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We're moving on with our 2011 postseason position rankings. Today, it's time for cornerbacks. If you missed it, here's how I ranked them in the preseason.

Here are the other position rankings we've done so far:

• Quarterbacks
• Running backs
• Receivers/tight ends
• Linebackers

Depth is somewhat of a factor here, but I weighted it heavily toward the top two starters at the position.

1. Texas — The Longhorns duo of Carrington Byndom and Quandre Diggs were by far the league's best at limiting the big play. Both are physical. Both return. Beware, Big 12 offenses. In just their first year as starters, they helped the Longhorns lead the league in pass defense. Diggs, a true freshman, led the team with four interceptions. Until the regular-season finale against Baylor, Texas and Alabama were the only teams that hadn't given up a touchdown pass longer than 20 yards. Obviously, that's way, way more impressive in the Big 12.

2. Kansas State — K-State overachieved in a lot of ways this year, and perhaps nowhere more than at cornerback. Juco transfer Nigel Malone led the league with seven interceptions. Known entity David Garrett was even more solid, making 88 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss. I ranked this unit 10th in the Big 12 before the season. They finished second. I was wrong.

3. Oklahoma — The Sooners' corners were good, but not great, and underachieved slightly. Jamell Fleming and Demontre Hurst are supremely talented, but were susceptible to big plays this year. Granted, everybody in the Big 12 was, but the Sooners ranked fourth in pass defense. Fleming broke up 10 passes and intercepted two more. Hurst broke up 11 and had an interception.

4. Oklahoma State — At times, Oklahoma State's Brodrick Brown was a legitimate shutdown corner. Justin Gilbert turned in a solid effort in his first year as a starter, which was much more important after a season-ending injury to Devin Hedgepeth in September. Gilbert picked off five passes, second-most in the Big 12.

5. Iowa State — Leonard Johnson was quietly an NFL prospect that put together a huge year. He was a big reason for ISU's upset of No. 2 Oklahoma State, and helped shut down Justin Blackmon. He finished with 71 tackles, eight pass breakups and a pick. Jeremy Reeves added two picks and seven pass breakups.

6. Missouri — E.J. Gaines led the Big 12 with 16 pass breakups, and the Tigers ranked fifth in the Big 12 in pass defense. Fellow first-year starter Kip Edwards added a pick and three pass breakups.

7. Texas A&M — The team's top corner, Coryell Judie, was hampered by a hamstring injury all season, but production is production. It wasn't there for Judie, one of the league's top corners in 2010. Terrence Frederick had a good year with 13 pass breakups and a pick, but the Aggies were susceptible through the air all year. Lionel Smith and Dustin Harris filled in well in Judie's absence, but not well enough. A&M finished eighth in pass defense and helped five QBs set career highs for passing yardage in 2011.

8. Baylor — K.J. Morton played well down the stretch for Baylor, but the Bears defense left a lot to be desired almost everywhere. They finished last in the Big 12 in pass defense, giving up over 290 yards a game. Morton picked off four passes and broke up six more. All four of his picks came in the final three games of 2011. Chance Casey broke up six passes and made 48 stops.

9. Texas Tech — How's this for irony? The Red Raiders actually finished second in the Big 12 in pass defense. It doesn't matter much. Tre' Porter had the only interception for a cornerback all season, and broke up two passes. Injuries were a problem all season. Cornelius Douglas, Derrick Mays, Jarvis Phillips and Sawyer Vest filled the unit, but Tech faced 61 fewer pass attempts than Kansas and 111 fewer than the next team in the Big 12. That's what happens when you can't stop the run. Doesn't mean the corners played well.

10. Kansas — Greg Brown picked off two passes and broke up three more. Isiah Barfield made 35 tackles and broke up five passes. The Jayhawks ranked ninth in the Big 12 in pass defense. They didn't get much of a pass rush to help the corners, but the corners were very poor in 2011.

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. -- Oklahoma State and Stanford will kick off the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at 8:30 p.m. ET tonight on ESPN. That means its time to take a look at three keys for the Cowboys to knock off the Cardinal.

1. String together first downs, avoid three-and-outs. Stanford's going to win the time of possession battle in this game. Period. But Oklahoma State's offense will decide how big the deficit is by the game's end. The Cowboys don't look likely to win the battle up front against Stanford's offensive line, but they'll have a much better shot if the defense isn't run down by tons of time on the field. The offense can't afford, at any point in this game, to give up a 6-8 minute drive, then go three-and-out and put the Cardinal offense right back on the field. That's the surest way to lose this game. The Cowboys have to consistently move the ball, even if it doesn't always result in points.

2. Don't outsmart yourself on defense. Andrew Luck? He's pretty smart. Oklahoma State's not going to fool him. It can't trip over itself to try and do so. It can't make it too easy, but Oklahoma State's defense can't get too fancy and get away from basic stuff that's helped them be successful this season. OSU has to disguise blitzes and coverages to some degree, but changing too much this late will ultimately prove counterproductive.

3. Stretch the field, and dare Luck to do the same. Oklahoma State's offense has been less vertical this season than in 2011, but the Cowboys have a speed advantage at the skill positions in this game, and a deep pool of guys who can run with the best. Justin Blackmon and Isaiah Anderson are tough to cover downfield, but Justin Gilbert and Brodrick Brown have good speed, as do safeties Daytawion Lowe and Markelle Martin. Luck has the arm to get it there, but he can't run routes for his receivers. Overplay short stuff, and make Luck make throws he hasn't made all that often this season.

Editor’s Note: Tune into the “AT&T ESPN All America Team Show” on Saturday (ABC, 1:30 p.m. ET) to see who ESPN’s writers and experts selected.

It's been a fun season across the Big 12, with a few big names who didn't play as well as we thought, and lots of unknowns who became household names by the end of the season.

I'll offer my comments below, but here's our All-Big 12 team for 2011.

OFFENSE

QB: Robert Griffin III, Baylor
All-purpose: Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State
RB: Terrance Ganaway, Baylor
RB: Henry Josey, Missouri
FB: Trey Millard, Oklahoma
WR: Kendall Wright, Baylor
WR: Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
WR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma
TE: Michael Egnew, Missouri
C: Grant Garner, Oklahoma State
OL: Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State
OL: Levy Adcock, Oklahoma State
OL: Gabe Ikard, Oklahoma
OL: Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M

DEFENSE

DE: Frank Alexander, Oklahoma
DT: Dominique Hamilton, Missouri
DE: Alex Okafor, Texas
DE: Jamie Blatnick, Oklahoma State
LB: Sean Porter, Texas A&M
LB: Jake Knott, Iowa State
LB: Emmanuel Acho, Texas
NB: Tony Jefferson, Oklahoma
CB: Nigel Malone, Kansas State
CB: Carrington Byndom, Texas
S: Kenny Vaccaro, Texas
S: Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State

SPECIALISTS

P: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State
PK: Randy Bullock, Texas A&M
PR: Dustin Harris, Texas A&M
KR: Tyler Lockett, Kansas State

Finally, a few notes and explanations:

• I loved the media's idea to craft an all-purpose spot to accomodate Collin Klein. The Big Ten did the same for Michigan's Denard Robinson last season. I followed suit, and did so on the defensive side of the ball with a nickel-back spot for Oklahoma's Tony Jefferson. Two players that missed first-team designation by the coaches, but clearly deserve to be recognized.
• Additionally, I prefer the teams to reflect the Big 12 style of play, so the nickel back fits. Each team doesn't have 11 players, but there were deserving linebackers. The same with Egnew and Millard. Does every team use a fullback or a tight end? No, but both are standout performers. They'd rotate in anyway, just as Jefferson would in a theoretical package.
• Tough call to leave Philip Blake from Baylor off my team, but Garner's been better. Blake is very, very close, though.
• Hated to leave off Brodrick Brown and E.J. Gaines, but I went with a more traditional two corners and two safeties, rather than four corners like the media's team.
• Steven Johnson and Arthur Brown would have been right behind my three linebackers. That race was probably closer than at any other position, except maybe cornerback. Difficult to leave either of those guys off my first team, but the three on the team were better. I gave Brown my Newcomer of the Year nod, though.
• I don't like going with three defensive ends and one defensive tackle, but there wasn't a defensive tackle who deserved the honor more than Okafor, my third defensive end. Okafor was a defensive tackle last year anyway, so that's close enough, right? He moved from tackle to end before spring practice earlier this year. In the Big 12, an additional pass rusher is necessary, too, right?
• I made a similar move with my offensive line. Went tackle-heavy, but the guards didn't have quite as many standouts.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- That's as thorough a beating as any Bob Stoops team has taken since USC back in the Orange Bowl.

I believe for their efforts, the Trojans were given a ... national championship? Just some food for thought.

Followed by some analysis for dessert.

How the game was won: Oklahoma State dominated from start to finish in the 44-10 win. Oklahoma moved it early, but Oklahoma State piled on points after a Landry Jones fumble that set up the Cowboys' second touchdown. The second half never materialized as a real contest, especially after Jones inexplicably fumbled while trying to throw a bubble screen and Oklahoma State DE Richetti Jones scooped and scored from five yards out to make it 34-3 early in the third quarter.

Turning point: Down 10-0 and facing a 3rd-and-6 at OSU's 19, Jones was flushed out of the pocket, but OSU LB Alex Elkins caught him. He stripped the Sooners QB, and Jamie Blatnick returned the fumble 59 yards to the OU 1-yard line. The rout, as they say, was on.

Stat of the game: Remember that opportunistic Oklahoma State defense? The one that ranks second in the nation in turnover margin? It grabbed three turnovers in this one, stuffing an OU drive in OSU territory on one, returning another for a touchdown and returning a third to the 1. A solid beating turns to a rout fast when that happens.

Players of the game: Oklahoma State's offensive line. The holes were huge. Brandon Weeden had all day to throw. The Big 12's best front five played a heck of a game and gave the offense what it needed to operate, despite lots of early blitzes from Oklahoma that the Cowboys countered with screen passes. Late in the game, OSU continued to punish OU up front, too.

Second guessing: Poll voters and BCS computers. OSU didn't get any help from LSU, but Oklahoma State and Alabama were pretty close in my mind coming into Saturday night's game. The beatdown swung it in the Pokes' favor from where I'm sitting. No rematch. Let's see LSU's stifling defense take on an Oklahoma State offense that's scoring on everybody. LSU has never seen an offense like it would see in the Superdome. Oklahoma State's never seen a defense like it would encounter. Who doesn't want to see that?

What Oklahoma learned: It can't bounce back offensively from the loss of Ryan Broyles. It struggled last week against Iowa State. Baylor's defense? Well, it's not very good. But the Sooners struggled all night to put together a drive. Receivers weren't open, and OSU's corners, Brodrick Brown and Justin Gilbert, played outstanding games and both grabbed interceptions. Those receivers were plagued with the drops again, too, and without DE Ronnell Lewis, Oklahoma's pass rush was non-existent.

What Oklahoma State learned: It can deliver a beating just like Oklahoma has done time and time again in this rivalry. The worst beating OSU had ever delivered before Saturday was a 47-0 win in 1945. Midway through the fourth quarter of this matchup, Oklahoma State fans started chanting "L-S-U! L-S-U!" in hopes that a date with the Tigers in the Superdome was on the way. Oklahoma State didn't surprise anybody by hanging as many points as it did, but the defense completely shutting down the Sooners? That's a shocker.

What it means: We're in for a very tense next 20 hours or so until the BCS standings are revealed on Sunday night. Virginia Tech, who was ahead of Oklahoma State in both human polls that factor into the BCS, lost to Clemson. That helps, and the lopsided fashion the Cowboys won will make lots of voters think twice about automatically putting Alabama at No. 2 behind LSU on their ballots. Oklahoma State can't hide from its horrible loss at Iowa State. But it has more quality wins than Alabama and has won all but two of its games impressively. Which will carry more weight?

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Bob Stoops and Landry Jones told me this week about the little things that go missing without injured receiver Ryan Broyles.

Sometimes a receiver drifts too far or too short over the middle. He does things differently than Broyles, who had caught around a third of Jones' career completions before tearing his ACL against Texas A&M.

Last week in windy conditions against Iowa State, the Sooners receivers dropped seven passes. This week, we've already seen six by my count, plus a deep ball that Jaz Reynolds didn't help break up. Brodrick Brown intercepted that one.

Broyles' best attribute was his hands. If the ball touched them, he caught it.

For all the talk of the little differences between having and not having Broyles, tonight, it's the big ones that have hurt.

Time for our look back at the weekend in the Big 12.

Best offensive player: Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State. Facing a 17-point deficit, Weeden turned in an all-world second half, breaking his own school records with 47 completions and 438 passing yards and two touchdowns, which might have been three if not for an incident we'll get to later. And for all the talk of Weeden's interception count (six through three games) he didn't turn it over once against the best defense he's faced all year.

Best defensive player: Brodrick Brown, CB, Oklahoma State. Brown helped limit the effectiveness of Texas A&M receiver Jeff Fuller, and made eight tackles with an interception and two pass breakups in the Cowboys' 30-29 win over the Aggies.

Best team performance: Oklahoma State. Just like Oklahoma here. You win a road game in a tough environment against a top 10 team? You get best team performance. That's especially true if you erase a 17-point halftime deficit to do it. Runner up: Kansas State.

Best game: Oklahoma State 30, Texas A&M 29. Twists, turns and turnovers dotted some pretty sharp offensive play by Texas A&M in the first half and Oklahoma State in the second. What resulted was two really good teams playing an intensely entertaining game that came down to the final minutes.

Worst quarter: Texas A&M's third quarter. The Aggies let it all get away right here. Texas A&M's defense gave up three touchdown drives, sandwiched around a fumble on a the back end of a long catch-and-run by Kenric McNeal and a short drive that didn't cross midfield. The Aggies may look back at these 15 minutes as the ones that vastly changed their season for the worse. How quickly the game turned from 20-3 to 24-20.

Worst play: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State. What can be said about Blackmon's fumble into the end zone and out of bounds that hasn't already been said about Jersey Shore. Unnecessary, completely mindless, but you can't look away. How did this become reality?

Best play(s): Kansas State's defense. With the game on the line, the Wildcats stuffed Miami four times on the goal line to preserve a huge 28-24 win.

Best haircut: Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma. Lewis paid homage to his secondary, nicknamed "The Sharks," by shaving a shark into the side of his head. Outstanding, sir. Kenny Stills' mohawk has competition.

Best gesture: Oklahoma State's players. Linebackers coach Glenn Spencer's wife died earlier in the week, and the players made rubber bracelets for the team that read "One Heart, One Team, One Family." Said coach Mike Gundy: "It's one thing when the coaches do it. The kids doing it is another."

Most supportive fans: Oklahoma State. After notching one of the biggest wins in program history, Oklahoma State's charter flight arrived back in Stillwater to a ton of fans at the airport waiting to welcome their team back home. Very nice, Cowboys.

Best proposal: Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma. Broyles proposed to his long-time girlfriend on Sunday. The Sooners QB, Landry Jones, and top receiver are now officially off the market.

Most humorous fans: Oklahoma State. The few thousand OSU fans that made the trip to College Station started chanting "Big 12, Big 12, Big 12!" when the game was out of reach at Kyle Field for the SEC-bound Aggies. It may be the first time it got busted out, but no debut was more fitting, I suppose.

OSU dominated this thing today. Rest of the league has to step it up.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Kyle Field was rocking through halftime. Texas A&M looked dominant and the 12th Man towels were furiously waving.

All of a sudden, the stands have gotten very uncomfortable for the Aggies, who trail 24-20 late in the third quarter after leading by 17 at halftime.

OSU has scored 21 points on its first three drives of the half, while A&M handed the ball back to OSU on a fumble after a long catch by Kenric McNeal. Safety Daytawion Lowe forced the fumble, and cornerback Justin Gilbert recovered.

Quarterback Brandon Weeden took the lead when he found Tracy Moore in the back of the end zone for a four-yard score.

Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill turned it over with an interception on the following possession when Brodrick Brown cut off an out route.

The A&M defense suddenly looks like it badly misses cornerback Coryell Judie after a strong first half.

It's reminiscent of last year's game, but this one is far from over. Both of these offenses can put up a lot of points. Should be a classic finish.

We'll move on to the cornerbacks today in our position rankings across the Big 12.

Here's what we've covered so far:

• Quarterbacks
• Running backs
• Receivers/tight ends
• Linebackers
• Safeties

This group? Well, it's not very good. And considering the crazy depth in the Big 12 at receiver, it could be a long season for cornerbacks in this league. I love the upside of many of the Big 12 corners -- namely the guys at Missouri and Texas Tech (especially working with Chad Glasgow's 4-2-5 in Lubbock). Texas could also develop fast in its new defense, but outside of Texas A&M and Oklahoma, I don't see any Big 12 teams that should be completely comfortable with their cornerbacks.

Of course, for fans who love points, this could be a welcome development. For secondary coaches and defensive coordinators? Not so much.

1. Oklahoma -- Jamell Fleming is the Big 12's top returner at the position and gives the Sooners a huge boost after being reinstated last week. Fleming had withdrawn from the university because of academic problems following the season. Aaron Colvin moved to safety during the offseason, but Fleming will still have to beat out Gabe Lynn in fall camp to start opposite Demontre Hurst. Julian Wilson also adds depth.

2. Texas A&M -- Fleming's return pushed the Sooners over A&M as having the Big 12's best group of corners. But Coryell Judie and Terrence Frederick could both challenge for first team All-Big 12 honors at the position. They are ahead of reserves Dustin Harris and Lionel Smith, who will get plenty of time on the field.

3. Missouri -- Missouri loses starters Carl Gettis and Kevin Rutland, but the coaches consider Kip Edwards a returning starter because of how much he played last season. Edwards could join E.J. Gaines in eventually becoming better than both Gettis and Rutland. Trey Hobson and Robert Steeples will get time in the rotation, too.

4. Oklahoma State -- OSU has to replace the Big 12's interception leader Andrew McGee , but Brodrick Brown's development should continue. He's likely a dark horse to earn first-team All-Big 12 honors after the season. The Cowboys didn't release a post-spring depth chart, but don't be surprised if return specialist Justin Gilbert edges out Devin Hedgepeth for the starting spot before the opener. Andrae May has earned playing time on special teams in both of his first two seasons on campus, but could be counted on for a much bigger role this year as the fourth corner.

5. Texas -- The Longhorns are fairly decimated at corner after losing three to the NFL in one offseason. Curtis and Chykie Brown joined Aaron Williams for one of the most talented sets of corners we've seen in this league, but now, secondary coach Duane Akina will have to replace them. Texas' depth chart is still as in flux as any in college football, but I'd be surprised if Carrington Byndom didn't emerge with a starting spot. True freshman Quandre Diggs might swipe the other, but Eryon Barnett and A.J. White will be on the field, too.

6. Texas Tech -- The Red Raiders are likely to ascend this list by season's end, but for now, find themselves at No. 6. Injuries were costly for the defense last season, but Tre Porter and Derrick Mays should be much better, and Tech fans can be encouraged by the upside in Jarvis Phillips, Jeremy Reynolds and Eugene Neboh.

7. Iowa State -- This group might be a bit underrated, but with Iowa State's defensive problems last season, it's a bit hard to tell. Jeremy Reeves and Leonard Johnson return with loads of experience, and Anthony Young is a great additional piece as the third corner. Matthew Thomas should be in the rotation, too.

8. Baylor -- The Bears return both starters. Chance Casey has 15 career starts to Tyler Stephenson's four, but the Bears secondary struggled last season, especially the corners. Tuswani Copeland should be on the field, and Romie Blaylock offers some experience as a senior under new coordinator Phil Bennett, whose work is cut out for him at this spot.

9. Kansas -- Kansas loses Chris Harris from last season's team, but Isiah Barfield is a playmaker at the position. Greg Brown, Tyler Patmon and Anthony Davis fill out the group.

10. Kansas State -- The Wildcats have a huge talent in David Garrett, who led the team in tackles last season and was the nation's leader in tackles for loss, but he's still just one player at a position that needs lots of depth in this league. Also, his coverage leaves a bit to be desired. For now, K-State doesn't look like it has that necessary depth. Terrance Sweeney and Stephen Harrison are gone, but the Wildcats need to find more talents at the position in fall camp. Watch for Thomas Ferguson to emerge as the other starter.

It's a difficult task to narrow down a season into 10 moments. My definition of the "top" 10 is the 10 moments that we'll look back on from this season and remember them, good or bad. So, here goes.

1. A&M makes the switch. College football can be a cruel game. Texas A&M entered the season with the Big 12's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Jerrod Johnson, hoping to lead the Aggies to their first Big 12 title since 1998. But offseason surgery sapped the zip from his throwing shoulder and produced an ugly start to his season, leading the Aggies to switch to Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill set the school record for passing yards in his first start, a win over Texas Tech, and helped the Aggies finish the regular season with six consecutive wins and a berth in the Cotton Bowl.

2. Texas' loss to UCLA. The red flags were there. Texas looked uninspired in wins over Wyoming and Rice, but looked dominant on defense in a road win over Texas Tech. Then the cellar-dwelling Bruins and their Pistol offense came to town. The Longhorns got rolled 34-12 in their own stadium. The loss shocked just about everyone, but it was a sign of what was to come: a 5-7 season the Texas faithful would rather forget.

3. Don't call it a comeback. Actually, you could probably call it a comeback. It was no Cam Newton in the Iron Bowl, but Landry Jones helped rally Oklahoma from a 17-0 deficit to Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship to knock off the Huskers, 23-20. The win gave Oklahoma its seventh Big 12 title of the decade.

4. T-Magic runs wild. Kansas State packed Bill Snyder Family Stadium for a Thursday night game with its eyes on an upset of the undefeated Huskers. Taylor Martinez had other ideas. The Nebraska quarterback ran for 241 yards and five touchdowns, injecting himself into the Heisman race and making people think very seriously about Nebraska as a national title contender. Who would have thought Martinez would go the season's final nine games without a rushing touchdown after scoring 10 in the first four? Yes, K-State ended up finishing the season as the Big 12's worst defense, but Martinez put on a show and previewed what Nebraska fans hope is to come in the future.

5. We got a tip drill. Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones thought he'd thrown it away cleanly. Not so, said Brodrick Brown. The Oklahoma State corner skied for Jones' pass headed for the sideline, tipped it back inbounds to his teammate, linebacker Shaun Lewis, who caught it as one of Jones' three interceptions in the first half of the Big 12 South's deciding game.

6. Taylor Martinez's injury. Nebraska already had a loss on its record, but one harmless-looking hit late in the first half of a big win changed Nebraska's season. Martinez was running laterally looking for a crease in the defense when Missouri safety Kenji Jackson flew in from the secondary and laid a hit on his lower body. Martinez sat the entire second half, and later revealed he had a sprained ankle. The freshman quarterback was never the same, and aggravated the injury again in a loss to Texas A&M.

7. Saluting your fans is bad, mmmmk. Adrian Hilburn made one of the biggest plays of Kansas State's season, catching a short pass and taking it 30 yards for a possible game-tying score with his team down eight. But after scoring, he saluted a group of Kansas State fans in the stands, and the official tossed a flag for excessive celebration after telling Hilburn he'd made the "wrong choice, buddy." The 15-yard penalty moved the Wildcats back, and Carson Coffman's pass on the conversion fell incomplete. Kansas State lost by two.

8. Moe's miracle. Missouri's season already looked off the rails. Blaine Gabbert threw a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions. The Tigers trailed San Diego State 24-20 with a minute to play and 68 yards between them and the end zone. Don't worry about it, said T.J. Moe. The sophomore receiver caught a short pass, made two defenders slam into each other and sprinted for the game-winning score that helped Missouri jump out to a 7-0 start to its season. Teammate Carl Gettis told Moe in the end zone, "Thank you for saving our season."

9. Last five minutes of Bedlam. Bedlam lived up to its moniker with a crazy finish that ended with the Sooners on top. Four touchdowns were scored within 92 seconds in the game's final five minutes. Oklahoma State scored to get within two points with just over four minutes to play, but on 3rd-and-long, Landry Jones found Cameron Kenney over the middle for an 86-yard touchdown pass. The ensuing kickoff? Oklahoma State's Justin Gilbert took it 89 yards to get back within two. But 17 seconds later, Jones found tight end James Hanna down the left sideline for a 76-yard touchdown that all but sealed the Sooners' win.

10. The Jayhawks win one for the ages. Kansas and Colorado were the Big 12's only teams still without a win in conference play. Something had to give. Few figured the Buffaloes 28-point lead would be what buckled. Colorado led 45-17 with just over 11 minutes to play, but the Jayhawks scored a frenzied 35 points to finish with a 52-45 win, their only conference win of the season. Buffaloes coach Dan Hawkins never got to coach another game for Colorado after being fired following the loss.

1. Keep Arizona from YAC-ing all over the place. Oklahoma State fans will recognize Arizona's offense quickly. It's a close relative of the Air Raid at Texas Tech, not entirely unlike the Cowboys' own offense. Short, quick passes get the ball in the hands of playmakers who try to break a tackle or make a defender miss to move the ball down the field. If Oklahoma State's secondary, corners Brodrick Brown and Andrew McGee and safeties Johnny Thomas and Markelle Martin, and even the linebackers can get receivers and running backs down quickly, they'll stymie the offense and prevent the big play. Forcing Nick Foles to complete as many passes as possible to win is a solid recipe for a win.

2. Seriously, give Kendall Hunter the ball. Oklahoma State's offense has struggled most when Hunter has gotten the ball the least. Most notably, it happened in the first half against Texas A&M and the entire game against Oklahoma. The Cowboys scored 41 against the Sooners, but 14 of those points were non-offensive touchdowns and Hunter got just 13 carries. Oklahoma State ran only 66 plays in that game to Oklahoma's 107 (most in the FBS in 2010), but Hunter needed to have the ball in his hands for more than 13 of those 66. If that happens against Arizona, the Cowboys, favored by about a touchdown, should be fine.

3. No special teams mistakes. Kicker Dan Bailey won the Lou Groza Award as the nation's top kicker, but he also missed four kicks in the three games before the loss to Oklahoma, including one from inside 40 yards against Baylor. Additionally, punter Quinn Sharp and his long snapper Marc Yerry are ineligible for the game. Bailey might end up with punting duty with a freshman snapping to him. Certainly, the potential for disaster is there. Prevent it, and the Cowboys can keep from giving away points that could come back to hurt them later.

Best offensive player: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma. He struggled in the first half, and his mistakes kept Oklahoma State in the game, but late in the fourth quarter, he made the plays to give Oklahoma the Big 12 South. He finished with a school-record 468 yards and four touchdowns. Honorable mention: Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M.

Best defensive player: Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M. Miller earned the national defensive player of the week honors from the folks at the Walter Camp Award. I'd say he earned this one too, wouldn't you? Texas does. Miller burned them for two sacks, three tackles for loss, a forced and recovered fumble, and a game-clinching interception. He also added seven tackles.

Best team performance: Oklahoma. It's no coincidence that the only two teams to win in Stillwater this year are the ones playing for a Big 12 title on Saturday. It's a stretch to say nobody thought Oklahoma had a shot, but it was pretty hard to find somebody who had faith the Sooners could leave Boone Pickens Stadium as winners. They did anyway.

Best offensive freshman: Paul Richardson, WR, Colorado. Catching a 50-yard touchdown pass against Nebraska's secondary? That's no small feat. Although, unfortunately for Colorado, Richardson said after the game he isn't sure if he'll be coming back to Boulder for 2011.

Best defensive freshman: Shaun Lewis, LB, Oklahoma State. No competition here. Lewis made 12 tackles -- 11 solo -- but his biggest play was an interception returned 52 yards for a touchdown in the first half. He got a second pick as the second half of our play of the week.

Best play: CB Brodrick Brown and LB Shaun Lewis, Oklahoma State. This is out in front by a few lengths for the play of the year. Oklahoma quarterback Jones tried to throw the ball away, but Brown lept from inbounds to tip it back in play to Lewis, who intercepted the pass and returned it 15 yards.

Best game: Oklahoma 47, Oklahoma State 41. Is anybody against playing this thing again about five more times? Dynamic offenses outfoxing talented defenses, and a flurry of scoring at the game's end unlike anything we've seen this year in the Big 12.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- It's not every day you see a game with almost as many turnovers as punts, but it definitely makes for an exciting half. That's what we've had here at Boone Pickens Stadium.

Stat of the half: Combined completion percentage of Landry Jones and Brandon Weeden, the Big 12's most productive quarterbacks. Together, they were at just 50 percent before Jones completed 5-of-6 passes on a field-goal drive to end the half and raise it to 54 percent (30-of-56).

Stat of the half II: Weeden and Jones have also combined for five interceptions. Just when each quarterback's team looked it could take control, they were derailed by a costly interception. That's made for a seesaw game, which might drive coaches crazy, but makes for good entertainment.

Best player in the half: Cornerback Brodrick Brown and linebacker Shaun Lewis, Oklahoma State. Brown has an interception, and tipped another to Lewis from out of bounds as the first half of a spectacular play. Lewis returned his first interception of the day 52 yards for a touchdown to keep Oklahoma State in it early with the Sooners driving with a 14-3 lead.

What Oklahoma State needs to do: Keep testing Oklahoma's secondary deep when it gets a chance. Coaches like to say "You can only throw what you can block," and Oklahoma has pressured Weeden, but the Cowboys set up their only offensive touchdown of the day with a deep ball to Justin Blackmon.

What Oklahoma needs to do: Give more carries to its trio of backs, Roy Finch, DeMarco Murray and Trey Millard. Landry Jones has looked masterful one moment and clueless the next. That's not necessarily anything new for Oklahoma, but the Sooners can't afford any more crippling mistakes in this one. They've run the ball well, and Murray is looking as good as he has all year.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Notify the ESPY highlight-reel makers and get SportsCenter on the line.

I've never seen anything like the play Brodick Brown and Shaun Lewis combined to make.

Both already intercepted Oklahoma's Landry Jones once this game, but Jones rolled out and attempted to throw the ball away.

No sir, Brown said. The Cowboys' corner lept and tipped the ball back in play, where Lewis intercepted the pass and returned it 15 yards.

You won't see anything like that again for a long time. Oklahoma State would have liked to gain some momentum from the play, but the offense went three-and-out and was forced to punt.

Even still, that's the best play I've seen all year, and maybe one of the best ever.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- This game was billed an offensive showdown, but it's tough to get that started with both quarterbacks playing like they are early on.

Neither Oklahoma's Landry Jones or Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden have a touchdown pass, but both have ugly interceptions.

Weeden's receivers have come down with an untimely case of the dropsies, which haven't helped his numbers. That'll have to stop for the Cowboys to erase their 7-3 deficit after the first quarter.

Weeden is just 5-of-12 for 40 yards, and his interception was a forced throw over the middle, tipped by Oklahoma's Tony Jefferson and picked off by safety Quinton Carter. He hasn't completed a pass to Biletnikoff Award finalist Ryan Broyles.

Oklahoma's Jones, meanwhile, has hit passes downfield to convert a pair of third-and-longs. But Broderick Brown intercepted a Jones along the right sideline when Jones tried to throw the ball away. Jones is just 8-of-17 for 80 yards.

For Oklahoma State's receivers, nerves look to be playing a factor. Those drops are completely out of character for them. The easy guess is whoever gets back on track first leaves with a win.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The score's a pretty good reflection of this one. Baylor got deep into Oklahoma State territory once and turned it over, but Oklahoma State dropped what should have been an easy touchdown pass. This is a pretty clear-cut, 24-point game that Oklahoma State has dominated from the start. If not for a late missed field goal by Lou Groza Award candidate Dan Bailey -- his first of the season -- it could be 27-0.

Turning point: On Baylor's second drive of the game, Oklahoma State cornerback Brodrick Brown stripped Baylor receiver Josh Gordon and recovered the fumble to set up Oklahoma State's first touchdown. That drive put the Cowboys up 10-0 and on their way to a great first-half performance on both sides of the ball.

Turning point II: Baylor had a wide-open Krys Buerck in the end zone, but Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III underestimated the speed of Oklahoma State safety Johnny Thomas, who came from the opposite side of the field to intercept the pass and keep Baylor off the scoreboard with just minutes remaining in the first half.

Stat of the half: Baylor turnovers: 3. Oklahoma State: 0. The Cowboys defense has played great, but all three of the turnovers have been because of plays the defense made, and without them, this could be a two-touchdown or 10-point lead.

Best player in the half: Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden. He's had all day in the pocket, been able to hit receivers for short passes and been accurate when he's looked downfield. He's completed 20-of-25 passes for 244 yards to seven different receivers.

Best player in the half II: Oklahoma State's secondary. Brown's fumble and Thomas' interception have the Cowboys on top.

Best call: Mike Gundy elected to try and convert a 4th-and-2 near midfield, and Baylor's defense lost Justin Blackmon over the top. Blackmon dropped the pass, but the defense kept Baylor off the board on the ensuing possession. Obviously, the execution wasn't there, but from a decision-making standpoint, Gundy's call and Weeden's decision to go deep should have paid off.

What Oklahoma State needs to do: Everything it's been doing. Don't take chances on defense, prevent the big play, and hand the ball to Kendall Hunter in the second half. He'll take the Cowboys home.

What Baylor needs to do: Keep trying to stretch the field. Oklahoma State has reined in Griffin's legs, but they've had plenty of opportunities for long plays down the field through the air. Griffin hasn't been accurate with those passes, but you have to keep forcing the issue. There still has to be some patience in the offense, but Baylor's going to need at least five second-half touchdowns to win this game.