ESPN College Football

Seven Big 12 players will take part in the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 21 in St. Petersburg, Fla.

• Tysyn Hartman, S, Kansas State
• Nicolas Jean-Baptiste, DT, Baylor
• Blake Gideon, S, Texas
• Dominique Hamilton, DT, Missouri
• Steven Johnson, LB, Kansas
• Cody Johnson, FB, Texas
• David Snow, OL, Texas

Good to hear from each of these guys, who have all been extremely productive over their careers. Traditionally, the Senior Bowl the following week is a more prestigious display, but all seven of these guys will get valuable exposure in front of NFL scouts.

We'll see who takes advantage and improves their draft stock.

You can see the full roster here.

Texas is hardly what's commonly known as a "high-powered offense."

It ranks eighth in the Big 12 in scoring offense and total offense. The Longhorns can't afford turnovers.

Yet, Texas has five today against Baylor, the last a fumble by Cody Johnson at the Baylor six-yard line.

The result: A 48-24 fourth-quarter deficit after Robert Griffin III's second touchdown pass of the day, a 39-yard strike to Terrance Williams. Griffin now has 291 yards passing and 18 yards rushing with four total touchdowns.

Texas hadn't allowed a single touchdown pass longer than 20 yards all season. Griffin has two today.

Case McCoy threw three interceptions after not throwing one over the first 106 pass attempts of his career to begin the day.

It's not complex: Lose the turnover battle 5-1 against an offense like Baylor, who ranks in second nationally in total offense and sixth nationally in total defense, and any chance you have of winning plummets to nearly zero.

That's what we're seeing from Texas today.

Yet another frustrating day for the Longhorns, who haven't given up more than 38 points to any team but Oklahoma this season.

Baylor scored 41 in three quarters.

Stat of the half: Texas did not punt. And while that might not seem like a big deal, this was a team that punted 11 times against Texas A&M a week ago, and 26 times in the past three weeks. Texas was able accomplish this without having its top two running backs, Malcolm Brown (knee) and Joe Bergeron (hamstring). Texas was able to move the ball down the field through the air and had some timely runs by Jeremy Hills and Cody Johnson. Texas had 339 yards of offense in the first half and 12 first downs.

Best player in the half: It is a toss-up between the two quarterbacks, Baylor's Robert Griffin III and Texas' Case McCoy. For the first time this season, Texas has come out and moved the ball through the air. McCoy, in his fourth start, was 11-of-18 for 232 yards with three touchdowns. His 80-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Goodwin was the longest passing touchdown for Texas since 2009 when Colt McCoy hit Jordan Shipley for 88 yards. Griffin was extremely hot early leading the Bears to 14 points in the first seven plays. He finished the half 5-of-10 for 132 yards with two passing touchdowns, a rushing score and an interception.

What Texas needs to do: Take care of the football. Texas went up seven and then was careless with the ball. First Dominic Espinosa and McCoy had a miscommunication on a snap. On the very next series, McCoy threw his first pick of the season. That set Baylor up at the 2-yard line. Baylor scored two plays later to take a 24-21 lead.

What Baylor needs to do: The Bears need to continue to test Texas' safeties deep. Griffin had tremendous success going up top on the first two series. If the Bears can get Terrance Ganaway going and set up some more play-action, they will have a chance to once again pick on Blake Gideon and Christian Scott.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas has a whole lot of youth, but didn't have a lot of problems bouncing back from the fourth-down stop in its own territory.

Jaxon Shipley, a true freshman, caught two passes for 34 yards. Fellow true freshman Malcolm Brown carried twice for 9 yards.

True freshman David Ash added a 1-yard run.

But senior Cody Johnson plowed through BYU's defensive line to finish the drive with a 4-yard run.

Texas has a new look, but at least for now, it's a good one.

AUSTIN, Texas -- For a couple drives, Texas looked like it had found some rhythm.

It scored on its opening drive and drove into the red zone on its second.

The offensive line struggles bit the Horns again, though. Faced with a fourth-and-1, Cody Johnson was stopped about six inches short for a turnover on downs. Not the most imaginative of play calls, but Texas would surely like to think it could move the pile with a yard to go and the game on the line.

It can't. Or didn't, at least.

Texas trails, 16-10 with just more than 12 minutes to play.

The Longhorns forced a three-and-out, but we'll see if it can continue to move the ball. Case McCoy and David Ash continue to rotate in and out, but the Longhorns have been much more productive this half.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas is sticking with its rotation of David Ash and Case McCoy, but with Garrett Gilbert on the bench, the Longhorn offense had its best possession to open the second half.

Don't focus too closely on the quarterbacks, though. This drive was powered by the running backs.

Malcolm Brown and D.J. Monroe combined for 61 yards on five carries, and 250-pound battering ram Cody Johnson finished off the final yard of the march to bring Texas within 13-10 with just under 11 minutes left in the first half.

Texas doesn't know what it can get from its quarterbacks tonight, but the running backs are rolling and the offensive line has played well in most facets tonight.

We wrapped up our position rankings by team a bit earlier, but we'll move on in ranking the 10 best players at each position.

Here's the top 10's you've missed so far:

• Quarterbacks

Running back is one of the weakest position groups in the Big 12 heading into 2011, a change from last year's extremely strong class. Just one of the league's top 11 rushers returns, and part of the success from last season was because of so much experience at the position. There are a few guys on this list with upside, but only a few are truly established. Some guys might make good on their upside, but for now, running back joins cornerback and defensive line as the league's weakest positions.

Also, if you haven't played a snap in the Big 12, you're not included on this list. (Also, if your last name is Brown.)

1. Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M -- Gray took over late last season and returns as the only Big 12 player to rush for more than 750 yards last season. He finished with 1,133 yards and 12 scores, but 938 of those yards and 10 of those touchdowns came in the season's final seven games, most of which came after the No. 2 guy on this list got hurt.

2. Christine Michael, Texas A&M -- Before Gray took off, Michael was far outperforming his teammate and looked headed for a 1,000-yard season after rushing for 844 yards and 10 scores in 2009. He was at 631 yards through eight games before breaking his leg, and no player in the Big 12 could top his 2009 effort. Despite playing just over half the season, he still ranked 14th in the Big 12 in rushing. Considering 10 of the top 11 rushers in the league are gone, it's easy to see why the powerful, 5-foot-11, 215-pounder is No. 2 on the list.

3. Roy Finch, Oklahoma -- Finch showed lots of flash last season in spot duty behind DeMarco Murray before aggravating a foot injury that kept him out of the first half of the season. He'll have to stay healthy to make good on his potential, and despite being on the All-Big 12 preseason team, he's not on his own team's depth chart just yet. He'll have to jump over Brennan Clay and Jonathan Miller to get his touches in a crowded backfield that will likely carry the load by committee this season.

4. Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State -- Randle was extremely valuable last season out of the backfield, catching 37 passes for 427 yards and a key touchdown against Texas A&M. That was more receptions than any running back outside of DeMarco Murray, but this year, he'll join Jeremy Smith in trying to replace Kendall Hunter, who ran for more than 1,500 yards last season.

5. Eric Stephens, Texas Tech -- Stephens has been underrated and underexposed behind starter Baron Batch, but his time looks like it has finally come. The Red Raiders have a deep backfield, but Stephens is its top talent, averaging 5.26 yards on his 127 carries last season, leading the team with six touchdowns.

6. James Sims, Kansas -- Sims was one of the bright spots in a dark year for Kansas football last season, taking over the starting role after a season-opening loss to North Dakota State and rushing for 101 yards in an upset win against Georgia Tech. Sims also scored four of his nine touchdowns in a comeback win against Colorado. I'd expect Sims' touches to take a slight hit with Darrian Miller on campus now, but he was extremely productive considering the Jayhawks' lack of a passing game, which ranked 105th nationally last season.

7. Shontrelle Johnson, Iowa State -- Johnson's lateral movement reminds me a bit of Finch, but he's got a lot of speed and if Iowa State's offensive line gets him a crack, he can be a home-run hitter. He was stuck behind Alexander Robinson last season, but Johnson averaged 6.2 yards on the limited carries he got, turning them into a pair of touchdowns. That's the highest average of any returning Big 12 back.

8. De'Vion Moore, Missouri -- Missouri doesn't have a big time back, but it doesn't need one. Moore led a group of four backs that combined to rush for more than 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns last seaosn. Look out for shifty Henry Josey to slide in and unseat Moore to lead the team in rushing, but Moore will get lots of touches in the red zone this season, and he's great at finding a crease. No Tigers running back got more than 100 carries last season, and that might still be the case, but Missouri truly proved that a running back platoon can be extremely successful, even if it lacks a game-changer at the top of the depth chart.

9. Terrance Ganaway, Baylor -- Ganaway is the bowling ball third of a good trio at Baylor. Jarred Salubi is the shiftier third and Glasco Martin is the young guy with lots of hype. All three should form a solid group. Art Briles said this week at media days that he'd love for one of them to separate themselves, but also understands it might not happen with this group.

10. Fozzy Whittaker, Texas -- Whittaker has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, but rushed for 351 yards last season and enters the season as the starter ahead of Cody Johnson. He'll have to hold off promising freshman Malcolm Brown as well as Johnson, but for now, the Longhorns' running backs have a lot to prove in a new offense built to help them succeed.

Four digits is the benchmark for a great season among running backs and receivers, while a 3,000-yard year is the mark of the game's top passers.

Last year, the Big 12 had seven rushers top 1,000 yards, but only one -- Cyrus Gray of Texas A&M -- returns. Five graduated and another -- Rodney Stewart of Colorado -- will be in the Pac-12 next year. So in the spirit of our friends at the ACC Blog led by the fearless Heather Dinich, I'll take a crack at picking the most likely players in the Big 12 to reach 1,000 yards rushing next season.

A note: This list is not the list of the Big 12's best running backs, though clearly, that's a factor. Instead, it's a list of the players with the best opportunity in their exact situations to reach 1,000 yards.

Though the Big 12 notched seven 1,000-yard rushers last season, it had just four the previous two years and eight in 2007.

1. James Sims, Kansas -- As a true freshman in 2010, Sims didn't play in the opener, but it was clear as the season went on that he's the Jayhawks most consistent runner. Kansas is deep at the position, but Sims figures to get the biggest share of carries for a team with big questions at quarterback. The Jayhawks averaged nearly 40 rushing attempts per game last year. I don't see that number dropping this year. Sims got just 168 of those 470 carries, and he still managed 742 yards.

2. Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M -- Gray and his teammate in the backfield, Christine Michael, should both have very good years. I like both of them to clear 800 yards, and it's possible they both hit 1,000 yards, but there's only so much offense to go around. Ryan Tannehill and Jeff Fuller, along with the rest of the talented receiving corps, will have to get theres. Considering the way Gray closed the season, he's likely to start out with the biggest share of carries.

3. Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State -- Randle will also be in split backfield along with Jeremy Smith, but he showed plenty of pop as a true freshman last year. Only DeMarco Murray caught more passes as a running back last year, so he may clear 1,000 yards of offense without doing it on the ground. But the Cowboys run an Air Raid system with a commitment to the run, so the touches should still be there for Randle with Kendall Hunter gone to the NFL.

4. Christine Michael, Texas A&M -- Michael will be coming back from the broken leg and looked pretty good in spring practice last week, but like I said, there's only so many touches to go around. Michael will get plenty and probably clear 700-800 yards, but he'll need to average a Gray-like 5-plus yards per carry to do it, which is possible.

5. Roy Finch, Oklahoma -- Finch has the talent to do it. No doubt. But there's no getting around doubting his health. A stress fracture in his foot caused him to miss almost half his freshman season, and the Sooners are mindful of that with a good group of backs behind him that might sap a few carries. Finch will have to hit a few big runs to get to 1,000, but if he gets hurt again, perhaps true freshman Brandon Williams or Brennan Clay could step in.

6. Eric Stephens, Texas Tech -- Texas Tech never had a 1,000-yard rusher under coach Mike Leach, but it's a new day in Lubbock. The offense will be the same, but coach Tommy Tuberville has placed an emphasis on running the ball more effectively, and Stephens will likely be the beneficiary. Aaron Crawford could be a factor if Stephens gets banged up, too.

7. Jarred Salubi, Baylor -- Like Texas A&M, Baylor has a whole lot of offense in a lot of places. Salubi could hit 1,000 yards if he becomes the featured back, but he's likely to share carries with Terrance Ganaway.

8. Shontrelle Johnson, Iowa State -- Johnson needs his new quarterback, whoever wins the competition, to play well and soften up defenses a bit, but the sophomore could be due for a nice year in his first as starter. Former Cyclone Alexander Robinson had over 2,000 yards in his final two years combined, and if Johnson continues to show the explosiveness he did as a freshman, he could have a similar career.

9. Bryce Brown, Kansas State -- Kansas State has run their backs more than any team in the Big 12 the past two seasons, in part because they had one of the league's best in Daniel Thomas. Brown has a lot to prove after an underwhelming, short run at Tenneessee, but there's no clear heir outside of Brown to pick up those 1,057 carries that the Wildcats have had in the past two seasons. Thomas toted it for 545 of those -- most in the Big 12 in 2009 and 2010 -- and if Brown gets off to a nice start, he'll be next in line.

9. Malcolm Brown, Texas -- We've seen Fozzy Whittaker and Cody Johnson for quite awhile at Texas. Both can get it done in spurts, but Whittaker has problems staying healthy and Johnson lacks burst. He's also working at fullback this spring. If any Texas back is going to have a big year, I'm pointing to the possible workhorse in Brown, rather than Jeremy Hills or D.J. Monroe.

10. De'Vion Moore, Missouri -- No Missouri running back had 100 carries last year, and Moore, the team's leading rusher, had just 517 yards. The Tigers ran the ball pretty well last year, but didn't rely on one player. Look elsewhere for a 1,000-yard rusher.

Prediction: Sims, Gray, Finch, Randle

TEXAS LONGHORNS

The class

Signees: 22 (four enrolled early)

Top prospects: Running back Malcolm Brown is the big headliner, the nation's No. 2 running back and No. 7 overall prospect. Cornerback Quandre Diggs gives the Longhorns the nation's top corner and No. 21 overall prospect. Defensive tackle Desmond Jackson and linebacker Steve Edmond are also two of the nation's best at their positions. Josh Turner, Sedrick Flowers and Leroy Scott give the Longhorns seven ESPNU 150 commits.

Needs met: Texas isn't starved for talent at any position. Its biggest problem in 2010 was a lack of talent at the skill positions, so it needs to find some solutions there, be it from talent already on campus or with incoming recruits. Brown gives the Longhorns a running back with their two other backs, Fozzy Whittaker and Cody Johnson, set to be seniors in 2011. Diggs and Scott also give them depth at cornerback, where Aaron Williams, Curtis Brown and Chykie Brown left openings.

Analysis: Part of me feels bad for Malcolm Brown. There might not be another player in the country with more expectations in his first year on campus, and that's not necessarily fair. Brown seems like he's embraced them, and hasn't wavered much since committing to the Longhorns in August. Texas couldn't run the ball in 2010. Brown is expected to help them do it in 2011. I just hope fans realize that offensive lines have just a little bit to do with that, too. The Longhorns did what they usually do, and hauled in the best recruiting class in the Big 12, narrowly beating out Oklahoma. They got a nice balance of offensive and defensive talents, but most other recruits will offer depth early on in their careers. Also, I wouldn't put much stock into Texas' drop from No. 1 to No. 5 nationally in the recruiting rankings. They lost just one recruit (granted, it was their top recruit, offensive tackle Christian Westerman of Arizona, who signed with Auburn) after replacing six assistants and Texas already had 22 commits in late June. The drop was precipitated by SEC teams Alabama and Auburn and USC gaining late signees from uncommitted prospects.

ESPN recruiting grade: A

1. BCSologist Jerry Palm discovered an error in the calculation of the computer ratings. It turns out Boise State should be No. 10, LSU should be No. 11, and the BCS commissioners are lucky that’s all that’s wrong. If a mix of polls and computers were such a great idea, other NCAA sports would adopt it. No, they have a panel of athletic directors and commissioners pick the postseason teams. As long as the commissioners refuse to take that responsibility, the BCS formula will continue to embarrass them.

2. Oregon coach Chip Kelly came to New York on Monday to accept the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award presented by the Football Writers Association of America. Kelly is 12-0 this season and 22-3 in two seasons with the Ducks. The past three winners of the award have been Kelly, Gary Patterson of TCU and Nick Saban of Alabama. The three before that? Mark Mangino of Kansas (fired), Greg Schiano of Rutgers (4-8 this season) and Charlie Weis of Notre Dame (fired). Coaching is a tough, tough business.

3. Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis is out in part because the Longhorns can’t run the ball. Cody Johnson’s 592 rushing yards this season are the most by a Texas tailback in three years. I thought about that Saturday as I watched Oregon’s 5-foot-9 tailback LaMichael James (1,682 yards) of Texarkana and Oregon State’s 5-foot-7 tailback Jacquizz Rodgers (1,184 yards) of Richmond, Tex. Too bad they weren’t big enough to play for Texas.

Texas strung together an impressive opening drive that looked like it ended with a one-yard run from Cody Johnson to give the Longhorns an early lead.

Not so. Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger called timeout, and officials ruled Johnson had been stopped short. The Owls proceeded to stuff Johnson at the goal line on fourth down to take over on downs.

That's exactly what Texas' offense didn't need in a game against a team that could allow them to establish some offensive rhythm heading into a game next week against Texas A&M when they'll really need it.

Fortunately for the fellas in burnt orange, Blake Gideon came up with a timely interception on the ensuing drive to get the ball back in the red zone. Johnson punched that one in, but had to do it on a pitch play on fourth down to give Texas an early 7-0 lead.

I'll be in College Station this weekend for Nebraska and Texas A&M's showdown, but here's what else I'm watching around the league.

1. Encore! Encore! Colorado interim coach Brian Cabral rallied his team to a convincing win over an Iowa State team that came to Boulder in need of a victory to become bowl eligible. Now, Kansas State heads west in another winnable game for the Buffs. Is a second consecutive Big 12 win in store? Colorado hasn't done that since wins over Oklahoma and Baylor in 2007, the only season former coach Dan Hawkins took his team to a bowl.

2. Rise of the 12th Man. The buildup in College Station this week for the Aggies' game against Nebraska Saturday night at Kyle Field has been pretty palpable all week. The school has pulled a record number of student tickets, and the environment could rival or exceed the best game-day atmosphere so far this season, when Missouri upset Oklahoma in Columbia.

3. Taylor Martinez. He hasn't been himself since the first half against Missouri, and hasn't broken a huge run since his breakout performance against Kansas State. He'll need to be healthy against a good Texas A&M rush defense on Saturday, and he'll need to complete a good percentage of his passes for at least a couple of big plays to get the road win.

4. Jerome Tiller. Tiller, a sophomore, is young and experienced for a backup yet inexperienced for a starter. He'll get the biggest start of his career when he leads the Iowa State offense against Missouri with the Cyclones' postseason hopes on the line. How does he respond, and how does his time as the Cyclones' starter, which should be constant over the next two seasons, begin?

5. Can the Cowboys stay consistent? Hey, I wouldn't blame Oklahoma State if it's not at its sharpest in Lawrence on Saturday with a high-stakes Bedlam looming, but they've been the league's most consistent team this year, and should roll at Kansas. Do they let an improving Turner Gill squad hang around, or get the job done early?

6. Texas turnaround. If Texas can't get this one, well, they're not getting another one this year. Texas looked wholly unimpressive in its nonconference wins, but what does the offense look like against Florida Atlantic? Do they hand it to Cody Johnson or let Garrett Gilbert sling it to Mike Davis and let a connection for the future establish further chemistry? The latter is probably a good call, but this game isn't a gimme for the Longhorns, whose confidence has to be at an all-time low.

7. Sooners losing their way. There's no truth to the rumor that the Sooners will be donning red visors against Baylor to fool themselves into believing they're back at Owen Field. But Oklahoma, touchdown favorites, should win this game. The "Oklahoma can't win on the road" meme picked up a ton of steam with the Sooners' loss to Texas A&M, but winning this one is step 1 to ending it. Step 2 is going to Stillwater and winning as underdogs, a much more difficult task. That said, a loss in this game would only amplify the noise back in Norman regarding the struggles on the road. Baylor has never beaten the Sooners.

8. Baylor going out with a bang. The Bears' season finale is against Oklahoma, and they've maybe never had a better chance to knock off the Sooners. A win would mean three things: 1) Baylor finishes with eight wins. 2) Baylor should go to a solid, medium-sized bowl and 3) Baylor knocks off Texas and Oklahoma in the same year. Who had all of that back in August?

9. Rallying Cyclones. Jerome Tiller is the guy to watch, but will we see an inspired performance from the rest of the Cyclones with their leader sidelined in sweats? Austen Arnaud meant a lot to the program and his teammates, and there would be no greater tribute to a great career than to knock off Missouri in a game Iowa State can definitely win.

10. Running back face-off. Rodney Stewart and Daniel Thomas have both topped 1,000 yards in great seasons, and now meet each other as two of just four running backs in the conference with over 1,000 yards. Thomas has found a new running mate in quarterback Collin Klein while campaigning for wins, but the good bet is the back who runs for more yards is on the winning team.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Business as usual here. Oklahoma State's offense looks like it can't be stopped. Texas' looks like anybody can stop it. Add it up and we get what we thought we'd get: A big lead for Oklahoma State.

Turning point: Brandon Weeden hit Justin Blackmon for a 67-yard touchdown on a long pass down the right sideline that put Oklahoma State up 16-3. Texas knew it would have to play out of its character to make that deficit up against an offense that was going to keep scoring.

Stat of the half: Texas was outgained 308-113 in the first half before a 20-yard run by Cody Johnson against an Oklahoma State defense looking to prevent a touchdown on the final play of the half.

Best player in the half: Oklahoma State's Blackmon. Talk about Alshon Jeffrey and A.J. Green's physical skills all you want. Blackmon might not duplicate the highlight-reel catches of Green, but he's way more productive than both. He caught five passes for 116 yards and a touchdown in the first half.

What Oklahoma State needs to do: Everything it did in the first half, minus taking shots down the field. Take what the defense gives them over the middle of the field and keep Kendall Hunter's diet steady. Texas hasn't tackled well in the first half and Hunter is a big reason why. He's got 69 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, an average of more than five yards a carry.

What Texas needs to do: Consult with the university's compliance department and make travel arrangements. Do Jordan Shipley and Colt McCoy have any possible eligibility left, and can they get here by the fourth quarter?

Texas got into the end zone twice to tie the game early in the second quarter, but neither one counted. Texas settled for a field goal and trails Iowa State, 7-3.

Longhorns quarterback Garrett Gilbert appeared to score on a quarterback draw on 3rd-and-goal, but officials ruled he had been stopped short of the goal line.

Mack Brown elected to go for it on fourth-and-goal on the goal line, and 250-pound bruiser Cody Johnson bulled his way into the end zone, but a penalty erased the play and cost the Longhorns five yards.

Texas has to convert situations like that in a game that might be short on offensive opportunities. The Longhorns haven't been able to sustain drives, converting just 1-of-6 third downs, and Gilbert's seven completions on 11 passes have gone for just 32 yards.

It looks like the Longhorns will keep running him like they did with success last week against Nebraska. The draw play on third down deep in Cyclones' territory is indicative of Texas' mindset, and he's run two other times for a total of 19 yards on three carries, including Texas' longest run of the day, a 12-yarder.

1. The Big 12 North a two-horse race. The gap between Missouri and Nebraska wasn't astronomical before Saturday, but it was clear. Now? It appears to be quite a bit closer than when the world woke up on Saturday. A Tigers-Cornhuskers showdown in Lincoln looms on Oct. 30. After Texas' upset of Nebraska on Saturday, a Missouri loss to Oklahoma next week wouldn't hurt too badly in terms of winning the North. As for the rest of the division, well ... let's just say you won't see Missouri or Nebraska losing to anyone by five touchdowns this year. It would be shocking to see the winner of that game in Lincoln not win the North.


2. Oklahoma answered the bell as the Big 12's lead national title contender. With Nebraska out -- for now -- of the national championship picture, Oklahoma looks like the conference's top team. The Sooners had arguably their best performance of the season, delivering a 52-0 beating to Iowa State in Norman. The defense has been inconsistent, but top to bottom, Oklahoma looks like the league's most complete team, even if it isn't the Big 12's most explosive team. When it comes to passing the ball and stopping the pass, as well as running the ball and stopping the run, Oklahoma has shown that it has the capacity to be one of the league's best. Rare are the games Oklahoma puts it together for an entire game, but the Sooners did that on Saturday night.

3. Write off Texas and Mack Brown at your own risk. You knew Texas had a chance to win in Lincoln on Saturday, if only because of Mack Brown's success against the Huskers. I felt confident the Huskers would win, but Mack Brown showed once again why he's one of the best coaches in the game. G-Magic, Garrett Gilbert is not. But he showed the ability to run, and one of the reasons it worked was because I very much doubt Nebraska had prepared for it. Maybe I'm wrong, but it certainly didn't look like it. Brown used those runs to build a lead, and then handed the game to his platoon of running backs, Fozzy Whittaker, Tre' Newton and Cody Johnson, who carried the Horns to a win. And that's without even mentioning the way Texas completely shut down Taylor Martinez and prompted the second benching in three games for the freshman. Texas was aided by dropped passes from Nebraska, but the Longhorns deserved to win that game.


This was a picture-perfect game plan that salvages some of Texas' season and leaves it in the Big 12 South picture, should Oklahoma stumble.

Additionally, our condolences to Brown and the family of his wife, Sally Brown, who didn't attend Saturday's game after the death of her brother.


4. Baylor will get its chance to make school history. Before the season I thought Baylor had six games on its schedule that didn't necessarily require an upset to win. So far, Baylor is 5-0 in those games and 5-2 heading into next week's game with a chance to end a 15-year bowl drought. It will host Kansas State and probably be a slight favorite, with Robert Griffin playing the best football of his career. For all the cruel fate of last season, beginning with Griffin's injury and ending with a one-win conference season, this year has gone almost exactly as planned for the Bears, who are a couple dropped passes away from already being bowl-eligible.


5. Kansas might be historically bad after all. So far, Kansas has played two teams in the bottom half of the Big 12, and it's lost by 48 and 52 points. That's inexcusable. Kansas ducks Texas and Oklahoma on this year's schedule, but what's going to happen when it plays at Nebraska on Nov. 13? The Jayhawks have to get better fast, and quit losing in such embarrassing fashion. That's embarrassing for everyone in the conference, and right now, these Jayhawks are looking like the new Washington State. Find me a BCS conference team playing worse football right now.


6. Oklahoma State must be accounted for in the Big 12 title race. Missouri gets to definitively have a chance to prove itself against Oklahoma next week. Oklahoma State's turn will come earlier in the afternoon when it hosts Nebraska. Don't discount the difficulty of winning in Lubbock, and Oklahoma State did exactly that, in more convincing fashion than Texas earlier this season. The deeper we get into this season, the clearer it becomes that Bedlam in Stillwater on the season's final weekend may decide the Big 12 South. A win by the Cowboys over Nebraska next week would make that almost a certainty.