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OKLAHOMA SOONERS

2012 record: 10-3

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

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

Top returners

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

Key losses

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

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

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

Spring answers

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

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

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

Fall questions

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

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

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

NORMAN, Okla. -- After a freshman season that did not go as planned, Oklahoma receiver Durron Neal appears poised to make an impact during his second year on campus. With Kenny Stills and Justin Brown moving on to the NFL, Neal is in the middle of a competition to replace the Sooners' starting outside receiver duo.

“I’m very excited,” Neal said. “I’m up to the challenge. It’s one of the reasons I came here. My coaches believe in me, my teammates believe in me and I’m ready to step up and not let them down.”

At one point last summer it appeared the Sooners would lean on Neal to make an immediate impact as a freshman. Then Brown joined the program in August after transferring from Penn State and Jalen Saunders immediately became eligible after his transfer from Fresno State, allowing Stills to move back outside after spending the first month of the season at slot receiver.

Suddenly OU had two veteran receivers on the outside and Neal was left to watch and learn despite playing himself out of a redshirt season with a strong preseason camp. Neal and the Sooners are hoping his learning experience will pay off during his sophomore season.

“Every day last year I took in all I could,” Neal said. “I came in and was ready to learn. I knew I didn’t know as much as I thought I knew. Coming in, I really used Kenny as a resource because I knew that’s who I’d be backing up.”

Even though he saw limited action, Neal flashed some playmaking ability.

“When Durron was in games he did a great job,” OU coach Bob Stoops said. “He's a big play type guy, and strong.”

(Read full post)

We're moving on with a new series today looking at the players across the Big 12 who have to replace program legends. We might as well call this the Nick Florence Memorial team, but let's talk Oklahoma Sooners.

Big shoes to fill: Oklahoma's receivers

If you want to know more about Oklahoma's quarterback spot and the big shoes to fill there, you can do that with the guys at SoonerNation. There's no reason to rehash the race to replace Landry Jones, but we'll look at the guys who Jones' heir will be throwing to today. Kenny Stills left early and Justin Brown had a solid performance in his one year as a Sooner after transferring from Penn State. Together, Oklahoma's got to replace their top two receivers who accounted for 155 catches, 1,843 yards and 16 touchdowns. That's no small task, but the Sooners have a lot of guys in place to make it happen.

Fresno State transfer Jalen Saunders is at the top of that list after showing big potential in the second half of the season last year once he was ruled eligible. He had three games with at least nine catches (including 15 for 181 yards against Notre Dame) and topped 100 yards receiving in the Sooners' last three regular season games. He's well-suited to be the unit's best player next season, but look out for young guys, too. Oklahoma brought in an unbelievable haul of receivers in the 2012 recruiting class, and it may start paying off now. Sterling Shepard had a strong 2012 season with 45 grabs for 621 yards, but Durron Neal and Trey Metoyer should embrace bigger roles this season with a new quarterback.

The Sooners have had a strong receiving tradition for quite some time now with guys like Stills, Ryan Broyles, Juaquin Iglesias, Manny Johnson and Malcolm Kelly, and they look well suited to continue that tradition in 2013.

More big shoes to fill:

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

I'd peg receiver as the Big 12's strongest position in 2012, with lots of elite talent and a whole lot of depth, too. We'll continue our postseason position rankings with the guys who catch it.

Here's what you've missed so far:

• Quarterbacks
• Running backs

1. Terrance Williams, Baylor: Williams led the nation in receiving yards, with 1,832 yards and 12 touchdowns on 97 catches. He can do whatever you want him to do. He's big enough to box out defenders and be a possession receiver who fights for the ball, but he's speedy enough to stretch the field and break the big play. NFL first-round talent.

2. Stedman Bailey, West Virginia: Bailey was a touchdown machine who racked up 25 scores this season, more than Justin Blackmon or Michael Crabtree did in any of the four Biletnikoff Award-winning seasons between them. He caught a league-high 114 balls for 1,622 yards and played through a painful ankle injury in the middle of the season.

3. Tavon Austin, West Virginia: Let me be clear about this: I think you could arrange the top three on this list in any order and have a really, really compelling case. Don't let me stop you. I think Austin is a better overall player than anybody on this list, but this is a ranking of guys as receivers. When we're talking pure receiving talent, I've got to go with Austin at No. 3. That's nothing to be ashamed of. The guys ahead of him were Biletnikoff finalists. He also caught 114 passes, for 1,289 yards and 12 scores.

4. Josh Stewart, Oklahoma State: I've written a lot about Stewart this offseason, but he was probably the most improved and underrated player in the league. OSU needed a No. 1 target, and that was Stewart last season. He finished with 101 catches for 1,210 yards and seven scores.

5. Darrin Moore, Texas Tech: Moore's probably the most physical guy on this list. The 6-foot-4, 216-pounder hauled in 13 touchdown catches and caught 92 balls for 1,032 yards to become the first Tech receiver to surpass 1,000 yards since Crabtree back in 2008.

6. Eric Ward, Texas Tech: Granted, Ward did that whole 1,000-yard thing in Lubbock, too. He caught 82 balls for 1,053 yards and 12 touchdowns. He's not quite as physically gifted as Moore, but he's been Tech's most consistent receiver throughout his career there.

7. Kenny Stills, Oklahoma: Stills was disappointed with his season -- and it was a touch underwhelming -- but he still had a solid showing in a receiving unit that lacked a truly elite target but had a handful of very good receivers for Landry Jones. Stills caught 82 balls for 959 yards and 11 scores before electing to leave for the NFL early. He had a good career at OU, but never cracked the 1,000-yard threshold.

8. Chris Harper, Kansas State: Harper's numbers don't tell you the full story. He's one of the best route-runners in the entire league and might have the best hands, too. K-State's offense limits his targets, but he still caught 58 balls for 857 yards and three touchdowns.

9. Tevin Reese, Baylor: Reese was the most dangerous deep threat in the league outside of teammate Williams. Austin did his damage after catching the ball, but Reese caught eight passes longer than 40 yards this season. That was third in the league, and he finished with 58 catches for 857 yards and three touchdowns.

10. Mike Davis, Texas: Davis broke out in his junior season and could be due for a big senior year after catching 57 balls for 939 yards and seven scores. His 16.5 yards per catch were third among receivers with at least 30 catches, and Davis clearly helped (and benefited from) David Ash's growth as a passer and confidence to stretch the field.

Honorable mention: Jalen Saunders, Oklahoma; Josh Boyce, TCU; Tramaine Thompson, Kansas State; Jaxon Shipley, Texas; Justin Brown, Oklahoma; Tyler Lockett, Kansas State.

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

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

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

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

No. 9 Texas A&M (10-2, 6-2 SEC) vs. No. 11 Oklahoma (10-2, 8-1 Big 12)

On ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM: Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Who to watch: Who else? Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel will attempt to put the finishing touches on his freshman season. "Johnny Football” broke Cam Newton’s SEC record for offensive yardage and accounted for 43 touchdowns while becoming the first freshman to capture the Heisman Trophy. Manziel, however, will be facing one of the better defensive backfields he’s seen all season, led by free safety Tony Jefferson and cornerback Aaron Colvin -- both All-Big 12 performers. Manziel will also have to overcome the distractions of a whirlwind month in which he not only won the Heisman but hung out with actress Megan Fox and played golf with the Jonas Brothers.

What to watch: The Aggies boast Manziel, but the Sooners counter with one of the top wide receiving corps in the country. Kenny Stills, Justin Brown, Jalen Saunders and Sterling Shepard all have more than 500 yards receiving this season. Texas A&M is stout up front, but the Aggies have been vulnerable at times defending the pass, ranking 82nd nationally in pass defense despite competing in the run-oriented SEC. If OU quarterback Landry Jones gets rolling with his talented pass-catchers, this game could tumble into a shootout.

Why to watch: Outside the BCS National Championship, this is as good a matchup as any out there. This Cotton Bowl also features two of the top quarterbacks in the country, with the hotshot freshman in Manziel facing off against the elder statesman in Jones, who will be making his 50th career start on the same field in which his career began four years ago. There should be plenty of energy inside Cowboys Stadium, too, as the Cotton Bowl is expecting a record crowd of 90,000. This will be a BCS-caliber bowl in every way except in name.

Prediction: Texas A&M 34, Oklahoma 31. Coach Bob Stoops has a dominating 11-2 record against Texas A&M, including an average victory margin of three touchdowns. These, however, are not the same Aggies the Sooners faced in the Big 12. Manziel and coach Kevin Sumlin have brought a new attitude to Texas A&M, and the Aggies will be motivated to prove this on the field against their former conference foe.

Oklahoma receiver Justin Brown talks about coming to OU from Penn State, his memories during his lone year in Norman and more with David Ubben.

Every season, we take 10 big swings before the games begin. Sometimes we connect. Sometimes we miss. Either way, we're out on a limb. Sometimes is snaps. Sometimes it doesn't. Let's take a look at how this year's fearless predictions looked.

Want to check how I've done in the past? Here are my grades for the past two seasons:

• Ten fearless predictions from 2011
• Ten fearless predictions from 2010

1. Landry Jones' interception total will be in the single digits. Jones had 41 career interceptions in three seasons and had never thrown fewer than 12 in a season. He got off to a good start, but threw six interceptions in his final five games to reach 10 before the bowl game. Result: Miss, but just barely.

2. Wes Lunt will throw for 4,000 yards. Curse the luck. Lunt suffered injuries to his head and knee and was in and out of the lineup all season. He threw for 1,096 yards, which was third-most on his team. Crazy. The most concerning stat: He had seven interceptions to just six scores. Result: Thanks a lot, injuries.

3. David Ash will start 13 games for Texas. He rotated with Case McCoy last season, and got benched twice this season, but the second benching was due to a rib injury that's left his status for the bowl game up in the air a bit, too. Either way, this prediction crashed and burned in the final game of the season when McCoy made his first start against K-State with Ash's ribs banged up. Do I deserve partial credit for Ash not getting the hook for a complete game? Result: Close, but not close enough.

4. Trey Metoyer will lead Oklahoma in receiving. Probably the biggest whiff of the bunch here. Landry Jones locked in on transfers Justin Brown and Jalen Saunders, but returning star Kenny Stills led the team with 897 yards. I bought into the Metoyer hype, but he finished seventh on the team, behind even running back Damien Williams. Result: Not even close, bro.

5. Texas Tech will play Baylor for a chance to play in a bowl game. My intention with this prediction is that Texas Tech and Baylor would meet and both would have five wins. Baylor held up their end of the deal, but Texas Tech already had seven wins before the Baylor loss. Result: Half right, I suppose. I picked Baylor to win it, too. They did.

6. West Virginia will lose to an unranked team. I bought into the WVU hype to some extent, but I figured the Mountaineers would lose a game no one expected. That's been an unfortunate hallmark of the program for some time, now. WVU proved me right again and again, losing three games to ranked teams, including their first loss of the season as the nation's No. 5 team. Result: On the money ... and then some.

7. TCU will reach the top five and then fall out of the top 20. I saw a big start for TCU, picking the Frogs to start 7-0 before losing four of their last five games. TCU fell out of the top 20 pretty quick, but never rose higher than No. 13 in the polls. Result: Almost doesn't count.

8. Kansas will win a conference game, and Baylor will qualify for a third consecutive bowl game. Oh, KU. My faith was misplaced. This is a pretty historic losing streak that now reaches 21 games in Big 12 play. I didn't really have much doubt that Baylor would reach a bowl early in the season, but that 0-4 start in Big 12 play made me sweat it out. Result: Half right, but KU nearly made me completely right against Texas and Texas Tech.

9. Iowa State's Jake Knott and A.J. Klein will rank first and second in the Big 12 in total tackles. Knott suffered a shoulder injury late in the season, firing a pretty serious torpedo at this prediction. Klein was fifth in the league with 98 tackles. His production slowed considerably after moving positions following Knott's injury. Result: You're no fun, injuries.

10. Kansas State will finish in the Big 12's top two in rushing offense. This looked like a slam dunk until Collin Klein's head injury and some awful games against TCU and Baylor. The Wildcats slipped all the way to fourth in the Big 12, behind even 1-11 KU. Result: Makin' me look bad, y'all.

Not exactly a banner year for my bold predictions. The only possible takeaway from this? I don't know anything about anything. Vote in our poll and grade my predictions.

We did this poll in the preseason, but let's take a look back now that the regular season has been completed.

West Virginia ran away with the poll before the year began. Who wins now? Which Big 12 offense was best this year?

Note: We can only include five teams in polls. TCU was in the preseason poll, but obviously won't be in this poll. I also put Kansas State in here, rather than Texas Tech, which was fifth in the Big 12 in total offense.

Let's take a look.

BAYLOR

The Bears boast the nation's leader in total offense, quarterback Nick Florence, and led the nation in total offense. Florence even accounted for more yards per game than Johnny Football at Texas A&M. The Bears discovered another weapon in running back Lache Seastrunk late in the season and have one of the league's best offensive lines, but Biletnikoff Award finalist and the nation's leader in receiving yards, Terrance Williams, might be the most talented player on the roster.

OKLAHOMA STATE

The Pokes had quarterback issues, but finished the season with three (!!) 1,000-yard passers and finished fifth in the nation in total offense. Running back Joseph Randle is the Big 12's best, and receiver Josh Stewart broke out with 1,154 receiving yards as a sophomore. The rest of the unit is deep, but even without Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden, the Pokes got up and down the field quickly.

WEST VIRGINIA

Geno Smith got off to one of the greatest starts in the history of the Big 12, reaching 5-0 and throwing 25 touchdowns before his first interception. He came to Earth a bit in the middle of a five-game losing streak, but Tavon Austin definitely has a case as the league's best overall offensive weapon, even though fellow receiver Stedman Bailey racked up 23 touchdown catches, 10 more than any player in the league and more than Blackmon and Michael Crabtree in their Biletnikoff Award-winning seasons. The Mountaineers never found a consistent running game, but were sixth nationally in pass offense.

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma relied heavily on Landry Jones, but found a home-run hitter in juco transfer Damien Williams. The youth at receiver showed up early in the season, but transfers Jalen Saunders (Fresno State) and Justin Brown (Penn State) provided solid targets late in the season for Jones, who racked up consecutive 500-yard passing games in wins against Oklahoma State and West Virginia. Jones' season has already pushed him into third in NCAA history in passing yardage.

KANSAS STATE

Kansas State didn't rack up yardage by the bunches, but until late struggles against TCU and Baylor, the Wildcats led the Big 12 in scoring offense. Quarterback Collin Klein rumbled his way to New York City as a Heisman finalist, and the ground-inclined Wildcats offense had two of the Big 12's top five rushers, with Klein and running back John Hubert.

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

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

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

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

1. Sit him down if he sees birdies circling his head. Kansas State coach Bill Snyder sounds optimistic about quarterback Collin Klein's status this week, but will the Heisman front-runner be on the field? And if he is, will he look like his usual self? Will the K-State offense dial back the designed runs for him to try to protect whatever ails him? All pressing questions -- and we likely won't know the answers until Saturday night.

2. He's back ... then he wasn't. Is he back again? Wes Lunt looked good at times on Saturday, but the freshman quarterback made some costly mistakes in Oklahoma State's loss to Kansas State and missed much of the game with an undisclosed injury of his own. Lunt looks good playing the position, but the decision-making is a legitimate issue at this point. Will he be back on the field against West Virginia this week?

3. Fool's gold? Or growth for the Eers? Speaking of, West Virginia's defense showed up for most of the game against TCU last week, holding the Frogs to the second-fewest total yards WVU had given up in conference play. The 94-yard score to tie the game marred that improvement, but can WVU keep it rolling this week against Oklahoma State? The coaches liked the improvement they saw coming off the bye week. Is it legitimate?

4. Amon for a change in Fort Worth. (I'm sorry.) TCU hasn't won at home since Sept. 22 and is 0-2 in Big 12 play at home this year, with a lopsided loss to Iowa State and a heartbreaking loss to Texas Tech in triple overtime. TCU has played its best ball away from home, but can it change those fortunes this week?

5. Where there's a Williams, there's a way. Oklahoma's secondary is all kinds of legit, but the Sooners haven't faced a receiver anything like the caliber of Baylor's Terrance Williams. Can he break loose and have a big game after catching the historic game winner against the Sooners last year? If Baylor's going to spring the upset, that has to happen. The Biletnikoff front-runner leads the nation in receiving and averages nearly 170 yards a game.

6. An encore for George. Iowa State's Jeremiah George racked up 17 tackles last week filling in for injured linebacker Jake Knott. He'll get a huge task this week against a powerful Texas running game that's back to full strength, finally. Can he keep that going this week? He'll have a solid running mate in experienced A.J. Klein, but neither can do it alone.

7. Another set of legs can go a long way. Johnathan Gray has played outstanding with Malcolm Brown sidelined the past few weeks. The true freshman has his first two career 100-yard games while Joe Bergeron has vultured his way to 16 rushing touchdowns, fourth-most nationally. With Brown back now from injury, can Texas' backfield keep using fresh legs to boost its effectiveness?

8. Who's it going to be? Seems like every week it's a new featured receiver for Oklahoma's offense. Kenny Stills gets it done, then it's Sterling Shepard, then it's Jalen Saunders. Then back to Stills with a sprinkling of Justin Brown. Who emerges this week against a porous Baylor defense? Lots of receptions to be had.

9. Six is the magical number. James Sims has five 100-yard games in a row, the first Kansas back to do that since 1974. He's been an amazing bright spot in another dark season in Lawrence. Can he do it again against Texas Tech and give the Jayhawks a fighting chance to end their 18-game losing streak in Big 12 play? If KU had Sims earlier in the season, it likely would have three wins.

10. No time to feel sorry for yourself. Texas Tech got off to a hot 6-1 start, but its season is at a bit of a crossroads. Can it take care of business and play well against Kansas, winning convincingly? Or will it slip up and let KU make it a game? Tech got beat pretty soundly a week ago, but is it going to throw a pity party or take out its anger against the Jayhawks in Lubbock? We'll learn a little bit about this team this week after last week's disheartening loss. The Big 12 title is almost certainly off the board, but can the Red Raiders stay committed?

SEC
4. Alabama's D vs. Johnny Football: We saw some holes open up in Alabama's defense last week against LSU. The players insist that things will get cleaned up this week, but the Aggies have an high-octane offense that could exploit Alabama's weaknesses, especially with a quarterback like Johnny Manziel. He has been the SEC's most exciting player and could pose quite a problem for this defense with his ability to run and throw. He's second in the SEC in passing and first in rushing. It comes down to being very sound and balanced on defense to contain him. Alabama's secondary gave up some big plays last week, and Texas A&M has a better passer and receivers for the Tide to handle. -- Edward Aschoff

Effective convexity! Operating cycles! Securities analysts!

We're back again with more nonsensical financial terms and football.

Time to take a look at a few stocks rising and falling across the Big 12.

Rising: The return game

West Virginia's Tavon Austin broke loose for a 76-yard punt return touchdown to put the Mountaineers ahead in the final minutes of Saturday's eventual loss in double overtime. Believe it or not, that was only the second punt returned for a score in Big 12 play all season. Justin Brown did the same against Kansas earlier this year. Later Saturday, Kansas State's Tyler Lockett took an Oklahoma State kick 100 yards to the house, his second of the season and fourth of his career. K-State is now the only team in the Big 12 with more than one kick returned for a score this year. Only half the teams in the Big 12 have even done it once.

Falling: TCU's turnover margin

How do you beat K-State? Start by winning the turnover battle. Arkansas was the last team to win the turnover battle against K-State and soundly beat the Wildcats in the Cotton Bowl. TCU? The Frogs haven't won or tied the turnover battle in any of their past three games and are minus-9 in turnover margin if you take away a +6 game against Baylor in a win earlier this year. Also not helping: TCU has lost 14 fumbles, twice as many as any team in the Big 12. K-State has lost two.

Rising: James Sims

Sims is quietly on an absolute tear. He can't help that Kansas can't get into the win column, but he's been an absolute workhorse for the Jayhawks. He's topped 100 yards in five consecutive games, the first KU back to do so since 1974. He's averaged at least 5 yards per carry in four of his six games this year, too. He's making the most of his touches and sneaking up on the title of the Big 12's best running back. Considering how much the KU passing game has struggled, that average is pretty incredible. Defenses don't need to respect much in the way of Kansas through the air, and Sims is burning them anyway.

Falling: Joseph Randle

Randle's a great back, too, but he's slowed a big after a huge start in nonconference play. In three of his last four games, he's been held under 4 yards a carry, including just 2.87 yards a carry against Kansas State this week. He carried the ball 15 times for just 43 yards against Kansas State and managed just 80 yards on 29 carries earlier this year against Kansas. Randle can get hot late, but for my money, Sims has taken the title for now as the Big 12's best running back. Randle doesn't run against stacked fronts nearly as much as Sims does, and Sims has been more productive after a three-game suspension to start the season.

Wild card options! Base rates! Default risk!

We're back with financial terms that make little sense out of context, but some Big 12 trends that make plenty of sense in context.

Let's get to it. Here's what's rising and falling this week:

Rising: Electrifying punt returns

The Big 12 hadn't had a punt returned for a touchdown in conference play all season, but Justin Brown changed that pretty quickly on Saturday, taking a punt back 90 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. It was the Sooners' first punt returned for a score since Ryan Broyles did the deed in Bedlam back in 2009, and Brown wasn't the only one with a big play in the special teams. Brown, a Penn State transfer, is averaging 19 yards a return this year, the best mark in the Big 12.

Falling: Penalties drawn by Big 12 teams

What a weird, weird stat this is. Iowa State has the most penalties committed against them in the Big 12 this season, with 45 flags for 397 yards, an average of 6.4 yards a penalty. The weird part? That's 44th nationally. Not a single Big 12 team has drawn enough penalties this season to make the national top 40. Another odd part of that stat? Arizona leads the nation in penalties drawn, with 69 for 688 yards. Oklahoma State accounted for 15 of those and 167 yards of penalties, but the Wildcats have had three games since in which an opponent committed double-digit penalties. Last year, four Big 12 teams were in the top 20 of penalties drawn, led by Kansas State, at No. 10.

Rising: Kansas State's turnover margin

The Wildcats are this year's Oklahoma State, apparently. K-State is +13 in turnover margin this year, with a six-turnover gap between themselves and the next-best team in the Big 12. That number ranks seventh nationally, but K-State is one of five undefeated teams that rank in the top seven in turnover margin.

Falling: West Virginia's offense

Your guess is as good as mine for why WVU's offense is struggling. Part of it is the inability to run the ball, but it's hard to not look past Geno Smith's inability to hit the deep ball the past two games. In his first five games, he was 22-of-33 on throws longer than 15 yards, but he was just 2-of-18 against Texas Tech. Last week, he was 0-5 with the first two interceptions of his season. Very alarming.

Rising: TCU's pass rush

True freshman Devonte Fields leads the Big 12 with 7.5 sacks, but he's not the only one making an impact. Sam Carter has three sacks and Davion Pierson has 2.5. The best sign for TCU's future there? All three players are freshmen or sophomores, and the Frogs are the only team in the Big 12 with three players in the top 10 in sacks.

Falling: Defenses vs. Oklahoma in the red zone

The Belldozer is taking care of business, but the Sooners have been unbelievable in the red zone this season, converting 32-of-33 trips for points, including 25 touchdowns. That scoring percentage (96.97) is tied with Clemson for the highest in college football, and will face a big test this week against Notre Dame, who is the nation's only team who has yet to surrender a rushing touchdown. What's most haunting about the red-zone stat? Blake Bell's fumble on a snap that hit him in the belly is the lone failure all season. That came in a loss to Kansas State, a game Oklahoma lost by five points.

Let's take a look back at the week that was in the Big 12:

Best offensive performance: Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State. Klein accounted for seven touchdowns (four rushing, three passing) in his first-ever game with at least three scores on the ground and through the air. He finished with a career-high 323 yards passing on 19-of-21 passing and rushed for 41 yards in the Wildcats' 55-14 win over West Virginia. For his efforts, he was named the Walter Camp National Player of the Week.

Best defensive performance: Jason Verrett, CB, TCU. Verrett was all over the place for the Frogs, making 11 tackles and two tackles for loss in a triple-overtime loss to Texas Tech. He also broke up three passes. Honorable mention: Meshak Williams, DE, Kansas State; Javon Harris, S, Oklahoma

Best team performance: Kansas State. The Wildcats delivered a sound beating to the Mountaineers in Morgantown, one of the worst in school history. Along the way, they seized control of the Big 12 title race, despite a major test ahead when Texas Tech comes to Manhattan. The Wildcats are looking the part of national title contender.

Best quote: West Virginia QB Geno Smith, on Kansas State's performance: "They kicked our butts."

Worst team performance: Once again, you've got no choice but to leave this one to West Virginia. Two weeks in a row, two complete eggs, and this one was at home and even worse. WVU couldn't stop anything Kansas State did and gave up touchdowns on seven consecutive possessions after giving up a field goal on the first. Meanwhile, the offense has inexplicably fallen off a cliff, failing to score until the game was well out of hand late. This after looking like maybe the best offense in the country through five weeks. What the heck is happening in Morgantown?

Best game: Texas Tech 56, TCU 53 (3OT). Both teams erased double-digit deficits and TCU did it in less than three minutes late to force overtime. Both teams got clutch TDs in overtime, but Tech got the win when Seth Doege found Alex Torres for an eight-yard touchdown pass that ignited a huge celebration at Amon G. Carter Stadium for the Red Raiders, who moved up to No. 14 in this week's BCS standings.

Best play: Trailing by 10 with less than three minutes to play, it looked grim for TCU, but Trevone Boykin found fellow redshirt freshman LaDarius Brown down the left sideline for a perfect 60-yard bomb to get the Frogs within three and later force overtime against a defense that had given up fewer plays longer than 20 yards than any team in the country this season.

Most incredible play: You can't make a much better catch than the 13-yarder Alex Torres had on Texas Tech's go-ahead drive early in the fourth quarter. Facing a second-and-2, Seth Doege slung it to the sideline, but Torres fully laid out and snagged it with one hand, coming down on the sideline. The play was originally ruled incomplete, but a review overturned it and gave the Red Raiders a first down. Torres later capped the drive with an eight-yard touchdown catch.

Most questionable play call: Doege had the hot hand in the fourth quarter, completing nine of his last 11 passes. With a chance to ice the game with a third-down conversion on third-and-7 after recovering TCU's onside kick attempt, the Red Raiders took the ball out of his hands and called a draw play to SaDale Foster, who was tackled by Devonte Fields for a two-yard loss. Texas Tech punted, and TCU came back to tie the score on its next drive and force OT. Dangerous stuff that almost cost Tech. Have a little faith in your QB. At least Tommy Tuberville admitted after the game he'd have thrown it if he had it to do over again.

Best quarter: Oklahoma's second quarter. The Sooners outscored KU 28-0 in the period, which included a crazy-good 90-yard punt return by Penn State transfer Justin Brown. Three other players scored. Landry Jones threw a touchdown pass, Damien Williams ran for one, and Blake Bell dozed his way in for a one-yard score. The Sooners spread the love and were stingy on defense, giving up only four first downs and earning an interception.