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2012 record: 8-5
2012 Big 12 record: 5-4
Returning starters: Offense: 7; defense: 7; kicker/punter: 0

Top returners: QB Clint Chelf, WR Josh Stewart, CB Justin Gilbert, LB Shaun Lewis, LB Caleb Lavey, WR Blake Jackson, DT Calvin Barnett, S Daytawion Lowe, DE Tyler Johnson

Key losses: RB Joseph Randle, LB Alex Elkins, K/P/KOS Quinn Sharp, CB Brodrick Brown, DE Nigel Nicholas, WR Isaiah Anderson

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

Passing: Clint Chelf* (1,588 yards)
Rushing: Joseph Randle (1,417 yards)
Receiving: Josh Stewart* (1,210 yards)
Tackles: Alex Elkins, Daytawion Lowe* (75)
Sacks: Tyler Johnson* (4)
Interceptions: Lyndell Johnson*, Daytawion Lowe*, Shamiel Gary* (2)

Spring answers

1. The defense's intentions are clear. Bill Young is out. Glenn Spencer is in, and he's all about playing aggressive. Tight coverage and blitzes are the name of the game, and we'll see if it pays off in a Big 12 lacking in quarterback experience. Last season, OSU's parade of turnovers came to an end, but Spencer seems intent on bringing it back. Nobody's stopping Big 12 offenses, but forcing turnover and holding teams to three in the red zone are how you succeed on defense in this league.

2. The offensive line is set ... for now. Center Evan Epstein and guard Lane Taylor are gone, but the Pokes are going with youth at left tackle in sophomore Devin Davis, moving last year's left tackle, Parker Graham, to left guard. Meanwhile, junior Jake Jenkins is sliding up to take Epstein's spot at center. That's how it ended in the spring, but OL coach Joe Wickline is kind of unpredictable, so those guys better continue to bring it in fall camp.

3. Athletic director Mike Holder is still running the show. Gundy and Holder had a disagreement on scheduling that nearly ended with Gundy packing his bags to succeed Derek Dooley in Knoxville. But Gundy's displeasure with Holder helping schedule Mississippi State this year and Florida State next year -- both on neutral fields -- hasn't changed much. OSU just announced a future home-and-home with Boise State. Who knows what Boise will look like then, but the intent is clear: Holder wants attention-grabbing, money-making games to start the season, not home games against patsies to help OSU run up an easy 3-0 mark before conference play begins.

Fall questions

1. Seriously, what's the deal at quarterback? Chelf is the safe bet at quarterback, but Gundy reneged on a statement midway through spring that he would hold onto his starting spot in Week 1 ahead of J.W. Walsh and Wes Lunt. Now, Gundy says the starter for Game 1 hasn't been decided, and quarterbacks are off limits to the media with no updates being given until after the season opener. We'll see if Gundy sticks to it, and if Chelf hangs onto the starting job he earned with strong play to close 2012.

2. Is Oklahoma State a new Big 12 power? The Pokes broke through and won a title in 2011, but one title doesn't mean anything in the big picture. OSU is in position to win another and just may be the league favorite to start the season. They are in my book for sure. Two Big 12 titles in three seasons? That's serious, and the Pokes have a chance to do some special things this season.

3. Is Mike Yurcich the next super coordinator at OSU? Mike Gundy's been a head coach less than a decade, but his coaching tree is already way underrated. He's churning out head coaches year after year, highlighted by guys like Dana Holgorsen at West Virginia, Larry Fedora at North Carolina and Tim Beckman at Illinois. Todd Monken just left for Southern Miss, and if Yurcich, who stepped into the new role from a Division II school, keeps the pace for this offense, I'm betting he may attract interest before too long, too. Watching how he handles Year 1 will be interesting. Monken came from being an NFL position coach and made parlaying that into a head coaching job look easy.

This is the spring of quarterback competition in the Big 12, but no school in the Big 12 has the quality of competition like Oklahoma State.

All three of its competitors threw for 1,000 yards and won a Big 12 game last season, while most competitions elsewhere around the league are between guys who've never played a meaningful down of college football yet.

Saturday, Oklahoma State's competition also became the quietest in the Big 12 -- or so coach Mike Gundy says for now. If Clint Chelf ceases to be the likely starter, he's not going to alert the media. If Wes Lunt surges ahead and stops turning the ball over, there's no update coming. If J.W. Walsh proves he's worthy of more than a short-yardage package in which he's likely to run, we likely won't know.

Neither will Mississippi State, after Gundy turned in a post-spring depth chart on Monday with all three quarterbacks listed atop the depth chart and just an "or" separating their names.

"There's really no reason to talk about what our quarterback situation is. We've been very open about it through the spring, but I don't know if there's anything else we can say other than we're fortunate to have three that are really good," Gundy told reporters after the spring game.

Part of the reason for the silence is a big-time season opener in Houston against SEC member Mississippi State, but considering how much any Big 12 fan has seen of the trio of quarterbacks, this quarterback derby is even more intriguing.

We'll see how the fans would vote today. Who should be Oklahoma State's starter? Are you casting your vote for the elder statesman of the group in Chelf? He doesn't have a ton of upside, but he mostly takes care of the ball and he can use his feet to make plays, too. Just ask Oklahoma.

Walsh's feet might be his best asset, and he proved his worth when he stepped in and played well after Lunt's injury and nearly beat Texas before beating up on Iowa State and earning a win over Kansas before a leg injury cost him the starting spot and half of his season. He's got an unorthodox release, but he gets the ball where it needs to go more often than not.

Lunt, meanwhile, turned heads when he won the job as a true freshman with a press release this time last week, but looked underwhelming and prone to injuries (he suffered a leg and head injury) and turnovers last fall. He's got the most potential of the trio, but clearly has to grow.

So who should start for OSU in 2013? That's up to you.

Miss Oklahoma State's spring game? It was probably the Big 12's most interesting thus far (postgame, anyway). We've got you've covered. Let's have a look.

What happened:

• Clint Chelf worked with the Orange team and completed 17-of-34 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown with no picks, leading them to a 17-7 win.
• J.W. Walsh and Wes Lunt split reps with the White team. Walsh finished with 123 yards, a touchdown and an interception on 13-of-23 passing. Lunt finished with 122 yards and an interception on 15-of-27 passing.
• Linebacker Caleb Lavey returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown with just over a minute left to lock in the win.
• Cornerback Justin Gilbert swiped two interceptions and defensive lineman Jimmy Bean made two sacks and scooped up a fumble.

What we learned:

• It's going to be an intriguing few months in Stillvegas. Mike Gundy made it clear after the game that he won't be updating the quarterback spot until the season opener. "There's really no reason to talk about what our quarterback situation is. We've been very open about it through the spring, but I don't know if there's anything else we can say other than we're fortunate to have three that are really good," Gundy said. Well, no, he could say who's going to start against Mississippi State, but that would certainly be a lack of gamesmanship. At this point, I'd say the smart money is on Chelf getting the ball to start the season, but this isn't the first time we've seen a coach handle a quarterback competition this way. Nebraska's Bo Pelini waited until starting lineups were announced on opening day to reveal his pick between Cody Green, Zac Lee and Taylor Martinez, but the young, speedy freshman ended up beating the odds and his competition. I'm sure you'll hear a number of anonymously sourced reports between now and then with updates on who's winning, but by now, if it's anyone but Chelf, it'll be a surprise. OSU wants to go faster, and that experience gives him the ability to do so. Not turning the ball over (something that's continually been a huge problem for Lunt) in Saturday's game doesn't hurt, either.
• Welcome back, Justin Gilbert. I wrote on Friday that I was intrigued to see the cornerback play, and Gilbert made it happen. He went 13 games without an interception last season after nabbing five in 2011. He grabbed two on Saturday. Interceptions aren't necessarily a fair representation of cover skills, but Saturday was a welcome development for everyone involved, minus the quarterbacks, of course. "Justin played very average last year, and he would be the first to admit that," Gundy told reporters. "He's certainly very talented, and he was in position to make plays today, and that's what he needs to do for us. He needs to be a guy who has several interceptions and runs the ball back. As fast he as he is, if he's in the right area, he can get the ball off a tip -- and that's what he did today." OSU really needs that to carry over into the fall, and that position battle opposite Gilbert between Ashton Lampkin and Kevin Peterson should be interesting to watch in the fall, too. Ultimately, both will be in the rotation. The defense as a whole was really, really impressive, and we know what this offense is capable of. Lots to be encouraged about for Pokes fans after Saturday.
• Don't worry about the run game. The offense as a whole was pretty underwhelming on Saturday, with all three quarterbacks having lower completion percentages than I'm sure they'd like and starting running back Jeremy Smith being held to just two yards on six carries. "I think our run game is going to be fine," Gundy told reporters. "It's all based on how a defense wants to defend us. We're going to rush the football and we're going to throw it. We're not going to change what we do. Obviously, Jeremy has to be the guy now, and Desmond (Roland) backs him up." I buy Gundy here. It's a bit of a red flag for now, and I don't think Smith is quite as talented as a lot of the other backs that have come through OSU in the past few years, but I expect OSU to have a seventh consecutive 1,000-yard rusher this season.
• Another problem finding a solution? Blake Jackson's unreliable hands were one of the bigger frustrations for OSU in 2012, but he definitely showed some progress on Saturday, catching five balls for 34 yards. "It's a pleasure to show the fans that I'm better than I was last year, and really getting to come out here and show how hard I've been working. It was definitely a fun time for me. The hard work won't stop."

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

Oklahoma State

When: Sunday, 12:30 p.m.

What you need to know:

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

What to watch:

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

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.

David Ubben is talking rising quarterbacks, leaving quarterbacks, and spring ball in this week's Friday Four Downs.

Oklahoma State hits the practice field for the first time this spring later today. Here’s a closer look at the Cowboys.

Schedule: The Cowboys hold the first of 15 NCAA-allowed practices today with their Spring Football Finale set for April 20 at 1:30 p.m. at Boone Pickens Stadium.

What's new: What isn’t new could be the better question. The Cowboys open spring football with a new offensive coordinator, new defensive coordinator and multiple new assistant coaches. Linebackers coach Glenn Spencer takes over as defensive coordinator replacing Bill Young, making the transition on the defensive side of the football relatively easy. On offense, former Shippensburg (Pa.) offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich arrives to run OSU’s explosive attack and will have all eyes on him this spring. Inside receivers coach Jason Ray and defensive line coach Joe Bob Clements are the other newcomers to the staff.

New faces: Junior college transfers Sam Wren, a defensive end, and Brandon Garrett, an offensive lineman, should provide depth along the line of scrimmage with Wren appearing ready to make an immediate impact this fall. Meanwhile Alpharetta (Ga.) defensive end Naim Mustafaa, an early enrollee who spurned offers from Florida, Georgia, Florida State, Ole Miss and others to sign with OSU, will also participate in spring drills.

All eyes on: Mike Gundy raised plenty of eyebrows with his hiring of Yurcich. This spring is the first look at Yurcich in action so Cowboy fans will be intriqued to see how quickly OSU’s new offensive coordinator is learning the Cowboys attack and how he will put his own stamp on the offense.

All eyes on, part II: The quarterbacks. Senior Clint Chelf opens spring as OSU’s starting quarterback but the Cowboys have three proven signal callers and the competition to become the man should be fun to watch. Sophomore Wes Lunt has several games of experience under his belt and sophomore J.W. Walsh brings a running ability that is unmatched by the other two quarterbacks. And relatively unknown transfer Daxx Garman could insert himself into the competition as well.

Question marks: The Cowboys always seem to find a way to be productive offensively while maintaining a balanced attack. So Spencer’s defense will garner most of the attention and could ultimately decide if OSU can win its second Big 12 title in three seasons in 2013. In order to do that, the Cowboys will have to find a consistent pass rush and shore up it’s secondary, which took a step backward in 2012 after a stellar 2011 season. OSU needs senior cornerback Justin Gilbert to step up and play at an elite level and senior defensive end Tyler Johnson could use a stellar Heart of Dallas Bowl performance as a springboard to become a difference maker this fall.

Breaking out: Jeremy Smith. The senior running back has quietly been one of the Big 12’s best running backs for the past two seasons and has been a contributor in OSU’s offense since his freshman year. This year he finally gets a chance to be the headliner in OSU’s backfield with Joseph Randle leaving early for the NFL. It should be a career year for Smith if he stays healthy in his final season.

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.

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

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

From our newser:

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

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

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

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

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

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 Cowboys up in Stilly.

1. Sort out the "mess" at quarterback. Let me be clear when I say this: Oklahoma State has a good problem at quarterback. It has three guys who I really think could win a Big 12 title in Stillwater next season, but you've got to make it clear that one is your guy. That's what this spring is about. Clint Chelf will take the tag of starter into his last spring practice as a Poke, but sophomores J.W. Walsh and Wes Lunt will be right there challenging him. Again, this is a good problem to have, and these guys will all make each other better. I don't expect Walsh's short-yardage package to go anywhere regardless of who wins the job, but I still buy Lunt as the future of the position for Oklahoma State, as long as he stays healthy. The game will slow down for him in his second season, and the mistakes will lessen as a result.

2. Adjust to a new face leading the defense, and mature. The Pokes' defense wasn't awful this past season, but they're going to be loaded with talent in 2013. Can that become production? The defense brings back eight starters, headlined by CB Justin Gilbert, LB Shaun Lewis and DT Calvin Barnett. The secondary loses only Brodrick Brown, but Kevin Peterson is a promising player who can help that secondary bounce back from a disappointing 2012. Linebacker Alex Elkins is gone, but new coordinator Glenn Spencer slides into the role after coaching linebackers under Bill Young, who didn't have his contract renewed at the end of the season. Can Oklahoma State get back to forcing turnovers in bunches like it did under Young, but slow opposing offenses better than ever before?

3. Fill a gigantic hole in special teams. Quinn Sharp has done everything for Oklahoma State's special teams for the past two seasons and has been one of the Big 12's best kickers, punters and kickoff specialists all at once throughout that period. He emerged as a punter, but did a fantastic job in all of his roles after replacing Dan Bailey as kicker. Oklahoma State's had the luxury of not worrying about special teams with Sharp there, and it's hoping to have that continue. We'll see what happens this offseason when the Pokes try to replace Sharp. Oklahoma State actually has three kickers returning (Bobby Stonebraker, Matt Green, Cody Phillips) and one punter, Michael Reichenstein.

More offseason to-do lists:

• TCU
• Texas
• Texas Tech
• West Virginia

The offseason is under way, but offseasons are fun, too. Here are the storylines to keep an eye on until the teams are back on the field in 2013.

1. Can Casey Pachall get back on track? TCU's quarterback is officially back with the team after leaving school to go to an in-patient drug and alcohol treatment facility. Most people want to know if he'll be the same player, but what's even more important is whether he can avoid the same pitfalls and get his life back on track.

2. Expansion junction, what's your function? The odds seem strongly against it, but you know we're not getting through a college football offseason without talking expansion at some point. How much will it heat up? Will Florida State re-emerge as a Big 12 candidate?

3. Will the 'Quarterback Whisperer' do it again? Baylor coach Art Briles' last four quarterbacks have been absurd. Kevin Kolb and Case Keenum got it done at Houston, and Robert Griffin III won a Heisman as the best of the bunch at Baylor. Nick Florence led the Big 12 in passing yards last year. What does Briles have in store this season? Bryce Petty has better measurables than Florence, but can the redshirt junior show off his experience in the system and make good decisions?

4. Striking the fear back in Lubbock. Kliff Kingsbury is looking to bring swagger back to Lubbock. He's still piecing together his staff, but the 33-year-old has the pieces to put together a solid team on the field, too. Can Texas Tech break the string of late-season collapses the past two years?

5. Charlie Weis' juco revolution. Weis has made it clear that he wants quick fixes and to win now at KU. Will his juco recruiting haul do it? Defensive lineman Marquel Combs was the nation's No. 1 juco recruit, and Weis has done a heck of a job selling immediate playing time to these guys. The current recruiting class has 17 juco transfers among 25 commits. Will it pay off, and how will these guys look once they get on campus? Are wins just around the corner?

6. A quarterback competition for the ages. Was Oklahoma State the first team ever to have three 1,000-yard passers? Two of them were freshmen, too. The QB derby last spring was good. This year's will be even better, with all three showing they could win games in Big 12 play. Clint Chelf will have the inside track, but Wes Lunt and J.W. Walsh will try to swipe it away. Could one transfer be imminent after the spring?

7. Are the Longhorns finally, officially, certifiably back? Texas looked like it was back after going up to Stillwater and winning a dramatic game that helped the Longhorns ascend to No. 11 in the polls. Then consecutive losses capped by a Red River Blowout made it obvious the Horns weren't quite back yet. David Ash's development and fixing Manny Diaz's surprisingly vulnerable defense will decide whether 2013 is the season Texas returns to the BCS stage.

8. What about the championship game? Bob Bowlsby turned some heads when he inquired with the NCAA about a waiver to hold a championship game with just 10 teams. I don't think there's much fire around that smoke, but how serious will any talk of a return of the Big 12 title game get? The coaches would hate it.

We're grading each Big 12 team's season right now, and we'll move on to the next team on the list: The Oklahoma State Cowboys.

OFFENSE: You have to grade this unit on a curve. No other team in the Big 12 had to deal with this kind of injuries to the most important position on the field, quarterback. Wes Lunt was hurt twice (head, knee) and J.W. Walsh magically returned from a season-ending knee injury after missing a handful of games. Ultimately, the man who began the season as the third-stringer, Clint Chelf, was probably the most consistent quarterback on the roster, and mixing in Walsh's short-yardage package was fantastic. Running back Joseph Randle led the Big 12 in rushing by 300 yards, which is a testament to him and the offensive line, which was great again. Josh Stewart proved to be the team's No. 1 receiver, though Blake Jackson and Tracy Moore were a bit underwhelming. Dealing with those quarterback issues and finishing fourth nationally in total offense is pretty amazing. GRADE: A+

DEFENSE: Oklahoma State forced more than three turnovers in a game six times in 2011. This year, the Pokes did it just once, in the bowl game against Purdue. That was kind of the story for this defense, which will be coached by Glenn Spencer next year after Mike Gundy let veteran coach Bill Young go at the end of his contract. Giving up 59 points in a penalty-filled loss on the road to Arizona gave reason to believe this might be a long year for this unit, but Oklahoma State actually gave up fewer yards per play this season than it did in last year's Big 12 campaign. The cornerbacks were a huge disappointment this year relative to expectations following 2011's huge year, and there wasn't a huge standout on defense in Stillwater this year. Calvin Barnett and Daytawion Lowe had good years, and Alex Elkins and Shaun Lewis were solid at linebacker, but didn't get much notice in a super deep position across the Big 12. Oklahoma State dominated the Big 12's lower-tier offenses like TCU, Iowa State and Kansas, and played well against Texas Tech, but it did little to slow the elite offenses in the Big 12. GRADE: B-

OVERALL: You knew the expectations would be lower for this team after losing Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon alone, despite all the returning talent on defense. Winning five of six Big 12 games in the middle of the season with the lone loss coming to K-State set this team apart and made it clear they would again be an upper-tier Big 12 team, but the losses to Oklahoma and Baylor down the stretch kept them from truly exceeding the reasonable expectations. Oklahoma State can feel happy about a solid year that will build toward a big opportunity in 2013, and Gundy gets a pass for making 2012 the first season in his eight years in Stillwater that he didn't equal or surpass his win total from the previous year. That's what happens when you win 12 games and then lose the best parts of your offense. Kidding aside, kudos to the Cowboys. GRADE: A-

More Big 12 report cards:

• Baylor
• Iowa State
• Kansas
• Kansas State
• Oklahoma

As the bowl season approaches, we're going to be looking a little closer at each game. We'll go down the Big 12 bowl schedule in chronological order.

HEART OF DALLAS BOWL

Oklahoma State (7-5) vs. Purdue (6-6)

Where: Cotton Bowl, Fair Park, Dallas, Texas

When: Tuedsay, Jan. 1, noon ET

TV: ESPNU

About Oklahoma State: Oklahoma State knew 2012 wasn't going to be easy after running away with an outright Big 12 title in 2011. That's what happens when you lose two of the best offensive talents in school history, receiver Justin Blackmon and quarterback Brandon Weeden. The Cowboys suffered a frustrating early-season loss on the road to Arizona, plagued with penalties and turnovers. OSU fixed some of those problems as the season went on, but after winning five of six games in the middle of the season after a loss to Texas that opened conference play, OSU ended its season with a pair of close, painful losses on the road to Baylor and Oklahoma. That sent OSU tumbling from a possible BCS bowl to the Big 12's lowest bowl tie, a game I affectionately refer to as the Zombie Cotton Bowl. The stage is a far cry from last year's primetime matchup against Andrew Luck and Stanford, but the challenge for OSU is staying motivated against an overmatched opponent and a less-than-exotic location.

About Purdue: It's never a good thing when the best accomplishments on your schedule are losses. For Purdue, though, that's definitely the case. The Boilermakers lost an early-season matchup to undefeated Notre Dame by just three points, and in October, lost to 12-0 Ohio State in overtime after giving up a game-tying score in the final seconds. Purdue rescued an 0-5 start in Big 12 play with three consecutive wins to close the season, but those three wins to move from 3-6 to 6-6 came against teams with a combined four Big Ten wins. Not exactly impressive, especially in a down year across the Big Ten. Two of those wins came by just three points, too, including a win over Illinois, who went winless in Big Ten play.

Cowboys to watch: Mike Gundy christened Clint Chelf as his starting quarterback for the bowl game after a few strong performances in the final four games of the season. The junior finished third in the quarterback derby in the spring, but he's performed admirably after injuries to starter Wes Lunt and backup J.W. Walsh, who reemerged with a short-yardage formation in recent weeks. Josh Stewart is the team's leading receiver and an All-Big 12 caliber receiver who'll probably top 100 catches for the season in the bowl game, but the team's best overall player is running back Joseph Randle, the Big 12's leading rusher with 1,351 yards, more than 300 more than any other back in the Big 12. He averaged 5.26 yards a carry and scored 14 times. OSU's defense was disappointing in the secondary this year, but keep an eye on defensive tackle Calvin Barnett to be disruptive up front.

Boilermakers to watch: Quarterback Robert Marve, a Miami transfer, had a big finish to the season with seven touchdowns and just one interception during the three-game winning streak. That included a 348-yard day in the finale against Indiana. We'll see if he can keep it going. Receivers Antavian Edison and O.J. Ross both topped 50 receptions and Gary Bush added 41 more. Defensive lineman Kawann Short will be a handful for a good offensive line at OSU. He finished with 14.5 tackles for loss and six sacks.

Did you know? I joke about this bowl sometimes, but the former TicketCity Bowl has taken on a whole new sponsor and a truly admirable cause. Heart of Dallas is a non-profit organizaton and a first-time bowl sponsor who will help benefit charities that serve the homeless population in Dallas. If you can, get out and support the game. Another interesting note? The Big Ten is 0-2 all-time in this game.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oklahoma State is angry, and deservedly so. It also spent the last week sweating, wondering if its coach was bluffing in a high-stakes poker game or if he'd really lay down a hand that read, "Thanks for everything, but I'm going to Tennessee (or Arkansas)."

The Pokes were relegated to the Heart of Dallas Bowl, which is back in the Big 12 bowl rotation after a year away and a name change from the TicketCity Bowl. The fans aren't excited about it. Maybe the team is.

Either way, the Pokes will show up in a big way and transform into a team that's ready for a Big 12 title run in 2013. They'll easily dispose of Purdue and look masterful in doing so, showcasing a balance with Clint Chelf through the air and Joseph Randle on the ground.

Maybe Randle goes pro and his career as a Cowboy is over after Jan. 1.

Maybe this is the last start of Chelf's career. There's a quarterback competition slated for the spring.

Still, has Oklahoma State not obviously shown over the past few years that it can easily replace departed pieces? That's where Mike Gundy's program is right now, and that's where it's going to stay in the foreseeable future. If that happens, you'll probably get to know Desmond Roland very well next year, along with Jeremy Smith, who plenty of folks who don't wear orange already know about. Wes Lunt may take over, but he should be better in 2013 after a promising but frustrating true freshman campaign plagued by interceptions and injuries.

Oklahoma State had to sweat out its coach. It fell to the lowest bowl with Big 12 ties when a BCS bid was very much within reach only a week earlier with an 11-point lead in the second half on its biggest rival's home field.

That won't matter next fall. The Pokes will have won just eight games in 2012, the first season in Gundy's eight-year tenure at Oklahoma State that he didn't equal or surpass his win total the previous season.

Next year, when OSU is back contending for a Big 12 title like it did in 2010 and 2011, the lessons learned during this rebuilding year will come in handy.