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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

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.

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.

The ESPN 150 are the best of the best when it comes to recruits, but how do they really stack up on the field? We check in each season with the freshmen who made an impact and those who didn't in Year 1.

You can look back on the ESPN 150 in 2012 right here, but how did the guys who landed in the Big 12 do? So glad you asked.

Also, here's how the last few years of Big 12 ESPN 150 recruits shaped up:

• Big 12 signees in the 2006 ESPN 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2007 ESPN 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2008 ESPN 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2009 ESPN 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2010 ESPN 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2011 ESPN 150

No. 2: Johnathan Gray, RB, Texas: Took over in midseason as the team's featured running back and led the team with 701 yards and three touchdowns. Had 22 more carries than any other Texas back.

No. 12: Malcom Brown, DT, Texas: Contributed as a reserve on Texas' strong defensive line. Made 19 tackles and two tackles for loss.

No. 54: Dominique Wheeler, WR, Texas Tech: Redshirted his first season for Texas Tech's deep receiving corps.

No. 57: Peter Jinkens, OLB, Texas: Started two games and played in every game this season. Made 27 tackles and three tackles for loss with a sack and an interception.

No. 58: Kennedy Estelle, OL, Texas: Missed five games with a shoulder injury but contributed as a reserve offensive lineman in three games.

No. 60: Sterling Shepard, WR, Oklahoma: Was one of the league's most promising freshmen in Year 1. Emerged with a breakout game against Kansas State with seven catches for 108 yards and a score. He finished with 41 catches for 578 yards and three touchdowns.

No. 64: Durron Neal, WR, Oklahoma: Played sparingly and contributed in nine games. Caught four passes for 62 yards.

No. 70: Alex Ross, RB, Oklahoma: Redshirted in 2012.

No. 77: Torshiro Davis, LB, Texas: Goes by "Shiro" now and moved to defensive end. Played in the final six games of Texas' season and made three tackles, one tackle for loss and broke up a pass.

No. 78: Curtis Riser, OG, Texas: Redshirted in 2012.

No. 79: Bryson Echols, CB, Texas: Redshirted in 2012.

No. 87: Reginald Davis, WR, Texas Tech: Redshirted in 2012.

No. 92: Dalton Santos, LB, Texas: Played in 12 games and made 24 tackles, mostly contributing on special teams. Added 2.5 tackles for loss.

No. 97: Alex Norman, DT, Texas: Redshirted in 2012.

No. 120: Michael Starts, OT, Texas Tech: Moved to defensive tackle but played in just three games. Made three tackles with a sack against New Mexico. Missed time because of a blood pressure issue.

No. 126: Dominic Ramacher, LB, Oklahoma State: Moved to fullback and redshirted in 2012.

No. 130: Connor Brewer, QB, Texas: Redshirted in 2012.

No. 137: Derrick Woods, WR, Oklahoma: Redshirted in 2012.

No. 141: Daje Johnson, ATH, Texas: Speedster made an impact as a big-play threat at running back for Texas. Carried the ball 27 times for 203 yards and a touchdown and caught 19 passes for 287 yards and a score.

No. 147: Cayleb Jones, WR, Texas: Played in 12 games but caught two passes for 35 yards and carried the ball once for 10 yards.

No. 148: Ty Darlington, OL, Oklahoma: Earned starts late in the season at center and proved to be a valuable piece of the Sooners' offensive line that provided an opportunity for versatility and ability to move Gabe Ikard to guard.

We took a look at our All-Big 12 Freshman team earlier today, but let's hand out a few superlatives from the young guys around the league.

Before we begin, a quick word: Devonte Fields was my defensive player of the year in the entire league. He is ridiculous. He would also dominate this post if we included him. As such, I'm excluding him from all of these awards so we can talk about a few other outstanding freshmen. We love Fields here at the Big 12 Blog. We also like talking about people other than Fields. So, no worries Frogs. He will continue to dominate Big 12 offensive lines. He just won't dominate this post.

Best offensive performance: J.W. Walsh, QB, Oklahoma State. Walsh lost the QB derby, but stepped up when Wes Lunt was hurt to lead Oklahoma State to a near-win over Texas, but did beat Iowa State and Kansas. After returning from a leg injury, he played a major role in a short-yardage package and accounted for five touchdowns in Oklahoma State's final three games. He finished with 11 touchdown passes to just three interceptions and completed 66.7 percent of his passes, the fourth-highest percentage in the Big 12. Walsh's passer rating of 165.67 led the Big 12.

Best non-Devonte Fields defense performance: Karl Joseph, S, West Virginia. Joseph was probably the single best player on a struggling West Virginia defense all season long. The freshman stepped in and made 95 tackles to lead the team, but his ballhawking ability is what earns him this award. He forced three fumbles, broke up six passes and intercepted two more, adding a sack and seven tackles for loss. Quite the debut for Joseph.

Biggest upside: Dalton Santos, LB, Texas. Santos' teammate, Kenny Vaccaro, has the current title of the Big 12's biggest hitter, but Santos reminds us of a young Ronnell Lewis in the special teams. He made one start at linebacker this year, but had his biggest impact in the special teams, looking like a cruise missile at times. He had just 18 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, but hopes are high for him when he earns a bigger role on the defense. Honorable mention: Sterling Shepard, WR, Oklahoma.

Biggest impact: Johnathan Gray, RB, Texas. Texas needed help with Joe Bergeron and Malcolm Brown banged up, and Gray was there to pick up the slack. He racked up 100-yard rushing games in wins against Texas Tech and Kansas, and I don't think it's a stretch to say that if he's not out there logging those carries, Texas doesn't win those games. The Longhorns were 8-4, but could they be 6-6 without Gray? He led the Longhorns in rushing as a true freshman.

Best offensive lineman: Spencer Drango, Baylor. He was on our watch list for fresh faces to begin the season, and showed why with a huge year after beefing up during his redshirt season. The 6-foot-6, 310-pounder seized a starting position at tackle and helped block for the nation's No. 1 offense. Honorable mention: Le'Raven Clark, Texas Tech.

Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones became the Big 12's all-time leading passer a week ago, but his understudy, Blake Bell, powered his way into the end zone on fourth down with seconds to play to force overtime in an eventual 51-48 win against rival Oklahoma State.

The man at the middle of the Belldozer formation sat down with ESPN.com this week to talk about that game and a variety of other subjects.

Take me through the fourth-down play at Bedlam, from when you got the call to go in through the end of the play and after.

BB: It was one of those deals. We had 3rd-and-1 and called a passing play, and I thought we scored. Landry threw it to Sterling (Shepard), but they ended up calling it incomplete and so they threw us out there. 4th-and-1, 10 seconds to go, it was just one of those "do or die" type of moments. That's why you play the game. That's why I came to Oklahoma, to be in situations like that. The guys up front obviously did a great job getting on their man and the fullbacks, Trey (Millard) and Rip (Aaron Ripowski), did a good job of coming through and getting on a guy, and I got through a little bit. I met a guy at the goal line, but it was awesome.

What was it like for to you have your number called in that situation?

BB: It was awesome. We work on it every day in practice and all week, stuff like 3rd-and-1, 4th-and-1 on the goal line, stuff like that. So, when they called me out there, it was just another play, and we had to get it. My mentality going out there was "We need this. This is a win or lose situation."

I don't know if I've ever heard your opinion on the "Belldozer" moniker. Where do you stand on it, or do you have any other favorite names for it?

BB: (Laughs) You know, it kind of went back to the fans once we started the package. They came up with three or four nicknames, and asked me which one I liked, and I said 'Hey, that's up to you guys,' and they seemed to want to stick with the Belldozer. I like it. It's fun. It gives the fans, they like the name, and it's not just me. It's a package deal. They call it the Belldozer, but it's kind of cool.

What have you learned from Landry during your time so far that's going to really stick with you once he's gone on to the NFL?

BB: Shoot, I've learned so much for the guy. Probably just the way he handles himself and the way he reads defenses and the way he studies in the film room, the way he practices and things like that. But really, I'm just trying to soak up as much information as I can before he leaves. Like I said, just on how he sees things, the way he's reading on certain plays. Mostly, just the guy, he's been through ups and downs through his career, and it's good seeing how he handles stuff and what it's like.

What's your attitude toward the quarterback competition next year once Landry does leave?

BB: You know, I'm not worried about that right now. We've got a few more games right here. We'll have TCU this week and then the bowl game, so with spring coming around, we'll get that going. As of now, I'm just working on worrying about the season.

Have coaches indicated anything to you about your future at the position?

BB: Nope. Coach (Josh) Heupel will call me in at the end of the season and we'll sit down and talk and figure out what the plan is going into spring ball. I'm staying at quarterback, obviously, and I want to try and win the job.

You're a Kansas kid, but what have you learned about the rivalry and the state of Bedlam at this point with your two experiences in the game?

BB: It's awesome. The first thing that stands out is just the atmosphere. In the state of Oklahoma, this is a big deal. The state shuts down for that game and you've just got so many different fans. A lot of OSU fans and a lot of OU fans. It's a great atmosphere and a fun game to play in, especially in a situation like that going into overtime and having that last play and then all the fans being there and the whole deal afterwards, too. It's an amazing experience.

How would you compare that crowd on Saturday night to ones you've seen in your career?

BB: You'd have to put that one up there as one of the best, just the way our fans were into it. It was Bedlam, and they bring energy, too. They love this matchup and the rivalry, and I'd put this one up there with Notre Dame and College Gameday, and even one I went to back when I was getting recruited, the Texas Tech game back in 2008 when Tech was No. 2. That crowd was unbelievable, too.

What was the most memorable part of that postgame celebration?

BB: Celebrating with the teammates. We work so hard every week for games like this. But celebrating with teammates, and then they played that "Jump Around" song and we just got to celebrate with our teammates.

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

So after a bit of an eye-popping night in Norman, what did we learn about the Big 12?

K-State is all kinds of bad news. Kansas State coach Bill Snyder loved what his defense did. "They just kept rowing the boat," Snyder said. Indeed. Oklahoma got all the way to the 1-yard line and fumbled a snap in the Belldozer. It settled for field goals of 28 and 34 yards, going without a touchdown in the first half at home for the first time since TCU sprang a season-opening upset in 2005. There wasn't an ounce of quit in the defense, and the Wildcats made big plays when they were in position. This team is remarkably consistent despite a few slow starts. The defense is disciplined, though not very speedy. The offense is efficient and doesn't make mistakes. If K-State keeps playing like that, preventing big plays and squeezing the life out of opposing defenses, can anybody in the Big 12 beat it?

There's a good chance Oklahoma is just average this year. The evidence was there, out on display in the desert when a very mediocre UTEP defense stymied the Sooners' offense and made Oklahoma look pretty bad. Those concerns are officially confirmed. Landry Jones quite obviously has shown a constant penchant for making big mistakes in big games, and Saturday night was no exception. Sterling Shepard broke out on Saturday, but with a young receiving corps, the margin of error for the defense in a loaded Big 12 is not very large. Don't be surprised if Oklahoma finishes with nine wins or so, which qualifies as a big disappointment in a season with big dreams in Soonerville.

West Virginia's offense can be slowed. Maryland's a pretty good defense, and became the first team this season to frustrate the Mountaineers. They harassed and hit Geno Smith more than anybody and forced an offense that had punted three times in two games to do so seven times in 60 minutes. That was a big-time performance from the Terps, which fell 31-21. Look for Big 12 defensive coordinators to be watching that film for hours on end in the weeks to come. WVU's got more speed and explosiveness in the passing game than anyone in the Big 12, but it can be contained to some extent.

Kansas still has a ton of work to do. Northern Illinois is a pretty good team, but Kansas yet again coughed up a late lead, and it's about to get much more difficult for the Jayhawks. When you've got a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, you've got to prevent the big play and not turn the ball over. Unlike two weeks ago versus Rice, Kansas didn't have a late turnover this time, but it gave up a 65-yard touchdown pass just 10 seconds after taking a 23-13 lead in the eventual 30-23 loss. It also gave up three fourth-quarter sacks. The Huskies were dominant in the fourth quarter, and that's got to be seriously alarming for the Jayhawks, even early on in this attempted reclamation project.

TCU needs to figure out what's going on in the red zone. You don't have to start pounding any alarms quite yet, but TCU has left a ton of points on the board in consecutive weeks now. In a 20-6 win over Kansas, TCU made seven trips to the red zone and came away with points on just three. In Saturday's 27-7 win over Virginia, Skye Dawson fumbled the ball out of the end zone and Casey Pachall threw his first interception of the season inside the Hoos' 5. Yes, it's out of character for each player, but that margin of error is about to disappear as Big 12 play heats up.

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

1. Close calls. It happens to somebody every weekend. You never know who, but some heavy favorite is going to get locked in a tight game. You can't really read into it too much later in the season, but you always know there's going to be drama somewhere when teams take the field after nine months off. Who's it going to be? Look out for unexpected excitement on Saturday.

2. David Ash. No single player has more power to reshape the Big 12 preseason landscape. He might look like a whole new quarterback this season, or he might show the same old mediocrity. The odds probably favor the latter, considering how little experience Ash had in practice before starting last season. How much better will he be?

3. West Virginia's offense. The Mountaineers struggled with consistency last season, for those of you who didn't see WVU play a game last season before its Orange Bowl coming out party. For one, tune in to see how they look in Week 1. For two, I'm betting some of you have legitimately never seen Geno Smith, Tavon Austin or Stedman Bailey play before. Change that on Saturday. The Mountaineers are the only Big 12 game going at noon ET.

4. The youngest gun in the Big 12. Wes Lunt surprised a lot of folks when he beat out two older players to win the Oklahoma State quarterback job. He's got great running backs and should have some good targets. Few people have ever seen Lunt play in this offense. That changes this weekend.

5. Iowa State's quarterback(s). Steele Jantz has been named the starter, and he'll have a long leash, but how will he look? We didn't see much of him late in the season, and it's been a long time since this was really his team. It will be to start the season, but Iowa State's receivers need to help him out. Jantz needs to help himself out and control his turnovers, too. Nothing would put backup quarterback Jared Barnett on the field faster than turnovers.

6. Baylor's running back logjam. This one should be interesting. There's no telling just yet what Baylor will do, but it hasn't used a real committee since 2009, when it didn't have Robert Griffin III. Since then, the Bears have had a pair of 1,200-yard rushers, and Terrance Ganaway won the Big 12 rushing title last season. Will Lache Seastrunk, Jarred Salubi and Glasco Martin form a committee? Or will a featured back emerge. Ganaway broke out in a big way last season against TCU.

7. Kansas' new faces. I've got no idea what to think of Kansas this season. It's anybody's guess. Nobody's seen a complete overhaul this offseason like KU has. Charlie Weis saw a lot of work that needed to be done when he got to Lawrence and he did it. Big upgrades at quarterback and along the defensive line are the biggest change, but suspensions will keep running back Darrian Miller off the team forever, and James Sims for three games. What's Kansas look like? Here's guessing Dayne Crist holds the answer to that question.

8. Collin Klein's arm. Klein put in a lot of work this offseason to progress as a passer, and threw for 480 yards and six scores in the spring game. That's about all we've seen of Kansas State this offseason, but that was against the Wildcats' second-team defense. That said, it was more than a third of Klein's production through the air in all of last season. How much better has he gotten this offseason? We'll get a preview this weekend.

9. Oklahoma's young receivers. Kenny Stills will be the only eligible receiver on Saturday night who has ever caught a pass in a Sooners uniform. Freshman Trey Metoyer and Penn State transfer Justin Brown will start alongside Stills, and we know they'll have a good quarterback in Landry Jones. owever, what can juco transfer LaColton Bester, and freshmen Durron Neal and Sterling Shepard do? Shepard has already drawn comparisons to Ryan Broyles.

10. Texas Tech's health and new defense. Tech already lost one of its most talented special teamers in camp, Aaron Fisher, but can the rest of these guys finally stay in one piece? Art Kaufman has a new defense in place, and we'll get our first look at Eric Stephens on Saturday after a horrific knee injury ended his 2011 season.

It's time to officially unveil the Big 12's All-Name Team for 2012.

Any player on a current roster, regardless of role on the team, is eligible. The only requirement: Your name must be awesome.

These are, quite simply, the best names of players in the Big 12. Some are catchy. Some are fun to say. Some are just the best. I love all of these.

Here goes:

Coach: Major Applewhite, OC, Texas

OFFENSE

QB: Daxx Garman, Oklahoma State
RB: Lache Seastrunk, Baylor
RB: Brandon Bourbon, Kansas
FB: Glenn Gronkowski, Kansas State
WR: Sterling Shepard, Oklahoma
WR: Lynx Hawthorne, Baylor
WR: Kolby Listenbee, TCU
TE: Kurt Hammerschmidt, Iowa State
OL: Dylan Admire, Kansas
OL: Will Ash, Kansas State
OL: Cody Whitehair, Kansas State
OL: Blaize Foltz, TCU
OL: Le'Raven Clark, Texas Tech

DEFENSE

DL: Keba Agostinho, Kansas
DL: Beau Blackshear, Baylor
DL: Noble Nwachukwu, West Virginia
DL: Stansly Maponga, TCU
LB/DE: Toben Opurum, Kansas
LB: Curtis Smelley, West Virginia
LB: Shaq Petteway, West Virginia
DB: Yves Batoba, Oklahoma State
DB: Terrance Bullitt, Texas Tech
DB: Happiness Osunde, Texas Tech
DB: Kip Daily, Kansas State

SPECIALISTS

K: Bobby Stonebraker, Oklahoma State
P: Ryan Erxleben, Texas Tech

Who's your MVP? Anybody get snubbed?

To begin the season, I see six teams with a legitimate chance to win the Big 12. Today begins a series looking at why each team will or will not win the league. We'll start with the prohibitive favorite, Oklahoma.

Why the Sooners will win the Big 12

1. They've been there before: Never, ever underestimate the importance of experience. Oklahoma lost a lot from last season's team, but it still boasts essentially a four-year starter at quarterback in Landry Jones, receiver Kenny Stills, and defenders like Tony Jefferson, Tom Wort, and Demontre Hurst. They were all key cogs in a 2010 title run that included a gutsy comeback on a neutral site against a very good Nebraska team. Oklahoma has a lot on its to-do list, but outside of a trip to West Virginia, the Sooners won't encounter anything too foreign this season.

2. Its secondary is fierce, and revitalized: Texas probably has the league's best overall secondary, but Oklahoma's not far behind. Cornerbacks Hurst and Aaron Colvin are solid, and safety Tony Jefferson might, by the end of the season, have a case for being the league's best overall defender after moving back to safety from nickel back. Fellow safety Javon Harris re-emerged this spring after a midseason benching, but still must prove he can prevent the big play in the fall. The best news of all for the unit? Coordinator Mike Stoops is back in Norman coaching them after nearly a decade as the Arizona head coach.

3. Oklahoma has more talent than anyone else: This one's pretty simple. If you line up every team in the league, truly examining everybody's two-deep, Oklahoma stands tall as the league's best team, especially at important positions like quarterback and the secondary. There are some questions along the defensive line, but the Sooners have solid athletes with potential. The same is true of the receivers, and running back will be a strength, even if Dominique Whaley isn't 100 percent next season. The linebackers are loaded again, and so is the offensive line, which might be the most important aspect of this year's team. If these games were played on paper, Oklahoma would be the champs.

Why the Sooners won't win the Big 12

1. Does Landry Jones have enough help? Ryan Broyles is gone, and Oklahoma's passing game seemed to self-destruct when he was gone. There's a lot of talent back, but offseason suspensions mean Stills will be flanked by a horde of freshmen targets. Can Trey Metoyer, Sterling Shepard, Durron Neal and Courtney Gardner be enough? And can Jones string together enough solid games to lead Oklahoma to a Big 12 title? The solid offensive line gives some reason to believe he will.

2. There won't be enough pass rush: Ronnell Lewis and Frank Alexander were an absolute terror last season, even though both were plagued by injuries, and Lewis' season shut down early. Now, they must be replaced. R.J. Washington and David King have plenty of potential, but Lewis and Alexander were mostly experienced, known entities. Washington and King have never been relied on as heavily as they will be this season. Can they handle the load? Oklahoma's Big 12 title hopes -- and defensive passing statistics -- probably depend on it.

3. The pool of Big 12 title suitors is too deep: Oklahoma's the best team on paper, sure, but the Big 12 is going to be brutal, and wide open. Nine (maybe 10) teams could legitimately beat the Sooners. That's just one game. Five others (we'll get to them later in the series) have the chance to prove they're better than the Sooners over the course of a 12-game schedule. Will they do it? Ultimately, that might be up to the Sooners.

NORMAN, Okla. -- Even with its best player on the sidelines in tears, Oklahoma didn't know how bad it could get in the season's final month.

No player in the history of FBS caught more passes than Ryan Broyles. When the Sooners' receivers lost their leader and most productive member, one-loss Oklahoma went from Big 12 title contender gunning for an NCAA-most ninth BCS bowl appearance to Insight Bowl participant.

"I just felt like we didn’t know what to do once Ryan went down, to tell you the truth," receiver Kenny Stills said. "We never really saw that coming, and it hit us really hard."

After the loss, quarterback Landry Jones was shut out of the end zone for the season's final three games along with five interceptions. Oklahoma's sure-handed unit suddenly turned shaky, dropping passes more frequently than it had all season.

The Sooners started slow in a win over Iowa State, but were embarrassed in the regular season finale at Oklahoma State with the conference title hanging in the balance.

"We’re disappointed at the way we finished last season, I don’t think there’s any question," said co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach Jay Norvell, "and I think that’s motivated our guys to come out and really prove themselves and to step their game up."

That's been the task for Oklahoma's receivers this spring. After Broyles' injury, Stills moved to an unfamiliar slot position, and his discomfort showed. Despite Broyles' presence, Stills managed to top 100 yards receiving three times in his first six appearances of the season.

When the Sooners' needed him to replace Broyles' production, he didn't top 75 yards receiving.

"We were figuring out what to do with different people in different positions and now I feel like the spring’s helped us figure out what we want to do," Stills said.

He's playing some inside and some outside during the spring, but his preference is simple.

"Wherever the ball’s coming, I want to go," Stills said.

He'll get this offseason to learn how to live life without Broyles, whether it's leading off the field or producing on it. He'll also have plenty of reinforcements. Freshman Trey Metoyer has turned heads in the spring and coach Bob Stoops said he could "absolutely" start.

Come fall, freshmen Durron Neal, Sterling Shepard (two of the nation's top 10 receivers in the 2012 class) and Derrick Woods will join the team, along with highly touted juco transfer Courtney Gardner.

"Competition is the best motivator that you have. That’s Oklahoma," Norvell said. "You hear stories about back in the day when all the running backs were here and coach [Barry] Switzer was here, and there’d be another guy come in, and the way guys looked at each other.

"Good players, they have a lot of pride. And I just think we’ve tried to create that environment. We have a lot of guys that can make plays and that also push each other. I think guys get excited when they see somebody come in that has ability like that and it can help the team."

Norvell's message to his receivers this spring was accountability. Replacing Broyles is up to more than just Stills.

"We’ve talked a lot about (accountability), and I think we have to do a better job of that as a unit and as a team, playing hard for each other, and I don’t think we always did that, especially at the end of last year," Norvell said. "That’s what being a part of a team is, it’s the most special thing you can ever be a part of, especially because you know somebody has your back, and that’s exactly where we started this spring."

We looked at the biggest needs for each team in the Big 12 last week. Now it's time to see who filled them.

BAYLOR

Baylor needed a quarterback and defensive tackle, and delivered in both positions. Javonte Magee is on the way as the nation's No. 20 tackle, and the Bears grabbed former Kansas commit Seth Russell, the nation's No. 47 quarterback, from outside Dallas. The Bears also added the No. 78 defensive tackle, Zorrell Ezell, and Joey Sercy from junior college.

IOWA STATE

The Cyclones needed receivers and got them. Two of the team's top four signees are receivers, P.J. Harris and Quan West. The duo was just outside the top 100 nationally at the position and came from Florida and Texas, respectively.

KANSAS

The raw rankings won't tell you the strength of Kansas' recruiting class. Quarterback has been a huge weakness the past two years, and passers Dayne Crist and Jake Heaps arrive as transfers from Notre Dame and BYU, respectively. It also fulfilled a need by adding Tyler Holmes, the nation's No. 105 tackle.

KANSAS STATE

The biggest need filled for K-State is simple: defensive line. Two of the team's top signees (Travis Britz, Demonte Hood) are along the line, and the team added two more signees (Chaquil Reed, Wesley Hollingshed) from the juco ranks.

OKLAHOMA

The Sooners clearly filled their biggest need. The team's top three recruits (Trey Metoyer, Sterling Shepard, Durron Neal) are all receivers, which is huge for a team that found out it wasn't very strong at the position after Ryan Broyles' injury. It also added the nation's No. 19 receiver, Derrick Woods, to the class.

OKLAHOMA STATE

The Cowboys added a whole lot of volume at receiver. Time will tell how much noise it makes. OSU added six receivers in this class, but none ranked in the top 85 at their position. The team's top recruit, Dominic Ramacher, is the nation' No. 3 tight end and will surely be able to catch a few passes.

TEXAS

The Longhorns lost two starters at linebacker, and filled the void extremely well. The nation's No. 1 inside linebacker, Dalton Santos, is coming. As is Peter Jinkens, the nation's No. 5 outside linebacker, and the No. 12 outside linebacker, Torshiro Davis. It also added Tim Cole, the No. 27 outside linebacker and Alex De La Torre, the No. 11 inside linebacker.

TCU

The Horned Frogs' top two commits in their top-25 class are both on the defensive line, filling a big need. That includes Devonte Fields, an ESPNU 150 signee and the No. 11 defensive end. Joey Hunt is the nation's No. 18 defensive tackle. Both hail from Texas. The Horned Frogs also added James McFarland and Terell Lathan, two defensive ends in the top 85 at the position.

TEXAS TECH

The Red Raiders got big-time reinforcements at receiver, adding two of the nation's top 15 at the position. Dominique Wheeler and Reginald Davis are two of Tech's three ESPNU 150 signees in the top-20 class.