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Thanks for all the questions this week. Here's where you can reach me.

El Guapo in Washington, D.C. wrote: Ubb-a-Dub: You have a crack stats team roughly the size of Rhode Island at the Worldwide Leader. Riddle them this: when was the last time neither OU, nor Texas had a first round draft pick? Surely it's got to at least date back to the Fresh Prince days, yah?

David Ubben: Wrong, sir. And I just looked this one up myself. The last time it happened was allllll the way back in ... 2008. Texas' Limas Sweed and Oklahoma's Curtis Lofton both went in the second round. The next season, Oklahoma played for the national championship. The year after that, Texas played Alabama for the 'ship.

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J. Woody in Fort Worth wrote: "TCU had a rough 2011 season" ... really Ubbs? "Under coach Gary Patterson, the Horned Frogs led the nation in total defense in 2008, 2009 and 2010."I guess 2011 was a down year after three straight #1 seasons ... BTW Ubbs ... TCU ain't ever going to win any popular pole anywhere based on enrollment, grads or popularity. Big schools rule the voter pool.

DU: Now come on, how can any TCU fan deny the defense was a disappointment last season? Sure, inexperience played into it, but TCU fell all the way to 32nd nationally. That's not very good, especially when you consider where TCU ranks among its conference brethren. Boise State was probably more talented than TCU last year, but outside of the Broncos, TCU is head and shoulders above the rest of its league in talent. When you set the bar for defense as high as TCU has these past few years, how is dropping to 32nd anything but a rough year?

We saw that up close when it gave up 50 to Baylor, but the defense gave up 40 to SMU in another loss, but beat Boise State on the smurf turf in its best performance of the year.

I get TCU's not going to win the best defense poll, but you'd be surprised. If you prove you're the rightful winner of one of those deals, people will vote for you, regardless of affiliation.

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Andrew in Colorado wrote: People love to complain about recruit rankings but in the latest mock draft 17 outta 32 first round picks were either 4 or 5 star recruits coming out of high school. 4 and 5 star recruits only make up 5% of the incoming class at college but make up better than 50% of the eventual best of the best. It is always very easy to find a random 2 star kid who did great and find a random 5 star kid who was a bust but on average 4 and 5 star recruits are literally 100 times more likely to succeed.

DU: I'm with you on this one, Andrew. Recruiting rankings aren't the be all, end all. You can offer examples of two stars turned superstars and five stars turned flops all day, but the trends are clear across the board. The better you recruit, the better team you are, unless you have an incompetent coaching staff or didn't evaluate prospects well and have players who don't fit what you do.

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Klocke in Athens, Ga., wrote: David, have you got a preseason prediction for this year's big Cyclone upset?

DU: I mean, it has to be one of the new guys, doesn't it? They're unaware of Paul Rhoads' magic. Last year, he did it twice, too. Here's betting Iowa State takes down an unsuspecting TCU or West Virginia squad to keep their bowl hopes alive. The Cyclones close the season on Thanksgiving weekend in Ames against West Virginia, but travel to TCU for their second conference game on Oct. 6.

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David in Austin wrote: Since the University of Texas has led the Big 12ish in total defense 4 years in a row, why then don't the Longhorns have a nickname for their D yet? In that same time span we saw the resurrection of Nebraska's Blackshirts and A&M's Wrecking "Crew" (Von Miller). I'm the opposite of creative but with Manny Diaz's constant blitzes can we at least call it the Stampede Defense?

DU: Ha, I'd like to see the Longhorns come up with something. We've already coined the backfield the "Texas Taupe Attack" (Brown + Gray), but here's betting the Longhorns just stick with the "Texas defense." The Longhorns have staked a pretty solid claim as the nation's DBU, though. That'll be especially true next year with Quandre Diggs and Carrington Byndom holding down the corner spots and Kenny Vaccaro roaming around generally wreaking havoc. Texas could easily grab three of the four first-team All-Big 12 spots in the secondary.

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Jared Leggett in Morgantown, W.Va., wrote: Just thought you would like to know that it was indeed snowing in Morgantown this morning. Friday it was in the mid-80s. In the fall, it will be like this too. Thank you for your coverage of Morgantown and WVU in the last month or so - much less biased than many reporters have churned out before. Can't wait for Football season.LET'S GO!- Jared Leggett WVU c/o 2015

DU: Please remember this the first time I rip the Mountaineers the first time they do an A&M impression and blow a game they should have easily had. It's never personal. I don't play favorites in this league. I dole out praise when it's deserved. I dole out criticism when it's deserved.

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Sky Froehlich in Norfolk, Neb. wrote: Dear West Virginia,Beat Texas and we'll be best buds forever.Sincerely, Nebraska

DU: I'm not sure 1,000 Texas losses to West Virginia will erase the memory of that one, Sky. An unbelievable, unforgettable day at Memorial Stadium for sure.

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Chuck Tyrell in Bemidji, Minn., wrote: Dave I enjoy your comments. Just a thought about KU, I think they maybe better than most folks think. They have had a big change in structure, conditioning and expectations. Also much better coaching, plus alot of good transfers and juco talent that fits major areas of need. My two cents worth prediction is 6-6 with a bowl game. (7-6) It will be interesting...and suprising.. Chuck

DU: I'm starting to buy in a little bit to the Jayhawks, Chuck. Not as a bowl team at all, but I'm starting to think this could be a 4-5 win team that scares a few people. The big talent upgrade at quarterback will make KU look a lot better right away. Weis surprised me by lauding his receivers this week. They must have not been able to shine with Jordan Webb at QB last year, or have some talented guys I didn't see last year. That surprised me.

We'll see. The Big 12 is much too deep in the top 6-7 teams to allow KU to win consistently at the start of the Weis era, but he's building in the right direction. It's got to be encouraging for the Jayhawks faithful who've endured some tough times the past few years and not much to be encouraged by.

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I like iowa teams in Iowa wrote: Wait Wait Wait Wait Wait.... Iowa doesn't have a good reputation for football culture? Let me take a moment to put on my Iowa University hat, and dispute that. Have you perhaps heard of Hayden Fry? You mention Snyder served under him, why don't you crawl out from under your rock and look up just how MANY coaches were developed under Hayden Fry. Not to mention, with no pro team in state, Iowa college football is the KING sport in the state. Add a heisman winner to that, a one Nile Kinnick, maybe you've heard about him? War hero, died in service, noted for one of the great acceptance speeches of the heisman's history. Football Culture is one of the few things us Iowa folk can hang our hat on. I want an actual blogpost retraction of that comment. Because it's complete BS

DU: Hey, I'm not talking about historical accomplishments or coaching trees. I'm talking purely cultural. Iowa's isn't bad, but do you really believe it compares to some of the great ones around the nation? Are the multimillion-dollar, 10-20,000-seat high school stadiums all over the place? Do people really obsess over the game? I'd say Texas and Oklahoma's football "culture" are markedly better than Iowa's. It's not to say Iowa's is poor, just that it doesn't compare with the best nationally.

So, if you're looking for a retraction, you're out of luck, sir.

Our countdown of the Big 12's top 25 players continues. The official list is locked away in a vault in an undisclosed location, but we're revealing a new member of the list every day.

Here's a quick rundown on my criteria for this list.

We're in the top 10 now, officially. That means it could be a little heated from here on. Got beef? Send it to my mailbag, and we'll have a later post logging and answering your complaints.

No. 10: Sean Porter, LB, Texas A&M

2011 numbers: Made 79 tackles (50 solo), including 17 tackles for loss. He also made 9.5 sacks and broke up two passes. Forced a fumble.

Most recent ranking: Porter was unranked in our preseason list of the top 25 players.

Making the case for Porter: Texas A&M's defensive line had a tough time producing pressure and getting sacks in Tim DeRuyter's 3-4, but Porter provided another level of pass rush that helped push Texas A&M to the national title in sacks, with 51. (That's a thing, right?)

His total of 9.5 sacks gave him the Big 12 sack title, and he finished third in the league with 17 tackles for loss. His pass rush won't quite be as valuable in the SEC, but the 6-foot-2, 230-pounder should be poised for a great year as a senior in 2012.

Porter was on pace for a Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year nod, but was held without a sack in five of his seven final games, notching just two sacks in that period.

He made just five tackles for loss in his final five games, and was shut out in two of those games. He's got great speed and great flexibility that allows him to dip his inside shoulder on the edge like Von Miller used to.

It wasn't quite the season it looked like it might be early on, but Porter put together a huge year and earned plenty of respect heading into 2012.

The rest of the list:

• No. 11: Terrance Ganaway, RB, Baylor
• No. 12: Jake Knott, LB, Iowa State
• No. 13: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
• No. 14: Henry Josey, RB, Missouri
• No. 15: Ryan Swope, WR, Texas A&M
• No. 16: Emmanuel Acho, LB, Texas
• No. 17: Kelechi Osemele, LT, Iowa State
• No. 18: Joseph Randle, RB, Oklahoma State
• No. 19: Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State
• No. 20: Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas
• No. 21: Grant Garner, C, Oklahoma State
• No. 22: Ronnell Lewis, LB, Oklahoma
• No. 23: Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M
• No. 24: Nigel Malone, CB, Kansas State
• No. 25: Damontre Moore, LB, Texas A&M

We're offering up grades for each team in the Big 12 after their seasons conclude, so here's a look at how the 7-6 Texas A&M Aggies graded out in 2011.

More report cards:

• Kansas
• Texas Tech
• Missouri
• Texas
• Baylor
• Iowa State
• Oklahoma

OFFENSE: The past two seasons, Texas A&M has had as much, if not more, offensive talent than any team in the Big 12 to begin the season. Yet, it never quite works out. Last season, Jerrod Johnson's shoulder was the biggest problem with an early-season swoon. This season, the late-game collapses didn't have a single culprit, but injuries to Jeff Fuller, Christine Michael and Cyrus Gray certainly didn't help.

Those weren't the biggest problems, though. Too often in the second half of crucial games the Aggies' offense sputtered. Every loss was something different it seemed. After scoring 20 points in the first half against Oklahoma State, it managed just seven in the second. A week later, a 35-point first half was followed by a three-point second half in a loss to Arkansas.

Ryan Tannehill's decision making, especially in those infamous second halves, was poor, and resulted in 15 interceptions for the season. Mike Sherman's play calling didn't help much, running the ball just six times in the second half of the OSU loss that started it all, despite rolling over OSU's defense in the first half.

The Aggies had a lot of firepower. That's hard to ignore. They finished fourth in the Big 12 (seventh nationally) in total offense and 11th nationally in scoring offense, with just under 40 points a game.

But it's impossible to ignore that when that firepower was needed most, it was mostly a dud. With the Aggies, you have to grade on a curve, considering the amount of talent on the field and the depth of offense in the Big 12.

GRADE: D+

DEFENSE: The loss of Von Miller was bigger than maybe anyone could have imagined. The Aggies' Wrecking Crew wasn't so fearsome this season, possessing a powerful pass rush, but doing so by bringing lots of blitzes.

The Aggies had 51 sacks in 2011, five more than any team in the nation. However, they gave up more than 275 passing yards a game, more than all but 11 teams in college football. When opponents passed on the Aggies, it seemed like it was always going to be a big play for at least one team.

Early in the season, the Aggies went 22 quarters without a turnover and finished the season minus-nine in turnover margin, forcing a Big 12-low 15 turnovers. That's unacceptable, and the coverage struggles in the secondary made the defense look hopeless at times, letting five quarterbacks set career highs for pass yardage throughout the season, including 510 yards to Arkansas' Tyler Wilson.

The Aggies were a fun team to watch, but defensively, were too often a mess.

GRADE: D

OVERALL: Well, its coach was fired, so you know this grade won't be a good one. Give the Aggies this, at least: They beat Texas at something. The Aggies were a far bigger disappointment this season than Texas in 2010, when the Longhorns went 5-7.

That was a young team with no proven offense. The Aggies were loaded on both sides of the ball, even without Miller. The pieces were there to win the Big 12 and maybe even the national championship. You don't lead by double digits in 12 of 13 games in the Big 12 without having tons and tons of talent. The Aggies had it.

They finished with seven wins, and only one (Baylor) was impressive. The second-half meltdowns were too much, and led to Sherman's firing after snatching the title of the Big 12's most disappointing team, and having an argument as the nation's biggest disappointment after starting the season in the top 10.

The losses piled up and ended with one final indignity: a loss to Texas that should never have happened. The program will have to live with that loss for decades at least, and perhaps forever. It'll go down as the most painful night in one of the most painful seasons in school history, and the defining moment in a season that Texas A&M would love to forget.

GRADE: F

The NFL Pro Bowl released its rosters on Tuesday, and seven players have their roots in the Big 12.

Texas

• Derrick Johnson, LB, Kansas City
• Earl Thomas, S, Seattle (starter)

Missouri

• Justin Smith, DE, San Francisco (starter)

Oklahoma

• Davin Joseph, OG, Tampa Bay

Texas A&M

• Von Miller, LB, Denver (starter)
• Shane Lechler, P, Oakland

Texas Tech

• Wes Welker, WR, New England (starter)

Texas A&M players weighed in on the Thursday firing of coach Mike Sherman. Some did so through a school release, and others vented through social-media outlets.

"I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to play for such a great coach and great man as Mike Sherman," quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. "As a coach and person, he reflected everything that's great about Texas A&M's traditions and values. He helped us become not only better football players but better men. I wish him and his family the very best as they move forward. He will be missed."

Safety Trent Hunter, a senior captain and four-year starter, said Sherman was "a father figure."

"He's a guy that really taught us core values that I will take with me for the rest of my life," Hunter said. "He is a man of integrity, character and honesty. There's not much more that you can ask for in a man than what Coach Sherman brings to the table. His door was always open to us and you could count on him being brutally honest with you no matter what. That's one of the things that I will always respect him for."

On Twitter, more Texas A&M players weighed in, and did so in much more pointed terms.

"What I'm reading better be fake. Not kidding," receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu wrote in a series of tweets as news broke Thursday evening. "Way way wayyyy beyond livid. Furious. Funny how all these decisions are made without thinking of the players. Funny how things work."

Offensive lineman Cedric Ogbuehi was angry, too.

"Everybody in the front office are so fake I swear, come to us smiling all the time n (expletive) then do this," he tweeted. "People told me its all a business they dont care about the players, but damn! (I don't know) what to think anymore."

Former quarterback Stephen McGee, who played under Sherman and is now with the Dallas Cowboys, weighed in, too.

"Disappointed of news that Coach Sherman will be released. Was a great football coach and an even better man! A&M has lost a really good one!" he wrote on Twitter. "I find it extremely difficult to point to Sherman for the seasons' shortcomings.. He put his team in situations to win every game and at some point players have to make plays.. A&M has made some bold long term decisions. All that being said I will always love and support Texas A&M! Special place, great people and an unmatched spirit!"

Linebacker Von Miller was one of the best Aggies of all time, winning the Butkus Award last season and being selected No. 2 overall in last year's NFL draft.

"It's unfortunate to see Coach Sherm go He is like another father to me He helped me become the person I am today I will never forget, never," he tweeted on his verified account. "Integrity, honor, accountability, faith, brotherhood, and my definition of the aggie spirit all came to me playing for Coach Sherman. gig em"

Thanks for all the questions this week. As always, send them here if you want to show up here next week.

Matt Walters in Dallas asked: Graham Harrell was labeled a "system quarterback" in 2008. Should players like Brandon Weeden and Case Keenum be given this label since they are in the exact same 'system'?

David Ubben: Here's the deal with the whole "system quarterback" knock: Most of the time, the criticism comes when quarterbacks don't make difficult throws and mostly rely on dink-and-dunk plays blocked downfield for big yardage. Anybody who watches Oklahoma State knows the Cowboys offense is nothing remotely of the sort. OSU throws it downfield plenty, and Weeden can make every throw. He's got a much bigger arm than Harrell or Keenum has, and OSU's offense shows it.

Also, Weeden is relied upon to make a lot of split-second decisions after the snap. OSU runs a number of plays that have the option to be a run or a pass, and he's the guy who has to read the defense and make the apt decision. I don't know if you've taken a look at OSU's offensive numbers lately, but it seems like he's done OK.

John Schultze in College Station, Texas, asked: After watching Von play at the next level, is Timmy D a great defensive mind? Or just a decent coordinator with an absolute freak on his side of the ball?

DU: It can't be both?

I had a chance to sit in on a lecture about the 3-4 that defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter gave to a couple hundred coaches at a coaching convention in January, and trust this: The guy knows his stuff. A&M's defense has fallen apart for a number of reasons, but DeRuyter's not the only one. You forget how bad this defense was in 2009, before DeRuyter arrived. It gave up about five more points a game than any other Big 12 team.

Former Aggies linebacker Von Miller is an unbelievable player who is having exactly as much success in the NFL as most of us thought he would, but DeRuyter's still a solid coordinator, and one of the best in the Big 12.

John in Ames, Iowa, asked: How big of a deal would it be if ISU pulled off the upset against Oklahoma State?

DU: Uh, the term "Poke Choke" comes to mind. Simply put, Iowa State doesn't have the necessary offense to win this game. Uncharacteristic mistakes like drops, turnovers or a weird night for Weeden is the only way Oklahoma State loses this game. Prepare for it, Iowa State fans. If the Cyclones win this, it's going to be about OSU.

John in Olathe, Kan., asked: What will it take for Collin Klein to be considered nationally as a legit QB talent? He is putting up ridiculous numbers in the nation's second best conference. On ESPN's Heisman Expert polling, there is no mention of his name. Do you think they will ignore him next year, too?

DU: It took a while for a couple reasons, most of which is he's not a big-play guy and he doesn't throw a pretty ball, which is sort of a prerequisite as a quarterback. You saw Taylor Martinez and Denard Robinson get Heisman hype last year because they made highlight runs and terrified defenses. Klein pushing the pile for a 3-yard touchdown run isn't exactly the stuff of legend.

Combine that with an underwhelming early-season schedule and it took a lot of folks (myself included) to realize what Klein really could be. Now, with K-State proving itself as a top 15-20 team or better, and Klein putting up some big-time numbers, he's gained attention. He'll definitely be a guy on Heisman watch lists next year.

Lee in Raleigh, N.C., asked: How can you say that the Texas defense is the best that Kansas St will face? The OU defense stiffled Kansas St (in Manhattan). I think the Wildcats will put up a lot more points on Texas, than they did on OU. And they'll do it in Austin.

DU: It might have something to do with that pesky rumor that Texas is giving up 47 fewer yards per game than any team in the Big 12 and more than 85 fewer than the Big 12's No. 3 team. Combine that with a ton of fantastic athletes at all three levels, and, well ... you get the point.

Kansas State might score a few more points on Texas, but that doesn't mean Texas' defense isn't better. The Longhorns D is legit.

Arnav in St. Louis asked: LSU couldn't score off of Alabama's defense, and if Alabama had had any passing attack whatsoever instead of having [Trent] Richardson try to run through 10 defenders, they might have scored a touchdown. Does OK State's passing juggernaut and pretty solid defense find a win there?

DU: I'm not ready to predict a win just yet, but I think it'd be close and a game that nears the 30s, probably something like 23-20 or 28-24. Could probably go either way. OSU's defense is better than I thought it was early in the year, and the offense isn't going to get totally shut down by any defense.

Mark in Corpus Christi, Texas, asked: BCS selection(s) aside. Which Big 12 team would you consider must watch out of the following. Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., Baylor, Texas or Kansas State. List them in order of preference. Thanks.

DU: Give me OSU, Baylor, OU, K-State and then Texas. Oklahoma State's offensive athletes are a thing of beauty. The same's true of Baylor and Oklahoma, especially Robert Griffin III. He might be the most fun player to watch in the league. K-State and UT are doing it ugly.

Chris in Manhattan, Kan., asked: Everyone is saying K-State's offense isn't sexy. But Collin Klein is our offense, right? For the most part yes. Collin Klein is rugged, right? Yes. And being rugged is generally considered sexy, right? I think so. Therefore K-states offense is generally sexy when Klein is on the field.

DU: You just blew my mind.

Unranked Texas A&M's 33-19 upset of then-No. 8 Oklahoma last season left two lasting images.

For the first time in a long time, players left the field to chants of "Wrecking Crew," the moniker ultimately reserved for the best Texas A&M defenses.

The other was the dominant play on the line of scrimmage that birthed those chants.

Three times, Von Miller's crew stuffed Oklahoma at the goal line, the biggest coming in the final minutes to seal the win, denying DeMarco Murray the end zone on three runs inside the 5-yard line.

Once again, Texas A&M is unranked and facing Oklahoma with three losses. This time, it travels to Norman, where it was beaten 65-10 in its last trip back in 2009.

The Sooners and Aggies are the two most physical offenses in the Big 12, and if A&M is going to spring another upset, it will have to win the battle of the line of scrimmage. The Big 12, with its elite skill-position talent and deep stock of quarterbacks, doesn't always have games decided up front. This one will be.

"Our offensive line is coming around," said Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman, who played true freshmen last year at both offensive tackle spots. "Until this last ballgame, defensively, we’ve been pretty good against the run."

Consider: Oklahoma leads the nation with 34 sacks. The Sooners have allowed three sacks, tied with Boise State for the fewest nationally.

Texas A&M, meanwhile, has given up just seven sacks and is third nationally with 30 sacks.

"A lot of us have definitely stepped up," said Texas A&M defensive lineman Spencer Nealy. "We definitely always play with a lot of effort, and at times, like any other position, we’ll have mistakes, but as a whole, we played pretty good."

The Aggies, though, have ascended to second in the Big 12 at 224 yards rushing per game while Oklahoma has sunk to eighth, though the Sooners possess the league's top passing attack.

Oklahoma will be without leading rusher Dominique Whaley, too, who suffered a broken ankle in Saturday's win over Kansas State.

Texas A&M fields the league's best 1-2 punch at running back, and last year's growth took place without one of them even on the field.

"The maturation of [the offensive line] really helped us. We struggled early in the season. We gave up a lot of sacks in the first half of the season. We didn’t run the ball very well," Sherman said. "We weren’t protecting well, we weren't running the ball well. They started to come into their own. A couple of our young tackles were talented but they didn’t have the experience. I thought they grew up in the second half of the season and we emphasized the run game more and took some pressure off the passing game and tried to stay out of long-yardage situations. ... They had a big part in the second-half run last season."

It's only continued into 2011. Christine Michael's broken leg that forced him out of the second half of the season has healed, and he's on course for a career season with 811 yards, third-most in the Big 12. Cyrus Gray has 704 yards of his own to rank ninth in the league.

Those two are fully capable of carrying the Aggies to the upset.

Despite the high sack numbers for A&M, it's given up more passing yards per game than any team in the country. How?

"It’s not ability at all. We’ve got some of the best players in the Big 12," Nealy said, pointing to fundamentals.

The best way to slow Oklahoma's passing attack is to keep it off the field. That means running the ball well and pressuring Landry Jones.

Texas A&M's offensive and defensive lines can do that. They proved it last year.

Now, it's time to do it again.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Texas A&M fans won't have to rack their brains much to remember today's honorary captain.

Former Aggie linebacker Von Miller made a surprise appearance at Midnight Yell last night, and will be back at Kyle Field today to be recognized as the honorary captain.

Miller, a rookie for the Denver Broncos, won the Butkus Award last season as the nation's top linebacker, and set a school record with a nation-leading 17 sacks in 2009.

His Broncos are on a bye this week.

Miller was also the biggest reason for the rise of the Aggies' defense last season and the late-season revival of the Wrecking Crew.

Expect him to get a big welcome before today's games from a fan base planning to wear white and wave maroon towels, rather than its usual maroon shirt and white towels.

The move is to support wildfire relief throughout Texas.

One final note: I'll be chatting right here until kickoff, so come by and say a last-minute hello.

TEXAS A&M AGGIES

Record: 3-2 (1-1 Big 12)

The story for Texas A&M in the season's first half has been simple, yet painful. In the Aggies two biggest games of the year thus far, the pattern has been identical: First-half dominance followed by second-half incompetence. Oklahoma State didn't look like it belonged on the same field as the suddenly scary Aggies that looked befitting of a national title contender with a 20-3 lead. Arkansas was getting outplayed and outmuscled by a physical Texas A&M offense in the first half and trailed, 35-17.

The Aggies lost both games. That's about all there is to say through six games for the Aggies. The offense, though it got away from the powerful running game against Oklahoma State, has been as advertised. Year 2 under defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter hasn't gone as planned, and though the Aggies are second nationally in sacks with 21, they're dead last in pass defense, giving up over 347 yards per game. Oklahoma State and Arkansas set new school records with a combined 948 yards through the air while beating Texas A&M. The second half of the season will feature plenty more chances for the Aggies to prove themselves, but the biggest goals for Texas A&M on the way to the SEC after this season have already been lost.

Offensive MVP: Ryan Tannehill, QB. The running back combo of Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael is right there with Tannehill, but the quarterback has been excellent outside of a few untimely picks late against Oklahoma State. He's completing 67 percent of his passes, has thrown for 1,327 yards and opened the scoring against Oklahoma State and Texas Tech with 65-yard and 19-yard touchdown runs, respectively. Outside the pocket, he's been brilliant this season.

Defensive MVP: Sean Porter, LB. Though the pass defense has struggled, Porter has been one of the Big 12's best defenders over the first half of the season. He leads the Big 12 with 6.5 sacks and has 34 tackles with 8.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. The Aggies needed somebody to step up in the linebacking corps without Von Miller this year, and Porter has been at his best this year.

When Nebraska left the Big 12 for the Big Ten, few questioned the Huskers ability to compete in their new league. Being one of college football's most storied programs with five national titles in 40 years carries with it respect.

But Texas A&M?

The Aggies move has drawn criticism from plenty as the historic underachievers (relative to resources), and have plotted a move to college football's top conference.

The program hasn't enjoyed a 10-win season since 1998, but the best way to combat those criticisms?

The answer for everything in college football: Win.

A&M's move isn't official yet, but much more so than Nebraska, Utah, Colorado, Boise State or TCU's recent moves, the perception of Texas A&M's decision will be heavily colored by its results in 2011.

The Aggies closed the regular season in 2010 in style, with six consecutive wins. But early struggles prevented the Aggies from truly winning big.

"Our offensive line didn’t really jell. We just put in a new defense, we had a freshman tackle, we had a young group of linemen," coach Mike Sherman said. "We just put our defense in that spring, and we were feeling our way through that as well."

Texas A&M lost close contests to Oklahoma State and Arkansas before being blown out by Missouri on its home field. At 3-3, the Aggies looked like they were headed for another disappointing season and a third consecutive losing season under Sherman.

"They didn’t panic. They continued to work hard. They looked to the next game. They didn’t wallow and feel sorry for themselves. I thought they demonstrated an eagerness to pull themselves out of it," Sherman said. "I’m as proud of them in those three weeks in how they worked and how they prepared as I was in the ensuing weeks when they won."

That freshman left tackle, Luke Joeckel, emerged as one of the league's best at his position. The Aggies benched an injured Jerrod Johnson for Ryan Tannehill. And the defense further grasped new coordinator Tim DeRuyter's 3-4 defensed, buoyed by the leadership from Johnson and linebacker Von Miller, whose freakish athleticism spurred the defense, too.

"The tempo picked up," running back Cyrus Gray said. "The main thing I don’t think people realize is our offensive line jelled. They were able to help open running lanes and help protect the quarterback even better, so it was a big thing for our team."

But those early struggles are what prevented the Aggies from winning the Big 12 South outright. Instead, they settled for a share of the division and a night at home while Oklahoma battled for a Big 12 title and a spot in the BCS.

"We learned we can fight through adversity. A lot of teams can’t do that. We beat some good opponents," Gray said. "The 12th man really helped us. You can see, like in the Nebraska game, they really helped pull that game out for us."

If Texas A&M is going to exit the league in style, it has to avoid those kinds of early struggles.

The good news about this year's team? It's simple make-up is built to avoid those same pitfalls from a year ago.

"We’re a little bit more experienced. When you start the season and you’re playing with a true freshman at left tackle and we really haven’t solidified the offensive line and we had a brand-new defense in there, and that won’t be the case this year," Sherman said. "That element should not be a problem for us. ... . Even still, with everybody coming back, you still haven’t played a game against an opponent in some time, and until you step on that field, you really don’t know where you’re at. We’ll find out Sunday night."

The Aggies national reputation depends on it.

Well, this is about the greatest thing ever. The NBA: Where the best and worst logos of all time happen.

• The Longhorn Network plans to air high school highlights on the network, even though the NCAA has made airing games illegal. The Aggies? Well, they are not happy.
• Want more money and stability, Aggies? Man up and start your own network like Texas did, writes Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman. Lots of good points here, but I think a good portion of A&M fans believe the Longhorn Network will fail. I also believe that portion is incorrect.
• Texas Tech president Guy Bailey is calling for written, enforceable contracts that secure the future of the Big 12, writes Jimmy Burch of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• A Friday night scrimmage may create some separation for the Texas quarterbacks, writes Randy Riggs of the Austin American-Statesman.
• The Longhorn Network is hinting that it's close to getting deals with cable providers, however.
• John Helsey of The Oklahoman looks into the creation of the league's top offensive line at Oklahoma State.
• Former blue-chip running back prospect Chris Whaley is up to 280 pounds and now working at defensive tackle.
• Oklahoma defensive end Ronnell Lewis is not practicing, and his eligibility may be in question.
• Mighty Mouse is hoping for a big finish at Kansas.
• Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman introduces you to the man on the spot for Oklahoma: linebacker Corey Nelson. Oklahoma safety Tony Jefferson compares him to Von Miller.
• Kendial Lawrence is pulling away in the running back derby at Missouri.
• Vinnie Duber of the Columbia Missourian gives a look at the intense eating habits of Missouri linebacker Tony Randolph.
• Paul Myerberg at Pre-Snap Read previews Oklahoma State.
• A possible move by Texas A&M doesn't affect TCU at all, writes Gil LeBreton of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• The preseason optimism is natural, but don't get too excited about Kansas in 2011, writes Tom Keegan of the Lawrence Journal-World.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- There's only so much you can take from a 90-minute workout without pads, but here are a couple quick thoughts and observations from Sunday afternoon's workout inside the indoor facility at Texas A&M.

I'll be there this morning for a live scrimmage with pads, too.

• Last year, when I visited College Station in the preseason, it was pretty obvious during team work that Jerrod Johnson had a ways to go before he was back to the same player he was in 2009. He obviously never quite got there. This year? Not the case. All the usual suspects looked great. Ryan Tannehill was as good as you'd expect, Jeff Fuller looked great, and Christine Michael showed some nice explosiveness and lateral movement. Cyrus Gray is limited after suffering a minor hamstring injury on the first day of camp, but he's expected to be 100 percent for the season opener against SMU on Sept. 4.
• Every time I've come to a practice at College Station, I've been impressed with what Jameill Showers had to offer as a backup quarterback, and Sunday was no different. It's a limited sample size, sure, but he throws an outstanding ball, and he made good decisions throughout Sunday's workout in team drills.
• An offseason arrest didn't put Damontre Moore in the good graces of the coaching staff, and as a result, the possible star had spent the first week of camp working primarily with the third and fourth groups, according to other A&M reporters who had attended earlier practices. On Sunday, however, he was back working with the first team at the Joker position. A good sign for his future, no doubt. The sophomore may have struggled off the field during the offseason, but remember: Von Miller infamously wasn't the personification of a leader early in his career, and left as one of the program's all-time greats -- on and off the field. There's plenty of time for Moore to shore up his act.
• Inside linebacker is a primary concern for the Aggies this fall camp, especially after they got a preview of a grim future without Michael Hodges this year when Hodges missed the majority of the Cotton Bowl with a knee injury. Garrick Williams is one of the defense's leaders and a returning starter at one of the two spots in the 3-4 scheme, but Donnie Baggs and Jonathan Stewart have been earning lots of time together with the first team -- and without Williams. Coach Mike Sherman's explanation for the approach: "I always like to see guys with the first group, because that's when you get to evaluate them. When you're with the second group, you're going up against the second group of offense. So let's see how they do against the first group guys, so it's really a more accurate evaluation of where they stand. They could be killers in the second group but go to the first group and it's a little bit more challenging, so I want to see them against the better competition."
• Sherman says he's still trying to sort out who his starter will be, but I like the approach to throw them in with the first-team and see who outperforms the other. Stewart is the more experienced player, but Baggs, a true freshman, has obviously impressed enough to even be in this position. Sherman expects the position to be more solidified early next week.
• Sherman played it coy when asked about a "rumor" that Texas A&M's coaches met with university president R. Bowen Loftin about the possibility of a move to the SEC. "Rumors? Really? Are you saying it's a rumor? I don't comment on rumors," he said. "You led with a rumor, so..." A poor choice of words, sure, but a fruitless line of questioning, no doubt, regardless of word choice.
• Safety Trent Hunter did discuss the prospect of the SEC, but only that the team has been told not to discuss it. "Our coaches made a point on the first day. Don't talk about it, don't tweet about it, don't Facebook about it," Hunter said, adding that it hasn't been difficult to focus on the field while rumors swirled. "It's not anything that's going to affect us playing SMU on that first week."
• Today's scrimmage will be live with plenty of hitting, Sherman says. Should be exciting. I'll have some notes and stats up on the blog later.

We're rolling out our preseason poll this week with five teams each day.

Here's where the Big 12 teams checked in so far.

• No. 24: Missouri
• No. 22: Texas
• No. 9: Oklahoma State

Our poll was put together based upon ballots submitted by 25 ESPN.com college football analysts, columnists and reporters, including yours truly.

After our poll is finished this week, I'll unveil my personal top 25 ballot on the blog.

Next up is Texas A&M at No. 8.

Texas A&M: The Aggies were a different team last season once converted wide receiver Ryan Tannehill took over at quarterback, winning six straight including a win over Oklahoma. They return the most starters in the Big 12, including their top two running backs and wide receivers. The team is actually losing only nine receptions from its receiving corps from last year. Matt Allen, last year's starting center, is the only change on offense. The defense lost leading tackler Michael Hodges and Von Miller but all three units -- defensive lineman, linebacker and defensive back -- stack up well against the rest of the Big 12. The Aggies' expectations are as high as they have ever been under coach Mike Sherman, but anything less than a Cotton Bowl win will be a huge disappointment. -- Ryen Russillo, ESPN Radio

• Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt talks to David Just of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal about Monday's meeting of the Big 12 athletic directors, and left encouraged by the unanimous nature of the talks, but says the Big 12 may find itself in a similar position a year from now.
• An Austin high school coach understands that broadcasting high school games on the Longhorn Network is an advantage for Texas, the only Big 12 school with its own network, writes Randy Riggs of the Austin American-Statesman.
• Gary Pinkel's "gut feeling:" New quarterback James Franklin will continue the winning tradition at QB for the Tigers, writes Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star.
• John Helsley of The Oklahoman has a Q&A with a very optimistic Mike Gundy.
• Meanwhile, touted prospect Sheldon Richardson is one step closer to officially becoming eligible, reports Dave Matter of the Columbia Tribune.
• Brent Zwereneman transcribed the recent interview with Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin regarding the Longhorn Network that commissioner Dan Beebe recently misconstrued.
• Jesse Newell of the Lawrence Journal-World says Kansas is a little bit like the Kansas City Royals.
• Texas A&M set a record for season-ticket sales.
• Get to know KU tight end Tim Biere. (It's BEER-ee.)
• Former Texas A&M star Von Miller is drawing rave reviews at training camp with the Broncos, writes Jim Trotter of SI.com.
• Iowa State added a receiver from Florida to its 2012 class, reports Andrew Logue of the Des Moines Register.
• This is everyone who has ever touched a basketball's greatest dream. Kevin Durant's entire life is one big heat check.

The Butkus Award has released its 2011 preseason watch list, and eight Big 12 linebackers made the cut.

The award is given annually to college football's top linebacker. Here's who made the preseason list:

• Emmanuel Acho, Texas
• Arthur Brown, Kansas State
• Zaviar Gooden, Missouri
• Jake Knott, Iowa State
• Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
• Keenan Robinson, Texas
• Garrick Williams, Texas A&M
• Tom Wort, Oklahoma

The folks at the Butkus Award clearly believe in the potential of Wort and Brown, but if they're making this list, I'd have liked to see Iowa State's A.J. Klein make it, too. Also, where's Shaun Lewis?

Other than that, a solid list.

Last year, you may remember some guy named Von Miller accepting the award from the award's namesake, Dick Butkus, at a team meeting.

He was the first Big 12 player to win the award since Texas' D.J. Johnson in 2004, though current Texas linebacker Jordan Hicks won the high school version of the award in 2008.

Oklahoma has the nation's most Butkus Award winners, with four. Brian Bosworth won the first two awards in 1985 and 1986, and no other program has more than two in their history.