ESPN College Football

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Wednesday morning, Oklahoma State's coaches met, but at no point during the day did smoke of any color drift from above Boone Pickens Stadium, signifying that the torch had been passed from record-setting quarterback Brandon Weeden to his successor.

Nowhere inside the stadium did Pickens tap a fresh-faced quarterback on each shoulder with his orange scepter, designating him as the face of the program Pickens has pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into.

Well, not yet, anyway.

The decision might still come later this week. It might not. Either way, the delay says plenty. The target date of naming a starter by the end of spring has passed. Oklahoma State held its spring game Saturday.

"If we don’t know, then we won’t do it. But if we know, then we’ll certainly do it," coach Mike Gundy told ESPN.com in a recent interview. "That’s as important as anything we'll do in the offseason."

Gundy wants his new quarterback to spearhead offseason workouts and entrench himself as the guy his teammates follow. He can place deadlines on the decision all he wants, but ultimately, junior Clint Chelf, redshirt freshman J.W. Walsh and true freshman Wes Lunt will make the decision on the field.

"It’d be nice to have a starter named by the summer, but you’d better be in that position where you know for sure," Cowboys offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. "You wouldn’t want guys to be bummed all summer and not work as hard, and then one week into fall camp be like, did we screw that up?

"You want it to be done if you know, but if you don’t know?"

That's where Oklahoma State finds itself today. Do OSU's coaches know? Lunt, Walsh and Chelf didn't make it easy on them through 15 practices this spring.

Each received an equal share of work with the first team, and Monken says that's all that can truly be evaluated when making the decision. The second-team offense -- namely receivers and offensive line -- aren't good enough yet to provide a reliable measuring stick.

None of the three signal-callers fell behind enough to redistribute reps to the top two and thus allow the coaches a larger sample; giving players too many reps with a lesser supporting cast could be a fatal blow to the trait Monken and Gundy want most: confidence.

"We’ve got to continue to play well around these guys and allow them to function, because none of them right now are capable of carrying us themselves. We don’t have that guy right now. He’s not here right now," Monken said. "Maybe he will be, but right now, he’s not."

Monken's not exactly sweating. He had a guy who could do it last year in Weeden, but looking around college football, he knows few teams have a quarterback who can truly carry a team.

"It didn’t take long when ol’ (Oklahoma receiver Ryan) Broyles went down and (OU) started running the dozer to think, 'Do we have our guy?' That didn’t take long," Monken said. "Landry Jones went from like, 'I’m the man,' to all of a sudden, 'I haven’t thrown a touchdown pass, I'm fumbling it over my head at Oklahoma State. I gotta go back and see my quarterback guru.'"

There's no doubt Oklahoma State's coaches have pored over hours of tape from all three candidates in the past few weeks and months. Still, there's no resolution.

"They’re all doing really good," Monken said. "They wouldn’t say that, as much as I yell at them, but they’ve all done better than I thought they’d do for where they’re at."

Walsh has improved his mechanics. Chelf has proved his status as the group's elder statesman and embraced a role as a leader. Lunt has done his best to figure out what is going on and showcase his status as the quarterback with the most traditional build and arm strength.

Some of what coaches want, though, can't show up on game tape.

"The biggest thing is that the cats around him believe in him," Monken said.

Weeden is gone. Oklahoma State doesn't have a quarterback who exudes greatness. Yet, anyway. It does have three good ones, though, and even with a decision looming, Monken isn't all that nervous.

"You can go from a guy who makes everybody look a lot better to guys we’ve got to help out a little bit. But they’ll be fine. We’ll be fine. Winning and losing this year won’t be a matter of whether we find a quarterback or not," Monken said. "It’ll be, will we stay healthy with the guys we have and the depth that we have. That’ll be the big thing. The guys will play well around whoever we have."

Angie's thinking of the next move now. As you know, my single, "My Single is Dropping" is dropping.

• Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman pleads for a little decorum, honor and leadership in the way the Big 12 conducts business after an ugly day for the conference.
• Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star digs into the political games being played between West Virginia and Louisville.
• A Big 12 Network? That's news to Oklahoma.
• The Big 12 is an amusement park without the amusement, writes Mitch Vingle of the Charleston (W.V.) Gazette.
• A trip to India may mean the timeline for Missouri to the SEC is expedited, reports the KC Star's Blair Kerkhoff, who also notes the Red River Rivalry is seeping into realignment.
• Texas A&M feeds off the enthusiasm of defensive lineman Spencer Nealy. Brent Zwerneman of the San Antonio Express-News has the story, with a MUST-SEE PHOTO.
• Barry Switzer e-mailed Boone Pickens after the Red River Rivalry and suggested OSU shouldn't "beat them as bad as the Sooners did because we want to keep Mack Brown as coach — we want somebody that both of us can beat."
• Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com tracks the story behind the Manhattan Miracle 2.0 at K-State.
• Why no College GameDay in Manhattan this week? Chris Fowler gives some insight into the decision.
• Texas Tech would like to see Louisville, its first choice, in the Big 12, reports David Just of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
• There are plenty of similarities between Texas A&M and Missouri's possible exits, A&M president R. Bowen Loftin tells Vahe Gregorian of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
• OSU booster Boone Pickens, though, needs some convincing, too, that West Virginia is the best fit.
• Mark Rosner of the Austin American-Statesman checks in on the musical chairs at QB for Texas.
• Last week's upset of Oklahoma held a special significance for Tech linebacker Daniel Cobb.
• Two units with ugly numbers will go head to head on Saturday, writes J. Brady McCollough of the Kansas City Star.
• Two cousins on opposite teams will take the field on Saturday.

Are you still FreakishBonyGinger@gmail.com?

• The SEC should want Missouri. And Missouri should want the SEC, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman.
• Where's Missouri's All-America tight end Michael Egnew? Vinnie Duber of the Columbia Missourian asks around.
• Speaking of searches, Kansas State coach Bill Snyder says Bryce Brown's early struggles may be more complex than they appear.
• Jeff Miller at ESPNDallas.com looks at the Heisman campaign surrounding Baylor QB Robert Griffin III.
• J. Brady McCollough checks in with one of the Jayhawks' most interesting defenders, defensive end Toben Opurum.
• The Big 12 has a problem if Missouri leaves, says OSU booster T. Boone Pickens.
• Kenny Stills will be back on the field for Oklahoma this weekend.
• Did Texas really learn its lesson last year? Cedric Golden of the Austin American-Statesman says we'll find out on Saturday when it plays Iowa State.
• Missouri's board of curators is looking at meeting Tuesday, reports Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star.
• Iowa State is winning the field position battle this year, thanks to two men, writes Andrew Logue of the Des Moines Register.
• Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein's gutsy performance on Saturday is earning him plenty of respect, writes Kellis Robinett of the Wichita Eagle.
• Texas Tech's tackling needs work, writes Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
• Texas A&M fans are fired up about a future in the SEC, writes David Harris of the Bryan-College Station Eagle.

The Oklahoma State alum and major donor discusses the future of the Big 12.

Again, since I'm blogging from ESPN HQ in Bristol, Conn., this week, things are going to be pretty light until next week. As a result, there's no chat today, but we should be back on schedule next week.

• Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman brought back plenty of life lessons from his visit to Iraq, reports Suzanne Halliburton of the Austin American-Statesman.
• Vince Young is stepping into the restaurant game with plans to open an Austin steakhouse.
• Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins can't guarantee he would continue playing against teams that leave the conference, including rival Missouri, reports J. Brady McCollough of the Kansas City Star.
• Columbia, Mo., native and quarterback Logan Gray is staying at Georgia, electing not to transfer.
• Colorado coach Dan Hawkins will join the rest of the program's coaches on a tour of the state, the first such tour since 1999.
• Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder is hopeful the Big 12 remains intact.
• And T. Boone Pickens wants the Cowboys to stay there.
• The Oklahoman's Berry Tramel shares a pretty hysterical story on his blog about Barry Switzer and Keith Jackson's night out on the town.
• Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds is renegotiating his contract with the university president.

Oklahoma State alumni and benefactor T. Boone Pickens has been named to the board of directors of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame.

Pickens is among a group of six new persons who have joined the board, including broadcasters Troy Aikman and Jim Nantz and former Tennessee coach Bill Battle.

The National Football Foundation has a deep connection with the Big 12. The group's president and chief executive officer is Steve Hatchell, the original commissioner of the Big 12. And other board members include Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione, Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne, Texas women's athletic director Chris Plonsky and former Baylor coach and current American Football Coaches Association executive director Grant Teaff.

It's a big honor for Pickens to be added to this group and will help expand Oklahoma State's national reach because of Pickens' influence in this blue-ribbon panel of sports leaders.

The arrival of Mack Brown and Bob Stoops late in the 1990s helped rejuvenate dormant programs at Texas and Oklahoma. By the end of the following decade, both traditional powers were clearly the Big 12's top two programs and among the nation’s best.

The return of Bo Pelini to Nebraska helped the Cornhuskers close the decade strongly and claim a spot just below the Big 12's "Big Two." Texas Tech has been among the nation's most consistent teams of the decade. North teams like Colorado, Kansas State and Missouri all popped up to make at least two appearances in the Big 12 title game.

But Oklahoma and Texas have been the Big 12's behemoths during the recent decade. Here's how I rank the programs ranked based on their accomplishments in the last decade.

1. Oklahoma: The Sooners earn a slight edge over Texas despite the same number of victories in the decade because Bob Stoops took them to six Big 12 titles. The earlier teams depended more on defense, while Stoops’ more recent squads have been offensive juggernauts to reflect the overall change in the Big 12.

2. Texas: A victory in the BCS title game earlier this month might have catapulted Texas into the top slot. Mack Brown has pushed his program into parity with Oklahoma after struggling with the Sooner dynasty built by Stoops earlier in the decade.

3. Nebraska: The Cornhuskers withstood more tumult in the last decade than in any era since Bob Devaney turned the program in 1962. Even with two coaching changes, Bo Pelini has the Cornhuskers steered to the top of the North Division and poised for much more heading into the new decade.

4. Texas Tech: Mike Leach took the Red Raiders to an 84-43 record during the decade, with another victory added by Ruffin McNeill in the Valero Alamo Bowl for third place among Big 12 teams in victories. They fall behind Nebraska because they still have never advanced to the Big 12 title game or claimed a BCS bowl berth. That will be Tommy Tuberville’s task to change the culture and break that ceiling for the program.

5. Kansas State: The program was at its best during the early part of the decade when Bill Snyder took the Wildcats to the last title by a North Division team in 2003. The program dipped under Ron Prince, but could be poised to make another step forward after confounding prognosticators by remaining in the North Division title hunt until the last game in 2009.

6. Missouri: Gary Pinkel has the program humming with two title-game berths, strong incoming talent and a reputation as the conference’s foremost developers of unheralded recruiting talent. Pinkel's growth has been strong, but he still needs to take them another step where they start winning conference championships and appearing in BCS bowl games.

7. Oklahoma State: The infusion of T. Boone Pickens’ money has helped make the Cowboys’ facilities as good as most in college football. That growth has helped pick up recruiting as Mike Gundy’s program has made a bowl trip in four of his five years coaching the Cowboys.

8. Colorado: Gary Barnett had the Buffaloes as the North Division’s most consistent program with four championship game appearances in five seasons, including the 2001 Big 12 title. They haven’t been nearly as successful since Dan Hawkins took over with one bowl trip, no bowl victories or trips to the championship game.

9. Texas A&M: The Aggies still have the elements that could return them to prominence with rich tradition, strong facilities and an ideal recruiting location. But it’s tougher for them to challenge in the South Division with Oklahoma and Texas at the highest levels in recent history and growing programs at Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and even Baylor.

10. Kansas: Mark Mangino has awakened football interest here, but it will be up to Turner Gill to build on that growth. The North Division looks open, but Gill will be challenged to match Mangino’s achievements early in his coaching tenure without an immediate replacement for Todd Reesing at quarterback.

11. Iowa State: Dan McCarney's turnaround of this program in the early part of the decade is one of the more underrated building projects in recent college football history after taking the Cyclones to five bowls in the first six seasons of the decade. Included in that run were two near-misses where the Cyclones legitimately could have made a championship-game appearance with more consistent kicking. Athletic director Jamie Pollard went for the sizzle when he hired Gene Chizik to replace McCarney. He now appears to have found a McCarney clone with steady Paul Rhoads in charge.

12. Baylor: The last decade will be marked by an incredible series of building projects at Baylor, but still no bowl game. The Bears appeared poised in 2009 before Robert Griffin's unfortunate season-ending knee injury. Art Briles turned down a couple of intriguing possibilities to remain at Baylor and try to stem the bowl drought, currently at 15 seasons and counting.

It wouldn't be a Friday afternoon without answering a few questions from the readers.

It's funny, but the stream of e-mails hasn't abated with the end of the season. If anything, more people are interested in what is going on with their favorite teams and players.

Here's a representative sample of some of the better missives I've received over the last couple of days.

Jason from Fort Worth, Texas, writes: First of all, I enjoy reading your blog everyday. Hopefully next season I will see more posts about Baylor winning games. I'm curious if it has been officially determined that Robert Griffin will get a medical redshirt? And if so, do you see him staying at Baylor all four years?

Tim Griffin: Baylor submitted the paperwork for an injury redshirt for Griffin soon after he got hurt. Heath Nielsen, the intrepid associate athletic director for media affairs at Baylor, tells me the Big 12 approved it in November.

It means Griffin will be classified as a sophomore during the 2010 season. I expect him to rejuvenate the Bears’ offense the minute he steps on the field.

And if he played like he did as a freshman and last season, he’ll immediately inject the Bears with the opportunity to challenge for a bowl trip. But I don’t necessarily know if he’ll stay four years. He might develop into a pro football prospect before his eligibility is over. A more likely possibility might be that he elects to compete for the U.S. Olympic team in track and field in 2012.

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Johnathan Morrow of Knoxville, Tenn., writes: I agree that the Texas job is more appealing right now and that Will Muschamp probably made the right decision to stay in Texas. But the assumption that the Texas job is better than the Tennessee job could ever possibly be is just that, an assumption, completely void factual information and riddled with bias and speculation.

I firmly believe in the right to express an educated opinion but making predictions from now to the end of time is nothing more than a shot in the dark. Give us some responsible reporting instead of playing this guessing game.

Tim Griffin: Johnathan, thanks for writing and expressing your opinion. But let’s look at the facts in one particular way. I think Tennessee scrambling for its fifth or sixth choice on the coaching job is a pretty good indication of where it ranks among the relative jobs that are out there. By last count -- and this could change after I make this post -- the Volunteers have been turned down by head coaches from Air Force, Utah and Duke (with a Tennessee connection, to boot) along with Muschamp. I can’t see that happening for a top 10 job, and particularly, I could never see it happening for a school like Texas or Florida.

Maybe back in the day when General Bob Neyland was prowling the sidelines, Tennessee was a great job. But in today’s football culture, as we can see by the string of rejections piling up on Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton’s desk, it’s certainly no longer the case

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W. Jones of Dallas writes: OK, Tim. We get it. You hate Tech. First, saying you "can't understand why" Tommy Tuberville took the Tech job, and now saying Tech is not a top 30 job but OSU is. Careful, your bias is showing.

Tim Griffin: Sorry, W., but I have no axe to grind with Texas Tech. They handled the coaching switch a little haphazardly, but I’ve got a lot of good friends up on the High Plains. It’s definitely one of my favorite stops along the Big 12 and I’ve enjoyed going up there for more than 20 years.

But the reason I placed Oklahoma State over Texas Tech was simple. Oklahoma State now has better facilities than Texas Tech. It’s obvious when you visit Stillwater. And with a deep-pocketed money guy like T. Boone Pickens, the Cowboys have the Red Raiders beat in that category. Take those two items away and Tech would be even with the Cowboys. Tech barely misses the top 30, but is still a step behind Oklahoma State.

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Hondo from Houston writes: Tim is it fair to say that Texas will have the best secondary in the country next season? Led by Aaron Williams and Chykie Brown, the Longhorns will have two shutdown corners.

Tim Griffin: Hondo, I might have agreed with you before last week, but the loss of Earl Thomas strips the Longhorns of their best returning defensive player. I do like Williams, who I think could emerge to become a potential Thorpe Award contender by the time he leaves school. Brown is a solid player, too. Nolan Brewster and Blake Gideon will have to emerge at safety without Thomas. They also need Christian Scott to emerge as a potential big hitter. But there’s still a little bit of a question mark at safety before I give the Longhorns the No. 1 position nationally among secondaries, although I expect Muschamp and Texas defensive backs coach Duane Akina to have their group productive during 2010.

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David Harris from Joplin, Mo., writes: Hey Tim, is Mike Leach a candidate for the Tennesse position? It seems like he would be a good fit for their program and his scheme would definitely be new to the SEC. What would you think of his chances?

Tim Griffin: I think if Leach was coming off his success from last season, he probably would have had the opportunity to interview with Tennessee by now. But the baggage Leach is carrying after his ouster at Texas Tech will give most athletic directors a lot of pause before hiring him. I think he’s going to have to take a job as an NFL assistant or as a college coach at a smaller-scale program to rebuild his luster as a BCS-level coach.

Leach's offense technically isn’t new in the SEC. He worked as an offensive coordinator under Hal Mumme when Kentucky used the “Air Raid” attack in the late 1990s with Tim Couch at quarterback. That association helped make Couch a Heisman finalist in 1998. Leach then started his Big 12 career the following season as he joined Bob Stoops’ first coaching staff in 1999.

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Steve Summers from Arvada, Colo., writes: Tim, what is up with Darrell Scott. Do you expect him to play at Colorado again?

Tim Griffin: Steve, I would be very surprised. I can't see Dan Hawkins allowing him back in the program, although the depth at the position is lagging after Demetrius Sumler announced he was leaving the program earlier this week.

I think Scott could be productive in the right situation. I was surprised that UCLA had little interest in him when news surfaced about his transfer from the Colorado program.

Remember, this was still one of the nation's top running back prospects in the nation in the 2008 recruiting class. If he is in the right situation, I still think he can flourish.

The question for Scott is, where exactly is that place where he can blossom?

Thanks again for all of the great questions. Enjoy the weekend and check back again early next week for another mailbag.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder hoped to see heavy construction this summer on the school's planned athletic village and new baseball stadium.

Instead, he now sees about 100 acres of emptiness north of T. Boone Pickens Stadium where he had hoped the $50 million indoor practice facility and $30 million stadium would be being built.

The Tulsa World reports that how OSU's plans have been shelved after a facility fund managed by Pickens' BP Capital Investment took a huge hit.

Eleven months ago, OSU had $407 million in a facilities fund. 

A few weeks later, because of the stock market crisis, a lot of that money was gone.

"Things were great from Jan. 1, 2006, until July of 2008, and then we hit a slight bump in the road," Holder told the World. "We lost ($282 million) in three months.

OSU was left with enough money to complete the Boone Pickens Stadium renovation project ($125 million salvaged from the facilities fund, along with $63 million donated by Pickens in October, $35 million borrowed from the OSU Foundation, and $10 million in funds raised by Holder last fall). That will be finished for the start of the season.

But the plans for the indoor practice facility, along with others have been pushed aside. Among the projects that have been put off include new outdoor football practice fields, a tennis complex, a soccer-track complex and an equestrian center.

Holder was asked by the World if the athletic village would ever become a reality.

"I'm personally committed to getting it done, but I'm not personally able to do it right now," Holder said. "It will take a lot of people making a lot of money to get it done. It's a pretty expensive endeavor.

"A year ago, it wasn't a matter of if we were going to build, but when. It's just a bigger mountain to climb because you don't have the money. We're a lot further along than we were five years ago. How can anyone be discouraged about that? It would be nice to look over there and see that Sherman Smith Athletic Training Facility about halfway finished. I'd like that a lot better."

Tulsa oilman Sherman Smith started funding for the facility with a $20 million gift to the school. And Holder remains committed to building a 151,000-square-foot facility that would serve several sports. It would be the largest in the conference.

When Baylor finishes its new facility in August, the Cowboys will be the only program without an indoor facility.

OSU coach Mike Gundy told the World that the Cowboys are at a competitive disadvantage because they don't have an indoor facility.

"Coach Holder is aware that we need it. That's no secret," Gundy told the World. "And it's not just for football. Other sports would use it more than we would. But we do need it for bowl practice. When you practice 10 or 12 days in December, getting ready for a bowl game, it can be bitter cold. In the spring time, you have lightning.

"Coach Holder and I are on the same page. As soon as we can build an indoor facility, we need to get to it. There's an obligation to Sherman Smith's family. The goal is to do things in a reasonable amount of time, but with a reasonable amount of debt."

The Cowboys are on the verge of a monumental breakthrough in college football, and there's more national excitement about the program than ever before. It's not out of the realm of possibility that they could contend for their first Big 12 South title this season.

But it will be difficult to maintain that momentum if they don't have the facilities to match their rivals.

And Gundy knows that better than anybody else.  

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

I know the pressures of coaching command a lot of time.

But I'm still surprised to learn about Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy and his lack of diligence in signing his new contract.

Tulsa World columnist Dave Sittler reports that Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder is unconcerned that Gundy has yet to sign the seven-year, $15.7 million contract extension approved by the school's board of trustees last December.

I know that Gundy's wife must be a little bit more forgiving than mine. Because if it were me, he would be receiving frequent "honey-do" reminders a couple of times a day about that little contract task that needed to be taken care of.

While Oklahoma State awaits Gundy's signature on the dotted line, here are a few lunchtime links for your perusal.

• The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's staff kicks around whether Sheldon Richardson really will really honor his commitment to Missouri after junior college.
• T. Boone Pickens might have pumped millions into the Oklahoma State program. But he tells the Associated Press' Jeff Latzke that archrival Oklahoma has "got to be a front-runner for the BCS."
• Great piece this morning from Brian Christopherson of the Lincoln Journal Star who retells the story of Jack Best, who inspired Nebraska to a stunning 1922 victory over a Notre Dame team that included the Four Horsemen on it.
• Missouri coaches note the lack of national respect the program has earned despite back-to-back championship game appearances, the Kansas City Star's Mike DeArmond writes.
• The Des Moines Register reports that Iowa State has become the first Big 12 school to cease printed football media guides. School officials say the decision is a cost-cutting measure.
• Former Texas A&M defensive lineman Charlie Krueger, former Texas Tech wide receiver Dave Parks and former Baylor wide receiver Lawrence Elkins are among the nominees for the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the Waco Tribune-Herald reports. Other college nominees on the 20-person list include former Oklahoma player and Abilene native Jack Mildren and Corpus Christi native and former Missouri All-American Johnny Roland, according to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
• Ben Jones of the Texas Tech Daily Toreador wonders whether the Red Raiders can really consistently fill 60,000 seats at an expanded Jones AT&T Stadium.
• Former Texas A&M linebacker/safety Billy Chavis has transferred to the fledgling football program at Lamar University, writes Brent Zwerneman of the San Antonio Express-News/Houston Chronicle. And the Bryan Eagle's Robert Cessna writes that Chavis never fulfilled his recruiting hype while at A&M.
• Remember the names of Sherrod Harris, Landry Jones and Alex Cate, among others. The Heisman Pundit takes a look at the backups of Heisman Trophy candidates.
• The Sporting News' Matt Hayes picks Colorado and Oklahoma State among the five teams whose record will improve the most this season. Hayes picks the Buffaloes to finish 9-4 and Oklahoma State to go 12-1.
• Several commentators on a College Football News panel select Texas Tech among the programs accomplishing the most with the least in college football.
• Former 13-year NFL veteran Ashley Ambrose is excited about his new role as an assistant coach in waiting for Colorado, the Boulder Daily Camera's Kyle Ringo reports.
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

As Oklahoma prepares for its Sweet 16 matchup tonight, I thought it would be a good time to consider the flagship sport of each Big 12 South Division school.

Last week, we looked at the North Division programs.

Unlike the North, football appears to be more predominant at more places in the South.

I'll also consider what football will have to do -- both in the immediate and in the long-term future -- to reclaim or maintain that position.

Here's a look at the South Division:

BAYLOR BEARS

Flagship program: Women's basketball

Why: Kim Mulkey has carved out the school's most consistent recent national program, claiming the 2005 national championship and making six straight trips to the NCAA women's tournament. It could also be argued that Clyde Hart's track program be considered as its equal after earning the nickname "Quarter Miler U" and producing Olympic gold medalists like Michael Johnson, Darold Williamson and Jeremy Wariner. But Mulkey's team has been a consistent player nationally in a sport with a wider mainstream reach.

Football's future: It's bright with Art Briles and Robert Griffin around for a few more years. A gleaming new football facility puts the Bears on an equal plane with any other Big 12 South team. But the first step will be making a bowl trip, which would snap a 14-season drought that is the Big 12's longest. It will be hard to make inroads in the Big 12 South, but Briles and Griffin give the Bears hope.

OKLAHOMA SOONERS

Flagship program: Football

Why: Bob Stoops has been the most consistent winner in Big 12 history, claiming six Big 12 titles and an unprecedented three-peat of consecutive conference titles heading into the upcoming season. That success, along with his national championship in 2000, has carried the Sooners' tradition of success, which includes six other national championships with Bud Wilkinson and Barry Switzer, and maybe even built upon it.

Football's future: In a word, glistening. The Sooners have nationally competitive men's and women's basketball programs. And Stoops has had that pesky problem in BCS bowl games recently. But it still hasn't diminished the Sooners' booming football support.

OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS

Flagship program: Football

Why: The program of Henry Iba and Eddie Sutton made six Final Four appearances and claimed national basketball championships in 1945 and 1946. But football has jumped past basketball in recent years with six bowl appearances in seven seasons. The program has been marked by the success of Mike Gundy, explosive offenses and the megabuck contributions of T. Boone Pickens.

Football's future: The Cowboys have football on an uptick and will enter the 2009 season with more excitement than any other time in recent memory. If the OSU defense can develop, the Cowboys could challenge for the first Big 12 South championship in history and their first undisputed conference football championship since 1948. But that's a big, big if -- considering the explosive offenses in the Big 12.

TEXAS LONGHORNS

Flagship program: Football

Why: The program that Darrell Royal pushed into national prominence has gotten even bigger in the new millennium under Mack Brown. The Longhorns have perhaps the nation's strongest overall athletic program considering all of men's and women's athletics. But football shines above them all as a money-making machine that has helped fuel the school's recent renaissance.

Football's future: It looks good for the Longhorns both in the next several years and further down the road. Brown appears to be ready for a run at one more national championship. He could have that chance this season. And designated successor Will Muschamp will be given the keys to one of college football's ultimate Ferraris when he takes over. It was a smart decision to hire Muschamp in that role and keeps the Longhorns' football program continuity intact. Now, it will be determined if Muschamp can coach an entire football team instead of merely a defense.

TEXAS A&M AGGIES

Flagship program: Football

Why: Tradition reigns supreme in Aggieland, and even the recent men's basketball success developed by Billy Gillispie and Mark Turgeon and the women's success by Gary Blair can't really eat into that. Football is the top dog here and likely always will be.

Football's future: Coach Mike Sherman is facing a huge challenge with established mega-programs at Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech at arguably their highest football levels ever. And Baylor is making some big jumps as well. The Aggies will be challenged to keep up with all of their South Division rivals. And an extended slippage could prove devastating for the program.

TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS

Flagship program: Football.

Why: Mike Leach has boosted excitement in the Red Raiders to the highest levels in school history. He still hasn't gotten his team to a BCS bowl game yet, but he's developed and nurtured the program with an entertaining philosophy that captured the attention of the nation. It says something when Leach's program can be featured on "60 Minutes" and becomes the favorite of Donald Trump.

Football's future: Leach has the program pointed in the right direction and is getting better recruits than he's ever attracted. And his new five-year contract should be tangible proof to future recruits that he'll be here for a few more years. It should keep Tech football moving forward -- even in the uber-competitive Big 12 South.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Oklahoma State super booster T. Boone Pickens picks up awards like I pick up my little boy's toy cars around our house.

But the award he earned and the commendations he heard Thursday night in New Braunfels, Texas, had to mean a little bit extra to him.

Pickens was recognized as the 2009 Texan of the Year at the 43rd annual Texas Legislative Conference because of his ongoing campaign to promote alternative energy sources and his continued contributions to charitable causes in Texas and around the world.  

"He's a Texas legend of almost untold stature," Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who presented Pickens the award, told reporters. "The energy plan he laid out ... could change the world forever. That's the type of vision, that's the type of innovation, that's the type of leader that the world needs now."

For all the kind words Pickens heard, I'm betting he would trade them all for something even nearer and dearer to his heart.

A Big 12 football championship for his beloved Oklahoma State Cowboys and a chance to go to a BCS bowl would be even bigger for Pickens than any individual awards or honors he's picked up over his many years of civic service.

A lot of hard work and "sweat equity," to use one of Pickens' favorite terms, has gone into trying to turn the Cowboys into consistent winners. If it could ever happen, it would rank among one of the crowning achievements of his lifetime.

And with a few breaks, it could be this season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Oklahoma State doesn't have as much football history as some Big 12 schools, but the Cowboys still have several worthy candidates who belong on the school's version of Mount Rushmore for Cowboy football greats.

And I didn't consider T. Boone Pickens, despite his megabuck support for the school over the years, limiting inclusion to players and coaches.

Here are my four picks:  

• Barry Sanders -- A starter for only the 1988 season, but what a season it was. Sanders averaged 7.6 yards per carry and rushed for a then-college football record 2,628 rushing yards and 37 touchdowns, capping the season with the Heisman Trophy.
• Thurman Thomas -- A two-time All-American tailback who left school with a record 4,595 rushing yards.
• Bob Fenimore -- The legendary "Blonde Bomber" was Oklahoma State's first two-time All-American. He led the nation in rushing with 1,048 yards in 1945, finishing third in Heisman balloting.
• Mike Gundy -- Four-season starter at quarterback from 1986-89 who became the career passing leader in Oklahoma State and Big 12 history when he left school. And his coaching has been noteworthy -- even with the controversy -- after three straight bowl trips and a chance for perhaps the school's most notable season in 2009.

There could have been a space on Oklahoma State's Mount Rushmore for Terry Miller, Dez Bryant, Tatum Bell, Jon Kolb or Leslie O'Neal. But in the end, I could pick only four.

And the four selected, I think, best represent the school.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

No late signing-day announcements or juggling of school hats from me. Just a few Big 12 lunchtime links for your perusal.

• T. Boone Pickens discusses his philosophy of recruiting and development of Oklahoma State with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Trae Thompson.
• Omaha World-Herald columnist Tom Shatel defends Nebraska's right to decommit to prospects it no longer is interested in.
• Colorado will be raising ticket prices on its two highest-priced levels at Folsom Field for the 2009 season, the Boulder Camera's Neill Woelk writes.
• New Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads has had trouble minding his waist during recruiting, Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register writes.
• Ernest Ferguson, a freshman linebacker who was arrested for simple assault after a confrontation at an Ames restaurant in December, has chosen to leave the team, Rhoads told Bobby LeGesse of the Ames Tribune.
• Former Texas safety and linebacker O.J. McClintock has developed a career as an actor and stuntman, appearing as an opposing defensive tackle against the Dillon Panthers in the television show "Friday Night Lights," Austin American-Statesman reporter Rick Cantu writes.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Sure, the Big 12 couldn't fill all of its bowl agreements. Fans in Houston and Shreveport will have to do without a Big 12 representative in their bowls this season.

But the conference appears to have been situated in some winnable games. Early odds have not been released, but it would be surprising if more than a couple of Big 12 teams were underdogs in their games.

With that being the case, the Big 12's national stature may be riding on a big bowl season. Because if teams from the conference collectively fail this season, it will be presumed as little more than a pass-heavy league where defense isn't played.

Here's my own unofficial listing of the attractivness of the conference's seven bowl games this year.

1. BCS Championship Game No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 2 Florida, Jan. 8, 8 p.m., FOX: This game has everything. It's the battle between two of three best scoring offenses in the country. Two likely Heisman finalists in Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow. And Bob Stoops needs a victory to restore some of the national lusture to his program -- against the school where he first emerged as a national name. 2. Fiesta Bowl No. 3 Texas vs. No. 10 Ohio State, Jan. 5, 8 p.m., FOX: The Longhorns aren't exactly excited to be in the desert. But an impressive victory and a lackluster national championship game might give them an argument for a shared national title. The game will pit two traditional powers. And unlike most Big 12 games this season, defense won't be an afterthought. 3. Holiday Bowl No. 13 Oklahoma State vs. No. 17 Oregon, Dec. 30, 8 p.m., ESPN: I can't wait for this game. Jeremiah Johnson vs. Kendall Hunter. Phil Knight vs. T. Boone Pickens. Pistol Pete vs. that crazy Duck mascot. This one will be like a game we've seen in the Big 12 a lot this season. First team to 50 points wins in a game where the two teams may combine for more than 1,000 yards. 4. Cotton Bowl No. 7 Texas Tech vs. No. 25 Mississippi, Jan. 2, 2 p.m., FOX: It should be quite a show with Mike Leach and Michael Crabtree helping usher out the Cotton Bowl's era at the old stadium in Fair Park. The two teams had shootouts in 2002 and 2003 in an earlier series and I'm expecting a similar game in this one. 5. Alamo Bowl No. 21 Missouri vs. No. 23 Northwestern, Dec. 29, 8 p.m., ESPN: The Big 12's North champions limp into this game coming off a two-game losing streak. And the game will be played in the Alamodome, a place where they were they lost the Big 12 title game last season. But Chase Daniel's final collegiate game promises to be a festive one, particularly when it's in his home state. 6. Gator Bowl Nebraska vs. Clemson, Jan. 1, 1 p.m., CBS: This one will pit Nebraska's underrated offense against a Clemson defense that ranks in the top 17 teams in pass defense, total defense and scoring defense. But Clemson will be breaking in a new defensive coordinator and Roy Helu Jr. has been running strongly in recent games, likely given the Cornhuskers a slim edge. 7. Insight Bowl Kansas vs. Minnesota, Dec. 31, 5:30 p.m., NFL Netwo rk: The Jayhawks will toast their first back-to-back bowl appearances in school history by meeting a Minnesota team that lost its last four games and finished 91st in total offense and 104th in rushing. If the Kansas secondary can hold up, Mark Mangino could have his team in line for its third-straight bowl victory.