ESPN College Football

Texas is easily the wildest card in the Big 12 deck this season, but how do you see the Longhorns faring in 2010?

The defense returns six starters, and is the strength of the team, despite losing Chykie Brown, Curtis Brown and Aaron Williams to the NFL. The team's safeties, Kenny Vaccaro, Christian Scott and Blake Gideon are solid, though Scott will be sidelined the first three games because of a suspension.

The front seven is loaded with potential, and the Longhorns have two of the best linebackers in the league, Keenan Robinson and Emmanuel Acho. Alex Okafor and Jackson Jeffcoat are exciting defensive ends offsetting Kheeston Randall, one of the league's best overall linemen.

Offensively, well, the Longhorns have a lot to prove. They're the only Big 12 team left that doesn't know its starting quarterback for the opening weekend. Eight starters from last year's offense return, but some of the team's biggest hype is coming from players new to campus.

Running back Malcolm Brown and receiver Jaxon Shipley showed up to campus this summer, but quarterback David Ash impressed coaches after enrolling early this spring.

The offensive line will have to be better, especially if any of those three will have success. Shipley should add some solid playmaking ability to a receiving corps depleted with the losses of Marquise Goodwin (Olympic track qualifying) and Malcolm Williams (personal issues), who won't be with the team this year. Mike Davis will likely be the team's go-to receiver, at least to start the season.

So how do the Longhorns stack up?

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.

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

Best offensive player: Roy Helu Jr., RB, Nebraska. No contest here. Nobody else in college football this year has a 300-yard game on the ground and he set a school record at a school known for running the ball. Without his huge third-quarter touchdown run to stretch the lead to 31-14, Nebraska's win over Missouri might have played out very differently. Honorable mention: Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma.

Best defensive player: Byron Landor, S, Baylor. Landor made 15 tackles and broke up a pair of passes in the Bears' 30-22 win over Texas. Honorable mention: Cody Davis, S, Texas Tech

Best special teams player: Quinn Sharp, P, Oklahoma State. Sharp averaged 63 yards on five punts, and pinned Kansas State inside its 10-yard line four times. Honorable mention: Justin Tucker, K, Texas.

Best team performance: Nebraska. The Huskers had a whole lot on the line and played like it, racing to a 24-0 lead against Missouri and suffocating the Tigers' passing game for 60 minutes. That early spurt was needed after the Huskers had to play without an injured Taylor Martinez for the second half.

Best offensive freshman: Roy Finch, RB, Oklahoma. Not an outstanding group of freshmen this week, but Finch carried the ball 10 times for 59 yards against Colorado in his first start.

Best play: Roy Helu Jr., RB, Nebraska. Just like Missouri last week, Nebraska rode an early huge play to a win. Helu broke a 66-yard run down the left sideline on the first play of the game.

Worst quarter: Missouri's first quarter. I haven't seen a team get so thoroughly dominated for 15 minutes this season. The Tigers were outscored 24-0, and had just two first downs and an interception in the opening 15 minutes of a game that Missouri had to win to earn a North title.

Best game: Baylor 30, Texas 22. The Bears took the lead on a third-down sneak at the goal line early in the fourth quarter and stretched their lead to 11 with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Kendall Wright. Texas had a late opportunity to tie after a Curtis Brown muffed punt stayed with the Longhorns, but Marquise Goodwin fumbled at the end of a long reception to end the game.

Ryan Broyles hadn't had a chance to scan the résumés of his competition on Saturday. Three Texas defensive backs made the preseason watch list for the Thorpe Award, and all three should have futures in the NFL.

"Hopefully, one day I’ll be playing on Sunday, too," said the Oklahoma receiver, a member of the Biletnikoff Award watch list himself, with a laugh. "I’m looking forward to this challenge and so is this team."

Want to watch a high-stakes matchup in Saturday's Red River Rivalry? Keep an eye on Broyles as he navigates the Texas secondary, featuring three award listers at corner in Aaron Williams, Curtis Brown and Chykie Brown, alongside safeties Christian Scott and Blake Gideon.

"Our coach calls plays and you’ve got to make plays, it doesn’t matter who you’re going against or our team’s going against," Broyles said. "You’ve just got to go out there and compete."

They'll be plenty of competition there against a Texas secondary hungry to make big plays. After intercepting a national high of 25 passes a year ago, it has just three through four games this season. Texas coach Mack Brown chalks that up, in part, to not playing any teams with the explicit goal of throwing against the Longhorns. The one team that tried, Texas Tech, left with 158 yards on 36 attempts with two interceptions. For their lack of interceptions, the Longhorns have given up just three passing touchdowns. Only 10 teams in college football have allowed fewer.

"They’ve done really well," Brown said. "We still have to get our hands on the ball more."

Texas may get plenty of chances on Saturday against Oklahoma, who has thrown the ball at least 36 times in every outing this season. Rest assured, plenty of those will come Broyles' way. He's got at least nine catches in every game this season and he leads the nation in receptions with 41.

"He does such a great job after he catches the ball. He can get open, he’ll catch it, but he’s a guy that can beat you when he gets the ball in his hands," Brown said. "All you can do is try to keep the ball out of his hands because when he gets it, he’s real good."

How to do that is something few have figured out. Broyles has topped 100 yards in each of his past seven games.

"You try to change it up, obviously. But if I knew [how] on Monday, I wouldn’t tell you," Brown said.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is busy making sure limiting Broyles doesn't mean beating Oklahoma. Broyles played Texas last year two weeks after suffering a hairline fracture in his shoulder blade and wasn't 100 percent. He still managed to catch a short pass, make a defender miss and race into the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown in the second half of Oklahoma's 16-13 loss.

He'll be at full strength this week, but quarterback Landry Jones obviously won't be looking his way every play.

"It isn’t just Ryan. You’re not going to get it done with one guy," Stoops said, complimenting the early play of his other receivers, Cameron Kenney and freshman Kenny Stills, among others. "If each of them makes 2-3 plays, it’s harder to focus on just one guy and we plan to spread it around and use them all."

AUSTIN, Texas -- Garrett Gilbert hung around Joe Jamail Field a little longer than his teammates, who walked slowly underneath the south bleachers into the locker room. He did the same, but slower and with his eyes fixed on a soon-to-be-hoarse section of delirious UCLA fans celebrating and chanting "U-C...L-A" over the half-hearted rendition of "Eyes of Texas" that sounded so much sweeter in Lubbock a week ago.

The last time Gilbert endured a loss, he threw four interceptions and added a fumble. This time, he threw just one, but added a fumble on a sack from his blind side similar to the one that ended Texas' comeback hopes in the national title game.

"I can't turn the ball over like that," Gilbert said. "That's on me."

The interception -- a pass to an open James Kirkendoll that never cleared a roaming linebacker underneath -- was on Gilbert, but most of the other mistakes weren't. No. 7 Texas did very little right and most things wrong in a stunning 34-12 loss to UCLA, a team who was beaten 35-0 on its home field by Stanford two weeks earlier.

"There's probably 15 [mistakes] and they're all bothersome," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "Turnovers are what loses games, and we lost this game more than we had a chance to win it."

There were five in all, and three in the first half. None were more embarrassing, albeit meaningless, than a miscommunicated kickoff return in the final minute after a late UCLA touchdown provided the final margin.

In the first half, the defense made up for a few mistakes by recovering a pair of fumbles and setting up the offense for scores, but long touchdown drives on UCLA's first two possessions of the second half effectively quieted the Longhorn crowd and sent Texas to a loss earlier than about anyone expected.

"I don't feel like right now we're very good at anything," Brown said. "It's hard to point at what's worse when it's all bad."

He added: "It was a rear end kicking, and in the first half, it should have been a lot worse than it was, but the defense played their guts out."

The positives were minimal. Brown said a few players played well, and felt the team as a whole prepared well and entered ready to play. Running back D.J. Monroe even said Brown had to calm the team down before the game, so uncheck motivation and preparation as possible culprits.

"You can be ready to play and play poorly," Brown said.

Instead, it was mistakes, and Brown added it could have been 100-0 at the half if the team hadn't played well around the costly mistakes.

The only thing more numerous than the mistakes themselves were the ways Brown found to express his frustration about them afterward.

"This one's embarrassing for me. As a head coach I'm responsible for everyone in this program," Brown said. "It was not fair to Texas fans, it was not fair to the players. I've got to do a better job. You can't have that many mistakes and be doing my job."

Gilbert's interception and fumble were just two. The late kick return was another. In between, a punt return fumbled by Curtis Brown -- one he fielded inside his own 5-yard line and turned over in the red zone -- and a fumble on a run by Monroe that produced a UCLA field goal.

"It's the hardest thing in the world when you do not play well as a team. It's an awful feeling as a coach because you feel like you let your kids down, you let your fans down, you let everybody down," Brown said. "It's just awful. It's the worst thing you can do in our business. We're paid to do it well and we didn't do it well today."

Texas will have to do everything better next week against Oklahoma. The defense, which led the nation against the run through three games, was exposed in the second half by UCLA's zone read from the pistol formation. It let UCLA running back Johnathan Franklin take a big, 35-yard chunk out of an 80-yard scoring drive to begin the second half. On a later drive, quarterback Kevin Prince kept it and trotted into the end zone almost untouched from 38 yards to put the Bruins up 27-6, conjuring up images of 1997's "Rout 66," when unranked UCLA beat No. 11 Texas 66-3. Texas never controlled this game, and that's a bad sign for a team whose annual, season-defining game is seven days away.

"I'll go home right now and see if I can put some sense into this," Brown said, adding that the loss was was disappointing and stunning. "In fact, I'm shocked."

It's hard to fix what you didn't realize was wrong. Now, Texas has to diagnose 60 minutes of its worst football in recent history before a date with Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl next Saturday.

"Everything that we did messed up," Brown said. "Our gameplan was to try to stay off the field like we did at Tech and make them play late. It worked early, but we didn't score points. I don't know why we're not scoring points. They ended up keeping us on the field and it totally backfired. Everything we wanted to do, they did."

The questions will come as the week progresses. Texas hasn't looked like a team that has successfully established the power running game it sought after Colt McCoy checked out of Austin and took his 70 percent completion rate with him. Brown wanted to support his quarterback with a running game. So far, that support hasn't been there.

Whether or not Texas will keep looking for it hasn't been determined, but Saturday's game tape may hold the answers.

"We have to make sure we're asking guys to do what they can do," said offensive coordinator Greg Davis.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas' defense is dominating. It allowed minus-six yards of offense and just one first down in the first quarter and forced a turnover that set up Texas' only score -- a field goal that came on a four-yard scoring drive.

But twice, the defense has been put in compromising positions, once by the offense and another by special teams.

Curtis Brown fumbled a punt return inside Texas' 5-yard line that led to a four-yard scoring drive to put UCLA up early in the second quarter, 7-3.

The touchdown pass from UCLA's Kevin Prince was the Bruins' first completed pass of the game.

Earlier in the first quarter, quarterback Garrett Gilbert was sacked and fumbled, giving way to a Bruins return down to the Texas 20-yard line. The Longhorns came up with a big third-down sack to push UCLA back into a 49-yard attempt, which it missed.

It's hard to ask for much more from Texas' defense. But with the turnovers deep in its own territory, that's exactly what the Longhorns offense and special teams are doing.

LUBBOCK, Texas -- So Texas wants to run the ball. It didn't in Saturday's 24-14 win over Texas Tech, carrying the ball 32 times with its top two backs, Fozzy Whittaker and Cody Johnson, for an average of 2.8 yards a carry. Johnson carried the ball 17 times and his longest run went for five yards.

Texas wants to take care of the ball, too. Who doesn't? Texas didn't on Saturday, losing the turnover battle, 4-3.

The Longhorns offense isn't championship caliber. At least yet.

But Texas' defense is. And as long as that's the case, championship-caliber play from the offense isn't necessary for a win. Even in one of the toughest venues in the Big 12 against a talented, experienced Texas Tech team more than capable of upsetting the No. 4 Longhorns.

"Tonight we were pretty dominating," Texas coach Mack Brown said of his defense.

It dominated Texas Tech's passing game, limiting Taylor Potts to just 158 yards on 21-of-35 passing and precipitated a third-quarter QB change to Steven Sheffield for a series. Previously, Potts topped 290 yards in both starts and threw seven touchdowns without an interception.

It dominated the running game, giving up one 25-yard run to Baron Batch, but limiting Batch and backup Eric Stephens to just 19 yards on their other 11 carries.

Pop all that in a calculator, subtract some yardage for Texas' four sacks and a 21-yard loss on a snap over Potts' head on the first play from scrimmage, and it's 144 yards. The last team to hold Texas Tech under 150 yards? Miami. In 1990.

"They did unbelievable all night long," said quarterback Garrett Gilbert, who threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns on 21-of-36 passing. His second touchdown to tight end Barrett Matthews all but sealed the game. All three of his interceptions were tipped balls.

"They were able to get off the field and get us back on there," Gilbert said of the defense.

They did it with a luxury few can afford to lean on: a four-man rush. Texas played 10 defensive linemen on Saturday by coordinator Will Muschamp's count, and its starting front of Sam Acho, Kheeston Randall, Eddie Jones and Tyrell Higgins kept Potts on the run and eliminated the running game.

It all came against an offense that returned seven starters from a unit that ranked fourth nationally in total offense last season.

"We couldn't slow their front down," said Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville, who fell to 4-1 when coaching on his birthday. Today was No. 56. "They just turned loose on us in the second half."

Add sophomore Alex Okafor and Jackson Jeffcoat, a true freshman playing in his first conference game, to the mix, and Texas' depth on the front line makes Tuberville's take unsurprising.

"He really understands flipping his hips in the rush and using his hands in the rush," defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said of his freshman, who ranked among the best in his 2010 class nationally. Jeffcoat had a hand in a pair of sacks and also recovered a fumble on his first play when Texas Tech center Justin Keown snapped the ball over Potts' head inside Texas Tech's 10-yard line.

"Obviously, he's been tutored pretty well. Coming into camp he was well beyond his years because of that. He's certainly given us a lot of juice on the edge."

That push up front made an easy night for the seven dropping back, including a secondary full of NFL talent. They picked off three passes and frustrated the Texas Tech offense for most of the night. Most poetic were interceptions by Curtis Brown and Blake Gideon. Goats two years ago on the same field, they left as winners, key pieces of a defense that will rank among college football's most dominant by year's end.

Brown stood up in the postgame locker room and told his teammates he "felt as good tonight as I felt bad then."

"The happiest time for a player, a coach or a head coach's life is when you whip somebody, a rival in a tough place on the road in a tough game and you can be in that dressing room satisfied, and go back and get on that plane together," Mack Brown said. "You understand you did something a lot of people don't do out here."

The reason for those feelings Brown and his players experienced on Saturday night is simple: defense.

And best of all? Everyone on Texas' sideline saw a dominating performance, but they also saw a defense that could provide more.

"We played well, but there's still a lot of work we need to do to get to that top level," Acho said, looking back on Potts' fade route to Lyle Leong in the end zone for the Red Raiders only offensive score and Batch's 25-yard scamper. "We played very well, we're very excited about what we did, but we know there's a couple areas of improvement."

Curtis Brown couldn't get away from it. He had become an unfortunate footnote -- the answer to a trivia question about one of the most memorable plays in college football history.

Whose tackle did Michael Crabtree break on the last play of the game to beat undefeated and No. 1 Texas in 2008?

"I felt like I let the team down," said Brown, a Texas cornerback. "It hurt."

Crabtree, a two-time Biletnikoff Award winner, slipped out of Brown's tackle, raced into the end zone and the celebration in Lubbock was on.

The 39-33 loss to Texas Tech killed the Longhorns chances at a national title and allowed Oklahoma to slide into the Big 12 and national title games. Texas was sent to the Fiesta Bowl.

"Every time I've seen that play, it's just made me want to work harder," Brown said. "We just put it behind us. We couldn’t change anything that happened. Everybody got a sense of we just had to buckle down and get work done."

A play earlier, safety Blake Gideon let a tipped ball on the sideline slip through his arms, dropping what would have been a game-ending interception.

Gideon hasn't watched a replay of his dropped interception or of the game since the 2009 season began. He didn't have any plans to revisit it. But with this week's looming trip to Lubbock -- the first since the 2008 game -- he knew it was coming. Earlier this week, a reporter in Austin asked Gideon for his fairy-tale Saturday night scenario.

"Come away with a win," the senior said. "That would be the perfect ending."

Gideon isn't haunted by any dropped passes or missed tackles. The scoreboard favoring the Red Raiders is all he says stuck with him.

"Especially with the position I play, you have to have a short memory," Gideon said. "For me to harp on any individual mistake I made would be selfish, for me to not be able to move on. That wouldn't help my team to be able to move on and play in the here and now."

And here and now is a Texas Tech team with a different coaching staff but a similar style. Texas' secondary has allowed a respectable 330 yards passing -- fifth in the league -- but opponents have completed more than 65 percent of their passes. The secondary led the nation in interceptions a year ago with 25 picks, but have come up with none so far. Linebacker Keenan Robinson has the team's only interception.

"We’ve played OK. We just haven’t played to the standard we’ve set around here the last few years, but we played the first few games and got jitters/communication errors out," Gideon said.

Gideon says the Red Raiders always tests the secondary and that this Saturday will be no different.

"We know what kind of athletes they have on outside as well as inside with their running backs, and obviously they're always going to have a great quarterback that's going to be able to direct things at Tech. They're kind of interchangeable," he said, noting that Tech's high tempo adds an additional challenge for defenses. "The past few years, they'll have certain plays called and we'll have the perfect coverage called for it, and just their receivers and quarterbacks' ability to make changes and adjustments on the move are the main thing that's tough about Tech."

Preparing for 2010's game is enough work without looking back to 2008. Time has meant improvement for the Longhorns who made the last trip to Lubbock. They're hoping the work put in since that game pays off for this year's trip to the plains.

"The only thing I’m looking forward to is going out there and playing a big game. All that stuff is behind us," Brown said. "All I can do is play my game."

Scouts, Inc. has released its list of the top 150 NFL prospects for the 2011 draft, and it's got plenty of Big 12 talent from top to bottom. You'll need an Insider account to see the whole list, but here's a bit of how it relates to the Big 12. Three Big 12 teams were among the nation's top 10 in possessing the most players on the list. Here's where they stood: T-3. Nebraska. (6) T-3. Oklahoma (6) T-10. Texas (4) North Carolina and Ohio State topped the list, with seven total prospects in the top 150. But let's take a closer look. Here's a few notes/thoughts.

• [+] Enlarge
  AP Photo/Nati HarnikPrince Amukamara (21) is the Big 12's top NFL prospect -- and No. 3 overall -- according to Scouts, Inc.
  The Big 12's top overall prospect? Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara, who is the No. 1 cornerback. That echoes what NFL scouts have been saying for the past few months, and it'll be interesting to see the battle between him and Aaron Williams (No. 6 cornerback) as the season moves on. They'll both see plenty of good offenses.
• For all the talk about Nebraska's offensive struggles, they placed three players in the top 150, including Mike McNeill, who is ranked as the No. 6 tight end, despite moving to receiver in the spring. Running back Roy Helu Jr. and receiver Niles Paul both rank in the top 150, at No. 12 for their respective positions. That should prove just how important Nebraska's quarterback situation is this year. Clearly, they've got some individual talent at the skill positions and a great offensive line, but without good quarterback play, they might not be much better than they were in 2009. If Zac Lee pulls a Joe Ganz and has a nice senior year, the Huskers are almost assured a finish in the top half of the Big 12 in scoring offense.
• Everyone wants to talk about Texas' defense, the list is a reflection of why. The Longhorns have three cornerbacks (Aaron Williams, Curtis Brown, Chykie Brown) in the top 150 and Williams and Brown are in the top 10 in their position. Sam Acho rounds out Texas' group as the No. 133 best overall prospect and No. 14 defensive end. That ranks as the best DE in the Big 12.
• Surprising that Oklahoma's Quinton Carter is rated as the No. 2 safety and a better projected pro than teammates Jeremy Beal, Ryan Broyles, Adrian Taylor and DeMarco Murray, all in the top 10 at their positions. No other safeties in the Big 12 rank in the top 10, but the next best is Nebraska's Eric Hagg.
• You can see how every prospect at your school is rated by Scouts, Inc. if you have Insider, but here's how the rest of the Big 12 ranked in players who made the top 150. If your school doesn't have a player in the top 150, here's a list of the top prospects for each team in the Big 12 from Mel Kiper.

4. Colorado - 2 (Nate Solder, No. 8; Jimmy Smith, No. 74) 5. Texas A&M - 1 (Von Miller, No. 20) 5. Baylor - 1 (Phil Taylor, No. 94) 6. Missouri - 1 (Blaine Gabbert, No. 39) 6. Kansas State - 1 (Daniel Thomas, No. 47) 7. Oklahoma State - 1 (Kendall Hunter, No. 147) 8. Iowa State - none 8. Kansas - none 8. Texas Tech - none

The Big 12 announced its preseason award winners and All-Big 12 team Thursday. Here's who's on the list:

Offensive Player of the Year: Jerrod Johnson, QB, Texas A&M

Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska; and Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M

Newcomer of the Year: Toney Clemons, WR, Colorado

Offense

QB: Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M

RB: DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma

RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State

WR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

WR: Jeff Fuller, Texas A&M

TE: Mike McNeill, Nebraska

OL: Ryan Miller, Colorado

OL: Nate Solder, Colorado

OL: Tim Barnes, Missouri

OL: Tanner Hawkinson, Kansas

OL: Stephen Good, Oklahoma

OL: Kyle Hix, Texas

PK: Alex Henery, Nebraska

KR: Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M

DEFENSE

DL: Aldon Smith, Missouri

DL: Jared Crick, Nebraska

DL: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma

DL: Sam Acho, Texas

LB: Travis Lewis, Oklahoma

LB: Von Miller, Texas A&M

LB: Keenan Robinson, Texas

LB: Brian Duncan, Texas Tech

DB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

DB: Aaron Williams, Texas

DB: Quinton Carter, Oklahoma

DB: Blake Gideon, Texas

DB: Curtis Brown, Texas

P: Derek Epperson, Baylor

PR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

A few notes/thoughts from the team:

• Only three players were unanimous selections: Jared Crick, Travis Lewis and Jeremy Beal. Other guys I'm surprised didn't earn that distinction: Ryan Broyles at receiver, Aaron Williams and Nate Solder.
• Ties at linebacker, defensive back and offensive line forced the conference to make room for an extra spot.
• The media's opinion of DeMarco Murray is somewhat divided, so I was a little unsure who would nab the second spot on the ballot. I'd be interested to see how close it was between him, Roy Helu, Kendall Hunter and Alexander Robinson.
• Home run selection of Toney Clemons as Newcomer of the Year. If I'm guessing, the fact that he was the No. 1 pick in Colorado's spring game helped him earn this honor. An action like that by players speaks pretty loudly.
• I definitely prefer football over basketball in these situations, which doesn't have to deal with freshmen on the preseason all-conference team.
• I'm interested in how close the vote was between Missouri's Grant Ressel and Nebraska's Alex Henery. Henery's punting skills make him the clearly more valuable player, but talking strictly place-kicking, it's pretty close, and Ressel's additional accuracy is quantifiable.

Here's the list breakdown by team:

1. Oklahoma - 7

2. Texas - 6

3. Nebraska - 4

3. Texas A&M - 4

5. Missouri - 2

5. Colorado - 2

7. Baylor - 1

7. Kansas - 1

7. Kansas State - 1

7. Texas Tech - 1

11. Oklahoma State - 0

11. Iowa State - 0

Miss your team's mailbag? Here's the first two:

• Texas Tech
• Texas A&M

On with the show...

Dan St. Peter, Minn. asks: Who do you think has/had more pressure put on them, Freshman Colt McCoy following VY's run into glory or Grapes (GG) following his...um...encounter with the Alabama Defense?Do you think the "lights will be to bright for him" as they were for Nebraska's Cody Green or will he deliver as a freshman?

DU: First off, Grapes is a fantastic nickname. Although, it opens up the Horns to some too-easy jokes every time he gets sacked about what’s eating him. And I can only assume you’d have to pay Johnny Depp some royalties. I’m sure no one wants to get into that.

But to your question: It’s Gilbert. The hopes were high for McCoy, but no one expected him to do what Vince did. Even though he never got that national title, he was arguably as good overall as Vince was, even though they were very different quarterbacks. Now, the folks in Austin have seen that legends can be replaced and that it’s possible for Gilbert to be as good as McCoy—and he might be. No pressure, just replace the quarterback with the most wins in the history of college football.

I don’t think “the lights will be too bright,” but like McCoy in his first year (Ohio State, Texas A&M), Gilbert’s going to have his bad days and forgettable games alongside his memorable ones. But unlike McCoy, he’ll have a top-notch defense to fall back on and help the Longhorns “down year” be pretty high. The Longhorn defense finished 24^th nationally in scoring and total defense when McCoy was a freshman. I’d be shocked if Texas was that low this year.

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Eric in Dallas, Texas asks: Which running back actually steps up to take some of the load off Gilbert, and will Texas stick with the running game if Gilbert proves he is consistent and reliable?...........Or will Texas ditch running the ball around the UCLA game, only to try and revive it after OU takes a halftime lead in the RRR?

DU: Tre’ Newton and Fozzy Whittaker should receive the bulk of the carries, but I think the distribution will vary game-to-game based solely on who’s being more productive. As for your second question, I think the reverse is more possible. They’ll keep running the ball and I don’t see Texas losing a game until maybe at Texas Tech in the third game but more likely the Red River Rivalry. If they’re down at the half, I could definitely see the running game scrapped and the game put in Gilbert’s hands, depending on how he’d played in the first four games. If he engineers a comeback and beats Oklahoma, thus reincarnating the spread in Austin, well… let the legend begin. He looked really good in the spring game, and I didn't see any real negatives in his Easter performance against his own defense. Obviously, that wasn't the case against Alabama, but he won't see defenses like that every week. We'll probably get a good read of what to expect from him this year by the end of the Texas Tech game.

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Bobby in Austin, Texas asks: Why did you not put Texas' three-headed monster on your list?? I mean, Texas has so much talent to be afraid of, it is ridiculous! Garrett Gilbert will be the best QB in the Big 12 this year with all his skill and leadership. He already has 2 Texas state championships to his credit and several Texas high school passing records. Fozzy Whitaker and/or Tre' Newton will have a big year in the new offense with Gilbert being more under center. They are fast and shifty and can make big plays. And Malcolm Williams and Marquise Goodwin will have a party on the field this year at receiver. The size and athleticism of Williams could rival anyone in the conference, while Goodwin is one of the fastest players in the nation and can jump farther than anyone (proven by his national championship in long jump). So what gives?

DU: Who would you kick off my list for a quarterback with zero career starts, two running backs who have never rushed for more than 600 yards in a season and two receivers who have also never touched that mark? Oklahoma State has a couple of those, but they also have a guy without a real ceiling in Kendall Hunter and a chance to put up crazy numbers offensively.

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Larry in Salina, Kansas asks: Does Texas pay you weekly or monthly for your services?

DU: Bi-weekly, with per-post bonuses.

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Cecil in Plano, Texas asks: Mack Brown and Co. have a lot of work to do this off season and once the season starts. What are the realistic expectations for the 2010 Horns and what will you be looking for in order for them to make a championship run this year or next?

DU: The defense will keep the Longhorns streak of winning 10 games for the past nine seasons alive. How many more they win is up to Gilbert. If he plays well, Texas could go undefeated. The defense won’t be able to beat teams like Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas A&M by itself. If he plays poorly in those games, the defense will need to make a couple big plays or force some timely turnovers to win.

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Kevin in Austin, Texas asks: David, love the blog. I have a feeling that the post-Earl Thomas era for UT's secondary is going to be BETTER than last year. I think the added experience of Aaron Williams, Chykie Brown, Curtis Brown and Blake Gideon, in a defense that snatched 17 non-Earl Thomas INTs in 2009, will mature into the scariest secondary in college football. Do you agree and should the rest of the conference decide to focus on the run game versus UT?...(uh oh...Acho brothers....)

DU: I agree completely. Texas should have the best secondary in the nation, and that front seven will help them do it. The Acho brothers, Sam and Emmanuel, LB Keenan Robinson and DT Kheeston Randall will put pressure on passers and keep teams from focusing on the run. The entire defense will have a hand in what should be a good turnover ratio and a great pass defense, but the talent and depth that Texas has on the defense’s back line is unrivaled.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Mack Brown knows what an NFL defensive back looks like. He's coached plenty. From Michael Huff and Cedric Griffin in 2006, to Michael Griffin and Aaron Ross in 2007 to Earl Thomas in 2009; the Longhorns' secondary has been home to a handful of early draft picks in just the last few years.

That hasn't kept Brown from heaping praise on his 2010 defensive backfield.

"We feel like we’re as good at corner right now, potentially, as we’ve ever been," Brown said.

His three reasons for smiling at the thought of that potential are Curtis and Chykie Brown, along with Aaron Williams.

"We’re really fortunate right now," Brown said. "All three are potential NFL guys to me."

That means trouble for Big 12 quarterbacks. Though Texas loses Thomas, a safety and finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back, the Big 12's second-best pass defense a season ago plans to challenge for the top spot in 2010. If Brown's senses are correct, they should be able to do it, and improve on their NO. 19 national ranking at defending the pass.

"We’re more comfortable with [defensive coordinator Will] Muschamp’s scheme; I know I am," Williams said. "A lot of guys are returning guys who are coming back and are more knowledgeable about what he wants to do."

Blake Gideon returns at safety, and Kenny Vaccaro and Nolan Brewster will compete for Thomas' freed-up spot.

"We had high expectations last year, but we’re probably going to have more expectations this year," Williams said. "Our goal right now is to be physical, we’re trying to be one of the most physical DB corps in the nation."

In the Texas spring game to close practice on Sunday, Williams and Vaccaro took steps to establishing that identity. Williams broke up a deep pass early by going over the intended receiver to swat the ball away. Vaccaro unleashed the biggest hit of the exhibition on running back Tre Newton, driving through his teammate on a short pass in the flats.

"We don’t want a team to be like 'Okay, well he’s that one physical person.' We want a team to be like 'Whoa, we’ve got that team coming through,'" Williams said. "As a team, we want to be more physical."

But even in praising them, in the same breath, their coach can't help but think like a coach.

"We’re really pleased with those corners, we just have to find the younger ones, because two of those are seniors and they’ll be gone," Brown said.

Not to mention Williams, a junior who enters 2010 with a legitimate case as the Big 12's top defender and whose future could includes an early entry into the 2011 NFL draft. That would leave Brown without any of his three future pro corners. But he's already picked out a few successors, including A.J. White and Eryon Barnett.

"We’ve got to find somebody to step up," Brown said.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

As Texas streaks to its second 9-0 start since 1983, it’s understandable that some are already comparing this year’s team to the other team that started that fast.

Texas’ 2005 national championship team is the benchmark for all of the other Texas teams coached by Mack Brown. And this team appears to be the closest to the national championship squad in many respects.

While Brown says such comparisons are premature, he does say his current team’s fast start makes for some inevitable comparisons.

	Brendan Maloney/US Presswire
	Colt McCoy and the Longhorns have drawn comparisons to the 2005 national championship team.

“I would think you could compare them because there’s been only one close game for this team and for that team in 2005,” Brown said. “It was the Ohio State game in 2005 and the Oklahoma game this year that was in question late in the ballgame.”

But in order to meet the challenge of matching the 2005 team, Colt McCoy’s team will have to match the finishing kick of Vince Young’s team.

“At this time, they’ve earned the right to be in conversation with the 2005 team,” Brown said. “But they haven’t earned the right to be considered as good because they have to finish like that bunch did.”

The 2005 national championship led the conference in 11 statistical categories; the current team leads it in five. The 2005 team was the nation’s leading scoring team and led the nation in pass efficiency. The current team is more defensively oriented as it leads the nation in rushing defense and scoring defense and ranks second in kickoff returns.

The 2005 title team ranked 10th or better in 10 of the 17 team statistical categories tracked by the NCAA. The 2009 team ranked 10th or better in eight of those team statistical groups.

Here's a position-by-position comparison of the two teams:

Quarterbacks: Both teams featured quarterbacks who were involved in the Heisman Trophy race. The 2005 team had Vince Young, a multi-purpose player who accounted for 3,036 passing yards and 26 touchdown passes. Most importantly, he provided leadership for a team that had never won a Big 12 title under Brown. McCoy redshirted on that team, earning the opportunity to soak up lessons watching Young’s leadership. He’s capping the most productive statistical career for a Texas quarterback by passing for 2,447 yards and 17 touchdowns with at least three games remaining -- not counting a potential Big 12 championship game and a bowl. And his leadership skills are comparable with Young’s in guiding his team to an undefeated season so far.

Edge: Even

Rushing game: The 2005 team relied on Young, who rushed for a team-high 1,050 yards and scored 12 touchdowns and also had a strong starter in Jamaal Charles and an outstanding change-of-pace player in Ramonce Taylor. That team produced 55 rushing touchdowns and had five different backs with eight rushing touchdowns or more. The current team’s rushing game might be its major weakness without a featured rushing threat, as no current back has rushed for more than 275 yards. Depending on game situations, the team has utilized any of three starters, but its most consistent producer has been Cody Johnson, who will become its fourth starter this week against Baylor.

	Mark J. Rebilas/US Presswire
	Vince Young quarterbacked the 2005 Texas team to the national title.

Edge: 2005 Texas

Receivers/Tight end: The 2005 team had a stacked collection of receivers led by top deep threat Billy Pittman and Limas Sweed. But the most consistent receiving threat for Young was tight end David Thomas, who produced 50 receptions, including a career-best 10 in the BCS title game victory over USC. But that team had no receiving threat to match Jordan Shipley, who has already produced 75 catches, four double-figure reception games and broken the school single-game receiving yardage record. Dan Buckner developed early into a receiving threat at flex end and Malcolm Williams, James Kirkendoll and John Chiles all have been strong in an offense that has lived by short passes. But Shipley has been the focal point of a passing game that features short, quick passes as its primary offensive weapon.

Edge: 2009 Texas

Offensive line: The 2005 team featured three-first team All-Big 12 picks in Justin Blalock, Jonathan Scott and Will Allen. Because of Young's mobility, that team allowed only 14 sacks and produced 5.9 yards per carry and 55 rushing touchdowns. The current team is nearly as strong with key players like Adam Ulatoski, Charlie Tanner and Chris Hall, who have currently combined for 99 career starts and should be peaking as the season continues. The current team is producing 3.9 yards per carry, 16 sacks and 20 rushing touchdowns.

Edge: 2005 Texas

Defensive line: The 2005 team featured first-team All-Big 12 players like Rodrique Wright and Tim Crowder and pass-rushing specialist Brian Robison, a converted linebacker who led the team with sacks. But that team didn’t feature anybody as proficient as Sergio Kindle or a run-stuffing tackle like Lamarr Houston. It’s the main reason the current Texas team leads the nation in rush defense (55.33 yards per game), total defense (230.78 yards per game) and ranks in the top 20 in both sacks and tackles for losses. The 2005 team was 39th nationally in sacks and 29th in tackles for losses.

Edge: 2009 Texas

Linebackers: The 2005 unit was at its weakest at linebacker where no players earned All-Big 12 first-team or second-team designation. Robert Killebrew was that team’s only player to earn honorable mention. The current team features an anchor in the middle in senior linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy, flanked by Keenan Robinson and Emmanuel Acho. Will Muschamp’s unit seldom uses three linebackers except in run-stuffing situations, preferring to use a nickel formation. But his current group still has the edge at linebacker over the championship team.

Edge: 2009 Texas

Secondary: The 2005 team might be one of the great college units of all time. That team featured the Thorpe Award winner in Michael Huff and another all-league player in Cedric Griffin. Huff, Cedric Griffin, Michael Griffin, Aaron Ross and Tarell Brown all were drafted in the NFL and had eventual pro careers. The unit was nearly impermeable as it broke up 85 passes and permitted only two teams to pass for more than 200 yards against them. The current group is young and skilled and might develop into as strong of a group with experience.

Earl Thomas has played like the best defensive back in the country this season with six interceptions, including two touchdown returns. Curtis Brown, Chykie Brown, Aaron Williams and Blake Gideon have already helped the defense combine for 16 interceptions. And the group is playing with swagger as the season continues.

The current group could match the eventual production of the 2005 team, but it still has to get there.

Edge: 2005 Texas

Special teams: Neither team had to punt very often, but Hunter Lawrence has a narrow edge over David Pino at kicker for his consistency and range. The biggest difference is in the return game. The current team features two threats with D.J. Monroe (two TDs, 36.5 yards kick return average) and Shipley (14.5 punt return average, two TDs), giving it an edge over Ramonce Taylor and Aaron Ross (14.7 punt return average, two TDs).

Edge: 2009 Texas

Coaching: With largely the same cast of coaches, the 2009 team appears to be better coached. In 2005, Brown was trying for his first Big 12 title and utilized defensive co-coordinators with Gene Chizik and Duane Akina. It often seemed that the individual talents of Young took over the game during that championship season. But this team features a better job by Greg Davis as he compensates for his team’s lack of a consistent running game by developing a crafty passing game utilizing quick short passes. And the defense has taken big steps this season in its second season under Muschamp.

Edge:2009 Texas

Intangibles: The 2005 team was trying to become Brown’s first Big 12 title team and played well throughout. It started with a dramatic comeback victory over Ohio State and continued with a run through the Big 12 that featured no victory less than 19 points. The 2005 team needed a comeback over Oklahoma State, but Young helped the team peak as the Longhorns scored at least 40 points in 12 games. The team rolled to victories of 62, 52 and 11 points in November before notching a record-breaking 70-3 triumph over Colorado in the Big 12 title game and the 41-38 BCS title game victory over USC.

This team hasn’t faced many tests, although it did handle Oklahoma in a 16-13 triumph that ranks as its closest margin. Other than that game, the 2009 Longhorns have rolled up at least 34 points in every game and allowed more than 20 points on only two occasions. But it still has its chance to finish strongly in November like the 2005 team did.

Edge: 2005 Texas

If they met: The 2005 team still would merit a slight edge, mainly because this team doesn’t have a transcendent talent like Young. But the current team is developing and could have a chance to match the championship with a strong finish.

Edge: 2005 Texas

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

How about some stickers for players who emerged out of some sizable shadows today to lead their teams to victories?

Here are my choices for Saturday's games.

Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick: Ndamukong Suh’s partner at tackle emerged to have one of the greatest individual days in Nebraska's history, leading the Cornhuskers to a 20-10 victory over Baylor. Crick notched a school record five sacks for 24 yards, tying Jim Skow’s 24-year school record of seven tackles for loss for 28 yards. Crick produced 13 total tackles, including 10 solo stops. He also recovered a fourth-quarter fumble that helped seal the victory.

Missouri defensive end Aldon Smith: Produced four tackles for loss, including three sacks to lead the Tigers’ 36-17 victory over Missouri. The Tigers sacked Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen eight times. Smith also produced five tackles, recovered a fumble and broke up a pass.

Texas’ secondary: Playing a nickel defense almost the entire game, the Longhorns produced a turnover binge against Zac Robinson and Oklahoma State in Texas’ 41-14 victory. Safeties Earl Thomas and Blake Gideon and cornerbacks Chykie Brown and Curtis Brown all produced interceptions as the Longhorns limited Robinson to 143 passing yards. Before Saturday night, Robinson had been intercepted three times on 176 passing attempts all season.

Texas Tech running back Baron Batch: Rushed for 123 yards and four touchdowns and also added five receptions for 13 yards to pace Texas Tech’s 42-21 over Kansas. Batch scored on runs of 2, 1, 17 and 11 yards, including three scores during a span of 9 minutes, 1 second in the fourth quarter that blew the game open for the Red Raiders.

Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones: Completed 26 of 37 passes for 294 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Sooners’ wild 42-30 victory over gritty Kansas State. It was Jones’ fourth game of multiple touchdown passes this season.