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Unranked Texas A&M's 33-19 upset of then-No. 8 Oklahoma last season left two lasting images.

For the first time in a long time, players left the field to chants of "Wrecking Crew," the moniker ultimately reserved for the best Texas A&M defenses.

The other was the dominant play on the line of scrimmage that birthed those chants.

Three times, Von Miller's crew stuffed Oklahoma at the goal line, the biggest coming in the final minutes to seal the win, denying DeMarco Murray the end zone on three runs inside the 5-yard line.

Once again, Texas A&M is unranked and facing Oklahoma with three losses. This time, it travels to Norman, where it was beaten 65-10 in its last trip back in 2009.

The Sooners and Aggies are the two most physical offenses in the Big 12, and if A&M is going to spring another upset, it will have to win the battle of the line of scrimmage. The Big 12, with its elite skill-position talent and deep stock of quarterbacks, doesn't always have games decided up front. This one will be.

"Our offensive line is coming around," said Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman, who played true freshmen last year at both offensive tackle spots. "Until this last ballgame, defensively, we’ve been pretty good against the run."

Consider: Oklahoma leads the nation with 34 sacks. The Sooners have allowed three sacks, tied with Boise State for the fewest nationally.

Texas A&M, meanwhile, has given up just seven sacks and is third nationally with 30 sacks.

"A lot of us have definitely stepped up," said Texas A&M defensive lineman Spencer Nealy. "We definitely always play with a lot of effort, and at times, like any other position, we’ll have mistakes, but as a whole, we played pretty good."

The Aggies, though, have ascended to second in the Big 12 at 224 yards rushing per game while Oklahoma has sunk to eighth, though the Sooners possess the league's top passing attack.

Oklahoma will be without leading rusher Dominique Whaley, too, who suffered a broken ankle in Saturday's win over Kansas State.

Texas A&M fields the league's best 1-2 punch at running back, and last year's growth took place without one of them even on the field.

"The maturation of [the offensive line] really helped us. We struggled early in the season. We gave up a lot of sacks in the first half of the season. We didn’t run the ball very well," Sherman said. "We weren’t protecting well, we weren't running the ball well. They started to come into their own. A couple of our young tackles were talented but they didn’t have the experience. I thought they grew up in the second half of the season and we emphasized the run game more and took some pressure off the passing game and tried to stay out of long-yardage situations. ... They had a big part in the second-half run last season."

It's only continued into 2011. Christine Michael's broken leg that forced him out of the second half of the season has healed, and he's on course for a career season with 811 yards, third-most in the Big 12. Cyrus Gray has 704 yards of his own to rank ninth in the league.

Those two are fully capable of carrying the Aggies to the upset.

Despite the high sack numbers for A&M, it's given up more passing yards per game than any team in the country. How?

"It’s not ability at all. We’ve got some of the best players in the Big 12," Nealy said, pointing to fundamentals.

The best way to slow Oklahoma's passing attack is to keep it off the field. That means running the ball well and pressuring Landry Jones.

Texas A&M's offensive and defensive lines can do that. They proved it last year.

Now, it's time to do it again.

Joseph Randle had a career game in Oklahoma State's 61-34 season-opening win over Louisiana- Lafayette, running for 129 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

His first 100-yard rushing game came in his first-ever start, and his two scores equaled his rushing total from his freshman year in 2010.

Oklahoma State will need a whole lot more of that from Randle very soon.

"He has to step up to that role now," coach Mike Gundy said. "He has to be that guy that we lean on."

Gundy loved the versatility that Randle brought his offense last season with Kendall Hunter busy topping 1,500 yards for the second time in three years.

Randle caught 37 passes for 427 yards and his lone receiving touchdown was a game-changer early on in a win over Texas A&M. Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray was the only running back in the Big 12 with more receptions in 2010.

But now, he'll have to do everything.

"We need him to make plays for us, we need him to protect well in our throwing game," Gundy said. "He needs to be able to convert short yardages, and when we get him the ball in space on normal down and distances, he has to be able to make guys miss."

He did that well as a freshman, but now, if nothing else, he's earned the respect of his offensive line.

"I love blocking for Joe because he encourages the linemen a lot, and he really appreciates the blocks that he gets," center Grant Garner told reporters this week. "He can definitely be explosive when he runs."

Randle has bulked up this offseason, adding 10-12 pounds after going through a second year in Oklahoma State's strength and conditioning program with coach Rob Glass.

What Randle hasn't done is change his running style.

"That’s stuff that’s established at 8 or 10 years old, so his running style has remained consistent," Gundy said.

Randle's explosiveness makes him special, though. Combine that with his bigger frame, and we could see a big season from the sophomore get a kickstart, despite all the attention paid to the high profile quarterbacks and receivers in tonight's game against Arizona on ESPN.

"Good running backs turn 6-8 yard runs into 18-28 yard runs," Gundy said, "and that’s what we’re expecting him to do this fall."

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.

We'll have plenty of Heisman coverage as the season nears (and happens, eventually), but ESPN Stats & Info got the party started with a look at all the contenders, broken up by their classification.

The stats folk took a look at the system quarterbacks, the pro-style quarterbacks, and finally, the spread quarterbacks.

The top two contenders? Both from the Big 12 and both from Oklahoma schools.

Landry Jones, Oklahoma

The blueprint for a pocket passer to win the Heisman is simple: put up big numbers and win games. With the Sooners projected to be one of best teams in the country, Jones will have a chance to achieve both.

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Tim Heitman/US PresswireQuarterback Landry Jones should have the Big 12's best shot at winning the Heisman.

Jones could lead the nation in many passing categories because of Bob Stoops’ quick-strike offense. In 2010, Jones attempted more passes than any other quarterback, and almost 28 percent of his pass attempts were at or behind the line of scrimmage.

These slants and screen passes allowed Jones to increase his yards and completion percentage on relatively easy passes. It also allowed his receivers to make plays and gain yards after the catch.

My take: They're on point here. Jones is my frontrunner and the Big 12's best shot at a Heisman. I've taken a look at the value of those short passes on the blog before, and it was clear: they're a huge part of what Oklahoma does.

One more interesting point uncovered by the Stats & Info crew: Of Landry Jones 26 career interceptions, 20 have come on the road. That's astounding.

Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State

If Weeden can replicate his 2010 performance, then he’ll put up the numbers necessary for Heisman consideration. Last season, Weeden ranked third in the nation in passing yards, and his career pass efficiency mark of 155.42 is fourth among active quarterbacks.

Yet Weeden may not even be the best bet for the Heisman Trophy on his team.

If he has a big year in 2011, then Biletnikoff Award winner Justin Blackmon probably will as well. In 2010, Blackmon was one of the best big-play receivers in the country and Weeden’s go-to guy on third down, in the red zone and when facing added pressure.

My take: I don't buy that Justin Blackmon is the biggest detriment to Weeden's Heisman chances. For me, the big question is will Oklahoma State win enough games for Weeden to take it home. If the Cowboys are undefeated, he's going to New York, at the very least. I'd bet quite a bit on that. One loss, it will be close. Two losses? No way, no matter what he does.

Is that right? Maybe not, but don't blame me. That's how the Heisman works. You should know this by now. I've got a vote for a handful of the CFB awards, but the Heisman isn't one of them. (Though I'd like one, Heisman Trust. Hint hint.)

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One of the receivers from Oklahoma, Jones and Weeden's top targets, could end up in New York as a Heisman finalist, but the two Biletnikoff finalists from a year ago would shock me if they had a legitimate chance to win the Heisman when it came down to it.

Here's what Stats & Info had to say:

Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

This season, Broyles’ numbers could be mind boggling.

Last season, he averaged more than nine catches per game and did not drop one ball. In his last two seasons, Broyles has 29 touchdown receptions, 20 of them have been for 10 yards or more. Both figures are tops in college football.

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AP Photo/Stillwater News Press, Chelcey AdamiJustin Blackmon's big advantage over Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles is Blackmon's ability to go up and get jump balls.

Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State

Last season, Blackmon averaged 10.8 yards on receptions made at or behind the line of scrimmage. He also caught 63.6 percent of passes that targeted him 15 yards or more downfield. The ability to turn any throw into a big gain helped Blackmon lead FBS last season in receiving yards per game.

What could possibly haunt Blackmon in 2011? He dropped five passes last season, which may not seem like a lot. But it is when you consider that [South Carolina's Alshon] Jeffery had just one drop last season and Broyles had none.

My take: Those drop numbers are interesting, and I don't know about you, but I hadn't seen those stacked up against each other before. Stats & Info described Blackmon as a "monster," and I'd agree. The big advantage he has over Broyles is his ability to go up and get jump balls, but Broyles' experience (he's been a major contributor for three seasons already vs. Blackmon's one) may make him an even more difficult cover. I still consider Blackmon No. 1 and Broyles No. 2 nationally for receivers, but like I've said, it's a stretch to see either of these guys actually win the Heisman. Biletnikoff? Yeah, one of them will get it.

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No Big 12 running backs made the list, but a big attraction? ESPN Insider's a look at a few dark horses. It's a fascinating list full of Big 12 talent. Most of these could, in theory win it. They're all dark horses for a reason, but I could see it happening for almost all these guys.

3. Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M

If Aggies quarterback Ryan Tannehill continues to progress as he did after taking over in the middle of last season, Fuller could end up vaulting over Oklahoma wideout Ryan Broyles as the best pass-catcher in college football.

My take: Disagree! Fuller's great, and probably a top 5 receiver in the college game, but I don't see him overtaking Broyles in any scenario that involves both Broyles and Jones staying healthy. And what about Blackmon?

4. Roy Finch, RB, Oklahoma

Finch had a higher rushing yards per attempt (YPA) average last season than DeMarco Murray and, unlike Murray, all of his numbers were posted against Big 12 competition.

My take: Finch has already missed more games in one year than Murray did his entire career. Oklahoma is likely to employ a committee approach at running back, but if Finch proves he can handle 20-25 carries a game and stays healthy, he's got the best chance of any Big 12 back to win it. (If they're both healthy, Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael will siphon too many carries from one another to have a realistic chance to win, even if A&M goes undefeated.)

6. James Franklin, QB, Missouri

This might seem like a complete long shot on its face, but consider this: Over the past five seasons, Missouri's two starting quarterbacks (Chase Daniel and Blaine Gabbert) averaged the following Heisman Trophy-caliber statistical line: 324 completions, 493 attempts, 3,789 yards, 28 touchdowns/11 interceptions (including more than 3,500 yards each in their debut seasons).

My take: This boils down to winning games. I doubt Missouri's ability to win the 11-12 necessary for Franklin to win it, but if they do, he'll be a big reason why. He'll have a lot of help with his entire receiving corps returning, all of his running backs and four offensive linemen back, and supporting casts can make quarterbacks look great.

Ask Garrett Gilbert.

College football is all about promotion and development. Players undergo enormous growth in their time on campus, but every year, there's a handful of guys who make the jump from good to great. Who will make the biggest jump in the Big 12?

Brad Madison led Missouri in sacks last season, but did it as a backup. Fellow defensive end Aldon Smith is gone now, though, and Madison slides into a starting role. What's he have in store for 2011?

Like Madison, Damontre Moore filled in for an injured future top 10 pick early in the season, and excelled. Moore, though, did it as a true freshman. Once Von Miller got to full strength from his ankle injury, Moore was relegated back to the bench. Will he become a household name as a sophomore?

Baylor's Josh Gordon showed some flash as a sophomore in 2010, but has the size and speed to become one of college football's top receivers. Will that potential turn to production?

Joseph Randle caught more passes last year than every running back but DeMarco Murray. This year, though, he'll be counted on in a bigger role in the running game. What will be bring as a sophomore?

Corey Nelson made huge waves this spring, further intensified when Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops called him the best player on the defense. There's no room for him, it would seem, in the starting lineup for the Sooners, but he'll be on the field somehow. Can he crash the party?

We'll kick off our polls with a look at which players across the league leave behind the biggest voids. Lots of big names stuck around for 2011, but others will take their talents to the NFL next season.

Von Miller is the only defensive player on the list, but can Texas A&M find a way to replace his one-of-a-kind combination of size and speed?

Kendall Hunter was a constant for the Cowboys last year, running for 100 yards nine times in 2010. Can Jeremy Smith and Joseph Randle fill in?

Blaine Gabbert left early, and his younger brother transferred earlier this week. Is James Franklin the answer?

DeMarco Murray scored more touchdowns than any player in Oklahoma history. Will the Sooners' committee approach to replacing him be enough to prevent a drop-off?

Despite having a struggling passing game, Daniel Thomas led the Big 12 in carries and rushing yards the last two seasons. Can Bill Snyder's team get back to a bowl game behind Bryce Brown and John Hubert?

Which player will be the toughest to replace?

ESPN the Magazine had a fascinating feature looking back at the past 25 No. 1 high school recruits, where they are now and what the ranking meant to them. With apologies to Vince Young, there aren't a ton of Big 12 talents on the list, but there have been plenty of great recruits to come through the Big 12. We took a look on Thursday at how the All-Big 12 team stacked up as recruits, and you saw quite a mixed bag.

Well, it's the same for the recruits who came to campus with high rankings and high profiles. Going back to 2006, here's how every Big 12 commit from the ESPNU 150 turned out. We'll look at 2006 in this post before eventually reaching 2010 and the current class, 2011, by signing day.

2006

No. 6: DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma. Murray set the school records for touchdowns (64) and all-purpose yards (6,498) as a Sooner. He's projected to be drafted on the first day of this year's NFL Draft.

No. 7: Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas. Kindle was a finalist for the Butkus and Hendricks Awards and was a two-time All-Big 12 performer with 176 career tackles. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round last year's NFL Draft, but missed his rookie season after fracturing his skull in a fall on the stairs at his home.

No. 13: Jevan Snead, QB, Texas. Lost a quarterback battle to Colt McCoy following the 2005 season. Played sparingly as a freshman before transferring to Ole Miss. Went undrafted in 2010. Now plays for Arena League's Tampa Bay Storm.

No. 21: Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma. McCoy was a Lombardi finalist, a three-time All-Big 12 performer, a two-time All-American who left Oklahoma after his junior season and was selected No. 3 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2010 NFL Draft.

No. 22: Eddie Jones, DE, Texas. Jones just finished his career at Texas with an All-Big 12 honorable mention year in 2010. Finished his career with 111 tackles and 13.5 sacks.

No. 34: J'Marcus Webb, OT, Texas. Webb played one year at Texas before transferring to Navarro College and eventually West Texas A&M. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2010 draft and spent the season with the Chicago Bears.

No. 36: Adron Tennell, WR, Oklahoma. Tennell finished his four-year career at Oklahoma with 40 catches, 505 yards and five touchdowns.

No. 42: Dustin Earnest, LB, Texas. Earnest finished his career in 2010 with 84 tackles and a sack for the Longhorns.

No. 45: Mike Goodson, RB, Texas A&M. Goodson was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2006 with his career high 847 yards. He finished with 1,966 yards and 13 TDs in three seasons before being drafted in the fourth round by the Carolina Panthers.

No. 67: Phillip Payne, WR, Texas. Caught his first career pass in 2009, his third year at UT, before transferring after the season.

No. 75: Derek Burton, DE, Oklahoma State. Started 15 games in four years for the Cowboys, recording 67 career tackles.

No. 82: Ben Alexander, DT, Texas. Made four career starts, with 51 tackles and half a sack in 38 career appearances.

No. 104: Terrance Anderson, CB, Oklahoma State. Made 96 tackles in four years with the Cowboys. Had four career interceptions.

No. 110: Jonathan Nelson, CB, Oklahoma. Started all 14 games in 2010 for the Sooners after earning All-Big 12 honorable mention as a junior in 2009. Finished career with 155 tackles and five interceptions.

No. 111: Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma. Caught 111 passes for 1,629 yards and 26 touchdowns in three seasons, including an All-American season in 2008. Missed all of 2009 with knee injury. Drafted No. 21 overall in the 2010 draft by Cincinnati Bengals.

No. 137: Jeremy Beal, DE, Oklahoma. Had 224 tackles, 58.5 tackles for loss, and 29 sacks in four seasons, including three All-Big 12 seasons, an All-American season and was a Hendricks Award finalist in 2009. Projects as middle-round pick in 2011 NFL Draft.

No. 141: Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State. Threw for 8,078 yards and 44 touchdowns and 34 interceptions in 35 career games. Also ran for 404 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior. Drafted No. 17 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2010 NFL Draft.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Oklahoma didn't score a touchdown until the second half in its 20-point loss to West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl in 2008. Against Boise State, the Broncos jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first eight minutes before eventually knocking off the Sooners.

No such slow start for the Sooners' offense -- or defense -- this time around.

Oklahoma forced the Huskies to punt in their own territory after just one first down, and then methodically marched 70 yards in nine plays for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead after the game's first five minutes.

The Sooners saw just one third down -- inside the 10-yard line -- and converted it for a touchdown.

Landry Jones hit James Hanna for the eight-yard score and he was 6-of-6 for 56 yards on the drive. DeMarco Murray also had three carries for 14 yards.

That's exactly the kind of start the Sooners needed, and if there's an upset to be seen here Saturday night, the Huskies will have to use a different formula than the Mountaineers and Broncos.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The gap between Oklahoma and Connecticut in the history books is wide. You'll hear Connecticut and Oklahoma repeat ad nauseum that none of that matters.

They're wrong. Well, half wrong at least.

So yeah, maybe that 2000 national championship doesn't matter. Or any of those 1970s Orange Bowls, either.

But that 2009 national title game matters. So does that 2008 Fiesta Bowl. And three of the last four Big 12 Championships, with a pair of games in Cowboys Stadium.

Plenty of Oklahoma contributors -- players like DeMarco Murray, Ryan Broyles, Travis Lewis and Jeremy Beal -- played in those games. The Big Stage is nothing new to them. Don't expect any of the Sooners to squint at the bright lights.

Connecticut? Well, let's just say taking on Syracuse in a Carrier Dome with a few thousand empty seats isn't quite the same.

Oklahoma has, both literally and figuratively, been here before.

We're not quite sure what to expect from the Huskies in the biggest game in the history of the program. They've played plenty of "Biggest Game Evers" before, and handled most of them well.

There's no doubt the program has come a long way. This is a bit different.

"It is really incredible," coach Randy Edsall said of the program's rise. "Twelve years ago the teams we were playing. This year we opened up with Michigan and we're finishing with Oklahoma. It is a lot different than opening up with Maine and ending with Rhode Island."

Tonight, against a dangerous Oklahoma team, if Connecticut blinks early, the Sooners opening punch might be too much to withstand. Anyone not wearing crimson-and-cream wants to see something besides an early knockout, but if the Huskies get caught starry-eyed in the game's opening minutes, it's exactly what we might get.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray feels like he's past the injuries that have kept him on the sideline during what would have been a handful of the biggest games of his career. Feels that way anyway.

"I don’t think about them, I don’t deal with them. I’m far beyond that," Murray says.

Call it the competitor in him talking.

His body language before the Big 12 championship game earlier this month said otherwise. His coach, Bob Stoops, saw it.

Stoops says his four-year back was tentative and apprehensive during warm-ups.

"I could just tell," he said.

Coach that he is, Stoops made his way over to Murray and threw his arm around him, delivering a reassuring message he hoped would calm the back's nerves and produce a performance Murray has done so many times during his time at Oklahoma.

"'Hey, I haven’t had you in one of these games,'" Stoops said. "I said the same thing after. We got you in the Fiesta Bowl -- finally. He makes a difference."

Murray accounted for 128 yards of offense in that game -- bringing his career total to a staggering 5,164 from scrimmage -- but most importantly, he stayed healthy.

"The more he played, the more he started to trust it and feel good," Stoops said.

Finally, when Oklahoma takes the field in its fourth BCS bowl game of Murray's five-year stay in Norman, he'll be on the field with his team.

"It's been a dream come true for me to come here and wear that helmet," Murray said. "I’m definitely going to make a great last impression."

Oklahoma didn't get to those BCS bowls by making excuses, but if it wanted one to explain its five-game losing streak in BCS bowls, Murray's absence as a major contributor in the last two would qualify.

A knee injury against Texas Tech on a freak onside kick play in 2007 knocked him out of wins in Bedlam, the Big 12 title game and a Fiesta Bowl loss to West Virginia. In 2008, he suited up against Missouri in the Big 12 championship game, but injured his hamstring on the opening kickoff and couldn't return for the national championship loss to Florida.

As a freshman, he says it was hard to sit out, but he didn't fully grasp the importance of being in a BCS game until later in his career.

The Sooners are thankful it won't be an excuse this year, and Murray is too. He's missed just one game in the past two seasons, and has been on the field for all 13 games in 2010 -- soon to be 14.

Don't expect him to take his final opportunity for granted.

"This is what you play for," Murray said. "This is what every college player wants to do, be one of those 10 teams that have an opportunity to play in one of these BCS games."

Murray says he now recognizes that a bowl win provides a nice bump for the team in the preseason polls the following year. He won't be able to enjoy those spoils with a win and an ensuing exit stage left to the NFL after the season, but that has little bearing on Murray's mindset heading into Saturday night's contest.

On Tuesday, Stoops rattled off a list of attributes Murray has personified during his career, a rare combination.

"Attitude. Leadership. Toughness. Humility," Stoops said. "He’s a guy that isn’t worried about 'I' or what touches he gets."

The senior proved it for four years. As a freshman, he earned his carries alongside a more experienced senior, Allen Patrick. In 2008, he rushed for 1,000 yards in a near-even share with Chris Brown. In 2009, another even split with the senior.

Murray was Oklahoma's "guy" in 2010, receiving 172 more carries than the Sooners' next most-used back, even though freshman Roy Finch received a near-even share at times in conference play.

Murray enters Saturday's game with 734 career carries, approximately 734 more than his total career complaints about the size of that number.

"He’s just always been there and always played hard. Always played tough, physical, reliable," Stoops said.

With 14 carries against Connecticut in the Fiesta Bowl, Murray will have carried the ball more than any other back at Oklahoma other than Steve Owens, and Stoops placed him in the same class with the two backs he could pass on the career carry list during the game.

"It’s rare to have a guy that has all of that," Stoops said of his earlier list of desirable attributes. "There’s other guys -- Adrian [Peterson] had all of that. I’ve had some pretty special backs -- Quentin [Griffin]-guys that are like that."

Murray is set to join them when he leaves, if he hasn't already.

He electrified fans with an eye-opening performance in the spring game before he'd even played a real game as a Sooner and proved he was for real with a 65-yard touchdown as a freshman against rival Texas in the Sooners' 28-21 win over the Longhorns.

He closed his career against the Sooners' marquee rivals on a familiar stage, carrying Oklahoma to a 28-20 win with a pair of touchdown runs -- including a highlight-reel worthy tightrope act -- as part of a 115-yard day, his second career 100-yard effort against the Longhorns.

Now he'll take a new stage in Glendale in a few days. By now, he's due.

A few thoughts on the weekend's happenings:

Roy Finch has arguably been Oklahoma's most electrifying ballcarrier this season, but they'll be without him in the Fiesta Bowl after the freshman running back suffered a stress fracture in a non-contact drill during practice last week. Finch will be missed most in Oklahoma's "diamond" formation that featured three running backs surrounding quarterback Landry Jones, and he'll finish the year with 398 yards and a pair of touchdowns, just missing my Big 12 All-Freshman team.

Senior Mossis Madu will fill Finch's void, so it's not a pressing concern for the Fiesta Bowl's heavy favorites.You'll remember, he missed the first five games of the season after fracturing his left ankle on the same foot that suffered this most recent injury. The Sooners can take some comfort in the injury taking place in the same foot, and Finch will take 6-7 weeks to heal before returning for spring practice.

But moving forward, one more injury, especially one that's unrelated to the 5-foot-8, 180-pound speedster's left foot, is going to cause some legitimate concerns about Finch's durability. He's unquestionably emerged in 2010 as the future of Oklahoma's running game, beating out guys like Jermie Calhoun, Brennan Clay and Jonathan Miller, but he can't do any good on the sidelines. Moving through spring and fall camps, Oklahoma fans and coaches will be able to sleep a lot better if he can stay healthy through next August.

And consider also: For all the flack that DeMarco Murray gets for being "injury-prone," he got a high volume of carries in all four seasons as a Sooner.

Through just one season, Finch has already missed the same number of games (6) as Murray did throughout his entire career.

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New Colorado coach Jon Embree officially finalized his staff, and it's clear what his priorities were. Outside of defensive line coach Mike Tuiasosopo, every hire had ties to Colorado, either the state or program. You definitely foster a very specific attitude in doing so, but we'll see if that results in wins after a move to the Pac-12 next year. He sacrificed experience for ties to the program in a couple of these hires, but no one will care if the wins come with them. If they don't, however, that fact will definitely be brought up as a criticism very quickly.

Here's Embree's latest staff hires, with more on the entire staff here:

Greg Brown - defensive coordinator/defensive backs

J.D. Brookhart - special teams coordinator/offensive passing game coordinator/tight ends

Kanavis McGhee/Mike Tuiasosopo - defensive line

Steve Marshall - offensive line

Former Colorado running back Eric Bieniemy, who also interviewed for the head coaching job and was hired at the same time as Embree, will serve as Embree's offensive coordinator.

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Nebraska linebackers coach Mike Ekeler is headed to Indiana to take over as the Hoosiers defensive coordinator under new coach Kevin Wilson. Most notably, he'll be the first assistant under Bo Pelini to leave for a different job during Pelini's three seasons in Lincoln.

Wilson worked with Ekeler at Oklahoma when Ekeler was a graduate assistant in 2003-04 and Wilson coached the offensive line. Ekeler must have made an impression on Wilson during those years and again in the Big 12 Championship game. First-year linebacker Lavonte David also leads the Big 12 in tackles, including 17 in the Big 12 title game.

Indiana and Nebraska aren't scheduled to meet in Big 12 play until the 2013 season.

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I DVR'd the Teas Class 5A Division II state championship and got my first good, long look at a couple possible future Big 12 stars headed to the conference in 2011.

Texas running back commit Malcolm Brown and Oklahoma State quarterback and cornerback commits J.W. Walsh and Josh Stewart faced off in Cowboys Stadium. Brown's Cibolo (Steele) team took down Walsh and Stewart's Denton (Guyer) squad, 24-21.

It's tough to tell a lot definitively in one look at a pressure-filled game, but all three had their moments. Brown doesn't have a ton of straight-line speed, but he's a smart, powerful runner with a good sense of holes and looked pretty skilled at reading his blocks. The physical talent is obvious, but if he carries that to Austin next fall, my guess is it's something that sets him apart from his competition. He's not one to shy away from contact, and he showed up every time Steele needed a big run. He finished with 107 yards on 28 carries and the game-winning touchdown.

Though Walsh's release is quick and his accuracy is good, he's still got plenty of room for improvement as a decision-maker. That said, he's a dangerous dual-threat guy that, if he ends up becoming the heir apparent to Brandon Weeden, would be pretty fun to watch in Oklahoma State's spread system, a la Zac Robinson.

He finished with 123 yards rushing and 9-of-17 passing for 91 yards with a pair of picks -- including one late that sealed the game. He had just four interceptions in Guyer's first 15 games, and averaged more than 200 yards passing.

His one touchdown pass was a 43-yard strike to Stewart, who also plays receiver.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- I'm back in the press box from some time down on the field and Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe's pregame press conference. Both teams have finished warm-ups, and we're only a few minutes away from kickoff. The crowd looks pretty close to 50-50, and with the ends and roof of Cowboys Stadium closed, it's already pretty loud.

Here's a few quick notes:

• I'd expect Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez to start, but he's definitely still favoring his right ankle, however slight. Additionally, he's wearing two different kinds of cleats. It looked like the left cleat might be offering some additional support for his turf toe.
• Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray didn't look too bothered by a knee injury that left his status in doubt this week. He didn't do much full-speed work in pregame, but his movement looked normal.
• Beebe's press conference offered little of note. He mentioned he did have some additional security for tonight's game, but nothing "significant." As for the talk of the Big 12 championship returning, don't hold your breath. Beebe noted that the coaches have been nearly unanimous in opposition of the game for the duration of its existence, and said he'd be surprised if that changed. I'd agree with him on that point.
• He was asked about talks of conspiracy and the Eric Martin suspension, but didn't say anything we haven't heard before. Namely, that the notion of a conspiracy is silly and they don't spare any expenses when it comes to the integrity of officiating. On Martin's suspension and the lack of suspension of Texas A&M's Tony Jerod-Eddie after an ugly incident in a pile, Beebe cited the desire of the league to remove hits like Martin's from football.
• On his no-show in Lincoln this year, Beebe noted that he didn't hand out any of the five divisional trophies this year, and hasn't been able to do it on several occasions for various reasons, most often tiebreakers. He also brought up that he delivered Nebraska's trophy last year, but did not do so for Texas.
• He also stressed, once again, that the portion of Huskers fans sending hateful messages to him and other Big 12 officials is a small one, but did note that former Huskers star Ed Stewart, a Big 12 employee, received several as well.

That's all for pregame. I'll be blogging throughout tonight's game, but I'll be chatting right here, too. So come hang out for tonight's game.

ARLINGTON, Texas--The pre-Big 12 Championship coaching press conferences featuring Bo Pelini and Bob Stoops have just concluded here at Cowboys Stadium. Here's a few of the interesting or newsworthy notes.

• First things first, Bo Pelini played his quarterback situation coy. "Taylor [Martinez] did well," Pelini said of his quarterback's week of practice. "We limited his reps at times and thought he did some good things. I liked what I saw." Asked if he knew who his starter would be, he flashed a subtle smile. "I have a pretty good idea," he said. The plan is still to wait until game day to decide.
• Oklahoma announced on Thursday that DeMarco Murray would play, but Stoops was asked about his running back and the decision-making process that went into making him available for Saturday's game. "He went through the entire practice [on Thursday] and was feeling good afterwards," he said. "That's all a positive sign. So we anticipate him being prepared and ready to go."
• Saturday's game is widely assumed to be the final Big 12 title game ever, with Nebraska and Colorado packing their bags to the Big Ten and Pac-10 after the season, and the league moving to a round-robin, nine-game conference schedule to determine what some call a "true conference champion." Well, maybe the Big 12 title game isn't going away forever. At least, not according to Pelini. "I think it's probably the last one maybe for a year or two, but I don't think this will be the last Big 12 Championship. It just so happens that I think the conference will keep thriving. It will probably add--who knows what's going to happen," he said. "I wouldn't be surprised if you see a Big 12 Championship come back around here pretty quick.
• Take what you will from Pelini's comments -- I don't necessarily agree -- but Stoops was asked about them during his question and answer session. "Hopefully that is the case. It's hard to speculate on where things will move to and go. If there are more, that will be great. If there aren't that will be great, too," Stoops said with a laugh. "So it will pretty much be great one way or the other."
• Stoops passed along a thought we've heard from several coaches: The conference championship is exciting in a situation like this, where you're playing for a BCS bowl berth. It's not great when it means you'll have to hop another tall hurdle to reach the national championship. "This game then is one that you're thinking, 'What in the world are we playing this for?' when you look at some of these other conferences and we're not. They're in a national championship, ready to play for it too. They're home sitting down, eating turkey, watching you."
• Stoops' brother, Arizona coach Mike Stoops, suffered a painful loss on Thursday night when his team had two late extra points blocked and lost at home to Arizona State. Bob Stoops wasn't watching. "I can't," he said. Asked if it was the emotions, he said, "Yeah, all of it. I'm saving my energy for tomorrow night." Stoops knew what happened, but later admitted that in the 2004 Sugar Bowl against LSU, trailing 21-14 with the national championship on the line, he was "strongly, in my mind, thinking of going for two." He added "It had been an uphill battle all game. They had the crowd. We felt at the time, I felt they were tired. We'd have them on the run."
• Finally, there's been plenty written this week about Oklahoma being a de facto "people's champion" for Big 12 fans not backing the Huskers. Bring 'em on, Stoops said. "Maybe that's the case. I'll take all the good vibrations I can get," he said. "I'm kind of in a cocoon, going to practice, getting ready for the game, so I'm not aware of it. If that's the case, we'll take all the rooting and all the cheering from whoever wants to give it to us."

Time for our final regular-season edition of what to watch, where we highlight 10 story lines to keep an eye on this weekend. Special thanks to ESPN Stats & Information for some of the nuggets sprinkled throughout.

1. Upsets, anyone? Most expect Auburn and Oregon to win their games this weekend and meet in Arizona for the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game. But how about a little history lesson: The No. 1 team in the BCS standings has lost its conference championship game each of the past three seasons. There’s more: A team ranked in the BCS top two has lost its final game of the regular season 13 times in the previous 12 years. The last time neither of the top two teams lost on the first weekend of December was 2005. So the No. 1 Tigers and No. 2 Ducks are on upset alert.

2. Cam the Man. The NCAA ruled earlier this week that Auburn quarterback Cam Newton is eligible to play in the SEC championship game against South Carolina, much to the outrage of many people around the country. Quibble all you want about the decision, there is no stopping Newton from stepping onto the field, where he has been the best player in the country. He gets one more shot to definitively make his case for the Heisman.

3. Will Auburn make like Houdini again? The Tigers have made a living this season off being a comeback team, and we saw that in full effect last week against Alabama. Auburn erased a 24-point deficit to win 28-27. It was the eighth time in 12 games the Tigers had to come back – including its win against South Carolina this season. In fact, this is the first season in school history where Auburn has won four games after trailing by double-digits.

4. Can Oregon State pull the upset against Oregon? The Beavers would have a better chance if they had James Rodgers playing in this game. They showed some fight two weeks ago in a win against USC, but then got shut out against Stanford last week. The Beavers have lost three of their past four, including games to UCLA and Washington State. Jacquizz Rodgers is going to need a big game to help Oregon State win the time of possession battle and keep the ball away from the high-powered Ducks offense.

5. Big 12 injury report. Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray and Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez come limping into the game with injuries. Murray hurt his knee last week against Oklahoma State, but is expected to play. Martinez sat out last week against Colorado with an ankle and toe injury. Having two of their best players hobbled by injury is less than ideal for both teams. Nebraska coach Bo Pelini suggested this week that he might play Martinez and Cody Green. The bigger impact could be felt with the Huskers, who have played inconsistently with Green at quarterback.

6. Christian Ponder vs. Tyrod Taylor. Two of the best quarterbacks in the ACC battle it out in the conference championship game, and the key to the game for each team: slowing the other down. Ponder has struggled this year because of injuries, but he has played better since he missed the Clemson game, throwing for 391 yards, four touchdowns and one interception over his past two games. Taylor, who was just selected ACC Player of the Year, is going to face a formidable front, one that leads the nation in sacks with 43.

7. Who emerges as the Big East champion? There are a few scenarios: If Connecticut beats USF, the Huskies win the title. If Connecticut loses and West Virginia beats Rutgers, the Mountaineers are in. If Pittsburgh beats Cincinnati and Connecticut and West Virginia lose, the Panthers are in. If Connecticut, Pittsburgh and West Virginia all lose, there would be a five-way tie, but Connecticut wins all the tiebreakers so the Huskies would be the Big East rep in the BCS. Got all that?

8. How does Boise State bounce back? The Broncos are in the unusual spot of having to play a game the week after losing. That hasn’t happened since 2007. They get Utah State at home on a day a senior class that has gone 46-5 will be honored. Of course, there is also the pride of the blue turf on the line. Boise State would finish WAC play with an all-time 40-0 record at home with a win. Utah State is 1-53 against opponents ranked in the AP poll including 0-42 on the road.

9. Non-AQ title games. There are two other championship games this weekend: Northern Illinois plays Miami (Ohio) tonight for the MAC title, and SMU plays UCF for the Conference USA title on Saturday. The Huskies (10-2) have won nine straight and are ranked No. 25 in the BCS standings. UCF is ranked No. 25 in the coaches’ poll. Both are favored to win.

10. BCS selection show. Sunday is the day all the bowl announcements will be made, making the selection show must-see TV for college football fans everywhere. If Oregon and Auburn win, then most of the matchups seem clear. But if either team loses, the BCS standings will be very important in determining who goes to the national championship game. No. 3 TCU has the most hope of any other team to sneak in, but we will know for sure come Sunday night.

Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray is expected to play against Nebraska on Saturday, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops announced on Thursday.

Murray suffered a knee injury in the fourth quarter of Oklahoma's win at Oklahoma State last week, but returned to practice on Thursday.

With 1,053 yards and 14 touchdowns, the senior is enjoying his second 1,000-yard rushing season, and has caught 64 passes for 535 yards and five touchdowns.