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Alabama might have fallen to No. 2 in ESPN colleague Mark Schlabach's Way-Too-Early Preseason Top 25, but I'd like to think that most of the college football world still considers the Crimson Tide to be the favorites to win the national championship again.

Alabama lost nine draft picks, including three first-rounders, but Nick Saban has a host of talent returning on both sides of the ball, and the Tide's schedule isn't too daunting after the first two games.

But there are teams that will test the Tide's road to a national championship trifecta in 2013. Colleague Travis Haney picked five teams from around the country that could challenge Alabama's title hopes this fall. Ohio State topped his list, while Texas A&M made it from the SEC.

No surprise there with the Aggies. Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel returns with a bundle of riches to accompany him in the Aggies' backfield.

Johnny Football might not have Luke Joeckel protecting him, but Jake Matthews provides quite the safety net with his move to left tackle, and there is still talent and experience up front. Mike Evans leads a young but talented group of pass-catchers.

The defense is a concern, with five members of last season's front seven gone, but the Aggies will still be equipped to win most shootouts.

A&M benefits from getting Alabama at home early in the season, but has to play Arkansas, Ole Miss, LSU and Missouri on the road. Even beating Alabama early doesn't guarantee the Aggies will make it to Atlanta over the Tide.

2012 record: 9-4
2012 conference record: 5-4 (third in the Big 12)
Returning starters: Offense: 10; defense: 9; kicker/punter: 1

Top returners: QB David Ash, RB Johnathan Gray, WR Mike Davis, WR Jaxon Shipley, LT Donald Hawkins, RT Josh Cochran, G Mason Walters, DE Jackson Jeffcoat, LB Jordan Hicks, CB Quandre Diggs, CB Carrington Byndom

Key losses: P Alex King, S Kenny Vaccaro, DE Alex Okafor, WR Marquise Goodwin

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Johnathan Gray* (701 yards)
Passing: David Ash* (2,699 yards)
Receiving: Mike Davis* (939 yards)
Tackles: Kenny Vaccaro (107)
Sacks: Alex Okafor (12.5)
Interceptions: Quandre Diggs* (4)

Spring answers:

1. Under center: Texas has finally ended all the debate about its quarterback situation and settled on David Ash. While Ash has yet to be stellar in his first two years at Texas, the junior has steadily improved -- he was top 25 in pass efficiency rating in 2012 -- and has won the trust of new quarterbacks coach Major Applewhite. Applewhite believes Ash is the quarterback best suited to run the new up-tempo, spread attack.

2. Loaded at linebacker: One year after being the worst tackling team in the Big 12, Texas went into the spring looking to shore up its linebacker position. And it had plenty of options. Texas has seven linebackers who have started at least one game. Included in that group is Jordan Hicks, who is back after missing 10 games last year because of a hip injury. Hicks will team with true sophomores, Dalton Santos and Peter Jinkens for what should be a much faster and aggressive unit in 2013.

3. Along the lines: While there were a sprinkling of injuries along the offensive line this spring (Josh Cochran and Trey Hopkins), Texas appears to have finally solved the depth riddle at that position. Tackle Kennedy Estelle was able to get quality snaps and should prove to be a solid backup and Sedrick Flowers finally emerged as an option at guard. While Texas returns all five starter from a year ago along the line, the Longhorns know that in the new up-tempo offense it will have to lean heavily on these backups.

Fall questions

1. Speed thrills: Texas wants to move the ball fast. So fast that the offensive players were even taught how to quickly get the ball back to the official so that they could put it down and Texas could line up and run the next play. But Texas only decided it wanted to play this way in mid-December when there was a change in playcallers from Bryan Harsin to Applewhite. So Texas has only had a handful of practices to get up to speed. With a schedule that has Texas at BYU for the second game of the season there doesn’t appear to be much time to get things perfected.

2. Safety dance: Texas’ defense was the worst in school history and that was largely due to the play of the back seven on defense. And now the best player in that back seven, Kenny Vaccaro, is gone. He was a first-round draft pick. That has left Texas wondering who will step up and make some stop at the safety position. Adrian Phillips takes over for Vaccaro, but he was inconsistent last season. The coaches blamed a shoulder injury and the fact he missed the spring. Mykkele Thompson and Josh Turner also missed their share of tackles but both are being called on to be possible starters.

3. Receiving praise: Texas has not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Jordan Shipley in 2009. Mike Davis had 939 yards last year and appears poised to break the 1,000-yard mark this season. But to do that he will need help. And right now there are some questions as to where that help will come from. Texas wants to go with four wide receivers but two of the four players expected to fill those roles -- Cayleb Jones and Kendall Sanders -- are currently suspended because of legal issues. Both will probably be back. But even then, Texas is very thin at wide receiver and needs some other players to step up to help take the double teams away from Davis.

You can only be inspired by our friends at the ACC Blog, but today, we'll start looking at a few of the Big 12's best teams and asking you the big question: Do you buy them as a Big 12 title contender?

Or is any talk of a title simply pretending?

Let's start with the team I believe will be the most polarizing in these debates: the Texas Longhorns.

Texas has recruited solidly, though it's not necessarily pulling in top-five classes with ease lately. The defense struggled to stop the run, but the offseason began with a good taste in Texas' mouths after a dramatic Alamo Bowl comeback against a good Oregon State team for one of the Big 12's best nonconference wins of the season.

Major Applewhite is finally taking over as playcaller and he's got to help David Ash mature and find the consistency to make Texas a contender for some major hardware for the first time since the 2009 season.

Two of Texas' best defenders -- linebacker Jordan Hicks and defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat -- will be back on the field after missing most of 2012 with injuries. Receiver Mike Davis elected to come back for his senior season after proving himself as a deep threat last season, offsetting a strong running game with four great backs headlined by Malcolm Brown and Johnathan Gray, two of Texas' best signees in its 2011 and 2012 recruiting classes.

The Longhorns won at least 10 games in nine consecutive seasons before missing a bowl game in 2010. Texas has steadily improved since that disaster, but is this the year Texas breaks back into the double digits and wins a Big 12 title?

Vote in our poll. Is Texas a contender or a pretender?

We wrapped up our postseason list of the Big 12's top 25 players, and included a few guys who just missed.

What about next year's list? Here's a few guys you can probably expect to see on next year's postseason list who didn't make the 2012 version.

Brandon Carter, WR, TCU: Josh Boyce has been the headliner for TCU's receivers in each of the past two years, but Carter is a big talent with great hands (and a penchant for one-handed grabs) who'll be assuming a bigger role in TCU's offense this season. He's a balanced receiver who's shown great route-running talent and great straight-line speed. He caught just 36 passes for 590 yards and six scores, but without Boyce and Skye Dawson, look for Carter to top 1,000 yards as a junior next year with Casey Pachall set to return to the Frogs.

Jeremy Smith, RB, Oklahoma State: Smith has a ton of experience, but with Joseph Randle emerging the past two seasons, he hasn't had a lot of opportunity. He's a 208-pound bruiser who plays like he's a whole lot heavier, while still possessing great speed. OSU is still going to be a pass-first team, but Smith is going to earn more than just the 70 carries he got a year ago. A midseason injury was part of the reason, but he still scored eight times and rushed for 371 yards. He averaged better than seven yards a carry in 2011, but I'd be shocked if he didn't have 1,000 yards rushing in 2013 as a senior.

Karl Joseph, S, West Virginia: Joseph was a bright spot as a true freshman for a struggling defense this season, but with the amount that defense struggled, it's hard to put anyone in the top 25. Can that change under new playcaller Keith Patterson next year? Joseph showed an ability to be a playmaker with 102 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two interceptions, six pass breakups and three forced fumbles. With another year in the system and in college football, you figure that will grow.

Mike Davis, WR, Texas: Davis quietly earned a reputation as a big-time deep threat for an inconsistent Texas passing offense last year, and flirted with 1,000 yards receiving. He also flirted with leaving for the NFL, but he may emerge as one of the Big 12's best receivers next season. He needed just 57 catches to amass 939 yards and caught 11 passes longer than 30 yards, tied for third-most in the Big 12.

Corey Nelson, LB, Oklahoma: Nelson was a one-time super recruit who has been solid for the Sooners, but could definitely emerge as a superstar next season. He and Aaron Colvin are the only two players Mike Stoops knows he can for sure count on next season, and the third-year starter should be a bedrock of a transition Oklahoma defense next year after making 45 stops and 3.5 tackles for loss in 2012.

Big 12 offenses are among the most explosive in college football. Even though the conference is losing dynamic playmakers like West Virginia’s Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey, along with Baylor’s Terrance Williams, several explosive skill players will return to cause havoc for Big 12 defenses in 2013.

Here’s a look at the top five explosive playmakers returning this fall (returning players who finished atop the Big 12 in scrimmage plays of 30 yards or more):

WR Tevin Reese, Baylor

Explosive plays in 2012: Reese had 12 plays of 30 yards or more for the Bears in 2012. The definition of lightning in a bottle, Reese is a nightmare in the slot. His sheer speed can test the middle of a defense and his quickness makes it difficult to be physical with him at the line of scrimmage. The junior has 20 plays of 30 yards or more heading into his final season at Baylor.

Could Reese have more explosive plays in 2013? It could be difficult. With Williams and Lanear Sampson completing their eligibility and the Bears replacing their quarterback for the second straight season, Reese could become the focal point of Big 12 defensive game plans. But if Lache Seastrunk is able to help get BU’s running game clicking, Reese could be the biggest benefactor.

WR Mike Davis, Texas

Explosive plays in 2012: Davis had 11 plays of 30 yards or more for the Longhorns, including three receptions more than 60 yards. At 6-foot-2, 193 pounds, Davis brings terrific size and athleticism to the receiver position. He has the speed to test defenses deep, the open-field ability to catch a screen pass and break a big gainer along with the ball skills to outleap defenders in jump-ball situations. He has 17 plays of 30 yards or more during his UT career.

Could Davis have more explosive plays in 2013? As David Ash continues to mature, Davis’ explosive playmaking ability could become even more apparent. And with the Longhorns looking to turn up the tempo in 2013, more offensive plays should mean more opportunities to see Davis’ dynamic talent on display.

WR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State

Explosive plays in 2012: Lockett had eight plays from scrimmage of 30 yards or more and that doesn’t even include his 100- and 96-yard kick returns for touchdowns. Undersized but undeterred, Lockett has been a big play waiting to happen in his two seasons in Manhattan, Kan. At 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, Lockett consistently finds a way to make big plays, particularly in big games.

Could Lockett have more explosive plays in 2013? The Wildcats will need him to. With former quarterback Collin Klein no longer spearheading the offense, Lockett should garner added defensive attention. Expect KSU to continue to be creative in finding ways to get him the ball and he’ll do the rest.

WR Josh Stewart, Oklahoma State

Explosive plays in 2012: Stewart had eight plays from scrimmage of 30 yards or more but he’s not a deep threat with his 75-yard touchdown catch against Oklahoma standing alone as his only big play over 50 yards. Yet he consistently makes game-altering plays in OSU’s offensive attack with his willingness to go over the middle and ability to break tackles.

Could Stewart have more explosive plays in 2013? That depends on how seamlessly new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich makes the transition into the program and the Big 12. Stewart is OSU’s top playmaker and can make defenses pay with his quickness and ball skills so Yurcich just needs to find ways to get him in the open field to work his magic.

HB Damien Williams, Oklahoma

Explosive plays in 2012: The lone running back on the list, Williams had seven plays from scrimmage of 30 yards or more including four touchdown gallops of 65 yards or more. He displays game-breaking speed when he gets into the secondary and can be difficult for defensive backs to bring down in the open field.

Could Williams have more explosive plays in 2013? It’s quite possible with the Sooners set to add more quarterback run game into their offense with mobile quarterbacks Blake Bell, Trevor Knight and Kendal Thompson battling for the starting job this spring. With a quarterback who can make defenses pay with his feet alongside him in the Sooners' backfield, Williams could find even more open running lanes this fall.

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.

Now that all of the early entries for this year's NFL draft are in, we decided to take a closer look at some of the players who decided to leave school early.

We're checking in on how teams were affected and who some of the winners and losers were from all of these early departures:

Biggest winners: David Ash and Texas' offense. Mike Davis committed to returning for his senior season. Then he didn't. Then he did again. For that brief period when he was headed to the NFL draft but hadn't signed with an agent -- it was less than a day -- it felt pretty close to panic time for Texas' offense. Ash is still trying to mature, and if his biggest deep threat took his talents to the NFL, the Longhorns would have had exactly one receiver with more than 10 catches in 2012. That's not conducive to Ash progressing as a passer. Texas still needs a bit more depth at the position, but Davis' decision to stick around is a huge boon for its offense, which very well may pay off in the Big 12 title race next year. Winning in this league typically requires teams to hang 30-40 points a game.

Biggest losers: Oklahoma. The Sooners got gutted by the draft. Kenny Stills and Tony Jefferson might have been able to improve their stock with another year, but two-thirds of the Cali Trio is officially checking out of school early. New quarterback, likely Blake Bell, will have to adjust to a young group of receivers without Stills, the most consistent member of the group. Additionally, the defense has more pieces to fill. Tom Wort wasn't outstanding, but he at least had experience. He's headed to the NFL draft, too, and the Sooners lost a starting linebacker.

Headscratchers: Stansly Maponga, Tom Wort, Brandon Moore. Maponga is best suited to hear his name called pretty early in the draft, but the Frogs' best preseason standout was banged up this season and definitely could have improved his stock with a strong season in a major conference as a senior in 2013. He was overshadowed by teammate Devonte Fields, a fellow defensive lineman, and managed just 6.5 tackles for loss, the fourth-most for the Frogs. He had just four sacks after making nine a season ago. Wort, meanwhile, made the perplexing decision amidst rumors that he was unhappy with Oklahoma's new defensive scheme, which was a reason for a major production drop from him. Linebackers aren't meant to rack up tackles or make plays, but instead funnel ball carriers and plug up gaps. He runs the risk of being undrafted, and so does Moore, a Texas defensive tackle who transferred to Austin and started about half of Texas' games. Moore was basically just a member of a strong rotation up front for the Longhorns' defense, which struggled to stop the run for most of the season.

The replacements:

• Sterling Shepard, WR, Oklahoma: Shepard definitely brings about comparisons to Ryan Broyles. He has similar size and proved to be a solid option in the passing game as a true freshman. It's doubtful he'll be able to stretch the field like Stills, but his 45 grabs for 621 yards are sure to grow next season. He'll help smooth over the quarterback transition away from Landry Jones. Shepard and Fresno State transfer Jalen Saunders will be the team's top two returning receivers.
• Jeremy Smith/Desmond Roland, RBs, Oklahoma State: Joseph Randle is gone, but Oklahoma State is definitely prepared to fill his shoes. Neither Smith nor Roland has as much raw talent as Randle, but both are certainly capable to be very productive in Oklahoma State's pass-first offense. Smith's touches were down this year, but he ran for 646 yards in 2011. He and Roland are both more physical than Randle, but can they prove to be big-play backs? Smith's game tape against Texas in 2011 suggests the answer is yes.
• LaDarius Brown, WR, TCU: Brown is a huge target for whoever TCU lines up at quarterback. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder caught 27 passes for 385 yards. Brandon Carter is the more immediate option as the team's best target without Josh Boyce and Skye Dawson, but Brown's potential is sky-high. Look for him to get tons of targets in the red zone next season.
• Malcom Brown, DT, Texas: Brown might be one big reason why Moore is leaving for the NFL. Brown fought his way into the rotation as a true freshman, which is no easy task even for the nation's best recruits. Brown was the nation's No. 12 player in the 2012 class, and everybody wanted him. He made 19 tackles and two tackles for loss.

Texas receiver Mike Davis plans to forego his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft, colleague Joe Schad reported on Thursday.

From Schad's report:

"This is about my family and finances," Davis said. "It's a good time to take it to the next level. I enjoyed my time playing for Texas and it meant a lot to me."

Davis, 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, had 57 catches for 939 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

He has been told he may be a third-round draft choice though he hopes to improve upon it.

Davis is physically gifted, but it's definitely a bit of a surprise to see him go. He has a great shot at an NFL future, and if his family needs it, then so be it. Every decision is different, and those factors must be considered for some. Congrats to him.

Texas' Jaxon Shipley will likely be the Longhorns' top receiver next season, but the rest of the unit will need to grow up fast without Davis to help quarterback David Ash this offseason and next year.

Time to continue our series on the best and worst moments of 2012 for each team in the Big 12. Next up: Texas.

Worst moment: Disaster in Dallas

Another Red River Rout. This is getting old for the folks in Texas, and the No. 1 topic of conversation in Austin in the week that followed was Mack Brown's job security. The Longhorns gave up four rushing scores to the Belldozer and a 95-yarder by Red River rookie Damien Williams. They were outgained by 388 yards, the most since 1950, and provided the biggest highlight of their biggest rival's season. Just ugly, ugly stuff for the Longhorns, who fell to 1-2 in Big 12 play and ignited doubts about whether another season without a bowl was possible. Texas added some garbage time TDs late to turn a 56-8 fourth-quarter deficit into a 63-21 final score. It didn't help much. It was Texas' second consecutive loss to Oklahoma by at least 38 points and fourth blowout loss to the Sooners since the birth of the Brown-Bob Stoops rivalry.

Best moment: Slumpbustin' in Lubbock

Texas had lost nine consecutive games to teams in the top 20, but showed some potential in a win on the road against Texas Tech, which was ranked No. 18 at the time. The Longhorns beat Tech on the way down in retrospect, but it was still a satisfying win for the Longhorns, especially for Mike Davis and Johnathan Gray. Davis caught two touchdown passes and was hilariously flagged for holstering his guns in a parody of Tech fans' "Guns Up" hand sign. Gray ran for 100 yards for the second consecutive game and proved he could be counted on, even though he was a true freshman. It was also a big day for the defense. Tech reached the red zone and settled for field goals on four occasions. That's ultimately where Texas won this one, but the Longhorns moved to 7-2 and 4-2 with the win to keep their Big 12 title hopes alive at the time with their third consecutive win of a streak that would eventually reach four.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Nearly 11 months ago, before the celebration became subdued, Texas coach Mack Brown stepped in front of his team to tell the players where he had been and where they were going.

A pattern had been established, he explained. Steps his past teams had taken that were to be followed by the present one – Holiday Bowl, BCS bowl, BCS title game. It had happened twice before -- 2003, ’04, ’05 and 2007, ’08, ’09. Now, the coach told those players fresh off a Holiday Bowl win, he -- and they -- was poised to make it happen again.

Thanks to Baylor, Brown was right. With two weeks to go and the possibilities still endless, the Bears' victory over Kansas State has cleared a path for Texas to make it to a BCS bowl. Of course, that is predicated on Texas winning out, grabbing second place in the Big 12 and the almost certain BCS at-large bid that comes with it. Oh, and by the way, one of those wins would have to come at Kansas State.

But after a season of head slaps as well as some heady play, Texas, even though everything didn’t always go as planned, will gladly take it.

Now the Longhorns just have to figure out how to take advantage of the opportunities afforded them by the Baptist school to the north. By the way, had West Virginia managed to either make an extra point or a two-point conversion, the Longhorns faithful, giddy with the possibility of a conference title, might have been bowing in the direction of Morgantown, as well.

Enough about what others did while Texas watched. For Texas to seize the opportunity, there is one thing it must do against TCU and Kansas State: run it early and often.

Kansas State is susceptible to the run. Baylor had 16 rushing plays of 10 yards or more. And although TCU is No. 7 nationally against the run, it has not played a dominant run team. The Horned Frogs did play against Joseph Randle, and they gave up 126 to the Oklahoma State running back in a loss.

Over the past four victories, Texas has proved it can be successful running the football. That is why, by the way, Mike Davis has been open for so many passes down the field. The Longhorns are averaging 201.5 rushing yards per game in their past four. In the two games before that, both losses, Texas averaged 104.5 rushing yards.

Of course, some of that has to do with the defenses presented by Oklahoma and West Virginia as well as the defense presented by the past four opponents. But it is impossible to discount the emergence of Johnathan Gray and what he has meant to the run game. Gray has rushed for 361 of Texas’ 806 yards over the past four games. He had back-to-back 100-yard games in his first two starts.

The freshman’s ability to jump-cut and accelerate has given the Longhorns a player who can make a linebacker miss and get upfield for double-digit yards. Although he might not have the speed of Baylor’s Lache Seastrunk -- he went for 185 yards against Kansas State -- Gray does offer some of the same versatility in his running style and can explode to the second level. It was clear in Baylor’s win against KSU that once a runner made it past the initial wave, the Wildcats didn’t have the speed or wherewithal to tackle him.

That brings Texas to its next option, Daje Johnson. (Anyone else watch WVU’s Tavon Austin take handoff after handoff, go for 344 rushing yards and wonder why Texas didn’t try that with Johnson against the Sooners?) Johnson will be the fastest player on the field the next two games. Because of his size -- 5-foot-10, 184 -- Texas might be hesitant to run him between the tackles. But Johnson has proved when he takes the ball 7 yards deep that he has the explosion to put a defense on his heels. Johnson took a deep handoff against Baylor and exploded into the line. The gain was minimal. But the effect put the Bears on their heels, therefore allowing Texas to run Joe Bergeron more successfully and David Ash to pass over the top.

Add to all that a healthy Malcolm Brown, Texas’ most effective weapon at getting outside the tackles as well as at breaking tackles, and it appears as if the Longhorns have a chance, heck maybe even a plan, to take the next step Mack Brown talked about in December.

Texas followed up its two-game losing streak with three straight conference wins, the latest a 33-7 win over Iowa State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Saturday. With the win the Longhorns (8-2, 5-2) reached eight wins, the same total they had in all of 2011. Iowa State (5-5, 2-5) is still one win away from bowl eligibility but does have Kansas still on the schedule.

It was over when: Texas put its third first-half touchdown on the board when quarterback David Ash hit Barrett Matthews on a 3-yard strike. The score gave Texas a 20-0 lead. Anthony Fera missed the extra point. While the Longhorns defense has not been stellar, a 20-point cushion was more than enough for Texas to be able to control the rest of the game.

Stat of the game: Ash was 13-of-14 for 245 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. The sophomore quarterback hit his first eight passes, one of which was a 61-yard touchdown to Mike Davis. That is the second week in a row Ash has hit Davis for a deep touchdown pass. Last week, Ash hit Davis for a 75-yard score.

Stat of the game, part 2: The Longhorns rolled up 611 yards and averaged 8.0 yards per play. It's the second time this season the Longhorns have topped 600 yards. They had 676 in a win against Ole Miss. On the flip side, Iowa State managed just 277 yards. That's the second time in the last three games that Texas has limited an opponent to less than 300 total yards. Kansas had just 273.

Game ball goes to: Texas running back Joe Bergeron. The sophomore has been the second, third or fourth option with the emergence of Johnathan Gray, Daje Johnson and D.J. Monroe. But Texas continued to go to Bergeron against Iowa State and he continued to produce. Bergeron averaged 7.2 yards per carry and totaled 86 yards. Bergeron's ability to move the ball allowed Texas to get in a position on second and third down and open up the playbook.

What it means for Texas: The Longhorns can still hold on to the hope that the season could end with a BCS game. The chances are remote and rely on Kansas State and Oklahoma losing games in which they are favored. The more likely scenario for Texas is to split the last two games and finish with a Cotton or Alamo Bowl berth.

What it means for Iowa State: The Cyclones are still searching for their sixth win. They travel to Kansas next week in what should be their best opportunity to get that win.

Time to hand out some hardware for a job well done in the Big 12 on Saturday. Your stickers are in the mail, boys.

Big 12:

Gary Patterson, coach, TCU: Hey, the players are the ones who do it on the field, but Patterson went with a pair of gutsy gambles in double overtime to help the Frogs rally for a 39-38 victory at West Virginia. TCU got a touchdown on a reverse pass from Brandon Carter to Corey Fuller, and got the two-point conversion on a rollout play that was a mirror of the play that beat Boise State last season. Patterson doesn't necessarily call those plays, but he had the guts to sign off on them. Few other coaches would. Those were game-changing decisions and now TCU is bowl-eligible, despite a mountain of losses.

Allen Chapman, CB, Kansas State: What a night for the senior cornerback. He got it off to a great start when he returned his first interception 29 yards for a touchdown late in the first half of Kansas State's 44-30 win over Oklahoma State. He picked off another late on a play in which Cowboys quarterback Wes Lunt suffered an apparent head injury, and his final pick of the night sealed the game for the Wildcats and allowed the K-State faithful to breathe a sigh of relief when he came up with the ball in the end zone on a Clint Chelf toss that would have made the game very, very interesting. He finished with five tackles, three picks and two pass breakups. My hat is off, sir.

Brennan Clay, RB, Oklahoma: Landry Jones is a strong candidate here, but I'm going with Clay because of Jones' two interceptions in the second quarter. Clay's previous career high was just 64 yards rushing, but with injuries to the Sooners' backs, Clay came up big in relief of Damien Williams. He carried the ball 24 times for 157 yards and broke an impressive 18-yard touchdown run for his only score of the day as Oklahoma beat Iowa State 35-20. He also caught a pair of passes for 12 yards.

Mike Davis, WR, Texas: "Magic Mike" was money on Saturday for the Horns. He only caught four passes, but he made 'em count in the Longhorns' 31-22 win over Texas Tech. He caught touchdowns of 75 and 25 yards from David Ash and finished with four grabs for 165 yards. The Horns needed some explosiveness on offense. Davis provided it.

Baylor's offensive line: Can't hand it to just one guy here, but the big uglies up front got it done against the Jayhawks. Baylor's Nick Florence wasn't sacked and threw for 367 yards and three touchdowns in a much-needed, turnover-free performance. Meanwhile, running backs Glasco Martin and Lache Seastrunk combined for 260 yards on just 28 carries, an average of 9.3 yards a carry, in the 41-14 romp. Big time.

SEC:

Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M: Real shocker to find Johnny Football back on this list. He hurt Mississippi State running and throwing in the Aggies' blowout 38-13 win in Starkville, Miss. He completed 30 of his 36 pass attempts for 311 yards and ran the ball 21 times for 129 yards and two touchdowns. He really sucked the life out of the Bulldogs' defense early in the second quarter when he zigged and zagged his way through the defense for a 37-yard touchdown run that put the Aggies up 21-0. -- Edward Aschoff

Time for another round of fun facts across the Big 12 that should come into play this week. As always, these come courtesy of ESPN Stats & Info and various sports information departments around the Big 12.

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Did you know ...

• Kansas State is first nationally in drive starting position, at its own 40.
• The nation's top five teams in that stat have just three combined losses.
• Kansas State is tied for second nationally with 3.6 penalties a game.
• Kansas State is tied for fourth nationally converting 54 percent of its third downs.
• Kansas State has yet to give up a point off one of its turnovers, the best mark in the FBS.
• K-State kick returner Tyler Lockett ranks eighth nationally with 29.7 yards per return. Five of his 12 returns have been longer than 30 yards.
• On throws 20 yards or longer last year, Collin Klein completed 44 percent of his passes for four touchdowns and two interceptions.
• This year, he's completing 60 percent of those same throws with seven touchdowns and no interceptions.
• On those throws last year against Oklahoma State, Klein was 2-of-6 for 56 yards and an interception.
• Oklahoma State's Wes Lunt has completed just 5-of-18 (27.8 percent) of his passes longer than 20 yards this season. J.W. Walsh completed 47.4 percent of those passes this season.
• Lunt was 1-of-4 for 38 yards last week against TCU on throws longer than 20 yards.
• Kansas State's offense has just 86 drives this season, the second-fewest in FBS.
• Kansas State's offense is fifth nationally in scoring, however. It has scored touchdowns on 42 of those drives.
• It ranks first nationally in drives per touchdowns (2.2), plays per touchdowns (12), and touchdown percentage (48.8).
• Over the past two seasons, Collin Klein leads the FBS with 45 rushes for first downs on third down, including 12 on third downs with longer than five yards to go.
• Collin Klein averages 9.1 yards a carry on zone read plays this year, compared to 5.2 last season.
• Lunt's completion percentage against the blitz (50) is 16 percentage points lower than when defenses drop at least seven defenders into coverage.
• Klein, meanwhile, has completed 16 of 20 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns against the blitz in his past two games.
• Oklahoma State's Joseph Randle has 479 yards after contact this year, the third-most among backs from AQ conferences.
• Randle, though, averages three yards a carry after contact, a higher rate than the two backs ahead of him, Wisconsin's Montee Ball and Michigan State's Le'Veon Bell.
• Seth Doege has 13 touchdown passes and no interceptions on throws longer than 15 yards. That's the best ratio in the FBS.
• He's completing 51 percent of his throws longer than 15 yards, the fifth-best mark nationally.
• Texas' defense gave up 15 throws longer than 25 yards all last season.
• The Longhorns have already given up 18 of the same completions this year.
• Johnathan Gray didn't have a single carry longer than 20 yards in his first four games. He has three in his last four games.
• His yards after contact per rush is up to 2.3 yards a carry vs. 1.6 in the first four games.
• David Ash completed 55.6 percent of his passes longer than 15 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions through the season's first five games.
• He's completed 23.5 percent of those passes in the past three games with no touchdowns and three interceptions.
• In those three games, Ash is 3-of-6 when targeting Mike Davis on throws longer than 15 yards. He's 1-of-11 when targeting the rest of the team on those throws.
• Seth Doege is completing 79.1 percent of his passes in the red zone, the second-highest percentage in the FBS. Last year against Texas, he was 5-of-7 with two touchdowns in the red zone.
• Landry Jones completed 49 percent of his throws longer than 15 yards last year. This season, he's down to 39 percent.
• Oklahoma averaged just 2.4 yards per carry against Notre Dame, the worst mark of the season. They also averaged just 1.2 yards per carry before contact, the worst mark of the season.
• Texas' offense has 21 touchdown drives longer than 75 yards this season, the most in the FBS.
• In his first four games, Geno Smith completed 72.4 percent of his throws longer than 15 yards with nine touchdowns and no interceptions.
• In his past three games, Smith has completed 3 of 27 (11 percent) of those throws with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
• West Virginia averaged 220 yards after the catch in its first five games, all wins.
• It's averaging just 119 yards after the catch in its last two games, both losses.
• Both of Smith's interceptions this season have come on throws targeting receivers other than Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey.
• TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin completed all 13 of his pass attempts on third down against Baylor. He's just 9-of-25 since in losses to Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.
• Baylor has 14 touchdown drives in under a minute this season. Against Iowa State last week, the Bears had just one.
• Nick Florence has three of the top six games in Baylor history in single-game passing yards.
• Steele Jantz tied the school record for completions (36) and touchdown passes (5) last week against Baylor.
• Iowa State ran 102 plays last week, tying a school record and racking up 557 yards of offense, the most since 2008 against Kansas State.
• James Sims' streak of four consecutive 100-yard games is the most in KU history since Tony Sands all the way back in 1991.
• KU tackle Tanner Hawkinson has 44 consecutive starts, the most for a Jayhawk since 2000.
• KU threw seven passes last week, the fewest in a game since 1992.
• KU has already surpassed last year's interception total (8) with nine picks this season.

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Rising: Kansas State's offense

Oh, you thought West Virginia or Oklahoma State had the Big 12's best offense? Are you sure about that? The Mountaineers and Cowboys' fast-paced offenses are fun, and so is Baylor's, but the Wildcats are bucking the stereotype and leading the Big 12 in points per game. Their lead is just one-tenth of a point per game ahead of Oklahoma State and three-tenths ahead of third-place Baylor, but 44.4 points is impressive and K-State has scored at least 50 points in three of its past four Big 12 games.

Falling: Kansas' offense in conference games

Yiiiiiiikes. The Big 12 is a league of points, but Kansas is averaging just 12 points a game in league play, just over half the average of Iowa State (23.2), the Big 12's ninth-best scoring team in league play. The defense is improved and kept them in games against Texas and Oklahoma State, but if the losing streak's going to end, the offense needs to get better fast. KU averaged 17.4 points in conference play last year and 14.5 in 2010.

Rising: Baylor receivers' big plays

The Bears are still winless in Big 12 play, but it's not been Tevin Reese and Terrance Williams' fault. The duo is averaging 20 and 19.5 yards a catch. Among receivers in the top 12 in receiving yards, nobody in the Big 12 averages more than 17 yards a catch and only one receiver (Texas' Mike Davis) averages more than 14 yards a grab. All five of Reese's touchdown catches this year have been longer than 40 yards, and 11 of his 12 career touchdown catches have been longer than 40 yards. Ridiculous.

Falling: TCU's discipline

The Frogs are 70 percent freshmen and sophomores, and it's showing in the penalty column. The Frogs are the Big 12's most penalized team and rank 113th nationally in the stat. TCU is flagged an average of 7.6 times a game for more than 70 yards. The Frogs have been flagged 61 times for 570 yards this year.

One other quick penalty note: Kansas has passed Kansas State as the Big 12's least penalized team. Both have drawn 29 flags in eight games, but KU has accounted for seven fewer yards on those flags than K-State. You're slipping, Cats! Slipping!

Rising: Competition for the Big 12's best running back

Joseph Randle was all alone earlier this season, but Kansas' James Sims is rising very, very fast. Sims missed the first three games of the year because of suspension, but since he's been back he's topped 90 yards in every game and scored five touchdowns. He's been the bellcow back for the Jayhawks, carrying the ball at least 27 times in each of the past four games, highlighted by a career day with 176 yards against Texas last Saturday. He's already third in the Big 12, and averages 124 yards a game. Randle is just at 127.

Falling: Passing offenses against Oklahoma

The Sooners gave up 18 passing touchdowns a year ago, which left them in the middle of the pack in the Big 12. This year, Oklahoma's gotten a whole lot stingier in the secondary under new defensive coordinator Mike Stoops. In eight games, opponents have just three passing touchdowns, six fewer than anybody in the Big 12. The Sooners are tied for second nationally with Alabama in the stat. Only Boise State (2) has surrendered fewer.

Texas and West Virginia have a pair of quarterbacks leading the nation in passer rating.

That's no big surprise for the Mountaineers' Geno Smith, who earned a nod as the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year without playing a down in his new conference.

But the Longhorns' David Ash? No Big 12 quarterback had worse numbers a year ago, and he ranked last in the Big 12 in passer rating as a true freshman.

Smith and Ash had different stories entering the season, but through four games, they have one big thing in common: They're getting a lot of help from a corps of receivers who have been overshadowed by their quarterbacks' accomplishments.

That, and they'll both be playing Saturday night in Austin, Texas, when West Virginia heads to Texas for its first Big 12 road trip.

"You start looking at all three receivers, Marquise Goodwin, Mike Davis and Jaxon Shipley. They’ve helped us so much," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "[Receivers coach] Darrell Wyatt's got them blocking downfield, maybe more than ever before. They're very unselfish."

Shipley hauled in three touchdowns in the Longhorns' 41-36 win over Oklahoma State, but Davis had one of the game's biggest plays, catching a jump ball for 32 yards to set up Joe Bergeron's game-winning, albeit disputed, touchdown run.

Ash said after a 66-point outburst against Ole Miss that he was the "master of the underthrow," but his receivers made him look good, turning questionable accuracy into touchdowns.

Goodwin caught only two passes against the Rebels but turned them into 102 yards and a touchdown. He carried the ball just twice but rushed for 80 yards, highlighted by a 69-yard touchdown run.

"It's been a different guy that seems to get the ball in his hands each week, and they've caught the balls when they're thrown to them," Brown said. "This time last year, I don't think Marquise had even caught a pass. He was just trying to learn the offense. Mike Davis stayed hurt all year, and Jaxon Shipley was a true freshman.

"One of the reasons we're playing better on offense is all three of those receivers have really stepped forward."

At West Virginia, though? High octane has become even higher octane. Anybody who saw Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin a year ago had high expectations, and they've exceeded them.

"They made a lot of plays last year. You guys didn’t see it because of the different conference and all that, but you're still talking about two returning 1,000-yard receivers who made a lot of plays at a pretty high level," coach Dana Holgorsen said. "Year 2 in this system obviously helps, and just the rapport that they've got with Geno is helping as well."

The duo combined to catch 27 passes and make up 518 of Smith's 656 passing yards in last Saturday's 70-63 win over Baylor. Austin leads the nation in receptions per game, and he has topped his previous week's reception totals and receiving yards each week of the season.

Bailey and Austin are No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, nationally in receiving yards per game, behind only Baylor's Terrance Williams.

"The rapport they have with Geno is going a long ways," Holgorsen said. "They've been hanging out together for going on four years now, been playing a whole lot of football now for four years, and Geno and Stedman goes back even further than that."

The former high school teammates have hooked up for 10 of Smith's 20 touchdowns. Smith leads the nation in touchdown passes by four. Bailey's caught three more touchdowns than anybody in the country. Who's No. 2? Well, it just happens to be Austin (tied with USC's Marqise Lee and New Mexico State's Austin Franklin).

"There's a lot of reasons why things are working the way they are. It's always about what have you done lately and all that," Holgorsen said. "In addition to those guys, the O-line is playing tremendous. Joey Madsen’s probably had his best game since he's been here, and he's going on being a four-year starter. We've got some pretty good experience up front, and Year 2 in this system makes everybody a little more comfortable as well."

For Austin and Bailey, it shows. The same is true for Shipley, Goodwin and Davis in Year 2 under new coordinator Bryan Harsin in Austin.

Texas and West Virginia have seen better quarterback play than anybody in the country so far. It's clear, though, that neither has done it alone.