ESPN

Time to look at a few of the best things in the Big 12 this spring.

Biggest breakout star: Bryce Petty. The Bears' quarterback is an unknown for now, but he's learned a proven system under great coaches and great quarterbacks. This spring, he never let his competition come close to making it real quarterback battle in Waco. Despite windy conditions, he capped the spring with 181 yards and two touchdowns on 13-of-15 passing. Don't be surprised if he hangs similar stat lines in a first half or two next year.

Biggest flip-flop: Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy. Midway through the spring, Gundy offered some real clarity on his quarterback situation, which ended with Clint Chelf carrying the Cowboys through bowl practices and a lopsided win in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. "Clint Chelf is our starter, he takes all the reps with the ones right now. The other guys compete out there, but I don't necessarily feel like there's a battle out there to start in the first game," Gundy said. A week later, though, he said the Pokes "haven't necessarily said anything about the [starter for the] first game of the season." He says they won't be offering any updates on the QB situation until after the season opener against Mississippi State and Chelf is off-limits to media, along with his competition, sophomores J.W. Walsh and Wes Lunt.

Best spring-game performance: Jordan Thompson, WR, West Virginia. Dana Holgorsen joked that Thompson is earning a reputation as the greatest spring game player of all time after he recorded six catches for 123 yards and three touchdowns. Just don't spend too much time reading this paragraph. "Until he plays like that in a game, we're going to call it like it is," Holgorsen said. "I haven't seen him play like that in a game yet. Until he does that in a game, we're not going to talk about it."

Biggest surprise: TCU's quarterback indecision. Many assumed that Casey Pachall's return to the Horned Frogs meant Trevone Boykin's days as the starting quarterback were over, or at least on hold for another season. After 15 practices this spring, however, that hasn't been the case just yet. Coach Gary Patterson says Boykin's made big strides since the end of the season and Pachall looked rusty after not working out or throwing while he was in treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. More than a few folks are skeptical of Patterson's insistence that the competition is still open, but we'll know for sure when TCU opens against LSU.

Most to prove: Jake Heaps and Kansas. KU's Big 12 losing streak now stands at 21 games, and Heaps is looking like a much better passer than Dayne Crist was at this time last year. Charlie Weis is also stocking his roster with tons of juco talent, which could mean a quick turnaround. Will it, though? KU needs to get back to respectability and fast, but winning that first Big 12 game won't be easy.

Best new uniforms: Baylor and West Virginia. West Virginia had a ballyhooed debut before its spring game with three sets of white, blue and Old Gold pants, jerseys and helmets, giving WVU 27 possible combinations. The numbers on the jerseys are also inspired by miners' pick axes. Baylor also debuted new jerseys, highlighted by an all gold chrome helmet and most importantly, the elimination of a cartoonish bear claw mark on the pants.

Recruiting is a year-round game, and it's time to take our monthly look at how this year's recruiting classes are progressing. Getting off to a quick start can get things rolling for any class. Here's how I'd rank the classes thus far. Click on each team to see the full class, though you'll need ESPN Insider to see it.

1. Texas

Total commits: 14
ESPN 150 commits: 2
Class notes: The Longhorns added seven commits since our last update and debuted at No. 1 in our ESPN 2014 class rankings released last week. Jermaine Roberts, the nation's No. 14 cornerback, and Houston native Otaro Alaka (No. 9 OLB) headline a very busy month for the Longhorns. Texas also got a commit from the nation's No. 2 center, Terrell Cuney, though it lost Demetrius Knox, the nation's No. 14 offensive guard, on Monday. Texas is the only Big 12 team with multiple commits in the ESPN 150.

2. Texas Tech

Total commits: 9
ESPN 150 commits: 0
Class notes: The Red Raiders made a big move since our last update, adding five commits and jumping ahead of Oklahoma for the No. 2 spot in our conference recruiting rankings. Four of Texas Tech's five commits made their pledge over the weekend while the spring game took place, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes and skill position talents DeMarcus Felton (RB) and Cameron Batson (WR). Kliff Kingsbury is doing some serious work on the recruiting trail. Tech doesn't have a huge commit that will turn heads, but this is a strong start for a class that already looks pretty deep.

3. Oklahoma

Total commits: 4
ESPN 150 commits: 1
Class notes: The Sooners grabbed a huge pickup on the weekend of their spring game with quarterback Justice Hansen from nearby Edmond, Okla. The nation's No. 3 dual-threat quarterback gave Oklahoma its lone ESPN 150 commit, and two days later, the nation's No. 30 receiver, Dallis Todd, followed suit with a commit.

4. TCU Horned Frogs

Total commits: 5
ESPN 150 commits: 0
Class notes: TCU is bringing two quarterbacks to Fort Worth in this class, including its latest commit. Fort Worth native Foster Sawyer (future All-Name Teamer, folks) joins Grayson Muehlstein to give the Frogs a pair of pro-style passers who combine to have four last names.

5. Oklahoma State

Total commits: 3
ESPN 150 commits: 0
Class notes: Oklahoma State added a pair of commits who rank in the top 15 nationally at their position to jump ahead of Baylor in these rankings. The nation's No. 15 running back, Devon Thomas, and No. 14 OLB Gyasi Akem both pledged to be future Cowboys.

6. Kansas State

Total commits: 5
ESPN 150 commits: 0
Class notes: Outside linebacker Elijah Lee (No. 41 at the position) is the biggest pickup for the Wildcats since our last update, but four of K-State's five commits are in the top 50 nationally at their respective positions. Defensive end C.J. Reese also committed to K-State since our last update.

7. Baylor Bears

Total commits: 4
ESPN 150 commits: 1
Class notes: The Bears have the Big 12's top overall commit in ATH Davion Hall, the nation's No. 73 overall prospect, but don't have another player ranked nationally at his respective position. Offensive guard Devonte Jones joined the Bears' class over the weekend. One player, a recruiting class does not make, which is why the Bears have been passed up by three teams since our last update.

8. West Virginia

Total commits: 2
ESPN 150 commits: 0
Class notes: West Virginia launched itself ahead of Iowa State on this update with a big pickup over the weekend. The nation's No. 12 dual-threat passer, Baltimore's William Crest, pledged to Dana Holgorsen and the Mountaineers. He went to the same high school as Tavon Austin.

9. Iowa State

Total commits: 1
ESPN 150 commits: 0
Class notes: Iowa State doesn't have a commitment since December, but the nation's No. 33 receiver, Allen Lazard, is a nice pickup from inside state lines. Opinions on Lazard differ widely between recruiting services. I've already heard from a number of ISU fans about Lazard's modest ranking. Don't shoot the messenger, folks.

10. Kansas

Total commits: 1
ESPN 150 commits: 0
Class notes: Kansas hasn't added anyone since our last update, but still has a pledge from running back Traevohn Wrench, a 6-foot-1, 190-pounder from Gardner, Kan.

Four Big 12 teams will kick off their spring games this weekend. Oklahoma State caps our previews today, since the Pokes will be kicking it off on Sunday.

Oklahoma State

When: Sunday, 12:30 p.m.

What you need to know:

• Don't call it the spring game, or you'll be sorely disciplined. It's the spring "finale."
• Admission is just $5 and includes a ticket to the baseball game that begins at 2 p.m.

What to watch:

• The quarterbacks. It sounded like Clint Chelf was holding onto the starting position, but Mike Gundy made things interesting by saying all scenarios for all three quarterbacks "are still out there." It's important to remember that the spring game is just one practice and just one scrimmage, but it's the closest thing in the spring to a real-game atmosphere. All three of OSU's quarterbacks -- Chelf and sophomores J.W. Walsh and Wes Lunt -- won a conference game last season, so how they play with the crowd there isn't a huge concern, but Saturday might very well shape how that quarterback race looks in the fall. I'm not sure what to expect. Anything could happen. It's tough to put a ton of stock in the stats, though. You'll have to focus on what each quarterback does against the first-team defense alone, and with the first-team offense to really be fair.
• The speed of the offense. I'll be honest, I'm skeptical of all this talk about how the Pokes' offense is way faster than it was in 2010 under Dana Holgorsen, and faster than it was last season. It might be a little bit, but it's almost physically impossible to move significantly faster than OSU does when it wants to play really fast. I'm sure OSU will want it to get some work, but I trust somebody will have the stopwatch going for time between snaps.
• The cornerbacks. The defensive line will be interesting, too, but Justin Gilbert is talking about all he's learned after a really difficult 2012 season, and Kevin Peterson could be a breakout star next year with All-Big 12 possibilities. They'll get plenty of work with a lot of balls in the air on Saturday, but will Gilbert get back to form and will Peterson show some more promise after a really strong true freshman season in 2012?

Athlon Sports ranked all 125 coaches heading into 2013, and that includes the 10 coaches in the Big 12. First on the list is no surprise and won't get any argument from me.

Kansas State's Bill Snyder checked in at No. 3, behind only Alabama's Nick Saban and Ohio State's Urban Meyer.

"As long as Snyder roams the sidelines in Manhattan, regardless of how many starters Kansas State loses, never count out the Wildcats from the Big 12 title discussion," writes Steve Lassan.

Well said. That'll be put to the test this season. Only eight starters return from last year's Big 12 title team, more than only three teams in college football.

Oklahoma's Bob Stoops showed up at No. 7 on the list, just three spots ahead of TCU's Gary Patterson, at No. 10.

"The Kansas native had no FBS head coaching experience when he was promoted at TCU in 2000 but has eight seasons of 10 or more wins, including a 13-0 mark in 2010," Lassan notes.

You can't deny the growth Art Briles has developed at Baylor, and he's at No. 13 on the list after taking the Bears to three consecutive bowl games for the first time in school history. Things look like they're only getting better in Waco, too.

It's a little surprising to see him two spots ahead of Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy at No. 15, but you could make the case either way. Briles' job was infinitely harder than Gundy's, but you can't argue with Gundy's Big 12 title ring, the Pokes' first in about three decades.

Texas' Mack Brown is all the way down at No. 28. The past three seasons have taken their toll on his national reputation, no doubt. It's been quite a slide for the Longhorns.

"The Longhorns have the talent to win the Big 12 title in 2013. If Texas fails to surpass its 2012 win total (nine), there will be plenty of calls for a coaching change in Austin," Lassan writes.

I definitely agree with that. Huge season waiting in Austin.

Paul Rhoads is at No. 38, 10 spots lower. His reputation perhaps exceeds the actual on-field results, but his degree of difficulty in this league is probably even greater than what Briles faces. Briles at least has the advantage of being close to big-time talent in Central Texas. Rhoads' talent pool in Iowa is a lot different, and convincing guys to come north isn't easy.

Dana Holgorsen showed up at No. 50, which definitely seems low, but when you've only been a head coach for two seasons and have a five-game losing streak in one of them, you surrender some right to argue your status, I'd say. He's got a conference title and a BCS bowl win, but winning the Big East won't impress too many folks.

Kliff Kingsbury is down at No. 66, which is where I'd say all first-year coaches belong to start. Any new first-time coach has potential, but they haven't proven to be great or poor yet. Put 'em in the middle, I say.

Lassan has Charlie Weis at No. 106 after his 1-11 campaign at KU last season.

Here's the full list:

• No. 3: Bill Snyder, Kansas State
• No. 7: Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
• No. 10: Gary Patterson, TCU
• No. 13: Art Briles, Baylor
• No. 15: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
• No. 28: Mack Brown, Texas
• No. 38: Paul Rhoads, Iowa State
• No. 50: Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia
• No. 66: Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech
• No. 106: Charlie Weis, Kansas

That gives the Big 12 half of its coaches in the top 15. Not bad.

I checked in earlier with a column on Kliff Kingsbury's biggest challenge of Year 1 at Texas Tech: The ability to learn as he goes along and adjust his schemes as he learns more about his team.

My colleague Travis Haney also wrote about Kingsbury today as part of our weeklong series on first-year coaches. Haney talked to a handful of coaches around the country about Kingsbury, and no surprise, there were plenty of rave reviews. But Haney says even though Kingsbury is young -- the youngest AQ conference coach, to be exact -- a wide-open Big 12 is ripe for him to build a program within.

"He's not just running Mike Leach's Air Raid that he played in college," the coach said. "Kliff did a great job of using little things he's learned, from Leach and Dana Holgorsen (when he was an OC at Houston) and everyone else. He was Charlie Weis' quality control assistant (in 2003 in New England).

"He's taken those things and created his own thing."

That thing? In an era of accelerating offenses, Kingsbury wants to go even faster.

"He's up-tempo as fast as you can go," one SEC assistant said.

But he is still intelligent enough to be flexible when he needs to be. Kingsbury developed a first-year starter in Johnny Manziel, one who doesn't always abide by the letter of the playbook law, into a Heisman Trophy winner.

Well said. The Big 12 will find out soon enough if Kingsbury's rising star will continue to do so in his new role in a new league. Check out the full piece from Haney. Really great, candid, interesting stuff.

Nonconference schedules can reveal many things. They can be the difference between a BCS championship berth or being left behind, and they can provide a glimpse of future success or future disappointments. Here's a look at the Big 12's 2013 nonconference schedules ranked from toughest to easiest.

1. Oklahoma: Louisiana-Monroe, Tulsa, at Notre Dame

All three of OU’s nonconference opponents won at least eight games in 2012, making the Sooners’ nonconference schedule a solid test as they look to break in a new quarterback. And their visit to South Bend, Ind., could be one of college football’s top matchups in 2013.

2. TCU: LSU (at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas), Southeastern Louisiana, SMU

The opener against the Tigers will be one of the highlight games of opening weekend and raises the overall ranking of TCU's nonconference schedule. It’s an opportunity for TCU to prove itself and send a message for the Big 12. And TCU's home contest against SMU should be a solid test, as well.

3. Texas: New Mexico, at BYU, Ole Miss

After a fairly easy season opener, the Longhorns travel to Provo, Utah, to face BYU in a game that could be tougher than most people expect. Then UT hosts Ole Miss, giving the Rebels a chance to avenge their home loss to the Longhorns in 2012. Facing the Cougars and Rebels in back-to-back weeks will be a tough test for Mack Brown's squad.

4. Iowa State: Northern Iowa, Iowa, at Tulsa

The Cyclones' road test at Tulsa won’t be easy as ISU looks to avenge its Liberty Bowl loss to the Golden Hurricane. This game could be considered a conference matchup in some ways as it will be the third meeting between the two teams in two years. Add rival Iowa to the mix and suddenly ISU has one of the conference’s tougher nonconference slates.

5. Oklahoma State: Mississippi State (at Reliant Stadium in Houston), at Texas-San Antonio, Lamar

The Cowboys' season opener is the lone saving grace in this nonconference lineup. The Bulldogs should be a solid early test for OSU, but neither UTSA nor Lamar should prove to be major hurdles.

6. Kansas: South Dakota, at Rice, Louisiana Tech

Rice, which defeated KU in Manhattan, Kan., last season, and Louisiana Tech will be tough tests for the Jayhawks. Both games should give a glimpse of how much KU has improved in Charlie Weis’ second season at the helm.

7. Texas Tech: at SMU, Stephen F. Austin, Texas State

The Red Raiders' toughest matchup should be its opener at SMU. In Kliff Kingsbury’s first season, Texas Tech will have the chance to get its feet wet in nonconference play even though a Big 12 battle with TCU is sandwiched between its matchups with SFA and Texas State.

8. West Virginia: William & Mary, Georgia State, vs. Maryland (at Ravens Stadium in Baltimore)

Not much of a nonconference slate for WVU, with the Terps as the lone BCS team on the schedule. Things set up well for Dana Holgorsen’s offense as the Mountaineers try to replace quarterback Geno Smith and receivers Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey.

9. Kansas State: North Dakota State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Massachusetts

Louisiana-Lafayette could provide the sternest test for the Wildcats, but there’s no reason why KSU can’t enter Big 12 play undefeated. Their nonconference schedule sets up well for a team looking to replace standout quarterback Collin Klein.

10. Baylor: Wofford, Buffalo, Louisiana-Monroe

It’s unlikely Baylor will get tested before its first conference game. The Bears were recently forced to add FCS opponent Wofford after their game with SMU was cancelled, so Louisiana-Monroe could be their toughest nonconference test. They should pile up the victories but might not know much about their team before conference play.

Mike Gundy's hired his new offensive coordinator, and I'd say chances are astronomically high that as of yesterday, you'd never heard of him. (Diehard Indiana football fans excluded.)

Division II Shippensburg (PA) offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich is Gundy's man to replace Todd Monken, who kept Oklahoma State's offense in the top five nationally in each of the past two seasons.

From our newser:

Yurcich helped Shippensburg rank first nationally among Division II schools in total offense and second nationally in scoring offense at more than 46 points per game.

It's hardly an exciting hire, but it's also one that might provide some continuity for Oklahoma State's offense in terms of recruitment and direction. Gundy's coaching tree is blossoming, but I'm sure he'd rather not have three offensive coordinators in four years.

Yurcich spent 11 of his 13 years coaching below the FBS level. His only experience was at Indiana as a graduate assistant helping coach receivers.

Despite the lack of initial excitement over a non-name hire, Gundy's home-run hires the first two times around in this drill earn him a pretty long leash when it comes to having faith in his hires. Yurcich inherits a powerful offense that's in position to make a run at a Big 12 title next season and remain near the top of the national rankings in total offense. It stayed in the top five this year despite losing two quarterbacks for about a third of the season with injuries.

I'd also think this hire throws a wild card into Oklahoma State's quarterback derby this spring. I don't think I'd call it a clean slate, but anything really could happen between Clint Chelf, Wes Lunt and J.W. Walsh. We'll see how it plays out. Expect another intriguing spring in Stillwater. Lately, there hasn't been any other kind of spring.

Christmas is only a few hours away, but I hope you've been shopping for your favorite folks across the league. Here's a wish list for a handful of folks across the Big 12.

Charlie Weis: A quarterback. Kansas made some big upgrades to its team via the juco ranks, but this is the Big 12. None of it will matter much if BYU transfer Jake Heaps doesn't pan out and become the player Weis hoped he would be when he brought him to Lawrence. Maybe Michael Cummings makes life interesting, but Heaps has heaps of starting experience, and if KU is going to get any better, it has to be much, much better at the quarterback spot after the Dayne Crist Experiment turned out to be a bust.

Oklahoma State fans: Forgiveness and selective memory. Yes, Oklahoma State fans, Mike Gundy disagreed with AD Mike Holder on scheduling philosophy and flirted with Tennessee and Arkansas to the point that some erroneous reports had him accepting the job as the new head Hog. Yes, he almost ruined a hugely beneficial relationship on both sides, but in the process, he damaged it some. Don't hold it against him. He says he gets along with Holder on "95 percent" of what they talk about as it relates to Oklahoma State. OSU gave him opportunities he wouldn't have gotten elsewhere, like becoming a position coach at 23 years old, and becoming a head coach at 36. He provided the program something no other coach could in a long, long time: An outright conference title. Focus on that, not on the aggravations of the offseason.

Kansas State's defense: Rocket-powered roller skates. This Oregon offense is no joke, and they've got backs faster and more talented than anything Kansas State has seen all season in the Big 12. De'Anthony Thomas and Kenjon Barner are going to be a handful, and quarterback Marcus Mariota has wheels of his own. Kansas State's defense might need a little help keeping up.

Oklahoma's defense: A dash of extra self-discipline. Speaking of keeping up, Oklahoma better subscribe to the LSU and Florida School of Johnny Football Defense. That is to say, keep contain and make him throw to beat you. If he gets loose in the secondary, it's going to be a long, long day for the Sooners. Keep him under wraps and in the pocket, and the Sooners will have a great shot to force a few turnovers (something they've struggled to do all season) and get a big win for the Big 12.

Iowa State linebacker Jake Knott: A hug. Shoulder surgery ended his career early, but everybody in the Big 12 respects what Knott did over his fantastic career. His leadership and toughness are rivaled by few to ever play in this league. He'll have to be in Memphis watching his fellow seniors close out their careers on the field. That's not easy to watch. Give him a hug and a pat on the back on the way to the NFL Combine. Best of luck, Jake.

Texas Tech fans: A chill pill. Excitement is through the roof in Lubbock, and Tech fans are dreaming of titles as season tickets fly out the door and fans celebrate Kliff Kingsbury's hire in the streets. Give the man time, though, and don't expect him to start racking up Big 12 titles right away. Maybe he will. I'm not saying he won't. I'm just saying the relationship between Kingsbury and Tech has a chance to be really, really special. He's still young, and still going to be learning how to run an entire program where he's making all the decisions. Give him time if it starts out rough, and don't force upon him crazy expectations.

West Virginia: Some new enemies. The poor Mountaineers didn't really find anybody to hate in their first season in the Big 12. TCU rekindled their old Southwest Conference ready-made rivalries with Texas and Texas Tech and Baylor, but the Mountaineers might get a little something going eventually with Tech (John Denver Bowl), Oklahoma State (Dana Holgorsen Bowl) or others. It doesn't help when you're getting stomped by both, and beaten by a bunch of others. For now, they'll have to settle with facing old friend from the Big East, Syracuse, in the Pinstripe Bowl.

TCU's young talents: Earplugs. The Frogs are very young and very, very promising. Over the next eight months, prepare to hear a whole lot about how good the Frogs will be, especially if Casey Pachall shows up in spring camp with his same old arm and a new way of seeing life. The freshmen and sophomore-heavy crew can't listen to it, though. That's the surest way to make it nothing more than hype.

Texas: No more Heisman mistakes in Texas. I really do feel bad for Texas. They recruit by selecting more than recruiting, and a whole lot of guys are going to be left wanting to go to Texas but not going to Texas. Offering guys like RG3 and Manziel to play defensive back while Case McCoy and David Ash hold down the quarterback spot at Texas? It's not a good look for the Longhorns. Some better quarterback evaluations are necessary, but there are a lot of good quarterbacks in the state and not all of them can go to Texas. The Longhorns would love it if guys who don't end up at Texas would stop winning Heismans.

The silly season can get dizzying at times. We'll update this if necessary, but here's where the Big 12 coaching carousel has currently landed after a few big spins.

BAYLOR

• No changes.
• Head coach Art Briles was reportedly contacted by Arkansas and Texas Tech, but signed a new extension with Baylor and hasn't expressed interest in any jobs or admitted to any interviews.

IOWA STATE

• No changes.
• Head coach Paul Rhoads reportedly drew interest from Wisconsin, but Rhoads went on the record this week to say he has no interest in replacing Bret Bielema in Madison.

KANSAS

• No changes.

KANSAS STATE

• No changes.

OKLAHOMA

• Co-offensive coordinator Josh Heupel was a candidate for the Louisiana Tech opening last week, but reportedly turned down the job. The Bulldogs eventually hired Skip Holtz to replace Sonny Dykes.
• Co-offensive coordinator Jay Norvell has also reportedly drawn interest from other schools, but it sounds like he's staying at Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA STATE

• Offensive coordinator Todd Monken left to become the head coach at Southern Miss.
• Head coach Mike Gundy reportedly interviewed with both Tennessee and Arkansas and some local reports even indicated that he had accepted the Arkansas job, but they ultimately proved to be false. Gundy has since gone on record saying there's "no question" he'll be the Cowboys' head coach in 2013.
• Defensive coordinator Bill Young on if he'll return next season or retire: "I don’t know, I don’t know," Young told The Oklahoman. "I’m going to think about it."

TEXAS

• Co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin left to become the head coach at Arkansas State.
• Co-offensive coordinator Major Applewhite replaces Harsin as the playcaller and will coach quarterbacks now. Texas plans to replace him as running backs coach after the season ends.
• Receivers coach Darrell Wyatt was promoted to co-offensive coordinator.
• Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz reportedly interviewed with Florida International, but removed himself from consideration and will stay at Texas.

TCU

• No changes.
• Head coach Gary Patterson was reportedly a leading candidate to replace John L. Smith at Arkansas, but there were no reports of interviews or significant contact between the two parties.

TEXAS TECH

• Head coach Tommy Tuberville left to become the head coach at Cincinnati.
• Offensive coordinator Neal Brown left to become the offensive coordinator at Kentucky on Mark Stoops' staff.
• Texas A&M offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury accepted an offer to replace Tuberville as Tech's head coach.
• Ex-Red Raiders Kevin Curtis and Eric Morris will join Kingsbury's staff. Curtis told reporters he will likely coach the cornerbacks. Morris' role on the staff is still undetermined. He previously coached inside receivers for Mike Leach at Washington State.

WEST VIRGINIA

• Dana Holgorsen relieved cornerbacks coach Daron Roberts of his duties and moved co-defensive coordinator Keith Patterson to defensive playcaller, replacing co-defensive coordinator Joe DeForest as playcaller. DeForest is still on staff.
• Graduate assistant Andrew McGee (who led the Big 12 in interceptions at Oklahoma State in 2010, with five) will coach cornerbacks heading into the bowl game, but WVU will find a permanent replacement after the season.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Plenty of good games across the board this weekend. Here are my picks:

No. 6 Kansas State and Kansas are idle.

Last week: 3-1 (.750)
Overall: 49-18 (.731)

THURSDAY

No. 16 Texas 23, TCU 21: A couple of maturing defenses make it tough for both offenses in the Thanksgiving showcase, but the Longhorns make the plays late to nip TCU. Johnathan Gray earns tough yards in the fourth quarter to keep the clock running, and the defense forces a pair of turnovers against quarterback Trevone Boykin.

FRIDAY

West Virginia 38, Iowa State 34: The Tavon Austin Experience is coming to Ames. Now with more touches and a brand-new position. The running back is surely a weapon WVU wishes it had discovered earlier this season. More touches for Austin is absolutely a good thing. Iowa State will figure this one out pretty quickly. He's dangerous, and Iowa State does not have the speediest defense in the league.

SATURDAY

Baylor 41, Texas Tech 37: This was by far the toughest pick of the week, but I'll show a little faith in Baylor, even though it might come back to bite me. I was buying the Bears earlier in the season, but that Iowa State loss soured me. I'm back on board after seeing what the defense can do and the offense when it's at its best. Texas Tech is a much different challenge than K-State, but the defense makes enough plays to get the win and reach bowl eligibility.

No. 13 Oklahoma 31, No. 21 Oklahoma State 24: I wanted to pick Oklahoma State in this one. Nobody in the league has been playing better than the Pokes this past month and a half. Couldn't do it. The Sooners remember too much about last year's game and won't lose another game in Norman this year. Landry Jones goes out in style at Owen Field against the Pokes' defense, which is quietly making big strides in recent weeks.

Here's what I'm keeping an eye on in the Big 12 this week:

1. Remember all the little people. K-State has dealt with the distraction and hype really well this season. The Wildcats have been consistent and solid every week. This week, though, the pressure is at a whole new level. They're the nation's No. 1 team. Collin Klein's presence will test the Sports Illustrated cover jinx. Oklahoma State lost in its 11th game last season. K-State should roll Baylor on paper, but can it keep its focus in uncharted territory?

2. To care or not to care, that is the question. West Virginia was hyped all offseason for this game. Carrying a four-game losing streak into the Oklahoma game was not part of the plan, though. It's asking a lot for fans to come in droves and provide a big-time atmosphere. Will the Mountaineers fans do it and try to help their team reach bowl eligibility? Tough test for a fan base that has had a pretty terrible month or so and hasn't seen a win since Oct. 6 or a win in its home stadium since Sept. 29.

3. Baylor breaks out its Jet Ski. Lache Seastrunk was officially set free last week, emerging as Baylor's No. 1 back with three touchdowns. Can he go to work against K-State's front seven this week, a solid unit headlined by Arthur Brown but still missing Tre Walker? Jarell Childs has played well, but Seastrunk's game-breaking speed could come into play.

4. Just do it. If Kansas is going to beat Iowa State, it will do so on the backs of its, uh, backs. Tony Pierson and James Sims are fantastic. Charlie Weis talked about needing to do creative things to run the ball when everybody knows the Jayhawks are going to run the ball. Well, everybody knows KU is going to run the ball. What does Weis have prepared this week for KU's best chance to crack its 19-game Big 12 losing streak?

5. Get a medical team on it, stat. Klein's injury saga is over, but K-State has more injury issues this week to keep an eye on. Starting safety Ty Zimmerman left the stadium in a boot last week, and Tyler Lockett suffered an ankle injury late against TCU. Both are key pieces to the nation's No. 1 team. Will they play, and will they do so effectively? All bets are off in this one.

6. At what point does someone start swiping chairs? Oklahoma State has played musical chairs at quarterback, and it shocked a lot of folks when Mike Gundy confirmed J.W. Walsh was available last week but didn't play. He is not on the depth chart this week, instead with an "or" between Clint Chelf and Wes Lunt. The good news: All three can play, and OSU can win with all of them. The bad news: This is turning into a bit of a circus. At least it's unpredictable for opponents, so that plays to OSU's advantage while the competition has to prepare for all three.

7. If you're so inKleined. A.J. Klein has had a quiet couple of games since Jake Knott's injury, making just 11 tackles total in the past two games after tallying at least 11 in three of the past five before Klein left the field. Klein has moved to weakside linebacker and wants more production out of the position. Iowa State needs that while Jeremiah George replaces Knott and the duo teams up to slow KU's running game.

8. Gotta fix the leaks. Oklahoma dominated Baylor's passing game, but the defense was hot after the game after giving up a season-high 252 yards on the ground to the Bears. Can WVU's Shawne Alston and Andrew Buie have a little success? Dana Holgorsen wasn't happy with the Mountaineers' run game, but this matchup will have an influence on the winner in Morgantown.

9. Time for the hook ... again? Steele Jantz has gone back to struggling after tearing up Baylor. He completed just more than 50 percent of his passes in consecutive weeks -- both losses -- and hasn't topped 200 yards through the air with one touchdown to three picks. If he struggles again, does Jared Barnett get a shot against KU? I seem to remember another Big 12 team switching QBs late and having it pay off.

Oklahoma State and West Virginia will meet Saturday. One team has to win.

Even if the Cowboys win Oklahoma may have to, at least in part, thank Dana Holgorsen. He has helped take both programs to where they want to be, and on Saturday the former offensive coordinator will be back in Stillwater for the first time as a head coach.

At the end of 2009 Oklahoma State scored a total of seven points combined in a pair of embarrassing losses to close the season. Quarterback Zac Robinson was dealing with a bum shoulder, but seven points isn't enough to do much else but rack up frustrating losses that leave point-loving fans unfulfilled.

Coach Mike Gundy was designing his offense and decided to take a different approach to begin the following spring.

Robinson, a dual-threat quarterback built to run and take hits, was being succeeded by Brandon Weeden, a 6-foot-4, 218-pound junior with a big arm and we'll say ... hesitant legs.

With Gundy looking to take on a different role for his team, hiring Holgorsen made sense.

"I had a tremendous amount of respect for him for what he had done with the program," Holgorsen said. "His question to me was how [former Houston coach and current Texas A&M head coach] Kevin Sumlin did things from a CEO standpoint. I think Mike wanted to be more of a CEO type head coach, as opposed to being in the offensive room for 18 hours a day trying to get the offense better. I think he’s done a tremendous job of that.

"Since he’s gone back and made that switch, they’ve won a tremendous amount of ball games. Good for him."

Oklahoma State won a school-record 11 games the next season. Holgorsen left for West Virginia, a team that scored just seven points in a frustrating bowl loss of its own to close the 2010 season and wanted a new head coach.

Once he left, Gundy hired former OSU receivers coach Todd Monken to run the same offense Holgorsen installed in one spring.

"I knew a whole lot about it prior to going there, from a facilities standpoint, a coaching staff standpoint, culture and recruiting standpoint, knew a lot about it," Holgorsen said. "There wasn’t any surprises."

He spent nearly a decade at Texas Tech before coordinating Sumlin's offense at Houston, where the Cougars played Oklahoma State in each of Holgorsen's seasons. In 2009, the Cougars even upset a top five Oklahoma State team in Stillwater.

His first season as head coach at West Virginia -- which only came after scandal led to an early exit for the late Bill Stewart -- was his only season in the past 12 in which he didn't face the Cowboys.

"We were just a typical spread offense. Run/pass, no-huddle offense," Gundy said. "The impact it had was we changed our style of quarterback, so we brought in a scheme that could best fit what Brandon Weeden could have success with, which was pocket-style passing."

It worked. The Cowboys ranked No. 3 nationally in total offense in 2010, up from 70th in a nine-win campaign in 2009. A year later, using Holgorsen's system under Monken, the Cowboys won their first Big 12 title and once again ranked third nationally in total offense.

Meanwhile, Holgorsen was helping build West Virginia, who won the Big East in Year 1 and won a BCS bowl for the first time since 2007 -- Rich Rodriguez's final season in Morgantown.

West Virginia ranked 15th in total offense last season, a year after ranking 67th, despite possessing offensive talent like Geno Smith, Stedman Bailey and speedster Tavon Austin.

"[Gundy] was with Pat Jones there for a long time, played for Pat Jones, which is old-school football, tough, hard-nosed physical football and incorporated it into our style of spread offense," Holgorsen said, "keeping it as physical as it can possibly be."

Holgorsen's fingerprints will be all over both sidelines, but without a stop at Oklahoma State and proof he could run his offense at a major conference away from mentor Mike Leach and away from a minor league like Conference USA, a high-profile head job like West Virginia might never have come along.

"It worked out good for everybody," Holgorsen said.

We're closing in on the end of the season, but we've still got four good weekends of football left before it's time to suit up for bowl games. Here's what you can expect in Week 11:

• The spotlight will only continue to intensify for Kansas State as the final month of the season drags on. That's not changing any time soon, and it'll be even tougher when they go on the road. K-State's been really consistent this year, but TCU has not. If the Frogs play up to their potential, this could be an upset waiting to happen, but K-State's not making many mistakes to let teams in. I'd be surprised if Collin Klein didn't suit up for this one, but expect there to be plenty of doubt through the week. TCU has no choice but to prepare for Klein and his backup, Daniel Sams.
• Dana Holgorsen's return won't come with very much at stake, but it should still be fun. Oklahoma State and West Virginia both have three losses, but Holgorsen's arrival before the 2010 season turned Oklahoma State from an offensive disaster into a juggernaut. OSU scored a total of seven points in its two games before Holgorsen's arrival. They've been among the nation's best offenses since. West Virginia was too, but hasn't looked the part of late. There's not much hate from the Stillwater folk toward Holgorsen, who left for a job 99 percent of coaches would have taken under the same scenario, but it'll be interesting to see his reception.
• It had been two decades since Iowa State beat a ranked team on the road when Paul Rhoads' Cyclones went to Austin and did the deed to Texas back in 2010. ISU will get another chance against a Texas team that showed up with a solid performance of its own on the road against a ranked team last week. That 2010 team in Texas turned out to be awful, but here's guessing the older guys remember that game well.
• Speaking of revenge, Oklahoma's secondary got embarrassed by Baylor last year and RG3 put himself back in the Heisman race. Baylor's had a tough go this season with just one Big 12 win (and it came over Kansas), while Oklahoma has just one Big 12 loss. The Sooners get Baylor in Norman and would like to keep their slim Big 12 title hopes alive, as well as start a new home winning streak after K-State and Notre Dame have all but eliminated the mystique at Owen Field, which once saw OU win 39 consecutive games there from 2005-2011.
• Try to stay awake if you can in Texas Tech and Kansas. Tech is a bad matchup for the Jayhawks. They've been one of the league's best rushing defenses and have the ability to spread out KU and score a whole lot of points. Quarterback Michael Cummings struggled against Baylor's defense, but Charlie Weis is sticking with him as the starter instead of turning back to Dayne Crist, though Crist got some playing time late in this week's loss to Baylor.
• With the Crimson Tide coming off of a very physical and a very emotional win over LSU, the Aggies don't give Alabama the best matchup this weekend. LSU provided a bit of a blueprint on how to beat the Tide, and Texas A&M's high-flying offense is capable of generating some yards and points on this Tide defense. Containing Johnny Manziel will be Alabama's top objective, while the Aggies will be looking to stop the Tide's bullish running game. -- Edward Aschoff

Want to get a look at the full schedule? Here you go (all times ET):

• Kansas at Texas Tech, Fox Sports Net, noon
• Iowa State at Texas, Longhorn Network, noon
• Texas A&M at Alabama, CBS, 3:30 p.m.
• West Virginia at Oklahoma State, ABC, 3:30 p.m.
• Baylor at Oklahoma, Fox Sports Net, 3:30 p.m.
• Kansas State at TCU, FOX, 7 p.m.

Another fun Saturday of Big 12 football is in the books. Here's how I slot the league heading into Week 11:

1. Kansas State (9-0, 6-0 Big 12; last week: 1) The Wildcats continue to take care of business. Collin Klein's status will be an interesting topic of discussion this week after the quarterback left Saturday's game in the third quarter with an undisclosed injury, but don't expect Bill Snyder or any of the Wildcats to talk about it. K-State has methodically dispatched every team it has played this season, but the Cats travel to face a TCU team coming off an emotional double-OT win at West Virginia this week.

2. Oklahoma (6-2, 4-1; last week: 2) Playing at Iowa State isn't easy, and OU looked a little sluggish early, but the Sooners walked away with a very respectable 35-20 win. The Sooners need oodles of help to win another Big 12 title, but this week they'll get a chance to avenge last year's loss to Baylor. Robert Griffin III basically won the Heisman at OU's expense last season.

3. Texas (7-2, 4-2; last week: 6) The Longhorns broke their string of losses to Top 25 teams in rather impressive fashion, winning in Lubbock against the Red Raiders. Texas is on track to surpass last year's eight-win campaign. Is a Cotton Bowl date with rival Texas A&M in the future? I want this to happen so, so badly. Other than a national title game with two undefeated teams, no bowl game would come close to matching the energy and intrigue.

4. Texas Tech (6-3, 3-3; last week: 3) The Red Raiders ran into a pretty determined Texas squad. All of a sudden, Tech's fortunes are looking a little rough and the Big 12 title hopes they had two weeks ago are a distant memory at 3-3 in league play. Kansas is up next, though. The Red Raiders miss tight end Jace Amaro more than most folks outside Lubbock realize. He's a matchup nightmare.

5. Oklahoma State (5-3, 3-2; last week: 4) Hey, the Cowboys are a good team. I know one when I see one. But by the same token, they have to beat somebody to prove it at some point. There's not a single win over a team this year that's been legitimately noteworthy for the Pokes, though they did beat TCU and Iowa State by three touchdowns. The chances will be there for OSU. A reeling West Virginia squad visits Stilly next week for Dana Holgorsen's return to his old stomping grounds.

6. TCU (6-3, 3-3; last week: 8) TCU has been playing heart-stoppers every other week, it seems. The Frogs got the short end of a three-overtime stick against Texas Tech two weeks ago, but Gary Patterson's gambles paid off this time around against the Mountaineers. TCU played to win with trick plays and a game-winning two-point conversion. Kudos. TCU can play spoiler against seemingly BCS-bound K-State this week at Amon G. Carter Stadium.

7. West Virginia (5-3, 2-3; last week: 5) Oh, how the mighty have fallen. That was a heartbreaker for WVU, and the team had to wait two weeks to play TCU after getting pounded by K-State and Texas Tech in consecutive games. Geno Smith & Co. were better this week, but the offense still looks shaky. Tavon Austin is doing his best to keep WVU afloat, but even his penchant for highlights wasn't enough this week.

8. Iowa State (5-4, 2-4; last week: 8) Iowa State's not all that far behind West Virginia here. The Cyclones played Oklahoma tough early, but the Sooners were too much. ISU will travel to Texas this week to make a second go-around at gaining bowl eligibility. KU awaits the week after even if the Cyclones can't get the job done in Austin.

9. Baylor (4-4, 1-4; last week: 9) Baylor broke its four-game losing skid, but you've got to do more than beat Kansas if you want to ascend the Big 12 power rankings. BU's defense pitching a second-half shutout was legitimately impressive considering its recent track record, but a more consistent OU team will be a tougher test for the Bears' D this week.

10. Kansas (1-8, 0-6; last week: 10) A halftime rain delay only put off the inevitable. KU showed some good fight after being down 14-0 early, but the Jayhawks have quarterback issues. If Michael Cummings can't put up some numbers against Baylor, who's he going to put them up against? Texas Tech's defense has struggled the past couple of weeks, but will be a tough test for the Jayhawks' legitimately solid running game. Even an avalanche of losses can't take the shine off an absolutely outstanding season for James Sims.

SEC

6. Texas A&M (7-2; LW: 6): We wanted to see what the Aggies could do against a decent defense, and they didn't disappoint with their thrashing of Mississippi State over the weekend. A&M went on the road and sent the Bulldogs to the showers early. Johnny Manziel continues to be the conference's most exciting player and he has this offense overflowing with confidence heading into the Alabama game. After what we saw in the LSU game, the Aggies have the talent on offense to give Alabama's defense real fits. -- Edward Aschoff