ESPN College Football

1. George DeLeone hired Paul Pasqualoni as an assistant coach at Southern Connecticut State in 1976, and the two have coached together for most of the seasons since, from Division III to FBS to the NFL. When UConn fired Pasqualoni on Monday after two-plus seasons as head coach, the school fired DeLeone, the associate head coach and offensive line coach, too. The Huskies are 0-4, scoring 18 points and gaining 272.5 yards of total offense per game. Pasqualoni has a solid record (151-94-1, .616) in 22 years as a head coach. Something tells me he and DeLeone aren’t done coaching -- together -- just yet.

2. Oregon has won its last 15 road conference games, the longest such FBS winning streak. The Ducks have won their last game at every Pac-12 opponent save Utah (in 2003, when Utes were in MWC. Does that count?) Alabama has won nine straight road SEC games. Stanford and Texas A&M each have won their last five road conference games. The Cardinal lost to Washington in 2012 at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. However, with the victory at that stadium Saturday over Washington State, Stanford has won its last game at every opposing venue in the Pac-12.


3. Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds will announce today that he is retiring next August after 32 years. All Dodds, a former track coach, has done is transform Texas into the premier sports program in the nation. It took him three coaching hires to find Mack Brown, but 150 wins and one BCS championship in 16 seasons indicate Dodds got that one right. It’s a measure of the resources and the expectations that Dodds has raised that fans wonder why the Longhorns don’t dominate every sport in which they compete.

DeLoss Dodds is stepping down as athletic director of Texas. The effects of that decision on the future of the Longhorns athletic department will be far-reaching.

Dodds will formally announce Tuesday his plan to leave the job he has held for 32 years and step down as AD at the end of August, 2014. The search for his replacement is already underway and could end as early as Dec. 1.

Whoever is tapped to replace the Texas legend inherits one of the most powerful thrones in college athletics, and could face one of the most important transition periods in school history. We’ll get into that in a moment, though it’s a topic we’ll be talking about throughout the next year.

Dodds is a powerful man with a legacy to match. He made the Longhorns the financial behemoth it has become today and oversaw one of the greatest periods of athletic success in school history. Whoever is deemed fit to take his place has Texas-sized shoes to fill.

By setting these plans in motion nearly a year in advance, he’s providing UT more than enough time to make a smooth transition. That Dodds will stick around as a consultant should help, too. This is a major move and one that must be handled carefully.

Just imagine the résumés that will wind up on UT President Bill Powers’ desk during the search process. He’ll eventually pick from an elite group of candidates, and there’s no doubt he’ll be seeking a leader with the kind of big-picture thinking, sharp judgment and business savvy that Dodds displayed during his long tenure.

In its report breaking Monday’s news, the Austin American-Statesman said West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck is one candidate to keep an eye on. Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick’s name has come up plenty in recent weeks, and more major players will in the next few weeks.

The successor could face a critical dilemma whenever he or she is finally chosen. What will be done about the coaches of three of Texas’ most important programs?

Mack Brown knows he has to win and win big this year, and a 2-2 start didn’t make life any easier. The Texas football coach has long said he has a tremendous relationship with Dodds and Powers, who have backed him throughout a trying month for Longhorn football.

“I’ve got the two best bosses in the world,” Brown said days after Texas’ loss to BYU. “They get it. They understand. I have great conversations with them. They put me in a position to run it, they want me to do it, and I’m responsible for it. That’s what I’ve got to do. DeLoss has been around a long time. I don’t have knee-jerk bosses. They get it.”

Well, one of those bosses is now leaving. Who knows how much success in 2013 will be enough to impress the next boss, or whether Brown’s sub-.600 record since 2009 will simply be too much to overcome.

Will the next AD be prepared to clean house? He or she could face similar big-picture decisions with Longhorns men’s basketball and baseball.

The legendary Augie Garrido hasn’t taken UT to a College World Series in two years and didn’t make the Big 12 tournament in 2013. Rick Barnes hasn’t advanced past the second round of the NCAA tournament since 2008 and didn’t make the field last season.

These are worst-case scenarios, to be sure, but not unrealistic ones. The candidates for Texas’ athletic director job will be well aware of these potential first-year decisions.

There are many other reasons why Texas must find the right person for the job. The truth is, there’s really no replacing Dodds. This day had to come eventually, though, and evidently the countdown to that day begins Tuesday.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Let’s get one thing straight: Mack Brown is not Lane Kiffin.

To compare the two coaches would be a laughable exercise. One has won a national title and is the winningest active coach in FBS. The other has a career record of 40-35 as a head coach.

Brown built a powerhouse, has won 150 games at Texas and is now trying to survive a four-year rebuild. The now-fired Kiffin inherited a powerhouse at USC, got hit by NCAA sanctions and couldn't get the job done.

Yet these two coaches have been tied together all season long. This really got rolling when Texas’ horrific loss at BYU fell on the same night that Washington State knocked off the Trojans.

The programs are two of the bluebloods of college football. Neither has won a national title since they squared off in 2006. Both programs face uncertain futures. The comparisons, though a bit lazy, aren’t unreasonable.

Regardless, Kiffin is now unemployed. His bosses, the ones who said they stood by him 100 percent entering the season, were ready to pull the plug by the third quarter of a 62-41 loss at Arizona State on Saturday.

It’s unlikely the events that are transpiring in Los Angeles this week will sway the leadership at Texas to view Brown’s situation differently. Texas is 1-0 in Big 12 play and seemingly getting better, with a very winnable game at Iowa State up next.

But if the overnight firing of Kiffin can teach Texas fans anything, it’s that there might be no anticipating when enough is enough.

The obvious answer, in the case of Brown, is the Oklahoma game. Give up 62 points in Dallas and it’s all over. But, hey, that was true before this season even began.

By all accounts, USC players were not unhappy with Kiffin’s dismissal. Even athletic director Pat Haden admitted that Sunday. It doesn’t seem like Brown has lost his own locker room, but suddenly more people -- and some of them are rather important -- are coming out of the woodwork to call for his firing.

What occurred Sunday was downright bizarre. Earl Campbell, the greatest player in school history, told a Houston TV station that Brown no longer has his backing.

"Nobody likes to get fired or leave a job, but things happen," Campbell told Fox 26’s Mark Berman. "I'd go on record and say 'Yes I think it's time.’

"I'd just say this, I take my hat off for USC for what they've done. They didn't mess around with it. They just said 'let's do it now.' I think at some point our university's people are going to have make a decision."

The source of those comments are as surprising as the timing. Campbell remains involved in the program, still works out in the Texas facilities and meets with prospects during recruiting events. Texas and Brown have long been strong supporters of Campbell. So where’s this coming from, and why say it now?

As a Longhorns legend, it is his right. Campbell even went ahead and said he’d support the candidacy of former Longhorn and Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Jerry Gray if Texas does make a change and declared that, quite frankly, he hopes Brown doesn’t stay.

Former Texas quarterback Chris Simms also stepped forward on Friday and said on a Fox TV show that he doesn’t think Brown will return in 2014 and that Texas doesn’t have the talent needed to save this season.

It’s hard to judge how much comments like those matter in the grand scheme of this situation. Losing the backing of alumni is a problem. The only way to silence dissent is winning -- and even if that does happen, will it be enough for Brown?

If the USC and Texas jobs both open up in the same offseason, college football will be in for a serious power shift. Both programs can be the game’s next powerhouses again. They can regain their status among the elite contenders.

Lane Kiffin was trying to get USC back there. Last August, he supposedly had the No. 1 team in the country and the Heisman front-runner. He didn’t win. His time was up.

Mack Brown still has time. If he doesn’t keep winning, it can run out quickly.

This week's Power Rankings feature a new No. 1, as last week's No. 1 takes a tumble:

1. Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0 Big 12, last week 3): The Sooners take over the top spot after delivering the most impressive Big 12 win of the season. Notre Dame is not the same team as last season, but the Irish hadn't lost in South Bend since October of 2011. OU has been a different team since Blake Bell took over at quarterback, and Bell was fabulous Saturday, throwing for two touchdowns without a turnover while churning out first downs with his arm and his legs. The OU defense is clearly better, too, picking off QB Tommy Rees on Notre Dame's first two possessions, with linebacker Corey Nelson returning one for a touchdown. The Sooners were clearly a team overlooked in the preseason, and, after five weeks, are looking like a clear Big 12 favorite along with Baylor.

2. Baylor (3-0, 0-0 Big 12, last week 2): After the off week, the Bears' offense will get its first real challenge this weekend from West Virginia's defense that appears to be the most improved unit in the league. Baylor has been unstoppable so far, but the level of competition is about to undergo an uptick. Can the Bears keep it up? They've shown no signs they can't.

3. Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0 Big 12, last week 4): Despite having the week off, the Red Raiders move up a spot with Oklahoma State's loss. The big question in Lubbock is who will be starting at quarterback for Tech come Saturday against Kansas. Baker Mayfield? Davis Webb? Michael Brewer, who has been progressing well from the back injury? The Red Raiders have been solid defensively, and the skill talent is legit. If Tech can get better play from its quarterback, this team could be a handful -- even for OU and Baylor.

4. West Virginia (3-2, 1-1 Big 12, last week 8): What a difference a week makes. The Mountaineers produced the most impressive in-conference win of the season with a 30-21 victory over preseason favorite Oklahoma State. West Virginia's defense continues to play at a high level (Maryland's 37 points were somewhat of an anomaly because of West Virginia turnovers) and Clint Trickett sparked the offense with his energy and leadership. West Virginia's offense is still pretty limited, but at least it no longer looks completely inept with Trickett at quarterback. The Mountaineers can't score with Baylor this weekend, but maybe they can slow the Bears down? Nobody thought West Virginia could slow Oklahoma or Oklahoma State, either, though Baylor's offense is at another level. We'll see.

5. Texas (2-2, 1-0 Big 12, last week 5): The Longhorns have a couple of interesting games looming. Thursday, Texas travels to Iowa State, which looked much better offensively in a 38-21 win at Tulsa this past Thursday. Then, Texas gets surging Oklahoma in Dallas. This figures to be the defining two-game stretch of the season for the Longhorns. Win the next two, and the season -- as well as Mack Brown's status in Austin -- looks totally different than it did two weeks ago. The off week could not have come at a better time for the Longhorns, giving acting defensive coordinator Greg Robinson another week to acclimate to his defense and quarterback David Ash another week to recover from the head injury that knocked him out of the Ole Miss and Kansas State games.

6. TCU (2-2, 0-1 Big 12, last week 6): Did TCU's offense finally uncover an identity during a rainy fourth quarter against SMU? The Horned Frogs poured on 31 points in the final quarter and did it with some new faces, as Ty Slanina, Ja'Juan Story and Cameron Echols-Luper all factored into the scoring onslaught in the first real action of their TCU careers. The Horned Frogs can really turn their season around with a win in Norman this weekend. That won't be easy, though, if All-American cornerback Jason Verrett (shoulder) and defensive end Devonte Fields (foot) can't play.

7. Oklahoma State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12, last week 1): The Cowboys plummet six spots after an uninspiring performance in Morgantown. It was just one loss, but it was a loss that exposed weaknesses across the board. For the first time in seemingly forever, Oklahoma State's kicking game is awful. The Cowboys' secondary gave up 320 yards to a West Virginia passing attack that previously had been completely futile. And on the other side of the ball, when the Mountaineers dared QB J.W. Walsh to beat them deep, he couldn't do it. That allowed West Virginia to stuff the Cowboys' running game, which also doesn't appear to have that bell-cow running back Oklahoma State has been accustomed to featuring. The Cowboys are better than they looked at West Virginia -- but how much better?

8. Kansas State (2-2, 0-1 Big 12, last week 7): Bill Snyder maintains the Wildcats will stick with the two-quarterback system, which has yielded mixed results. K-State has moved the ball better when Daniel Sams has been in at quarterback. But when he's in, the Wildcats are virtually no threat to pass. Sams has 29 rushes and only four passing attempts. Is Sams really that poor of a passer? Maybe it's time for K-State to find out.

9. Iowa State (1-2, 0-0 Big 12, last week 10): It's hard to believe a center could make that much of a difference. But the return of Tom Farniok sure seemed to do wonders for Iowa State's offense, which finally got going in a 38-21 win at Tulsa. The Cyclones also finally involved running back Aaron Wimberly, who ignited the running game with Iowa State's first 100-yard performance in more than a year. With former blue-chip junior-college transfer E.J. Bibbs emerging now at tight end, QB Sam Richardson no longer appears to be on his own. Jack Trice will be rocking Thursday night for the Longhorns, as Iowa State has a chance to land a signature win to build off of for the rest of the season.

10. Kansas (2-1, 0-0 Big 12, last week 9): The Jayhawks have a winning record but have been mostly unimpressive. Can they turn around the offense against Texas Tech? That will hinge almost entirely on quarterback Jake Heaps, who has talent but has been unable to find any rhythm so far with a collection of unproven wideouts. If the Jayhawks can be competitive this weekend, it will be a good sign they are moving in the right direction. If they get blasted, it could be a long season, especially with Iowa State and West Virginia seemingly having found their stride.

Oklahoma earned the best win by any Big 12 team this season with a 35-21 victory over Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., jumping over Baylor to become the Big 12 favorite. But the Bears will have their say when OU visits Waco, Texas, on Nov. 7. Oklahoma State falls to the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl after its upset loss to West Virginia. Still plenty of games to play, so don't be surprised to see some team improve its bowl projection significantly as October progresses.

Here are the Big 12 bowl projections after Week 5:

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs. BCS at-large

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Baylor vs. SEC No. 3/4

Valero Alamo Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Pac-12 No. 2

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Big Ten No. 4/5

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl: TCU vs. Pac-12 No. 3

Texas Bowl: Texas vs. Big Ten No. 6

New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Kansas State vs. American No. 4

Heart of Dallas Bowl: West Virginia vs. Big Ten No. 7

AUSTIN, Texas -- Greg Robinson can spend hours in the film room and at a dry erase board planning and scheming for opponents. That’s the easy part, the job he’s been doing for more than 30 years.

But getting to know his own kids takes time. Entering week three as Texas’ new defensive coordinator, Robinson is glad that familiarity is finally coming along.

“I don’t call them by their numbers anymore,” Robinson said with a chuckle. “Starting to call them by their names.”

Robinson arrived in Austin on a Sunday night two weeks ago with the daunting task of fixing up Texas’ defense with only three days of practice at his disposal amid the embarrassing 40-21 loss at BYU that cost Manny Diaz his job.

He’s been hard at work ever since, doing everything he can to prepare for Texas’ opponents and find solutions for the flaws he inherited. Nobody expected perfection in his first week on the job, but Mack Brown needed to see progress by week 2, when Big 12 play began. And time heals all wounds, right?

The time Robinson gets this week is invaluable. A bye weekend means no opponent, which means plenty more time to focus on his personnel and implementing his ideas. It means, finally, he can slow down.

“Having a bye this week is really, really helpful,” Robinson said.

He hasn’t installed everything he has planned, but an extra 10 days could do wonders for him and his players. Getting Iowa State on a Thursday night next week also means extra prep time for Oklahoma.

As Diaz learned the hard way, this is a results-driven business. No matter the challenges Robinson faced in taking over on less-than-short notice, he has to coax better play out of his Longhorns defenders. If Texas’ performance against Kansas State is any indication, he might have this defense back on the right track.

We could go over all the numbers that say Texas’ defense got better from week 1 under Robinson to week 2, but most of them aren’t going to tell the story. Frankly, Ole Miss’ offense is better than the one K-State brought to Austin. A few numbers are promising, though.

Ole Miss averaged 6.04 yards per rush. K-State, which ran only four fewer plays than the Rebels, was held to 3.03. Texas stopped twice as many Kansas State rushes at or behind the line of scrimmage than it did against Ole Miss.

An interesting measure of a bend-don’t-break defense is how often an opponent scored after getting its initial first down on a drive. Ole Miss scored on 75 percent of those occasions. K-State? 33 percent.

Some of that is scheme and preparation, and a lot of it is motivation. Texas was staring down the possibility of starting the season 1-3. That scenario was unacceptable to its seniors.

“We control our effort,” defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat said. “That’s the thing. They can’t coach effort. We have to go and play hard, executed everything. That’s what we did. We made sure we executed the plays they put it.”

In the moments after the BYU loss, the leaders of Texas’ defense offered their unconditional support to Diaz and said he was still the right man for the job. They didn’t know much about Robinson when he arrived, but they’re buying in to what he brings to the table as their new leader.

“He made the promise that he was going to give us all he had, and that’s what he did,” defensive tackle Chris Whaley said. “We make the promise that we’ll give him all we have, so it was a great second week.”

Brown said he’s proud of how Robinson has collaborated with the rest of Texas’ defensive coaching staff. He has an especially strong connection with Duane Akina, the veteran secondary coach whom he’d worked closely with back in 2004.

“They’ve done such an amazing job,” Brown said. “They argue, they fight, but they did in ‘04. Then they come up with good stuff.”

They’re just getting started. Senior safety Adrian Phillips – or No. 17, as Robinson probably called him -- said he’s looking forward to finding out just what kind of coach Robinson really is over this next week.

The defensive coordinator can appreciate that. He too is starting to get a better sense of what he’s working with.

“Just being in the room with these guys, I’d be shocked if they didn’t just keep doing what they’re doing,” Robinson said. “And that’s getting better.”

Before the season began it was clear the Big 12 Conference title race would be wide open. Four weeks into the season, it’s even more clear. Oklahoma State remains the favorite, Baylor has looked dominant, Oklahoma is improving and Texas Tech has been the surprise of the league. Yet, the majority of the league is still in the race.

Best game: The reality is there hasn’t been a great game involving a Big 12 team thus far, unless you want to count Kansas’ 13-10 win over Louisiana Tech on a last-second field goal. But Texas’ 31-21 win over Kansas State on Sept. 21 was intriguing due to all the distractions surrounding the Longhorns’ program. UT responded with a win to start off conference play in a game that was probably the most entertaining Big 12 game this season.

Best player: Bryce Petty runs away with this one. The Baylor quarterback has been outstanding through three games, completing 50 of 67 passes for 1,001 yards, eight touchdowns and zero interceptions. And he has done it while throwing eight combined passes in the second half of three games. Many question the Bears' competition as they have rattled off 209 points in three games. But isn’t that what championship-caliber offenses should do to inferior opponents?

Best performance: J.W. Walsh was a monster for Oklahoma State in the Cowboys’ 56-35 win over Texas-San Antonio on Sept. 7. The sophomore quarterback was 24-of-27 for 326 yards with four touchdowns and added another score on the ground. He was brutally efficient while finishing with a 98.1 Total QBR and earning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors. Nine different receivers caught passes from Walsh against UTSA as OSU showed its passing game wasn’t going anywhere following a run-heavy offensive performance in its win over Mississippi State to start the season. KSU’s Tyler Lockett has a case here with his 13-catch, 237-yard performance against UT, but that outstanding individual effort doesn't lessen the pain of the loss.

Best surprise: Wreck ‘em. There wasn’t much expected from Texas Tech in coach Kliff Kingsbury’s first season. The Red Raiders didn’t get the message, saying “Why not us, why not now?” with their 4-0 start to the season, including a win over TCU. True freshman quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Davis Webb have both played a key role in the Red Raiders’ quick start, but their defense has been the overlooked foundation of their success. It is allowing 4.6 yards per play, ranking third in the Big 12.

Biggest disappointment: Every season we hear about how much Texas has improved. This season was no different. But the Longhorns have been a disappointment yet again with an embarrassing loss at BYU and a home defeat at the hands of Ole Miss. Those two performances are so bad people forget the Longhorns almost opened the season by trailing New Mexico State at halftime before a couple of late first-half touchdowns. Now, even after their impressive win over K-State, a season-ending injury to linebacker Jordan Hicks and lingering concerns about David Ash’s head have put a damper on a terrific Saturday in Austin. Disappointing is a perfect word for UT’s start.

Looking back at Week 4 in the Big 12:

Team of the week: Texas. Contrary to what Kansas State linebacker Tre Walker had suggested this past summer, the Longhorns didn’t lie down this time. Despite all the adversity they had faced the previous two weeks, the Longhorns prevailed over Kansas State 31-21, even after losing quarterback David Ash again because of concussion symptoms and linebacker Jordan Hicks to a season-ending Achilles rupture. Johnathan Gray was tremendous with 141 rushing yards and two touchdowns, backup quarterback Case McCoy managed the second half and the defense was solid in its second week with Greg Robinson as coordinator. Texas can only really salvage its season by beating Oklahoma in three weeks. But this was a solid performance for Texas to build from.

Disappointment of the week: West Virginia. In a 37-0 defeat to Maryland in Baltimore, the Mountaineers suffered their first shutout loss in 12 years and worst shutout loss in 38 seasons. The offense looks to be in complete disarray, as the Mountaineers completed just one pass to a receiver all game and had almost as many penalty yards as offensive yards in the first half. Coordinator Shannon Dawson said West Virginia needs to figure out an offensive identity. But what could that be? The Mountaineers can’t complete passes and can’t open lanes for running backs Dreamius Smith or Charles Sims, either. Things don’t get any easier. Conference favorite Oklahoma State travels to Morgantown, W.Va., this weekend.

Big (offensive) man on campus: Tyler Lockett. Even though his team lost to Texas, the Kansas State receiver had a spectacular performance. Lockett finished with 237 receiving yards on 13 catches and had a hand in all three of the Wildcats’ touchdown drives. Lockett had a 40-yard kickoff return, too, and almost single-handedly kept the Wildcats in the game in Austin. Lockett broke the K-State record of 214 receiving yards set by Jordy Nelson against Iowa State in 2007.

Big (defensive) man on campus: Jackson Jeffcoat. The Texas defensive end came up big in the fourth quarter against K-State. He had sacks on the Wildcats’ final two drives of the game, turning second downs into third-and-longs for K-State. Jeffcoat added five tackles, including two for loss, and a pair of quarterback hurries. With Hicks out for the season again, Jeffcoat will have to continue to elevate his game for the Longhorns defense to play the way it did Saturday.

Special-teams player of the week: Matthew Wyman. The sophomore kicker drilled a 52-yard field goal as time expired to lift Kansas to a 13-10 win over Louisiana Tech. It was the Jayhawks’ first victory over an FBS opponent in 23 games. Wyman tried to walk on to the team last year but didn’t make the cut. He tried again this year, succeeded and eventually won the starting job.

Play of the week: Down 17-7, Kansas State was on the move in Texas territory. But quarterback Jake Waters' option pitch bounced off the chest of running back John Hubert and into the arms of Texas defensive lineman Desmond Jackson to kill the drive. Six Johnathan Gray runs later, the Longhorns punched the ball into the end zone on the ensuing drive to extend their lead to 24-7.

Stat of the week: Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty leads the FBS with a 98.4 Total QBR and joins an elite and exclusive group of QBs who have produced a Total QBR of 95 or above (in the past 10 seasons with a minimum of 50 action) through their first three games. According to ESPN Stats & Info, that list includes Russell Wilson (2011), Marcus Mariota (2013), Taylor Martinez (2010), Andrew Luck (2010), Pat White (2006), Robert Griffin III (2011), Colt McCoy (2008) and Colin Kaepernick (2010).

Quote of the week: “Offensively we're as inept as we can possibly be in college football.” -- West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen, after the 37-0 loss to Maryland

AUSTIN, Texas -- The best teams in college football aren’t the ones that got lucky and avoided injuries.

In 2012, Alabama lost five players to season-ending injuries by the end of September. Notre Dame lost two starters in its secondary for the year early on. Two of Oregon’s best senior starters went down before Week 3. It happens.

The best teams in college football are usually deep enough to replace any missing pieces. Mack Brown knows this. He’s preached the need for depth in each of the past two years, insisting the starting 22 listed on the depth chart don’t matter as much as having 22 more good men.

Now it’s time to walk the walk. By the end of Texas’ 31-21 win over Kansas State, six key starters were injured. Linebacker Jordan Hicks is done for the year with a torn Achilles. Running back Daje Johnson is out indefinitely and hasn’t played in two weeks. An ankle issue kept receiver Mike Davis out of the KSU game.

And then there’s quarterback David Ash, who earned the start and didn’t come back from the locker room at halftime. Concussion-related symptoms are the issue, but the details and severity are mostly unknown.

A case can be made that they’re four of the most important players on this 2013 team, the guys most capable of deciding whether Texas ends up winning 10 games or five.

Against Kansas State, the guys tasked with replacing those game-changers took care of business. In this must-win game, embracing a next man up mentality paid dividends.

Kendall Sanders and Marcus Johnson are a shining example of that. The sophomore receivers both earned starts and did plenty to make up for the absence of Davis.

Sanders did what David does best: He ran a deep post route and hauled in a bomb on a play-action pass from Ash for a 63-yard touchdown, the first of his career.

“I was really nervous, but I’ve been working my tail off so I was kind of calmed down,” Sanders said. “I just treated it like practice. I’ve been working my tail off for this long so might as well show everybody.”

Johnson added 70 yards on five catches, including two long receptions on third downs to help set up scores. Brown lauded him for playing like he’d been around a long time, when in fact he entered the night with one career reception.

Texas went with another sophomore, Kennedy Estelle, to replace right tackle Josh Cochran. Dalton Santos, whose injury status was questionable entering the game, recovered the tide-turning Jake Waters fumble in the fourth quarter as K-State was about to cut the deficit to 31-28.

He’s likely set to play a major role now that Hicks’ season is over. The guy Santos will help replace was a key cog, but his teammates know they have to move on and trust Texas’ depth.

“If he is [out], he is,” cornerback Carrington Byndom said. “We have to continue to go forward. We have to have people step up and fill that role.”

There was no better example of that mentality on Saturday than when Case McCoy took over for Ash. Longhorn players were surprised by the news that Ash was out, but they’ve been down that road before.

He played the role of reliever well and led two scoring drives. He didn’t need to do much – McCoy handed the ball off on three-fourths of his snaps – but he did just enough. More important, his teammates didn’t flinch. They were unfazed by the sudden change of plans.

“We play behind all our quarterbacks,” running back Johnathan Gray said. “When one is down and the other one comes in, we rally around whoever is in the game. That’s what we did tonight and it was a plus for us.

“I didn’t know David was out. It changed nothing. We kept what we were going to do for our offense. We stayed with it.”

As the injuries continue to pile up, that’s precisely the mentality Texas players plan to maintain. And that’s got to last more than one night, especially if Texas wants to get back to playing like one of the nation’s best.

Texas moves back up in this week's Power Rankings, West Virginia moves back down and the top four remain steady:

1. Oklahoma State (3-0, 0-0 Big 12; last week: 1): When he was the coordinator in Stillwater, Dana Holgorsen recruited quarterback J.W. Walsh to Oklahoma State. This Saturday, Holgorsen's Mountaineers must deal with stopping Walsh, who’s been terrific since taking over the starting quarterback job in the opener. Walsh ranks sixth in the country in QBR and is a major reason why the Cowboys are three-touchdown favorites for their game in Morgantown.

2. Baylor (3-0, 0-0 Big 12; last week: 2): The Baylor-hasn’t-beaten-anybody argument only holds so much water. Who in the Big 12 has really beaten anybody? Oklahoma State over Mississippi State? Texas Tech over TCU? Oklahoma over West Virginia? The fact is, even against three doldrums, Baylor has been as impressive as any team in the league. This offense has a chance to be as prolific as the 2011 Oklahoma State Cowboys or the 2008 Oklahoma Sooners.

3. Oklahoma (3-0, 1-0 Big 12; last week: 3): After opening with three home victories, the Sooners will finally find out about their team during a road trip to South Bend, Ind., this weekend. They should find out a lot about quarterback Blake Bell, too -- he was marvelous after replacing Trevor Knight two weeks ago against Tulsa. But that was against Tulsa in Norman. This is Notre Dame in South Bend. If OU wins this game, people will begin to mention the under-the-radar Sooners as a possible dark horse national title contender.

4. Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0 Big 12; last week: 4): The Texas Tech defense continues to play well, but the offense was sluggish again in a 33-7 victory over Texas State. Kliff Kingsbury has to decide whether he’s going to stick with Baker Mayfield as his starting quarterback or go with Davis Webb, who has made plays the last two weeks in relief of Mayfield. Kingsbury might secretly and anxiously be waiting on the return of Michael Brewer, who’s been injured since the summer with a bad back but is close to rejoining the team on the practice field.

5. Texas (2-2, 1-0 Big 12; last week: 8): After winning their Big 12 opener 31-21 over Kansas State, the Longhorns still have plenty to play for. But they are also beaten up. Linebacker Jordan Hicks is out for the season again with a ruptured Achilles tendon, quarterback David Ash continues to deal with concussion issues and offensive playmaker Daje Johnson remains out with an ankle injury. The game with Oklahoma (Oct. 12) looms, too. A victory in Dallas is about the only thing that can save Mack Brown’s job and completely reverse momentum in Austin.

6. TCU (1-2, 0-1 Big 12; last week: 5): Gary Patterson was not pleased with his team during the off week. Patterson told reporters last week the Horned Frogs were “feeling sorry for themselves” after the 20-10 loss at Tech. “If we don’t grow up,” Patterson said, “we’re not going to win any more ballgames.” The Frogs had better grow up quickly if they want to avoid letting this season turn into a catastrophe. TCU faces road trips at Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in October.

7. Kansas State (2-2, 0-1 Big 12; last week: 7): Even though Texas had been a sieve stopping opposing quarterbacks on the ground, Bill Snyder elected to use Daniel Sams sparingly in Austin. Sams averaged 6 yards a carry but got only eight carries as Jake Waters again took the bulk of the snaps at quarterback. Even though wideout Tyler Lockett is having a monster season, the Wildcats with Waters behind center have been just average offensively, which is flirting with disaster in the Big 12. Especially when the defense is just average, too.

8. West Virginia (2-2, 0-1 Big 12; last week: 6): So much for the idea that the Mountaineers could just replace Geno Smith, Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey. West Virginia looked completely inept offensively in a 37-0 loss to Maryland, which is a good team, but not that good. The Mountaineers, who had one of the best passing attacks in the country last year, suddenly can’t pass. Quarterback Ford Childress threw for just 62 yards with two interceptions Saturday, not that Paul Millard fared any better in West Virginia’s first two games. Holgorsen said he’s sticking with Childress at quarterback, which is a sign the Mountaineers are building for the future. The present is not a pretty sight.

9. Kansas (2-1, 0-0 Big 12; last week: 9): With the bottom half of the Big 12 struggling so much, the Jayhawks have the opportunity to win a couple of games in the league. But Kansas has its own problems. An offense that was supposed to be improved actually has been worse so far this season. After scoring just a field goal over three quarters against Louisiana Tech, the Jayhawks had to scramble late to escape with a 13-10 win. Jake Heaps owns the worst Total QBR (32.2) in the league and the Kansas wide receivers so far have been a disappointment. There is some talent on Charlie Weis’ offense, especially in the backfield. But it has yet to manifest on the field.

10. Iowa State (0-2, 0-0 Big 12; last week: 10): The Cyclones have back-to-back Thursday night games on deck: at Tulsa and at home against Texas. If Iowa State can’t prevail in either, this will end up being the worst season of the Paul Rhoads era. The only way the Cyclones can avoid that fate is by conjuring something in the run game, which has been abysmal so far this season.

There’s finally a reason for Mack Brown to smile in Austin, Baylor continued to dominate, and things look like they could get ugly in Morgantown. It’s very possible West Virginia doesn’t sniff a bowl game, but Iowa State and Kansas don’t look like world-beaters either.

Here are the Big 12 bowl projections after Week 4:

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. BCS at-large

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Baylor vs. SEC No. 3/4

Valero Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Pac-12 No. 2

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Big Ten No. 4/5

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl: TCU vs. Pac-12 No. 3

Texas Bowl: Texas vs. Big Ten No. 6

New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Kansas State vs. American No. 4

Heart of Dallas Bowl: West Virginia vs. Big Ten No. 7

Iowa State, TCU, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State were all off. But we still learned plenty about the Big 12 in Week 4:

1. Baylor can’t be stopped: What the Bears have accomplished in three nonconference games has been incredible. Sure, the nonconference slate was bad. But the numbers Baylor is putting up are absurd. Capped with the 70-7 win over Monroe, the Bears outscored their three nonconference opponents by a combined score of 209-23 -- the largest scoring differential in an opening three games, according to ESPN Stats & Information, by any FBS team of the past 10 seasons. The Bears lead the nation in scoring, Bryce Petty leads in the nation in QBR and running back Lache Seastrunk is averaging 11 yards per carry. This offense, obviously, faces tougher tests ahead. But Baylor has the look of an offense that will be scoring on everyone it faces.

2. West Virginia can’t score: How far the West Virginia offense has fallen since that 70-point outburst in the 2011 Orange Bowl. In the first half against Maryland, the West Virginia offensive effort was futile. West Virginia compiled 65 yards compared to 61 yards in penalties; the Mountaineers also had as many first downs (two) as interceptions in the first half, as Maryland jumped to a 30-0 halftime lead before coasting to the 37-0 victory in Baltimore. Coach Dana Holgorsen said afterward he’s sticking with Ford Childress at quarterback, but the quarterback can only do so much with the West Virginia offensive line and receivers. Had running backs Charles Sims and Dreamius Smith not transferred in, this offense would be completely hopeless -- assuming it isn’t already.

3. Texas proved it doesn’t always lie down: During Big 12 media days, Kansas State linebacker Tre Walker was quoted saying that “Texas laid down a little bit” in their game last season because “that’s what they do.” Despite tumbling in with a two-game losing streak, the Longhorns didn’t lie down Saturday, instead grinding out a 31-21 win over the Wildcats. Who knows what -- if anything -- the win will do for Mack Brown or the Longhorns’ season? At the least, the win offered a little respite for a team that’s had to endure nothing but negativity since the first week of the season.

4. The Kansas schools have issues offensively: Both Kansas and Kansas State should be better offensively than what they’ve showed. Despite having former blue-chipper Jake Heaps at quarterback and one of the league’s better running back tandems in Tony Pierson and James Sims, the Jayhawks needed 10 points in the fourth quarter to edge out Louisiana Tech, 13-10. Meanwhile, against a Texas defense that had been porous stopping the run, the Wildcats managed just 115 yards rushing on 38 carries. If not for wideout Tyler Lockett, K-State might not have scored the whole night. Both the Kansas and K-State offenses have good players. Just not good offenses at the moment.

5. Texas Tech is back to square one at QB: For the second straight game, Davis Webb replaced fellow true freshman Baker Mayfield at quarterback. Last week, it was due to injury. In Saturday’s sloppy 33-7 win over Texas State, it was due mostly to the offense remaining stagnant, though Mayfield did get shaken up after taking a shot to his back. Mayfield completed 13 of 18 passes for 122 yards and an interception before getting replaced. But Webb didn’t fare all that much better, going 19-of-43 passing for 310 yards and an interception. Webb also badly missed Jakeem Grant and Jace Amaro wide open in the end zone near the end of the game. Coach Kliff Kingsbury said both quarterbacks would play going forward, but he also noted the position “just has to get better.” It’s unclear how Kingsbury will use his quarterbacks, but Michael Brewer is getting closer to practicing again after sitting out the past several weeks with a back injury. Brewer, the projected starter going into the preseason, could ultimately become Kingsbury’s answer at quarterback once he returns.

Recognizing the best and brightest from around the Big 12 in Week 4:

RB Johnathan Gray, Texas

Texas needed the sophomore more than ever against Kansas State, especially when David Ash was sidelined for the second half with concussion-related symptoms, and Gray delivered. He put up a career-best 141 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 28 carries in the 31-21 win. The Longhorns trusted their workhorse and he came up big.

WR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State

Lockett put on a show against Texas with a whopping 237 receiving yards on 13 catches. That’s the second-best receiving day in the country this season behind Mike Evans' 279 yards last week vs. Alabama. Lockett had catches of 47, 22, 31 and 52 yards and also contributed a 40-yard kick return. He was unstoppable on Saturday.

Baylor Defense

Baylor has one of the best offenses in the country with several guys who are worthy of Helmet Stickers. But isn’t it time to give a little love to that Bears defense? Baylor racked up eight tackles for loss and intercepted three passes in a 70-7 win over Louisiana-Monroe, and two of those picks were returned for touchdowns of 41 and 63 yards, respectively. We’ll see how the defense holds up against better Big 12 competition, but so far so good.

K Matthew Wyman, Kansas

Let’s give some props to the guy who ended Kansas’ 22-game losing streak against FBS opponents. It wasn’t just that Wyman made the game-winning field goal with time expiring to beat Louisiana Tech 13-10 -- don’t forget the degree of difficulty. Wyman connected from 52 yards, causing the Jayhawks to storm the field. Big kick, big win.

QB Davis Webb, Texas Tech

Webb relieved a struggling Baker Mayfield and threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns in a 33-7 rout of Texas State, one that probably reopens the discussion of who should be starting under center for the Red Raiders. Honorable mention to Kerry Hyder for his decision to pitch his fumble recovery and create a 9-yard touchdown return. Way to be selfless, Kerry.

AUSTIN, Texas – Even after a must-win game over the defending Big 12 champion, Texas coach Mack Brown wasn’t ready to celebrate just yet. But surely he’s breathing a deep sigh of relief after this one, right?

“I’m not there yet,” he said. “Not there yet.”

It’s safe to say the significance of Texas’ 31-21 win over Kansas State isn’t lost on him. Nobody needed a win on Saturday more than Brown and Texas.

Many will knock Kansas State and say Texas just beat a team that had lost to an FCS school. Big whoop. Some will go a step further and laugh at Texas for celebrating a win over Kansas State, calling it a sign of the times if that’s the Longhorns' standard.

But Texas has every reason to overreact to a win over the Wildcats, its first since 2003. The Longhorns were entering season-on-the-brink territory. Win or fall apart. Frustrated players, angry fans, wild rumors. Lose this game and it all gets a whole lot worse, and we start questioning how Texas will even get to six wins.

Brown needed this to stave off all the negativity, to send a message that the season isn’t over.

“We had to get this game tonight. We had to get back on the right track,” Brown said. “I don’t think this team will let up, I really don’t.”

Ever the optimist, Brown can point to plenty of things he saw Saturday night that reinforce his belief in this team. His veteran offensive line finally began playing up to its potential in paving the way for 227 rushing yards, including 141 and two scores from Johnathan Gray.

"This was a crucial step for us to get things turned around, and it is a great feeling to get that accomplished and know that we are back on the right track," senior guard Trey Hopkins said.

And that maligned Texas defense, that one that was as porous as any in the country through three games, at last showed progress in Week 2 of the Greg Robinson regime. Holding Kansas State to 115 yards on the ground is tangible, unmistakable progress.

Somehow, the Longhorns overcame losing quarterback David Ash at halftime to concussion-related symptoms and linebacker Jordan Hicks in the second half to a sprained ankle.

The laundry list of Texas starters who are injured keeps growing, but the team has a week off before traveling to Iowa State for a Thursday night showdown.

More than anything, Texas just needed positive energy and momentum. The two losses made Brown and his team a national punching bag. Everyone got in their shots. Much of the chatter wasn’t unfair.

What Texas did to Kansas State won’t shut everyone up, but it’s a start. Brown tried his best to block out the negativity, but he let his players deal with it however they pleased.

“I actually said to those guys what I’ve said to you all: Handle it any way you want to, but beat Kansas State,” Brown said. “The rest of it doesn’t matter. If it bothers you, don’t look at it. If you enjoy drama, look at it. It’s up to you.”

Defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat has argued for weeks that this would be a player-led team. Texas was playing without six injured starters, and its players embraced a next-man-up mentality.

“I give all the credit to the players. This week was a tough week, obviously,” offensive coordinator Major Applewhite said. “We lost, lot of criticism, lot of chances to kind of get rabbit ears. But everybody put their nose to the grindstone and worked.”

The fourth-quarter stops and turnovers are a sign this season can get better. Leaning on and trusting the run game when Ash exited was a sign. Ending three straight years of futility against K-State was a sign, too.

There are reasons -- not many, but a few -- to believe Texas can eventually become the team it was hyped up to be. Brown saw that on Saturday.

“This is part of the team that I expected to see and expect to see for the rest of the year,” Brown said. “This can be a really good football team before we finish.”

It’s just one win. The intense scrutiny probably won’t dissipate much. But the toxic cloud over Brown’s program lifted for one night. Now would be a good time to exhale.

Can Texas right the ship against K-State? Will Michigan avoid another upset scare? Can Auburn-LSU produce another close one? And what about that Arizona State-Stanford showdown in the Pac-12?

We’ll be watching these games and many more on Saturday night and we’d like you to join in on the conversation. Head on over to Campus Connection at 8 ET and follow the action along with our eight reporters. Post your comments and questions and we’ll include as many of them as possible.