ESPN

Taking stock of Week 5 in the Big 12:

Team of the week: Oklahoma. With their victory over Oklahoma State, the Mountaineers deserved strong consideration here. But by winning in South Bend, the Sooners delivered the Big 12 its best win of the year while vanquishing past demons. OU, which fell to 1-9 all-time against Notre Dame last season, controlled this game wire-to-wire in a 35-21 win. QB Blake Bell operated the Sooners' offense like a veteran in just his second career start. And the OU defense took it to QB Tommy Rees to force three first-half interceptions that allowed the Sooners to pad their lead. OU might have been one of the most overlooked teams during the preseason. After Saturday, the Sooners won’t be overlooked anymore.

Disappointment of the week: Oklahoma State. The Cowboys fell in Morgantown 31-21, despite being 18-point favorites. OSU sputtered all day offensively across the board. J.W. Walsh had a QBR of just 38.1 (scale of 0 to 100) and the Cowboys averaged just 2.8 yards per carry. The defense didn’t fare much better, allowing a West Virginia offense that had been completely inept to rack up 21 first downs. Dating to last year, the Cowboys have now lost three consecutive Big 12 games.

Big (offensive) men on campus: Sterling Shepard and Aaron Wimberly. Both the Oklahoma receiver and Iowa State running back sparked their offenses to big wins on the road. Shepard had five catches for 83 yards, and delivered the nail in the coffin to Notre Dame with a 54-yard touchdown reception to put OU back up by two scores in the fourth quarter.

In a 38-21 win at Tulsa, Wimberly produced Iowa State’s first 100-yard rushing game in more than a year with 137 yards on 19 carries. He added a 31-yard reception as the Cyclones came alive in their first win of the season.

Big (defensive) men on campus: The Oklahoma linebackers, and Sam Carter. Corey Nelson, Frank Shannon and Eric Striker came up with huge plays in the first quarter to set the tone for the OU defense the rest of the way against the Irish. On Notre Dame’s first series, Striker blindsided Rees from behind, popping the ball loose into the arms of Nelson, who returned it 24 yards for a TD. On Notre Dame's next play from scrimmage, Shannon caught a tipped pass and returned the interception 17 yards to the Notre Dame 32. The Sooners scored again four plays later on an 11-yard run by Damien Williams. OU rode the defensive flurry all the way to the win.

Carter, TCU’s junior safety, had a huge day against SMU. Carter had two interceptions, forced a fumble and recorded a sack in the Horned Frogs’ 48-17 victory over the Mustangs. For his efforts, Carter was named the Walter Camp national defensive player of the week. With cornerback Jason Verrett ailing with a shoulder injury, Carter might have to take an even bigger leadership role in the TCU secondary moving forward.

Special-teams player of the week: Jaden Oberkrom. In a complete downpour, TCU’s place-kicker nailed two field goals to help the Horned Frogs pull away from SMU in the second half. As the rain began to fall in droves early in the third quarter, TCU had the ball on the SMU 5-yard line trailing 10-7. Because of the rain, a botched shotgun snap resulted in a loss of 20. But Oberkrom made sure the Frogs came away with points with the 35-yard field goal conversion. Had Oberkrom missed, who knows how the game would have gone for TCU? Instead, buoyed in part by getting points off the drive, the Frogs dominated the rest of the way.

Play of the week: After Josh Stewart took a screen pass 73 yards for the touchdown and Justin Gilbert intercepted Clint Trickett three plays later at midfield, the Cowboys seemed to be on the verge of blowing the game away in the first quarter. Instead, West Virginia cornerback Ishmael Banks read Walsh’s eyes off a rollout, stepped in front of the pass for the pick, then returned it 58 yards for a touchdown. The Cowboys never found their footing again offensively, as West Virginia held them to just two scores the rest of the game.

Stat of the week: Oklahoma State running back Jeremy Smith rushed for just 1 yard on 15 carries at West Virginia. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Smith’s rushing total was the second worst by an FBS running back with that many carries in any game in the past 10 years.

Quote of the week: "No doubt in my mind that we're a national championship-type of team." – OU running back Brennan Clay, after the Notre Dame win

OKLAHOMA SOONERS

2012 record: 10-3

2012 conference record: 8-1 (tied for first, Big 12)

Returning starters: Offense: 7; defense: 4; kicker/punter: 1

Top returners

RB Damien Williams, FB Trey Millard, WR Jalen Saunders, WR Sterling Shepard, C Gabe Ikard, DE/DT Chuka Ndulue, LB Corey Nelson, CB Aaron Colvin

Key losses

QB Landry Jones, WR Justin Brown, WR Kenny Stills, OT Lane Johnson, DE David King, CB Demontre Hurst, FS Tony Jefferson, SS Javon Harris

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Damien Williams* (946 yards)
Passing: Landry Jones (4,267yards)
Receiving: Kenny Stills (959 yards)
Tackles: Tony Jefferson (119)
Sacks: Chuka Ndulue* (5)
Interceptions: Javon Harris (6)

Spring answers

1. Playmakers abound: The Sooners might have lost leading receivers Kenny Stills and Justin Brown, but there’s plenty of firepower back to support whoever wins the starting quarterback job. Jalen Saunders was actually Oklahoma’s most efficient receiver the second half of last season and seems primed to take over as the go-to target. The Sooners also have several talented up-and-coming receivers who had good springs, led by slot extraordinaire Sterling Shepard. The backfield is even deeper, with leading rushers Damien Williams and Brennan Clay back, to go along with Trey Millard, one of the top all-around fullbacks in the country.

2. Cortez will flank Colvin: The secondary was decimated by graduation and Tony Jefferson’s early entry into the NFL draft. One of those voids was cornerback, where Demontre Hurst had started the previous years. That void at least, however, appears to have been filled. Arizona transfer Cortez Johnson seized the job from the first day of spring drills, and has given the Sooners every indication to believe they’ll have a big, physical corner to pair with All-American candidate Aaron Colvin in the fall.

3. The linebackers will play: In a desperate move to slow down the high-powered passing attacks of the Big 12, defensive coordinator Mike Stoops pulled his linebackers off the field. The plan backfired, as opposing offenses ran at will over the linebacker-less Sooners. This spring, Stoops has renewed his commitment to the linebacker, which, ironically, could be the strength of the defense. Corey Nelson, Frank Shannon and Aaron Franklin are all athletic and capable of generating negative plays, something Oklahoma’s defense sorely lacked last season.

Fall questions

1. Who the QB will be in October: Bob Stoops said he would wait until the fall before naming a starter, and so far, he’s made good on his word. Junior Blake Bell took a lead in the competition during the spring, as expected. But sophomore Kendal Thompson and redshirt freshman Trevor Knight, who both got equal reps as Bell, played well at times, too. It’s hard to see Bell not starting the first game. But if he struggles against a tough September schedule, it’s not unthinkable one of the younger QBs would be given a shot.

2. How the new offense will fare: Looking to utilize the skill sets of their mobile quarterbacks, the Sooners will be running a very different offense from the one Sam Bradford and Landry Jones both operated. Offensive coordinator Josh Heupel kept most of these new plays - including loads of read option -- in his hip pocket during the spring game. But it will be interesting to see how the Sooners -- and just as important, opposing defenses -- adjust to this new era of offense in Norman.

3. Defensive line play: The Sooners went into spring ball with just three defensive tackles on the roster, and little experience at defensive end. The unit showed strides during the spring, with Chuka Ndulue making a smooth transition from end to tackle, and tackle Jordan Phillips coming up big in the spring game. But that was the spring. The defensive line will have to continue to grow rapidly in the fall for the Sooners to have any hope of improving from last year defensively.

NORMAN, Okla. -- Defensive end Geneo Grissom hopes the Oklahoma defensive line will ignite emotions within opponents this fall.

“I want to make sure when we step on the field, O-linemen are scared,” Grissom said. “I want our D-line to invoke fear in opposing O-lines.”

The Sooners' defensive line took some positive steps in that direction during in the Red-White spring game at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Defensive linemen accounted for four of the five sacks in the game including two from defensive tackle Rashod Favors and one apiece from Grissom and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips.

“I thought the D-line overall did a really good job,” coach Bob Stoops said. “I thought they got good pressure and for the most part, playing the run, I thought they did a pretty good job.”

The Sooners' quarterbacks spent a good part of the scrimmage on the run, evading pressure, a sign the defensive line is improving. And, in a game which featured 112 total offensive plays, OU’s defensive front limited the big run, with Brennan Clay’s 35-yard scamper ranking as the longest ground-gainer.

“We did what we had to do,” Grissom said. “You always feel you can get better and do better but we were completing our assignments and doing what we’re being taught to do. Overall it was a good day.”

The Sooners' defensive line isn’t quite there yet. While OU’s front was disruptive at times, it struggled to get pressure at other times and got off to a slow start in the first quarter.

“We still need to develop playmakers up front,” defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. “But I thought they got better as the game went along.”

While he wasn’t dominant, Phillips showed the ability to be disruptive in the backfield, finishing with three tackles and one sack. The lone returning rotation player at defensive tackle, Phillips will be counted on to be a disruptive force in the middle for OU. His progression from a player with potential to a disruptive playmaker could make a difference for OU's defense.

“He’s a great player,” said linebacker Corey Nelson, who finished with three tackles. "He played well today, very physical, got after the O-line and made our jobs easier today.”

Grissom was also impressive with his speed and strength on the perimeter, showing the ability to get into the offensive backfield on passing plays. The junior appears to have finally found a permanent home at defensive end after playing some tight end in 2012.

“That’s a key player we need to step up, and he has been,” Nelson said. “He’s probably our best pass-rusher.”

Improving the play of its defensive line is high on the Sooners priority list this offseason. Stoops likes to play man-to-man defensive schemes, so having a disruptive defensive line could be the difference between stopping some of the explosive offenses in the Big 12 and having another disappointing defense this fall.

“We’re starting to show signs of consistency and that’s what we need,” Stoops said. “We need to continue to develop playmakers in our defensive front -- that’s going to be a premium moving forward.”

OU took steps forward this spring but will have to get much better to become a dominating unit in 2013.

“We’ve gotten a lot better but we have a long way to go to get where we need to be,” Grissom said. “We have guys who want to win, and that’s what it takes, so we’re going to get there but we’re not quite there yet.”

Here's a look at three keys for No. 9 Texas A&M's matchup with No. 11 Oklahoma in the AT&T Cotton Bowl:

1. Don't change the script: Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury might be gone, but all those athletes who made the Aggies' offense so potent in 2012 will still be lining up inside Jerry's World. And that includes Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, who made just about every defense he faced look silly. Kingsbury and Manziel had a special in-game relationship, but Kingsbury is now at Texas Tech, so Manziel won't have the luxury of Kingsbury's guidance on the sideline. But the Aggies can't divert from the plan that got them to 10 wins in their first year in the SEC. Trying anything new or restricting parts of the offense probably isn't the way to go at this point in the season. The athletes are there to stay the course, and with Oklahoma's high-powered offense, the Aggies can't afford to get too far behind the Sooners. Keeping the run game going will be key as well, as Oklahoma ranks 79th nationally in rush defense and gave up 200-plus rushing yards six times during the regular season.

2. Force Landry out of the pocket: Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 3,989 yards and 29 touchdowns this season and had two 500-yard passing games during the regular season. The man can throw the pigskin around, and it helps that he has four players to throw to who have more than 40 receptions on the year. That means the Aggies have to make him as uncomfortable as possible tonight. While Jones has done well against the blitz this season, he struggles when he's forced out of the pocket. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Jones has attempted 12.2 percent of his passes from outside the pocket in his career and has thrown 25.5 percent of his career interceptions from outside the pocket. Defensive end Damontre Moore was a terror in opposing backfields this season and if he can consistently get into Landry's face, he should make it tough for Landry to make a lot of plays on the Aggies' defense.

3. Contain Oklahoma's returners: The Sooners rank fourth nationally in kickoff return average, registering 26.5 yards per return. The Sooners have returned 32 kicks for 849 yards and a touchdown. Roy Finch recorded the Sooners' lone touchdown, but Brennan Clay has done the most damage on kickoffs, averaging 26 yards on 18 returns. The Aggies will also have to deal with punt returner Justin Brown, who averages 13.6 yards per return and has a touchdown. Texas A&M allowed just 18.7 yards per kickoff return during the regular season and 5.9 yards per punt return. The Aggies didn't allow any return touchdowns in 2012.

Three keys for Oklahoma in tonight’s AT&T Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M:

1. Protect Landry Jones, and the ball: When the Sooners have kept Jones upright, he’s been lethal throwing the ball to a quartet of playmaking receivers. But the few times that opposing defenses have gotten pressure, Jones has been subject to major mistakes, notably in a loss to Kansas State earlier this season. This will be OU’s toughest protection test yet, as the Aggies feature one of the top sack artists in the country in Damontre Moore. But if OU can keep Moore and his cohorts out of Jones’ face, the Sooners should be able to move the ball through the air against what’s been an inconsistent Texas A&M secondary.

2. Contain Johnny Football: OU defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said this week that you can’t stop Johnny Manziel. But you can contain him. That’s obviously easier said than done. Just ask Alabama. But if the Sooners can keep Manziel in the pocket and prevent him from reeling off big plays on the move, they should be in good shape.

3. Win the special teams battle: The Sooners have their best special teams units in years, especially in the return game. Jalen Saunders’ punt return touchdown against Oklahoma State helped sparked the Sooners in a come-from-behind Bedlam win. Brennan Clay and Roy Finch have also been very good returning kicks, and punter Tress Way can swing field position with his leg. One way to counter Manziel is to make plays when he’s not on the field. The Sooners could use some big plays on special teams.

Time to continue our series on the best and worst moments of 2012 for each team in the Big 12. Next up: Oklahoma.

Worst moment: Fumbles let outright title get away

Oklahoma has to feel like that fateful night in September should have gone differently. Landry Jones got caught from behind and coughed up the ball for an easy scoop and score for K-State. Inside the 5-yard line, Blake Bell inexplicably fumbled a good snap and lost a chance at seven more points with a mistake that was way out of character. The result: A 24-19 loss on their home field to Big 12 title-winner K-State. A win would have given the Sooners an outright title, but the loss in the conference opener was the second in two seasons in Big 12 play for Oklahoma, who had lost just one Big 12 game at home between 1999 and 2010.

Best moment: Rivalry Revelry

Oklahoma trailed Oklahoma State by 11 in the second half, but the Sooners rallied with a dramatic punt return for a touchdown from Jalen Saunders to tie the game. Facing a fourth-and-1 with just seconds to play, the Belldozer earned some redemption for the early-season miscue, powering over a defender for a game-tying score and a celebration on the way to the sideline. In overtime, Brennan Clay clinched the win with a beastly 18-yard touchdown run that featured a big-time truck of an Oklahoma State defender on the way into the end zone. That keyed off an even bigger celebration that kept Oklahoma in the hunt for the Big 12 title and BCS bowl bid, as well as retaking the state's bragging rights after losing a blowout in Stillwater a year earlier.

More best and worst of 2012:

• Oklahoma State
• TCU
• West Virginia
• Texas Tech
• Texas

When the Big 12 trimmed down to 10 teams before the 2011 season and eliminated the league title game, the more cynical folks around the league hung a cloud over the eight teams in the Big 12 that don't reside in Austin, Texas, or Norman, Okla.

It had been almost a decade since anyone other than Texas or Oklahoma won the Big 12. Now, there would be no path through the easier Big 12 North that would provide one game to dethrone the Sooners or Longhorns, one of which would surely be waiting on a neutral field.

"Nobody from the league can beat them in the Big 12 championship, so how in the world is anyone supposed to be better than both Texas and Oklahoma for an entire season?" was the familiar line of thought.

Nobody other than Texas or Oklahoma had even represented the Big 12 South since 1998, and it had happened only twice in the 15-year life of the division.

Shows what we know in the two years since the league did away with divisions. Texas has been down, sure, but Oklahoma State won the outright title in the first year by beating Oklahoma soundly in the finale with the title on the line.

This year, Kansas State did the same against Texas, with Oklahoma also claiming a share of the league.

Still, both teams beat Texas and Oklahoma en route to their titles, doing further damage to the perception that the Big 12 is a shallow, two-team league.

More depth means more intrigue, which means more folks tuning in and more relevant games. It also means more hope for the rest of the league and more enthusiastic fans optimistic about their team's chance to one day hoist the crystal trophy.

Oklahoma State and Kansas State did it. Why can't TCU? Or West Virginia? Don't rule out Art Briles doing it in the new stadium at Baylor soon enough, and Oklahoma State might offer an encore to its Big 12 title next year, assuming it hangs on to coach Mike Gundy.

The Big 12 isn't what we thought it would become after eliminating divisions and a championship game. It's better, thanks again to the continued resurgence of what we thought was the Big 12's middle class.

Let's pass out a few awards for a memorable Big 12 season:

Offensive MVP: Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State. Klein is the Big 12's only player who booked a ticket to New York City for the Heisman Trophy presentation, and for good reason. He carried Kansas State to a Big 12 title, and no single player in the league is more important to his team. He completed 180 of 272 passes (66.2 percent) for 2,485 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions for Kansas State, adding 895 rushing yards and a league-high 22 touchdowns.

Defensive MVP: Devonte Fields, DE, TCU. Fields edged out a pair of other big-time pass-rushers -- Texas' Alex Okafor and Kansas State's Meshak Williams -- to win this award. His nine sacks were second most in the Big 12, and the true freshman added 17.5 tackles for loss for the Frogs' defense, which led the Big 12 in total defense in its first year in the league. That was 2.5 TFLs more than any player in the league, and four more than Williams. Fields also was the first Big 12 player to intercept Klein, adding two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He finished with 49 tackles (32 solo).

Newcomer of the year: Devonte Fields, DE, TCU. What more needs to be said about Fields? He didn't even enroll at TCU early, and the 240-pound fresh face will be even scarier next season after a year going through TCU's offseason strength and conditioning program. Don't buy Fields' big first year? Talk to a few of the Big 12's tackles. They'll tell you. Fields had a quiet day last week, but even Oklahoma's Gabe Ikard, one of the league's best linemen, raved about him, calling him probably the best pass-rusher they played all season.

Biggest surprise: TCU's resurgence. I wasn't the only one prepared to bury TCU's first season in the Big 12 after losing star quarterback Casey Pachall and three days later, a home game to Iowa State by 14 points. The personnel losses were too much, we thought. Nope. The Frogs rallied, despite losing 20-plus players and fielding a team that was 70 percent freshmen and sophomores. They led the league in total defense, rolled over Baylor, beat West Virginia with a pair of gutsy calls in overtime and beat Texas solidly on Thanksgiving night. The Frogs also hung tough with Big 12 co-champions Oklahoma and K-State. These Frogs belong, and will only get better. Honorable mention: Iowa State reaching a bowl, Kansas State winning the Big 12.

Biggest disappointment: West Virginia. Dana Holgorsen warned that his team might have been overrated after drubbing Clemson in the Orange Bowl, and in hindsight it was. But even still, a five-game losing streak with the offensive talent residing in Morgantown was inexcusable. The defense received weekly wake-up calls against high-flying Big 12 offenses, but Geno Smith, Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin couldn't keep up after racing to a top-five ranking and a 5-0 start. Dishonorable mention: Texas Tech's second half.

Best game: Oklahoma 51, Oklahoma State 48 (OT). We thought there was a BCS bowl on the line in this one, and even though Northern Illinois (with an assist from the sorry Big Ten and Big East) changed that, it didn't change this classic in Norman laced with tons of emotion and a rivalry that's gaining fast on Red River as the Big 12's most compelling annual series. Oklahoma rallied from an 11-point, second-half deficit, tying the game on an 81-yard punt return by Jalen Saunders. Blake Bell rushed for a touchdown on fourth down in the final seconds to send the game into overtime, where Brennan Clay's beastly 18-yard touchdown run won the game and set off one of the biggest celebrations at Owen Field in a long, long time. Honorable mention: West Virginia 70, Baylor 63; TCU 39, West Virginia 38.

Time to hand out some more hardware for a job well done over the past few days of games in the Big 12. Your stickers are in the mail, gentlemen.

• Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma: You might be able to hand this one to his buddy Brennan Clay, who broke loose for the game-winning touchdown run in the Sooners' 51-48 win over rival Oklahoma State. But Jones threw an insane 71 passes on Saturday, completing 46 of them for 500 yards and three touchdowns. It was the first time in school history OU had three 100-yard receivers and two receivers with 10 catches. Jones hit newcomers Jalen Saunders and Justin Brown for 25 of his 46 completions, and his completions and attempts broke both of Jones' school records. He also passed Texas Tech's Graham Harrell for the Big 12 career passing record. Jones' 16,124 passing yards are third-most in NCAA history.
• Nick Florence, QB, Baylor: Eddie Lackey made a pair of huge interceptions, but both landed in his lap, while Florence racked up 396 yards and three touchdowns on 22-of-37 passing in the Bears' 52-45 overtime win over Texas Tech. He also rushed for 51 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.
• Trevone Boykin, QB, TCU: Boykin didn't score a touchdown in a defensive struggle on Thanksgiving night, but the freshman held it together against the Horns, rushing for a team-high 77 yards on just 10 carries and completing 7 of 9 pass attempts for 82 yards in a 20-13 win over the Longhorns. Chalk this one up as one of the biggest wins in TCU's history. Boykin's rise and Gary Patterson's taming of a young, beat up team is incredible.
• Tavon Austin, Everything, WVU: Austin turned in another ridiculous game in West Virginia's 31-24 win at Iowa State to clinch bowl eligibility. He only carried the ball 14 times, turning it into 74 yards, but caught six passes for 99 yards and a score, including a 75-yard touchdown on a touch pass to give West Virginia the lead with just 6:31 to play. That came just after his punt return for a touchdown was called back for a block in the back. He capped it with a two-point conversion to put the Mountaineers up seven. He returned a punt 42 yards and added a 29-yard kick return.

It was the definition of Bedlam. No. 13 Oklahoma defeated No. 21 Oklahoma State 51-48 in overtime at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Sooners kept their Big 12 championship hopes alive with clutch plays down the stretch. Here’s how it happened:

It was over when: Brennan Clay ended the game with a 18-yard touchdown gallop in overtime. The Sooners' running game was very average for most of the night but after OU’s defense forced OSU to settle for a field goal on the Cowboys' lone overtime drive, Clay punched in the winning score.

Stat of the game: 103. That's the total number of plays the Sooners' offense ran against the Pokes. It was obvious in the overtime period as OU needed just two running plays before ending the game with Clay's touchdown run.

Game ball goes to: Landry Jones. For the second consecutive week, Jones came up big when OU needed him. The senior led the Sooners on a game-tying touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter that was capped off by a 4-yard Blake Bell run. Jones finished 46-of-71 for 500 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

Unsung hero of the game: Bell. He capped off Jones' late drive with a tough touchdown run on fourth down with less than five seconds remaining in the game. If Bell doesn't weave his way into the end zone with a combination of vision and toughness, the Sooners lose.

What it means: Oklahoma's hopes for a Big 12 title remain alive. Kansas State would have to lose to Texas for the Sooners to take the conference outright, but if the Sooners win against TCU on Dec. 1, they'll grab a share of the Big 12 title.

What Oklahoma learned: The Sooners learned they need to have a better plan for stopping teams that spread them out then run the football. Baylor, West Virginia and OSU have run all over OU's defense in three straight weeks. For OU to win another Big 12 title anytime in the future, it will have to find answers to its problems stopping the run.

What Oklahoma State learned: Maybe Clint Chelf should have been starting all season. The junior is the most experienced quarterback on the roster and he handled tough road environments at Kansas State and OU like a veteran should.

Time for a few superlatives from the week that was in the Big 12:

Best offensive performance: Brennan Clay, RB, Oklahoma. No huge standouts this week, but I'm going with Clay narrowly ahead of a few other deserving folks. Iowa State has a pretty good defense, but Clay nearly topped his career high by more than 100 yards. Clay carried the ball 24 times for 157 yards and a touchdown, easily surpassing his previous career high of 64 yards.

Best defensive performance: Allen Chapman, CB, Kansas State. Only seven Big 12 players had at least three interceptions all season. Chapman nabbed three from two different quarterbacks in one game on Saturday night. He returned one 29 yards for a score and sealed the win with his final pick of the night. He also added five tackles and two pass breakups.

Best game: TCU 39, West Virginia 38 (2OT). What more could you ask for here? The Frogs' 94-yard touchdown pass from Trevone Boykin to Josh Boyce that forced overtime was mostly thanks to terrible defense from WVU, but the double-overtime gambles from the Frogs? That was all execution on a reverse pass that fooled the Mountaineers and a pretty rollout play that resulted in a tough scoop for Boyce to clinch the win. The Frogs are playing the role of drama queens these days. Only two Big 12 games have gone to overtime this year. TCU has been involved in both.

Best team performance: Texas. Tough pick here, but I'll go with the Longhorns, who went on the road and soundly beat a ranked Texas Tech team badly in need of a win. Texas asserted some dominance and grabbed the inside track to a Cotton Bowl berth in the process.

Best play: WR Brandon Carter and TE Corey Fuller, TCU. Carter, a former high school quarterback, took a pitch on the reverse and hit a wide-open Fuller who had sneaked out behind the WVU defense and caught the ball for a 25-yard touchdown on the first play of double overtime. That's a play Fuller, a senior, will never forget. The senior tight end had two catches for 1 yard this season entering Saturday's game.

Second-best play: Tavon Austin, PR, West Virginia. Austin's 76-yard return should have been enough and should have won the game for West Virginia. Alas, a good day for the defense came crashing down with a few late mistakes. After breaking loose and setting the crowd off on what seemed to be the game winner, the defense let TCU get back in the game with a costly mistake. Which brings me to the next award ...

Worst play: West Virginia's defense. I was in awe of this one. West Virginia got a huge sack and pinned TCU on its own 6-yard line with under two minutes to play and a seven-point lead. It should be a simple task for the safeties, regardless of the coverage: Stay deeper than the deepest. Do not get beat over the top. WVU lost track of Josh Boyce, TCU's best receiver, and let him get -- you guessed it -- over the top for a 94-yard score on a broken play.

Best decision: Gary Patterson, TCU. Patterson had been there before, and decided to go back to the well. "I'm one of those people who believes when you play someone on the road, you have to go take ballgames," Patterson told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. TCU scored on a reverse pass from Brandon Carter to Corey Fuller to get within 38-37, and like he did against Boise State last year on the road, Patterson went for two. The Frogs ran the exact same play and it worked. Welcome to bowl eligibility in Year 1 of the Big 12, Frogs.

Best quote: Boyce, on going for two to win the game. "I already knew what the play was going to be," he said. Awesome.

Time to hand out some hardware for a job well done in the Big 12 on Saturday. Your stickers are in the mail, boys.

Big 12:

Gary Patterson, coach, TCU: Hey, the players are the ones who do it on the field, but Patterson went with a pair of gutsy gambles in double overtime to help the Frogs rally for a 39-38 victory at West Virginia. TCU got a touchdown on a reverse pass from Brandon Carter to Corey Fuller, and got the two-point conversion on a rollout play that was a mirror of the play that beat Boise State last season. Patterson doesn't necessarily call those plays, but he had the guts to sign off on them. Few other coaches would. Those were game-changing decisions and now TCU is bowl-eligible, despite a mountain of losses.

Allen Chapman, CB, Kansas State: What a night for the senior cornerback. He got it off to a great start when he returned his first interception 29 yards for a touchdown late in the first half of Kansas State's 44-30 win over Oklahoma State. He picked off another late on a play in which Cowboys quarterback Wes Lunt suffered an apparent head injury, and his final pick of the night sealed the game for the Wildcats and allowed the K-State faithful to breathe a sigh of relief when he came up with the ball in the end zone on a Clint Chelf toss that would have made the game very, very interesting. He finished with five tackles, three picks and two pass breakups. My hat is off, sir.

Brennan Clay, RB, Oklahoma: Landry Jones is a strong candidate here, but I'm going with Clay because of Jones' two interceptions in the second quarter. Clay's previous career high was just 64 yards rushing, but with injuries to the Sooners' backs, Clay came up big in relief of Damien Williams. He carried the ball 24 times for 157 yards and broke an impressive 18-yard touchdown run for his only score of the day as Oklahoma beat Iowa State 35-20. He also caught a pair of passes for 12 yards.

Mike Davis, WR, Texas: "Magic Mike" was money on Saturday for the Horns. He only caught four passes, but he made 'em count in the Longhorns' 31-22 win over Texas Tech. He caught touchdowns of 75 and 25 yards from David Ash and finished with four grabs for 165 yards. The Horns needed some explosiveness on offense. Davis provided it.

Baylor's offensive line: Can't hand it to just one guy here, but the big uglies up front got it done against the Jayhawks. Baylor's Nick Florence wasn't sacked and threw for 367 yards and three touchdowns in a much-needed, turnover-free performance. Meanwhile, running backs Glasco Martin and Lache Seastrunk combined for 260 yards on just 28 carries, an average of 9.3 yards a carry, in the 41-14 romp. Big time.

SEC:

Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M: Real shocker to find Johnny Football back on this list. He hurt Mississippi State running and throwing in the Aggies' blowout 38-13 win in Starkville, Miss. He completed 30 of his 36 pass attempts for 311 yards and ran the ball 21 times for 129 yards and two touchdowns. He really sucked the life out of the Bulldogs' defense early in the second quarter when he zigged and zagged his way through the defense for a 37-yard touchdown run that put the Aggies up 21-0. -- Edward Aschoff

Damien Williams took the handoff from Landry Jones as his two teammates in the backfield rushed to find white jerseys to block. Williams cut once through the line as a diving Kenny Vaccaro missed Williams' ankles. Williams slowed to let his blockers create a lane before cutting outside and finding himself in the middle of three Longhorns defenders.

His cut put them off balance and as he hit the left sideline, he had one player to outrun -- for a while, anyway. Receiver Kenny Stills erased Quandre Diggs and set Williams free as the Cotton Bowl -- well, half of it -- exploded.

"That's something that any football player wants to be a part of. The fans were so crazy," Williams told ESPN.com this week. "Going into that game I was confident and excited."

No player had ever broken a longer run in the history of the Red River Rivalry than that 95-yarder, and any debate over who should be Oklahoma's starting running back ended.

The 6-foot, 208-pound junior-college transfer grabbed 22 carries, 14 more than any Sooner. A week earlier, his 14 carries in a blowout win over Texas Tech were 12 more than any other Oklahoma back. For now, this job is Williams'. He was expecting to help out the unit and "do his part," whatever that meant.

For now, it means being the Sooners' No. 1 back.

"He’s played consistently all year. He’s made big plays. He’s an incredibly physical, tough runner. He’s got great speed and he’s taking care of the ball," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. "He’s been reliable. He’s got great hands. He’s got everything you look for. Power and again, has incredible hands to go with his ability to run."

With Dominique Whaley returning from a fractured ankle and Roy Finch breaking highlight-reel runs, Williams ascending to win the job seemed unlikely in the preseason. Even Brennan Clay had more experience.

Through just five games, though, there's no doubt. Even in the season opener, Williams' potential was there. He broke a 65-yard touchdown run to ice a 24-7 road win over UTEP. A week later, he scored four times in a 69-13 victory over Florida A&M, turning 10 carries into 156 yards.

"I can't make any plays without my team around me," Williams said. "What the line is doing, what the coaches are calling and everything. All I can do is go out there and try to make plays."

He's got 66 carries for 508 yards and six touchdowns in just five games, one of just three Big 12 backs averaging at least 100 yards a game.

Against Texas Tech, he caught six passes for 82 yards, too.

"He’s been a huge spark, just with his physical running and ability to catch the ball," Stoops said.

Williams already has three runs longer than 60 yards this season. No other Big 12 back has one, and the rest of the Big 12 has just five combined. Only three players in all of college football have three runs longer than 60 yards, and all three players have suited up in seven games, compared to just five for Williams and the Sooners.

OKLAHOMA

Record: 4-1, 2-1 Big 12

The Sooners have had the most up and down (and up again) season of any team in the Big 12. Oklahoma began the year looking like the Big 12's best team and the league's best hope for a national title.

After a lackluster win at UTEP, the questions were mounting. After a loss to Kansas State, the Sooners looked like a vulnerable squad susceptible to being swallowed up by the depth of the Big 12. They had to sit and wait a week to take the field again.

The Sooners rolled over a good Texas Tech team by three touchdowns (a week later, the Red Raiders dispatched No. 5 West Virginia by five touchdowns) and saved their best overall performance of the season for the Red River Rivalry, where the Sooners delivered a 42-point beatdown to a Texas team that looked completely overmatched.

The Sooners have the Big 12's best defense through the first half of the season, and the biggest question offensively is Landry Jones' completion percentage. The running game looks more physical than ever. Damien Williams has been a hidden gem from the juco ranks to lead the Sooners in rushing.

Oklahoma looks back on track for a Big 12 title, playing better than any team in the league these past two weeks. That big loss in Norman, though, means Oklahoma needs K-State to lose twice in order to win the league. That looks like a tall order these days.

Offensive MVP: Damien Williams, RB. Williams ascended a crowded depth chart to earn the starting gig ahead of Dom Whaley, Brennan Clay and Roy Finch. He is one of just three Big 12 backs averaging at least 100 yards a game. That's even more impressive considering he hadn't received more than 10 carries in a game before last week's win over Texas Tech. He's got 508 yards and six touchdowns on just 66 carries, averaging 7.7 yards a carry.

Defensive MVP: Aaron Colvin, CB. Colvin is far from the biggest name on a loaded Oklahoma team, but he's been the team's most valuable player to this point. He has 20 tackles, two picks and six pass break-ups. The 6-foot, 180-pounder might be making himself a lot of money this season.

LUBBOCK, Texas – Coming off a disappointing loss against Kansas State, Landry Jones and the Sooners bounced back Saturday to destroy Texas Tech 41-20.

It was over when: OU safety Javon Harris intercepted a tipped Seth Doege pass and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown to put the Sooners up 38-13 early in the third quarter. OU led 24-13 at halftime, but dominated the third quarter to put the game away.

Game ball goes to: Jones, who rebounded with his best performance since losing receiver Ryan Broyles to injury last November. Jones completed 25 of 40 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns. Most importantly, he took care of the ball and didn't turn it over once.

Stat of the game: Going into the weekend, OU ranked last in the FBS with just one forced turnover. But in Lubbock, the Sooners forced three turnovers, including Harris’ touchdown return. Aaron Colvin picked off a Doege pass at the line of scrimmage at the end of the first half to set up an OU field goal that gave the Sooners a two-score lead at halftime.

Best call: In its first three games, OU went with a time-share at running back, splitting carries between Damien Williams, Dominique Whaley and Brennan Clay. Against Tech the Sooners rode Williams, who’s been OU’s best running back. Williams finished with 126 yards of total offense on 14 carries and had six receptions.

Turning point: The Red Raiders took the opening drive of the second half to the OU 36 with a chance to cut the Sooners’ lead to a single possession. But on fourth-and-5, middle linebacker Frank Shannon sacked Doege, and Blake Bell punched the ball into the end zone out of the "Belldozer" formation six plays later.

Unsung hero: Shannon, who replaced three-year starter Tom Wort in the first half. Wort struggled again covering the pass, prompting the Sooners to go with Shannon instead. The redshirt freshman finished with a team-high six tackles and had the huge fourth-down sack.

What it means: The Sooners could hop right back in the Big 12 title race with a victory over rival Texas next weekend. And after that, who knows? The schedule is difficult enough to vault the Sooners back into the national championship conversation down the line, should they reel off a few wins in a row. Texas Tech faces a gantlet going forward in Big 12 play with four ranked teams, starting next Saturday against unbeaten West Virginia.

Oklahoma will be the fourth Big 12 team (TCU, Texas, Texas Tech) to open spring camp when practice begins later Monday.

Here's a closer look and an idea of what to watch for.

Schedule: Oklahoma kicks off the first of its NCAA-allowed 15 practices Monday, leading up to the spring game on April 14. Practices are closed to fans and media.

What's new: The Sooners made the biggest Big 12 offseason acquisition when they brought back Mike Stoops as co-defensive coordinator. He dropped the "co-" after longtime coordinator Brent Venables took the DC job at Clemson after 13 years on Bob Stoops' staff in Norman. The Sooners will miss his presence, but hopes are high that Stoops can revitalize an Oklahoma defense that paved the way for the Sooners' last national title back in 2000, coordinated by none other than Stoops. He was fired by Arizona in the middle of the 2011 season, his eighth at Arizona.

New faces: Stoops is obvious, but Oklahoma is also welcoming six freshman or junior college transfers this spring to get practice time in before the 2012 season. Tight end Taylor McNamara and 2011 signee Trey Metoyer highlight the group. McNamara was the nation's No. 2 tight end and Metoyer was the nation's No. 8 receiver and No. 51 overall prospect in the 2011 class. He enrolled in military school after failing to qualify last fall, and could help boost a receiving corps in need of reinforcements. Junior college transfers Kass (pronounced "KAHss") Everett, Brannon Green and Chaz Nelson join 2011 signee Jordan Wade on campus this spring, too. Tight ends McNamara and Green should have some impact. Oklahoma returns no tight ends from its 2011 team, thanks to injuries and player exits.

Big shoes to fill: Kenny Stills. Ryan Broyles tore his ACL late last season, and the Sooners' receivers disappointed in the absence of the FBS all-time leader for receptions. The offense was punchless in an embarrassing blowout loss to Oklahoma State with the Big 12 title on the line. Especially without Jaz Reynolds (kidney) this spring, Stills need to prove he can be a reliable, top-tier receiver for Oklahoma's Big 12 title dreams to come true in 2012.

On the move: Safety Tony Jefferson. How will Jefferson be used in Stoops' defensive scheme? It's a big question for the Sooners. Jefferson's one of the team's most talented players, but he moved around a lot in 2011, seeing time at nickel back and moving to traditional safety after Javon Harris had some high-profile struggles in the loss to Baylor. Jefferson can play and excel at both spots. What the rest of OU's defense looks like depends on where he plays.

Question marks: What does OU's running back spot look like? Dominique Whaley is still rehabbing after breaking his ankle midseason, an injury that birthed the Belldozer formation. Backup quarterback Blake Bell rushed for 13 touchdowns in the second half of the season, but look for Oklahoma to try and find a way to run between the tackles more traditionally this spring. Who can be the man? Brennan Clay, Roy Finch and Danzel Williams are the only healthy scholarship running backs for the Sooners. Will we see fullback Trey Millard get some run, too?

All eyes on: The defense. Quarterback Landry Jones actually played well in a loss to Baylor, but Oklahoma's defense was clearly the weak link in losses to Texas Tech, Baylor and Oklahoma State that turned a year with national title aspirations into an average 10-3 season that finished in the Insight Bowl. The defense played well in the bowl win over Iowa, but Iowa's offense is nothing like what awaits the Sooners in the always-dangerous Big 12. Mike Stoops' work is cut out for him.