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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Brady Heslip was stocky, not exactly someone who looked like he was going to be an impact player when he arrived at Boston College in the middle of the season two years ago.

And his impact was minimal, since he had been stashed at New Hampton Prep (N.H.) for the fall semester before he joined the Eagles in December. Then the staff was fired. New Boston College coach Steve Donahue didn’t see Heslip’s potential, for whatever reason. Heslip said the two met, he wasn’t in the plans and so he was out.

Former BC associate head coach Pat Duquette, who now has the same title at Northeastern, said he recruited Heslip out of Burlington, Ontario. Duquette said Heslip was “absolutely fearless, but physically more than you see. He had very long arms, which equaled a high release. And he had unusually big hands for a guard his size.’’

Former BC head coach Al Skinner said by phone Saturday night that he liked Heslip’s tough-minded approach.

“The thing about him was that he didn’t hunt shots; he let the game come to him,’’ Skinner said. “He executed well and was patient on the offensive end. He rarely takes a bad shot, and he had tremendous range.’’

There was an AAU connection with his coach to the Baylor staff. He went on a visit to Waco, Texas, and was sold. Baylor coach Scott Drew said Heslip dropped 24 pounds. He was a gym rat. His teammates loved him. But little did they know what they were getting in return.

“I know how hard he’s worked,’’ Baylor’s Quincy Acy said. “When he came in, we knew how good a shooter he was. Every time I went to the gym at night, I would see him in there sometimes twice a day. He works for it. I know whenever he gets hot, he can outshoot anybody.’’

Heslip’s impact Saturday night was epic for a Baylor program that is breaking barriers.

Heslip hit nine 3s for a career-high 27 points in Baylor’s 80-63 victory over Colorado at the Pit, to propel the Bears to their second Sweet 16 appearance in three seasons. The two Sweet 16s are the only ones in the school’s history. Drew is now 5-2 in the NCAA tournament, and the win Saturday gave the Bears a school-record 29 victories.

Heslip’s nine 3s set a single-game NCAA tournament record for the Bears. How much of an impact is Heslip having on a team known for its up-tempo style, tremendous length, and headliners Acy, Perry Jones III and Pierre Jackson?

“Heslip was the difference,’’ Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. “He was unconscious tonight.’’

Heslip made six of his 3s in the first half, but the Bears were up only two. His three 3s in the second half helped open up the game. Sure, there were times when Acy and Quincy Miller as well as Anthony Jones were extremely difficult to stop inside. The 17 offensive rebounds kept possessions alive. The 24 defensive rebounds ended plenty of the Buffs’ attempts.

But Heslip busted the game open.

“I’m just feeling great right now, first of all, because we won,’’ Heslip said. “I’m just happy for my seniors.

“As for the shooting, Pierre does a great job of finding me when I’m open and finding me in transition. Acy sets great screens, and it was just one of those nights.’’

Heslip was getting the ball in motion and was stroking it without any hesitation.

“If I’m in rhythm and feeling good shooting, it just makes it even easier,’’ Heslip said.

Baylor was a major disappointment last season, following an Elite Eight appearance and the departure of point guard Tweety Carter with a flameout in the Big 12 tournament. Jones’ ineligibility days before the tourney led to the Bears' missing the rest of the postseason.

The arrival of Jackson from junior college and Heslip’s eligibility changed the backcourt for the Bears and the potential for this squad.

If you followed Baylor early in the season, you saw wins at BYU and Northwestern and over Mississippi State, Saint Mary’s and West Virginia -- the latter three all on neutral courts. The Bears couldn’t beat Missouri or Kansas in the regular season but knocked off the Jayhawks in the Big 12 tournament.

Now Baylor is the first Big 12 team in the Sweet 16. And if Purdue were to upset Kansas on Sunday, the Bears could be the only one. Even if the Jayhawks join them, the Bears are peaking at the right time.

And so is Heslip, an option that makes the Bears that much more formidable in a possible showdown with Kentucky in the South Region at Atlanta with a right to go to the Final Four.

“Brady will be the first to tell you that his teammates really got him open and got him the ball,’’ Drew said. “That humility is what makes our team successful.’’

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Reaction from Baylor's 80-63 win over Colorado.

Overview: Give Colorado plenty of credit, the Buffaloes were scrappy until the final few minutes. But they simply didn’t have the overall talent to hang with Baylor, especially against the power game inside or the 3-point shooting from Brady Heslip and Anthony Jones. The Bears put on quite a display. They have the ability to turn it on as well as any team in the country, outside of Kentucky. If Baylor can play like this it should meet Kentucky in the Elite Eight Sunday in Atlanta.

Turning point: There were many to choose from but I’m more inclined to go with a Quincy Acy spin-move slam that was as impressive as you’ll see. That bucket gave the Bears a 61-58 advantage and set the tone for what would soon be a blowout. That bucket was the precursor to the 3s that Heslip started to drain, which opened up the game.

Key player: Brady Heslip. He made nine 3s, two shy of The Pit record, set by the late Bobby Phills in 1990 when he played for Southern and one shy of a school record. It was also only two shy of the NCAA tournament record set by Loyola Marymount's Jeff Fryer against Michigan in 1990. Heslip missed only three. The Buffs tried to find him but couldn’t contest. It was as good a performance as you’ll see from beyond the 3-point line.

Key stat: The 3s were noteworthy, but just as big a deal was the rebounding margin. The Bears dominated the backboard. Their defensive rebounding severely limited the Buffs' ability to get second-shot opportunities.

Miscellaneous: Baylor went with the yellow highlighter uniforms. The Bears are 3-0 with them. Former Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg flew in to represent the conference that he currently works in, the Pac-12. Odd that he was watching two former conference members tussle at The Pit. Baylor fans were chanting "Big 12 rejects" at Colorado when Baylor was up by 12. Not cool. The proper chant came later when the Bears fans were chanting “Big 12.” That was enough.

What’s next: Baylor will play the winner of Lehigh-Xavier on Friday in Atlanta for the right to go to the Elite Eight and possibly take on South top seed Kentucky. The Bears have the makeup to challenge Kentucky better than anyone else in this bracket. The Bears also have a chance to get to the Elite Eight by facing only double-digit seeds if Lehigh were to upset Xavier.

Editor’s note: Jay Bilas breaks down Missouri-Kansas in today’s Weekend Watch. Andy Katz offers a dozen more games to keep an eye on this weekend.

Friday

Marquette at West Virginia (9 p.m. ET, ESPN): West Virginia has to win this game, right? The Mountaineers have lost six of their past eight games. The only wins were over lower-level teams (Providence and Pitt) on the road. Marquette has been on a tear of late and may have the Big East Player of the Year in Jae Crowder or Darius Johnson-Odom.

Saturday

Vanderbilt at Kentucky (noon ET, CBS): Kentucky has three games left to finish off an undefeated SEC regular season. No offense to Georgia, but the Cats should take care of the Bulldogs. If Kentucky takes out Vandy, the only obstacle left is a game at Florida to end the regular season. If Kentucky can accomplish an unblemished mark, it would go down as one of the most impressive regular seasons in coach John Calipari’s career.

Iowa State at Kansas State (1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3): Wins at Baylor and Missouri have changed the complexion of Kansas State’s season. The Wildcats have finally finished games by playing smart in the final possessions. Iowa State has a tough slate to finish the season with games at Kansas State and Missouri and then hosting Baylor. Not an easy road for a bubble team.

North Carolina at Virginia (4 p.m. ET, ESPN): UVa has had injury issues and hasn’t been able to find consistency against the league’s elite (Duke and North Carolina). But the Cavs have a shot to re-establish themselves. This could turn into an ACC Player of the Year-type game as Tyler Zeller of the Tar Heels matches up with Mike Scott of the Cavs. UVa must ensure that it controls the tempo to have a chance.

Mississippi State at Alabama (6 p.m. ET, ESPN): Mississippi State has stumbled down the stretch and has no momentum going into the SEC tournament. The Bulldogs have lost to the bottom of the SEC and now to Kentucky at the top. Meanwhile, Alabama has done a tremendous job, despite player suspensions, to be in the hunt for an NCAA tournament berth. The win at Arkansas was one of the more impressive for the Tide this season.

George Mason at VCU (6 p.m. ET, ESPN2): George Mason was going to be in position to possibly catch Drexel and win the conference. But an overtime loss at Northeastern has pushed the Patriots into a second-place tie with VCU. The winner will get the No. 2 seed in the CAA tournament and potentially set up for a final matchup against Drexel.

Temple at Saint Joseph’s (7 p.m. ET, ESPNU): Temple has emerged as the class of the A-10. Saint Joe’s had some fleeting hopes of getting a bid, but the Hawks lost at home to Richmond and scored only 49 points in the process. This is a huge rivalry game but the toughness of the Owls should prevail.

Penn at Harvard (7 p.m. ET, ESPN3): If Harvard gets by Princeton on Friday night, a win against Penn could give the Crimson a share of the Ivy League title and a chance to clinch it outright the following Friday at Columbia. Harvard is trying to get to the NCAAs for the first time since 1946.

Syracuse at Connecticut (9 p.m. ET, ESPN): The Huskies have new life after Shabazz Napier’s 3-point heave went in to beat Villanova on Monday night. The Orange have been as good, if not better, on the road than at home -- other than at Notre Dame. Syracuse should dominate the bench scoring. The Huskies have a chance if Andre Drummond and Alex Oriakhi can win the post, and Napier and Ryan Boatright can get into the zone with floaters to score. UConn is in desperate mode to get this win.

Sunday

Wisconsin at Ohio State (4 p.m. ET, CBS): The Badgers lost at Iowa on Thursday night and now have to go to Ohio State? Yikes. Iowa let Wisconsin back in the game, but then the Badgers couldn’t finish and lost by one. OSU, save the game against Michigan State, has been as dominant at home as any team in the country. The Badgers have to find a way to score and avoid the droughts that can decimate their chances of pulling off an upset like this one.

California at Colorado (5:30 p.m. ET, FSN): Colorado had a chance to make some noise down the stretch in the Pac-12, but losing at home to Stanford took some of the energy out of this game. The Buffaloes had overachieved to that point. Cal needs to get a sweep of the mountain area to win the Pac-12 regular-season title, assuming Washington doesn’t stumble.

Florida State at Miami (6 p.m. ET, ESPNU): The Seminoles lost their shot to win the ACC regular-season title by dropping a home game to Duke. Miami desperately needs this game to prove to the selection committee that it is tourney-worthy. This game will have ACC tournament seeding implications.

In Thursday's post about the Big 12's to-do list, I added a quick line that read a little something like this:

"Truth be told, the Big 12 won't miss Missouri or Texas A&M nearly as bad as it will national power Nebraska."

That's based off Nebraska's fan support, first and foremost, which I still think is unrivaled in the Big 12.

Additionally, there's the winning factor. Nebraska's 43 conference titles and five national championships dwarf Texas A&M's 18 conference titles and one national title. Missouri also has 15 conference titles. Colorado had 26 conference titles and a national title.

A few of you disagreed that Nebraska would be missed most.

So, let's get all scientific* about this. Which team will you miss most?

Maybe it's their stadium. Maybe it's their fans. Maybe its the rivalry. But if you had to pick just one, who would you miss most?

Vote in our poll.

*not actually scientific

The Pac-10 and Big 12 nearly got married last year, but only Colorado ended up eloping with the now-Pac-12.

You know: The conference that can count!

But the Pac-12, which has, yes, 12 teams, and the Big 12, which has 10 teams (though it's often hard to keep up with which ones), play each other in three bowl games this holiday season.

Joy to the world.

So it seemed like a good time for the Pac-12 and Big 12 bloggers -- Ted Miller and David Ubben -- to say howdy and discuss all the coming fun.

Ted Miller: Ah, David, the bowl season. Pure bliss. Unless you’re the Pac-12, which is expected to get a whipping from your conference over the holidays. We have three Pac-12-Big 12 bowl games with the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl between Stanford and Oklahoma State, the Valero Alamo with Baylor and Washington, and the Bridgepoint Education Holiday matching California and Texas. And the Big 12 is favored in all three!

Poor ole West Coast teams. What are we to do? It’s almost like the Big 12 is the SEC or something. Speaking of which, how are things with your Cowboys? Are they over not getting a shot at LSU for the national title? Are they excited about getting a shot at Andrew Luck and Stanford? We might as well start with that outstanding matchup in Glendale.

David Ubben: You know, I was actually a little surprised. I stuck around Stillwater for the BCS bowl selection show announcement, and the players took the news pretty well. They found out an hour before, but there wasn't a ton of down-in-the-dumpiness from the Pokes. When you've never been to this point before, it's a bit difficult to develop a sense of entitlement. If Oklahoma had OSU's record and was passed over by Alabama and sent to the Fiesta Bowl for the 17th time in the past six years, you might have had a different reaction.

But Oklahoma State's first trip to the BCS and first Big 12 title aren't being overlooked. These players are looking forward to this game. There's no doubt about that.

I know the Big 12 seems like the SEC, but I have a confession, Ted. I wasn't supposed to tell anybody, but I can't hold it in anymore. When the Big 12 began back in 1996 ... wow, I'm really going to do this ... then-SEC commissioner Roy Kramer graciously allowed the league to keep two of his teams. The league made a similar arrangement with the Big Eight a century ago, and the Southwest Conference around the same time. Missouri and Texas A&M are really wolves in sheep's clothing: SEC teams just pretending to be in other leagues. So, that might explain the Big 12's recent dominance.

These should all be fun games, though. I ranked two of the matchups among the top three in my bowl rankings.

As for the big one, they say you learn more by losing than by winning. Stanford got its first BCS win. How do you think that experience plays into this year's game? I hate to ruin the surprise, but Oklahoma State's a bit better than the Virginia Tech team Stanford beat last season. OSU's loss to Iowa State this season is bad, but it's nothing like the Hokies' loss to James Madison last season.

Ted Miller: Not only is Oklahoma State better than Virginia Tech, it's still questionable whether this Stanford team is better than last year's. Since we're going all crazy and whispering about the SEC, there was a feeling out West that by the end of the 2010 season the Cardinal might not only be the best team in the Pac-12 but also in the nation. They were big and physical and quarterback Luck actually had a solid receiving corps with which to work. After a loss to Oregon in the fifth game, they didn't lose again until playing, er, Oregon in this year's 10th game. If we could go back in time and have the Cardinal play Auburn, I think Stanford would have won the national title.

But that's 2010. The difference this year is the season-ending knee injury to middle linebacker Shayne Skov, who was an All-American candidate, a slight step back on the offensive line and a lack of top-flight receivers. But if Oklahoma State fans are looking for something to worry about it is this: Stanford's running game.

The Pokes are bad against the run, and they haven't faced a team that is as physical and creative in the running game as Stanford. As much as folks talk about Luck's passing, it's his run checks that often ruin a defense's evening.

The Fiesta Bowl matchup looks like a great one, perhaps the best of the bowl season. But I’m excited to see Mr. Excitement Robert Griffin III in the Alamo Bowl against Washington. Of course, I’m not sure that the Huskies, their fans and embattled Huskies defensive coordinator Nick Holt are as thrilled. First, tell us about what Washington should be most worried about with Griffin. Then tell us about Baylor in general. Such as: Can the Bears stop anyone?

David Ubben: Nope. Not really.

Oklahoma State's defense unfairly gets a bad rap. Baylor's bad rap is earned. This is the same team that won five consecutive games late in the season -- but became the first team ever to win four consecutive in a single season while giving up 30 points in each.

Which, if you ask me, says plenty about both the defense and the power of RG3. They've got a lot of athletes on the defense, but when four of your top five tacklers are defensive backs, well, you need a guy like RG3 to go 9-3.

The man is a nightmare. Top to bottom, he's the most accurate passer in a quarterback-driven league. Then, you add in his athleticism, which he doesn't even really need to be extremely productive. It sets him apart, though, and forces defenses to account for it, and it buys him time in the pocket. How many guys break a 20-plus yard run before hitting a receiver for a game-winning 39-yard score to beat a team like Oklahoma for the first time?

How do you think Washington will try to slow him down? What has to happen for them to have some success?

Ted Miller: This game matches the 99th (Washington) and 109th (Baylor) scoring defenses. It has a 78-point over-under, the biggest of any bowl game. The offenses are going to score plenty, at least that's the conventional wisdom.

How does Washington stop RGIII? His name is Chris Polk. He's a running back. Baylor gives up 199 yards rushing per game. Polk right, left and up the middle is a good way to contain Griffin. The Huskies' best hope is to reduce Griffin's touches with ball control. It also needs to convert touchdowns, not field goals, in the redzone. The Huskies are pretty good at that, scoring 36 TDs in 45 visits to the red zone.

The Huskies also have a pretty good quarterback in Keith Price, who set a school record with 29 touchdown passes this year. He and a solid crew of receivers have prevented teams from ganging up against Polk. But Polk is the guy who burns the clock.

Should be a fun game. As should, by the way, the Holiday Bowl. David, Cal fans are still mad at Texas coach Mack Brown and his politicking the Longhorns into the Rose Bowl in 2004. Every team wants to win its bowl game, but the Old Blues really want to beat Brown.

Of course, neither team is what it was in 2004. Cal has an excuse. It's not a college football superpower. Sure you've been asked this before, but give me the CliffsNotes version of why the Longhorns have fallen so hard since playing for the national title in 2009.

David Ubben: Cal fans are still mad? Really? I'd suggest they get over themselves. What's anybody on that Cal team ever done anyway? It's not like the best player in the NFL missed out on a chance to play in the Rose Bowl. Now, if that were the case, we might have a problem. But honestly, I don't think Tim Tebow cares all that much about the Rose Bowl.

As for Texas' struggles?

The easy answer is quarterback play. Texas relied on Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley more than anyone realized. When they were gone, Texas couldn't run the ball, and quarterback Garrett Gilbert never made it happen. Two seasons later, the Longhorns still don't have a quarterback.

The other big answer last season was turnover margin. Gilbert threw 17 interceptions and the Longhorns were minus-12 in turnovers, which ranked 115th nationally.

They were still only 90th this year, and without solid quarterback play in a Big 12 dominated by passers, they scored five, 13 and 17 points in three of their five losses. Texas keeps people from moving the ball and runs the ball better this year, but without a solid passing game and a defense that changes games, it's tough to rack up wins in the Big 12.

It's been awhile since Cal was in the mix for the BCS, even as USC has fallen. Oregon answered the call and rose, but what has prevented Cal from winning the Pac-10 and Super Pac-10 since the Trojans' swoon?

Ted Miller: You mention quarterback play. Cal fans ... any thoughts? You mention Aaron Rodgers. Cal fans? Oh, well, that's not very nice during this festive time of the year.

Cal has become a solid defensive team, but it's lost its offensive mojo, and that can be traced to a drop in quarterback play since Rodgers departed. The latest Bears quarterback, Zach Maynard, started fairly well, stumbled, but then seemed to catch on late in the season. It's reasonable to believe the team that gets better quarterback play -- mistake-free quarterback play -- is going to win this game.

Nice to cover a conference where quarterback play matters, eh David?

Speaking of quarterback play and winning, let's wind it up. Our specific predictions aren't coming on these games until after Christmas. But we can handicap the Big 12-Pac-12 side of things. We have a three-game series this bowl seasons.

I say the Pac-12, underdogs in all three games, goes 1-2. What say you?

David Ubben: And to think, before the season, all I heard was the Pac-12 had surpassed the Big 12 in quarterback play. Did somebody petition the NCAA for another year of eligibility for Jake Locker and/or clone Matt Barkley? You West Coast folk are geniuses; I figured you'd find a way. We can't all be Stanford alums ...

Clearing out all the tumbleweeds here in middle America, I'll go out on a limb for the Big 12 in this one. Every matchup is a good one, and I don't think Cal has seen a defense like Texas' and Washington hasn't seen an offense like Baylor's. People forget that, yeah, RG3 is outstanding, but the Bears also have the league's leading receiver and leading rusher.

Stanford-OSU is a toss-up, but I'll go with a perfect sweep for the Big 12. The Cowboys haven't played poorly on the big stage yet, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt in this one, and they clean up for the Big 12 against what was almost its new conference this fall.

Oh, what could have been. Ubben and Miller on the same blog? Divided ultimately by a little thing we call the Rockies.

Big 12 Weekly breaks down Baylor-Colorado and Oklahoma-Iowa State.

According to a Boulder Daily Camera report, Colorado will stay in the Big 12 for two more years, which would leave the conference with 11 teams for one year.

When Colorado originally agreed to join the Pac-10, the move was scheduled before the 2012-13 school year. Colorado has been negotiating with the Big 12 over departure fees to leave after the upcoming year, but no deal has been reached.

Nebraska has already agreed to leave the Big 12 for the Big Ten after 2010-11, and Utah is joining the Pac-10 after this season. If Colorado stays in the Big 12 an second year, both the Big 12 and Pac-10 would have 11 teams in 2011-12.

IRVING, Texas -- A few weeks ago, Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe reprimanded Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville for going on the radio and saying that the Big 12 with 10 teams is a doomed setup because of the inequities in splitting revenue.

He's the only Big 12 coach or official who has openly criticized the league its restructuring after the near implosion. Tuesday during his time on the stage at the Big 12 Media Days, Tuberville blamed, well, the media -- sort of -- for his honest assessment of how he sees it.

"It's great to be back at a Media Day. I was out for a year working on your guys' side of the ball a little bit, actually working in television," said Tuberville, who had a stint with ESPN after being fired at Auburn. "In television, they taught us to speak our mind. I forgot to get that out of my mind a few weeks ago, so I've got to get back on the coaching side."

Tuberville obviously is skeptical about the long-term health of a 10-team Big 12. He was asked Tuesday if he remains concerned about the future of the Big 12 considering the Big Ten and SEC could expand and potentially rock the college landscape again.

"I was just disappointed we lost two teams. We come here and you lose Nebraska and Colorado, but everything will pick up where we left off," Tuberville said. "I mean, we have our responsibility as coaches to make our teams better. The presidents and the athletic directors and the commissioner have committed, hey, they're going to make this the best conference in the country. We're all behind them. I'm excited about it."

IRVING, Texas -- Oklahoma State starting quarterback Brandon Weeden was born in Oklahoma City, was a two-sport star at Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe High School and committed to play baseball and walk-on the football team at OSU -- in 2002.

The hard-throwing right-hander instead signed a $565,000 minor-league baseball contract after the New York Yankees drafted him in the second round, 71st overall, in the 2002 draft. He spent a couple years in the Yankees system before being traded to the Dodgers in a deal that included former Texas Rangers pitcher Kevin Brown. He also played in the Kansas City Royals system before a shoulder injury convinced him to put away the glove and return to school and put on the shoulder pads.

"I'm 26, be 27 quick, but feel 18," said Weeden, who is projected to be the Cowboys' starter in the season opener and leading a pass-intensive spread offense under new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen. "I had the quarterbacks all over dinner the other night, cooked them steaks, grilled out a little bit and hung out. I don't want to feel like I'm the old man, the boring guy, I just want to be one of the guys."

Weeden, 6-foot-4, 224 pounds, was the third-team quarterback last season behind three-year starter Zac Robinson. He's a junior now and if he shows he can run the Cowboys' offense in a transition season with plenty of turnover, OSU could be set behind center for the next couple seasons.

He had his big break out last season coming on in relief and guided OSU to a comeback win over Colorado. He threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns to rally the Cowboys from an 11-point deficit in the second half.

"We all know that we're different at 26 than we are at 18 and in order to handle the pressures of being a quarterback and playing at this level, maturity is an advantage," coach Mike Gundy said. "Brandon, obviously, signed to play professional baseball out of high school, so he's had a taste of what it's like to be there and to deal with the media and the public and have success. There's obviously tough days and I think that will help."

Kansas coach Bill Self was right. Kansas did land in a BCS conference, maybe just not the one he envisioned when the Big 12 was considered dead.

The Big 12 is alive and by shrinking to 10 teams without Nebraska and Colorado, Big 12 helps hoops actually grew tougher.

The league completed a banner year last season. The Big 12 had the best winning percentage (30-18) amongst the six major conferences when playing each other. Three teams placed in the top eight and four among the top 13 of the final NCAA RPI ratings and seven teams advanced to the NCAA tournament. As many as nine Big 12 players could be selected in the first round of the NBA draft next week.

When the Big 12 officially begins play as a 10-team league, it will lose two of its worst teams in Nebraska and Colorado. Those teams combined to win eight conference games last year, or fewer than the conference's top seven teams.

Add to that an 18-game, round-robin conference schedule as opposed to the 16-game schedule in which teams in the same division faced each another twice, but played the other division teams just once. Now, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will face Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri and Iowa State twice. It also allows for all 10 teams to visit each Big 12 arena every year instead of every other year.

"When it comes to the specifics of men's basketball in the new 10-team Big 12 Conference, our staff is most excited about the possibility of using a full round-robin schedule during the regular season," Texas coach Rick Barnes said in a release. "This should create even more excitement about our league, and we know the fans will appreciate the opportunity to see a home-and-home series between all teams in the conference every year."

Joe Schad talks about the chances the Big 12 replaces Colorado and Nebraska and thinks the Pac-10 will target Utah.

Texas A&M made itself the wild-card in conference realignment maneuverings, flirting with the SEC and threatening to set aside more than 100 years of rivalry with Texas to chart a new future.

But, the mega-TV dollars shoveled at the remaining Big 12 schools to avoid triggering an avalanche of mega-conference formation convinced the Aggies to walk away from the most powerful college football conference in the land.

"Texas A&M is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference and will continue to be affiliated with the conference in the future," A&M president R. Bowen Loftin said in a statement. "As athletic director Bill Byrne and I have stated on numerous occasions, our hope and desire was for the Big 12 to continue. We are committed to the Big 12 and its success today and into the future."

Judging by activity on some Aggie fan sites, there is a contingent of disappointed and angry A&M fans who preferred a move to the SEC rather than compete in the 10-team Big 12.

A spokesperson for Texas Tech said the school's board of regents still plans to meet on Tuesday even though the Red Raiders will continue in the Big 12 conference. Tech was prepared to leave the Big 12 with Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State for the Pac-10 until the 11th hour television rights deal was hammered out. It promises to practically double Tech and the other nine members' annual revenue.

Tech officials will comment on the decision to stay on Tuesday.

In a joint statement, Oklahoma president David Boren and athletic director Joe Castiglione said: "The decision to stay in the Big 12 represents a consensus position which resulted from a collaborative effort with our colleagues in the conference. We value the strong working relationship that has been reaffirmed during this process among the conference members. We intend to work very hard to make the conference as lasting and dynamic as possible."

Texas president Bill Powers Jr., and athletic director DeLoss Dodds will also address the media on Tuesday, likely after the calm night of sleep in more than a week. Texas will reportedly reap up to $25 million between the new TV deal and its own network in the planning stages. Texas, A&M and Oklahoma will reap about $20 million annually in the deal, about $3 million to $6 million more than the other seven schools.

Baylor officials will likely also sleep well tonight. Baylor faced the unsettling proposition of being left out of a major conference if Texas and the others left for the Pac-10.

"Baylor athletics has a bright future and we look forward to continued success with our historic partners in the Big 12 Conference for many years to come," said Baylor Director of Athletics Ian McCaw in a statement. "We have been blessed with extraordinary efforts and leadership from the Board of Regents, President [Ken] Starr, key alumni and friends. We are both humbled and grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support from the Baylor family in recent days."

Contingency plans were under way among the five schools that would have been left out -- Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri and Iowa State. Those schools' athletic directors were to gather Monday night in Kansas City, a city that is also at ease because it had just been awarded the lucrative Big 12 basketball tournament through 2014.

One plan on the table was for the remaining five Big 12 schools to absorb some or all of the 10 Mountain West Conference schools and retain the Big 12 name and the automatic BCS bid that would come with it. Now, Kansas and Baylor can rest easy, but the MWC might have other issues to tackle.

With Kansas locked into the Big 12, the Pac-10 will reportedly target Utah as its 12th team. It added Colorado last week. If Utah accepted a potential invite it would reduce the MWC to nine teams just days after it added Boise State to get to 10. The MWC, which has been home to TCU since 2005, is hopeful it will gain BCS standing in two more years once a four-year evaluation period ends.

It's unclear at the moment how the possible loss of Utah would affect the MWC's chances.

What is clear is the Big 12 conference lives on -- at least for 10 teams who might decide to start fresh with a new name.

It appears the only loser -- other than disappointed Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott -- might be Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Cowboys Stadium was just awarded the Big 12 football championship game through 2013. But, with 10 teams, the Big 12 likely will not play a title game.

Of course, the Big 12 remain with 12 teams, as contentious as that might be, for at least another year or two. Nebraska is hoping to begin play in the Big Ten in 2011. Next up on the Big 12 agenda is the league's football media days in July in DFW.

That should be just chummy.

Texas just sent out a release announcing that it will remain in the Big 12 Conference.

The league will move forward with 10 teams after Colorado and Nebraska defected last week.

The Big 12 appeared to be dead as of Friday, but an 11th hour brokering of a major TV deal that will handsomely reward the remaining 10 teams, and in particular Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma, according to reports.

By remaining in the Big 12, Texas turned down an invitation to join the Pac-10 and form the first superconference. Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State would have followed Texas. Texas A&M either would have joined the Pac-10 or the SEC.

Texas president William Powers Jr., athletic director DeLoss Dodds and women's athletic director Chris Plonsky will address the media on Tuesday morning.

The news is a major relief to Baylor, which was staring at an uncertain future had Texas and the others left the Big 12 in shambles. Kansas is also breathing a sigh of relief.

The threat of Nebraska jilting the Big 12 sent a shiver down the conference spine so fierce that we were told a Cornhusker exit would crumble the league faster than a failed Jenga move.

Now with Nebraska and Colorado gone, and no football championship game, a 10-team Big 12 is suddenly worth more? Will the Big 12's Sugar Daddy please step forward?

An 11th hour TV deal is apparently saving a conference that on Friday was being read its last rites. Out of nowhere, Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma are reportedly being promised an annual take of $20 million. The remaining seven schools are swooning at $14 million to $17 million. Everyone would make about twice what they did under the current Big 12 TV deal ($7 million to $11 million). Not bad for a dying conference.

In these difficult economic times, the barely breathing Big 12 is suddenly swimming in cash equal to the SEC?

Earlier this month, the Big 12 announced it woud distribute a record $139 million to its 12 members. That topped the $130 million distribution the year before. And now, the Big 12 -- granted, with 10 mouths to feed instead of 12 -- is positioning itself to dole out between $170 million and $200 million? Without Nebraska. Without a football title game.

Perhaps commissioner Dan Beebe actually found a treasure chest in his backyard.

The Big 12 has a Sugar Daddy. And apparently just in time.

The Mountain West Conference opted not to add Boise State last weekend during its summer meetings to gauge the changing landscape around it, but then quickly moved to get the Broncos in on Friday, expanding MWC membership to 10.

We all know that the Pac-10 and Colorado moved quickly to get the Buffaloes in to avoid a coming political power play by Texas lawmakers to get Baylor invited to the Pac-10 party. Did the MWC virtually do the same and lock out Baylor by adding Boise State?

Think about this: Does TCU, spurned by Baylor and the Big 12 in 1994, and which would directly battle Baylor for recruits if they competed in the same conference, want Baylor in? Grudges are grudges, but recruiting is a program's lifeblood. As great a job as Gary Patterson has done recruiting Texas and finding hidden gems passed over by the bigger programs, Baylor, athletically, is on an upswing in large part due to men's basketball coach Scott Drew, as well as optimism created by football coach Art Briles, who is excited to have dual-threat quarterback Robert Griffin back in the fold this season. If TCU and Baylor went head-to-head in the MWC, especially an MWC with an automatic BCS bid, recruiting would be cut-throat. A Baylor program reduced to a lower-level conference is far less threatening.

The MWC, like the Pac-10, has choices -- assuming the Big 12 dissolves as expected by Tuesday. Immediately out of the mega-conference mix would be Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State and Baylor. If Texas A&M chooses to join the SEC instead of the Pac-10, Kansas could be the beneficiary and get the Pac-10 invite. If A&M goes to the Pac-10, the MWC would eye Kansas, Missouri, Kansas State and Iowa State for a 14-team league that would be attractive for BCS acceptance. Even if Kansas goes to the Pac-10 or another high-profile conference, the MWC could expand by two to get to 12 and still feel confident of becoming a BCS conference.

Such a scenario only makes the Baylor picture look more bleak. Where do the Bears go in such a case? Does the WAC hold Boise State's vacancy for the Bears? Is that an option Baylor would even considers? But, what's left besides sifting through the rubble to form a revamped SWC? Could Baylor pull together Rice, SMU and Houston, with perhaps North Texas, UTEP, Tulsa and perhaps Tulane or Louisiana-Lafayette for at least an eight-team league with other regional schools perhaps in the mix to take the total to 10?

Certainly, the appeal might not be there, but in this emerging, new landscape it appears the choices might not be there either for Baylor.

These are crazy times. Sixteen years after the formation of the Big 12, it appears TCU's and Baylor's fortunes could very well be reversed.