ESPN College Football

Thanks for all the emails this week. It's been fun.

On a related note, our bracket winner, wvewe1, has been MIA. I've emailed and tried to contact, but haven't gotten a response. You're missing out. We'll try to get in touch for next week's mailbag. If not, second-place finisher MonsterBack24 should contact me here and you can post whatever you'd like in next week's mailbag.

On to this week's mailbag:

Jeff Slayer in Wilmington, N.C., asked: UBBS! Everybody is talking about the possible expansion, but only when a new commissioner is set in stone. Have you heard any news on those possible candidates and any authentication on the rumors we have been hearing the past few months. Also if FSU was actually interested do you think they would leave their troublesome little brother in Miami? Thanks!

David Ubben: That's going to be a huge question for whoever steps into the role of commissioner in the coming months. Chuck Neinas will be gone on July 1 officially, but the new man could be on board before then. His opinion and stance on future expansion will be a huge question, the first big one he'll have to answer. The Big 12 is stabilized in the immediate future after the grant of rights.

It's important to note the Big 12 commissioner isn't quite as powerful as some in other leagues. He's mostly a representative of the membership more than a guy that calls the shots for the league like some of the others we've seen. That said, if he can sell the members on expansion (he may or may not try), it could become a possibility. That said, the Big 12's members haven't expressed much interest in expansion. That question will come up in the interview process, and the league's search committee would probably be tentative to bring aboard a commissioner who was fired up about expansion.

I just don't see any realistic scenario in which Florida State joins the Big 12, but like I've said before, Louisville and Cincinnati/BYU would probably make the most sense as the 11th and 12th members, but I don't really think it'll happen.

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Tyler S. in Red Bluff, Calif., wrote: No love for Bill Snyder and company! Ubbs, you may be new to the big 12, but there is one thing that all big 12 fans know. You underestimate Bill Snyder, you are going to get burned. Can you explain to me why, after 20 years of exceeding expectations, "experts" continue to put expectations so low for KSU and Bill Snyder?

DU: Yeah, I've talked a lot about K-State overachieving and doing it by the narrowest of margins last year, but no question, Snyder is the X-factor that makes me doubt a Wildcat recession.

K-State brings back so much talent from last year's team, and this is a Bill Snyder team. His entire program is based upon daily improvement, and he's proven he can get teams to do it so many times. I still think K-State is a 9-10 win team and I'll have them somewhere in the ballpark of the top 15 to start the season, but it's still hard for me to see the Wildcats actually winning the Big 12. Maybe I'm crazy. Either way, it'll be fun to watch. The Big 12 is really, really crowded at the top. OU, K-State, TCU and West Virginia are all legit contenders to win the league, and OSU and Texas could surprise some people and take the league, too.

And hey, for the record, I picked every K-State regular-season game correctly after the Baylor win.

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Dylan in Jacksonville wrote: Hey Ubbs great blog, but I have a really important question that I know all of Mountaineer nation wants to know. When do you plan on making your first trip to the mountain state since you said that you've never been? You've got the guide to our home turf, now you need to make a visit before football season starts so you get a taste of calm Morgantown. Do you plan on going for the spring game? A summer session? Or just the first week when you have us vs. our little sister Marsha as your Big 12 road trip that week?

DU: How's next week sound? This is where I would have a winking face, but I'll spare you all that one. See you soon, 'Eers.

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Robert Powell in El Paso, Texas,wrote: David,When Neal Brown was hired as Tech's OC, he was billed as "one of the top offensive minds in college football." After two seasons, I don't see it. First, neither Potts nor Sheffield had much success in his first year. Throw in a couple debacles like 150 total yards vs. UT, coupled with uninspired play versus Iowa State, aTm, and OU. Second, in 2011 Doege threw for 4,000 yards, but that's pretty commonplace anymore. And at least once a game, Brown substitutes players, and goes on a quick count to catch the defense unaware, but when the offense subs, the defense gets to sub as well, so the play is called back. Is Brown still highly thought of, or has everyone seen through the masquarade and figured out his predictability? Thanks!

DU: Well, let's step back and take a wide-angle look at this. One, the injuries last year have to be a factor. He lost his best back, Eric Stephens, and what I'd say are his two best receivers, Alex Torres and Darrin Moore last year. Torres was banged up in 2010, too.

But look at the numbers: Last season, Tech was 13th nationally in total offense. In 2010, the Red Raiders were 15th. They were in the top five in 2009, 2008 and 2007, but it wasn't a huge step back, and the talent Tech had in those seasons was more impressive.

Meanwhile, Tech was 114th last year in total defense, and ranked the same in 2010. In 2009, the Red Raiders were 49th in total defense and 80th in the previous season. They were up to 45th in 2007.

That should be obvious by now. It's really this simple. Tech's offense hasn't been good, but when it comes to losses, don't blame Neal Brown. He's been fine.

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Darren in Columbia, S.C., wrote: As a WVU fan, I am obviously excited and honored to be in the Big XII (or at least almost in the B12).As far as the ESPN blogs are concerned we are in a bit of a no-man's land, not quite in the B12, not quite out of the BE. Of course, understandably the BE blog isn't mentioning us at all now. I want to thank you for talking about the Eers as much as you are. You could completely ignore us, and it would be understandable if you did. Afterall, we are not really a B12 team yet. I and a whole helluva lotta other Eers are really looking forward to seeing the Flying WV logo appear on the right side of your blog page!

DU: Glad to have you, Darren. I'm pretty excited to learn about the new teams in the league and see them week to week. And, of course, interact with two brand-new fan bases.

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Oklahoma State has forged an identity with its 48 jersey combinations, but Texas Tech will have a special jersey of its own today.

A day after Veterans Day, Texas Tech will wear jerseys featuring camouflage to support the Wounded Warrior Project, which provides help to wounded servicemen.

Last year, rather than taking questions, Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts read a statement about what the week meant to him.

The Red Raiders have spent time this week with Sal Giunta, who received the Medal of Honor, the armed forces' highest decoration for valor, for rescuing several of his squad members in Afghanistan.

Giunta will be an honorary captain today, and it'll be interesting to hear what Tech players learned from him this week.

Texas Tech's jerseys will draw plenty of attention to the cause Wounded Warrior champions.

Seth Doege had just polished off a performance that would land him national player of the week honors. He and his Texas Tech teammates rushed to the corner of the field to sing their fight song, the first visiting team to do so in victory at Oklahoma's Owen Field in more than six years.

As they got there, Doege spotted a familiar face: his dad. Their eyes met, and Randy Doege pumped a fist. No words necessary. We did it.

"I’ll always remember that," Seth Doege said.

This relationship between Doege and Texas Tech has been give-and-take forever. All of Doege's West Texas family are Texas Tech fans. He grew up watching Kliff Kingsbury, whose single-game NCAA completion percentage record Doege broke this season against New Mexico.

When Tech offered him a scholarship early in his high school career, he took it and essentially ended the recruiting process.

Doege missed his final two seasons of high school football, but Texas Tech stayed committed to him.

Doege got a chance to play for Tech back in 2009, but he was benched in his first start and didn't see any meaningful action until becoming the starter this season. Transfer? Ha.

Now as a junior, he's largely responsible for the biggest win at Texas Tech in a long time. After the win at Oklahoma, coach Tommy Tuberville told his team it may have been the best of his coaching career, which included more than a decade in the SEC at Ole Miss and Auburn.

PODCAST
Landry Locker and Trey Fallon of ESPN Dallas are joined by Chris Level of Double T 104.3 to talk about Tech's shocking win in Norman and the new outlook of the season moving forward. Listen

"It’s something I’ll never forget. It’s something you dream about as a kid, playing the No. 1 team in the nation and coming out with the victory," Doege said. "It’s something every kid wants to do."

A dream in the sense that he always hoped it would happen, but not that he never thought it could. Texas Tech must not have heard that it was expected to lose by four touchdowns on Saturday.

"We expected to win that game. It was special, but at the same time, we weren’t surprised," Doege said. "We felt like we were a good football team. We felt like in our two losses, we had opportunities to win those games, and we felt like if we just went in there and played really well, that we would give ourselves the opportunity to win the game, which we did. It’s just one of those things where, we were confident."

Doege especially had reason to be confident. His passing numbers were competitive with anyone in the country, and after Saturday's win, his 22 touchdown passes are fourth nationally and tied for the Big 12 lead. Only Houston's Case Keenum has topped his 2,608 passing yards.

"Seth’s had a lot of success this year, not just in that game. He’s emerged as one of the best quarterbacks in the country and he’s been consistent with it," Tuberville said. "All the hype of a game like that, going in and being able to play that well at our quarterback position is going to give him a lot of confidence. They did a lot of different things in the secondary, they gave him a lot of different looks, and he was able to handle all of them."

Doege sat on the sidelines while quarterbacks before him like Graham Harrell and Taylor Potts endured lopsided beatings in the same stadium. No Tech team had won in Norman since beating 3-8 Oklahoma under first-year coach John Blake back in 1996.

"We were physical, we weren’t scared and we were there to win the game, not play the game," Doege said. "I don’t think anybody on the team was intimidated at all. We went into that game really confident and we expected to win. I don’t think anything about OU really intimidated us. We knew this was a great football team, but we also knew that we were a great football team, too, and we’d put in as much work as anybody."

"It was a party in the locker room," Doege added.

The party's over. A special night can evolve into a special season. That continues Saturday against Iowa State.

"Now we know how good we can be," Doege said.

TEXAS TECH

2010 overall record: 8-5

2010 conference record: 3-5

Returning starters: Offense (5), Defense (8) P/K (0)

Top returners: RB Eric Stephens, WR Alex Torres, S Cody Davis, CB Tre Porter, CB Jarvis Phillips, S D.J. Johnson

Key losses: QB Taylor Potts, WR Lyle Leong, WR Detron Lewis, RB Baron Batch, DT Colby Whitlock, LB Brian Duncan, QB Steven Sheffield. LB Bront Bird

2010 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Baron Batch (816 yards)

Passing: Taylor Potts (3,726 yards)

Receiving: Lyle Leong (926 yards)

Tackles: Bront Bird (106)

Sacks: Brian Duncan (7)

Interceptions: Jarvis Phillips* (4)

Three spring answers

1. Quarterbacks all but settled. It’s not official, per se, but Seth Doege looks likely to slide into the starting spot as the next in a long line of Texas Tech quarterbacks. He has just one career start, but the junior is the most experienced among four Red Raiders quarterbacks vying for the job. He beat out Jacob Karam and Scotty Young this spring, and that figures to continue in the fall.

2. Defensive vision is clear. Texas Tech brought in new defensive coordinator Chad Glasgow from TCU, and he spent the spring installing his 4-2-5 -- a move away from the 3-4 under James Willis last year. That third safety spot, a nickel back, if you will, should be occupied by Terrance Bullitt, who drew praise from coaches for his effort during the spring.

3. More receivers found. The Red Raiders’ top two receivers, Lyle Leong and Detron Lewis, are gone, but Texas Tech did a good job of filling their roles during the spring. Alex Torres, Eric Ward, Austin Zouzalik and Darrin Moore are the starters, but there’s even more buzz surrounding backup Marcus Kennard, who showed up this spring from junior college.

Three fall questions

1. Is the secondary still a problem? Texas Tech’s secondary gave up more passing yards than all but two teams in college football last year. This offseason was about upgrading the pass rush and improving the speed in the secondary. It’s still early in Tommy Tuberville’s time in Lubbock, and his secondary is still young after injuries forced them to play last year, but we’ll see how much last year’s experience pays off.

2. How good is Seth Doege? It’s easy to assume Doege will step in and be solid, but will that be the case? Taylor Potts was a senior who had played for Mike Leach extensively. Doege is a newbie who hasn’t played extensively since his sophomore year of high school, after being sidelined by a pair of injuries. If Texas Tech’s offensive tradition is going to continue, Doege will keep it going. If it begins to decline, it will do it with Doege. My bet is on the former, but I’d caution assuming that’s the case.

3. Is the running game for real yet? Texas Tech isn’t known for its ability to run the ball, but Tuberville wants that half of the offense to be more efficient and more powerful moving forward. The Red Raiders have a good set of capable backs, and the entire offensive line returns. Does that mean the running game will get a boost?

We capped off our series looking at the strongest and weakest points of each team in the league heading into 2011, and it's on to the next one.

I've done it. You've done it.

"Hey, is that guy still around?"

Admittedly, even with two fewer teams, it's hard for fans to keep track. Our next series, which we did last year, too, takes a look at two key players for every team in the league that are taking their talents elsewhere, returning to campus, or arriving to try and write a legacy of their own.

So really, this series isn't so much for the fans of the teams in the posts, but more for everyone else. It wouldn't be a bad idea to bookmark this series.

Let's get started.

First up? Texas Tech.

Going:

Taylor Potts, QB
Potts was no fan favorite during his time in Lubbock, but he had a nice senior year and finished his career with a bowl win over Northwestern. Perhaps his finest moment? After being benched for Steven Sheffield midseason, Potts came off the bench against then-No. 12 Missouri to lead a comeback win and the signature game of the Red Raiders' season. That's impressive. Despite the criticism, Potts still threw for 3,726 yards and completed 67 percent of his passes last season, notching 35 touchdowns and just nine picks. Only three quarterbacks in college football threw more touchdowns last season.

Lyle Leong, WR

Leong caught 19 of those touchdowns last season, second nationally to only Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon. He proved to be a reliable red zone target and caught 74 passes for 926 yards. His career built to his big year as a senior, and despite Texas Tech's usual depth at receiver, his presence will be missed in the passing game. It'll be most evident down in the red zone.

Staying:

Alex Torres, WR

Torres struggled while battling injuries last season after a big freshman year. He finished with just 39 catches, 481 yards and three touchdowns, but if he stays healthy, he's likely to have a 1,000-yard season as a junior in 2011. Clearly, the potential is there, and he's likely to be new quarterback Seth Doege's top target. As a freshman, he had 67 catches for 806 yards and six scores. Here's guessing he clears that number easily this fall.

Cody Davis, S

Davis should be one of the leaders of the Red Raiders defense as its leading returning tackler. As a sophomore in 2010, he made 87 tackles, with 69 solo stops, just two fewer than linebacker Bront Bird, who led the team. Chad Glasgow coached an All-American and a Thorpe Award finalist at safety last season in TCU's Tejay Johnson. He comes to try and shore up a Texas Tech secondary as its defensive coordinator this season. Davis may not have Johnson's athletic ability, but he should look even better with a spring and fall camp under Glasgow's watch.

Coming:

Jace Amaro, TE

For now, Texas Tech's starting tight end is Adam James. A beefed up, 233-pound Adam James, but still. Amaro, meanwhile, was one of the Red Raiders top recruits and one of the nation's best tight ends. Coach Tommy Tuberville wants to have a more capable tight end to help run the ball more effectively, and a strong effort to recruit one paid off in his first full class. Amaro will be a part of a slight change in Texas Tech's offense, but his 6-foot-4, 230-pound frame should fill out plenty a year from now.

Ronnie Daniels, RB

The Red Raiders have two more highly-recruited running backs headed to campus this fall, Bradley Marquez and Kenny Williams, but Daniels made a big impact this spring after enrolling early. Tuberville wants to use more two-back formations, and for now, the 6-foot-1, 195-pounder, is likely to find his way on the field. He showed plenty of prowess carrying the ball and catching it, and if he can prove he's mastered pass blocking as well, he'll definitely make an early impact somehow.

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Last season, Oklahoma State surely made some sort of history by starting a quarterback in Brandon Weeden, who hadn't made a start in nine years.

Next season, there's a good chance Texas Tech could have a quarterback who has made one start in five seasons. Junior Seth Doege's never made it on the field for his final two seasons of high school in 2006 and 2007, thanks to preseason torn ACLs in his right and left knees.

In 2008, he redshirted. Doege started against Kansas in 2009 but was benched in favor of Taylor Potts at halftime, making his only start a forgettable one. In 2010, he waited his turn behind a pair of seniors, Potts and Steven Sheffield, both finally fully healthy.

"I know a lot of people that would have gone through those [injuries] and said, 'You know what, I’m done. I’m not going to go through this.'" said Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville. " But it shows the perseverance he’s got and how resilient he is and how much he wants to play."

The big question: Why?

"Ever since I was little, this has been my dream," Doege said. "Not many people can say they’re living their dream."

Doege can. For now, it's not official. But he's established a clear lead over Jacob Karam as the Red Raiders' starting quarterback, earning the majority of the first-team reps as the most experienced quarterback on the roster.

The quarterback play under former coach Mike Leach became a signature of the Red Raiders' program, and that doesn't look likely to change.

"We still want to go out and recruit quarterbacks who can throw it 50 times a game -- maybe 60," Tuberville said. "That’s something that’s helped Tech when Mike brought it here and I don’t think there’s any doubt that it’s opened doors for us."

That includes Doege's door. A native of Wolfforth, Texas, Doege went to nearby Frenship High School and was a self-professed "West Texas kid." He remembers well the first time his dad, Randy Doege, a high school coach himself, brought him to a Texas Tech game.

"I was like, 'Man, I want to play here. I want to throw for 4,000-plus yards,'” he said. "I wanted to be the next Kliff Kingsbury, the next B.J. Symons, the next Graham Harrell. I wanted to be those guys."

That didn't change throughout high school. One of the top passers in Texas, Doege committed to Texas Tech the day he got his offer, the first of several that eventually rolled in.

"I knew this was where I wanted to be when I was little," he said. "There were other schools that offered, but as soon as they did, I’d tell them hey, I’m committed to Tech. I’m solid."

And despite missing those final two years, Texas Tech honored that commitment just as Doege honored his, both to the game itself and other schools that expressed interest.

"That really motivated me. It was like, 'OK, I still have a chance,'" he said.

Now that the chance is closer than ever, Doege's hopes and expectations are high.

"I just want to win, that’s the main goal," he said. "My expectation is to be the No. 1 offense and that’s what we want to do. For a quarterback to know that your unit is No. 1 in the nation, that’s probably the best recognition you can get."

And Doege's confidence in himself and those around him is reflected by his coach, too.

"He’s an older guy. He’s not 18 years old. He’s been through some tough times, some tough surgeries, and he’s still got the hunger for it," Tuberville said. "You can tell he’s physically tough, mentally tough to go through that, and you can tell he kept the hunger and he wanted to do it.

"Now we can see what he can do."

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Not having an indoor facility is a lot like having a leaky roof. Most of the time, it's not a problem. But when it rains, it's an annoyance that's too late to fix to do any good.

Tuesday, of course, it was the wind that postponed Texas Tech's practice until today. As a result, I didn't get to see Texas Tech practice, but I spent a long while with coach Tommy Tuberville and a few players during my time in Lubbock.

Tuberville is mildly irritated with the lack of an indoor practice facility, and sometimes the Red Raiders are able to practice at Frenship High School, but that poses a whole new set of problems. In fact, when I sat down in Tuberville's office, he had a mock-up of an indoor facility on his desk, a rough draft of something he had drawn up to gauge the possibility of building an indoor facility in the future.

"It's not a necessity, but it's something that would really help," he said. "I just had somebody draw that up just to get the feasibility of whether it would fit here and how big it needs to be, height, and a lot of them use it for different things."

Tuberville cited his nickname of the Riverboat Gambler, which apparently transcends the field and carries over to spring practice as well. Last year, Tuberville began spring practice in mid-March, partially because he needed time to get his feet on the ground after being hired in January. This year, Tech's spring game is set for Saturday, the first in the Big 12.

"I started spring practice about three weeks before anybody even thought about spring practice," he said. "I did it for the simple fact that we've got to have more offseason. If we go 4 to 5 weeks of offseason and then have spring practice and then 2 to 3 weeks of offseason, it breaks it up too much. We've got to get stronger and quicker."

Last year, the late spring practice meant players like LaRon Moore couldn't make it back for the fall because of injuries suffered in the spring. So the gamble, of course, was that the weather in West Texas would cooperate.

"The weather was rough last year. I said, 'We can't have two years bad weather like that back-to-back, and we haven't. We've had great weather," he said. "Until today. We've got a mini-hurricane out there."

Winds were up to 50 miles per hour throughout Tuesday.

"No sense in going out there if you can't get anything done," he said.

Regardless, we touched on a wide variety of topics, and we'll have more on the Red Raiders later this week, but here's some of what Tuberville had to say.

Offense playing catchup

Tuberville readily admitted that the offense is behind where it was a year ago at this point, but what would you expect? Last year's team had two senior quarterbacks, a senior running back and two senior receivers. Even though this is spring No. 2 for Tuberville, he's working with a much younger offense as a whole this time around.

He feels like he's starting back at ground zero a bit, but the eventual upside with this group is obviously higher since they won't be here one year and gone the next like most of last year's offense.

This year will come with a few changes, but Tuberville has a good idea of what he wants. He didn't have to worry about having two quarterbacks that were ready last year, Taylor Potts and Steven Sheffield came with the job. This time around, Tuberville wants to make sure he has two quarterbacks, and it may be a bit more difficult, but Jacob Karam and Seth Doege have separated themselves. It's not over yet, but Doege taken the early lead with his consistency and is getting the vast majority of reps in practice with the first team. Tuberville said, barring injury, Michael Brewer will redshirt. Like last year, Tuberville plans to officially name a starter during the second week of fall two-a-days. More on the quarterbacks is coming later.

He also wants his tight ends to get involved more as blockers to help establish a running game he believes the Red Raiders need. That's good news for touted recruit Jace Amaro's future, but for now, the duties have gone to Adam James, who has put on a bit of weight to fill the need.

Spring game expectations

Texas Tech had about 12-15,000 fans show for last year's spring game, but Tuberville says they're hoping for 25-30,000 to show for Saturday's game if the weather is good, which it's supposed to be.

Giving the attendance a boost, Tuberville hopes, is a visit from the "king of country music" for a concert later that night at United Spirit Arena.

"George Strait," he said with a laugh and a point to an autographed photo on the wall of his office. "George Strait, Reba McEntire and LeAnne Womack, yeah. It just happens to be the night of. It sold out in 30 minutes. Wish I could sell out a football game in 30 minutes."

Personally, you'd have to drag me to a country music concert, but this is Texas, and Texans love their country music--especially West Texans. That love could help a few more Red Raiders fans spend the day on Texas Tech's campus. The school also has a baseball game slated for Saturday against Nebraska.

"I'm hoping, our goal is 30,000-plus," he said.

Freshmen LB, RB impress early

Two early-enrolling freshmen have stolen the show in spring scrimmages, and Tuberville provided a bit of insight on both.

Linebacker Blake Dees has racked up tackles in both scrimmages and should be a part of the rotation at middle linebacker along with Sam Fehoko. For Dees, who Tuberville admitted has surprised him with his early impact, the coaches simplified his responsibilities, allowing his natural linebacker instincts to take over.

"He's really catching on well. He might not be a starter, but he'll play," Tuberville said. "We put him at linebacker and he plays run first. It's cut his responsibilities down and really helped him."

Simplicity in his 4-2-5 scheme is what Chad Glasgow has preached since he took the job, and with so many young, inexperienced players all over the defense, it's going to be necessary for the defense.

Another quick note: Tuberville sees safety as the strength of the defense, thanks to new nickel back Terrance Bullitt and Cody Davis. D.J. Johnson has also moved to safety from cornerback.

Running back Ronnie Daniels led the team in rushing with 80 yards on 13 carries in the second scrimmage, and the 6-foot-2, 195-pounder has made it obvious he'll play as a freshman along with Eric Stephens and Aaron Crawford. Tuberville has expressed his desire to run more two-back formations with one as a runner and the other as a blocker, and the Red Raiders have developed solid depth at the position.

Daniels had 3,000 yards as a senior in high school.

"He's just been so raw at running back, sometimes that's the best kind to have. You don't tie them down with reads and things he has to do," Tuberville said. "He just came in and just turned it loose. He's got a good frame, he's tall and physical and he's got good hands. He can play in this offense and he's been a breath of fresh air."

No Championship Weekend for Tech-Baylor, other schedule notes

Texas Tech and Baylor are set to finish the season against each other in Cowboys Stadium, and since the Big 12 Championship game no longer exists, Tech was open to the idea of moving their game to that weekend. Other games like the Lone Star Showdown and Bedlam may end up on that weekend, but the Bears and Red Raiders won't. After the championship was kaput, Jerry Jones filled the stadium with another event.

The Big 12 schedule is still in flux, but Texas Tech knows it will open its season with Texas State, have an off week and then play 11 consecutive games.

We took a look at the Big 12's spring storylines yesterday, and for several teams, that involves the quarterback. For others, it doesn't. But heading into the spring, which starts as early as Friday at Texas Tech, here's how the Big 12's teams rank in terms of certainty at quarterback.

LOCKED AND LOADED

Baylor: Baylor's offense runs entirely through the Bears' Robert Griffin III. He rebounded well last season from the knee injury that made him miss most of the 2009 season, and became a much, much better passer. We'll see if that continues in 2011, but it would take a serious injury to knock him off his starting spot.

Oklahoma State: Brandon Weeden started every game for the Cowboys last season and earned All-Big 12 first-team honors. He's back. Look elsewhere for quarterback controversy. The backup race between Clint Chelf, Johnny Deaton and early enrolling freshman J.W. Walsh could be interesting, though.

Oklahoma: Landry Jones will effectively be a third-year starter for the Sooners next season, and a strong contender for All-Big 12 honors and possibly the Heisman. It's his offense for sure in 2011.

Texas A&M: Ryan Tannehill would be the easy front-runner even if he hadn't started the second half of the 2010 season. But he did, went 5-1 in his starts, and has the Aggies sniffing the top 10 in the preseason.

BETTER LOCK IT DOWN, KID

Texas: Garrett Gilbert had a horrible first year as starter in 2010, but he'll need to show his coaches -- new and old -- he'll be better in 2011. Grasping new coordinator Bryan Harsin's system will be key in keeping the junior ahead of his competition, Case McCoy and Connor Wood. Coach Mack Brown said last month that the job was open.

Missouri: James Franklin is the likely lead dog in the race, but only because he got more time and experience playing the game and adjusting to the speed of the game. He'll need to clearly be the best quarterback Missouri has to leave the spring as the projected starter. Tyler Gabbert and Ashton Glaser might steal the title with standout springs, but if all three aren't getting it done, incoming freshman Corbin Berkstresser could theoretically crash the party in preseason camp.

Iowa State: Jerome Tiller has five starts in two seasons because of injuries to Austen Arnaud, including an historic, albeit ugly, 9-7 win at Nebraska in 2009. But Paul Rhoads signed juco transfer Steele Jantz, and he'll have a great chance to win the job, too. James Capello and Jared Barnett will try to make splashes in the spring.

WHICH END IS UP?

Texas Tech: Tech, as usual, is likely to get good play out of whoever wins the job, but it's a near guessing game at this point. Seth Doege and Jacob Karam impressed coach Tommy Tuberville last spring working with the first team after Steven Sheffield and Taylor Potts were hurt, but Doege and Karam will have to hold off younger talents Scotty Young and Michael Brewer to win the job.

Kansas: The Jayhawks never settled on a quarterback, and battled injuries at the position last year. Kale Pick was moved to receiver during the 2010 season, and Jordan Webb and Quinn Mecham will be the main competition this year, despite a lack of truly inspired play for much of 2010. If incoming freshman Brock Berglund, who enrolled early, can show flashes of potential and outplay Webb and Mecham, he might be the guy best suited to help Kansas win right now and in the future.

Kansas State: The Wildcats' presumptive starter might not even be playing the position in 2011, and we've seen very, very little of the three quarterbacks hoping to replace the departed Carson Coffman. Justin Tuggle, a juco transfer, started three games at Boston College and has a good shot to win the job. Newcomer Daniel Sams could win the gig eventually, or it could be the returning Sammuel Lamur, who threw all of three passes last season (completing all three!) as the third-stringer.

Springtime is almost here. And here's a look at what to expect across the Big 12 when it gets into full swing here in the next couple weeks.

BAYLOR BEARS

Spring practice starts: February 28

Spring game: April 2

What to watch:

• Big changes on defense. Baylor brought in Phil Bennett as its new defensive coordinator, and he says his scheme will be multiple, built to fit the Bears' personnel. Considering the Bears' recent recruiting successes in the secondary, look for a 4-2-5 type of look.
• Recruiting stars: time to shine. Both safeties, Tim Atchison and Byron Landor, are gone. Baylor, though, has two former ESPNU 150 recruits at safety who would be well served to start filling their potential. Prince Kent was a reserve last season and at one time, the nation's No. 51 overall recruit who originally signed with Miami. Ahmad Dixon, meanwhile, was the No. 15 overall prospect in the 2010 class. The opportunity is there. Baylor needs big talent at the position. Briles has recruited it. Can they develop into players who make Baylor a contender?
• Running back competition. Jay Finley topped 1,200 yards in 2010, but he's gone. Who steps into his void? Terrance Ganaway is a bowling ball at 5-foot-11, 235 pounds, but the shifty Jarred Salubi could get a good amount of carries, too. They could begin to share carries this spring.

IOWA STATE CYCLONES

Spring practice starts: March 22

Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• Quarterback competition. It should be a good one in Ames this spring. Jerome Tiller is the name most recognize after getting lots of meaningful time and starts because of injuries to Austen Arnaud over the past two seasons. But juco transfer Steele Jantz sounds confident he can win the job. Rising sophomore James Capello and redshirt freshman Jared Barnett will compete, too.
• Paging Cyclone receivers. Iowa State had one of the most underwhelming receiving corps in the league during the past season, and three of its top five pass-catchers won't return in 2011. Of those three, however, one is a tight end (Collin Franklin) and another is a running back (Alexander Robinson). The new quarterback will need some help, and Darius Darks and Darius Reynolds will need to provide it as seniors.
• Shontrelle's time or not? Freshman Shontrelle Johnson looked like the running back with the most pop behind Robinson for most of 2010, but two other freshmen running backs jockeyed for carries, too. Paul Rhoads is hardly handing the job over to Johnson, but spring could be the time when he really separates himself from the pack.

KANSAS JAYHAWKS

Spring practice starts: April 1

Spring game: April 30

What to watch:

• What are they doing behind center? Kansas never got much consistent play out of the quarterback position last year, but freshman Brock Berglund is one of the 2011 class' top recruits, and enrolled early to compete in the spring with Jordan Webb and Quinn Mecham. With a building program like Kansas, there's perhaps some value in handing the program to a younger player like Webb or Berglund, but they'll have to earn it. Doing so will start in the spring, but don't expect the Jayhawks to have a set-in-stone starter by spring's end.
• Top linebacker back on the field. Huldon Tharp missed all of 2010 with a foot injury, but he says he's 100 percent and ready to get back on the field. As a freshman in 2009, he was fifth on the team in tackles, with 59, and looked like one of the league's possible budding stars. Now, he'll get his chance to join fellow linebacker Steven Johnson as one of the team's top tacklers, and he'll do it as a sophomore after redshirting in 2010.
• Toben rising? Turner Gill raised plenty of eyebrows when he moved his team's leading rusher in 2009, Toben Opurum, to linebacker in fall camp, and eventually slid him up to defensive end. But toward the end of 2010, Opurum started showing some major signs of growth at the position. We'll get a better idea this spring if he's one of the league's most unlikely new stars at defensive end.

KANSAS STATE WILDCATS

Spring practice starts: April 6

Spring game: April 30

What to watch:

• Prodigal Kansan sons come home. There's no doubt that the Wichita native Brown brothers are the main attraction at Kansas State this spring, a season after transferring back home. Bryce Brown, the running back, was the nation's No. 8 prospect in the 2009 class. Arthur Brown, the linebacker, was the nation's No. 6 prospect in the 2008 class. Bryce transferred from Tennessee and Arthur from Miami. The Wildcats are pinning much of their hopes on the duo, and we'll get a good sense of what they can provide soon.
• Quarterback competition. Carson Coffman is gone, and two new faces will challenge for the job: juco transfer Justin Tuggle and Daniel Sams. Sammuel Lamur is also up for the gig. Collin Klein may or may not be; Bill Snyder hasn't explicitly confirmed a past comment from Sams saying Klein had moved to receiver. Don't expect a starter to be named by spring's end, but a general order could start to form.
• Can the defense show improvement? Kansas State had the Big 12's worst overall defense last year, and the worst rushing defense in college football, giving up 3,008 yards on the ground. Coordinator Chris Cosh looks like he'll still be around in 2011, and defensive backs David Garrett and Tysyn Hartman are solid pieces to try and build around. But this young maturing defense must get better to make a bowl game again with so many questions on offense. That starts in the spring.

MISSOURI TIGERS

Spring practice starts: March 8

Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• Franklin comes alive! Blaine Gabbert bolted to the NFL early, and Missouri has a gaping hole a quarterback. The position, however, is surrounded by a lot of quality talent that likely makes the Tigers a Top 25 team. There's no understating the importance of the position for the Tigers, and that will begin to be decided in the spring. James Franklin, a rising sophomore, saw spot duty in 2010 as more of a runner, and may have the inside track on the job, but Tyler Gabbert, Blaine's younger brother, and Ashton Glaser should make it an interesting competition in the spring. If neither of them impress early, don't count out incoming freshman Corbin Berkstresser.
• Here is the new secondary. Same as the old secondary? After years of pass defense being one of the Tigers' biggest weaknesses, it became a strength in 2010 behind the leadership of senior corners Kevin Rutland and Carl Gettis. But the Tigers lose them and safety Jarrell Harrison. Rutland emerged as one of the team's most impressive players last spring, but was Missouri's success in the secondary a one-time thing or the beginning of a welcome trend?
• Time to dominate the trenches? Missouri played without likely first-round pick Aldon Smith for much of the previous season, but the defensive and offensive lines for the Tigers were as good as ever in 2010. How will they look in 2011? Impact juco transfer Sheldon Richardson won't be enrolled by the spring, but the four returning starters on the offensive line should get some solid work against Brad Madison, Jacquies Smith and Terrell Resonno.

OKLAHOMA SOONERS

Spring practice starts: March 21

Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• Freshmen on display. Coach Bob Stoops hasn't been shy about saying his 2010 recruiting class was his best ever, but it could look even better after this spring. Two of his best emerging recruits, Justin McCay and Geneo Grissom, didn't even play in 2010, and could start to make an impact. The same goes for Corey Nelson, who will try to earn some more time somewhere backing up star Travis Lewis.
• Is there a golden boot in Norman? Jimmy Stevens was much more accurate in 2010, finishing 19-for-23, but his attempts outside 45 yards were sparse. The good news is he missed none of his 53 extra points. Field goals have been a bit of an adventure for the past couple years, but continuing in the spring what he started last year would be a good sign for Oklahoma. The Sooners are strong everywhere and need good special teams play to reach their lofty title goals.
• Are the Sooners' backs back? Roy Finch missed the Fiesta Bowl with a stress fracture, and his durability is certainly questionable entering 2011. When he's healthy, he looks like the next star in the Sooners' backfield, but they'll need some depth behind the 5-foot-8, 173-pounder. Jermie Calhoun, Jonathan Miller and Brennan Clay have all looked good at times, but there should be some good competition from newcomers Brandon Wegher, an Iowa transfer who'll be in camp this spring and eligible next season, and blue-chip recruit Brandon Williams, who enrolled early.

OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS

Spring practice starts: March 7

Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• Every piece of the offense. The spring in Stillwater is all about keeping or improving upon the status quo. Had it kept Dana Holgorsen, there'd be little doubt that would happen, but Oklahoma State must make the most of its five returning offensive linemen, quarterback Brandon Weeden and receiver Justin Blackmon. The opportunity for a historic season is there, but they'll have to pick up the nuances of the new offense quickly in the spring like they did last year.
• What about the kicker? Dan Bailey won the Lou Groza Award as the nation's top kicker in 2010, but he's gone. Oklahoma State needs to fill that role quickly, and we'll likely know who will get the nod after the spring.
• Who steps up on the defensive line? The Cowboys lose three starters up front on defense, including All-Big 12 performer Ugo Chinasa and tackles Chris Donaldson and Shane Jarka. Can senior Richetti Jones become a star in the Big 12? We'll have a good idea if he, or any of the Cowboys' other defensive linemen, can by the end of April.

TEXAS LONGHORNS

Spring practice starts: February 24

Spring game: April 3

What to watch:

• New coaches and their students/players. Texas has five new coaches. Although it's hard to get a good read early on, how they relate with the players on the field, in the film room and around the facilities will have a big impact on how the 2011 season plays out in Austin. The young-blooded coordinators could serve themselves well by relating to players and the players will need to spend plenty of extra time learning new schemes and plays.
• Quarterback competition ... or not? Mack Brown says the gig is open and it is, for now. Garrett Gilbert can close it with a strong spring. If Garrett struggles on the field or has difficulty grasping the new system, the door will be wide open for Connor Wood or Case McCoy to step in and close it. Gilbert didn't get much help, but he did very little in 2010 to inspire a lot of breathing room with McCoy and Wood clamoring for playing time.
• And you've got to defend the pass, too. Texas loses its top three cornerbacks to the NFL, and only Carrington Byndom and A.J. White got much meaningful playing time last season. Younger players can earn some rare early playing time with a strong spring. Will anyone step up?

TEXAS A&M AGGIES

Spring practice starts: March 22

Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• New linebackers in the running. Spring isn't so scary when you bring back nine defensive starters, but the two Texas A&M lost were the heart of its defense. Linebackers Michael Hodges and Von Miller are gone. Kyle Mangan didn't look fantastic when forced into action during the Cotton Bowl, but the time is now for Damontre Moore and Dominique Patterson, a pair of sophomores, to make their impact.
• Tannehill's tuning things up. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill played about as well as anyone could have hoped late last season, but he'll need it to continue his performance with a solid spring nailing down the timing with his receivers, who all return. He's already got a leg up on last year's quarterback, Jerrod Johnson, who was held out of team drills last spring after shoulder surgery that eventually derailed his senior season.
• Christine's back. Christine Michael missed the second half of the season with a broken leg, giving way to Cyrus Gray's rise among Big 12 backs. It should make Texas A&M's depth at the position even more impressive, but we'll see how Michael looks coming back from the injury.

TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS

Spring practice starts: February 19

Spring game: March 26

What to watch:

• Past defending that pass defense. Texas Tech had the Big 12's worst pass defense last season, but has a pair of big potential players at cornerback in rising sophomores Tre Porter and Jarvis Phillips. Starters LaRon Moore and Franklin Mitchem are gone, but if returning starters Cody Davis and Will Ford can continue to mature, the defense should improve in the area most important for success in the Big 12.
• And they're off! There's a four-man quarterback derby set in Lubbock this spring between Seth Doege, Jacob Karam, Michael Brewer and Scotty Young. I don't expect it to be settled until midway through fall camp, similar to last season, but there should be a solid front-runner and more clarity after spring. Coach Tommy Tuberville was extremely impressed with Doege and Karam last spring after Taylor Potts and Steven Sheffield went down with injuries.
• Time to find new stars. Most of the big names on Texas Tech's defense are gone. Colby Whitlock, Bront Bird, Brian Duncan will all continue their careers elsewhere. The leaders on the defense will have to begin to emerge in the spring. Is it Scott Smith? Cody Davis? A younger, unexpected player? We'll find out. Sometimes these types of situations aren't as easy to predict as they might seem, like Missouri's strength in 2010 emerging in the secondary.

Charles Jackson's father, Rick Parker, went on Omaha radio on Friday to clarify his son's comments in the Omaha World-Herald.

“He’s excited about being able to show his new coach or whoever they fill the position with what type of player he is,” Parker said. “He wants to basically come out there and be a member of the Blackshirts and throw some bones around.”

Jackson, an ESPNU 150 signee and the Huskers' only cornerback in the class, expressed some unhappiness at not being told his position coach, Marvin Sanders, had an uncertain future before signing with the Huskers on Wednesday.

“I think they should've told me before I signed,” Jackson told the Omaha paper on Thursday night. “I didn't have any idea. They broke the guy code.”

Jackson's father said he was contacted by coach Bo Pelini after the paper spoke with his son earlier in the evening. Jackson also said he probably still would have signed with Nebraska had he been told about Sanders' departure before he signed his letter of intent.

I don't think any of this news ever jeopardized Jackson's future at Nebraska, but he's certainly got a complaint that he at least wasn't given a heavy hint that his future coach's job was in jeopardy. Sanders had been off the road recruiting for several weeks, but Jackson himself said he didn't have any idea he would be leaving.

Was it the best idea to air those grievances publicly? Probably not. But it's easy to see why he's at least slightly perturbed when a fan of another program breaks the news to him via Facebook, and not a member of Nebraska's coaching staff.

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Ndamukong Suh was the Big 12's best player in 2009. Sam Bradford was its best player in 2008.

Both were the best players in their 2010 rookie class.

The NFL honored Suh and Bradford as respective defensive and offensive rookies of the year.

Suh, already an AP All-Pro and a Pro Bowl starter at defensive tackle (though an injury kept him from playing), earned 48 of the 50 votes for rookie of the year.

“I was fortunate to be able to grasp my role in our scheme and to flourish in it,” Suh said. “I'm just going to keep working hard to improve because I'll never be satisfied.”

Suh finished with 66 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. His 10 sacks were the most among interior linemen.

Bradford, meanwhile, set NFL rookie records for pass completions (354) and attempts (590) and only Peyton Manning topped Bradford's 3,512 yards in his rookie year.

He threw 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

"It means a lot to me when you look at this award and see who has won it in the past." Bradford said. "It reflects what we were able to do as a team this year."

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Yet another college all-star game took place on Saturday, the NFLPA All-Star game, formerly known as the Texas vs. The Nation game.

Two Texas products, of course, helped Team Texas beat Team Nation 13-7.

Former Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts led his offense on scoring drives the first two times he played, earning offensive MVP honors for his 9-of-15 passing performance for 105 yards.

Texas defensive lineman Eddie Jones won the game for Team Texas, however, when he stuffed former Miami running back Damien Berry at the 1-yard line with less than a minute to play.

Potts is an interesting case in regards to his NFL future. Tech quarterbacks have had marginal success at best in the NFL, but surely he has to impress a few people with a performance like that.

You'll see the "system" tag thrown on Red Raiders quarterbacks almost reflexively, but don't forget, Potts beat some decent quarterbacks in the passing accuracy competition at the Manning Passing camp before the season. What does that mean when it comes to his NFL future? I guess we'll find out in the next few months. His arm strength and mechanics are far from elite, he wasn't invited to the scouting combine and looks unlikely to be drafted, but I'd be surprised if someone didn't invite him to a minicamp after the draft and gave him a solid look.

Inspired by our friends at the Big Ten and SEC blogs, we'll put together a long-overdue team composed of the league's best seniors.

We made a team full of freshmen, so why skimp on the old guys? Well, we won't.

My All-Big 12 team featured 16 seniors, and they're all on the team below, but plenty of other guys put together distinguished careers and 2010 seasons that deserve recognition.

Their careers may be over, but you can bet all these players will live on in school lore for quite some time. Here goes:

OFFENSE

QB: Taylor Potts, Texas Tech
RB: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
WR: Lyle Leong, Texas Tech
WR: Detron Lewis, Texas Tech
WR: Aubrey Quarles, Kansas State
C: Tim Barnes, Missouri
T: Nate Solder, Colorado
T: Danny Watkins, Baylor
G: Keith Williams, Nebraska
G: Ricky Henry, Nebraska

DEFENSE

DL: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma
DL: Lucas Patterson, Texas A&M
DL: Sam Acho, Texas
DL/LB: Brian Duncan, Texas Tech
LB: Von Miller, Texas A&M
LB: Orie Lemon, Oklahoma State
LB: Michael Hodges, Texas A&M
CB: Andrew McGee, Oklahoma State
CB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska
S: Quinton Carter, Oklahoma
S: Byron Landor, Baylor

SPECIALISTS

K: Alex Henery, Nebraska
P: Derek Epperson, Baylor
Returns: Niles Paul, Nebraska

Selections by school: Nebraska (5), Texas Tech (4), Oklahoma State (3), Texas A&M (3) Baylor (3), Kansas State (2), Oklahoma (2), Texas (1), Missouri (1), Colorado (1)

A few thoughts:

• It was kind of slim pickings at receiver, but only because the Big 12's top five and 11 of its top 15 receivers will be coming back in 2011. Colorado's Scotty McKnight only narrowly missed the team. I'd say he's probably a more talented receiver than Quarles, but Quarles' production was there in 2010. McKnight's, after adding freshman Paul Richardson to the mix, took a bit of a dive in his senior year.
• That's a heck of a defense. All 11 guys weren't very far off from making the regular All-Big 12 team. The same is true of the offensive line.
• Potts' year was a lot better than a few Texas Tech folks would have you believe, but he didn't have a lot of competition to make the cut on this squad. His own teammate, Steven Sheffield, was probably the only guy who could keep him from this squad. The only other Big 12 starters this year were Iowa State's Austen Arnaud, Kansas State's Carson Coffman and Colorado's Cody Hawkins.
• It's a solid group at running back, too. Thomas and Hunter were the same two guys on my All-Big 12 team, getting the nod just over Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray, Nebraska's Roy Helu Jr. and Baylor's Jay Finley. Definitely a great year for Big 12 running backs, especially the seniors.

You saw my top moments and my top games on Tuesday. Then I turned it over to you guys. Plenty of good stuff. Here's what you had to say:

A hint: One game was a recurring theme.

Dan in St. Louis writes: Dave, Don't know you could leave Mizzou-Oklahoma off your best moments or best games list. It was the best college gameday turnout EVER followed by one of the best games of the season, and the post-game antics were nothing short of ridiculous. The overhead shots of a field filled with black and gold were part of every college football montage throughout the season. You can't put the Moe Miracle on your list but not this game. You just can't.

Andrew in St. Louis writes: For your top ten moments of the year, absent was anything from the Mizzou-Oklahoma game on October 23rd. One that sticks out to me is the Gahn McGaffie taking the opening kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown. It was an electrifying moment for the crowd, and it led Missouri to a huge victory over the top team in the country.

Spencer in Columbia, Mo., writes: No doubt about it, OU vs. Mizzou for the 99th edition of true Homecoming!!! Largest College Gameday crowd ever, McGaffey's return on the opening kickoff, Jackson's TD catch in the fourth to seal it, rushing Faurot and carrying the goalpost to Harpo's!!!!

Josh in Kansas City writes: David, how in the world do you not put the Oklahoma-Missouri game in either your top 10 moments or top 5 games of 2010? No. 1 in the country is upset, record-breaking crowd at College Gameday, and huge leap forward for the Missouri football team?! Not to mention one heck of a game to watch! I wouldn't expect it to be number 1, but to not have an appearance in crazy!

My take: The people have spoken. The McGaffie kick return is the one moment that sticks out from that game, so it probably deserved a spot on the list. It took an already amped crowd to the next level and really made it clear early on: Missouri could win that game. And it did. The main reason I left it off the list of games is because the game itself didn't have a great finish, which most of the others on the list did. It probably deserved a spot on the moments list, but the losses to Nebraska and Texas Tech kind of eliminated Missouri's chances to have a special season, so the game sort of stands alone as a singular moment, rather than a moment that marked a turning point in a season. If you look at the other moments on the list, they each fit that criteria, minus the tip drill at Bedlam, which was just an unbelievable play.

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Moving on...

Curtis in Washington, D.C., writes: I'd have to group the back-and-forth 92 seconds of the Bedlam Game as my "moment". It's been a long time since I yelled "YES!" and "NO!" so many times at the top of my lungs in short succession. It wasn't until OU stopped the kick returner after the Hanna TD catch that I calmed down enough to sit down and take a breath.

My take: I hear you, Curtis. As a writer who had to rewrite quite a bit of copy after every single one of those plays, I mostly just yelled (read: thought), "NO!" but it doesn't take a ton of perspective to see how fantastic that finish was.

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Alexandra in Dallas writes: The Texas Tech-Missouri game was a pretty big deal for Tech fans. In the midst of a rebuilding year, Tech upsets #15 Missouri, while participating in the Wounded Warrior Project, during Homecoming. Easily the biggest win of the season, and the players waving the students on to the field after the game was the cherry on top. Just a special event all around.

My take: Definitely a huge win for Texas Tech. I particularly liked Taylor Potts' gesture after the win, giving a speech in honor of the Wounded Warrior Project, rather than answer questions about the game.

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Wade in Fort Worth, Texas, writes: Top 10 moments of the season. Robert Griffin III taking a knee against Kansas State in a 47-42 victory making the Bears bowl eligible for the first time since they joined the Big 12. I know there are better teams, better plays, and better games, but ending a decade and a half of futility is quite an accomplishment.

My take: Certainly a worthy member of the list. But what about RG3 getting engaged a couple hours later? Where's that on your list, Wade?

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Nick in Omaha, Neb., writes: Best moment, besides the remarkable Bedlam game, I would say it was Roy Helu Jr's 307 rushing yards against a great Mizzou team. 3 huge rushing breaks, with touchdowns on each. Best in my opinion.

My take: That first-quarter spurt certainly was glorious for the Huskers. What an unbelievable 15 minutes of football. Arguably the best of the year from any team in the Big 12.

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Rob in Catania, Sicily (Navy) writes: As a die-hard Sooner, I am proud to say we won the most Big XII Championships and this last one could not have been any better. I respect Nebraska and their tradition and they played hard. I'm sad to see them leave, but what a way to end a rivalry! The game started at 3 A.M. for me and I had work the next day, but there is no excuse for missing the (potentially) last OU-Nebraska. Boomer Sooner!

My take: That's pretty impressive commitment right there.

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Acee in Oklahoma writes: I may of skimmed through the lists a little quick, but I didn't see any mention of Roy Helu Jr's 300 yard rushing day versus Missouri. Wasn't that #1 in the Husker's rich history? What about the 13-12 rematch? How the Huskers hyped up their revenge game against a skidding Longhorn team with no offense, against the Blackshirt D in Memorial Stadium? All those ":01" and "10-16-10" shirts and hoopla. A lot of crow was ate that day.

My take: All good suggestions, but I posted this one for one main reason: Can someone explain to me people's obsession with using the phrase "eating crow?" It's not funny really at all. It's so overused that it's been stripped of its meaning, of which it had little to begin with anyway, but people stick with it. Anytime anyone is wrong about something, it's immediately the first phrase that pops up. Why? Can we get some originality or at least something new? It doesn't even have to be good, perhaps feeding someone a Shut-up Sandwich with Wrong Sauce. That's awful, and it's still better than "Eat some crow!"

Thanks. I'll leave my soap box to the next ranter now.

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Keivan in Baltimore writes: Texas extending thier win streak in Lincoln. The Husker fans were gearing up for this game for 10 months and were ready to pounce on the worst Texas team in years, and simply couldn't get it done. Hook 'em.

My take: It didn't surprise me all that much at the time, but the further we got away from that game, the more unbelievable it got.

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Gavin in Austin, Texas, writes: When Mack decided to clear house and start from scratch after our abysmal season. Beating Nebraska was a distant second, but amusing. That's all I got.

My take: Certainly all things Texas fans liked to see.

• Could former USF coach Jim Leavitt end up at Kansas State soon? "Things will be cleared up soon enough," he said.
• Here's a look at colleague Mark Schlabach's way-too-early top 25. Plenty of Big 12 flavor all throughout the poll.
• You'll see Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts and linebacker Brian Duncan in the Texas vs. The Nation all-star game in San Antonio on Feb. 5.
• A Colorado player from the 2010 team has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, reports Kieran Nicholson of the Denver Post.
• New coach Jon Embree, meanwhile, may be zeroing in on the final hire of his coaching staff: his quarterbacks coach.
• Nebraska fans can rest easy after Michigan filled its coaching vacancy from San Diego State instead of LSU, which might have courted Bo Pelini, writes Mitch Sherman of the Omaha World-Herald.
• Austin Meek of the Topeka Capital-Journal doesn't believe Chris Cosh's son's recent departure from the program has any connection to the K-State defensive coordinator's future.

» Power Rankings: ACC | Big 12 | Big East | Big Ten | Pac-10 | SEC | Non-AQ

It's been a fun year with a fun finale last night, but here's how the Big 12 sits to end the 2010 season.

For reference, here's how I ranked the league before the bowl games.

1. Oklahoma (12-2, 6-2, last week: 1) For all the bumps that 2010 brought the Sooners, they did what everyone picked them to do: Win the Big 12. They did the same in the Fiesta Bowl: Beat Connecticut handily.

2. Oklahoma State (11-2, 6-2, LW: 3) The way Texas A&M, Missouri and Nebraska played in the postseason, there's no doubt that Oklahoma State was playing the second-best football of anyone in the conference to close the year.

3. Texas A&M (9-4, 6-2, LW: 2) The Aggies played by far the best team of anyone in the Big 12 in their bowl game, and didn't play well on offense or defense, but Missouri and Nebraska don't warrant a jump after losing to unranked teams.

4. Missouri (10-3, 6-2, LW: 4) Missouri had the closest loss among the Big 12's top tier of teams in the league's weak bowl showing, but outside of Blaine Gabbert's inexplicable late interception, the Tigers played pretty well in the second half.

5. Nebraska (10-4, 6-2, LW: 5) Not many positives to the Huskers' flat showing in San Diego. Something to learn from, but Nebraska can't afford to get out-muscled up front in the Big Ten like they were against Washington.

6. Texas Tech (8-5, 3-5, LW: 6) The Red Raiders were one of just three Big 12 bowl winners, and got nice days out of long-time friends and teammates Lyle Leong and Taylor Potts to do it. Nice job to hold off an impressive Northwestern comeback, too.

7. Kansas State (7-6, 3-5, LW: 8) The Wildcats got robbed on a call, but there's nothing saying they would have won. K-State still needed a two-point conversion and would have had to stop Syracuse in overtime. The Orange racked up almost 500 yards of offense, and Syracuse running back Delone Carter had 198 rushing yards. Not a good recipe for a win, bad call or otherwise.

8. Baylor (7-6, 4-4, LW: 7) Baylor flopped in its return to a bowl, losing 38-14 to Illinois. But look for the Bears in the postseason again in 2011 and to turn in a better performance on a big stage. Bears didn't respond well to big games this year.


9. Colorado (5-7, 2-6, LW: 9) Not many common threads for Colorado from 2010 to 2011. New coaching staff, new league. Should be an interesting future.

10. Texas (5-7, 2-6, LW: 10) Texas has four of its five coaching vacancies filled. Know any good offensive line coaches? Longhorns new look should be fun to watch through the spring and into next season.

11. Iowa State (5-7, 3-5, LW: 11) Iowa State missed a pair of opportunities -- on the road against Colorado and at home against Missouri -- to qualify for a bowl, but Year 3 is perhaps the most important under Paul Rhoads and certainly the most telling of where this program is headed.

12. Kansas (3-9, 1-7, LW: 12) The Jayhawks managed a nice recruiting class in the middle of the Big 12, and snatched early-enrolling quarterback Brock Berglund from Colorado. A nice start for Turner Gill on the recruiting trail in his first full year.

Faithful readers (that's all of you, right) remember I tossed out 10 Fearless Predictions before the season.

Midway through the year, I graded their progress.

Well, the Big 12 season is over, so it's time to pass out final grades. So... here goes.

1. Oklahoma and Texas will play in another BCS bowl. Nebraska will be relegated to the Cotton Bowl. Well, this was bad in the middle of the season, and it didn't get much better over the second half. Granted, it didn't get much worse, either, except Nebraska's beeline for a BCS bowl meandered out to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. Grade: C-

2. Texas will throw the ball 35 times against Oklahoma. I doubted Texas' ability to run the ball in the conference's marquee rivalry game, and I was right. Just how confident was I in this one? I used this stat to explain why in the midseason, and it's still applicable. Colt McCoy threw 18 passes in his first Red River Rivalry. Garrett Gilbert threw 41, and completed 27. Grade: A

3. Baylor will make -- and win -- a bowl game. First half was on the money. Baylor had seven wins by the end of October. However, the Bears got dominated by Illinois' ground game in the Texas Bowl. I picked the Bears to beat Michigan in the TicketCity Bowl in my first prediction, and I might have upped my grade if they had played the Wolverines, but alas, I'll live with a passing grade. Grade: B

4. Missouri's Aldon Smith will lead the league in sacks. Smith's season was derailed by a broken leg early, but it was a pretty underwhelming encore for the sophomore. He only had a sack in three games this year, and finished tied for 18th in the Big 12 with 4.5 sacks. My bad. Texas A&M's Von Miller took home the sack title for the second consecutive year. Grade: D

5. Daniel Thomas will win his second Big 12 rushing title in two years. Thomas got it done, and made me look good with a late push. Oklahoma State's Kendall Hunter looked like he was going to run away with it, but Hunter managed just 55 yards against Oklahoma and 32 in the Alamo Bowl against Arizona. Thomas, meanwhile, rolled over North Texas for 269 yards in the regular season finale and added 90 more in the Pinstripe Bowl against Syracuse. He also scored five touchdowns in the two games to score 19 rushing touchdowns, sixth-most nationally and three more than anyone else in the Big 12. Grade: A+

6. Kansas will finish as the Big 12's most improved team in November. Well, Kansas certainly set the bar low with 55-7 and 59-7 losses to begin conference play, but lost to Nebraska by just 17 and made a huge comeback to beat Colorado. Texas A&M gets my "most improved" label, but Kansas has a strong case as No. 2, doesn't it? Grade: B

7. Texas will lead the league in scoring defense, outdoing Oklahoma and Nebraska. Nope. Texas didn't outdo either team, and Missouri led the conference in scoring defense by a full point, giving up just over 16 points a game. Although really, anything anyone wrote about Texas in August is guaranteed to sound dumb now. In my defense, the Longhorns weren't awful in the category, finishing fifth in the league in scoring, giving up 23.7 points. Grade: D+

8. Brandon Weeden will lead the league in completion percentage. You're killing me Taylor Potts and Robert Griffin III. Weeden was a full two percentage points better than anyone else in the Big 12 at the midseason, but Potts and Griffin slipped ahead of him to close the year. Weeden finished at 66.9 percent, but Potts was at 67.1 and Griffin finished at 67. Come on, man. Weeden did take home All-Big 12 first-team quarterback honors. So, that's pretty good, right? Especially for a first-year starter. Grade: B+

9. Iowa State will be better than Kansas and Colorado. They will have a worse record overall and in conference. Hmm, another swing and a miss. Iowa State was definitely better than Kansas, and proved it on the field, but suffered a loss to an interim-coached Colorado team when the Cyclones were just a win away from bowl eligibility. The Cyclones finished 5-7 (3-5) and Colorado finished 5-7 (2-6). Kansas, who I never thought would be as underwhelming as it was, finished 3-9 and 1-7 in Big 12 play. Grade: C-

10. Texas Tech will be in the top third of the league in turnover differential. They will be in the bottom third in scoring defense. The Red Raiders finished second to last in scoring defense, giving up just under 31 points a game, which was 2.5 points fewer than last-place Kansas. In turnover differential, the Red Raiders finished ninth, but did force 23 turnovers, good for a tie for 5th in the Big 12. The offense turned it over 26 times, though, for a -3 differential. We'll see if that changes in Year 2 with another defensive coordinator after James Willis left the program. Grade: B+

What should my grade be on the whole?