ESPN

Miss Baylor's spring game on Saturday? We've got you covered.

What happened:

• Nick Florence ruined the defense's day, completing 14-of-18 passes for 180 yards and three touchdowns. Bryce Petty completed 18-of-27 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown.
• Lache Seastrunk stole the show with 135 yards on just seven carries, including a 75-yard touchdown.
• Lanear Sampson caught five passes for 65 yards and a touchdown. Tevin Reese had four catches for 89 yards.
• Josh Wilson led all tacklers with 10 stops.
• The Bears ran 112 plays in the 75-minute scrimmage.
• About 2,750 fans showed up.

What we learned:

• When I visited Baylor this spring, Seastrunk was the third man in what looked like a pretty balanced backfield by committee. Now, though? If he's that productive for the rest of fall camp, he may be validating that recruiting hype and hoopla that followed his transfer from Oregon. His competition, Jarred Salubi (88 yards, seven carries) and Glasco Martin (58 yards, TD eight carries) were productive, but Seastrunk has that home-run capability. Salubi does, too, but the senior hasn't shown it on the field. Fall camp should be an interesting race. All three could be productive, but Briles prefers to have a featured back in the offense. Jay Finley and Terrance Ganaway were outstanding the past two years, and I like Baylor's chances to have a third 1,000-yard rusher.
• Color me unsurprised at Florence and Petty's big day. Baylor, Oklahoma and West Virginia all have a case as the league's deepest roster of QBs.
• The easy rebuttal from those numbers is Baylor's defense is terrible. Well, it was last year. It won't be great this year, and it might not be a ton better. That said, putting up those kinds of numbers is difficult, and my point is this: Baylor's still going to have one of the league's most productive offenses. RG3 had lots of help around him and lots of potential behind him. We'll get a chance to see it this year. The spring game didn't change my mind about Baylor as a 6-8-win team, but this is not a program that's going to flatline without RG3 at quarterback. The receivers are really talented, really deep and really smart. The offensive line should be really good and the running backs will be productive.

They said it:

"I'm learning. I know my teammates are going to keep helping me. As long as I keep my head in the books and keep understanding all the checks and calls, I'll be fine." - RB Lache Seastrunk, on his day

Miss Oklahoma's spring game? We've got you covered.

What happened:

• The offense beat the defense, 22-21, in a game with modified scoring swiped from Boise State coach Chris Petersen.
• Reserve QB Blake Bell completed 14-of-19 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown. Landry Jones completed 4-of-8 passes for 23 yards in his only series. Drew Allen completed 10-of-18 passes for 72 yards.
• Freshman receiver Trey Metoyer caught six passes for a game-high 72 yards. Receiver Jaz Reynolds hauled in a 60-yard touchdown from Bell.
• Corey Nelson and Julian Wilson tied for a game-high eight tackles. Wilson had two for a loss totaling 13 yards.

What we learned:

• All that hype about Trey Metoyer? For now, consider it validated. He's physically imposing, a presence Oklahoma has needed for some time to muscle up on secondaries. Dejuan Miller had the size but didn't have the production. Metoyer looks every bit the total package. Covering him one-on-one could become impossible very fast with his size and once he learns the small stuff that separates really good receivers from great ones. You kind of have to wonder if he would have been really well served spending a season with Broyles, an undersized guy who got open better than anybody else in the Big 12 last season. Either way, expectations will be sky high for Metoyer, a much-needed addition to the Sooners receiving corps that gets even more help with three of the nation's top 10 receivers arriving on campus before fall camp.
• Blake Bell can throw the ball, y'all. His recruiting tape made that clear, but as the namesake to the Belldozer through the second half of last season, people wanted to pigeonhole him as a runner. He finally got a chance to show what he could do, and the backup QB race should be really intriguing during preseason camp. Remember, in 2009, Jones narrowly beat out Allen for the right to backup Heisman winner Sam Bradford. Next thing you knew, the first chapter of Jones' legacy at OU was being written at Cowboys Stadium. That'll be something to keep an eye on, and fans will remember Saturday when Jones is gone.
• How is Mike Stoops' defense progressing? Well, Javon Harris had earned his starting spot at safety back during the spring, but gave up the 60-yard score to Reynolds that surely renewed the same frustrations for all involved from his struggles late last season that cost him the starting job.
• A couple more drops for Kenny Stills in the game, while Metoyer reportedly didn't drop a single pass in team drills for the entire spring. That's got to be a concern by now for Stills, who struggled with drops late last season. Whatever the issue is, OU needs it to be fixed by fall. He's got to lead the group, and setting the example is a good place to start.

They said it:

Coach Bob Stoops on Metoyer: "He just has got incredible hands and the ability to make plays. He has a knack for adjusting to the football; just all the things you saw today. He can run. He really relishes the moment. He is a competitor for a young guy. He is a player. He just has a natural feel for it, on spacing and how to make plays and get to the ball."

Offensive coordinator Josh Heupel on Metoyer: "It's what you hoped he would do because he's practiced in that fashion for 14 days. He's continuing to get a better understanding of our offense routes, timing, adjustments that he has to make, mechanics of getting a signal and getting lined up and playing with speed at times. Is it something that was out of the ordinary for him today? No, it wasn't. Was it a nice step to see him do it in front of a lot of people and in a game situation? Yes, it was."

Johnny Jones made 20-win seasons an expectation at North Texas, a program that had a grand total of 20 wins in four seasons before his arrival in Denton.

That’s how the former LSU point guard and assistant coach earned his dream job at his alma mater, which hired Jones to replace new TCU coach Trent Johnson.

That’s also why North Texas has never been a more attractive job for a head coach. Athletic director Rick Villarreal, who hired Jones about two weeks into his UNT tenure, should have a pretty impressive pool of candidates in his search to find an experienced head coach that can keep the Mean Green program’s momentum going.

“You probably need somebody that you’re not taking a chance he’s pulling the trigger for the first time,” Villarreal said. “That’s my preference. As a program, we’re at that point.”

The program, which qualified for the NCAA tourney twice in the last six years, is at a point where it could be poised to join the midmajor powers.

The Mean Green’s five-year streak of 20-win campaigns was snapped this season, when UNT finished 18-14 and lost a down-to-the-wire Sun Belt tournament final for the second straight year, but the entire rotation should return intact with an impact juco big man headlining the recruiting class. Potential first-round pick Tony Mitchell has decided to wait at least a year to declare for the NBA draft, opting to focus on improving his game and leading UNT back to March Madness, unless he reconsiders following Jones' departure.

This will always be known as a football state, but there aren’t many more fertile basketball recruiting bases than the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. UNT has a 10,000-seat arena and has positioned itself, with a facilities overhaul highlighted by its new $78 million football stadium, to benefit from future conference realignment dominoes falling.

This is no longer a job for a man desperate for a chance to become a head coach. It’s a job for a proven winner who can build on the foundation Jones leaves as he heads home to LSU.

It had been five months since we've seen the FBS career leader in receptions (349) take the field and catch a pass.

That ended on Thursday when Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles stepped on the turf for 13 NFL scouts at the Sooners' Everest Indoor Training Center.

Broyles weighed in at 188 pounds, ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash and showcased a 32.5-inch vertical leap in his first showcase for scouts since tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament late in a November victory over Texas A&M.

"I feel like today I showed up and showed I've been working hard. I have definitely been timing well. The scouts said the same thing," Broyles told reporters. "They don't expect me to be full speed and I don't expect the same. Being competitive, I wish it was in the 4.3 range. That's not the scenario. It just shows that I am working hard. I am getting my lateral movement back as well."

Typically it takes six to nine months to recover fully from a torn ACL.

Broyles should get faster as his recovery progresses, but as a fan of the game of college football, it was great to see video of one of the smartest receivers to come through the Big 12 back on the field running routes. Scouts cut his workout short, too, after seeing him cut and catch just a handful of passes.

They'd seen enough.

"I wanted to keep going. I have been working for months doing all my routes. So for them to cut it short shows that they have respect for me as a ball-catcher. I have been working for it," Broyles said. "I have been working hard these past few months just to show that I am a competitor. I am going to compete. I am going to be ready for camp. I am on my way."

The knee injury virtually assures that Broyles won't be going in the second round of the draft, as he might have if he were healthy. Instead, he projects more likely as a middle- to late-round pick.

That said, whichever NFL team selects him will be getting a steal. He's undersized, sure, but guys as quick as Broyles can come back and be the same player after knee injuries these days, and there's no question his work ethic will allow him to do that.

I'll be looking forward to seeing him back on the field soon.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Texas A&M promises that Yell Practice will still be held at midnight. Reveille, the Aggies' mascot since 1931, will always be a collie. The students will continue to stand throughout the game, symbolic of the 12th Man ready to enter the game.

After that, however, all bets are off.

There's a new coaching staff with new schemes for the players. There's a new building under construction. There are new windscreens on the fences that line the practice field. They share a trait with the new shirts on sale at the bookstores. Who knew that a blue circle with yellow letters that spell "SEC" went so well with maroon?

Everywhere you turn in Aggieland, there's a football program in transition.

All head coach Kevin Sumlin has to do is look out the windows of his third-floor office in the Bright Football Complex. At eye level last week, Sumlin could watch workers building the roof of the $9 million player performance center, the new football-only weight room that will be sweat-ready Aug. 1.

Read the rest of the story here.

I've been inspired by the boys at the Big Ten Blog, and this should be a fun walk-through each week in the new-look Big 12 next season. I'll pick one game a week during the season that I'd attend if it were entirely up to me. I don't make the call, and things change as games are played, of course. But right now, this is how it would look if it were up to me. I'll include road nonconference games, too.

• Week 1: West Virginia vs. Marshall
• Week 2: Kansas State vs. Miami
• Week 3: Texas at Ole Miss
• Week 4: Kansas State at Oklahoma
• Week 5: Texas at Oklahoma State
• Week 6: West Virginia at Texas

Here's what the Week 7 slate in the Big 12 looks like:

• TCU at Baylor
• Kansas State at Iowa State
• Oklahoma State at Kansas
• Oklahoma vs. Texas in Dallas, Texas at the Cotton Bowl
• West Virginia at Texas Tech

My pick: The Red River Rivalry

Hey, TCU and Baylor should be a great game. West Virginia's trip across the globe to Texas Tech should be fun, too.

That said, let's not act like there's a decision to be made here. You don't follow the Big 12 and not go to Red River. You just don't.

Last year's game was a bit of a snoozer as Oklahoma blew through the Longhorns 55-17, ending a streak of four really great games at the Cotton Bowl. Texas and OU have both been ranked for the past six meetings, including three meetings where each was inside the top 15. Texas is still climbing its way back to the top of the Big 12 after a 5-7 season in 2010, but by midseason, the Longhorns could be finding their footing in a familiar setting surrounded by fried foods and ferris wheels.

The atmosphere is unlike anything else you'll see in the Big 12 as the league's two titans go toe-to-toe in the annual matchup that splits the crimson and burnt orange along the 50-yard line at the renovated Cotton Bowl, which seats almost 100,000 now.

Landry Jones will face the toughest defense he'll see all season, but he shredded the league's best defense last season in this game. Sooners legend Adrian Peterson wrote his legacy in this game. Could one of Texas' young backs -- Malcolm Brown, Johnathan Gray or Joe Bergeron -- do the same? If they do, I'll be there to see it.

There were times last December when it appeared Oklahoma might have to run four- or five-receiver sets for the majority of the 2012 season.

The Sooners' tight end depth had been crippled during the 2011 season. James Hanna and Trent Ratterree were about to complete their eligibility in the Insight Bowl, Austin Haywood had left the team, and an injury forced Max Stevenson to leave the program. Those departures left no scholarship tight ends on the roster.

Now, heading into the spring game, there’s depth and optimism at the position.

Tight ends Brannon “Moose” Green and Taylor MaNamara appear poised to help the Sooners this fall after enrolling in January.

“For both of them to be here for a few months, they’ve done a wonderful job,” safety Tony Jefferson said. “They both have phenomenal hands.”

Green, a junior college transfer, has made the easiest transition into the program because of his experience at Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College. The best blocker of the two, at 6-foot-4, 260 pounds, Green should make an immediate impact in short-yardage and goal-line situations.

“He’s more of the physical, edge-presence guy,” tight ends coach Bruce Kittle said. “He’s not quite as fluid as Taylor is, but he has a great set of hands. He’s very predicable with his routes, he runs pretty good routes, and when he does get open, he catches the ball.”

While Green has proven to be more experienced and ready to play this spring, McNamara has the potential to be a factor in OU’s passing attack if he continues to improve.

“He’s got a ways to mature,” Kittle said. “It’s hard. You get punched in the face twice, on separate plays, and thrown on your back by David King ... the world is not a very nice place here some days. But you have to pick yourself up and fight through that. He keeps responding, keeps coming back.”

It’s been a rough transition for McNamara as homesickness and getting used to college life has been difficult. The early enrollee was a four-star recruit on ESPN after starring at San Diego, Calif./Westview, and picked the Sooners because he recognized the opportunity to play early and compete for championships.

“It’s quite an adjustment moving from San Diego,” Kittle said. “A couple of weeks ago he came in and said, ‘You know, I finally stopped hating OU this week.’ I didn’t know he hated it, but I knew it was pretty overwhelming for him.”

Homesickness aside, McNamara has shown flashes of the pass-catching ability that made him one of the top prep tight ends in the nation last season.

“He’s very fluid in open space, he’s a very good athlete,” Kittle said. “He’s holding his own.”

Kittle hopes McNamara can gain 10 pounds -- “he needs to get stronger," the coach says -- during the summer so he can enter fall camp at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds. Even though he has struggled with the transition to college football, McNamara has shown enough talent to make an impact in 2012.

“He was a guy who was committed to coming in early and trying to give himself an advantage,” Kittle said. “It’s important to him, he wants to play and he’s going to be one of the guys in the rotation, playing for us this fall.”

The NCAA accepted Baylor's self-imposed penalties for women's and men's basketball recruiting violations. Read the full story here.

Ivan Maisel talks to new Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin about his first spring in College Station, the Aggies' move to the SEC and more.

Our newest colleague, Travis Haney, took to his blog this week to identify five teams who need to win conference or national titles now, and why.

The flip side? He also explained why it may not happen.

You'll need Insider to see his full thoughts, but here's what he had to say about two teams from the Big 12:

OKLAHOMA

OU's rising junior class figures to be the backbone of both of the offense and the defense. Tony Jefferson, moving from sam linebacker back to safety, and Kenny Stills, the team's top returning receiver, have made no secrets about their desires to leave early. OU returns four offensive linemen, including all-conference types Ben Habern and Gabe Ikard.

Why not? This movie's a sequel, essentially. The Sooners will again be positioned near the top in August, but they have to demonstrate that they're different upstairs as the fall moves along. They're skilled all over the field; it's just a matter of how they come together (or don't).

My take: I've said it a few times, but the Sooners are my narrow Big 12 favorites, edging out a group of three legitimate contenders (K-State, West Virginia, TCU) and two dark horses (Texas, Oklahoma State). The Sooners will be rebuilding in 2013, but Texas and Oklahoma State look poised to be the frontrunners in 2013 if they piece together solid seasons in 2012.

WEST VIRGINIA

Why now? ... The trio of Geno Smith, Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey is about as electric as it gets -- and that's not easy to find, really. Not three players with that much athleticism -- and experience. While there will continue to be offensive talent coming to Morgantown (four-star QB recruit Ford Childress was a big get for Holgorsen in the 2012 class), it's important that the Mountaineers make the most of this trio's abilities this season. Smith is a senior. So is Austin. Bailey is a redshirt junior.

Why not? It seems like a lot to ask for West Virginia to change leagues, shift its geographic focus and immediately compete for titles. Plus, it's joining a conference that already has a number of teams constructed similarly. In fact, the Mountaineers sort of resemble last year's Baylor team, from a skill-player standpoint. While those Bears were solid, dangerous and speedy, they also didn't really sniff the Big 12 title.

My take: I'd never really thought of it, but the Baylor 2011/West Virginia 2012 comparison is a good one. Baylor had better athletes on defense, but West Virginia is replacing a lot, including what amounts to basically their entire pass rush from 2011. Like the Bears in 2011, West Virginia is also adjusting to a new defensive scheme. Co-coordinators Joe DeForest and Keith Patterson are installing a 3-4 that Holgorsen says gives offenses like his (plentiful in the Big 12 for sure) fits.

Smith and Austin will be gone after this year, and though Bailey likely returns, with the recruiting shift and loss of offensive firepower, it could be a few years before WVU is anywhere near as primed to win a title.

Bobby Petrino is out at Arkansas and the Hogs need a new man.

Colleague Travis Haney broke down a few of the possibilities and two Big 12 coaches cracked the list. You'll need ESPN Insider to see them all, but here's what he had to say about the Big 12 candidates:

Gary Patterson, TCU:

Many have wondered what sort of job it would take to get Patterson to leave TCU, where he makes a very comfortable living (reportedly between $2-3 million) and wins a bunch of football games.

Why not now and why not Arkansas? TCU is embroiled in an uncomfortable drug scandal, which could force Patterson to suspend or lose several players this fall and affect recruiting in the near future. Additionally, while the move to the Big 12 is certainly a boost for the school, it makes winning all the more difficult for Patterson.

My take: Hard for me to see this one. It's not the right time for Patterson to leave. He's the chief reason TCU is in the Big 12 (consider the difficulty of doing that, by the way), but after a decade-plus of hard work, why leave now, right when he has TCU on the doorstep of becoming a true elite team? I don't buy it.

Paul Rhoads, Iowa State:

Like Patterson, Rhoads has a defensive background. Perhaps that doesn't matter a great deal in the long run, but Long would be wise to find someone, if he can, to lead the loaded, offensive-minded 2012 team. If the Razorbacks go the interim route this season and open things up to a full search this winter, then both Patterson and Rhoads could become leading candidates.

My take: I'm not sure Arkansas could sell the Rhoads hire after Petrino. You won't find a coach liked by more people in the profession and by those who cover the sport. Even if Arkansas did want him, I'm not sure it's the right job for Rhoads. He just signed a 10-year, $20-million contract extension. It's not impossible, but it's hard for me to see Arkansas getting so far down on their list that Patterson and Rhoads get offers and choose to leave.

Baylor announced Tuesday that Quincy Miller, the 2012 Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Year, will return to school for his sophomore season.

Miller averaged 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 37 games, with 35 starts.

The announcement comes one day after teammate Perry Jones III declared that he is leaving Baylor to enter the NBA draft.

Time to continue our series breaking down each team's best and worst positions entering the 2012 season. TCU is up next.

More spring superlatives:

• Baylor
• Iowa State
• Kansas
• Kansas State
• Oklahoma
• Oklahoma State
• Texas

Strongest position: Running back

Simply put, this position is pretty absurd for TCU. The Horned Frogs have by far the deepest set of running backs in the league. Ed Wesley, Waymon James and Matthew Tucker all topped 700 yards rushing but each got at least 120 carries and not more than 123. That's crazy balance.

The Horned Frogs may not have a gamebreaker in the unit, and they put those numbers up in the Mountain West, but it's still impressive. Casey Pachall spearheads a great passing attack, but the Horned Frogs are more than capable of getting physical on the ground. Balance has been a benchmark of Gary Patterson's program, and it'll be especially true this year. Nobody in the Big 12 can boast anything close to three 700-yard rushers coming back, and TCU will use them all liberally.

Weakest position: Safety

TCU's safeties outpace the linebackers here, but after Tanner Brock got mixed up in the campus drug sting, there's a big question mark at both positions. Tank Carder was a stalwart at the position for the past three seasons, including the Rose Bowl win in 2010, but he's gone now. Brock missed 2011 with an injury, but the former All-American was expected back. He almost certainly will not return.

Safeties Tekerrein Cuba and Johnny Fobbs are both gone, and the position was already a trouble spot last year. You saw plenty of it in the loss to Baylor that opened the season. Devin Johnson, a likely starter this season, was also arrested in the drug sting and barring a stunning turn of events, won't be with the team this year. Now, it's up to sophomores Sam Carter, Jonathan Anderson and juniors Elisha Olabode and Trent Thomas to fill the void.

The good news? Coach Chad Glasgow is back to coach them after a year coordinating the defense at Texas Tech. The Horned Frogs were the nation's leader in total defense in 2008, 2009 and 2010 with Glasgow. That'll change in their new home in the Big 12, but hopes are still high.

The best offense in the Big 12 is a badge of honor. Chances are, if you're the best in the Big 12, you've got a case as the best in the nation. Anybody want to dispute Oklahoma State or Baylor as the nation's best offense last year? I don't want to hear about Houston.

So, what can we expect next year? Which offense do you think will take the title as Big 12's best? Here are my five candidates:

Oklahoma

The Sooners bring back plenty, namely their three-year starter and Heisman candidate at quarterback, Landry Jones. His top target will likely be Kenny Stills, but freshman Trey Metoyer leads a talented set of newcomers who could make an impact in the fall. Running back Dominique Whaley should be healthy next year, and Roy Finch and Brennan Clay give the Sooners great depth at the position.

West Virginia

The first of two newcomers on the list, Dana Holgorsen brings his high-speed, high-production offense back to the Big 12 with another Heisman candidate at quarterback, Geno Smith. He brings back the Big 12's two returning receiving leaders, Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey. Dustin Garrison will return from a knee injury he suffered in Orange Bowl practice, but Shawne Alston is handling the load in the spring.

TCU

TCU, like West Virginia, boasts two big-time targets for its big-time quarterback. Casey Pachall gets Josh Boyce and Skye Dawson back, and sophomore Brandon Carter's loaded with potential, too. And, oh yeah, TCU has three 700-yard rushers returning. Not bad.

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State loses Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon, but nobody thought OSU could rebound from losing Zac Robinson and Dez Bryant. OSU has a few candidates to emerge as the new top target -- Josh Stewart, Isaiah Anderson and Tracy Moore, for starters -- and whoever wins the quarterback job will get the keys to an offense with a great offensive line and two running backs in Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith that have a case as the league's best backfield.

Baylor

Baylor loses the league's Heisman winner (Robert Griffin III), top rusher (Terrance Ganaway) and top receiver (Kendall Wright), but the Bears may be back at it this fall. Nick Florence is an experienced backup who's ready to play. Terrance Williams has an NFL future, and Tevin Reese joins him as the No. 1 and No. 2 top receivers from the Big 12 in 2011 who return to the Big 12 in 2012. RG3 spread the love, and the Bears have plenty of talent in the backfield. Jarred Salubi, Lache Seastrunk and Glasco Martin will battle for carries.

So, who will be the best?

So, maybe you're not an NFL GM (or maybe you are).

If you're an obsessive fantasy football player (guilty here), you know the tier system well. It's similar to what NFL teams use on draft day, to know when they're getting a player at a value, and when they can afford to wait around. Often, they're broken into position groups.

Our draft guru, Todd McShay, broke down the tier system for this year's draft, and placed players in several groups. Here's who landed where from the Big 12:

Tier 1 -- elite prospects

• Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III was one of just five prospects.

Tier 2 --top 10 quality, but below elite

• OSU receiver Justin Blackmon was one of just two players.

Tier 3 -- good value in picks 10-20

• Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill was one of 12 players.

Tier 4 -- Late first-round value picks

• Baylor receiver Kendall Wright was one of 12 players.

Tier 5 -- Round 2 value picks

• Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden and Oklahoma linebacker Ronnell Lewis were two of 24 players.

Tier 6 -- Mid-to-late second round value

• none

Tier 7 -- Solid third-round picks

• Oklahoma State safety Markelle Martin, Iowa State guard Kelechi Osemele, and Oklahoma offensive tackle Donald Stephenson were three of 31 picks.