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2012 record: 8-5
2012 Big 12 record: 4-5
Returning starters: Offense: 6; defense: 7; kicker/punter: 1

Top returners: OL Cyril Richardson, RB Lache Seastrunk, S Ahmad Dixon, WR Tevin Reese, LB Eddie Lackey, DE Chris McAllister, LB Bryce Hager, K Aaron Jones

Key losses: WR Terrance Williams, QB Nick Florence, WR Lanear Sampson, S Mike Hicks, C Ivory Wade, DT Gary Mason Jr.

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

Passing: Nick Florence (4,309 yards)
Rushing: Lache Seastrunk* (1,012 yards)
Receiving: Terrance Williams (1,832 yards)
Tackles: Bryce Hager* (124)
Sacks: Chris McAllister* (6)
Interceptions: Eddie Lackey* (4)

Spring answers:

1. Bryce is the guy. It was going to take a lot for Bryce Petty to lose his starting spot, but he looked like a guy who suited up for his fourth spring this year and cemented his status as the heir apparent to a crazy-good quarterback tradition under Art Briles. He'll follow Robert Griffin III and Florence, who both set school records for passing yards.

2. Defense changes its identity. The Bears didn't have a ton of speed in the secondary last season, and as a result, relied heavily on zone and didn't play a lot of tight coverage. To start fixing the problem, Dixon moved back to traditional safety, and as the defense's most physically skilled talent, that was a wise decision. Baylor wants to play more man and play tighter this year, and we'll see if it pays off in the fall.

3. Offense finds its playmakers. Williams is gone and so is Sampson, two of the team's top three receivers. Reese returns, but Antwan Goodley and Jay Lee emerged to win starting spots this spring, and both look like big-time targets for one of college football's best offenses. Count on those guys and Clay Fuller to keep the tradition going.

Fall questions

1. Can the defense prove itself? The Bears were definitely one of the best defenses in the Big 12 over the last month of the season. The same unit, however, was also a big reason why Baylor limped to an 0-5 start in conference 12 play before ripping off four wins to end the season. The defensive line should be improved and young talents like Javonte Magee and Shawn Oakman could make names for themselves this fall.

2. Is the offensive line deep enough? Baylor's history under Briles at this position makes me pretty confident, and the Bears have a solid starting five. But losing Troy Baker this spring is a big knock, and the Bears only had 10 healthy offensive linemen this spring. Come fall, more injuries could force the Bears to force inexperienced players into the rotation. This was probably the biggest concern for Briles all spring.

3. Just how good is Petty? He looks good for now, and was productive and impressive during the spring. That's also the spring. RG3 and Florence broke school records for passing yards in consecutive seasons, though, so the bar is sky-high. There's every reason to believe in Petty, but expectations are high and reaching them won't be easy. The good news is he has a huge talent in Seastrunk and a solid receiving corps around him to support his efforts.

Baylor kicks off its spring practice later today. Let's take a closer look at what you can expect.

Schedule: The first of Baylor's practices will be today, concluding with a spring game in Waco on April 6. The Bears usually hold a controlled scrimmage at the practice field as part of a day-long festival, rather than a game at Floyd Casey Stadium.

What's new: Not a whole lot beyond the loss of skill position talent, which is welcome news for the Bears. There weren't any staff changes for Baylor this offseason, and we'll talk a bit more later about the factors that could make Baylor a dangerous team carrying the Big 12's longest winning streak (four games) into the 2013 season. No one else in the league has a streak of more than one game.

New faces: Baylor is welcoming four players onto the practice field this spring as early enrollees from its 2013 recruiting class. Junior college transfer Gus Penning brings some size to the tight end spot at 6-foot-5 and 245 yards, and he's joined by quarterback Chris Johnson, the nation's No. 5 dual-threat passer. Receiver Kiante' Griffin and linebacker Brian Nance are also suiting up this spring.

Getting defensive: This is Year 3 under Phil Bennett, but we saw some major, major improvement late in 2012. The Bears had a similar jump in 2011, but it didn't stick through 2012. The pieces are in place with guys like Chris McAllister, Bryce Hager, Eddie Lackey and Ahmad Dixon, but every time I visit Waco in the spring, the defense gets worked over. We may get an idea of their progress this spring in scrimmages and workouts. Progress has to happen now if Baylor's ever going to take the leap to Big 12 title contender.

Question marks: Does Baylor have enough firepower at receiver to keep its offense rolling? We'll talk about quarterbacks later, but the Bears lose Terrance Williams and Lanear Sampson, and I don't necessarily buy Tevin Reese as a ton more than a deep threat who stretches the field. Can guys like Levi Norwood or Antwan Goodley become big threats underneath? Look out for tight ends Jordan Najvar and Jerod Monk to play a bigger role in the offense, too. They've got tons of experience.

Breaking out: LT Spencer Drango. He had a great first season on Baylor's offensive line, but look out for the former blue-chip recruit to start looking like one of the Big 12's best offensive linemen alongside Cyril Richardson. He's already solid, but he may blossom into a star this offseason.

Much to prove: RB Lache Seastrunk. He turned heads and produced headlines when he predicted he'd win the Heisman next season, but Baylor's got a solid group of backs and we'll see how he handles the bulk of the first-team reps and the attention that comes with his bold proclamation. He's got the skills to back it up, but it'll be interesting to see what kind of tone he strikes in interviews this spring.

All eyes on: QB Bryce Petty. If Baylor's going to continue this run, it simply has to be excellent at quarterback. I'm not ready to completely write off Seth Russell, but I love what I've seen from Petty in my visits to practice in Waco the past couple springs. He's got a big, NFL-quarterback body at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, and a big arm, but decision-making and ability to move the offense is something you can't tell until it's time to take over the team. That time is now for Petty.

We’re continuing our countdown of the Big 12's top 25 players from the 2012 season. Here's more on my criteria for the list. You can take a peek at how the preseason list looked here.

The official list is locked away in a vault in an undisclosed location, but we'll be revealing one player a day moving forward.

On with the show ...

No. 15: Cyril Richardson, OL, Baylor

2012 numbers: Helped Baylor lead the nation in total yardage as a third-year starter.

Most recent ranking: Richardson was ranked No. 21 in our preseason list of the Big 12's top 25 players.

Making the case for Richardson: Baylor's been churning out top-tier offensive linemen since Art Briles arrived, and Richardson was the best of the bunch all season long this season. He's moved all over the place during his career--played some guard as a redshirt freshman in 2010, then moved to right tackle as a sophomore in 2011--and elected to return for his fourth season on campus and spent this year back at guard. He can do it all, but he definitely was a huge part of Lache Seastrunk's late-season run when he bullied opposing defensive lines. He's quick enough to be a really effective pass blocker, but aggressive enough to make a name as a powerful force in the running game and rack up knockdowns, too. At 6-foot-5, 335 pounds, that's no big surprise.

The rest of the list:

• No. 16: Joseph Randle, RB, Oklahoma State
• No. 17: Tony Jefferson, S, Oklahoma
• No. 18: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
• No. 19: Lache Seastrunk, RB, Baylor
• No. 20: Jake Knott, LB, Iowa State
• No. 21: James Sims, RB, Kansas
• No. 22: Aaron Colvin, CB, Oklahoma
• No. 23: Josh Stewart, WR, Oklahoma State
• No. 24: Nick Florence, QB, Baylor
• No. 25: Quinn Sharp, K/P/KOS, Oklahoma State

The Big 12 had nine teams in bowl games this season, and here is the best of the best in the Big 12's postseason. Let's get to it.

QB: David Ash, Texas: He edges out Clint Chelf because of his game-changing plays in the Longhorns' win against Oregon State. Ash had the best play of the entire bowl season with a crazy escape and acrobatic touchdown pass to Johnathan Gray, and he hit Marquise Goodwin on a 36-yard bomb to put the Longhorns ahead in the final minutes. He finished 21-of-33 with 241 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 22 yards and a score.

RB: Lache Seastrunk, Baylor: Seastrunk helped Baylor rout UCLA with 138 yards and a score on 16 carries in the Bears' Holiday Bowl win.

RB: Glasco Martin IV, Baylor: How many rushers did the Big 12 have this bowl season who had at least 95 yards? Two, and both played for Baylor. Martin scored three touchdowns in the Holiday Bowl and carried the ball 21 times for 98 yards. Heck of a night for the Bears backs.

WR: Darrin Moore, Texas Tech: Moore was the most consistent receiver in the bowl season with 11 catches for 84 yards, keeping the chains moving for the Red Raiders in their Meineke Car Care Bowl win against Minnesota.

WR: Stedman Bailey, West Virginia: Despite playing in a snowstorm, Bailey had the best performance of any Big 12 receiver. He caught eight balls for 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns. It wasn't enough to get the Pinstripe Bowl win, but no other Mountaineer scored a touchdown.

WR: Marquise Goodwin, Texas: The track star's touches were limited, but he had a huge impact. His 36-yard grab with 2:24 to play proved to be the game winner, and he finished with four catches for 68 yards. He also had one carry -- which he turned into a 64-yard touchdown, looking as fast as any player in college football while streaking to the end zone.

TE: Ernst Brun Jr., Iowa State: Brun caught four passes for 102 yards, including a 69-yard touchdown, to get the first-quarter party started for the Cyclones, which scored 17 points in the quarter. The rest of the game was forgettable, but Brun had one of the longest plays of Iowa State's season.

OL: Cyril Richardson, Baylor: The Bears' left guard was a big reason why Baylor had so much success running the ball. Baylor racked up 306 yards on the ground against UCLA.

OL: Lane Taylor, Oklahoma State: Purdue's Kawann Short is a stud and arguably the team's best player, but Taylor helped Oklahoma State rack up 58 points and helped hold the Boilermakers defensive tackle to just one tackle and one sack. Short had minimal impact throughout the game.

OL: LaAdrian Waddle, Texas Tech: The Red Raiders ran the ball well -- on the few occasions they did -- and Seth Doege had plenty of time. Waddle was a big reason why for both.

OL: Lane Johnson, Oklahoma: Texas A&M wrecking ball Damontre Moore declared for the NFL draft before the Cotton Bowl, but credit Johnson at tackle, who helped hold him to five tackles, one tackle for loss and zero sacks, despite Landry Jones throwing 48 passes.

OL: Ivory Wade, Baylor: Those 306 yards rushing for the Bears didn't come easy. Most of them came on the interior, and Wade was a solid presence in the middle of the line.

DEFENSE

DL: Chris McAllister, Baylor: He was one of a handful of guys to hold UCLA's Johnathan Franklin to 34 yards on 14 carries, had five tackles, including two sacks, and batted down a pass to help keep UCLA's passing game grounded.

DL: Alex Okafor, Texas: Okafor is my defensive MVP of the Big 12 bowl season. He gave Oregon State's offensive line nightmares and helped the Longhorns stage a late comeback with 4.5 sacks, five tackles for loss and eight stops. He also forced a fumble.

DL: Meshak Williams, Kansas State: The Wildcats had a rough night against Oregon, but Williams played pretty well with nine tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.

DL: Terrance Lloyd, Baylor: Lloyd was part of the Baylor gang who helped UCLA have its worst running game of the season. He had four tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack. No zone read for you.

LB: Terence Garvin, West Virginia: Garvin was everywhere for the West Virginia defense, which largely struggled in a blowout loss to Syracuse. He forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, broke up a pass, had two sacks, made three tackles for loss and had 15 tackles.

LB: Tyler Johnson, Oklahoma State: Johnson blew up what Purdue likes to refer to as its "passing game." He made six tackles, had two sacks and forced two fumbles, including a huge hit on Purdue quarterback Robert Marve.

LB: Eddie Lackey, Baylor: Lackey was another part of Baylor's defense that put together one of its best games of the season. He made 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack and five tackles.

DB: Jason Verrett, TCU: Most of Michigan State's night was frustrating in the passing game before some late success, and Verrett was a big reason for those struggles. He broke up two passes, made a tackle for loss and had 12 tackles.

DB: D.J. Johnson, Texas Tech: Johnson made 14 tackles and is on this team for one of the biggest plays of Texas Tech's season. The defense hadn't forced a turnover since Oct. 20, but Johnson picked off a Gophers pass in the final minute with Minnesota driving and the game tied. He returned it 39 yards, helping to set up the winning field goal as time expired.

DB: Jeremy Reeves, Iowa State: Reeves returned a Cody Green interception 31 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter of the Liberty Bowl loss. He had six tackles with a tackle for loss and a pass breakup.

DB: Daytawion Lowe, Oklahoma State: No second-half comebacks for Purdue. Lowe opened the half with a 37-yard fumble return for a score and made seven tackles with half a tackle for loss.

SPECIALISTS

KR: Jakeem Grant, Texas Tech: This one is pretty simple. Grant returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score, giving Texas Tech a 7-3 lead early in the first quarter of its Meineke Car Care Bowl win.

PR: Josh Stewart, Oklahoma State: Purdue faked a punt to keep its opening drive alive but punted on its next set of downs. The always-shifty Stewart delivered a 64-yard punt return, giving Oklahoma State the ball on the Purdue 19-yard line. The Cowboys scored for a 7-0 lead to kick off the Heart of Dallas Bowl rout.

K: Jaden Oberkrom, TCU: He edges out Texas Tech's Ryan Bustin, who kicked a 28-yard winner, for making all three of his attempts, including a crazy 53-yarder for a 16-14 lead with 2:42 to play. He also made kicks of 47 and 31 yards.

P: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State: He narrowly edges out Oklahoma's Tress Way (five punts, three inside 20, long of 58 yards, average 49.4 yards) for this award after pinning Purdue inside its 20-yard line on two of his three punts. He boomed a 65-yarder and averaged nearly 53 yards on his three punts. He was more valuable for Oklahoma State because field position mattered to Purdue. It didn't to Texas A&M.

We're going to go back and grade each Big 12 team's season in the coming weeks, and we'll start at the top of the alphabet with the Big 12's hottest team: The Baylor Bears.

OFFENSE: Art Briles and the Bears maintained all spring that the offense wouldn't lose a step without Robert Griffin III. It sounded far-fetched, and though it didn't translate to wins, Baylor wasn't blowing smoke. The Bears finished the season No. 2 in total offense, the same spot as last year, and averaged more than 572 yards a game, about 15 fewer than a year ago.

The Bears averaged 45 points a game last year, and this year, it was about 44. Nick Florence turned the ball over more than the Bears would want him to, but he finished second in the nation in total offense. Receiver Terrance Williams led the nation in receiving yards and was a Biletnikoff Award finalist. Fellow receiver Tevin Reese proved himself as a deep threat and the offensive line was one of the Big 12's best, led by Cyril Richardson. The Bears would have gotten an A-plus if they'd ridden Lache Seastrunk from the start of the season, and their record might be a little better, too. Still, his big finish makes 2013 very, very exciting for this offense. GRADE: A

DEFENSE: Just like last year, the story of the Bears defense was a surge in turnover margin that led to big wins and a great finish to the season. Baylor was minus-11 in turnover margin in its first four Big 12 games and lost them all, forcing zero turnovers in three of those games. In the 4-1 finish in Big 12 play, the Bears were plus-10 in turnover margin, forcing at least two turnovers in every game.

Baylor's defense really turned heads with fantastic performances against Kansas State and UCLA, holding both teams to just 362 yards of total offense, the two lowest totals all season. Those were the Bears' two biggest wins of the year, and the defense was the catalyst for both. You can't hide from giving up 800 yards to West Virginia, more than 550 in a loss to Iowa State and 560 in a narrow win over Louisiana-Monroe. But this unit showed some potential, despite more rough games than memorable ones. GRADE: C-

OVERALL: If we're grading the first half of the season, the Bears looked like they might not beat anybody and a bowl berth looked like an uphill battle. If we're grading the second half of the season, Baylor might have been the Big 12's best team. Ultimately, it's got to come somewhere in the middle. Still, though, relative to expectations, Baylor overachieved. It won 10 games a year ago and looked like a fringe bowl team to begin the year. Winning eight games and closing with a bowl win over a ranked, favored Pac-12 team was impressive. GRADE: B+

It's always fun looking back on what we thought in the preseason, and today, we'll take another look.

Here's who made the postseason team.

How did our All-Big 12 preseason team stack up at season's end?

QB: Geno Smith, West Virginia

Smith lost his spot to Collin Klein, but still had a solid season worthy of All-Big 12 honors in most seasons. The Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year was second in the league in passer rating and threw 40 touchdown passes to just six interceptions, and was second in the league with 4,001 passing yards.

RB: Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State

Randle had the season most expected him to, easily leading the league in rushing with 1,351 yards, over 300 yards more than any other back in the Big 12.

RB: Waymon James, TCU

James got off to a solid start with 168 yards and a touchdown on his first 17 carries of the season, averaging nearly 10 yards a touch. However, a knee injury suffered in the second game of the year against Kansas ended his season far too soon. KU's James Sims replaced him on the postseason team.

All-Purpose: Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State

Klein's rise made it clear that there was no need for an All-Purpose spot on the postseason team from ESPN.com. He accounted for 37 touchdowns and carried Kansas State to a Big 12 title on the way to an invitation to the Heisman Trophy presentation.

WR: Stedman Bailey, West Virginia

He was Studman Bailey this season, catching 23 touchdowns and earning a spot on the postseason team, as well as a nod as a Biletnikoff Award finalist. No other Big 12 receiver had more than 13 touchdowns and Bailey's 1,501 receiving yards were second-most in the Big 12. He obviously made the postseason team.

WR: Kenny Stills, Oklahoma

Stills was OK, but even he admitted his season was "sub-par." He was surpassed on the team by Terrance Williams, but earned a second-team nod after catching 75 balls for 897 yards and 11 scores, fifth-most in the Big 12.

WR: Tavon Austin, West Virginia

Austin was probably the most dangerous player in the Big 12 this season. Nobody was better in the open field and 909 of his 1,266 receiving yards came after the catch. Ridiculous. He also rushed for 598 yards and three scores on just 61 carries. He made the postseason team.

C: Joe Madsen, West Virginia

Madsen held onto his spot on my postseason team with a solid year for the Mountaineers, who finished third in the league in total offense. Kansas State's B.J. Finney closed the gap by season's end, but I went with Madsen on the preseason and postseason teams.

OL: Gabe Ikard, Oklahoma

Ikard had the season most thought. He was arguably the Big 12's best offensive lineman in the preseason and proved to be that player throughout 2012.

OL: Lane Taylor, Oklahoma State

Taylor was loaded with experience for a lot of good offense, and looked the part of an experienced lineman this season. OSU needed three different quarterbacks this year, but the Pokes had the nation's No. 5 offense and gave up just 10 sacks, the fewest in the Big 12.

OL: Cyril Richardson, Baylor

Richardson was the only player who could challenge Ikard as the league's best lineman, and it was razor-thin this season between the two. Either way, Richardson did what most thought he would, helping Baylor rank No. 1 nationally in total offense.

OL: Mason Walters, Texas

Walters was good this season, but he was the only lineman on this list who didn't make my postseason team. I replaced him with Texas Tech's LaAdrian Waddle.

Pretty solid preseason team. No true busts on the entire team, and not a lot of breakout players who came from nowhere to make the team. We'll look at the defense a little later on.

The Pac-12 and Big 12 have three bowl games coming up -- including a BCS showdown in the Fiesta Bowl between a pair of top-five teams. David Ubben of the Big 12 blog and Ted Miller and Kevin Gemmell of the Pac-12 blog break down which of the three they are most looking forward to.

Ted Miller: It's not just that the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl matches top-five teams. And it's not just Oregon's and Kansas State's star power, with Wildcats QB Collin Klein, a Heisman Trophy finalist, and All American LB Arthur Brown on one side, and Ducks All-American RB Kenjon Barner and QB Marcus Mariota, a future Heisman finalist, on the other. Nor is it just the two coaches, old school Bill Snyder and new old school Chip Kelly, who many feel is headed to the NFL after this game.

Nor is it only that Pac-12 vs. Big 12 bragging rights hang heavily in the balance.

It's that you've got to love a game that has karmic significance.

Oregon and Kansas State were supposed to play this year. They had a home-and-home game contract. But then Oregon had a chance to play LSU to open the 2011 season and, well, then folks go all interpretive. Oregon fans see Kansas State as the Fraidy Cats, who took an opportunity to run away from a series instead of re-working it. Kansas State folks see logistical complications that forced their hand and, heck, it was the Ducks that first asked for an adjustment anyway.

Oregon is more than a touchdown favorite. You look at the two rosters, and it's not difficult to see a Ducks victory. And yet … who does karma favor?

Will the trash talk -- who me? -- between the fan bases come back to haunt Oregon? Will the Wildcats be vindicated? Let's just say the winner will provide more than the usual raspberries toward the other after the game.

And that is great fun.

David Ubben: I don’t know how you boys do it on the West Coast, but here in Big 12 country, we love offense. I didn’t put West Virginia 70, Baylor 63 on my best games of the year on accident. The last time Baylor got together with a Pac-12 team, I seem to remember all kinds of awesome stuff happening.

When Baylor and UCLA tangle in the Holiday Bowl, we can expect some similar fireworks, and some of them will even come courtesy of a player Pac-12 folks are surely familiar with: Lache Seastrunk. Baylor committed to him as its featured back down the stretch and he looked the part of the Big 12’s best back over the last month of the season, rushing for 693 yards and five touchdowns in his last five games. Everybody knows about Nick Florence (the nation’s leader in total offense) and Terrance Williams (the nation’s leading receiver), but this game may very well be about Seastrunk breaking out on a national scale. I’d like to see that. With apologies to offensive lineman Cyril Richardson, Seastrunk’s probably going to beat out receiver Tevin Reese as the best returning piece of this powerful offense.

Baylor doesn’t have a Heisman winner like RG3 who joined Terrance Ganaway in running away with that memorable Alamo Bowl win over Washington, but Seastrunk says he’s going to win it in 2013. I’m not going to be the one who says he can’t. UCLA’s Johnathan Franklin and Brett Hundley will be pretty fantastic foes for the Bears, but I can’t wait to see this showcase of offense.

Kevin Gemmell: Yes, David, we love our offense too. In fact, so much so that one of the most prominent offenses in football is named after the West Coast (which several Pac-12 teams run). But we can also play defense. And that is going to be the difference when Oregon State and Texas square off in the Valero Alamo Bowl.

The "Who's Going to Play Quarterback Bowl" finally has its starters -- Cody Vaz for the Beavers and David Ash for the Longhorns. But despite the fact that Oregon State has one of the most explosive wide receiver duos in the country in Markus Wheaton and Brandin Cooks -- I believe it's going to be the defense that carries the day for the Beavers. We know that Ash has had his troubles. And a struggling quarterback against an Oregon State secondary that ranks sixth nationally in interceptions doesn't bode well. Cornerback Jordan Poyer leads the way with seven picks this year -- that's second nationally.

Only two teams allowed more tackles for a loss this year than Texas and Oregon State is allowing opponents to convert third downs at just 29 percent. Say bonjour to Scott Crichton and Michael Doctor.

Yes, these two other games will be very offensive-centric. And that's going to make for a heck of a lot of holiday fun. This game will likely lack the offensive sizzle of the other two. There are no Heisman Trophy finalists (or players declaring they are going to win the Heisman next year). And that's OK, because there are those of us on the West Coast who still enjoy and appreciate a little bit of defense. And Oregon State's is nasty.

Baylor's never been short on confidence. It's not Art Briles' style. It wasn't Robert Griffin III's style, and he went out and won 10 games and a Heisman Trophy.

Baylor running back Lache Seastrunk is a long way from duplicating those feats, but in my book, he's outrunning RG3 by a long ways when it comes to self-confidence.

From Sporting News:

“I feel like there’s no back who can do what I do,” he told SN. “I know I’m the fastest back in the country. I know I’m the best back in the country. Nobody’s going to work harder.”

But that’s not all. Are you listening?

“I’m going to win the Heisman. I’m going to win it in 2013. If I don’t, I’m going to get very close.

Well, hello there. Not leaving much to the imagination with those words, which far, far overshadowed his own coach's ambitious thoughts earlier in the article.

“We think we certainly have the potential to win the Big 12 conference championship -- without question,” Briles told the publication.

I can't help but chuckle at Seastrunk's assertion later in the piece that talks about how his experiences at Oregon -- essentially, he didn't get on the field and transferred -- humbled him.

First things first: Seastrunk isn't crazy. A year ago, the idea of Johnny Football winning the Heisman Trophy was far, far more insane. He hadn't even played a snap.

Seastrunk strung together one of the best stretches to close the season -- 499 rushing yards in his final three games, 693 in his final five -- of any player in the Big 12. Baylor finally gave him the lion's share of carries and Seastrunk devoured them. He'll only get more next season, even with Glasco Martin returning.

I don't think Seastrunk's words do much more than make him a target for Big 12 defenses and opposing fans. RG3 had plenty of confidence publicly, but surely more privately. All of that endeared himself to his team and that confidence carried over to his teammates. Seastrunk's outlook of his 2013 season might be better off being shared with teammates, rather than a media outlet.

I truly believe he believes that. He might be right. I'm not going to say he's not.

What I know for certain? He injected a great storyline everybody's going to want to see play out in the 2013 season. Briles was plenty confident on his own, even though Seastrunk's thoughts will earn the biggest headlines.

Briles isn't crazy either. Baylor might not have the nation's No. 1 offense next season, but they'll have enough talent to come close with Tevin Reese, Bryce Petty and Seastrunk, along with a solid offensive line anchored by Cyril Richardson.

For Baylor, the story's going to be the same as it's been under Briles: Can the defense get them there?

It's been poor throughout Baylor's rise, which almost makes that rise even more remarkable. Winning 24 games in three seasons with that defense is no small accomplishment.

Is 2013 the year Phil Bennett's defense finally turns the corner? If it does, don't be surprised if Seastrunk and Briles look mighty prescient this time next year.

The season has come and gone, and brought with it an All-Big 12 team. But where do these guys come from? How easy is it for a no-name recruit to earn all-conference first-team honors?

Let's take a look at the All-Big 12 offense and see who surprises us.

You'll need ESPN Insider to see each player's recruiting page from back in the day, but I excerpted a bit of what the scouts had to say about each player coming out of high school.

OFFENSE

QB: Collin Klein, Kansas State

• Klein was graded as a 75 by ESPNRecruiting and the nation's No. 60 quarterback. He picked K-State over Colorado State, Utah and Air Force. Scouts take: Klein has prototypical size and a powerful arm. What you don't expect is how athletic he is and while he is a pocket passer, if he gets on the move, he can build momentum and create a few plays here and there with his legs. He can be unorthodox in his delivery and mechanics can be inconsistent, but he is very productive and has a lot of physical tools to mold at the next level.

RB: Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State

• Randle was the nation's No. 43 athlete from Wichita, Kan., and was also recruited by Arizona, Kansas State and Kansas, as well as Miami and Texas A&M. Scouts graded him at a 78 and gave him three stars. Scouts take: Randle looks good on the hoof in terms of size and has equally impressive athleticism. Tall, lean and very rangy; has some muscle-tone but we do question his narrow base as a future college running back. A really well-rounded back at the high school level; has perimeter speed, in-line strength, hands out of the backfield and can block in pass pro. Has a tight waist and good fluidity to elude defenders but we feel he is more productive now and will be in college when he squares up and gets north. Has the frame, with added bulk and speed, to develop into quality one-cut-and-go back.

RB: James Sims, Kansas

• The Irving, Texas, native was graded at a 76 and ranked as the nation's No. 76 running back, a three-star recruit. He was also recruited by Arkansas and Iowa State. Scouts take: Sims is a sturdy, good looking running back in the spread offense that will flash a nice downhill presence. He is also adept at exploiting cutback lanes and working comfortably within a zone blocking scheme. He has somewhat of an upright running style and good leg drive. Is a short-strider for a taller back, but has quick feet in the hole and shows a knack for jump cutting and making people miss in the hole. When he can hit the hole with authority, he shows good initial burst and top-end speed.

FB: Trey Millard, Oklahoma

• Millard was a three-star prospect and the nation's No. 59 athlete in the 2010 class. He graded out at 78, and was also recruited by Syracuse, Iowa, South Carolina and Tennessee. Scouts take: Millard is a thick inside linebacker prospect with good mobility and downhill burst between the tackles. We like his athleticism as a future tight end or H-back as well. Has a large upper-body and overall frame. Carries his weight well and has above average lateral agility for a defender with his thickness.

WR: Terrance Williams, Baylor

• Williams, a Dallas native, was the nation's No. 124 receiver and was given a grade of 74 by scouts. He was also recruited by Colorado State, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Scouts take: Williams is smooth, well-rounded receiver prospect. He possesses a tall, lean frame that still has room to add good muscle while retaining current speed. Utilizes his size well in traffic shielding defenders and positioning his body for the difficult grab. Excels at snagging the ball in stride and transitioning quickly upfield. Is currently used more as a short-to-intermediate threat at the high school level but flashes good arm extension, coordination and adjustment to the deep ball.

WR: Tavon Austin, West Virginia

• Austin was the nation's No. 41 running back, and the Baltimore native was given a grade of 78 by scouts. He was also the No. 75 player in his region. Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina and Penn State also recruited him. Scouts take: Austin is a smallish but dynamic prospect who has the skills to be a good change-of-pace or scatback runner at the next level. He lacks great size, but he runs harder and bigger than his measurables suggest. He's dangerous on the perimeter and in space, but also very good between the tackles as a zone runner. Can pick and stab his way through traffic and decisively hit small cutback creases without losing much in transition. Shows good body control, vision and balance. Excels at changing gears and eluding defenders with sudden bursts and sharp cuts.

TE: Jace Amaro, Texas Tech

• Amaro was the nation's No. 28 tight end and the San Antonio native was the No. 83 player in the state of Texas. He was given a grade of 78 by scouts. Arizona, Baylor, Missouri and Texas A&M all recruited him. Scouts take: Amaro is a productive receiving tight end. He has good size and appears on film to have the frame to be able to add more good bulk with time in a college weight program. He will play and block from an in-line position, but at this point it seems the strength of his game is a receiver. He has good hands and displays the ability to consistently extend his arms and the catch the ball away from his body. Displays an adequate vertical, but will go up and try and highpoint the ball. Displays good concentration and can catch the ball in traffic and also displays good body control to be able to adjust to the ball.

C: Joe Madsen, West Virginia

• Madsen was not ranked by our scouting services, and the Chadron, Ohio, native drew interest from Bowling Green. The only notes from our scouts? Madsen was a Division II all-state selection in Ohio.

OL: Cyril Richardson, Baylor

• The Fort Worth, Texas, native was the nation's No. 64 offensive tackle and the No. 166 player in his region. He also was recruited by Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas Tech. Scouts take: Richardson is a very steady offensive tackle. He has great size and a large wing span which can be beneficial especially in pass protection. Shows strength in both the lower and upper body. Gets excellent movement when run blocking as long as pads stay low and power angles are maintained. Uses hands better in run game than when pass protecting. Wins most battles at the line of scrimmage when base and drive blocking. ... Richardson should develop into a very good tackle at the next level.

OL: Lane Taylor, Oklahoma State

• Taylor was the nation's No. 111 guard and was also recruited by KU, North Texas and SMU. Scouts gave him a grade of 69. Scouts take: Taylor is a tough-nosed battler at the guard position. He is not the biggest kid but has adequate size. He will need to continue to add bulk and fill his frame out. He plays hard and can create push. He does a good job of quickly getting into defenders. He delivers a good initial pop and brings his hands. He can get hands on but needs to watch his placement. He does not always get ideal placement and can struggle to maintain position and will at times wind up with his hands outside the defender's frame. He does display the ability to get under a defender's pads, generate power from the hips and drive a defender off the line of scrimmage. He does need to watch his pad level, and he will engage a defender with high pads and naturally struggles to get the push he can.

OL: Gabe Ikard, Oklahoma

• Ikard was the nation's No. 19 tight end and graded out at 78. He was also recruited by Notre Dame, Stanford and Oklahoma State. Scouts take: Ikard is a good football player and it is tough not to like him. He comes across as a smart, hard working, and productive player. He plays both defensive end and tight end in high school and is a legitimate recruit on both sides of the ball. He is a sound defensive end prospect.

OL: LaAdrian Waddle, Texas Tech

• Waddle was the nation's No. 19 offensive tackle in the 2009 class and was grade at 79 by scouts. He also had interest from Ole Miss and Houston, as well as Rice and TCU. The Columbus, Texas, native was the No. 43 player in his region. Scouts take: Waddle is a mountain of a man at offensive tackle. Over three hundred fifteen pounds with good height he looks massive in pads. Must be careful not to gain anymore weight until his foot agility improves. Is usually fairly quick off the ball but often takes a false step or understeps. Completely smothers smaller defensive linemen once in to them. Extremely powerful due to size and follows the initial contact with good leg drive. Sometimes gets beat underneath due to improper first step. Wipes out his side of the line of scrimmage on the down block. Comes off to second level with some authority and gets into linebacker but often can't sustain block due to being too high. Tends to lose some body control when his legs straighten out. Mauls opponent on the double team block with power and leg drive. Decent at pulling but needs to move quicker and lower.

I always enjoy looking these up. There wasn't a true superstar blue-chip recruit in this bunch, but what's even more interesting? Not a single juco recruit in this bunch, either. The only player you could consider a real diamond in the rough in this bunch was Madsen. There were plenty more in last year's group.

The Associated Press named its All-American teams earlier today. There are a handful of Big 12 talents on the list. Here they are:

FIRST TEAM

RECEIVER

• Terrance Williams, Baylor

ALL-PURPOSE

• Tavon Austin, KR/PR/WR/RB, West Virginia

SECOND TEAM

QUARTERBACK

• Collin Klein, Kansas State

OFFENSIVE LINE

• Cyril Richardson, OG, Baylor

RECEIVERS

• Stedman Bailey, West Virginia

LINEBACKERS

• Arthur Brown, Kansas State

THIRD TEAM

CORNERBACKS

• Jason Verrett, TCU

SAFETIES

• Ty Zimmerman, Kansas State

You can see the full team here.

Congrats to all these guys for turning in fantastic seasons. Naturally, there will be some snubs and some things that need to be explained. Check the blog later today for more thoughts.

Without further ado, here's the All-Big 12 team from ESPN.com.

OFFENSE

QB: Collin Klein, Kansas State
RB: Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State
RB: James Sims, Kansas
FB: Trey Millard, Oklahoma
WR: Stedman Bailey, West Virginia
WR: Terrance Williams, Baylor
WR: Tavon Austin, West Virginia
TE: Jace Amaro, Texas Tech
OL: Cyril Richardson, Baylor
OL: Gabe Ikard, Oklahoma
C: Joe Madsen, West Virginia
OL: Lane Taylor, Oklahoma State
OL: LaAdrian Waddle, Texas Tech

DEFENSE

DL: Devonte Fields, TCU
DL: Meshak Williams, Kansas State
DL: Calvin Barnett, Oklahoma State
DL: Alex Okafor, Texas
LB: A.J. Klein, Iowa State
LB: Arthur Brown, Kansas State
LB: Jake Knott, Iowa State
CB: Jason Verrett, TCU
CB: Aaron Colvin, Oklahoma
S: Ty Zimmerman, Kansas State
S: Tony Jefferson, Oklahoma

SPECIALISTS:

PK: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State
P: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State
KR: Tyler Lockett, Kansas State
PR: Tavon Austin, West Virginia

Honorable mention: Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia; Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma; Anthony Cantele, K, Kansas State; Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas; Justin Brown, PR, Oklahoma; Tanner Hawkinson, OL, Kansas; Jake McDonough, DL, Iowa State; Lane Johnson, OL, Oklahoma; John Hubert, RB, Kansas State; Travis Tannahill, TE, Kansas State; Durrell Givens, S, Iowa State; Cody Davis, S, Texas Tech

The Big 12 will be slowly rolling out its award winners this morning for the 2012 season. It'll also be releasing the All-Big 12 team.

We'll have a separate post for the All-Big 12 team later today, but you can follow along right here to keep track of the Big 12 award winners. I'll update it as necessary, so keep checking back.

Let's get started:

Chuck Neinas Coach of the Year: Bill Snyder, Kansas State

Snyder has now won the award in two consecutive seasons. This is his fourth coaching honor from the league.

Offensive Lineman of the Year: Cyril Richardson, Baylor.

Richardson was a rock on the front line of the nation's No. 1 offense.

Defensive Lineman of the Year: Meshak Williams, Kansas State

Williams was third in the league with 13.5 tackles for loss and led the league with 9.5 sacks. He earned 8.5 of his sacks in conference play, compared to just 4.5 for TCU's Devonte Fields.

Offensive Freshman of the Year: J.W. Walsh, QB, Oklahoma State

Walsh started three games for Oklahoma State before suffering a leg injury and missing three games. He returned for the final three games of the season with a short yardage package for the Cowboys. He's the first offensive freshman of the year at Oklahoma State since Tony Lindsay in 1997.

Defensive Freshman of the Year: Devonte Fields, DE, TCU

Fields, a true freshman, finished second in the Big 12 with nine sacks and led the league with 17.5 tackles for loss. He was a unanimous selection for the award.

Special Teams Player(s) of the Year: Quinn Sharp, P/K/KOS, Oklahoma State and Tavon Austin, PR/KR, West Virginia

The pair do everything for their respective teams, and will share the award. Austin was the only player in the league to return both a punt and a touchdown for scores this season, and Sharp's 25 field goals were six more than any kicker in the Big 12. He also led the league in punting average and had 71 touchbacks on kickoffs. No other kicker had more than 33. Sharp has won the award in two consecutive seasons now, and it's the first time the award has ever been shared. An Oklahoma State player has won the award in three of the past five seasons.

Offensive Newcomer of the Year: Lache Seastrunk, RB, Baylor.

Seastrunk began the season quietly, but racked up 693 yards and five touchdowns in his final five games.

Here's what I saw on a Saturday full of surprises across the Big 12 in Week 9:

Best offensive performance: Steele Jantz, QB, Iowa State. Cry about Baylor's defense all you want, but Jantz had to complete the passes. He had a huge career day, completing 36 of 53 passes for 381 yards and five touchdowns with an interception in ISU's 35-21 win over Baylor. He also ran for 54 yards on 10 carries.

Best defensive performance: Elisha Olabode, S, TCU. The Frogs safety had a huge day with 10 tackles and a forced fumble. His biggest play, though, was an 11-yard interception return for a touchdown that put TCU up 7-0 early.

Best team performance: Kansas State. Another top-15 team, another dominant performance from the Wildcats, who rode a huge second-half surge to a head-turning 55-24 win over Texas Tech. K-State made it look easy in the second half.

Best game: Texas 21, Kansas 17. This one was unwatchable for the first three-and-a-half quarters, but you've got to love some late drama. No other Big 12 game this week had it. KU kicked a go-ahead field goal with 2:28 to play, but Case McCoy entered in relief and rallied the Longhorns to a dramatic comeback, highlighted by a fourth-down conversion to Jaxon Shipley. More on that later.

Best quote: Tony Jefferson, S, Oklahoma. "I hate this. I hate this feeling." Sometimes, a few words says all you need to know. Simple, but poignant from the Sooners' star after a frustrating 30-13 loss to Notre Dame at home.

Worst play: Kansas State's latest red zone disaster. Facing a third-and-goal and the game tied at 10, Kansas State handed the ball off to Angelo Pease, who stopped short of the line of scrimmage and attempted a jump pass. The only problem? He was hit as he threw it, and it was some sort of weird two-handed, overhead toss that fell incomplete. Ugly stuff, and this is the second time this year K-State has earned this nod for a play in the red zone. Earlier this year, Collin Klein attempted a behind-the-back jump pass for a huge loss. At least K-State made the field goal this time. It missed it after the disaster against Miami.

Dirtiest play: Cyril Richardson, OL, Baylor. There are plenty of ways to get a player off you. Kicking them in the groin should be nowhere on that list. Richardson kicked upward and connected with the groin of Iowa State's Brandon Jensen, earning himself an ejection and helping prevent the Bears from scoring on the early fourth-quarter drive.

Best play: Case McCoy x 2. The first ignited a game-winning drive that hardly even started. McCoy found Shipley over the middle for an 18-yard gain to keep the Horns alive. Later in the drive, he found Mike Davis over the top for a 39-yard gain to set up Joe Bergeron's game-winning touchdown in the Horns' 21-17 win over Kansas.

Best special-teams performance: Quinn Sharp, P/K, Oklahoma State. Sharp made five field goals and pinned TCU inside its 20-yard line on two of his five punts. Nice day.

Worst team performance: Texas. Even with the win, I can't let the Horns off the hook here. Kansas has lost 17 consecutive Big 12 games now, but outplayed the Horns and held them to just seven points over the first 3 1/2 quarters on Saturday. Texas had 60 more penalty yards and needed a dramatic rally, despite winning the turnover battle 3-1. It also made an inexplicable switch to McCoy after David Ash struggled early. Once McCoy was in the game, Texas ran seven consecutive running plays on a touchdown drive, and now may have a quarterback controversy on its hands. That said, it should just play Ash.

We're at the season's halfway point, and it's time to look back and put together our All-Big 12 team at the midseason.

The criteria for this is pretty simple: I picked the best players at every position in the game, but made room for deserving players. You'll see where that came into play. Let's get to it:

OFFENSE

QB: Geno Smith, West Virginia
RB: Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State
RB: John Hubert, Kansas State
All-purpose: Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State
WR: Stedman Bailey, West Virginia
WR: Terrance Williams, Baylor
WR: Tavon Austin, West Virginia
C: Joe Madsen, West Virginia
OL: Gabe Ikard, Oklahoma
OL: Lane Taylor, Oklahoma State
OL: Cyril Richardson, Baylor
OL: LaAdrian Waddle, Texas Tech

DEFENSE

DL: Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas
DL: Devonte Fields, TCU
DL: Kerry Hyder, Texas Tech
DL: Alex Okafor, Texas
LB: A.J. Klein, Iowa State
LB: Arthur Brown, Kansas State
LB: Jake Knott, Iowa State
CB: Aaron Colvin, Oklahoma
CB: Jason Verrett, TCU
S: Kenny Vaccaro, Texas
S: Tony Jefferson, Oklahoma

SPECIALISTS:

K: Jaden Oberkrom, TCU
P: Kirby Van Der Kamp, Iowa State
KR: Tyler Lockett, Kansas State
PR: Tavon Austin, West Virginia

WACO, Texas -- It's been almost five years since Baylor hasn't had Robert Griffin III on its roster, but later tonight, Art Briles begins his first season at Baylor without last year's Heisman winner.

The Bears have plenty of offensive talent returning, though the Big 12's rushing champ (Terrance Ganaway) and receiving champ (Kendall Wright) are gone, too.

What will the new faces look like? We'll find out tonight. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports, and this should be a fun one between two teams that love to open up their offenses and let it fly.

That's what I'm watching today. We know Nick Florence can do it in spots. We saw it last year in the win over Texas Tech, and we saw flashes of it back in 2009 when he filled in for RG3 following his torn ACL early in the season.

Can he do it every week? That starts today. I'm a believer in Florence, in part because of the solid guys in front of him, headlined by center Ivory Wade and tackle Cyril Richardson, who are both All-Big 12-caliber guys. His backs should have plenty of holes and receivers like Tevin Reese and Terrance Williams are speedy, with plenty of experience playing with Griffin the past couple of seasons.

How will the defense handle SMU? The Bears made some strides late in the season in the turnover department, but the last time we saw the Bears, they were giving up 56 points to Washington in the bowl game ... and still finding a way to win. Florence is good, but the loss of RG3 no doubt trims the margin of error for this defense.

Baylor's got to be careful. Cornerbacks K.J. Morton, Demetri Goodson and Joe Williams need to play well against June Jones' run-and-shoot attack, but the bigger concern might be Zach Line up front. Baylor won't face many running backs like him in the Big 12.

Curious Big 12 fans can get a their first look at former Longhorn Garrett Gilbert in his new surroundings. He's a good fit for Jones' scheme, and despite his obvious failures at Texas, there's no denying his physical skills and resume as one of the greatest high school players in Texas history. This is a completely different offense and a completely different challenge. Should be interesting to see how he responds.

I expect the Bears to hang enough points to win this one, but the Mustangs will light up the scoreboard, too, and make it interesting. Either way, this should be a fun one. Let's get started. Stay right here for coverage throughout the night.