruiting really is.

Here's a look at the Big 12's coaches' first and second teams for 2009. The positional rankings, typically listed second for most players, are national rankings.

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

QB: Colt McCoy, Texas: Class of 2005, no information available.

RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State: Junior college class of 2009.

RB: Keith Toston, Oklahoma State: 77 rating; ranked 44th among all safeties; ranked 73rd in state.

FB: Bryant Ward, Oklahoma State: Walk-on.

WR: Jordan Shipley, Texas: Class of 2004, no information available.

WR: Danario Alexander, Missouri: 40 rating (as safety), ranked 229th in state.

WR: Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas: 40 rating, ranked 363rd in state.

TE: Jeron Mastrud, Kansas State: 40 rating, ranked 13th in state.

OL: Russell Okung, Oklahoma State: 73 rating, ranked 61st among all tackles, 138th in state.

OL: Trent Williams, Oklahoma: 76 rating, ranked 22nd among all guards, 78th in state.

OL: Nick Stringer, Kansas State: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: Brandon Carter, Texas Tech: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: Nate Solder, Colorado: 40 rating (as tight end), ranked 48th in state.

PK: Grant Ressel, Missouri: Walk-on.

KR/PR: Brandon Banks, Kansas State: Junior college class of 2008.

---

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE

DL: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska: Class of 2005, no information available.

DL: Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma: 89 rating, ranked 2nd among all defensive tackle, ranked first in state, ranked 21st in nation.

DL:Von Miller, Texas A&M: 77 rating, ranked 37th among all defensive ends, ranked 52nd in state.

DL: Brandon Sharpe, Texas Tech: Junior-college class of 2007.

DL: Jared Crick, Nebraska: 73 rating, ranked 86th among all defensive ends, ranked seventh in state.

LB: Jesse Smith, Iowa State: Class of 2005, no information available.

LB: Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri: 40 rating, ranked 294th in state.

LB: Travis Lewis, Oklahoma: 75 rating, ranked 86th among all running backs, ranked 96th in state.

DB: Earl Thomas, Texas: 71 rating, ranked 75th among all cornerbacks, ranked 170th in state.

DB: Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State: 77 rating, ranked 25th among all cornerbacks, ranked 57th in state.

DB: Dominique Franks, Oklahoma: 74 rating, ranked 53rd among all cornerbacks, ranked 15th in state.

DB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska: 78 rating, ranked 31st among all running backs, ranked fifth in state.

DB: Larry Asante, Nebraska: Junior college class of 2007.

P: Derek Epperson, Baylor: 76 rating, ranked 15th among all kickers, ranked 87th in state.

---

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

QB: Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M: 79 rating, ranked first among all athletes, ranked 29th in state.

RB Roy Helu Jr., Nebraska: 73 rating, ranked 113th among all running backs, ranked 97th in state.

RB: DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma: 92 rating, ranked first among all running backs, ranked first in state, ranked sixth in nation.

FB: Jamie McCoy, Texas A&M: Class of 2005, no information available.

WR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma: 77 rating, ranked 58th among all wide receivers, ranked fourth in state.

WR: Kerry Meier, Kansas: Class of 2005 , no information available.

WR: Brandon Banks, Kansas State: Junior college class of 2008.

TE: Riar Geer, Colorado: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: J.D. Walton, Baylor: Class of 2005, no information available (transfer from Arizona State).

OL: Chris Hall, Texas: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: Kurtis Gregory, Missouri: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: Adam Ulatoski, Texas: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: Brody Eldridge, Oklahoma: Class of 2005, no information available.

OL: Lee Grimes, Texas A&M: Class of 2005, no information available.

PK: Alex Henery, Nebraska: Walk-on.

KR/PR: Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State: 77 rating, ranked 25th among all cornerbacks, ranked 57th in state.

---

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

DL: Sergio Kindle, Texas: 92 rating, ranked first among all outside linebackers, ranked second in state, ranked seventh in nation.

DL: Lamarr Houston, Texas: 78 rating, ranked seventh among all fullbacks, ranked fourth in state.

DL: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma: 80 rating, ranked 11th among all defensive ends, ranked 17th in state, ranked 137th nationally.

DL: Jaron Baston, Missouri: Class of 2005, no information available.

DL: Daniel Howard, Texas Tech: Junior college class of 2007

LB: Joe Pawelek, Baylor: Class of 2005, no information available.

LB: Roddrick Muckelroy, Texas: Class of 2005, no information available.

LB: Phillip Dillard, Nebraska: Class of 2005, no information available.

DB: Jamar Wall, Texas Tech: 72 rating, ranked 79th among all safeties, ranked 142nd in state.

DB: Quinton Carter, Oklahoma: 77 rating, ranked 39th among all safeties, ranked third in state.

DB: Brian Jackson, Oklahoma: Class of 2005, no information available.

DB: Jordan Lake, Baylor: Class of 2005, no information available.

DB: Cha’pelle Brown, Colorado: 40 rating, ranked 287th in state.

DB: Trent Hunter, Texas A&M: 68 rating, ranked 90th among all cornerbacks, ranked 250th in state.

P: Tress Way, Oklahoma: 78 rating, ranked sixth among all kickers, ranked sixth in state.

It's interesting to note that only four members of the two teams were ESPNU top 150 selections: Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy, DeMarco Murray and Jeremy Beal and Texas' Sergio Kindle.

Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson needed a big week at the Senior Bowl to help his chances in the upcoming NFL draft.

Robinson got that and more in strong play for the South team at Saturday's game at Mobile, Ala.

His efforts in practices during the week enabled him to get most of the playing time for the South team in its 31-13 loss to the North.

The South team struggled, but it wasn't necessarily Robinson's fault. He completed 12 of 21 passes for a game-high 176 yards as he outplayed fellow South quarterbacks Tim Tebow of Florida and Jarrett Brown of West Virginia. Robinson hooked up with Colin Peak on a 19-yard touchdown pass shortly before halftime to account for the South team's only touchdown.

Robinson, like Tebow, had two fumbles including one lost. And Robinson had minus-9 yards in four carries including two sacks.

Here's a look at the individual statistics and participation for the Big 12 alumni in the game.

NORTH

• Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon: Started, two tackles, three assists, .5 tackle for a loss, one interception for 43 yards, one pass broken up.
• Nebraska linebacker Phillip Dillard: One tackle, two assists.
• Nebraska safety Larry Asante: Started, one tackle, one forced fumble.
• Oklahoma running back Chris Brown: Saw action.
• Missouri wide receiver Danario Alexander: Saw action.

SOUTH

• Oklahoma State cornerback Perrish Cox: Started, One tackle, one kickoff return for 11 yards.
• Texas linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy: One tackle.
• Texas defensive tackle Lamarr Houston: One assist.
• Baylor center J.D. Walton: Saw action.

After delving into numbers most of the morning, it's always refreshing to get a chance to look at some links.

Enjoy them.

• Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson tells the Lincoln Journal Star’s Steve Sipple about his recruiting methods that lean heavily on foresight and coaching instincts.
• The Omaha World-Herald’s Mitch Sherman reports that Nebraska fans are getting on edge as the recruiting season enters its final week.
• Former Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury has decided to stay with Kevin Sumlin’s coaching staff at Houston after nearly joining Dana Holgorsen at Oklahoma State, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Steve Campbell.
• The Dallas Morning News’ Kevin Sherrington opines that Colt McCoy’s character shouldn’t take a hit because he didn’t return to the national championship game against Alabama.
• The Kansas City Star’s Mike DeArmond has an interesting snippet about how Missouri’s potential move to the Big Ten has split at least one family.
• Baylor center J.D. Walton was listed among SI.com’s Tony Pauline’s “risers” at the second day of practices at the Senior Bowl. But the Sporting News’ Russ Lande reports that Texas linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy and Missouri wide receiver Danario Alexander struggled through their Tuesday practices.
• Former Nebraska quarterback Joe Dailey has been reunited with Turner Gill at Kansas, the Omaha World-Herald’s Rich Kaipust reports. Gill was Dailey’s position coach at Nebraska.
• CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd ranks Tommy Tuberville’s hiring by Texas Tech as second and Gill’s hiring by Kansas sixth among the 22 new FBS coaching hires.
• Steven Lassan of Athlon Sports ranks Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas among his contenders to be top-10 teams in 2010.
• Justin Smith becomes Missouri's first NFL Pro Bowler in 20 years to start and finish his career with the Tigers, Dave Matter of the Columbia Tribune reports.
• Robert Cessna of the Bryan Eagle reports that "DeRuyter Fever" is rampant among Texas A&M fans.

Both teams in Saturday's Senior Bowl will feature Big 12 players, according to the most recent rosters that have been posted for the game.

It's a little interesting because teams members from Oklahoma will be on the North team and those from Oklahoma State will be on the South. I guess the game officials didn't consult an atlas, considering that Norman is south of Stillwater on the Oklahoma map.

But whatever. The game, which will be played at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday and shown on NFL Network, annually showcases the top senior players from across the country. Ten Big 12 players from six conference schools will be able to show their stuff to an assembled group of NFL scouts during workouts this week before Saturday's game.

Here's a look at Big 12 players who will be participating.

North roster

Missouri

WR Danario Alexander

LB Sean Weatherspoon

Nebraska

DB Larry Asante

LB Phillip Dillard

Oklahoma

RB Chris Brown

South roster

Baylor

C J.D. Walton

Oklahoma State

CB Perrish Cox

QB Zac Robinson

Texas

DT Lamarr Houston

LB Roddrick Muckelroy

Mack Brown revived the glory at Texas in the last decade, claiming at least 10 victories in each of the last nine seasons, including a 25-2 record in the last two seasons. The Longhorns have finished in the top 10 in five of the last six seasons.

Darrell K. Royal/Texas Memorial Stadium now has more than 100,00 seats. The Longhorns have a designated successor for Brown in place with rising star Will Muschamp. And that pesky problem with Bob Stoops has been alleviated recently with four victories in the last five seasons over the Sooners.

Times are good for Brown.

Here's a look at the Longhorns’ all-decade team during that time.

OFFENSE

QB: Vince Young

RB: Jamaal Charles

RB: Cedric Benson

WR: Jordan Shipley

WR: Roy Williams

TE: David Thomas

OL: Justin Blalock

OL: Jonathan Scott

OL: Derrick Dockery

OL: Leonard Davis

C: Lyle Sendlein

DEFENSE

DL: Brian Orakpo

DL: Cory Redding

DL: Shaun Rogers

DL: Casey Hampton

LB: Sergio Kindle

LB: Derrick Johnson

LB: Roddrick Muckelroy

DB: Earl Thomas

DB: Michael Huff

DB: Nathan Vasher

DB: Aaron Ross

P: Richmond McGee

K: Hunter Lawrence

KR: Quan Cosby

Offensive player of the decade: QB Vince Young. The most electrifying player of the decade capped his career by scoring the game-winning touchdown to lead his team to the national championship in his final drive. Brown finished with a 30-2 record, 6.040 passing yards and 3,127 rushing yards.

Defensive player of the decade: LB Derrick Johnson. He wasn’t around when the Longhorns won the national championship, but was perhaps the best player at his position at the school since Tommy Nobis. He capped his career with the Nagurski and Butkus Awards after earning All-America honors in each of his last two seasons.

Coach of the decade: Mack Brown. Remember when people used to joke about his inability to win big games or how he coddled his players. That all changed as the decade progressed. Brown got tougher and made some astute moves at defensive coordinator to help his program take the next step with the addition of coaches like Gene Chizik and Will Muschamp.

Moment of the decade: Vince Young’s run leads comeback victory to the 2005 national championship. Young’s game-winning 8-yard TD run with 19 seconds left boosted the Longhorns to a 41-38 victory over USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl, providing the margin of victory in one of the greatest college football games in history. Michael Huff’s fourth-down stop of LenDale White on the preceding drive set up Young’s heroics to snap the Trojans’ 34-game winning streak.

The Big 12 will be well represented when the NFL holds its scouting combine in Indianapolis.

The official list has not been released, although SportingNews.com has accounted for most of the early players. The list does not include juniors and other players who might be invited late to the festivities, which will begin Feb. 24 in Indianapolis.

I would think Baylor linebacker Joe Pawelek, Baylor safety Jordan Lake and Texas center Chris Hall all will be invited later.

And I would expect eligible juniors such as Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford and Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant to get their opportunity at the combine.

Baylor: WR David Gettis, C J.D. Walton.

Colorado: TE Riar Geer.

Iowa State: None.

Kansas: WR Kerry Meier, S Darrell Stuckey.

Kansas State: WR Brandon Banks, TE Jeron Mastrud.

Missouri: WR Danario Alexander, G Kurtis Gregory, WR Jared Perry, LB Sean Weatherspoon.

Nebraska: S Larry Asante, LB Phillip Dillard, C Jacob Hickman, DT Ndamukong Suh.

Oklahoma: RB Chris Brown, TE Brody Eldridge, TE Jermaine Gresham, CB Brian Jackson, T Trent Williams.

Oklahoma State: CB Perrish Cox, T Russell Okung, QB Zac Robinson, RB Keith Toston.

Texas: DT Lamarr Houston, DE Sergio Kindle, QB Colt McCoy, LB Roddrick Muckelroy, WR Jordan Shipley, OT Adam Ulatoski.

Texas A&M: None.

Texas Tech: G Brandon Carter, DB Jamar Wall.

PASADENA, Calif. -- The wear and tear was noticeable on their faces. Tired Texas players like Lamarr Houston and Roddrick Muckelroy showed the effects of trying to contain bruising Alabama running backs Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson during a long night at the Rose Bowl.

The Longhorns’ No. 1 national defense was gashed for a season-worst 205 rushing yards as Ingram rushed for 116 yards and Richardson added 109 in Alabama’s 37-21 victory in the Citi BCS National Championship game.

But despite those numbers, Texas made adjustments in the second half and the defense was one of the key reasons the Longhorns had a chance to win. Texas allowed only 57 rushing yards after the break, and continually came up with the key plays that were missing in the first half.

"The defense was out there a lot with (quarterback) Colt McCoy being gone,” Houston said. “We were playing tough and played through a lot of adversity all night long. And we were right there.”

The Longhorns’ defense came up with three, three-and-out possessions to start the second half, and Alabama's only two scores of the second half came off late turnovers. The Texas defense gave the Longhorns a chance to pull back into the game when the offense finally started clicking behind freshman quarterback Garrett Gilbert.

“We did all we could do to keep the game close,” Muckelroy said. “The defense stepped up and made some plays. They got us early, but in the end, about four plays killed us.”

Richardson’s 49-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter sliced through the middle of the Texas defense. It was one of four rushing touchdowns the Longhorns allowed Thursday night after giving up five rushing TDs in the 13 previous games.

“It was disappointing they got to us like that,” Houston said. “But we bounced back and did what we could to make adjustments to get back in the game.”

It was the second-most rushing yards against a Texas defense since Will Muschamp arrived last season. Only Oklahoma State's 217-yard effort last season surpassed the title game.

While Texas struggled containing the running game, Muschamp cooked up a pressure-heavy defensive front that sacked Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy five times.

The ringleader of the Texas pass rush was Sergio Kindle, who had his best game of the season with eight tackles, 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for losses.

“Our game plan was to get pressure on their quarterback,” Kindle said. “We thought their lineman were good in run blocking but might have slip-ups in pass coverage. We tried to get speed off the edge and middle. And those plays started coming for us as the game went on.”

But there weren’t enough of those big plays for the Longhorns to overcome the way the Tide won the battle in the trenches, using a methodical offensive philosophy.

“I’m not disappointed at all,” Houston said. “I’m proud of the team and our players for stepping up and almost winning this game. It was a good effort, but in the end it just wasn’t good enough.”

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Roddrick Muckelroy provided a key interception on a deflected pass to give Texas possession at the Nebraska 32.

But the Nebraska defense stiffened and forced a fourth-down quick kick from Colt McCoy after a key third-down sack by blitzing Nebraska safety Matt O'Hanlon.

For all of the talk about Ndamukong Suh's one-man demolition inside, Texas' defense has been pretty salty as well.

Will Muschamp's unit has forced two interceptions and three three-and-outs on Nebraska's last five possessions. The Cornhuskers haven't made a first down in the last 24 minutes -- and counting.

A couple of other notes:

• Suh has 3.5 sacks so far in the game, setting a conference championship game record.
• Tonight's crowd of 76,211 is the third-largest in conference history.

Here are some items that struck me while watching Big 12 games on Saturday.

Iowa State’s defensive resiliency has been stunning: Coach Paul Rhoads has helped the Cyclones respond after being gashed for 69 points in back-to-back losses to Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. The Cyclones rebounded to limit Colorado to its season-low in points and put them into bowl eligibility for the first time since 2005. ISU limited the sputtering Buffaloes to three points on three trips inside the 10-yard line. The Cyclones might not have talent to match many Big 12 teams, but they play exceedingly hard. With a team coached by Rhoads, you wouldn’t expect anything else.

Where do the Jayhawks go from here? Todd Reesing talked after the game Saturday about being part of “the transformation of Kansas football.” Hopefully for the Jayhawks, their struggles during his senior season won’t be a step back to the Kansas program before he arrived. But it’s not a good sign. The Jayhawks were a preseason North favorite. Instead, they have dropped five-straight games in a season where the North is clearly down from previous levels. And they have to win against either surging Texas or improving Missouri simply to make a bowl appearance. Mark Mangino will have his work cut out to keep the program moving forward -- particularly after the loss of key players of the transformation like Reesing, Kerry Meier, Jake Sharp and Darrell Stuckey after this season.

"Sooner Magic" appears to be turning around. Don't look now but Oklahoma’s blowout home victory over Texas A&M might have provided the Sooners with confidence heading into their final two games and could earn them the conference’s No. 2 bowl bid. With Texas Tech quarterback Steven Sheffield struggling with an obvious foot injury in the second half of the Red Raiders’ loss to Oklahoma State, the Red Raiders don’t look as daunting heading into Saturday’s game in Lubbock. And if Oklahoma can win that game, their chances will improve against Oklahoma State in the Bedlam Game the following week at home with Zac Robinson dinged up with an apparent concussion. Maybe we shouldn’t count Bob Stoops’ team out quickly with a schedule that appears to be providing some good fortune after so much bad luck earlier in the season.

Zac Robinson's health will determine Oklahoma State's BCS hopes: The biggest reason for Oklahoma State’s second-half transformation against Texas Tech was the stellar play of Robinson, who ran without abandon behind a beefy offensive line. It’s what the Cowboys need to be successful and conceivably could catapult them into the first BCS bowl appearance in school history. Losses by teams in front of them like USC, Arizona, Houston, Utah and Miami will provide the Cowboys with a chance to improve in the polls later Sunday. But in order to finish the season strong with hopes for that elusive BCS berth, Robinson has to be recovered from his concussion and productive for the Cowboys’ season-ending games against Colorado and Oklahoma.

Texas’ defense could face bigger-than-expected tests during the next two weeks: Fiery Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp was upset about his team allowing two window-dressing touchdowns against Baylor. But the Longhorns played exceptionally well early against the Bears -- particularly considering starting middle linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy was held out with a knee injury. The Longhorns lead the nation in rushing defense and total defense. They are the nation’s only team to rank in the top seven in total defense, rush defense, pass efficiency defense, scoring defense and turnover margin in the NCAA’s most recent statistics. And they will have a good chance to fine-tune for the Big 12 championship game and beyond when facing Kansas and Texas A&M in the next two weeks.

Remember, the Longhorns were carved up for 420 passing yards and three touchdowns by Texas Tech’s Taylor Potts. They have competed against injury-weakened offenses from Oklahoma and Oklahoma State earlier in the season and have faced backup quarterbacks the last two weeks against UCF and Baylor. Reesing and Jerrod Johnson will provide them with a beneficial challenge in their last two regular-season games.