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We did it last year, and it's time to rev up the engines one more time.

The Big 12 had five passers top 3,000 yards in 2011. WVU's Geno Smith also topped 3,000 yards, but Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill did, too. The league breaks even in that sense.

College football had 39 passers top 3,000 yards last year, up from 27 in 2010.

Which ones will crack the mark in the Big 12 next year? I'm glad you asked.

Remember: This isn't so much a ranking of the Big 12's best quarterbacks, but the QBs with the best chance to break the benchmark for a great season.

1. Geno Smith, West Virginia: Smith had his first season over 3,000 yards last year, and did it by a long ways, racking up 4,385 yards, which was 1,781 more than any other Big East QB. That's nuts. He may throw for more yards than any Big 12 QB this year, but it won't be that wide of a margin. He's got one of the best receiving corps in the league. Injury would be the only thing that could keep him under 3,000.

2. Landry Jones, Oklahoma: Jones has big question marks at receiver. Three of his top four returning targets are currently suspended. Still, he has Kenny Stills and hyped newcomer Trey Metoyer headlining the best class of incoming receivers in the country. He'll top 4,000 yards for the third consecutive season, and 3,000 for the fourth.

3. Seth Doege, Texas Tech: Doege took his place as the next in a long line of successful Tech QBs, throwing for 4,004 yards despite losing the heart of his running game and his two most talented receivers. Tech will throw it enough as always to make this one a no-doubter.

4. Nick Florence, Baylor: Florence will top 3,000 yards in his first full year as a starter with time to prepare for becoming one. He earned seven sudden starts when Robert Griffin III tore his ACL in 2009, Florence's true freshman season. He's got more experience now and arguably the best receiving corps in the league. That's a heck of a combo.

5. Wes Lunt, Oklahoma State: Lunt is a true freshman who better brace for growing pains, but he'll have plenty of great moments in OSU's loaded, pass-first offense. He'll top 3,000 yards by a narrow margin, but the biggest key for Lunt will be keeping his interception total low. If he does that, OSU could be scary.

6. Casey Pachall, TCU: Pachall will have to balance out TCU's running game, which should take advantage of some Big 12 defenses' weak interiors. He'll need to chuck it a whole lot more this season if TCU gets into shootouts or needs to come from behind. That'll happen a lot more in the Big 12 than in the Mountain West.

Just missed: Dayne Crist, Kansas. (Simply put, not enough offensive weapons to top 3,000 yards.)

The Big 12 season is approaching, and there's no league in which the quarterback position is more important. Want success? Experience is a good place to start. How do the QBs rank in experience? Let's take a look.

1. Landry Jones, Oklahoma (37 starts): Jones is the league's elder statesman by a long, long ways. He took over as a redshirt freshman in 2009 when Sam Bradford injured his shoulder, and didn't miss any of his 27 starts in 2010 and 2011.

2. Geno Smith, West Virginia (26 starts): Smith has been the team's unquestioned starter for each of the past two seasons, and should be ready for a big 2012 after topping 4,000 yards in 2011.

3. Collin Klein, Kansas State (15 starts): Klein had two more starts at receiver earlier in his career, but we're not counting those. Klein was a gadget QB in 2010, but took over as the team's offensive workhorse in 2011, accounting for nearly 70 percent of the team's total offense.

4. Casey Pachall, TCU (13 starts): Pachall played well in his first year as a starter, but often relied on his three star running backs in the offense and didn't top 3,000 yards. He's ready for more responsibility if necessary this year.

5. Seth Doege, Texas Tech (13 starts): Doege earned one start all the way back in 2009, but ceded that spot by the end of the game. He did no such thing in a strong 2011 season, though Tech missed a bowl game and had a losing season (5-7) for the first time in almost two decades.

6. Dayne Crist, Kansas (10 starts): Crist's 10 starts all came at Notre Dame, but there doesn't look to be much challenge from any other QBs on the roster this season. Does he have the offensive weapons to be productive?

7. Nick Florence, Baylor (seven starts): Florence started seven games in 2009 when Robert Griffin III suffered a knee injury, and earned a half of playing time last season against Texas Tech that cost him his redshirt season.

8. Steele Jantz, Iowa State (seven starts): Jantz got off to a strong start, but never figured out his very serious turnover issues. That cost him his starting job in midseason, despite three fourth-quarter comebacks to begin the 2011 season 3-0.

9. David Ash, Texas (six starts): Ash was the fourth-string QB last summer, but when Garrett Gilbert and Connor Wood transferred, it was up to him and Case McCoy to carry the load. By season's end, Ash had established himself as the future at the position, at least immediately, but Texas' coaches haven't given him the official designation yet.

10. Jared Barnett, Iowa State (six starts): Barnett took over for Jantz in the middle of the season and engineered wins over Texas Tech, Kansas and a historic win over No. 2 Oklahoma State, but struggled with inconsistency late and opened up the competition to Jantz in a Pinstripe Bowl loss to Rutgers. There's no assurance for either to be the starter after the spring.

11. Case McCoy, Texas (five starts): McCoy's gutsiest performance came in a comeback win over Texas A&M, but his lack of arm strength limited what the Longhorns could do in 2011. McCoy's got all the heart you could ask for, but his physical attributes bring about plenty of questions about his ability to carry the team over the course of his career.

12. Wes Lunt, Oklahoma State (zero starts): Lunt shocked even his own offensive coordinator by beating out junior Clint Chelf and redshirt freshman J.W. Walsh in the spring to earn the starting job. He still has to validate that spot in the fall, but Lunt is in a class of his own at the bottom of the Big 12 when it comes to experience. He's a big, NFL-sized QB with a big arm, though. Can his mind catch up fast enough to help the Cowboys defend a Big 12 title?

College football guru Phil Steele is previewing his must-read offseason magazine, and with it, he's releasing his all-conference and All-America teams.

Here's who he slated as his first-team All-Big 12 squad:

OFFENSE

QB: Landry Jones, Oklahoma
RB: Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State
RB: Malcolm Brown, Texas
WR: Tavon Austin, West Virginia
WR: Kenny Stills, Oklahoma
WR: Stedman Bailey, West Virginia
TE: Jordan Najvar, Baylor
C: Ben Habern, Oklahoma
OL: Lane Taylor, Oklahoma State
OL: Gabe Ikard, Oklahoma
OL: LaAdrian Waddle, Texas Tech
OL: Cyril Richardson, Baylor

• I'd probably go with Geno Smith ahead of Jones, but it's close. You could definitely make a compelling case for both.
• I'd also lean more toward Terrance Williams at Baylor for that third receiver spot ahead of Stills. Stills' upside is still really high, but again, it's close between those two.
• Good grief, the tight end spot in the Big 12 is a rough. Navjar is a good selection. Travis Tannahill at Kansas State could grab that spot, too. You're almost better off picking a sixth offensive lineman or a fullback like Trey Millard at Oklahoma, who's more valuable than any of the league's tight ends.

DEFENSE

DL: Alex Okafor, Texas
DL: Stansly Maponga, TCU
DL: Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas
DL: Jamarkus McFarland, Oklahoma
LB: Jake Knott, Iowa State
LB: Tom Wort, Oklahoma
LB: A.J. Klein, Iowa State
LB: Arthur Brown, Kansas State
CB: Nigel Malone, Kansas State
CB: Brodrick Brown, Oklahoma State
S: Kenny Vaccaro, Texas
S: Tony Jefferson, Oklahoma

SPECIALISTS

P: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State
K: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State
PR: Tavon Austin, West Virginia
KR: Tyler Lockett, Kansas State

• No complaints among the specialists, but I'd definitely have kept a more traditional three linebackers. You could afford to leave Tom Wort off that list. Not so with the other three.
• After a sad group of cornerbacks in 2011, the position looks pretty loaded this year. There's no fewer than five guys in my book who deserve strong consideration and probably a spot on the first team. It's too bad there are only two spots. Clearly, Malone and Brown are deserving, but so are Justin Gilbert, Carrington Byndom and Quandre Diggs.
• Safeties are both loaded. Maybe two of the best defenders in the league.

Here's who Steele tabbed as All-Americans, too.

FIRST TEAM

• Alex Okafor, DE, Texas

SECOND TEAM

• Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
• Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia
• Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State
• Quinn Sharp, K, Oklahoma State

THIRD TEAM

• Kenny Stills, WR, Oklahoma
• Stedman Bailey, WR, West Virginia
• Lane Taylor, OL, Oklahoma State
• Quinn Sharp, P, Oklahoma State
• Tyler Lockett, KR, Kansas State

FOURTH TEAM

• Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia
• Joseph Randle, RB, Oklahoma State
• Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor
• Gabe Ikard, OL, Oklahoma
• Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas
• A.J. Klein, LB, Iowa State
• Tony Jefferson, S, Oklahoma
• Tavon Austin, KR, West Virginia

As part of “College Football Live’s” 100 Days Till Kickoff countdown, here’s a look at the top 10 players in the Big 12.

Note: This is a separate list from our preseason top 25 players. We'll tackle that later. It might be a lot different. It might be much of the same.

1. Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia: Geno's a newcomer to the Big 12, but putting up big numbers is nothing new for the senior, who threw for 4,385 yards last season. Only one quarterback threw for more, but Smith had two more touchdown passes and eight fewer interceptions than the No. 2 quarterback on this list. Smith also completed nearly 3 percent more of his passes.

2. Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma: Jones checks in at No. 2 as the Big 12's leading returning passer, and will try to climb back in 2012 to give the Sooners another Big 12 title. Jones is the Big 12's most experienced quarterback, which should pay off the fall.

3. Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State: Klein was the league's No. 4 rusher and threw for 1,900 yards? You can't argue with that production, and Klein accounted for 69.8 percent of the Wildcats' offense. That's insane. His importance to K-State can't be understated.

4. Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia: Austin's the most dangerous playmaker in the Big 12, a true triple threat as a receiver, runner and kick/punt returner. He's the Big 12's No. 2 returning receiver, but he also returned two kicks for touchdowns in 2011, joining two other Big 12 returners who duplicated that feat last season.

5. Jake Knott, LB, Iowa State: Knott was outplayed by teammate A.J. Klein last season, but not by much. Knott was also playing through injuries. He's a superior talent, and like Klein, there's no arguing with his production. He's made 244 tackles in the past two seasons.

6. Joseph Randle, RB, Oklahoma State: Randle is the Big 12's leading returning rusher and should see an increased workload from his 208 carries last season. He turned those into 24 touchdowns to come three short of the Big 12 record.

7. Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State: Brown's one of the league's most impressive freak athletes, a cruise missile of a linebacker who doesn't miss tackles in the open field and gets there faster than any true linebacker in the league. (You nickelbacks don't count.)

8. Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas: Vaccaro's the most versatile talent on a loaded Texas defense, and as a roaming nickelback, offenses must account for where he is on every snap. He's also got a case as the hardest hitter in the Big 12.

9. Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas: Who has two last names and is the Big 12's returning sack leader? This guy. His 8.5 sacks were 1.5 more than any other returner in the Big 12, and he made four more tackles for loss (17) than any other returner, too.

10. Stedman Bailey, WR, West Virginia: Bailey's a more traditional receiver in WVU's offense and he's taken advantage. He's the league's leading returning receiver and offers the Mountaineers a steady, dangerous target with sure hands who will help make WVU arguably the league's most dangerous offense.

Hey, you stay at the top long enough, people get tired of seeing you there.

Such is life as Mack Brown and Bob Stoops.

This year, we asked who got you fired up the most, and Brown and Stoops ran away with the poll.

Stoops hauled in 39 percent of the vote, while Brown checked in with 37 percent.

They couldn't be any more different in personality, but they have one big thing in common: They win. If a coach kept beating your team, you wouldn't like it much, either.

Stoops got the OSU faithful fired up last season when he needled them for recognizing a co-Big 12 South title in 2010. He's won the biggest of any coach in the Big 12, and until the past two seasons, Brown had won with the most consistency.

That streak of nine consecutive 10-win seasons came to a screeching halt with a 5-7 campaign in 2010, leading more than a few to question Brown's coaching prowess. Could he be as effective at another school? What if you plopped him right in the middle of Ames? Would you still be impressed?

And at Texas, which has all the resources -- both financial and recruiting -- anyone could ever want, shouldn't a coach win more than one national title in 14 seasons?

Maybe that's fair. Maybe it's not. Only eight coaches currently coaching college football even have one national title. Stoops and Brown are both in that group.

The duo has outlasted every other Big 12 coach. No one in the league has been at their current schools longer. (Yes, Bill Snyder's three-year sabbatical disqualifies him.)

Before last season, Snyder was the only coach to swipe a Big 12 title from Brown and Stoops since 2001.

Hate them if you must. Pardon them if they don't stop winning long enough to notice.

The champions of the Big 12 and SEC conferences will meet in a bowl game annually, sources have told ESPN.com.

The agreement will begin with the 2014 season, with the champions of each conference meeting provided that neither team is in the BCS national championship game.

An announcement is set for noon ET later today.

For more on this story, go here.

Colleague Mark Schlabach uncorked his post-spring top 25 on Friday, which included six Big 12 teams. Here's a look at how he slotted them.

1. LSU
2. USC
3. Alabama
4. Oregon
5. Georgia
6. Oklahoma
7. FSU
8. West Virginia
9. Michigan
10. South Carolina
11. Michigan State
12. Stanford
13. Arkansas
14. TCU
15. Wisconsin
16. Clemson
17. Ohio State
18. Kansas State
19. Texas
20. Florida
21. Washington
22. Oklahoma State
23. Virginia Tech
24. Nebraska
25. Georgia Tech

A few thoughts:

[+] Enlarge
Peter G. Aiken/Getty ImagesWith an experienced QB in Landry Jones, Oklahoma looks primed for a successful 2012 season.
• It's crazy to me just how different OU feels this year from last year, and yet, it's only five spots lower in the preseason. Last year's band of Sooners was as loaded as any we've seen in a long time (Can I mention the 2009 team without getting punched?), but was obviously undone by a rough night against Texas Tech and injuries. This year's team doesn't feel like a juggernaut, but it's solid, and looking around at the teams below it, Oklahoma's right where it belongs. These Sooners aren't as scary as some, but they're fully capable of winning big in 2012.
• I like where West Virginia's slotted. I had the Mountaineers at No. 11 on my pre-spring top 25, but I wanted to move them up a few spots after seeing them up close. No. 8 is about right. How the defense handles the Big 12 will decide how successful WVU is in Big 12 play. I've got zero questions about the offense, outside of wanting to see some more consistency in Year 2 under Dana Holgorsen.
• TCU's right where it should be, too. There doesn't seem to be a lot of disagreement on the Frogs this offseason. I had them at No. 14. Our ESPN experts poll had them at an average of 14. There they are again on Schlabach's ballot.
• Meanwhile, poor K-State. Folks are all over the map on these guys. Phil Steele had K-State well outside his top 25, and you could certainly talk me into that. You could also talk me into K-State as a top-10 team, too. I had it at No. 10 on my poll, but I'm not going to begrudge anyone for putting K-State at No. 18. That's probably about where it will land, maybe a little lower. I'm just higher on the SnyderCats than most.
• Meanwhile, I'm sort of talking myself into Texas the more I see and read about the team. The defense legitimately will be terrifying. The numbers won't show it in the Big 12, but at season's end, I predict Texas will have a legit claim as the nation's best defense. Just absolutely loaded. The offense will be better, but how much better? Let me get a look at the new David Ash in action before I commit one way or the other on the Horns. For now, anything between 15-25 is reasonable. UT deserves a top-25 spot for sure, though.
• My biggest beef is on Oklahoma State. The Cowboys lose Brandon Weeden, Justin Blackmon and Josh Cooper. Those are huge losses. There's no denying that. However, OSU brings back just about everyone else, outside of safety Markelle Martin, who was a big hitter, but left me wanting a whole lot in terms of his cover skills. He's a loss in leadership, but OSU can replace him on the field. I'm definitely higher on OSU than most. I'd put them inside the top 20 for sure, even with a true freshman at QB.

It's that time again, boys and girls. The spring is over, and the Big 12 stock must be checked. Here's how I slot the conference heading into the summer.

1. Oklahoma: The Sooners' lead on the rest of the league looks like it's slimming after the suspensions of Jaz Reynolds, Trey Franks and Kameel Jackson. The pressure's on for an impressive haul of freshman receivers, highlighted by spring star Trey Metoyer and juco transfer Courtney Gardner, to offer Landry Jones solid targets.

2. West Virginia: You could certainly make a case for WVU as the favorite, but consider me a bit spooked by the inconsistency the Mountaineers showed in 2011. That inconsistency was masked by (a) their playing in a league that almost nobody in Big 12 country watches and (b) their most impressive showing of the season coming on their biggest and final stage, the Orange Bowl. I can't wait to see Geno Smith, Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey navigate a Big 12 schedule, though. They'll fit right in. Getting Dustin Garrison back will be huge, too.

3. Kansas State: K-State has the widest variance of possibilities of any team in the Big 12 (undefeated and a Big 12 title or a six-win disappointment are both in play), and they have the highest volume of doubters of probably any 10-win team in America. Bill Snyder put together one of his finest coaching jobs ever in 2011, and he'll need another doozy to win a Big 12 title in the midst of a deep top half in 2012.

4. TCU: TCU also has the talent to win a Big 12 title -- in the starting lineup, anyway. Coach Gary Patterson said this spring that the first unit is good, but the second and third units are the reasons teams win Big 12 titles. The defense took a hit with offseason arrests, but the offense should be on par with any in the league.

5. Texas: The Longhorns are loaded with upside, but until they show something, that's all it is. Last year's truckload of freshmen will be sophomores in the fall, and the offense revolves almost entirely around them. The defense will be stingy at all three levels, but can the offense prove it's balanced (or powerful) enough to keep Big 12 defenses honest?

6. Oklahoma State: OSU pulled the trigger on a true freshman at quarterback after just 15 practices, and even OC Todd Monken said before the spring he'd be "shocked" if that was the case. Here we are. The good news for new QB Wes Lunt? Last year's opportunistic defense which ranked 107th in total defense but first in forcing turnovers could be one of the Big 12's best, and could become both opportunistic and solid in places other than the red zone.

7. Baylor: Nick Florence validated his status as the likely heir to Heisman winner Robert Griffin III; doubt the offense's potency at your own risk. The defense is still a massive question mark, but Baylor may finish the season with the Big 12's best receiving corps, despite losing Big 12 receiving champ Kendall Wright. The trio of running backs (Glasco Martin, Jarred Salubi and Oregon transfer/Texas native Lache Seastrunk) will be productive, regardless of how carries are divvied up, which is still in flux.

8. Texas Tech: Tech stayed healthy this spring, which was a welcome development. The Red Raiders are coming off a 5-7 season, but the offense was still productive in 2011, despite missing the top two receivers and two running backs for part of conference play as well as a host of injuries on the offensive line and defense. New coordinator Art Kaufman is a longtime associate of Tommy Tuberville and installed his 4-3 this spring to try to fix a defense that gave up more rushing yards than any team in college football in 2011.

9. Iowa State: ISU's spring was about finding a quarterback and replacing departed OC Tom Herman. Courtney Messingham was promoted from within, but the Cyclones left the spring as the lone Big 12 team that doesn't have a starting QB identified. That doesn't bode well for the fall.

10. Kansas: I'm a firm believer that the gap between Kansas and the rest of the Big 12 is narrowing. And trust me, it was enormous. Charlie Weis infused some much-needed talent through transfers, headlined by Notre Dame transfer Dayne Crist. Former Oklahoma receiver Justin McCay will have to wait until 2013 to play, as will ex-BYU quarterback Jake Heaps, but Weis set a tone when he dismissed about 10 players from the team before spring even began and suspended starting running back James Sims three games for an OWI arrest.

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby refused to address Florida State by name this week when asked about expansion, but made it clear the issue would remain on the Big 12's agenda, like every conference.

ACC commissioner John Swofford took a similar approach when asked about the possibility of Florida State leaving for the Big 12.

"I don't deal in hypotheticals, I deal with what's tangible. It's what we're doing as a league with the current 12-, soon to be 14-membership league, and we're moving ahead on the basis of that full membership."

Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said over the weekend that Florida State should do what's best for Florida State, but at the ACC spring meetings this week, altered his stance.

"We're in the ACC and that's where we're at. I'm not a decision-maker," he said.

Where does it stand for now?

"Florida State's been an excellent member of the ACC," Swofford said during a media briefing Wednesday. "We're looking now at a league that is currently 12, soon to be 14 in nine contiguous states that covers the entire Eastern seaboard that has just extraordinary potential. We've got 14 valuable members and Florida State is certainly one of them.

"It has been, and I would anticipate that it will continue to be, a very beneficial relationship to both parties, which is what it should be."

For more on this story, go here.

If you've missed our look back at the projections from 2011, here's what you've missed.

Predicting interceptions is near impossible, so we don't even try. Don't believe me?

Of the Big 12's seven leading returning ball hawks in 2011, only Iowa State LB Jake Knott (No. 1) and Kansas State safety Ty Zimmerman (No. 7) had more than one interception that season.

Sometimes players disappoint or suffer injuries. Sometimes quarterbacks refuse to throw their way.

Want a fun stat from 2011 that'll give you hope for Big 12 defenses? Of the league's top 10 interception leaders, nine return. We'll break down the top six right here. Each of the players have at least four interceptions. Newcomers TCU and West Virginia don't have a single player with more than two picks.

So what do we know from this list? We'll find out soon. Either way, here are the Big 12's best returning ball hawks in 2012.

1. Nigel Malone, CB, Kansas State: Don't act like you're not impressed. Malone walked in last spring as a junior college transfer and earned a starting spot. Try to restrain your shock, but he had a huge year under Bill Snyder, who's got as good of a nose for jucos as anyone in college football. Malone's seven interceptions were two more than any other player in the Big 12 and ranked third nationally.

2. Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State: Gilbert was already a physical freak, one of the fastest players in the league and a lethal kick returner. Like Malone, Gilbert was a first-year starter and finished his first year in huge fashion. Gilbert picked off five passes and returns as a junior with sky-high expectations and NFL scouts peering in his direction.

3. Brodrick Brown, CB, Oklahoma State: They call him the Bulldog around Stillwater, and for good reason. While the speedy, 6-foot, 194-pound Gilbert has all the measurables, Brown is all heart at 5-foot-8, 183 pounds. Every week, he goes up against bigger, physical receivers and he still ended the season with five picks, just like Gilbert. OSU and Texas both have arguments as the league's best set of corners, and Brown, who will be a senior, is half the reason why.

4. K.J. Morton, CB, Baylor: Morton is one of four Big 12 talents with four picks in 2011. The juco transfer came on late in 2011, picking off all four of his passes in Baylor's final three regular-season games. There's plenty of excitement for what he could do in 2012, too.

5. Tony Jefferson, S, Oklahoma: Jefferson's four picks feel a bit unfair, considering that he picked off three of them in three consecutive possessions in a 62-6 shellacking of Ball State. His fourth came a week later. Jefferson was quiet late in the season on the interception front, but made plenty of plays elsewhere for the defense. Look for him to pick off passes with more consistency as a traditional safety in 2012 in Mike Stoops' defense, as opposed to playing linebacker last season in Brent Venables' defense.

6. Quandre Diggs, CB, Texas: Diggs is the only freshman on this list, and that says a whole lot. Diggs showed big promise as an early enrollee this time last spring and validated it in the fall, earning a starting job and leading the team in interceptions. Diggs picked off passes in comeback wins over BYU and Texas A&M, and grabbed his fourth in the bowl win over Cal. I'd venture to say Diggs has more upside than any player on this list. His sophomore season should be really fun to watch.

We're taking a look at spring breakout players across college football today, and here's who made a big impact across the Big 12.

Trey Metoyer, WR, Oklahoma: Metoyer may have had the best spring of anyone in the Big 12. The physical freshman spent last season in prep school, but walked in this spring and essentially earned a starting job. Then three Sooners receivers were suspended indefinitely. Metoyer was already going to play and probably going to start. Now, with Oklahoma's passing offense and Landry Jones throwing the ball, it's a near certainty that he'll have a huge impact.

Wes Lunt, QB, Oklahoma State: Lunt hasn't made an impact yet, but he's already made headlines. Lunt may be the first freshman to win a starting QB job in the spring in the history of the Big 12. The Illinois native beat out junior Clint Chelf and redshirt freshman J.W. Walsh for the right to succeed Brandon Weeden, and quickly trended nationwide on Twitter after the announcement.

Will Smith, LB, Texas Tech: Smith came to Lubbock as a lightly recruited California juco transfer trying to find some playing time at outside linebacker. Midway through spring, he'd already established himself as the team's best linebacker and coach Tommy Tuberville moved him to the inside so he wouldn't have to leave the field during passing downs.

Jordan Thompson, WR, West Virginia: WVU is already loaded at receiver, albeit a bit top-heavy. Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin are bona fide studs, but Thompson should find a niche in the Mountaineers' offense after showing he could make an impact as an early enrolling true freshman. He's quick and has good hands, and the Houston native may resemble (gasp!) a young Tavon Austin next fall.

Brandon Moore, DT, Texas: Moore reportedly still needs to work on his conditioning, but the 6-foot-6, 330-pound juco transfer was a force in the middle of the line for the Longhorns, and could be a valuable pocket collapser and run stopper for a loaded Texas defense in 2012. That could blow up a lot of great Big 12 offenses. Think Nick Fairley vs. Oregon in the 2010 season's national title game.

Charlie Moore, WR, Oklahoma State: There was buzz surrounding Moore all spring, but he proved it in a big way as a spring game breakout star. The junior caught nine passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns in the game, and overshadowed yet another breakout star over the course of the spring, sophomore receiver Josh Stewart. OSU needed to find weapons this spring to replace Justin Blackmon, Josh Cooper, Hubert Anyiam and Michael Harrison at receiver. The Cowboys did exactly that.

Tony Pierson, RB, Kansas: Pierson made a small impact last season, but he's essentially the unquestioned starter at KU for now after Darrian Miller was kicked off the team and James Sims was suspended for the first three games of 2012. The East St. Louis native is dangerous in the open field and gives KU a much needed home run threat.

You saw us break down each team's 2012 nonconference schedule, and, well, it wasn't pretty.

So what's it look like if we skim off the top? Here are the Big 12's top five nonconference games in 2012:

1. Notre Dame at Oklahoma, Oct. 27: Chalk this game up as the lone Big 12 game against a team in the ESPN preseason top 25. Notre Dame checks in at No. 24, and even though the Irish have meager expectations in 2012, the Big 12 has to take what it can get in this one. These are two of the most storied programs in all of college football, and simply seeing the gold helmets and red helmets with the OU logo on Owen Field will be fun.

2. Oklahoma State at Arizona, Sept. 8: OSU has beaten the pants off of Arizona the past two times they played, including the Alamo Bowl in 2010 and a blowout in Stillwater last season. This time, it'll be a lot different. For one, OSU is heading out to Tucson. For another, former West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez is taking over for new Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops as the head Wildcat. This one should be fun for the young Pokes.

3. Miami at Kansas State, Sept. 8: These two played down to the wire in the Miami mud last season. Collin Klein was bleeding all over everybody (literally) and K-State's dream season got its first big boost. As double-digit underdogs, a last-second goal-line stand gave the Wildcats an upset (?) win. Miami went on to win six games. K-State won 10. They say the sequel's always a disappointment, but sign me up for this one.

4. TCU at SMU, Sept. 29: Speaking of sequels, SMU pulled off a mammoth upset in the Battle for the Iron Skillet last year. The Mustangs raced to 17-0 second-quarter and 33-17 fourth-quarter leads, but TCU rallied to tie the game with 76 seconds to play. Then SMU sprung the upset in overtime. Now, TCU rejoined its Southwest Conference brethen in the Big 12. SMU's still on the outside looking in. Expect plenty more bad blood in this rivalry.

5. Texas at Ole Miss, Sept. 15: Hey, I'm serious. You've got to take what you can get. This is the only matchup of the entire season between the Big 12 and the SEC, and it looks like a bit of a mismatch. Texas travels to The Grove, but Ole Miss will be trying to find itself under new coach Hugh Freeze, while Texas begins the road to proving it's a team back on its feet as a national power. Will Ole Miss stand in the way?

All nonconference schedules are not created equal. Some schedule ambitiously. Others prefer to pay for wins. To each his own. We'll be keeping track either way.

Some games were cancelled, others were late fill-ins. Here's how it stands, from most to least difficult.

1. Oklahoma -- at UTEP, Florida A&M, Notre Dame

The Sooners can't help that Notre Dame can't get its act together, but the storied program will visit Norman in October. Oklahoma also had to put together a last-minute game to kick off its season, traveling to El Paso to face the Miners, who went 5-7 in 2011. Florida A&M is an FCS opponent, but won't be bringing its band. The gap between the Sooners' schedule difficulty and everyone else's isn't very wide this year. The saddest truth? Oklahoma's game vs. Notre Dame is the only game featuring a Big 12 vs. a team in the ESPN preseason top 25.

2. Iowa State -- Tulsa, at Iowa, Western Illinois

Western Illinois is dreadful, but traveling to Iowa City for a rivalry game won't be easy. That's especially true after ISU knocked off the 7-6 Hawkeyes in Ames in triple overtime last year. Tulsa lost star QB G.J. Kinne, but the Golden Hurricane have established themselves as a solid program.

3. West Virginia -- Marshall, James Madison (in Landover, Md.), Maryland

West Virginia's the only team playing an FCS team on a neutral field, but a rivalry game vs. 7-6 Marshall to open the season should be fun. Maryland was awful in 2011, going just 2-10 under Randy Edsall and lost QB Danny O'Brien. At this point, we should realize the harsh truth: The Big 12 nonconference schedule is pretty sad this year. West Virginia canceled a scheduled game vs. Florida State to make room for the Big 12 schedule.

4. Oklahoma State -- Savannah State, at Arizona, Louisiana-Lafayette

OSU will brave a trip to Tucson to face a brand-new Rich Rodriguez team. Louisiana-Lafayette is a little underrated and went 9-4 last year.

5. TCU -- Grambling, Virginia, at SMU

TCU gets points for going on the road against June Jones' SMU team, who beat TCU in Fort Worth in overtime last season. Virginia was 8-5 last season and growing under Mike London, but Grambling will be a dip into the FCS pool.

6. Texas -- Wyoming, New Mexico, at Ole Miss

Texas' schedule looks decent, but it's not too difficult. New Mexico was dreadful under Mike Locksley, and will try to rebuild under Bob Davie. Wyoming is underrated and playing well under former Mizzou OC Dave Christensen; the Cowboys went 8-5 last season. The Longhorns are the only Big 12 team playing an SEC team this year, but Ole Miss didn't win a conference game last year and has a new coach in Hugh Freeze.

7. Kansas State -- Missouri State, Miami, North Texas

Missouri State is an FCS team without its starting QB, and K-State will get to see a familiar face in former Iowa State coach Dan McCarney at North Texas. He's a new coach, though, and UNT went 5-7 last year. Miami's a big name, but the Hurricanes went just 6-6 last season and are still growing under Al Golden. K-State is the only Big 12 team playing every nonconference game in its home stadium.

8. Kansas -- South Dakota State, Rice, at Northern Illinois

KU needs wins badly, and Rice won't be a gimme. The Jayhawks won a barnburner against the MAC champs at Northern Illinois, but that Sept. 22 matchup won't be easy, either. NIU won 11 games in 2011.

9. Baylor -- SMU, Sam Houston State, at Louisiana-Monroe

Yet another Big 12 team who won't be playing against major conference competition in 2012. SMU is a good team, but SHS is an FCS team and Monroe went 4-8 in the Sun Belt.

10. Texas Tech -- Northwestern State, at Texas State, New Mexico

Tech is inexplicably playing at Texas State, who will be in its first year outside the FCS, but that doesn't make the Red Raiders' annual stinker of a nonconference schedule much better. Texas Tech hasn't played a major conference team out of conference since games at NC State and Ole Miss in 2003.

What's that you hear? The faint whispers of realignment rumormongering?

Oh, we all hear them. And when they happen, it's time to compare the prospective team to its possible future home.

We always do these for the Big 12, and I definitely always learn a thing or two. I hope you do, too.

Here's our history:

• Nebraska vs. the Big Ten
• Texas A&M vs. the SEC
• TCU vs. the Big 12
• Missouri vs. the Big Ten
• Missouri vs. the SEC
• West Virginia vs. the Big 12

So, these Seminoles are a possibility for the Big 12? Some don't see favorable outcomes for FSU if it moved to the Big 12, and really, all-time records only tell us so much, but here's how Florida State has matched up with the rest of the Big 12.

Baylor

• Florida State is 1-2 all-time vs. the Bears, but the last meeting was in 1974.

Iowa State

• Florida State is 1-1 all-time vs. the Cyclones.
• The Seminoles narrowly edged Seneca Wallace and ISU in the season opener in Kansas City, 38-31. FSU led 31-14 at half, but Wallace led ISU back to within 38-31 early in the fourth quarter.

Kansas

• Florida State is 5-2 all-time vs. Kansas, but haven't met the Jayhawks since 1993.
• In that 1993 game, FSU tromped the Jayhawks, 47-0, on the way to its first national title.

Kansas State

• Florida State is 3-0 all-time against the Wildcats, but haven't met them since 1977. In Manhattan, that equates to the year 12 B.S. (Before Snyder).

Oklahoma

• Florida State is an eye-popping 1-6 all-time vs. Oklahoma.
• The Sooners beat FSU 13-2 in the 2000 Orange Bowl to win the national title.
• Last year, Oklahoma marched into Tallahassee and won, 23-13, with ESPN's College Gameday in attendance.

Oklahoma State

• Florida State is 3-1 all-time vs. OSU, but haven't met the Cowboys since 1985.
• Florida State won that game, the 1985 Gator Bowl, 34-23.

Texas

• Texas and Florida State have never played. I blame Dan Beebe.

TCU

• Florida State is 1-2 all-time vs. TCU, but the two teams haven't met since waaaaay back in 1965. I was only eight years old that day, but I remember bits and pieces of the game. FSU won the season opener in Fort Worth, 7-3.

Texas Tech

• Florida State is 4-1 all-time vs. Texas Tech.
• The two teams haven't met since 1987. FSU won that game, a season opener in Tallahassee, 40-16.

West Virginia

• Florida State is an impressive 3-0 vs. West Virginia.
• The two teams last met in 2009, and FSU beat the Mountaineers 33-21 in the Gator Bowl.
• The Seminoles and WVU were scheduled to meet in 2012, but WVU canceled the game to make room for a new nine-game conference schedule in the Big 12, instead of the seven-game conference schedule used in the Big East.

Overall record: 22-15

New Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby doesn't want to see any future expansion in college athletics, but recent events have given him no choice but to put the issue on the Big 12's agenda, as it is on other conferences'.

My opinion," he told USA Today on Tuesday, "is college athletics would be well served by some period of smooth water and not all of the angst and disorganization that goes with moves from one league to another."

We've heard that from the Big 12. Florida State is forcing Bowlsby's hand, though he wouldn't mention the school by name.

"I think the topic of expansion will be on every agenda going forward. But it's on every other conference's agenda going forward, too," Bowlsby told the paper.

Over the weekend, Florida State's chairman of its board of trustees opened up a big ol' can of realignment worms, however, when he offered credence to a long-held rumor rumbling around college sports. Could Florida State leave for the Big 12?

"On behalf of the Board of Trustees I can say that unanimously we would be in favor of seeing what the Big 12 might have to offer. We have to do what is in Florida State's best interest," Andy Haggard told Warchant.com.

So, here we are. After two years of attrition and a role as the hunted, the Big 12 is doing some hunting of its own? Or is it? The league just added TCU and West Virginia for 2012 after Texas A&M and Missouri bolted for the SEC, leaving the Big 12 with eight members. That move was a year after Nebraska and Colorado left the Big 12 for the Big Ten and Pac-12, respectively, costing the conference its namesake. Could Florida State move the Big 12 one step closer to a return to 12 members?

Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds tamped down some of the discussion, telling the Austin American-Statesman that there was "no traction" to the reports.

He did not add a "yet" on the end of that sentence, but more than a few assumed that was the case. How could the Big 12 and Florida State at least not sit down at a table for an exchange of ideas?

Where does the Big 12 stand right now? Bowlsby's not showing his hand.

"It's all about driving value for the member institutions," Bowlsby said. "There is a case to be made for optimal value being driven by the status quo, and there is a case to be made for some form of expansion. And I'm not prejudging or adopting either side of that right now."

He is, however, discussing it. And while that happens, there won't be many calm waters in college football.