ESPN College Football

When it comes to quarterback, Bob Stoops lives a charmed life these days.

Not many coaches can boast a bona fide Heisman contender -- Landry Jones -- with 37 career starts to his name entering the 2012 season. Stoops can.

But looking at both of the Sooners' rivals, it's a different picture.

Texas is engrossed in a two-man derby between David Ash and Case McCoy. North of the Sooners, Oklahoma State is playing host to a battle between junior Clint Chelf and a pair of freshmen, J.W. Walsh (redshirt) and Wes Lunt (early enrollee).

Texas nearly has its man; Ash is handling the majority of the first-team snaps.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma State is still splitting first-team reps evenly and doesn't have much separation between the three. Neither Texas or Oklahoma State has named a starter.

Stoops will have to replace Jones next season, but if he were in Mike Gundy or Mack Brown's shoes, he wouldn't hurry to name a quarterback.

"There's so much that can happen from the end of spring," Stoops told ESPN in Norman this week. "Just think about the amount of time before you take a snap in a game. So, I always felt having our guys continue to remain very competitive was the best thing."

Brown didn't name Garrett Gilbert his starter until the week before the Longhorns' opener against Rice last season. Texas' spring ended with Sunday's spring game and once again, Brown didn't name a starter.

Gundy, meanwhile, has seven practices remaining in the spring and wants separation. What about the notion that a team needs a commanding presence during the summer, when coaches can't oversee player workouts and it's up to a team leader to organize?

"I think that's overrated," Stoops said. "What, Ryan Broyles can't do that? A big-time receiver can't orchestrate it? Or the two (quarterbacks) can't say, 'Hey, we're meeting at this time.'?

“Or your team pride. What, I need the quarterback to tell me I need to come in here and work hard? You've got 100 guys on a team … they oughtta all be pushing each other to get in here and work. Heck, (former OU tight end) Jermaine Gresham could have grabbed everybody by the throat and made sure they were here."

Gundy and offensive coordinator Todd Monken see it quite differently.

"I don’t think it’s overrated," Gundy told ESPN in Stillwater this week. "I think it needs to be there. Can you have a lineman do it? Yeah. It’s not the same. This’ll be a big summer for us, because whoever we feel like is going to be our quarterback, he has to develop some leadership and I feel like that’s all part of it."

Said Monken: "You’re staring at two guys who played quarterback, Mike and I. So from our end of it, that’s how we’re going to see it. Stoops, he played DB, so he doesn’t care. He sees it a different way, and he’s right, anybody can organize it, but that’s not usually the case."

Monken's biggest reason? Quarterbacks need it more than anyone else. OSU receiver Justin Blackmon lived with a walk-on quarterback during his career, and anytime he wanted to get some work, he had an arm who could throw him balls at full speed.

Quarterbacks, though? Work is work, but throwing to walk-ons or friends isn't the same as throwing to targets with sub-4.5 speed like they will in live games.

"Quarterbacks need those guys to function," Monken said. "I don’t blame anybody for their opinion. That’s their opinion, but the reality is that the guys that are usually in charge of the summer workouts are the QBs because it affects them the most."

He added: "There’s something to be said for the guy that leads your team being the organizer. It doesn’t have to be, but it certainly helps."

Oklahoma State doesn't know who its quarterback will be. It would love to name him by spring. But even with the stakes high during the summer, they have no plans to force a decision.

"If we don’t know, then we won’t do it, but if we do, then we’ll do it," Gundy said. "That’s as important as anything we do in the offseason."

Signing day is coming fast. Next Wednesday, the next round of players will sign up for their respective programs and start what could be storied careers.

Here's what each team across the Big 12 needs. You'll find Texas A&M and Mizzou on the SEC blog and West Virginia on the Big East Blog.

BAYLOR

Quarterback: This one's pretty simple. Robert Griffin III is taking his talents to the NFL early. Nick Florence is waiting to take over, and the Bears have Bryce Petty behind him, but more reinforcements at quarterback are needed. Dual-threat quarterbacks, ideally.

Defensive tackle: Baylor already was one of the nation's worst teams (102nd nationally) at stopping the run. Now it'll need to replace both its interior linemen, Nicolas Jean-Baptiste and Tracy Robertson.

Offensive linemen: Baylor's offensive line, meanwhile, has been solid. It loses junior college transfer and two-year starter Robert T. Griffin, as well as All-Big 12 center Philip Blake. John Jones, a reserve guard, also has exhausted his eligibility.

IOWA STATE

Receiver: This has been a weak spot for the team for several years, and its top overall talent, Darius Reynolds, is gone. Darius Darks is, too. Aaron Horne and Josh Lenz will be the team's best weapons in 2012, but the pair of shifty slot guys will be seniors. This position needs reinforcements.

Defensive back: The DBs have been a quiet strength for ISU, especially in 2011. Cornerback Leonard Johnson and safety Ter'Ran Benton both have exhausted their eligibility, though, and defensive backs coach Bobby Elliott left for Notre Dame. You'll see plenty of new faces in the Cyclones' secondary next year.

Defensive line: Experienced starters Stephen Ruempolhamer and Jacob Lattimer are both gone, and Iowa State has struggled to stop the run consistently the past few seasons.

KANSAS

Quarterback: Kansas landed high-profile transfers Dayne Crist (Notre Dame) and Jake Heaps (BYU), but this is still a huge position of need. Last year's starter, Jordan Webb, left the team. Quinn Mecham is out of eligibility. Heaps is sitting out his NCAA-mandated year after transferring. Crist is the starter, but he badly needs a backup, especially if Brock Berglund's transfer appeal allows him to leave.

Wide receiver: Kansas lacks a big threat at this position. It needs a talent upgrade in a big way. Oklahoma transfer Justin McCay is joining the team, but he's no guarantee to a) be granted immediate eligibility or b) become an impact player.

Defensive tackle: Kansas is thin here, too. Richard Johnson, Patrick Dorsey and Michael Martinovich are gone, and Kansas couldn't stop much of anything on defense. Some push up front could help make everything look better. A late addition to the 2012 class from a junior college seems like a no-brainer. The Jayhawks need physically mature players to contribute immediately.

KANSAS STATE

Offensive line: K-State's offensive line was much better in 2011 and could be again in 2012. It needs help replacing All-Big 12 lineman Clyde Aufner, though. Starter Colten Freeze is also gone.

Defensive line: Kansas State is bringing back about as many starters as anyone in the Big 12, but the biggest losses are along the defensive line. Kick-blocking specialist (five in 2011) Ralph Guidry is gone, along with tackle Ray Kibble. Juco transfer Jordan Voelker exploded onto the scene this year, but he's gone, too.

Defensive backs: Cornerback David Garrett leaves a huge hole behind. Tysyn Hartman may not be as talented as teammate Ty Zimmerman, but his experience leaves a big hole. Zimmerman will have to mentor a younger safety in the near future.

OKLAHOMA

Receiver: The Sooners are thin here in a big way. That was obvious late in the season when Ryan Broyles' storied college career ended a few weeks early with a knee injury. The team also lost Justin McCay (transfer) to Kansas. Jaz Reynolds and Kenny Stills are the likely top two targets, but they need help.

Tight end: This position inspired a bit of panic at the end of the season. Seniors James Hanna and Trent Ratterree are gone. Austin Haywood wasn't allowed back on the team, and two more tight ends left the team for various reasons. That left the Sooners suddenly without a scholarship player at the position returning in 2012.

Offensive line: Starting tackle Donald Stephenson must be replaced, as will guard Stephen Good, who moved in and out of the starting lineup throughout his career. The Sooners bring back a lot of talent and aren't dying for depth there, but those two will leave holes. Three more offensive line starters will be seniors in 2012.

OKLAHOMA STATE

Offensive line: The Cowboys need a whole lot of help here to fill in behind young players stepping into the starting lineup. Starters Levy Adcock, Nick Martinez and Grant Garner are gone. Backup center Casey LaBrue is gone, too. Those are two All-Big 12 linemen who leave big shoes to be filled.

Receiver: Justin Blackmon surprised no one by leaving a year early, and Josh Cooper leaves with perhaps the most underrated career of any receiver in school history. In OSU's offense, there's always room for depth here. Nine receivers had at least 19 catches in 2011. Blackmon and Cooper combined for 192, though.

Defensive ends: The pass rush was solid for Oklahoma State this year, but both starters, Jamie Blatnick and Richetti Jones, are gone. Replacing both is a necessity.

TEXAS

Receiver: Texas lacks a true game-changer at the position, though Jaxon Shipley and Mike Davis may develop into that role in 2012. Former blue-chip recruit Darius White left for Missouri, too.

Quarterback: David Ash and Case McCoy didn't show a ton of potential at quarterback this year, though Ash may grow with an offseason to prepare as starter. Garrett Gilbert got a big chunk of the work in the spring, summer 7-on-7 and fall preseason camp. Even if Ash does grow, the Longhorns need reinforcements at the position.

Linebacker: Two senior impact players are gone. Texas is left trying to replace Emmanuel Acho and Keenan Robinson, though Jordan Hicks may mature into a star in 2012.

TCU

Offensive line: TCU's offensive line is headed for some major turnover. OT Robert Deck, OG Kyle Dooley and OG Spencer Thompson are gone. Two more starters, OG Blaize Foltz and C James Fry, will be seniors in 2012.

Defensive linemen: TCU isn't losing a lot at this spot, but Ross Forrest and D.J. Yendrey will be seniors in 2012. The Horned Frogs would be well-served to prepare, and offer some depth next year.

Specialists: TCU will have to break in a pair of new starters on special teams next season. Kicker Ross Evans and punter Anson Kelton have exhausted their eligibility.

TEXAS TECH

Receiver: The Red Raiders' offense requires a lot of depth here. Tramain Swindall is the only loss at the position, but three more (Alex Torres, Cornelius Douglas, Darrin Moore) will be seniors. Douglas moved to cornerback this year after the team was racked with injury, but we'll see whether he moves back this offseason.

Offensive line: Tech has a huge need here. Four players won't be returning in 2012. Lonnie Edwards, Mickey Okafor and center Justin Keown must be replaced.

Defensive linemen: Tech's Donald Langley and Scott Smith are both out of eligibility, and juco transfer Leon Mackey will be a senior.

We took a look on Thursday at the first few big surprises in the Big 12, and it's time for a few more before we decide the big one.

1. Oklahoma won't finish in the Big 12's top three. The Sooners entered the season as the preseason No. 1 and earned 41 of 43 first-place votes in the Big 12. This was supposed to be the big year for Oklahoma, but upsets and injuries dropped it to 9-3 and a fourth-place finish in the Big 12, via a loss to Baylor that gave the Bears the tiebreaker. Ryan Broyles missed the final three games with a torn ACL, and leading rusher Dominique Whaley missed most of the past four games with a fractured ankle. The Sooners lost two of their final three regular-season games and fell to the Insight Bowl.

2. Despite losing Dana Holgorsen, Oklahoma State's offense will be more productive. Holgorsen revitalized the Cowboys' offense, helping them set a school record with 10 regular-season wins and a share of the Big 12 South. Then he left for West Virginia. Enter Todd Monken. The results? A Big 12 title and 11 regular-season wins, along with more total offense and more points. Who knew?

3. Garrett Gilbert's junior season will last less than two games. Texas stuck with Gilbert for all 12 games of the 5-7 season in 2010, but he floundered in rather spectacular fashion in just his second start of 2011. He was 2-of-8 for eight yards and two interceptions before being benched for Case McCoy and David Ash. The Longhorns rallied to beat BYU that night, and less than a month later, Gilbert underwent shoulder surgery and announced his plans to transfer. He plans to play at SMU next year.

4. You're never out of it at halftime against Texas A&M. The Aggies looked so good so often, especially in the first half against eventual Big 12 champion Oklahoma State. They led 20-3 before losing the lead in the next quarter, and it would only become the first of six losses in which the Aggies led by double digits. Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas State and Texas all erased big leads to beat the Aggies, who finished 6-6.

5. Texas Tech ends college football's longest home winning streak -- then doesn't win again. After suffering close losses to Kansas State and Texas A&M, Texas Tech upset Oklahoma as 28-point underdogs, ending Oklahoma's 39-game home winning streak that dated back to 2005 and became the first Big 12 team to win in Norman since 2001. A week later, though, the Red Raiders were whacked, 41-7, by Iowa State and didn't win a game the rest of the year. Which was more surprising? Both were jaw-droppers. As a result, Texas Tech endured its first losing season in 18 years.

The Pac-10 and Big 12 nearly got married last year, but only Colorado ended up eloping with the now-Pac-12.

You know: The conference that can count!

But the Pac-12, which has, yes, 12 teams, and the Big 12, which has 10 teams (though it's often hard to keep up with which ones), play each other in three bowl games this holiday season.

Joy to the world.

So it seemed like a good time for the Pac-12 and Big 12 bloggers -- Ted Miller and David Ubben -- to say howdy and discuss all the coming fun.

Ted Miller: Ah, David, the bowl season. Pure bliss. Unless you’re the Pac-12, which is expected to get a whipping from your conference over the holidays. We have three Pac-12-Big 12 bowl games with the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl between Stanford and Oklahoma State, the Valero Alamo with Baylor and Washington and the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl matching California and Texas. And the Big 12 is favored in all three!

Poor ole West Coast teams. What are we to do? It’s almost like the Big 12 is the SEC or something. Speaking of which, how are things with your Cowboys? Are they over not getting a shot at LSU for the national title? Are they excited about getting a shot at Andrew Luck and Stanford? We might as well start with that outstanding matchup in Glendale, Ariz.

David Ubben: You know, I was actually a little surprised. I stuck around Stillwater for the BCS bowl selection show announcement, and the players took the news pretty well. They found out an hour before, but there wasn't a ton of down-in-the-dumpiness from the Pokes. When you've never been to this point before, it's a bit difficult to develop a sense of entitlement. If Oklahoma had OSU's record and was passed over by Alabama and sent to the Fiesta Bowl for the 17th time in the past six years, you might have had a different reaction.

But Oklahoma State's first trip to the BCS and first Big 12 title aren't being overlooked. These players are looking forward to this game. There's no doubt about that.

I know the Big 12 seems like the SEC, but I have a confession, Ted. I wasn't supposed to tell anybody, but I can't hold it in anymore. When the Big 12 began back in 1996 ... wow, I'm really going to do this ... then-SEC commissioner Roy Kramer graciously allowed the league to keep two of his teams. The league made a similar arrangement with the Big Eight a century ago, and the Southwest Conference around the same time. Missouri and Texas A&M are really wolves in sheep's clothing: SEC teams just pretending to be in other leagues. So that might explain the Big 12's recent dominance.

These should all be fun games, though. I ranked two of the matchups among the top three in my bowl rankings.

As for the big one, they say you learn more by losing than by winning. Stanford got its first BCS win after last season. How do you think that experience plays into this postseason's game? I hate to ruin the surprise, but Oklahoma State's a bit better than the Virginia Tech team Stanford beat last postseason. OSU's loss to Iowa State this season is bad, but it's nothing like the Hokies' loss to James Madison last season.

Ted Miller: Not only is Oklahoma State better than Virginia Tech, it's still questionable whether this Stanford team is better than last season's. Since we're going all crazy and whispering about the SEC, there was a feeling out West that by the end of the 2010 season the Cardinal might not only be the best team in the Pac-12 but also in the nation. They were big and physical, and quarterback Luck actually had a solid receiving corps with which to work. After a loss to Oregon in the fifth game of the season, they didn't lose again until playing, er, Oregon in this season's 10th game. If we could go back in time and have the Cardinal play Auburn, I think Stanford would have won the national title.

But that's 2010. The differences this season are the season-ending knee injury to middle linebacker Shayne Skov, who was an All-American candidate, and a slight step back on the offensive line and a lack of top-flight receivers. But if Oklahoma State fans are looking for something to worry about it is this: Stanford's running game.

The Pokes are bad against the run, and they haven't faced a team that is as physical and creative in the running game as Stanford. As much as folks talk about Luck's passing, it's his run checks that often ruin a defense's evening.

The Fiesta Bowl matchup looks like a great one, perhaps the best of the bowl season. But I’m excited to see Mr. Excitement, Robert Griffin III, in the Alamo Bowl against Washington. Of course, I’m not sure that the Huskies, their fans and embattled Huskies defensive coordinator Nick Holt are as thrilled. First, tell us about what Washington should be most worried about with Griffin. Then tell us about Baylor in general. Such as: Can the Bears stop anyone?

David Ubben: Nope. Not really.

Oklahoma State's defense unfairly gets a bad rap. Baylor's bad rap is earned. This is the same team that won five consecutive games late in the season -- but became the first team ever to win four consecutive in a single season while giving up 30 points in each.

That, if you ask me, says plenty about both the defense and the power of RG3. The Bears have a lot of athletes on the defense, but when four of your top five tacklers are defensive backs, well, you need a guy like RG3 to go 9-3.

The man is a nightmare. Top to bottom, he's the most accurate passer in a quarterback-driven league. Then you add in his athleticism, which he doesn't even really need to be extremely productive. It sets him apart, though, and forces defenses to account for it, and it buys him time in the pocket. How many guys break a 20-plus-yard run then hit a receiver for a game-winning 39-yard score to beat a team like Oklahoma for the first time?

How do you think Washington will try to slow him down? What has to happen for it to have some success?

Ted Miller: This game matches the 99th (Washington) and 109th (Baylor) scoring defenses. It has a 78-point over-under, the biggest of any bowl game. The offenses are going to score plenty, at least that's the conventional wisdom.

How does Washington stop RG3? His name is Chris Polk. He's a running back. Baylor gives up 199 yards rushing per game. Polk right, left and up the middle is a good way to contain Griffin. The Huskies' best hope is to reduce Griffin's touches with ball control. They also need to convert touchdowns, not field goals, in the red zone. The Huskies are pretty good at that, scoring 36 TDs in 45 visits to the red zone.

The Huskies also have a pretty good quarterback in Keith Price, who set a school record with 29 touchdown passes this season. He and a solid crew of receivers have prevented teams from ganging up against Polk. But Polk is the guy who burns the clock.

Should be a fun game. As should, by the way, the Holiday Bowl. David, Cal fans are still mad at Texas coach Mack Brown and his politicking the Longhorns into the Rose Bowl in 2004. Every team wants to win its bowl game, but the Old Blues really want to beat Brown.

Of course, neither team is what it was in 2004. Cal has an excuse. It's not a college football superpower. Sure you've been asked this before, but give me the CliffsNotes version of why the Longhorns have fallen so hard since playing for the national title in 2009.

David Ubben: Cal fans are still mad? Really? I'd suggest they get over themselves. What's anybody on that Cal team ever done, anyway? It's not like the best player in the NFL missed out on a chance to play in the Rose Bowl. Now if that were the case, we might have a problem. But honestly, I don't think Tim Tebow cares all that much about the Rose Bowl.

As for Texas' struggles …

The easy answer is quarterback play. Texas relied on Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley more than anyone realized. When they were gone, Texas couldn't run the ball, and quarterback Garrett Gilbert never made it happen. Two seasons later, the Longhorns still don't have a quarterback.

The other big answer last season was turnover margin. Gilbert threw 17 interceptions, and the Longhorns were minus-12 in turnovers, which ranked 115th nationally.

They were still only 90th this season, and without solid quarterback play in a Big 12 dominated by passers, they scored five, 13 and 17 points in three of their five losses. Texas keeps people from moving the ball and runs the ball better this season, but without a solid passing game and a defense that changes games, it's tough to rack up wins in the Big 12.

It's been awhile since Cal was in the mix for the BCS, even as USC has fallen. Oregon answered the call and rose, but what has prevented Cal from winning the Pac-10 and Super Pac-10 since the Trojans' swoon?

Ted Miller: You mention quarterback play. Cal fans ... any thoughts? You mention Aaron Rodgers. Cal fans? Oh well, that's not very nice during this festive time of the year.

Cal has become a solid defensive team, but it has lost its offensive mojo, and that can be traced to a drop in quarterback play since Rodgers departed. The latest Bears quarterback, Zach Maynard, started fairly well then stumbled, but then seemed to catch on late in the season. It's reasonable to believe the team that gets better quarterback play -- mistake-free quarterback play -- is going to win this game.

Nice to cover a conference in which quarterback play matters, eh David?

Speaking of quarterback play and winning, let's wind it up. Our specific predictions aren't coming on these games until after Christmas. But we can handicap the Big 12-Pac-12 side of things. We have a three-game series this bowl season.

I say the Pac-12, underdogs in all three games, goes 1-2. What say you?

David Ubben: And to think, before the season all I heard was the Pac-12 had surpassed the Big 12 in quarterback play. Did somebody petition the NCAA for another year of eligibility for Jake Locker and/or clone Matt Barkley? You West Coast folk are geniuses; I figured you'd find a way. We can't all be Stanford alum ...

Clearing out all the tumbleweeds here in middle America, I'll go out on a limb for the Big 12 in this one. Every matchup is a good one, and I don't think Cal has seen a defense like Texas', and Washington hasn't seen an offense like Baylor's. People forget that, yeah, RG3 is outstanding, but the Bears also have the league's leading receiver and leading rusher.

Stanford-OSU is a toss-up, but I'll go with a perfect sweep for the Big 12. The Cowboys haven't played poorly on the big stage yet, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt in this one, and they clean up for the Big 12 against what was almost their new conference this fall.

Oh, what could have been. Ubben and Miller on the same blog? Divided ultimately by a little thing we call the Rockies.

Living life blindfolded with one hand tied behind your back is no fun.

Ask Texas' offense.

Already struggling at quarterback, it played the final four games with its top offensive weapons out of the lineup or in it while battling injuries.

Running back Fozzy Whittaker tore his ACL on an ugly play at Missouri with the team's leading rusher, freshman Malcolm Brown, already out with turf toe. Fellow freshman Joe Bergeron rumbled for 327 yards in wins over Texas Tech and Kansas, but managed just nine more carries the rest of the season with a hamstring injury.

Jaxon Shipley missed a three-game stretch late in the season, returning for the final two games with a bulky brace on his knee and playing through pain.

"You take Fozzy, the two young backs and Jaxon, that's your oldest senior leader and the heart of your team, and he got about every award at the banquet," coach Mack Brown told reporters on Thursday. "And then you take three of your best freshman stars that were all touching the ball and making a difference in the ballgame, I think it took everybody aback. People will sit and say don't talk about injuries. When it's everybody that's touching the ball it's hard not to talk about them and think about it a little bit."

Texas managed just five points in a loss to Missouri. It fought for all 13 in a loss to Kansas State the following week.

"It's extremely hard when you're playing with new people, when you're in sync with somebody else," said offensive lineman David Snow. "We did chop down some plays, some packages. We have certain packages for certain players."

The biggest loss was the "Wild Fozzy" formation that the Longhorns used to produce six touchdowns by giving Whittaker a direct snap.

Texas should mostly be healthy when it plays Cal in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 28. It will be without Whittaker, though.

The duo of Brown and Bergeron should be back, and though Shipley's likely to retain his knee brace, he'll be on the field and healthier than he was in an upset win over Texas A&M to close the season.

"He's still limping. He's not 100 percent," Brown said. "He's got that big brace on his leg, but he's out there fighting for balls and diving. He likes to play, he's a fun player, and he just makes plays."

Chastise Brown for making "excuses" if you must, but it's the truth. The Longhorns, after benching Garrett Gilbert in the second game of the season, were relying on inexperience at every skill position, including quarterback where true freshman David Ash and sophomore Case McCoy shared time. They entered 2011 with one combined pass attempt.

Late in the season, that young talent thinned even further.

At Holiday Bowl, for the first time in almost two months, a Texas offense with a bright future may finally be close to full strength.

Texas made it official this week, removing the "or" between David Ash and Case McCoy's names on the depth chart.

McCoy, after completing 16 of 27 passes for 110 yards and running 25 yards on seven carries in a 27-25 win over Texas A&M, took over the No. 1 spot. McCoy started and played most of the game, but the Longhorns have had a revolving door at quarterback all season.

Garrett Gilbert began the season as starter after winning the offseason quarterback battle. He was benched midway through the season's second game and eventually transferred to SMU after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Since then, Ash and McCoy have split the starter role. Ash, a true freshman, has had significantly more playing time until a string of five games midseason where he had no touchdowns and six interceptions.

McCoy threw the ball 16 times (the same number as Ash) against Kansas State, tied for his highest total this season before throwing it 27 times against Texas A&M. Ash didn't have a pass attempt, but entered the game on a handful of plays.

McCoy has yet to throw an interception this season.

Looking around the league, the trend at Texas is troubling. The Longhorns are the only team doing the quarterback shuffle.

Here's how the rest of the league has handled their quarterback situation.

• Baylor: Robert Griffin III started all 11 games, replaced in the second half on Saturday by Nick Florence after suffering concussion-like symptoms. Will return this week versus Texas.
• Iowa State: Started Steele Jantz for the season's first seven games, benched early for Jared Barnett in a loss to Texas A&M. Barnett started the next four games, winning three, including an upset of No. 2 Oklahoma State.
• Kansas: Jordan Webb started all 12 games. Quinn Mecham threw 18 passes.
• Kansas State: Collin Klein started 11 games and will start this week, rushing for 1,013 yards and 25 touchdowns, and throwing for 1,587 yards, 11 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.

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  Missouri: James Franklin started all 12 games, throwing for 2,740 yards, 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and rushing for 839 yards and 13 scores.
• Oklahoma: Landry Jones started all 12 games, but the Sooners rotate in freshman Blake Bell in short yardage situations in the "BellDozer" formation. Bell has nine rushing touchdowns in four games.
• Oklahoma State: Brandon Weeden started all 12 games, ceding to Clint Chelf often in blowout wins.
• Texas A&M: Ryan Tannehill started all 12 games.
• Texas Tech: Seth Doege started all 12 games, though backup Jacob Karam threw a 43-yard touchdown pass on a trick play this week.

Not a good sign when the Big 12's best recruiting school can't settle on a player at the game's most important position, especially when every other team in the league hasn't had any troubles in that area.

Which Big 12 team has the best record against Texas since the league formed? It's not Oklahoma. It's not the angry Aggies. It's not the pesky Red Raiders, either.

In all of their five-star recruitiness, the Longhorns have had infamous struggles against Kansas State, which comes to Austin this week with a 5-2 record against the Longhorns since the Big 12's inception in 1996. The Wildcats have won past three meetings.

"Good fortune, I think, probably as much as anything," coach Bill Snyder says of K-State's recent dominance over Texas.

Former K-State coach Ron Prince never beat Kansas or Mizzou in his three seasons in Manhattan, but he was 2-0 against Texas. Snyder continued the tradition with an epic 39-14 beatdown a season ago in Manhattan.

I don't know about "good fortune."

"They’ve outcoached us and outplayed us. It’s pretty simple," Texas coach Mack Brown said.

That's more like it. Last year, K-State quarterback Collin Klein found out he'd be making his first start an hour before kickoff.

He carried the ball 25 times for 127 yards and two scores, and K-State needed only four pass attempts before jumping out to a 39-0 lead after three quarters.

"In that particular game, the good fortune was the fact we ended up playing a different style of quarterback, and one that they had probably not prepared for," Snyder said. "Collin was in the ballgame because Carson Coffman was injured. We were more geared toward quarterback run game, and I’m sure they probably hadn’t prepared well for that, so that’s my guess."

The defense, though, picked off Garrett Gilbert five times. Only three teams beat Texas by double digits in last year's 5-7 campaign. K-State's 25-point margin of victory was the season's most lopsided loss for the Longhorns.

"We were running the ball so well, with turnovers and good field position, the way we were controlling the ball, why throw it? Shoot," Klein said. "We played so well across the board as a team, it really took a lot of pressure off me. We executed so well up front that I had a lot of big holes to run through. Daniel was running well, they opened up some big holes for me, and when you take the turnovers and field position into effect, it equals a big victory."

Despite getting a longer look at Klein than most other teams in the Big 12 entering this season, that experience hardly provides an advantage for the Longhorns.

"He ran up and down the field last year and didn’t throw any passes and we didn’t stop him," Brown said. "He whipped us really good."

Despite entering this weekend 10 spots higher in the BCS standings, K-State is a nine-point underdog, a familiar spot for a team that's won five games as an underdog already this season.

If Texas can't get healthy, though, that status could change quickly on Saturday. If Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron aren't able to return, the Longhorns will be without their top three running backs. (Fozzy Whittaker injured his knee last week.) A knee injury has hounded top receiver Jaxon Shipley as well, and the offense sputtered in a 17-5 loss to Mizzou a week ago, failing to score a touchdown for the first time since 2004.

"Everybody’s got to play better. And we didn’t. We’ve got to coach better, we’ve got to play better, and we didn’t do either one," Brown said.

Texas, Brown says, just needs a win, however it happens.

"Even if it was a pee wee team," he said.

Beating No. 13 K-State would be a big one, and the Wildcats are no pee wee team, especially against the Longhorns. What bearing will history have, though?

"Every year is different. Every team of ours is different. Every team of theirs is different," Klein said.

The results when K-State and Texas get together, though, have been the same.

Here's what we learned on Saturday in the Big 12:

College football is far too often unfair: Ryan Broyles will finish his career as one of the greatest players to ever step foot on a college football field. However, his career ended far too early, with a handful of games left in his senior season. A torn ACL ended Broyles' career, but he'll finish as the FBS leader in receptions, a record that might stand for awhile. Broyles did it the right way and matured by wide lengths over his unbelievable career. It's over now, but here's a salute to a guy that's a perfect picture of everything right about college football. Broyles will have a great career at the next level.

Oklahoma State can take your punches and punch back: Which test was tougher? I'm going with Texas A&M, but Oklahoma State was pressed big time on Saturday and answered with two huge drives for the offense and one clutch defensive stop that might have saved a season. OSU coach Mike Gundy expected Bill Snyder to go for two if the Wildcats had scored at the end of regulation, but they never got the chance. OSU lost the turnover battle, 4-2, including a touchback and a pick-six, but survived the scare.

We might have a winless team this season in conference play: Kansas' chances are dwindling. Last season, it took a miracle for Kansas to notch its only conference win when it rallied from a 45-17 deficit in just over 11 minutes against Colorado. It might take another miracle this season. Baylor, Texas A&M and Mizzou are the last three teams on Kansas' schedule this season. Chances don't look good for the Jayhawks after dropping a 13-10 game to Iowa State on Saturday.

Missouri is back on the ropes, and Baylor's back in the history book: Baylor didn't make a bowl from 1994 up until last season, but the Bears have a fifth win on their record and a lot of winnable games ahead, including Kansas. The Bears should be back in the postseason, and would love a bowl win this time around. Mizzou, meanwhile, has three games left and must win two. Texas comes to Columbia next week, followed by games against Texas Tech and Kansas. It's going to be a tight squeeze for the Tigers, but they'll need some late-season magic.

Beware of Texas: This team, relying so heavily on freshmen, was bound to get a lot better, but the Longhorns are building toward a big finish after rolling over Texas Tech in a 52-20 blowout on Saturday. With a stifling pass defense and a powerful running game, this team is built to play with a lead, and that's two consecutive weeks with more than 400 yards rushing. I don't care who you're playing against, that's impressive. Ever since benching Garrett Gilbert, Texas has been solid, with the exception of a blowout loss to Oklahoma.

They're not back yet.

Oklahoma proved that for four hours in Dallas back in October.

Texas is building up steam to a big finish with its best performance of the year on Saturday, a complete victory over Texas Tech, 52-20.

The Longhorns finally look like they're running the ball like Mack Brown wanted them to all last season.

A week after rushing for 441 yards against Kansas, the Longhorns racked up another 439 against Texas Tech.

Both rush defenses rank in the bottom 10 nationally, but Texas has executed well for two consecutive weeks. The Longhorns don't need 400 yards rushing to win games, but when they run the ball like they did today, Texas showed how dominant it can be.

An offense reduced to a single dimension like Texas Tech's today is a welcome sight for defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. He loves the tastes of blitzes on a fall Saturday, and leads that balloon to 31-6 at halftime make him salivate.

His defense has answered.

Throw out that Oklahoma loss, and Texas has looked excellent every week this season. Undefeated Oklahoma State's passing game was held to its lowest total of the season and its second-lowest margin of victory against the Longhorns.

Since making the switch from Garrett Gilbert, Texas has won four games by an average of 33.5 points.

And, of course, Texas has officially qualified for a bowl game with its sixth win after last year's 5-7 season.

Today's effort was without two of the team's best players, too. Leading rusher Malcolm Brown and leading receiver Jaxon Shipley both sat out the game.

The big wins and return to the elite probably won't happen this year.

But Texas is moving in that direction fast, and picking up speed by the week.

Former Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert has told officials at SMU that he intends to enroll there, a source told ESPN's Joe Schad on Tuesday.

Gilbert visited campus earlier this season, and the Dallas university is about three hours north of Gilbert's hometown of Austin.

Gilbert lost his starting job after two games with Texas this season and then had season-ending shoulder surgery.

Gilbert was given an unconditional release from his scholarship to find another school.

His struggles last year were pretty public, but SMU seems like a nice place to start over. It just never worked out at Texas for Gilbert.

It's hard not to feel bad for the guy who left the field to boos for the last time he played at Texas against BYU, but look for him to make the most of any new opportunities.

He's a smart guy with a lot of physical ability. He just has to find a way to turn it into on-field production.

SMU coach June Jones would be near the top of the list of guys who could bring it out.

1. Nothing personal regarding Garrett Gilbert's decision to transfer from Texas. He is out for the season after shoulder surgery and whatever coach Mack Brown and offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin told him about his future made him decide that if he wants to play football, he should go somewhere else. But whatever happened to love of school? Love of teammates? Whatever happened to being, as every backup quarterback is, one play away?

2. It’s one thing for players to learn a new coach’s schemes in the relative calm of spring ball. It’s another to execute the schemes in a game, when the adrenaline flows or opponents hit you with something you’ve never seen. Miami coach Al Golden said the Hurricanes’ defensive line play has been so-so because, “when they get competitive they sometimes revert back to what they were taught. ... We are trying to play a different style now. The break down is coming because not everybody is playing the same technique or as a unit.”

3. Thanks to the nerds at ESPN Stats & Info, we now have a sense of just how dominant the top SEC defenses are. They broke down the highest percentage of opponent plays for no gain or lost yardage on first down. The top three defenses in the nation in this esoteric category are Florida (47.8 percent), Alabama (44.1) and LSU (43.0). Fresno State is fourth (42.0). I’m not sure how important that is, except that every defensive coordinator in America loves 2nd-and-long as much as he loves his children.

Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert plans to transfer, the school announced on Wednesday.

Gilbert has been given an unconditional release from his scholarship to find another school.

Gilbert, a former high school national player of the year, came off the bench as a freshman to replace injured Colt McCoy in the 2010 BCS championship game that ended with a loss to Alabama.

He started every game in the 2010 season when Texas fell to 5-7 and missed a bowl game for the first time since 1997.

Gilbert was benched earlier this season after throwing two interceptions against BYU, a game Texas came back to win.

"This was a very difficult decision because I love The University of Texas and have had a great time playing there," Gilbert said. "I've talked to Coach [Mack] Brown, [offensive coordinator Bryan] Harsin and the staff and have decided it is in my best interest to transfer. I can't thank all of my teammates and everyone at Texas enough for all of their support, but I just think I'm at a point in my life where I need a fresh start."

Gilbert injured his shoulder in the season opener and underwent season-ending surgery after being benched.

"Garrett is a terrific young man and we are very appreciative of everything he has done for our program," Brown said. "I know this has been a tough decision, and I can't thank him enough for hanging in there, helping the younger guys and being a great team guy even after he hurt his shoulder. We talked about his decision and we all fully support him. Whatever school he decides to go to will get a guy who will work as hard as anyone and compete both on the field and in the classroom."

Texas plays Oklahoma on Saturday in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl at noon ET.

Three years ago, two of the best quarterbacks in the history of the Red River Rivalry stepped on the field of the Cotton Bowl in Dallas and played one of the greatest games in the rivalry's history.

Texas won that day 45-35, and on Saturday, the two will meet as undefeateds for the first time since.

These days, Colt McCoy has gone from the burnt orange of Texas to the Browns of Cleveland. Sam Bradford, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft, is busy trying to revive the St. Louis Rams.

Two seasons after McCoy exhausted his eligibility and Bradford left early for the NFL, the programs they left behind find themselves in very different positions.

Oklahoma, winners of seven Big 12 titles with six quarterbacks, has another star quarterback. Landry Jones is a bona fide Heisman contender racking up yards by the bunches.

Texas? Garrett Gilbert threw 17 interceptions in 2010's 5-7 campaign before injuring his shoulder and undergoing season-ending surgery after being benched.

Left behind are Case McCoy and David Ash, who have a combined 57 career pass attempts. Jones has attempted 82 passes in his two Red River Rivalry games alone.

"[Jones] is a great advantage for them going into this game because he’s been in the game and won the game and he’s completing 72 percent of his passes," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "He’s a tremendous player, and in my estimation, he should be the leader for the Heisman."

The handoff from Colt McCoy and Bradford went the same way. An injury forced each out of duty. The results, though, were vastly different.

Gilbert nearly rallied his team to a win in the national title game against Alabama in 2009, despite turning the ball over five times.

Jones was charged with starting 10 games and replacing an injured Bradford in two others as the Sooners stumbled to an 8-5 season.

"It’s understandable that a guy that’s not expected to play for another year gets thrown in and is going to have a couple rough spots," said Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops.

Jones struggled against Texas in the Red River Rivalry and threw five interceptions in a road loss to Nebraska.

The common bond between Gilbert and Jones' early struggles? The supporting cast.

"So many guys around him were hurt and not able to play, either," Stoops said. "I think a little bit’s been made too much of him and the whole team struggled with the multitude of injuries we had."

Gilbert didn't deal with injuries, but he dealt with a Texas team that looked nothing like the group that had helped McCoy succeed.

"Last year was just such an enigma to everybody and to me," Brown said. "I think I just did a poor job last year. We were trying to get back to running the ball more and we didn’t do it consistently well last year."

That's changed this year, with a new offensive coordinator in Bryan Harsin and freshman offensive weapons in running back Malcolm Brown and receiver Jaxon Shipley, both aided by an offensive line that has made major strides since 2010.

Gilbert's gone, and the Longhorns are left to rely on inexperience at quarterback. Can Ash or Case McCoy see the kind of growth Jones did? It won't be easy in the first year.

"People had told me how difficult it was and how fast the game moved, but I guess I just really didn’t take it to heart," Jones said. "If I actually listened and really understood what they were trying to tell me, how fast it was and how much your emotions really get into the game and trying to slow things down and play within yourself, I really think I would have understood before I went in there."

Jones has logged plenty of snaps since, and went from flawed youngster to one of the nation's best. How did he do it? Well, by struggling.

"Getting thrown into college football and kind of being a little bit unprepared for it, I think," Jones said. "Being thrown into the fire was really good for me."

Jones had the luxury in his first season of practicing alongside the injured Bradford and having him on the sidelines during games. Bradford would calm him down and offer thoughts on what he saw.

He also helped the naturally quiet Jones grow into a compelling leader, as did the success that came with experience.

"That first year when Sam was here it was kind of his team and I was kind of in the background helping him out," Jones said. "Then I got thrust into there and [it was difficult] kind of figuring out how to lead and how to motivate people."

The same task is ahead of Texas' young quarterbacks, who are far behind Jones' schedule.

Still, no quarterback suiting up for Saturday's game can forget what Jones and Gilbert both learned, and what McCoy and Ash learned during Gilbert's struggles.

"You never know when you’re going to get your shot," Jones said.

No, Texas hasn't played an elite or ranked opponent yet.

But after a comeback win over BYU and blowout road wins over UCLA and Iowa State, it's clear that Texas is much closer to its 2009 national runner-up team than last season's squad that sat at home during the postseason.

The latest win was a dominant 37-14 win in front of the second-biggest crowd in Iowa State history and over an undefeated Cyclones team looking for a statement of its own.

Blowout wins on the road are rare against any BCS opponent, and Texas has now done it twice, playing well in all three phases of the game. The Longhorns are a young team that will only continue to get better, and here's guessing a replayed game against BYU would have a much more lopsided result without the aid of early Garrett Gilbert interceptions.

Texas has found its identity, even if it's one with two heads at quarterback.

Texas will go home to Austin with Oklahoma on its mind, and we'll learn just how far the Longhorns have come next Saturday in the Cotton Bowl.