ESPN

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2012 record: 7-6
2012 Big 12 record: 4-5
Returning starters: Offense: 6; defense: 9; kicker/punter: 2

Top returners: DE Devonte Fields, CB Jason Verrett, WR Brandon Carter, S Sam Carter, S Elisha Olabode, RB Waymon James, K Jaden Oberkrom, RB B.J. Catalon

Key losses: WR Josh Boyce, LB Kenny Cain, DE Stansly Maponga, C James Fry, OG Blaize Foltz, RB Matthew Tucker, WR Skye Dawson

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

Passing: Trevone Boykin* (2,054 yards)
Rushing: B.J. Catalon* (584 yards)
Receiving: Josh Boyce (891 yards)
Tackles: Kenny Cain (86)
Sacks: Devonte Fields* (10)
Interceptions: Jason Verrett* (6)

Spring answers

1. Offensive line getting straightened out. James Fry and Blaize Foltz were big losses on the interior of the offensive line, and replacing them was a big concern for the Frogs' quiet spring. The spring ended with senior Eric Tausch atop the depth chart at center and sophomore Jamelle Naff winning the right guard job to replace Foltz. Tausch started at left guard last season and moved over, but sophomore Joey Hunt slid up to replace him. Neither Naff nor Hunt have much experience (Hunt earned his lone career start in a loss to Iowa State), but they'll be leaned on this season.

2. New targets acquired. Josh Boyce and Skye Dawson took their talents to the next level, leaving the Frogs in search of a pair of new starters. LaDarius Brown and Brandon Carter were sure things, but strong springs helped fellow juniors Cam White and David Porter win starting jobs at receiver. There aren't many open gigs for a team returning 15 starters, but that's one that will have a big impact.

3. Mallet dropping the hammer. Junior Marcus Mallet emerged late last season and finished with five tackles for loss and a forced fumble among his 18 stops. Now, he looks like the likely candidate to replace departed Kenny Cain and a possible breakout talent on a loaded TCU defense. The 6-foot-1, 216-pounder finished atop the depth chart after a good spring.

Fall questions

1. Is Casey Pachall back to his old self? It's probably safe to operate under the assumption that Pachall will win his job back in fall camp, but beating out Trevone Boykin isn't the same as leading the Big 12 in passing efficiency, like he was last year before his DUI arrest that ended his season. You don't win a Big 12 title with average quarterback play, which brings me to my next question.

2. Can TCU really handle a Big 12 schedule? TCU was competitive last year, sure, and only had one game that it wasn't competitive in. But TCU's not trying to be competitive. It didn't come to the Big 12 to do that. It came to win, and it's proven exactly nothing in that realm just yet. Managing a difficult week-to-week schedule is one thing. Winning just about every week is another. Ask K-State's 2012 team and Oklahoma State's 2011 squad how easy that is.

3. Is the defense for real? On paper, this unit should be absolutely dominant after finishing No. 1 in the Big 12 in total defense and returning nine starters, including Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Devonte Fields at defensive end. That sounds like Texas' defense from last year, who fell off the map and allowed more rushing yards than any team in school history. Sometimes, you just never really know. This is a new season and last year means nothing. Prove it again.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Before Casey Pachall left TCU's team to seek treatment for drug and alcohol addiction, there was no overwrought, grandiose conversation when both sides compromised to reach a fitting solution. There was no dramatic speech, no tear-filled pleas from either side of the table.

Gary Patterson's message to Pachall was simple: "We’ve got to change the direction you’re going," TCU's coach told ESPN.com in a recent interview.

During a February 2012 campus drug raid in which four football players were among 17 students arrested, Pachall admitted to police that he smoked marijuana and tried cocaine and ecstasy. Two weeks earlier, he had failed a team-wide drug test, and he shared a residence with linebacker Tanner Brock, who was kicked off the team after he was one of the players arrested in the sting.

The news of Pachall's admissions to police didn't surface until August. He spoke to media members and apologized for his "mistakes" but didn't take questions about the police report.

By October, the Frogs were 4-0 and in the top 15 and Pachall led the nation in quarterback rating. An October drunken driving arrest made it clear, however, that Pachall's substance abuse issues were not behind him.

"We really didn’t have a conversation. He didn’t have a choice in the matter. This was what he had to do if he wanted to have a chance to stay in school here," Patterson said. "The biggest thing for me was for him to understand he had hope that, if he did the things he had to do, that he had something to come back to, because playing college football and possibly having a chance to play in the NFL is really important to him."

Pachall was off the team and left to seek treatment, but Patterson made it clear in a news conference in the days that followed that if Pachall completed the program and left his supervisors and sponsors satisfied, he would still have a spot on the team.

"There were those who said I shouldn’t do anything, just suspend him a couple games. There were those who said you should get rid of him," Patterson said. "In this case, looking at all the information I had, I think this was one of those where we needed to help a young man out, not just because he’d been our starting quarterback. He’s not the first, nor will he be the last, that’s given help to. He just happens to be the most publicized."

Patterson didn't have much contact with Pachall during his in-patient treatment, but quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Rusty Burns kept in touch with his quarterback, who stopped by to see Patterson after leaving in-patient care and beginning outpatient treatment.

"I’ve tried to lend support when needed but really tried to make sure you didn’t show or give him any weaknesses in the fences," Patterson said. "He has to fight his own demons."

By January, Pachall had completed his treatment and re-enrolled at TCU, rejoining the team for workouts and working toward regaining both his teammates' trust and his spot as the team's starting quarterback, ahead of Trevone Boykin, who filled in for Pachall over the season's final nine games.

Amid skepticism from just about everyone, Patterson maintains that the competition is close.

"He’s doing well in class and football, but you can tell he hasn’t thrown a football in a while. But he’s going to keep getting stronger," Patterson said. "For him, it’s now getting back in it, getting your arm stronger, catch up to the speed of the game. The other thing, he left and finds some new people to work with. Him and Josh [Boyce] were kind of an item and now Josh is not here, so he’s got to find who he throws to later on. Trevone already has a feel for that."

Patterson laid out the payoff for Pachall if he could change the direction of his life. To this point, Pachall has held up his end. His journey, however, is only beginning. For anyone who has battled addiction, the fight to stay away from the vices that previously restrained him is never ending.

The two haven't spoken about Pachall's time in treatment, and for Patterson, there's no guarantee that Pachall's struggles are permanently behind him. The focus, though, remains in the present.

"The biggest thing is he understands there are a lot of people paying attention, so he’s got to make sure he walks a straight line," Patterson said. "He’s been doing the right things, and you just take it one day at a time. I don’t think he’s any different than any other person who’s dealt with this."

Turnover at the quarterback position is the story of the Big 12 this spring, but some schools have made decisions, some are close, and some haven't gotten far in replacing their passers. Here's an update on where each race sits.

Note: Because they have clear, incumbent starters, Iowa State and Texas have been omitted from this update.

Baylor: Bryce Petty entered the spring as the likely successor to Nick Florence and cemented his status as the starter with a strong 15 practices. Petty was officially designated as the starting quarterback on Baylor's post-spring depth chart, besting Seth Russell.

Kansas: Jake Heaps transferred from BYU and looks to have easily surpassed Michael Cummings, as expected, with a strong spring, working mostly with the first team. Kansas held its spring game on Saturday and Heaps far outperformed Cummings, tossing four touchdown passes and completing 20 of 28 passes for 257 yards. Not much competition here.

Kansas State: K-State is about halfway through spring, but there's been almost no development (publicly, at least) in the quarterback race. Last year's backup, the speedy Daniel Sams, is helping juco transfer Jake Waters get acquainted, but they're still splitting reps with the first team and I'd be surprised if we see an announcement until fall.

Oklahoma: Bob Stoops doesn't care about establishing a starter heading into summer 7-on-7 drills, but Blake Bell might have taken that out of his hands with a strong performance in the spring game. An endorsement from Landry Jones can't hurt. Bell showed this spring he's more than a BellDozer and made plays with his arm on Saturday, completing 14 of 23 passes for 214 yards and two scores. Stoops hasn't made an official designation, but Bell looks like he's distanced himself from his competition in Trevor Knight and Kendal Thompson.

Oklahoma State: You can find folks anywhere making a case for Clint Chelf, J.W. Walsh or Wes Lunt, but Mike Gundy's opinion is the only one that matters. He says Oklahoma State's starter is Chelf, and Chelf is receiving most of the first-team reps this spring. It's not hard to see that changing, but for now, the job is Chelf's. The rising senior may have to do something to lose it.

TCU: Most assumed Casey Pachall's return to the team meant he'd step back in and reclaim his job. This spring, it hasn't been that easy. He may do exactly that this fall, but Gary Patterson says he's looked rusty after not throwing or lifting from October to January while receiving in-patient treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. Meanwhile, sophomore Trevone Boykin has looked much improved. Patterson says it's still an open competition, the duo is splitting first-team reps and there may not be a decision until fall.

Texas Tech: It doesn't seem like Michael Brewer has a ton of competition on the roster, but Kliff Kingsbury turned some heads when he trotted out Davis Webb to start a recent scrimmage. Brewer still has to earn the job and it's hard to see that not being the case, but for now, this job is still up for grabs.

West Virginia: This one's still wide open. Texas natives Paul Millard and Ford Childress are still splitting first-team reps and there doesn't appear to be much separation just yet. Expect this competition to heat up in the fall. The coaching staff has already said they don't expect to name a starter by the end of spring or even by the beginning of fall camp.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- It didn't take long for Gary Patterson to figure out his 2012 freshman class he'd signed in 2012 was different from most he'd encountered as TCU's coach.

For one, it was the first class he'd ever signed with the promise that each player would play out his career in the Big 12 Conference. More than that, though, when Patterson was forced to play 17 of his true freshmen in 2012, he wasn't too surprised when the result wasn't a disaster.

Instead, stars like defensive end Devonte Fields emerged. He won the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Year award, and running back B.J. Catalon, place-kicker Jaden Oberkrom and offensive lineman Aviante Collins earned time as starters. Cornerback Deante' Gray played in the secondary and scored a touchdown on TCU's first touch of the season, a punt return in the season opener against Grambling.

"The freshman class, we knew they were a bit of a different class than what we’d had in the past anyway," Patterson told ESPN.com in a recent interview. "Just the way their mindset is, to the way they approached the summer time and the classwork they did and the offseason work they did with [strength and conditioning] Coach [Don] Sommer."

Before 2012, Patterson had never played more than six true freshmen as a head coach.

Twelve more redshirt freshmen like quarterback Trevone Boykin and receiver LaDarius Brown showed the ability to play immediately and contribute in a tougher conference than the Frogs were used to. Chris Hackett earned a starting safety job less than a third of the way through the season.

Now, it's time for those 28 first-year players to take the next step for the Frogs in one of the most highly anticipated seasons in school history.

"'I want to play and play well,' but playing, you already achieved that," Patterson said of his freshmen. "The biggest thing going forward now, it’s setting goals team-wise, winning championships and playing big and playing well in these kinds of ballgames."

Patterson saw inconsistency in games like losses to Oklahoma State, when the Frogs led 14-9 at halftime but were outscored 27-0 in the second half of the 36-14 loss. He wants consistency, but consistency at a high level.

"So, how do you do that? That comes with maturity and all the other things," Patterson said. "We spent a lot of time talking about the things we have to do to make sure that [inconsistency] doesn’t happen again."

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Casey Pachall's arrival was a big deal in the Big 12, and his return to TCU presumably bolstered the Frogs' hopes of winning their first Big 12 title.

When he left the team to seek treatment for drug and alcohol addiction following a DUI arrest last October, he was the nation's leader in passer rating, but this spring, he hasn't just been handed the job that backup Trevone Boykin fought for over the final two-thirds of 2012.

"Trevone is way ahead of where he was because of what he played," Frogs coach Gary Patterson told ESPN.com in a recent interview.

Before becoming the starting quarterback upon Pachall's abrupt exit, Boykin spent time working at running back. Days later, he made his first start in a lopsided home loss to Iowa State. The redshirt freshman wasn't ready, but tough lessons he clearly learned over the rest of the season have paid off this spring. Meanwhile ...

"Casey’s rusty, so I’d say we probably won’t be able to know anything about who that guy will be until we get into fall practice," Patterson said.

Patterson has expressed similar sentiments before, but it's almost always met with strong skepticism, words masquerading as a motivational ploy to keep Pachall working or a cover to prevent Patterson from appearing like a coach who's handing a troubled player his old job back without him earning it.

TCU's practiced are closed tighter than about any in the Big 12, so the number of people who know how that race truly looks is minimal, but is it really all that hard to believe that Patterson's not blowing smoke?

Pachall didn't throw a football or lift from October to January while he was in treatment, and re-joined the team as the semester began, but practices didn't begin until March. That's a long time without playing the game at full speed, and we saw Boykin make great strides late in the season as a passer.

Pachall's ceiling is significantly higher, but it's also entirely possible that the time away put a major dent in Pachall's mastery of the offense and his own throwing mechanics.

Call me crazy, but I buy what Patterson is selling at this point in the spring about Boykin and Pachall being very close, close enough to cause some debate about who the starter will be.

Will time working over the summer with his receivers in 7-on-7 change that, along with more practices in fall camp? I'm sure Patterson hopes so, and I expect that to be the case. For now, though, I don't believe Patterson is blowing smoke about who TCU's best quarterback is at this exact moment.

Texas was labeled a Big 12 title "pretender" in our poll this week, despite winning nine games last season and bringing back the second-most starters in the Big 12.

Our readers, however, are much more sold on the prospects of TCU, which went 7-6 in its first year in the Big 12, despite suffering more personnel losses and injuries than any team in the league. In our poll, 55 percent of you say TCU is a Big 12 title contender. Just 45 percent voted for "pretender."

For me, I take that as a vote of confidence in quarterback Casey Pachall. Trevone Boykin gave some fantastic effort as a redshirt freshman who wasn't quite ready to step into the role of starter, but I don't really buy TCU's title chances with him at the helm in 2013. With Pachall, I do.

The defense? It's easy to believe in them as the league's best. They were the league's No. 1 defense a year ago with a bunch of freshmen and sophomores all over the place, and return two of the league's impact players on that side of the ball: Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Devonte Fields at defensive end, and Jason Verrett at cornerback.

Honestly, I'm a little surprised at the poll results. I'm definitely a believer in TCU's chances, but from the time the Frogs made their new conference union official, I've sensed a ton of skepticism from the league's fans about TCU's program proving itself as one of the Big 12's best.

Considering how the vote went, it looks like that first year in the Big 12, despite the average finish in the win-loss column, really did make an impression.

We'll take a look at some of the Big 12's breakout stars this spring, but we'll move forward with a series looking at guys who will be stepping into bigger roles this season and what they have to provide. Some are going from being role players to starters. Some are going from starter to star. Some from stars to bona fide superstars.

Let's move on with TCU.

TCU's spring steps forward: WR Brandon Carter

I do feel bad for great receivers who get stuck with inaccurate or inexperienced quarterbacks. That was the case for Carter and Josh Boyce a year ago when Casey Pachall left the team and the Frogs had no choice but to turn to Trevone Boykin, who was more suited to make plays with his feet than string together bunches of completions and move the chains consistently.

Pachall is back, but Boyce is gone, and that means opportunity for Carter. TCU's running game is solid, but you've got to be able to sling it in the Big 12 to light up scoreboards and, consequently, win with consistency. Carter showed big-play ability last year, and the ability to snag one-handed catches in unlikely situations. He's got to be even more for TCU's offense this year after catching 36 balls for 590 yards and six scores. He needs to step forward this spring and prove his worth as a big-time receiver. If TCU doesn't have a 1,000-1,500-yard receiver this season, it's not going to win a Big 12 title. LaDarius Brown is a solid player, and so is Cam White, but Carter's third year on the field awaits this fall, and the time is now for him to make good on the potential he's shown over the first half of his career at TCU. He's the guy in TCU's passing game next year -- if only because he has to be. If Boyce had returned for his senior season, the Frogs offense had the potential to look very scary. For now, it's just very good. Without Carter stepping up and crossing quadruple digits in receiving next season, it'll be tough to call TCU's offense anything close to very good.

See more Big 12 spring steps forward.

We've examined big plays across the Big 12 in a variety of ways lately, but today, we'll look at how that translated on the scoreboard.

Red zone efficiency on offense and defense is huge in the Big 12, but if you string together oodles of big plays, can you rack up points regardless? Let's have a look at how the Big 12's top scoring teams did in that category.

1. Oklahoma State -- 92 (45.7 points a game, first in Big 12)
2. Baylor -- 86 (44.5 points a game, second in Big 12)
3. West Virginia -- 70 (39.5 points a game, third in Big 12)
4. Texas Tech -- 68 (37.5 points a game, sixth in Big 12)
5. TCU -- 60 (28.3 points a game, eighth in Big 12)
6. Kansas State -- 59 (38.8 points a game, fourth in Big 12)
7. Texas -- 59 (35.7 points a game, seventh in Big 12)
8. Oklahoma -- 54 (38.2 points a game, fifth in Big 12)
9. Iowa State -- 44 (24.5 points a game, ninth in Big 12)
10. Kansas -- 40 (18.3 points a game (10th in Big 12)

Very intriguing. At the top and bottom, the correlation is basically perfect. In the middle? It's a complete mess. Here's a plus-minus on where the team finished in the two statistics.

• Baylor -- 0
• Iowa State -- 0
• Kansas -- 0
• Kansas State -- minus-2
• Oklahoma -- minus-3
• Oklahoma State -- 0
• Texas -- 0
• TCU -- plus-3
• Texas Tech -- plus-2
• West Virginia -- 0

I still believe in Kansas State as the league's most efficient offense, but it racked up the fourth-most big plays and ranked sixth in scoring. I still think that showcases efficiency considering K-State scored those points and turned big plays on more than seven percent of its snaps in 2012. It ran fewer plays than a lot of teams in the Big 12, but scored points on the highest percentage of its drives.

Oklahoma, meanwhile, could have a case for a lack of efficiency in these numbers.

TCU's plus-3 wasn't very surprising. Late in the season, it was largely boom or bust for the Frogs offense. It lacked a lot of consistency, but a few times a game, Trevone Boykin seemed to find ways to break a long score. The offense wasn't very good, but it was explosive in some spots.

For years the torch has been passed from Big 12 quarterback to Big 12 quarterback. When received, it's been held high, allowing the remarkable play of those players to be illuminated and seen across college football.

From 2008 to 2011, the Big 12 produced at least one quarterback taken in the first three rounds of the NFL draft. In fact, in those four drafts the Big 12 has had five first-round quarterbacks selected and one in the third round. The 2012 crop of Big 12 quarterbacks -- Collin Klein, Landry Jones, Geno Smith, Nick Florence, heck even Seth Doege -- may not be locks to be first-round picks, but they were prolific in college.

Heading into 2013 it is not that the Big 12’s brightly burning quarterback flame has been extinguished so much as it has been reduced to the size of a pocket lighter. There still might be some talent. But the Big 12, long a passing league, has been left with a collection of quarterbacks who have yet to fully prove their ability or even make it to their senior years. (Well, TCU’s Casey Pachall has but not without a significant interruption that very well could have him sitting on the bench watching Trevone Boykin in 2013.)

With all that in mind here are the top five quarterbacks to who could reignite the flame and carry the torch into 2013.

David Ash, Texas. Yeah, we get it. Flame. Ash. Ha, ha. But on the serious side of things Ash is poised to have a breakout year for Texas. He has started 18 games in his career and finally, after yo-yoing back and forth with Case McCoy, has the full support of the coaching staff. Ash finished 21st nationally in passing efficiency last season and was the highest-rated underclassman in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma State's J.W. Walsh. (Walsh, who is in a quarterback battle, finished fourth in passing efficiency.)

With Texas making the move to a tempo/spread offense, Ash will have more of an opportunity to pile up stats. He is also leading an offense that has nine starters returning.

Wes Lunt or J.W, Walsh, Oklahoma State: Lunt won the starting job last season and proved to be the right selection until he was hurt. Walsh proved to be a very solid starter until he was hurt. Even Clint Chelf proved to be a solid starter and finished with 15 touchdowns versus six interceptions.

Coach Mike Gundy will likely go with either Lunt or Walsh. Walsh brings more of a dual threat to the backfield. Lunt has a bigger arm but he had seven touchdowns and six interceptions in his five starts. Whoever fits into the Oklahoma State system will undoubtedly be one of the top passers in the Big 12 because the offense is constructed to pile up stats.

Bryce Petty, Baylor: OK, he drew a Tim Tebow comparison. Yes, already. Yes, it is only spring. No, they have not started to chisel away at the statue for the Baylor campus just yet. But the materials might have been ordered.

“Bryce is a freak of nature,” running back Lache Seastrunk told the San Antonio Express-News. “His frame, his build and how he throws the ball looks just like Tebow. And when he gets the ball (and runs), he's not going to try to surprise you. He's going to go right at you like a true running back.’’

Petty has only made it into 11 games over the past two seasons, completing 10 of 14 passes for 140 yards. But given what Art Briles has been able to do with quarterbacks there is little doubt his numbers will explode this season. He probably will not be able to keep with the stats posted by RG3 and Florence. But Briles is optimistic about what Petty brings to the game.

"He has everything you're looking for -- size, strength, passion, energy, a great arm and great intelligence,’’ Briles told the Express-News.

Michael Brewer, Texas Tech: Brewer knows the spread and ran it successfully in high school under current Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris. He comes from a family that has a strong football background with his grandfather and dad played quarterback at Texas. Plus he is working with a coach, Kliff Kingsbury, who turned Johnny Manziel into Johnny Football in one season. While Tech doesn’t have near the talent that Texas A&M and Manziel had in 2012 -- the Red Raiders also lost receiver Darrin Moore -- it will have some of the same looks that tend to confuse plodding defenses.

Casey Pachall, TCU: Pachall is not guaranteed the starting spot. After he was removed from the program due to a drug and alcohol problem in 2012, Boykin was able to steer TCU to upset wins over Baylor, West Virginia and Texas. He also kept the Horned Frogs close against Oklahoma and Michigan State. But Pachall, who rejoined the team in January, was prolific in his time under center for TCU. In the first four games of 2012 he passed for 948 yards, 10 touchdowns and an interception. He threw for 2,921 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2011.

Others to watch:

Blake Bell, Oklahoma. He has only thrown 20 career passes but has been around the offense for several years.

Paul Millard, West Virginia. WVU coach Dana Holgorsen has not had to break in a new quarterback since his first year at Houston in 2008. So this could get interesting.

Jake Heaps, Kansas. Last year’s heralded transfer, Dayne Crist, was a bust. Heaps was able to sit and learn for a year. It could help him understand the genius that is Charlie Weis.

Jake Walters, Kansas State. He was the top player in junior college in 2012 but might split time with sophomore Daniel Sams.

Every year, we rank the top 10 players at positions across the Big 12 before the season and after. We'll kick off our list with the glamour position in the Big 12: Quarterback.

A quick note on the rankings: Only one player per team was allowed. I picked the best QB on the teams that shuffled throughout the season, and didn't include players who left the team or were ineligible to end the season.

1. Collin Klein, Kansas State: Klein is not your traditional quarterback and not the kind of guy the Big 12 has made its offensive reputation behind. What he is, though? A leader who showcases his toughness and a good enough passer to make K-State one of the nation's most efficient offenses and forces defenses to respect him on deep and intermediate throws. He completed 64 percent of his passes for 2,646 yards and rushed for 925 yards, accounting for 39 touchdowns.

2. Geno Smith, West Virginia: One would think if you win the Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year honor, throw 42 touchdowns to just six picks and rack up almost 4,200 yards passing, you'd win it easily in the postseason. Not the case. Smith was fantastic this year and might be the first quarterback taken in the NFL draft. Smith is clearly the Big 12's best "passer," but he's not quite the Big 12's best quarterback.

3. Landry Jones, Oklahoma: Jones' experience is unmatched in this league, but he never quite got over the top as the Big 12's best quarterback. He was always solid, even if he might be vulnerable to a big mistake. He threw an interception in each of his final seven games at OU, but he also racked up 30 touchdowns and 4,272 yards. He threw for at least 3,000 yards in each of the past four seasons and leaves as the No. 3 all-time passer in FBS history.

4. Nick Florence, Baylor: Florence led the Big 12 in total offense by almost 40 full yards per game. Not only did he lead the league in passing yards with 4,309, he added almost 600 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. He filled in admirably for RG III, and it's a shame he had to burn his redshirt in 2011 after Griffin suffered a head injury.

5. Seth Doege, Texas Tech: Doege was second nationally with 39 touchdown passes and had a solid senior season. There were some rough games, sure, but he was third in the Big 12 with 4,205 yards. The biggest negative for Doege that bumped him down this list? A Big 12-high 16 interceptions.

6. Clint Chelf, Oklahoma State: Only took one Oklahoma State quarterback for this list, but Chelf was the steadiest this season for the Pokes, and the only one who didn't get hurt. Chelf threw for 15 touchdowns and just six picks and averaged just under 200 passing yards a game. He also ran for 162 yards on just 31 carries.

7. David Ash, Texas: Ash had a really strong start and looked like one of the Big 12's best quarterbacks early in the season. He flirted with the FBS lead in passer rating before coming to Earth a bit late in the year and getting benched against KU and suffering a rib injury late in the year. He still threw for almost 2,700 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight picks.

8. Trevone Boykin, TCU: Boykin had to fill in for the Frogs' Casey Pachall, but had his biggest successes in two situations: Broken plays that required him to scramble and deep balls. The rest of the offense seemed to struggle at times, but Boykin definitely made it interesting. He completed just 57 percent of his passes and had 10 interceptions to his 15 scores, but he hung in there and helped carry the Frogs to a seven-win season.

9. Sam Richardson, Iowa State: Richardson emerged from nowhere to win the Cyclones' quarterback job in the final weeks of the season and prompt a transfer from 2011's season hero: Jared Barnett. Richardson is a prototypical passer who also has wheels and threw eight touchdowns to just one pick in the Cyclones' final three games.

10. Michael Cummings, Kansas: Cummings stepped in for a struggling Dayne Crist, but didn't offer much after doing so and couldn't get KU over the hump to get a Big 12 win. BYU transfer Jake Heaps is likely to slide in front of Cummings on the depth chart next year after Cummings completed just 45 percent of his passes for three touchdowns and four interceptions. He did make some plays with his feet, though it was hard for the yardage to show that was the case because there were so many sacks.

Every year, there's lots of turnover and change for every college program. What do the Big 12 teams need to do before next fall? Let's continue our look with the Frogs here in Fort Worth.

1. See what Casey Pachall has to offer and make a decision. Pachall is back with the team, but we won't get a real feel for how good or bad he is until the spring when the team can begin practicing as a unit with coaches. In the meantime, this job is Trevone Boykin's to lose. The spring will be a showcase for Pachall, and we'll have a good idea of whether TCU is a real Big 12 title contender. I don't believe in the Frogs unless Boykin looks like a new man in 2013, but if Pachall returns to his 2011 and early 2012 form, TCU is legitimate.

2. Don't pay attention to stuff off the practice field. In that same vein, there's going to be some unprecedented preseason hype around this team. Pachall or not, this young team is likely to be one of the Big 12 favorites by the media at large around the league and some nationally. It showed promise in last year's 7-6 team, but the surest way to not win the Big 12 title is to believe you can win it without working for it. Read enough news clippings or believe all the nice things people say on campus, and that poisonous mindset might seep in.

3. Grow up. In that same vein, most of those predictions will be predicated upon the presupposition that next year's team will do a whole lot of improving this offseason. This team doesn't lose very much from the 2012 version. Six players on offense and a rousing nine (from arguably the Big 12's best defense) will return in 2013. This team will know its identity (balanced offense with big-play potential and a stingy defense with strengths in perfect places in the Big 12 -- pass rush and the secondary) and know what it wants to do next year. Teams across the league will spend the entire offseason trying to figure out how to beat guys like Devonte Fields and Jason Verrett and shut down Brandon Carter. Those guys have to get better at what they do best and add new facets to their games by next fall that makes life even harder for opponents.

More offseason to-do lists:

• Texas
• Texas Tech
• West Virginia

You need stars to win Big 12 titles, sure. Oklahoma State had two: Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden.

Kansas State had two this season, too: Collin Klein and Arthur Brown. What all too often got overlooked for both of those teams? The bushels of really, really good players who don't have national name recognition but show up week after week and are far above average for their position.

Both teams had outstanding offensive lines, but players like John Hubert, Meshak Williams, Ty Zimmerman and Nigel Malone were huge parts of those titles. Oklahoma State was deep at receiver with Josh Cooper and Michael Harrison and had huge pieces on defense like Jamie Blatnick and Markelle Martin, along with a pair of breakout cornerbacks in Brodrick Brown and Justin Gilbert.

We'll see about Casey Pachall, but TCU lost two players who are certainly far above average for their positions in receiver Josh Boyce and defensive end Stansly Maponga, a preseason All-Big 12 talent a year ago who had a disappointing season but was still a big talent with a chance for a huge 2013. Boyce wasn't a Biletnikoff Award-level talent, but he was likely a 1,000-yard receiver next season and the leader of a talented group that included Brandon Carter and LaDarius Brown.

TCU still has the talent to win a Big 12 title, but there's no doubt that without Boyce and Maponga, the road got a good bit harder. Devonte Fields and Pachall are the team's two most promising players, but a shutdown corner like Jason Verrett electing to return will be huge in helping TCU slow down the offensive juggernauts you'll find in the Big 12. That's the other big thing the last two Big 12 champions had in common: Watch K-State eviscerate good offenses like West Virginia, Texas Tech and slow down Oklahoma State. The Pokes a year earlier forced tons of turnovers, but also held Baylor's offense in check, shut down Texas A&M in the second half, shut out Texas Tech's offense and raced to a 40-point lead on Oklahoma before the Sooners scored their first touchdown.

TCU's got that kind of potential on defense, but the pass rush takes a hit without Maponga. The receivers lose Boyce and Skye Dawson, forcing LaDarius Brown to be a bigger piece of the offense. He'll be up for the task, but having Boyce would make life a lot easier on Trevone Boykin or Pachall.

Can TCU weather those losses and win its first Big 12 title in its second year in the league? Sure.

The odds, though, got longer when Boyce and Maponga took their talents to the NFL.

I released my Big 12 2013 power rankings on Tuesday, and colleague Mark Schlabach dropped his "too-early Top 25," too.

How did the Big 12 fare? Four teams cracked the list, with Texas leading the way at No. 11.

"Will the Longhorns finally move back among the sport's elite? If quarterback David Ash plays the way he did in the second half of a 31-27 victory over Oregon State in the Alamo Bowl, UT will have a chance to be a lot better in 2013," Schlabach wrote. "But if Ash and backup Case McCoy continue to struggle, it might be another long season for coach Mack Brown, who might be on his last legs in trying to turn things around."

I'd say that's too high for Texas, but if Ash matures and plays throughout the year with consistency, Texas will definitely be a force and a likely top 10-team.

He also had TCU as the second-highest Big 12 team, at No. 14.

"TCU limped to a 7-6 record in its first season in the Big 12, but it might have been Gary Patterson's best coaching job," he writes. "The Horned Frogs were stung by a drug bust that cost them four players in the offseason, then lost quarterback Casey Pachall to off-field problems after four games (he might return in 2013). By the end of the 2012 campaign, TCU's leading passer (Trevone Boykin), rusher (B.J. Catalon) and pass-rusher (Devonte Fields) were freshmen."

I couldn't agree more there. For TCU to stay afloat with all the problems and youth this season was unbelievable. Credit to Patterson, but we may see the big results next year.

Oklahoma checked in at No. 17.

"Bob Stoops and offensive coordinator Josh Heupel will begin the task of replacing Jones, a record-setting quarterback, who threw for 4,267 yards with 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this past season," he writes. "Sophomore Blake Bell, affectionately known as the Belldozer because of his 6-foot-6, 254-pound frame, is the favorite to win the starting job, but he'll have to hold off junior Drew Allen and freshmen Trevor Knight and Kendal Thompson."

No doubt about this one: Oklahoma's fate in 2013 depends on how well the quarterback transition goes. The defense has a lot of questions and low expectations with the high volume of losses, but a good quarterback could keep the Sooners in the hunt for a Big 12 title.

Oklahoma State is the last team in the rankings, all the way down at No. 24.

"The Pokes will have plenty of firepower behind the quarterbacks next season, with running backs Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith returning to school," he writes. "The Cowboys had 20 players make their first career starts this past season; only five other FBS schools had more first-time starters. That experience should pay off in 2013, when OSU plays TCU, Kansas State and Oklahoma at home."

I like OSU's chances more because of its experience and flexibility at quarterback and a defense that should mature, too. I might have slipped Baylor in these preseason rankings, but it'll be close. What do you make of our too-early Top 25?

The season has come and gone, and brought with it lots of change in the Big 12 Power Rankings. Still, with all the games officially over, here's how I ranked the Big 12 to close the season:

1. Kansas State (11-2, 8-1 Big 12, last week: 1) K-State's year met an unsatisfying end in the desert with another ugly bowl loss. Like last season, the loss was to a team not very far outside of the BCS title picture. Oregon knocked off K-State, but the loss didn't mar all the fantastic things K-State accomplished this year.

2. Oklahoma (10-3, 8-1, last week: 2) Oklahoma suffered a bad bowl loss too, but it mostly exposed defensive deficiencies that may get worse next year. Oklahoma shared a Big 12 title this season, but lacked a big, impressive win. It did have two home losses, but the gap between K-State and OU and the rest of the Big 12 is wide in the standings.

3. Baylor (8-5, 4-5, last week: 4) No team was hotter than the Bears, who closed the season with four consecutive victories, including a home win against then-BCS No. 1 Kansas State to kick off the finish. The streak that featured three wins against ranked teams and the blowout bowl victory over UCLA has Baylor thinking big in 2013.

4. Oklahoma State (8-5, 5-4, last week: 3) The Pokes were better than their record this year, with blowout wins over decent teams such as Texas Tech, West Virginia and TCU. OSU wishes it had those Arizona and Texas games to do over again, but winning eight games with the injuries at quarterback is no small feat. The Pokes will be loaded for 2013, especially if Joseph Randle returns.

5. Texas (9-4, 5-4, last week: 5) Texas rescued a bowl win against a top-15 team, but David Ash still must be better if the Longhorns are going to return to Big 12 prominence. The tenor of spring practice will be heavily influenced by how an ongoing sexual assault investigation plays out. Regardless, until it's over, it's a possible distraction that could substantially affect personnel.

6. TCU (7-6, 4-5, last week: 6) With a bowl win, TCU might have slid inside the league's top five, but coughing up a late lead put a really frustrating end to a gutsy season from the Frogs. Trevone Boykin and Matthew Tucker did their best filling in for injured players, but the Frogs didn't have enough offense without Casey Pachall and Waymon James to win big in 2012.

7. Texas Tech (8-5, 4-5, last week: 8) Tech's finish was ugly, and narrowly surviving against a barely mediocre Minnesota team didn't really impress many folks. The Red Raiders' losing four of five in Big 12 play didn't inspire much confidence, but the future will be really, really intriguing in Lubbock.

8. West Virginia (7-6, 4-5, last week: 7) West Virginia's ugly bowl loss to Syracuse removed any question about the conference's biggest disappointment in 2012. The defense is nowhere near good enough to be competitive in the Big 12, and the offense didn't have enough juice to outscore very many good teams.

9. Iowa State (6-7, 3-6, last week: 9) Beating teams twice is never easy, but Iowa State had an opportunity to move up in these rankings with a win over the Golden Hurricane. Instead, Tulsa dominated the final three quarters, and did so on the line of scrimmage. A second lopsided bowl loss in as many years is not the finish Paul Rhoads wanted.

10. Kansas (1-11, 0-9, last week: 10) No bowl, and not much to report, but the recruiting class is loaded up with about 70 percent junior college commits. We'll see how that looks in the fall, but this spring should be interesting, too.