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Coaches we love to hate week is rolling on at ESPN.com, and today, it's familiar territory for the Big 12.

Some coaches are hated because they simply win too much. For the Big 12, it seems like that's the only reason why any coaches earn the hatred from fans.

For the most part, the coaches in the Big 12 are a civil bunch, with hardly a heated rivalry between them that inspires hate from the fans.

Nobody catches more flack for winning than Bob Stoops and Mack Brown. That's what happens when you win and do it for a long, long time.

Stoops has been accused more than once of running up the score in some of those wins, and when you look back on the 2008 season, it's easy to see why some might feel that way. The Sooners memorably scored 60 points in five consecutive games leading up to the national title, and scored at least 52 points in four more games.

The "leaving starters in" debate is a timeless one, and I tend to fall on the side of, "If you don't like it, stop them." Others don't, and Stoops catches the flack for it.

Simply put, Big 12 teams love beating OU and Texas more than any other school, and those winning traditions are the biggest reason why.

Stoops and Brown also have to deal with the incessant chorus from fans who argue that coaching at Oklahoma and Texas is simple: You get the best players, and you get the best record, regardless of your coaching acumen.

That couldn't be further from the truth. Brown and Stoops both inherited losing teams, and turned them into perennial winners who do recruit well and sign the best players in the Big 12 every season. To think that happens automatically is silly. You need good coaches to make it happen, and Brown and Stoops have personified that, even if Brown hasn't won as big as some expect with the type of talent Texas reels in.

In this debate, though, I'd argue Stoops and Brown aren't alone. In recent seasons, they've been joined by none other than Art Briles at Baylor.

The former Texas high school coach is quick with one-liners that earn the media's favor, but he talks about doing big, big things at Baylor. Things like Big 12 titles and telling players they can win Heisman trophies.

To those on the outside, it sounds like crazy talk.

Then, he goes and inches closer to those goals. He achieved the second one last season, and does anyone want to rule out a Big 12 title for the Bears?

The same people who want to do that probably would have done the same for Oklahoma State. Mike Gundy equaled or surpassed his win total in every season at Oklahoma State.

Briles has done the exact same, even while losing Robert Griffin III in a four-win campaign in 2009.

He won seven games the following year, and did the unthinkable by winning 10 games in 2011. Losing RG3 is a big blow, but he's stocked his team with loads of offensive talent, and signed five-star talents like safety Ahmad Dixon and running back Lache Seastrunk.

It's a new day at Baylor, and thanks to Briles, the Bears will soon be playing in a new stadium, too. As much as the rest of the Big 12 wants to pretend BU will go back to the same ol' Baylor without RG3, Briles will soon prove that no such thing's going to happen in Waco.

A word of advice on how to view the trio? Don't hate. Appreciate.

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.

Earlier this week, the Sporting News ranked the Big 12 coaches from top to bottom, but later on, it released its rankings of the nation's coaches from top to bottom.

How'd the Big 12 stack up?

Better than the rest of the competition.

Alabama's Nick Saban topped the list -- argue with that at your own risk and UMass' Charley Molnar brought up the bottom.

Where do the Big 12 boys rank?

• No. 5: Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
• No. 7: Gary Patterson, TCU
• No. 10: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
• No. 11: Bill Snyder, Kansas State
• No. 16: Mack Brown, Texas
• No. 40: Charlie Weis, Kansas
• No. 41: Art Briles, Baylor
• No. 44: Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia
• No. 48: Paul Rhoads, Iowa State
• No. 50: Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech

That's everybody well above the top half of the line.

From the Sporting News:

• The Big 12 coaches have by far the best average ranking: 27.2, which crushes the second-best SEC’s average ranking of 43.3. Next in line: the Pac-12 (43.8), ACC (45.6) and Big Ten (46.8).
• In our top 25 are five coaches apiece from the SEC and Big 12, four apiece from the Big Ten and Pac-12, and two apiece from the ACC and Mountain West.

What do you think?

For me, Stoops is where he needs to be. I might bump Patterson down a few spots, and Snyder up a few, just outside the top five. If someone can explain to me exactly how Weis should be above Briles, I'm all ears.

Briles has built a legitimate program in a place where it looked impossible. Weis' history as a head coach is taking a place where it should be impossible to lose, and eventually declining it until he was fired. Briles should be near the top 25.

I'd definitely move Paul Rhoads up about 10 spots, too. You could probably move Mack Brown down a couple spots, based on the hiccup in Texas' run lately. It's still to early to get a great feel for where Holgorsen should be.

What would you change?

Colleague Travis Haney kept an eye on the ever-changing national championship odds, and three Big 12 teams made big moves during the spring.

Oklahoma and West Virginia made big moves up the scale.

Oklahoma began the spring at 18-1 and has since moved to 10-1.

Those wondering whether OU would locate playmakers likely noted the spring emergence of receiver Trey Metoyer, a vertical threat from Texas who spent last fall at a Virginia prep school. He could make junior Kenny Stills' life much easier as the No. 1 receiver.

Mike Stoops' imprint has already been seen on a pass defense that was woeful in the losses to Texas Tech and Baylor. For one, all-conference-level talent Tony Jefferson moved from linebacker to free safety, a more natural position.

I could see it for Oklahoma. Last year, there was so much pressure on the preseason No. 1 Sooners. This year, they're still supremely talented, but the expectations aren't as high. OU will kick off the season around the top five, which makes a run to the title still a possibility with one loss. Even coach Bob Stoops admitted to me this spring that there's less pressure this time around, but still a very talented team. The big question for me is can Landry Jones play well for 13 games. He hasn't done it yet in his career, but the time is now. He can look otherworldly at times, but very average at others.

Meanwhile, West Virginia has moved from a 50-1 to 30-1.

What's will be interesting is seeing how West Virginia -- and TCU, in a similar-but-different sense -- adjust to the week-in, week-out challenges of the new league. In the Mountaineers' case, travel will be part of that game. At least one Big 12 peer thought those variables would preclude either of the newcomers from winning the league in year one.

Additionally, no one's really talking all that much about defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel leaving to rejoin Rich Rodriguez in Arizona. There's a sense that the 3-4 installed this spring by new coordinator Joe DeForest will work well in the Big 12. DeForest should know, since he was previously at Oklahoma State (where he coached with Dana Holgorsen).

I could see WVU winning the Big 12, but the national championship? Not happening, and that defense is the reason why. It's not ready yet. You win in the Big 12 with offense, yes. But you win big in the Big 12 with a great offense and a defense to match. That's how Oklahoma and Texas have done it over the years, and even last year, Oklahoma State took advantage with turnovers and nearly reached the title game.

WVU's floor is very, very high. I'd be very, very surprised if they won fewer than nine games, but in a new league, it's hard to imagine them going 12-0.

Kansas State, however, has taken a big step back this spring, according to oddsmakers. They've dropped from 25-1 to 150-1.

Perhaps the correct means of approaching this is to question who would ever see K-State as a 25-1 in the first place. Maybe Vegas realized what many already knew: The Wildcats, grinding out seemingly every game, were extremely fortunate to win 10 in 2011. Take out blowouts of lowly Kent State and Kansas, and the remaining eight victories were all by single digits, by an average of 4.5 points a game.

For me, the troubling sign from 2011 wasn't so much the close wins. Coach Bill Snyder does what he need to in order to win games. The playbook was limited in the first few games.

What makes me worry most about K-State? Losing to Oklahoma at home by 41 points. How many championship teams do something like that?

2011 overall record: 10-3
2011 conference record: 6-3 (T-3rd)
Returning starters: Offense: 8; defense: 7; kicker/punter: 2

Top returners

QB Landry Jones, RB Dominique Whaley, FB Trey Millard, WR Kenny Stills, OG Gabe Ikard, LB Tom Wort, CB Demontre Hurst, CB/S Aaron Colvin, FS Tony Jefferson

Key losses

WR Ryan Broyles, LT Donald Stephenson, TE James Hanna, DE Ronnell Lewis, DE Frank Alexander, LB Travis Lewis, CB Jamell Fleming

2011 statistical leaders (*returners)
Rushing: Dominique Whaley* (627 yards)
Passing: Landry Jones* (4,463 yards)
Receiving: Ryan Broyles (1,157 yards)
Tackles: Travis Lewis and Aaron Colvin* (84)
Sacks: Frank Alexander (8.5)
Interceptions: Tony Jefferson* (4)

Spring answers

1. Trey Metoyer is the real deal: The true freshman had the best spring of any wide receiver on the OU roster, then capped it by leading the Sooners in receiving in the spring game. Metoyer has all but solidified a starting spot at wide receiver, and should help fill the massive production gap left by the graduation of Ryan Broyles.

2. Secondary on right path: Defensive coordinator Mike Stoops wasted no time revamping the secondary, sliding Tony Jefferson to free safety while inserting Javon Harris back into the starting lineup at strong safety. Stoops liked what he saw there in the spring, and if Harris can continue to bounce back from a shaky 2011 season, Stoops will have the flexibility of bumping Aaron Colvin to cornerback opposite three-year starter Demontre Hurst, solidifying the Sooners there, too.

3. O-line could be OU’s best in years: Not since 2008 have the Sooners been this deep and talented on the offensive line. Even with center Ben Habern rehabbing from offseason neck surgery, the line didn’t miss a beat grinding out OU’s defensive front most of the spring. Gabe Ikard has proved he can excel at either guard or center, guard Tyler Evans is entering his fourth year as a starter, and Adam Shead could be OU’s top interior run-blocker since All-America Duke Robinson. The tackles remain a little bit of a question mark. But Daryl Williams all but locked down the starting job on the right side with a great spring. On the left side, Tyrus Thompson is pushing to beat out 2011 starting right tackle Lane Johnson.

Fall questions

1. The No. 2 QB battle: Head coach Bob Stoops is no hurry to name a backup quarterback, a competition that figures to extend through August. Blake Bell, who shined running the ball out of the Belldozer formation last season, outplayed Drew Allen in the spring game, but Allen had his moments, too, and has another year of experience in the offense. Whoever wins the No. 2 job could have a leg up on the 2013 derby to replace Landry Jones.

2. The defensive line: Bob Stoops has had a first-team all-Big 12 defensive lineman every year since 1999. That streak, however, could be in jeopardy. Gone are sack machines Frank Alexander and Ronnell Lewis, leaving the Sooners without a proven difference-maker up front. The top five players in the rotation across the front will all be seniors, making it the most experienced in the conference. But for the Sooners to win the Big 12 and contend for a national title, someone must emerge as that difference-maker.

3. The backfield rotation: The Sooners have options in the backfield, but it’s unclear how running backs coach Cale Gundy will use them. It’s also unclear how effective 2011 leading rusher Dominique Whaley will be after missing half of last season with a fractured ankle. Roy Finch can be electric with the ball, but has not earned the trust of the coaching staff in his pass protection. Brennan Clay, banged up the past two seasons, finally looks healthy and had a solid spring. Then there’s touted junior-college transfer Damien Williams, who was also recruited by USC, and fullback Trey Millard, who warrants at least a handful of carries a game. Will someone emerge as the feature back? Or will Gundy go with a backfield by committee?

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma linebacker Joseph Ibiloye kept hearing his coach scream his name.

"Joe! Joe!"

He turned around, heard his coach's demands and applied them to the next play. The problem? At least a few times, it would put him out of position or ruin a defensive rep.

That's what happens when he takes direction meant for cornerback Joe Powell.

Mike Stoops is back coordinating Oklahoma's defense, a job he held in 2000 during Oklahoma's last national title run, and there are bound to be a few mixups as he gets used to his new surroundings.

"He’s calling me Ibi now, so we’ve got everything squared away," Ibiloye said.

Stoops' arrival, after eight seasons as Arizona's head coach, was cause for Sooner-fan celebrations. Last year's defense had high-profile struggles in the secondary in losses to Texas Tech, Baylor and Oklahoma State.

Stoops' specialty? Defensive backs.

Safety Javon Harris didn't know much about Stoops when he met his new position coach and coordinator, but he knew that much.

"The one thing I knew is when he was here, he put out a lot of All-American DBs and guys who went on to the next level," said Harris, who endured the toughest struggle of anyone in the loss to Baylor, but re-earned a starting position this spring. "I was really excited to know he was coming in here."

The word of the spring for Stoops' new troops was simplification. Brent Venables fielded a whole lot of good defenses before leaving for Clemson this offseason, but the change was welcomed, especially by the Sooners' most scrutinized unit of 2011.

"In talking to some of my other teammates, I think everybody is liking the new defense and knowing exactly what they need to do. One of the things we were lacking last year was just not knowing exactly what’s going on," Harris said. "Now we’re learning those things and we feel one step ahead."

Step one in fixing what ailed the Sooners in 2011? Prevent the big play.

"We’re just trying to get our players in the right positions to be more efficient and more effective players. That’s the consensus of what we saw a year ago. How much we can simplify things, that’s hard to say," Stoops said. "We’re going to do what we need to do to be successful."

Stoops installed most of his defense this spring; the fall will be dedicated to perfecting it. The spring was about finding what the defense did well, establishing an identity, and putting everyone where he needs to be.

"The way he approaches things is easier to learn," Ibiloye said.

The biggest position move? Tony Jefferson is headed to traditional safety after holding down Oklahoma's nickel-back spot the past two seasons, including 2010, when he shared Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors.

"We’re going to have flexibility. Our linebackers give us a lot of flexibility to do some things, and I think we have some secondary guys that give us some flexibility to get our best players on the field," Stoops said. "That’s ultimately, that’s what we’re trying to do, is find the best 11, 12, 13 players and then take it from there."

Said Harris: "He wants to get players to know the defense and know their position and be able to play loose and not think as much."

That'll come with time, but Stoops made one thing clear when he met each of his new defenders.

"I’m not going to put you in those positions where, if I’m not sure you can do something, I’m not going to make you do them," Harris said Stoops told him. "That’s one thing I appreciated from him, that I’ll have that chance to come out here and do what I do best."

Players, particularly experienced seniors, had their doubts about the new coordinator, but the comfort level is high as doubts have receded. One place there's no lack of confidence? The top, where Stoops' brother, Bob Stoops, holds down the head job.

"I’ve got great confidence in him of course and what he sees. It’s been great to have him back," Stoops said. "It gives me a strong sense of security that we’re doing things the best way we can."

The BCS brass -- aka conference commissioners -- are set to meet again this week to discuss the future of college football's postseason. On Monday, several Big 12 coaches took a swipe with their input on what, if any, changes should be ushered into the game.

Last year's SEC rematch in the BCS Championship Game -- and Oklahoma State's snubbing -- rubbed plenty of folks the wrong way, and Texas coach Mack Brown was the most adamant about bringing change. He's not sure what he wants, he just wants something else.

"I'm hoping it's something different than what we've got now. I'm not really sure what I think would be best," Brown said on Monday's Big 12 coaches teleconference.

For now, it looks like all eight- and 16-team playoff options are off the table, but the BCS as it currently stands had Brown fired up.

"I don't like our current system. I don't like the fact that last year two teams played twice. I do not feel like the BCS really gives credence to, really, strength of schedule," he said. "We've had some teams play in the BCS that played some poorer teams and still had an opportunity to play. I don't like the fact that we compete between BCS and non-BCS, as far as who plays. I understand that that's the money cycle, but I'd rather see the best teams play at the end."

TCU, who will join the Big 12 in 2012, went undefeated in 2010 and beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl but was denied a chance at playing fellow undefeated Auburn, which took home the national title.

"I'd rather have different means to evaluate the best teams in the end," Brown said. "I think the best teams should play at the end. That's more fair to the coaches, that's more fair to the players and that's more fair to the fans."

One problem for some in the process? Nobody can seem to agree on what to call a new postseason, even if it's four teams playing for the right to be called champion.

"I'm not for a playoff, because it would ruin the bowl system, and I don't believe it would be good for student-athletes," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said.

However, later on, he expressed his preference for the plus-one, which could just as easily be referred to as a playoff.

"I'd like to see the plus-one," he said. "If they do so, I'd like to see the four teams that qualify as the per se 'playoff teams' participate in two of the BCS bowls and then rotate it every two years, which bowls are hosting the playoff teams and which ones aren't, and then the plus-one after it."

Stoops often looks back fondly on his bowl week experiences as a defensive back at Iowa and doesn't want to rob future players of a week in the sun during winter with light practices, red-carpet treatment and a week spent solely with teammates.

"Anything that eliminates the bowls would in the long run not be positive for college football," Stoops said.

As for the elder statesman of the Big 12 coaches, Bill Snyder? He's staying out of the argument.

"I don’t have any startling estimations in regards to what will happen and don’t really have any major preference as far as playoff versus the system," Snyder said. "I can’t imagine it’s getting into an eight or 16-team playoff."

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."

NORMAN, Okla. -- Even with its best player on the sidelines in tears, Oklahoma didn't know how bad it could get in the season's final month.

No player in the history of FBS caught more passes than Ryan Broyles. When the Sooners' receivers lost their leader and most productive member, one-loss Oklahoma went from Big 12 title contender gunning for an NCAA-most ninth BCS bowl appearance to Insight Bowl participant.

"I just felt like we didn’t know what to do once Ryan went down, to tell you the truth," receiver Kenny Stills said. "We never really saw that coming, and it hit us really hard."

After the loss, quarterback Landry Jones was shut out of the end zone for the season's final three games along with five interceptions. Oklahoma's sure-handed unit suddenly turned shaky, dropping passes more frequently than it had all season.

The Sooners started slow in a win over Iowa State, but were embarrassed in the regular season finale at Oklahoma State with the conference title hanging in the balance.

"We’re disappointed at the way we finished last season, I don’t think there’s any question," said co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach Jay Norvell, "and I think that’s motivated our guys to come out and really prove themselves and to step their game up."

That's been the task for Oklahoma's receivers this spring. After Broyles' injury, Stills moved to an unfamiliar slot position, and his discomfort showed. Despite Broyles' presence, Stills managed to top 100 yards receiving three times in his first six appearances of the season.

When the Sooners' needed him to replace Broyles' production, he didn't top 75 yards receiving.

"We were figuring out what to do with different people in different positions and now I feel like the spring’s helped us figure out what we want to do," Stills said.

He's playing some inside and some outside during the spring, but his preference is simple.

"Wherever the ball’s coming, I want to go," Stills said.

He'll get this offseason to learn how to live life without Broyles, whether it's leading off the field or producing on it. He'll also have plenty of reinforcements. Freshman Trey Metoyer has turned heads in the spring and coach Bob Stoops said he could "absolutely" start.

Come fall, freshmen Durron Neal, Sterling Shepard (two of the nation's top 10 receivers in the 2012 class) and Derrick Woods will join the team, along with highly touted juco transfer Courtney Gardner.

"Competition is the best motivator that you have. That’s Oklahoma," Norvell said. "You hear stories about back in the day when all the running backs were here and coach [Barry] Switzer was here, and there’d be another guy come in, and the way guys looked at each other.

"Good players, they have a lot of pride. And I just think we’ve tried to create that environment. We have a lot of guys that can make plays and that also push each other. I think guys get excited when they see somebody come in that has ability like that and it can help the team."

Norvell's message to his receivers this spring was accountability. Replacing Broyles is up to more than just Stills.

"We’ve talked a lot about (accountability), and I think we have to do a better job of that as a unit and as a team, playing hard for each other, and I don’t think we always did that, especially at the end of last year," Norvell said. "That’s what being a part of a team is, it’s the most special thing you can ever be a part of, especially because you know somebody has your back, and that’s exactly where we started this spring."

NORMAN, Okla. -- Texas coach Mack Brown was the first Big 12 coach to speak out against some of college football's latest rule changes, but Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy joined him in expressing concerns this week during interviews with ESPN.com.

Stoops' biggest concern was the potential for players to be penalized for continuing to play if their helmet is knocked off during the course of a play.

"It doesn’t make sense," he said. "It’s not anybody’s instinct to stop. I don’t think that’s very fair or very realistic."

Stoops and Brown both brought in officials this offseason to explain the rule change. For example, pass rushers can continue to rush the pocket without a helmet if they're engaged with an offensive lineman, but if a passer escapes the pocket or steps up to run, players must stop. If not, they can be flagged for 15-yard penalties.

"I’m not for that. Any rule that gives the officials or makes the officials have judgment calls is a bad rule because it’s not fair to them either," Gundy said. "Judgment calls make it difficult, and so you always want to take judgment calls out of their hands."

Additionally, players must sit out a play if their helmet comes off, which Brown noted could pose problems late in games. If a helmet comes off and the player's team doesn't have a timeout saved in a game's final minutes, there will be a 10-second run-off.

"They might need to look at that a little bit more," Stoops said.

The nightmare scenario? Being forced to run a game-deciding play with a top talent on the sidelines because a helmet came off.

"You can’t have a game changed because a helmet came off a key player," Gundy said. "That’s not a good thing."

The intent of the rule is to get players, some of whom have grown lazy in correctly buckling helmets, to take safety seriously and wear helmets correctly, which could also prevent concussions.

The question: Will the good intent outweigh controversial side effects?

"They’re trying to get them to tighten up their helmets, which is a good rule," Gundy said. "But those kinds of things have to be taken into consideration."

Additionally, players may call for a fair catch on onside kicks this year if the ball bounces high in the air after just one bounce. If it bounces twice, it's a live ball on an onside kick as it had been previously.

Stoops says he's "fine" with that rule, and Gundy sounded less concerned about the rule change than Brown.

"I am not a big fan of the onside kick. I hold my breath whenever you do it or you’re against it, because three kids, three players on both teams are going to get blown up every time. You’re just sitting ducks. You’re standing there looking in the air and a guy’s blowing you up. If that were my kid, I wouldn’t be real fired up about that," Gundy said. "I know it’s part of football and this and that, but there’s a lot of things that go on in history of life that we change when we think it’s better."

The result for Gundy's Cowboys? He may abandon the onside kick altogether with the new rules.

"Basically that means you have to squib the ball, and if you squib the ball, your percentages go down considerably," he said. "I agree with Mack, it’s not even worth it. Why run in there and blow everybody up for a play that was probably less than 10 percent chance to get, now it’s less than three percent?"

We're still a long way from the 2013 BCS National Championship Game, but right now, everybody's got a shot.

Some, of course, are better than others.

So what are the best bets?

ESPN Insider Will Harris fills you in.

You'll need ESPN Insider to see it all, but here's a taste:

Oklahoma just endured a season of turmoil and is pretty much at the low point of the Bob Stoops era, but there has been a housecleaning of both the roster and staff and Stoops is an elite coach who is capable of getting the Sooners back on track quickly. If this team finds better leadership and unifies in camp, Oklahoma could rebound big, although Landry Jones is a deal breaker given that the Sooners' odds are just 12 to 1.

My take: I don't know if it's fair to call this the "low point of the Bob Stoops Era" after a 10-win season, but I'm certainly not a believer in the Sooners as a national title contender just yet. Jones is part of that, but the Sooners have more questions marks (secondary, receiver) than I'd feel comfortable buying into.

The Longhorns get a mention at 25-to-1, but Harris checks in with TCU, too.

All other teams are trading at 33 to 1 at least. Of this group, only TCU at 50 to 1 caught our eye. Like Beamer, Gary Patterson has built a consistent winner that can slug it out with anyone in a given game. The Frogs return the bulk of last year's young squad and catch the top three teams in the league at home.

My take: It could happen. TCU is good enough, in theory, but the amount of variables that come with joining the Big 12 leave plenty of room to doubt the Horned Frogs' ability to write a Cinderella story in 2012.

ESPN Senior National Recruiting Analyst Tom Luginbill breaks down the Sooners' recruiting class.

NORMAN, Okla. – When Bob Stoops brought his brother back to Norman, he envisioned recapturing the magic that generated some of the best defenses in Oklahoma history.

Instead, Stoops will now have to hire a linebacker coach.

Wednesday night, co-defensive coordinator Brent Venables announced that he has left Oklahoma to become the defensive coordinator at Clemson, leaving the Sooners with another coaching vacancy.

In hiring Mike Stoops last week, Bob Stoops believed he was getting the band back together.

With Mike Stoops calling the defense and Venables co-coordinating, the Sooners ranked third nationally in fewest yards allowed in 2003. In 2001, Oklahoma ranked fourth.

And in the 2000 national championship game, the Stoops brothers and Venables devised a defensive game plan for the ages as the Sooners kept Florida State’s high-powered offense from scoring.

Too much time, however, had passed. And Bob Stoops’ hopes proved to be short-lived. After Venables and Mike Stoops took a recruiting trip together to Florida, Venables and his wife flew to Clemson. And the allure of a new challenge, a massive pay raise and the chance to call his own defense again won out.

Because of the success the Sooners endured while Mike Stoops was the senior partner in the relationship, Venables was never fully appreciated by the Oklahoma fan base. Moreover, the explosion of Big 12 offenses after Mike Stoops left made it virtually impossible to produce top five defenses.

But Venables still coordinated some gems that helped catapult the Sooners to Big 12 championships in ’06, ’08 and ’10.

In 2008, the Sooners wiped out second-ranked Texas Tech by holding one of the nation’s top offenses to a single touchdown in the first half. OU went on to play for a national championship that season.

But perhaps his most memorable coaching job came in the final game of the ’10 regular season against Oklahoma State. Faced with the task of slowing down the high-powered Cowboys, Bob Stoops and Venables elected to revamp the entire defense, going to a 3-4 scheme. The shift stunned the Cowboys, and Oklahoma State managed only three offensive touchdowns as Oklahoma prevailed.

But as much as the Sooners will miss Venables as a coordinator and linebackers coach, they will miss him just as much as an ace recruiter.

Ronnell Lewis, Demontre Hurst, Tom Wort, Corey Nelson, Austin Box, Jamell Fleming and DeMarco Murray are just a few of the standouts Venables had a hand in recruiting to Norman in recent years.

He also was the assistant who secured two of OU’s top verbal commitments in this recruiting class: safety Eric Striker and running back Daniel Brooks. Venables also was the primary assistant recruiting California cornerback Brandon Beaver, who is scheduled to visit OU this weekend.

Bob Stoops tried to get the band back together. With his brother and Venables blazing the recruiting trail as a tandem, then forging those ferocious defenses again on the field.

Instead, the Stoopses will be on their own. Turned out, the band didn’t get back together.

As quickly as it arrived, the Big 12 season is gone.

Alas, here's a look at the 10 moments we'll remember most from the 2011 season. These aren't necessarily the best or worst moments, but simply that: memorable. When we look back on 2011, this is what will stick out.

1. Heisman moment? Take your pick. There were plenty of them in Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III's run to an "unbelievably believable" Heisman win. What about his only reception of the season (that resulted in him getting the wind knocked out of him) on a dramatic final drive to beat TCU in the opener? What about a 21-point comeback in the fourth quarter of an overtime win over Kansas? The best on-field moment was probably his 39-yard TD pass to Terrance Williams in the final seconds to beat Oklahoma for the first time and thrust himself back into the Heisman race, despite three losses. And after beating Texas: "I think Baylor just won its first Heisman tonight," he said. Yep. It did.

2. Iowa State storms the field ... and bowl season. Oklahoma State looked headed for a showdown with Oklahoma to play for a national title, but Iowa State had other things in mind. Jared Barnett topped 375 yards passing and 75 yards rushing in just his third start to give the Cyclones a win over a top six team for the first time in 58 tries. It set off a party on the field at Jack Trice Stadium and put ISU into its second bowl in three years.

3. Texas A&M and Missouri say adios, muchachos. The Aggies had enough of Texas and wanted some of Alabama. Missouri had enough drama and wanted some stability. Texas A&M made it official in late September and Mizzou followed in early November. Texas A&M called it a "100-year decision."

4. The Big 12 says hello to two new friends. With Texas A&M and Missouri gone, expansion was the obvious necessary step. The Big 12 took it by welcoming Southwest Conference expatriate TCU home into the Big 12 on Oct. 11. And 17 days later, West Virginia followed, announcing its plans to help expand the Big 12's footprint wayyy, wayyy east.

5. The Aggies sound like a broken record. Shattered record, maybe. Texas A&M started as a Big 12 title contender with a top-10 ranking. It led 12 games by double digits. It lost six games. How'd it happen? Nobody knew, and as a result, coach Mike Sherman was fired. Over and over, it was the same story. The 20-3 and 35-17 halftime leads over Oklahoma State and Arkansas evaporated. The Aggies blew big leads over Missouri, Kansas State and Texas, too.

6. Oklahoma State finds new life ... twice. Most were resigned to Alabama and LSU meeting again for the title, but OSU made it interesting with a satisfying 44-10 embarrassment of Oklahoma, putting late pressure on voters and finishing behind Alabama by the slimmest margin in BCS history. And once OSU was in its bowl game, Stanford's Jordan Williamson yanked a 35-yard kick to send the game into overtime, where the Cowboys capitalized in a 41-38 win.

7. Texas grabs Lone Star Showdown bragging rights for...ever? The Longhorns were the underdogs in a veritable powder keg that was Kyle Field on Thanksgiving night. Then Colt, er, Case McCoy got loose for a 25-yard scramble that set up Justin Tucker's game-winning 40-yard field goal that gave Texas bragging rights in the now-defunct rivalry for as long as it would like. The Longhorns say they have no plans to continue the rivalry after the Aggies leave for the SEC.

8. The Little Apple hosts a classic. You never know when the longest game in Big 12 history is going to show up. Kansas State and Texas A&M played it. The Aggies led by 10 midway through the fourth quarter, but Collin Klein rallied the Wildcats and got the 53-50 win on — what else — a QB sneak for a game-winning touchdown.

9. Texas Tech ends Oklahoma's epic streak. The night began with ominous thunderstorms that delayed the game, but the Sooners struggled against Texas Tech's slip screens, and let Alex Torres go wild for three touchdown catches. The four-touchdown underdogs walked into Owen Field and became the second Big 12 team to ever beat Bob Stoops on his home field, and first since 2001. The Red Raiders also became the first team since 2005 to win there, ending the Sooners' 39-game home winning streak. The problem: Tech didn't win another game the rest of the season, and finished with the first losing season since 1992.

10. Dan Beebe gets the ax. The damage was done. Beebe was seen as someone who ceded to Texas at all costs, even if he did it as a last option to keep the Big 12 together in the summer of 2010. That hurt the league, and Oklahoma called for Beebe to be removed. He was, and replaced by interim commissioner Chuck Neinas, who had helped many of the league's ADs hire coaches. A permanent replacement still hasn't been named.

Honorable mention: OSU FB Kye Staley and Texas TE Blaine Irby score touchdowns in emotional returns from catastrophic knee injuries, K-State runs out of time in a near upset over Oklahoma State (and an earthquake followed), Kansas State becomes the first team to intercept RG3 and stays undefeated in an "upset" of Baylor, RG3 has his version of the "Immaculate Reception"; Missouri QB James Franklin goes beast mode on a 20-yard touchdown run in a win over Texas A&M; Missouri coach Gary Pinkel "ices" his own kicker in a loss to Arizona State; Kansas reaches a new low and trails Oklahoma State 56-7 at halftime; Ryan Broyles' career meets an unfair end with a torn ACL.

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy has been voted the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year by the 1,200-member Football Writers Association of America.

Gundy beat out LSU's Les Miles, Kansas State's Bill Snyder, Michigan's Brady Hoke and Clemson's Dabo Swinney to win.

He led the Cowboys to an 11-1 season and the school's first Big 12 title, as well as its first BCS bowl bid.

The 11 wins equaled a school record set in 2010, when Gundy was a finalist for the award.

"It's a testament to our players and our coaching staff that we are in the position that we are in," Gundy said in a release. "I want to thank the Football Writers Association of America for recognizing our team in this way."

Former Kansas coach Mark Mangino was the last Big 12 coach to win the award in 2007. Oklahoma's Bob Stoops also won in 2000.

Gary Patterson won the award at TCU in 2009.