ESPN

• The Dallas Morning News' Chuck Carlton explains how the AD change at Texas affects Mack Brown's future. Dodds' decision may be the start of a critical Texas two-step. Is Texas or USC the better head-coaching job?
• Baylor coach Art Briles says his team has an image to maintain: Fast and fearless.
• Oklahoma is focusing on improving its short-yardage offense this week. Sooner coaches are excited about what their receivers are doing so far.
• Charlie Weis is not hiding from the streak that Kansas hopes to break this weekend. Is more rushing on first down the answer for KU's third-and-long woes?
• Iowa State hopes its recent growth on defense will carry over into the Texas game. That unit has improved thanks to lightening its playbook.
• TCU's offensive line has held up well but is in for a serious challenge against OU.
• Clint Trickett is practicing, but Dana Holgorsen is still unsure what West Virginia will do at quarterback this week.
• Kansas State knows it has to stop several versatile weapons in Oklahoma State's offense. Its players are embracing a "talk is cheap" mantra to fixing mistakes.
• Texas Tech defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt didn't enjoy watching film of last season's KU game, especially Tech's run defense.
• The numbers Oklahoma State's offense and defense have put up so far don't lie. Joe Bob Clements is ready for the challenge of facing the school he left.

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

This week's Power Rankings feature a new No. 1, as last week's No. 1 takes a tumble:

1. Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0 Big 12, last week 3): The Sooners take over the top spot after delivering the most impressive Big 12 win of the season. Notre Dame is not the same team as last season, but the Irish hadn't lost in South Bend since October of 2011. OU has been a different team since Blake Bell took over at quarterback, and Bell was fabulous Saturday, throwing for two touchdowns without a turnover while churning out first downs with his arm and his legs. The OU defense is clearly better, too, picking off QB Tommy Rees on Notre Dame's first two possessions, with linebacker Corey Nelson returning one for a touchdown. The Sooners were clearly a team overlooked in the preseason, and, after five weeks, are looking like a clear Big 12 favorite along with Baylor.

2. Baylor (3-0, 0-0 Big 12, last week 2): After the off week, the Bears' offense will get its first real challenge this weekend from West Virginia's defense that appears to be the most improved unit in the league. Baylor has been unstoppable so far, but the level of competition is about to undergo an uptick. Can the Bears keep it up? They've shown no signs they can't.

3. Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0 Big 12, last week 4): Despite having the week off, the Red Raiders move up a spot with Oklahoma State's loss. The big question in Lubbock is who will be starting at quarterback for Tech come Saturday against Kansas. Baker Mayfield? Davis Webb? Michael Brewer, who has been progressing well from the back injury? The Red Raiders have been solid defensively, and the skill talent is legit. If Tech can get better play from its quarterback, this team could be a handful -- even for OU and Baylor.

4. West Virginia (3-2, 1-1 Big 12, last week 8): What a difference a week makes. The Mountaineers produced the most impressive in-conference win of the season with a 30-21 victory over preseason favorite Oklahoma State. West Virginia's defense continues to play at a high level (Maryland's 37 points were somewhat of an anomaly because of West Virginia turnovers) and Clint Trickett sparked the offense with his energy and leadership. West Virginia's offense is still pretty limited, but at least it no longer looks completely inept with Trickett at quarterback. The Mountaineers can't score with Baylor this weekend, but maybe they can slow the Bears down? Nobody thought West Virginia could slow Oklahoma or Oklahoma State, either, though Baylor's offense is at another level. We'll see.

5. Texas (2-2, 1-0 Big 12, last week 5): The Longhorns have a couple of interesting games looming. Thursday, Texas travels to Iowa State, which looked much better offensively in a 38-21 win at Tulsa this past Thursday. Then, Texas gets surging Oklahoma in Dallas. This figures to be the defining two-game stretch of the season for the Longhorns. Win the next two, and the season -- as well as Mack Brown's status in Austin -- looks totally different than it did two weeks ago. The off week could not have come at a better time for the Longhorns, giving acting defensive coordinator Greg Robinson another week to acclimate to his defense and quarterback David Ash another week to recover from the head injury that knocked him out of the Ole Miss and Kansas State games.

6. TCU (2-2, 0-1 Big 12, last week 6): Did TCU's offense finally uncover an identity during a rainy fourth quarter against SMU? The Horned Frogs poured on 31 points in the final quarter and did it with some new faces, as Ty Slanina, Ja'Juan Story and Cameron Echols-Luper all factored into the scoring onslaught in the first real action of their TCU careers. The Horned Frogs can really turn their season around with a win in Norman this weekend. That won't be easy, though, if All-American cornerback Jason Verrett (shoulder) and defensive end Devonte Fields (foot) can't play.

7. Oklahoma State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12, last week 1): The Cowboys plummet six spots after an uninspiring performance in Morgantown. It was just one loss, but it was a loss that exposed weaknesses across the board. For the first time in seemingly forever, Oklahoma State's kicking game is awful. The Cowboys' secondary gave up 320 yards to a West Virginia passing attack that previously had been completely futile. And on the other side of the ball, when the Mountaineers dared QB J.W. Walsh to beat them deep, he couldn't do it. That allowed West Virginia to stuff the Cowboys' running game, which also doesn't appear to have that bell-cow running back Oklahoma State has been accustomed to featuring. The Cowboys are better than they looked at West Virginia -- but how much better?

8. Kansas State (2-2, 0-1 Big 12, last week 7): Bill Snyder maintains the Wildcats will stick with the two-quarterback system, which has yielded mixed results. K-State has moved the ball better when Daniel Sams has been in at quarterback. But when he's in, the Wildcats are virtually no threat to pass. Sams has 29 rushes and only four passing attempts. Is Sams really that poor of a passer? Maybe it's time for K-State to find out.

9. Iowa State (1-2, 0-0 Big 12, last week 10): It's hard to believe a center could make that much of a difference. But the return of Tom Farniok sure seemed to do wonders for Iowa State's offense, which finally got going in a 38-21 win at Tulsa. The Cyclones also finally involved running back Aaron Wimberly, who ignited the running game with Iowa State's first 100-yard performance in more than a year. With former blue-chip junior-college transfer E.J. Bibbs emerging now at tight end, QB Sam Richardson no longer appears to be on his own. Jack Trice will be rocking Thursday night for the Longhorns, as Iowa State has a chance to land a signature win to build off of for the rest of the season.

10. Kansas (2-1, 0-0 Big 12, last week 9): The Jayhawks have a winning record but have been mostly unimpressive. Can they turn around the offense against Texas Tech? That will hinge almost entirely on quarterback Jake Heaps, who has talent but has been unable to find any rhythm so far with a collection of unproven wideouts. If the Jayhawks can be competitive this weekend, it will be a good sign they are moving in the right direction. If they get blasted, it could be a long season, especially with Iowa State and West Virginia seemingly having found their stride.

Recognizing the best and brightest from around the Big 12 in Week 4:

QB Blake Bell, Oklahoma: In his first career road start, Bell threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another 59 to knock off No. 22 Notre Dame. He was a solid 22-for-30 through the air in the 35-21 victory, and his 54-yard touchdown to Sterling Shepard ended up being the clincher in the fourth quarter. He managed the offense well despite dealing with a leg cramp.

West Virginia defense: What a showing from a unit that was one of the Big 12’s worst last season. West Virginia got so many important stops, including shutting down the nation’s best red-zone offense with a goal-line stop that led to a missed field goal. The Mountaineers silenced the OSU running backs, who combined for 47 yards. They snagged a pick-six in the first quarter and another interception to secure the victory in the fourth. Impressive showing all around.

QB Clint Trickett, West Virginia: Despite a shoulder injury that looked pretty nasty, Trickett came back in and wowed in his first start as a Mountaineer, throwing for 309 yards and a touchdown in West Virginia’s 30-21 win over No. 11 Oklahoma State. The Florida State transfer pulled off perhaps the upset of the day and showed plenty of toughness in doing so.

S Sam Carter, TCU: While Trevone Boykin deserves praise for his fourth-quarter play, we’ll give the honor to Carter for his two interceptions against SMU. The first came when the game was still 10-10 and set up the Frogs’ go-ahead touchdown. They’d score on their next four possession, and Carter finished off the Ponies with a 66-yard interception for a touchdown. He also had five tackles, a sack and forced a fumble.

RB Aaron Wimberly, Iowa State: We could probably give one to Sam Richardson, too, but Wimberly really stepped up in ISU’s 38-21 win over Tulsa on Thursday. The junior college transfer entered the night with 10 carries but thrived with a big workload, picking up 137 yards on 19 rushes. He’ll be a guy ISU can lean on going forward.

With his hair askew, West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen addressed reporters with a relieved look on his face early Saturday evening. Meanwhile, in South Bend, Ind., Oklahoma had just taken a 14-0 lead over Notre Dame.

The Big 12 landscape was in motion.

Holgorsen’s Mountaineers upset Big 12 favorite Oklahoma State 31-20 on Saturday, knocking the Cowboys behind Texas in the Big 12 standings. OU answered a lot of questions in its 35-21 win over Notre Dame while Baylor and Texas Tech watched from afar, forced to wait until they could have their say in stadiums across the Big 12 in the Saturdays to come.

With OSU’s loss, the Sooners elevated themselves to conference-favorite status on Saturday, securing the most impressive win by a Big 12 team to date. OU quarterback Blake Bell continued to answer all questions about his ability with a veteran performance in the first road start of his career. Bell passed for 232 yards, rushed for 59 yards and didn’t make any big mistakes as the Sooners improved to 4-0 with TCU visiting Oklahoma Memorial Stadium next Saturday. The OU defense also made its case to be called the class of the Big 12, holding Notre Dame to 324 yards and forcing three interceptions, which the Sooners turned into 21 points.

Yet it was the Mountaineers who delivered the biggest surprise of the day in Morgantown. After arguably the worst performance of the Holgorsen era a week ago against Maryland, very few people gave WVU a chance against Oklahoma State despite its home-field advantage. A bevy of depth-chart changes and a new starting quarterback sparked the Mountaineers to the upset win. Former Florida State quarterback Clint Trickett delivered one of the gutsiest performances of the day in his first start at WVU, playing through an injured shoulder to lead his squad to a victory. He finished 24-of-50 passing for 209 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

Subpar numbers, superb result.

“You can look at stats, but bottom line, our team bought in to getting out there and playing ball,” Holgorsen said. “Clint did a great job of keeping the play alive and we had a sense that he could do that from watching him at Florida State. He’s what we thought he was, he’s tough, he’s smart, he doesn’t get rattled. He just gets out there and plays ball.”

Now, as the sun set on Week 5, OU’s Nov. 7 visit to Waco, Texas, looms larger than ever with OSU’s loss to the Mountaineers. Baylor hosts the Sooners in a Thursday night tilt that could decide the Big 12 champion. The Bears, who host WVU next weekend, join OU as the league’s most impressive teams as October approaches and face the easier path --WVU, at Kansas State, Iowa State, at Kansas-- to remaining undefeated after Halloween.

The Sooners, meanwhile, host TCU, battle Texas in the Red River Rivalry, visit Kansas and host Texas Tech before traveling to Waco. It’s not an easy stretch, but it’s not nearly as difficult as it appeared to be prior to the first kickoff of 2013.

What about Texas Tech, you ask? The Red Raiders face three of four games on the road in October, finishing at OU on Oct. 26. Not the ideal scenario with true freshmen at the quarterback position. That uncertainty under center is what separates Baylor from Texas Tech. Kilff Kingbury’s squad could be in the Big 12 title race, but their legitimacy will determined in the next four weeks, and they’ll have to prove they’re being overlooked.

All is not lost for the Big 12 preseason favorite, however, as the Cowboys could still find themselves back in the race by going undefeated for the rest of their Big 12 schedule. Only West Virginia, with one Big 12 loss to OU, could hold the tiebreaker over OSU in that scenario, so this could just be a dent in the Cowboys’ résumé -- their story is written in pencil.

OSU, OU, BU and TTU entered the day as the favorites in the conference. But, make no mistake, a lot happened during a light schedule in the Big 12 on Saturday. A clear Big 12 title favorite emerged in OU, and OSU’s weaknesses were exposed at WVU, while BU and TTU remain hungry to prove themselves as legitimate contenders after their bye weeks.

October should be fun; get your candy corn ready.

Coach Mike Gundy brought in offensive guru Dana Holgorsen to be his play-caller after the Oklahoma State offense fell off a table at the end of the 2009 season.

The immediate results were immaculate.

With Holgorsen calling plays between chugging sideline Red Bulls, the 2010 Cowboys featured college football’s third-best offense with an average of 520 yards and 44 points per game.

Oklahoma State finished with a record of 11-2, too, and after just one season, Holgorsen got a new job as the head-coach-in-waiting at West Virginia.

Holgorsen’s system continues to serve as the bedrock of the Oklahoma State attack, which remains one of the most prolific in the country.

But as the Cowboys and Mountaineers prepare to meet Saturday in Morgantown, it’s Holgorsen’s West Virginia offense that has now fallen flat.

“Everybody sees the obvious, which is they’ve struggled in a couple games,” said Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer, who was on the staff with Holgorsen in Stillwater. “Knowing him, I’m sure he would say the same thing if you asked him, but it all comes down to execution.”

The Mountaineers haven’t been executing well all season. After scoring seven touchdowns against Oklahoma last year, West Virginia managed just one in a loss in Norman earlier this season.

The Mountaineers also struggled offensively in sluggish wins over William & Mary and Georgia State.

Then last weekend, West Virginia was shut out for the first time in a dozen years in a 37-0 loss to Maryland, which also became the first school to shut out Holgorsen since he began calling plays at the FBS level.

Afterward, Holgorsen claimed his offense was as inept as one could possibly be.

“We're not clicking,” he said earlier this week, “and that falls 100 percent on me."

The Cowboys, however, aren’t taking the West Virginia offense lightly. If, for no other reason, than they’ve seen firsthand how quickly Holgorsen can turn an offense around.

For the Cowboys, the 2009 season began as well as possible, then ended about as badly as possible, too.

After beating Georgia by two touchdowns in its opener, Oklahoma State ascended all the way to No. 5 in the polls.

The following week, however, the Cowboys lost star receiver Dez Bryant to an NCAA suspension, then lost 45-35 to Houston in Stillwater.

By the end of the season, the offense had become a shell of its former self, as the Cowboys got shut out 27-0 at Oklahoma, then managed to score just once in a Cotton Bowl defeat to Ole Miss.

Gundy elected to rescind his play-calling duties, and hired Holgorsen away from Houston after his offense had given OSU such fits earlier in the season.

With Holgorsen’s offense, Oklahoma State bounced back with its first 11-win in school history. The scheme was such a hit in Stillwater that when Holgorsen left for West Virginia, Gundy had quarterback Brandon Weeden teach new coordinator Todd Monken the scheme so the Cowboys could keep running it.

“The offense that we still run is the offense that he brought here,” Oklahoma State quarterback J.W. Walsh said of Holgorsen, who recruited Walsh to Stillwater.

Now, Holgorsen finds himself trying to turn around his own offense. Given how ugly the Maryland performance was, that won't be easy, either. The Mountaineers finished with just as many turnovers as first downs. They almost had more penalty yards than total yards in the first half. And quarterback Ford Childress completed just one pass to a wide receiver the entire game.

“If we want to win, the defense has to set up scores or make plays, that’s just the situation we are in until the offense comes along, which eventually, it will,” Holgorsen said. “My challenge is to make it happen sooner, and make it happen this week."

However it’s going to happen, it won’t be with Childress at the controls. Holgorsen announced Thursday that Childress had suffered a torn pectoral muscle and that Florida State transfer Clint Trickett would get the start against the Cowboys.

But even though West Virginia will be starting its third different quarterback already this season, and even though the Mountaineers have the Big 12’s lowest scoring attack so far, the Cowboys know well enough to not underestimate Holgorsen.

“He has a great mind, and if we take something away, he will try to find another way to attack us,” Spencer said. “I have a lot of respect for him and what they do offensively.

“It will be a challenge for us.”

There's no crying in baseball, but I guess it's OK here.

• The Cyclones found their footing, and an offense, at Tulsa, according to the Ames Tribune's Bobby La Gesse. Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register writes about how QB Sam Richardson overcame injuries to guide Iowa State to the 38-21 win. The paper's Bryce Miller explains how center Tom Farniok shored up the Cyclones offensive line.
• Saturday, Clint Trickett will become West Virginia's third starting quarterback already this season. The Charleston Daily Mail's Mike Casazza breaks it down. The Mountaineers are also ready to pick up the pace, writes Dave Hickman of the Charleston Gazette. Opposing defenses, meanwhile, have the blueprint for stopping the West Virginia offense, in the opinion of Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• The Sooners are expecting a big-time atmosphere in South Bend. The Oklahoma players talk about playing in big-time games. The Oklahoman's Jason Kersey breaks down the OU-Notre Dame matchups. The Dallas Morning News does the same.
• Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich is getting the opportunity of a lifetime, writes The Oklahoman's Gina Mizell. Running back Jeremy Smith has been a reason for Oklahoma State's 3-0 start.
• Baylor coach Art Briles is hoping his book, “Looking Up: My Journey from Tragedy to Triumph," inspires. The Bears expect to get back tight end Jordan Najvar and running back Glasco Martin next week in their Big 12 opener against West Virginia. The Dallas Morning News compares the Baylor and Oregon offenses side-by-side.
• TCU is the best in the Big 12 when it comes to non-conference scheduling, according to The Oklahoman's Ryan Aber. The Horned Frogs need an offensive spark, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Jimmy Burch and Stefan Stevenson. E.J. Holland of the Dallas Morning News predicts the Frogs will keep the Iron Skillet in Fort Worth.
• The Lawrence Journal-World's Matt Tait writes that the Kansas offensive line is trying to get tougher during its open week.
• A bye week on the schedule doesn’t mean Kansas State has taken it easy, either, according to Ken Corbitt of the Topeka Capital-Journal.
• Texas Tech is planning some reunions.
• Could there be crimson on the burnt orange side? The AP reports that Texas students have not claimed all their tickets for the Red River Rivalry.

The Big 12 has been known as a quarterback conference. This season, at least early on, it might be known as a two-quarterback conference.

During the Big 12’s weekly teleconference on Monday, five coaches indicated they could play two quarterbacks this weekend.

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said he would play Clint Chelf and J.W. Walsh against Mississippi State.

TCU coach Gary Patterson said not only would Casey Pachall and Trevone Boykin both play against LSU, but they would serve as the offensivee captains for the game.

West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen narrowed his competition to two, but said Paul Millard and Clint Trickett are still fighting for the No. 1 job.

Kansas State coach Bill Snyder at least named Jake Waters his starter, but added that Daniel Sams would play.

Texas Tech’s quarterback position remains unclear, too, with true freshmen Davis Webb and Baker Mayfield battling to start against SMU on Friday.

Red Raiders coach Kliff Kingsbury said Monday that he normally would like to have a starter named by this point but said he isn’t against playing both freshmen against the Mustangs as neither guy has really separated.

“We’re not opposed to playing two guys,” Kingsbury said, “if we think that will help us win the game.”

The same goes for the rest of the league, apparently. Other news and notes from the Big 12 teleconference:

Stoops hints Belldozer will continue

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops was asked several questions about Blake Bell following the Sooners decision to name Trevor Knight as the starter against Louisiana Monroe on Saturday.

Unlike previous years when the Sooners have named a starter and given him the majority of the reps in practice, Stoops said the situation will be different with Bell and Knight this season.

“Blake will continue to get reps,” he said.

The Sooners head coach also hinted that Bell could continue to play his role as the “Belldozer” in short-yardage situations. Bell rushed for 24 touchdowns in the role during the past two seasons, helping the Sooners finish second in the Big 12 in red zone efficiency, scoring touchdowns 64.8 percent of the time they ventured inside an opponent’s 20-yard line. Nonetheless, Stoops refused to say for certain if using Bell in spot situations is definitely in the Sooners’ plans this season.

“It wouldn’t make sense to tip our hand,” Stoops said.

Kansas OK with Week 1 bye

Kansas’ season doesn’t begin until next week. Usually that would bother coach Charlie Weis, but not this year.

The Jayhawks open their regular season next Saturday vs. South Dakota. Kicking off the year with a bye is fine by Weis because he’s convinced his players could use the extra preparation.

“Normally, I wouldn’t like the extra week now,” he said. “But because we have so many guys that we’re counting on who were junior college guys and just arrived here, I think it’s given us an opportunity to take this week this week and go through a simulated game week as if we’re playing this Saturday.”

Weis said “90 percent” of KU’s position battles have been decided. This week is more about giving his players time to get adjusted as classes begin Monday. Kansas will have a 7 a.m. practice on Saturday, and then the coaches will spend the day watching KU’s upcoming opponents.

“In this isolated incident, it really plays, in our case, to our advantage for us in this calendar year,” Weis said.

Baylor working on identity

Baylor is one of the few teams in the league entering the season with a settled situation at quarterback. Junior Bryce Petty will be the guy under center for the Bears after spending three years behind Robert Griffin III and Nick Florence.

Nonetheless, Baylor coach Art Briles still isn’t certain how things will play out this fall.

“We’ve talked to Bryce about creating an identity,” Briles said. “Right now, he’s an unknown. I’ve mentioned to him, ‘What are people going to say about you after you’ve played a game?’”

Petty has looked solid in the Bears’ preseason scrimmages, completing 46 of 65 passes for 582 yards and five touchdowns in three outings.

Earlier Tuesday, I wrote about how the Big 12’s lack of marquee returning quarterbacks will affect the league race.

In this roundtable, the Big 12 blog team addresses four key questions about the conference’s quarterbacks:

Which quarterback battle will drag on longest?

Jake Trotter: I could see Oklahoma’s lasting a while. Freshman Trevor Knight outplayed Blake Bell in both preseason scrimmages, even though Bell entered the preseason as the favorite to win the job. Whoever comes out of camp with the nod will have to go against the tough defenses of Notre Dame and TCU. If the starter struggled, there’s a decent chance the Sooners would give the other a shot to spark the offense. A scenario like that might also spark a quarterback controversy in Norman.

David Ubben: Probably Texas Tech, but only by necessity. Michael Brewer's back injury doesn't sound like a minor situation, and true freshmen Davis Webb and All-Name Teamer Baker Mayfield may have to take over until he's back to 100 percent. And what if he takes another shot to his back during the season?

Brandon Chatmon: I have a feeling Oklahoma State's quarterback battle will last deep into the season. The Cowboys have proved they can win with both guys, so there should be no hesitation to look toward J.W. Walsh if Clint Chelf starts against Mississippi State or vice versa.

Max Olson: Texas Tech. Having to roll with true freshmen Webb and Mayfield to open the season is far from ideal. Whenever Brewer heals up, you have to think he’ll be right back in the mix to regain the starting job. I wouldn’t be shocked if all three earn starts this season.

Who is most likely to use a two-quarterback system all season?

Trotter: Oklahoma State. The Cowboys have two quarterbacks they have won with, and because Chelf and Walsh have different styles, there would be an advantage to using both. Because neither really has previous claim over the other and because the Cowboys run so many plays, this would be a unique circumstance where playing two quarterbacks would seemingly leave offensive chemistry undisturbed.

Ubben: Can we really call Oklahoma State a two-quarterback system? If so, I'm going with the Pokes. Chelf's going to start, but Walsh's short-yardage package is really valuable, and he proved last season that he's definitely skilled enough to make defenses respect his arm. He'll have opportunities to throw the ball more than people expect this season.

Chatmon: TCU' Casey Pachall brings passing skills and overall production that cannot be matched by Trevone Boykin, while Boykin brings running skills that make him too valuable to leave on the sideline indefinitely.

Olson: Nobody is better suited to handle that conundrum than Oklahoma State, right? Cowboys players know they can win ballgames with either Walsh or Chelf running the show. They trust both guys, and I think Mike Gundy does, too. Of all the league’s quarterback battles, OSU might be the only school that can’t go wrong.

Who ultimately will be the All-Big 12 quarterback?

Trotter: I’m going with Baylor’s Bryce Petty. Unlike most quarterbacks in the league, there’s no looming threat to take snaps away from him. And with the firepower around him, he could really have a monster season.

Ubben: Petty. He has great running backs for balance and one of the Big 12's best offensive lines, as long as it stays healthy. There are zero questions about his NFL-caliber arm strength, and if he can prove himself a competent decision-maker, he has 3,500 yards and 30 touchdowns in his future, as well as a good shot to clear 500 rushing yards.

Chatmon: So many possibilities, so little time. Let’s give the nod to Petty because he’s secured the starting spot at Baylor and promises to be surrounded by some of the Big 12’s most explosive skill players. It’s hard to imagine him not being productive in 2013.

Olson: Tough call. I’ll reluctantly go with Petty simply because he’s most likely to be the statistically superior candidate in December. He’s surrounded by too many offensive weapons; it’s just hard to picture him struggling. In the end, though, I won’t be surprised if the All-Big 12 quarterback honor goes to whoever wins the league title.

Who will be the biggest surprise quarterback?

Trotter: First, he has to win the job. But if Jake Waters can emerge out of the quarterback battle with Daniel Sams, he could become K-State’s great transfer quarterback. Waters set a junior college record for completion percentage on his way to winning a national title. That kind of precision would fit in well with an offense that returns seven starters.

Ubben: Dana Holgorsen's track record with quarterbacks is too good for Clint Trickett not to make a big splash in a new offense that's pretty easy for players to learn on the fly. He's my pick to win the WVU job, and even though the receivers are inexperienced, guys like Kevin White, Ivan McCartney, Mario Alford and KJ Myers should give him plenty of targets who will allow him put up big numbers.

Chatmon: Nobody is talking about Iowa State quarterback Sam Richardson, but the sophomore should be much more comfortable in Year 2 and could be poised for a breakout season for the Cyclones.

Olson: David Ash. The Texas junior is poised to really open some eyes this fall. Ash was better in 2012 than most people realize, but he’s always been judged more by his bad games than his good ones. I think that changes this season. Honorable mention goes to whoever starts at K-State. You know he’ll exceed expectations.

We'll kick off our position rankings across the Big 12 today. Depth plays a factor in each. We're not ranking individual players, we're ranking each Big 12 team by their strength at the position. Quarterback obviously uses its depth the least, but ask Oklahoma State or TCU how important it is.

Here's how I rank the Big 12 teams at quarterback:

1. Oklahoma State: Wes Lunt is gone, but OSU still has two quarterbacks capable of winning a Big 12 title with this roster in likely starter Clint Chelf and short-yardage specialist J.W. Walsh. Walsh nearly knocked off Texas in his first career start last season. Chelf has lots of experience in the system, and Walsh led the Big 12 in passer rating last season.

2. TCU: Casey Pachall has to prove he can get back to his old self, but he's got a strong case as the Big 12's best quarterback. Trevone Boykin improved a lot over the 2012 season and coach Gary Patterson raved about his progress this spring, making Pachall's likely reclamation of his starting spot a tougher assignment than most figured. Boykin's arguably the Big 12's best playmaker at QB with his feet. No QB in the Big 12 has a stronger on-field résumé at this point in their careers than Pachall. That carries a lot of weight in these rankings.

3. Baylor: Bryce Petty is my pick for the Big 12's all-conference quarterback at the end of the season. He's got a great offense around him, but this is his fourth year in the system, learning behind great football minds like Robert Griffin III and Nick Florence. He's more physically gifted than Florence and will be able to do many of the things RG3 did with his arm. Seth Russell is a solid backup, and Chris Johnson is a promising young player, too.

4. Texas: David Ash has a shot to be the Big 12's best quarterback this season, but has to shake off rough games like he had against Kansas to do it. Case McCoy isn't the most physically gifted specimen at the position, but there's no denying his playmaking ability. Even Texas A&M fans would have to admit that. Tyrone Swoopes turned some heads during the spring game, and Connor Brewer is a solid prospect.

5. Oklahoma: Blake Bell should be an above average Big 12 starter, who proves he can throw the ball and is more than just a threat around the goal line. The inexperience all over the Big 12 at this position makes ranking this spot extremely difficult, but Kendal Thompson and Trevor Knight behind Bell would be intriguing to watch if they're forced into duty. All three are playmakers with their feet.

6. West Virginia: The Mountaineers probably have more upside than any team on this list, and have three guys who could probably carry the Mountaineers to 7-8 wins this season. That's a luxury, but other than Ford Childress, I'm not sure I see a real game changer in Clint Trickett or Paul Millard. Still, don't be surprised if whoever wins the job racks up 3,500-plus yards in this offense.

7. Texas Tech: Tech is right behind West Virginia in potential at this position. Michael Brewer breaking out and proving himself as the Big 12's best quarterback this season wouldn't surprise me at all. True freshman Davis Webb has impressed Kliff Kingsbury, but Brewer's inability to beat him out for the job is something of a red flag. Not much depth at the position slides the Red Raiders down the list a bit.

8. Kansas State: K-State has an intriguing race between Daniel Sams and Jake Waters. Bill Snyder has historically preferred dual-threat quarterbacks, and Sams will easily be the fastest quarterback in the Big 12, but I want to see him operate the whole offense and not do so while nursing big leads before I truly buy in. Waters isn't a statue, but Sams could surpass Boykin as the Big 12's best running quarterback.

9. Kansas: Jake Heaps is the great hope for the Jayhawks, who don't have another serviceable quarterback on the roster. Heaps has earned some rave reviews during the spring and had moderate success at BYU. He'll have a strong running game and a better group of receivers around him than Dayne Crist did last season. Michael Cummings played some last season after replacing Crist, but the results were far from inspiring.

10. Iowa State: Sam Richardson has to prove he improved a lot in his first offseason as the team's unquestioned starter. Grant Rohach is a decent backup, but this position has been a constant struggle recently in Ames. I'm not entirely sold on Richardson being the guy to change that.

Everybody knows about the Big 12's quarterback tradition, but which passer will lead the Big 12 in passing yards in 2013?

Cast your vote. We only have room for five options, so if your pick isn't on the poll, send me an email here to make a case for your selection. I'll print some of the best.

Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor: Petty has a mere 140 career passing yards at Baylor, and the Bears' Nick Florence led the league in passing a year ago. Petty's got more physical gifts, less experience and not quite as talented of a receiving corps. Art Briles' offense is a proven entity and Petty's been in it for four years.

Clint Chelf, QB, Oklahoma State: Chelf will command a Cowboys offense that had the Big 12's passing leader in 2011 in Brandon Weeden. Chelf doesn't have Weeden's arm, but he's got a deep roster at receiver with Josh Stewart, Tracy Moore and Blake Jackson returning, with newcomers Ra'Shaad Samples and Marcell Ateman joining the crew.

David Ash, QB, Texas: Ash is the Big 12's most experienced quarterback and has a pair of great receivers to throw to in Mike Davis and Jaxon Shipley. Ash has the luxury of a powerful running game to aid him, but he's got just three career games with at least 300 passing yards. Will he turn the corner this season?

Casey Pachall, QB, TCU: At his best, Pachall has proven himself better than any current Big 12 quarterback, but he's got a lot to prove after missing the final games of 2012. He was on his way to a 4,000-yard season before a drunken driving arrest, and the Frogs' balanced offense will limit his attempts to some degree in 2013.

The field: Tons of possible candidates in this group. My top pick would be Texas Tech's Michael Brewer, but what about Oklahoma's Blake Bell? Would you cast a vote for Daniel Sams or Jake Waters? West Virginia's Ford Childress, Paul Millard or Clint Trickett could be in the mix as well. Would you take a flyer on Kansas' Jake Heaps or Iowa State's Sam Richardson to have a breakout season? Cast your vote and don't forget to send me your case if you vote for the field.

Last season, the Big 12 had just one starting quarterback (Oklahoma State's Wes Lunt) begin the year without a career start. It could look much, much different this time around. Experience at the position is always helpful, and here's a look at who's got how much across the Big 12 among players who could be Week 1 starters:

1. David Ash, Texas (18 starts): Ash has gotten better and better as his career has progressed and he threw almost twice as many passes in 2012 as a full-time starter as he did in 2011. The result: A jump from four to 19 touchdown passes and the same number of interceptions. He also completed 11 percent more of his passes (67 percent). But he also has to eliminate games like he had in 2012, when he completed 50 percent or less in three starts.

2. Casey Pachall, TCU (17 starts): Pachall was leading the nation in passing efficiency before an October drunk driving arrest led to him leave the program to seek treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. His decision-making on the field is his biggest asset. He has 36 career touchdown passes to just eight interceptions.

3. Jake Heaps, Kansas (16 starts): All 16 of Heaps' starts came at BYU, but he lost his job after some sophomore struggles in the wake of a breakout freshman season. He threw for almost 3,800 yards and completed 57 percent of his passes with 24 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in almost two seasons in Provo.

4. Trevone Boykin, TCU (nine starts): Boykin's got a ton of speed and a big arm and did better than most figured he would while filling in for Pachall last season. The rising sophomore completed just 57 percent of his passes but threw for at least 250 yards in four games.

5. Clint Chelf, Oklahoma State (five starts): Chelf's upside is minimal, but he proved himself more than competent after sticking out the first half of the season as OSU's No. 3 quarterback. A year after being beaten out by a true freshman in the spring, he's OSU's presumed starter. He completed 60 percent of his passes for 15 touchdowns and six interceptions after stepping in for an injured Wes Lunt against Kansas State.

6. Sam Richardson, Iowa State (three starts): Richardson was the third ISU quarterback to get a start last season and had a huge game in a blowout win over Kansas but completed less than 50 percent of his passes the rest of the season. It's his team for the time being, but I'm betting Paul Rhoads is prepared to hand the ball to Grant Rohach if Richardson strings together many more games like he had against West Virginia and Tulsa.

6. J.W. Walsh, Oklahoma State (three starts): Nearly knocked off Texas in his first start, but played well in blowout wins over Kansas and Iowa State. A leg injury cost him half of his season, but he's found a niche in the offense with a short yardage package and proved himself a capable starter.

8. Clint Trickett, West Virginia (two starts): Trickett appeared in 16 games at Florida State, nearly knocking off Oklahoma in 2011 in Tallahassee. He made just two starts at FSU, but threw for 336 yards in a close loss to Clemson in one of them.

9. Michael Brewer, Texas Tech (zero starts): Brewer got a little bit of playing time behind Seth Doege last season, completing 70 percent of his passes for four touchdowns and no interceptions. It'll get tougher as a full-time starter if he officially wins the job ahead of Davis Webb this fall.

9. Blake Bell, Oklahoma (zero starts): You know him as the BellDozer, and he has more career rushing touchdowns (24) than pass attempts (20). He left the spring as the Sooners' almost sure heir to Landry Jones.

9. Daniel Sams/Jake Waters, Kansas State (zero starts): Waters is a junior college transfer who hasn't played a snap of major college football. Sams rushed for 235 yards and three touchdowns in mostly mop-up duty last season, but after Collin Klein suffered a head injury against Oklahoma State, he completed 6 of 8 passes for 55 yards.

9. Bryce Petty, Baylor (zero starts): Petty's never played a meaningful snap with the Bears and has just 14 career pass attempts. He's been in the program forever and has the physical skills to be great, but his career is starting on a fresh slate in 2013.

9. Paul Millard/Ford Childress, West Virginia (zero starts): Millard has served as Geno Smith's backup in mop-up duty, and threw 34 passes in the past two seasons. Childress redshirted last season and hasn't seen any playing time.

It's time to look forward to 2013 and the Big 12's best passers. Hitting 3,000 yards is the benchmark for a productive season as a college quarterback.

Four Big 12 quarterbacks threw for at least 3,000 yards last season -- but all four threw for more than 4,000 yards. Two more quarterbacks hit 2,500 yards.

Who will crack the mark in 2013? With so many jobs up in the air, it's going to be tough to predict, but here's who I'm buying as a 3,000-yard passer in 2013, in order of the likelihood they'll do it.

1. Bryce Petty, Baylor: Of all the new quarterbacks in the Big 12, Petty has the most experience in his current system and has the deepest receiving corps. BU's got solid running backs, but this is still a pass-first offense and Petty's got an arm capable of making any play necessary. This is a no-brainer.

2. Michael Brewer, Texas Tech: Call me a believer in coach Kliff Kingsbury as an offensive mind. We'll see about Texas Tech as a whole, but Brewer's got a diverse skill set and his ability to run will make it easier for him to throw. Defenses will have to watch for both. Add to that a high tempo and a very, very good and deep receiving corps, and Brewer should be able to crack 3,000 yards sometime in early November.

3. Clint Chelf, Oklahoma State: Oklahoma State didn't have a 1,600-yard passer last year, but that's what happens when the injury bug bites. OSU has had a 3,000-yard passer in three of the past four seasons before that, though, and cleared the mark easily in team passing yards in all three seasons under the Air Raid. Chelf's likely to hit 4,000 if he wins the job officially.

4. David Ash, Texas: Ash has never hit the 3,000-yard mark, but he's getting better and his receivers are, too. Texas wants to play faster, too, which means more snaps and more pass attempts for Ash, even with a great running back corps with a ton of depth. He was at 2,699 yards last year, but he's got a great shot to get over the top this year.

5. Casey Pachall, TCU: Back in 2011, Pachall was 79 yards short of his first 3,000-yard season. He was well on his way last year with almost 1,000 yards in his first four games (including a win over SMU in a downpour). This one may be close, but if Pachall recaptures the job and only looks like a shell of himself, the odds are still in his favor to crack 3K.

6. Blake Bell, Oklahoma: This one may be close. I'm giving Bell the benefit of the doubt here. Bell's not as refined a passer as Landry Jones, but he's better than he's looked thus far in his career. He'll be running more than Jones, but I'm betting Bell clears the 3,000-yard mark safely.

7. Clint Trickett, West Virginia: West Virginia's going to run the ball a lot more this season with a lot of depth and talent at the position, but it's hard to see whoever wins the QB job not hitting at least 3,000 yards. They won't be reaching Geno Smith's 4,200 yards, but if Trickett beats out Ford Childress and Paul Millard in the Big 12's most unpredictable QB competition, he's hitting 3,000 yards.