ESPN College Football

Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads knows he has to stop Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas for his team to move to 2-1 on Saturday in Kansas City.

Kansas State coach Bill Snyder knows it, too. And he's trying to make sure that's not all Rhoads' team has to do.

Last year at Arrowhead Stadium, the Cyclones held Thomas, the Big 12's rushing leader in 2009, to just 96 yards on 25 carries but lost on a blocked extra point. He might take a similar performance by his defense this year, but he's quite aware of what he'll face on Saturday.

"He combines both power and elusiveness, and that’s a heck of a combination. Usually when you’ve got a big physical back, he’s more of a north-south type of guy. Our guy, Alexander Robinson would probably rather make you miss," Rhoads said. "He can do both. To do that with his size and speed combination is scary."

Thomas, at 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds, topped 90 yards in eight of 12 games last season. Already this year, he's put up 234 yards against UCLA and another 137 against Iowa State. That's made him college football's No. 3 rusher, up from No. 21 a year ago.

"He finds places to run the ball that, maybe a year ago, he wasn’t struggling with, but maybe wasn’t as quick to react to," Snyder said.

But the worst-kept secret in the Big 12 is stopping Thomas means stopping Kansas State. In games Thomas failed to top 90 yards, the Wildcats were 0-4. Iowa State came close. They also came close to winning. Which, in a tight Big 12 North race, doesn't mean much.

"We tackled well in the game and certainly you go into every game, and we go into this one especially, with a plan to stop the run. And have enough people close to the line of scrimmage and near the football to be able to do that," Rhoads said of last year's loss. "I don’t think we have any type of magic formula, I think we’re going to have to play better this year than we did a year ago, as a year more in a system, you have a better understanding of where your running lanes are and where you need to be, and he clearly does."

And for Kansas State, that's the challenge. Because of Thomas' success, they threw the ball the fewest times of any team in the Big 12. Because of that, they threw just seven touchdown passes, six fewer than the No. 11 team and 31 fewer than the No. 1 team.

It's tough to blame to 6-6 Wildcats for strapping their fate to the back of their workhorse, but the task this year is to turn that worst-kept secret into a fallacy.

The man who can do it is quarterback Carson Coffman, benched in mid-season last year for Grant Gregory. Coffman played through sickness in the first game, and threw for a career-high 280 yards against Missouri State in last week's 48-24 win. He's also the league's leader in passing efficiency through two games. His four touchdowns have already equaled his total from last season.

"When we put him on the field a year ago, he had not been a starting quarterback, so he really had not had a great deal of playing time and certainly had not had playing time in critical situations in close ball games, et cetera," Snyder said. "I think the experience has helped him, the experience both on the field and experience with the system, having different terminology as opposed to what he’d become accustomed to previously."

That's been apparent early in the season, after Coffman beat out Collin Klein and Sammuel Lamur to re-win the job. Now they'll need him to continue to show that improvement in conference play, so maybe this year, stopping Thomas doesn't mean stopping the Wildcats.

Here's my final look at the Big 12 power rankings for this season.

1. Texas: Longhorn fans will always remember Colt McCoy’s injury in the national championship game and what could have been. Texas overcame every challenge during the regular season, but came up lacking without its leader in the biggest game of the year. The way the Alabama game played out will always haunt Texas fans. If they could have ever grabbed a touchdown lead or more over Alabama, was there any real indication that Alabama could have won with Greg McElroy and the Crimson Tide’s leaky offensive line? But it went the other way and the Longhorns were ground into submission by Alabama’s potent rushing attack to put a disappointing capper on an otherwise memorable season.

2. Nebraska: The Cornhuskers finished 10-4 and were only five or six plays removed from winning three of those games -- losses to Texas, Iowa State and Virginia Tech. If that had happened, it’s not out of the realm of possibility the Cornhuskers could have finished in the top five or six teams nationally. But the convincing victory over Arizona, especially with the unexpected offensive firepower, should build confidence and embolden Bo Pelini and his team for bigger and better things next season.

3. Texas Tech: A roller-coaster season finished with Mike Leach and Ruffin McNeill looking for work despite an impressive 9-4 record where the Red Raiders overachieved to a Top 25 finish. Tommy Tuberville’s arrival will bring changes, but Tech returns with a strong nucleus starting of quarterbacks Taylor Potts and Steven Sheffield and running back Baron Batch. If Tuberville can get the Red Raiders up and running quickly, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that his new team could challenge Texas and Oklahoma next season. But it will be tough as he tries to change the culture of the most memorable era of Tech football.

4. Oklahoma: A fast finish took some of the sting out of Bob Stoops’ most disappointing recent season. The Sooners’ hopes of a Big 12 four-peat were doomed as soon as Sam Bradford was lost for the season. And Jermaine Gresham’s injury before the season changed the way Kevin Wilson’s offense could operate. But at the end of the season, Landry Jones showed enough promise to give him a foothold for the starting position next season. The defense developed some young playmakers like David King and Demontre Hurst who showed promise in the bowl game for future growth. The Sooners will be back challenging for the Big 12 title next season if those players build on their late-season efforts.

5. Oklahoma State: All of the promise at the start of the season unraveled with a disappointing string of injuries and suspensions. And even with all of those struggles, the Cowboys still had a chance to play in a Bowl Championship Series game if they had beaten Oklahoma. Losses in the last two games of the season left a bad taste for what could have been Mike Gundy’s breakout season. The defense played much better than expected under new coordinator Bill Young, but the offense didn’t live up to the promise -- especially when Zac Robinson was hurt and his offensive weapons were stripped away. All things considered, a 9-4 record with everything the Cowboys overcame this season was better than could be expected.

6. Missouri: As well as the Tigers played at times during the season, their season was marked by their fourth-quarter home collapse against Nebraska and their confounding Texas Bowl upset loss to Navy. Truthfully, it was expected to be a rebuilding year after losing Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin and Co., but some of that was lost after a four-game winning streak to start the season. Blaine Gabbert surpassed expectations and is in line to become the conference’s best quarterback over the next couple of years. And Danario Alexander was the best receiver in the nation over the second half of the season. Defensive woes hurt them, but Gabbert’s return and some young defensive talent should have the Tigers pointed to improvement next season and maybe a challenge at the North title.

7. Iowa State: Was there a better moment in the 2009 Big 12 season than Paul Rhoads’ emotional response to his team’s upset victory over Nebraska which became a YouTube staple? Rhoads’ first season far surpassed expectations with a 7-6 record, the Insight Bowl victory over Minnesota and all of the other surprising accomplishments. Alexander Robinson was the most underrated player in the Big 12 and the gritty Iowa State defense played just like you would expect from a Rhoads-coached team. It won’t be easy for them to duplicate next year as they switch to the Texas-Texas Tech-Oklahoma gauntlet of South Division opponents. But it was a nice first step for Rhoads in building his program.

8. Kansas State: The Wildcats missed out on a bowl trip because of playing too many creampuffs during the nonconference season, but Bill Snyder’s first season was better than expected. The Wildcats received huge contributions from Grant Gregory and Daniel Thomas, who both arrived before summer practice with no real expectations coming into the season. Thomas developed into one of the conference’s best backs and should return for more next season. If Oregon transfer Chris Harper can develop into a playmaker at either quarterback or wide receiver and the defense comes together, the Wildcats might be a threat to make a bowl appearance in 2010.

9. Texas A&M: For all of their offensive weapons, the Aggies’ defense and special teams were the primary culprits in a 6-7 season capped by a disappointing Independence Bowl loss to Georgia. Jerrod Johnson posted the top statistical numbers ever produced by an A&M quarterback and he’s surrounded by a bevy of strong offensive weapons. But Mike Sherman’s new coordinator is going to need to produce more improvement from a young defense if the Aggies have any hopes of contending in the South Division next season and beyond.

10. Kansas: The Jayhawks’ leaky defense did it with mirrors against a weak early schedule, but it all caught up with them during a seven-game losing streak to close the season that precipitated Mark Mangino’s resignation. Todd Reesing, Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe all finished careers that will go down among the top players in Kansas history. But the challenge for new coach Turner Gill and defensive coordinator Carl Torbush will be to rebuild a defense that allowed at least 31 points in seven of eight conference games.

11. Colorado: Dan Hawkins popped off about challenging for a Big 12 North title at the end of last season. Instead, his team’s struggling performance ended his hopes of “10 wins and no excuses” before conference play even began. The season started off badly with embarrassing nationally televised losses to Colorado State, Toledo and West Virginia and didn’t get much better once conference play began. The Buffaloes did start Kansas’ losing streak and beat Texas A&M, but sputtered offensively as they ranked in the bottom 10 teams in rushing, passing efficiency and sacks allowed and in the bottom 20 teams in total offense. Tyler Hansen emerged as the quarterback of the future. His development will be critical in Hawkins’ hopes at a contract extension.

12. Baylor: The Bears started the season with a confidence-building upset at Wake Forest, but their season for all intents and purposes ended as soon as Robert Griffin sustained a season-ending injury in the third game. Griffin should be back next season but key defensive players like Joe Pawelek and Jordan Lake won’t be. The quarterback's return will be critical in rebuilding offensive confidence that was booming heading into the season. The Bears might have the opportunity to snap the conference's longest bowl drought next season in a more balanced Big 12 South, but the key for the season will be developing a defense that can better challenge the South Division’s powers.

Whatever happened to the Big 12 and all of those wild offensive numbers and great teams from last season?

With all of the promise from last season, more of the same was expected with many of the key players returning for another season. But an improbable rash of injuries and suspensions left top players like Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham, Baylor’s Robert Griffin and Oklahoma State’s Dez Bryant and Kendall Hunter sitting along the sideline rather than playing.

Instead, the defenses bit back in 2009, capped by a wild 13-12 victory by Texas over Nebraska in the conference championship game.

The results were seen on the field where the conference started slowly with a 4-7 record in out-of-conference games. Only one of those nonconference wins came after the first week of the season.

Taking advantage of Oklahoma’s injuries and a tight victory in Dallas on Oct. 17 over the Sooners, the Longhorns remained at the front of the Big 12 for most of the season. The Big 12 finished with only one team ranked among the top 19 teams in the final BCS standings and only three in the Top 25.

The bowls will provide a tough challenge for Big 12 teams. Only Texas Tech and Oklahoma are favored among the eight teams that were selected for postseason play.

Texas will be a consensus underdog against Alabama in the Citi BCS Championship Game. It’s exactly the position the Longhorns were in five years ago when they stunned USC in the title game.

A Texas triumph in the Jan. 7 matchup will be necessary to help salvage some of the Big 12’s reputation.

Offensive MVP – Texas quarterback Colt McCoy

Although he struggled in the championship game and against Oklahoma, McCoy was the fulcrum of the league’s best team. Down the stretch he pushed himself into Heisman consideration with 300-yard passing games in three of his last four regular-season games to finish with 3,512 passing yards and 27 touchdowns. But his most impressive number was breaking David Greene’s career won-loss record to set the NCAA mark with a 45-7 record.

Defensive MVP -- Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh

After his stellar senior season, Suh might have progressed to a level never approached by a Big 12 defensive player. Suh dominated the game in ways unusual for a defensive tackle as he finished with a team-leading 82 tackles, including 50 solo stops. He was third nationally with 12 sacks, broke up 10 passes and also blocked three kicks. He capped his season with a career-best 12 tackles in the championship game, including a record 4.5 sacks in a performance that earned him a trip to New York City for the Heisman Trophy award ceremony.

Newcomer of the Year -- Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas

Thomas was projected as a quarterback when he arrived at Kansas State this summer from Northwest Mississippi Community College. Coach Bill Snyder thought he could help the team more at running back and he emerged as the focal point of a Kansas State defense that took the Wildcats within a game of the North Division title. Thomas led the league with 1,265 rushing yards, 247 attempts, 11 rushing touchdowns and 105.4 yards per game, accounting for more than 100 rushing yards in five different games.

Coach of the Year -- Texas’ Mack Brown

While some could argue for Paul Rhoads and Snyder as possible candidates, Brown’s ability to lead the Longhorns to a perfect 13-0 season, his second Big 12 title and his second BCS title game appearance elevates him over the rest. The Longhorns excelled from the first game as they charged to the first 12-0 regular-season record in school history. He’s also pushed the Longhorns into another BCS bowl game for the fourth time in six seasons. Texas has won all of those previous games, but will be challenged as it faces Alabama as a decided underdog.

Biggest surprise -- Kansas State

The Wildcats were picked to battle to stay out of the North Division cellar and had to break in new players at quarterback and running back. After a 2-2 start in nonconference play capped by a loss at Louisiana -Lafayette, Snyder’s team caught fire behind quarterback Grant Gregory, Thomas and a plucky defense. The Wildcats led the season with a month to go, but couldn’t nail down a title after losses to Missouri and Nebraska. Those losses cost them a bowl appearance, but Snyder proved he could still coach a little bit -- even at the age of 70.

Biggest disappointment -- Oklahoma

The Sooners entered the season as the nation’s No. 3 team and a potential challenger for the BCS title game. But a preseason injury cost them Gresham for the season, and Bradford played less than two complete games before he was knocked out for the season with a shoulder injury. An injury-ravaged offensive line struggled to remain solvent, and the Sooners’ hopes of claiming an unprecedented fourth straight Big 12 title ended after an early loss to Texas. It didn’t stop there as later road losses to Nebraska and Texas Tech left them free-falling all the way to a berth in the Sun Bowl. It left them with a 7-5 record that marked the most losses in the regular season in Bob Stoops’ coaching tenure.

Game of the Year -- Texas 13, Nebraska 12, Big 12 title game, Dec. 5

The defenses dominated this game as the two teams combined for only 308 total yards and converted only eight of 35 third-down plays. But after a fourth Nebraska field goal by Alex Henery had given the Cornhuskers a 12-10 lead with 1:44 left, Texas answered. McCoy mustered a late drive to put the Longhorns in position for a game-winning kick. But as he attempted to run a final play from scrimmage, McCoy appeared to have allowed the game clock to expire as he threw the ball out of bounds. Nebraska players charged the field thinking they had won the game, but game officials ruled there was one second left. Hunter Lawrence took advantage of the remaining time to drill a 46-yard field goal, pushing the Longhorns into the BCS title game. Memories of the extra play will resonate throughout history for Nebraska fans who already believe they were jobbed out of a chance at a surprise Big 12 title.

Here's how I rank them heading into the bowls.

1. Texas: The Longhorns earned their BCS championship game berth, but it wasn’t pretty. They struggled all night offensively against Nebraska and were lucky to escape Arlington with the Big 12 championship. The most immediate concern for this team will be the return of the running game and to find some kind of pass blocking after all of the struggles in the championship game. If Texas struggled against teams like Oklahoma and Nebraska, the same bodes for the game against Alabama. Colt McCoy’s Heisman hopes took a big hit. Fortunately for him, Ndamukong Suh will be wearing a coat and tie the next time he sees him rather than a football uniform.

2. Nebraska: It was amazing that the Cornhuskers were so close to the Big 12 title, considering all of their struggles on offense. But even after producing five first downs and 106 total yards against Texas, the Cornhuskers were close because of the play of their defense, particularly Suh. Some of the comments that the Pelini brothers made after the game that were reported in the Omaha World-Herald will only increase the intensity of next season’s game when Texas visits Nebraska. But after Saturday night, there’s no doubt that Bo Pelini has pushed the Cornhuskers program ahead faster than most expected. And the Holiday Bowl will be another way for the Cornhuskers to continue their growth.

3. Oklahoma State: A week after their demolition at the hands of Oklahoma, it will be interesting to see how the Cowboys respond to the start of Cotton Bowl preparations. The Cowboys will face a determined challenge in the trenches against Mississippi, which stunned Texas Tech last season. The Cowboys sure could use Donald Booker in a physical game like that -- and a healthy Zac Robinson.

4. Texas Tech: Mike Leach has never missed a bowl during his 10-year tenure with the Red Raiders. Tech is running into the bowl game in good shape with Steven Sheffield recovering from his foot injury and Taylor Potts coming off a strong finish. The Red Raiders also might end up catching a very winnable bowl game in the Alamo Bowl as they face a fractured Michigan State program that is being torn apart after a controversial series of suspensions. A win likely would enable the Red Raiders to crack the final Top 25, so a big effort is important in bowl preparations.

5. Missouri: It’s hard to believe that a team ranked this high will end up playing in the Big 12’s bowl game with the smallest payout. Actually, Gary Pinkel probably isn’t complaining too much. Navy’s one-dimensional offense shouldn’t pose that much of a problem to the Tigers. They get a shot to play in another Texas city for a bowl game -- it will be four different ones in four years in Houston -- but it will keep the Tigers as a prime topic of conversation in one of Texas’ most fertile recruiting areas. Even though the trip might not be as glamorous as a trip to Arizona, it will still be a bowl trip and a winnable one at that.

6. Oklahoma: The Sooners will be making their first visit to El Paso since 1993 with their trip to the Sun Bowl. It’s a big disappointment after all of the high expectations coming into the season. But the game against Stanford should be a challenging one. It will be a test for the Sooners to check Andrew Luck, Toby Gerhart and all of the Cardinal’s offensive weapons. But the opportunity to win after losing five of his last six bowl games should be something that will drive Bob Stoops and his team during the next several weeks.

7. Texas A&M: Expect one of the most entertaining bowl games when Texas A&M hooks up with Georgia in the Independence Bowl. With Joe Cox and Jerrod Johnson throwing passes and the relative struggles of both team’s pass defenses, the first team in the 50s might end up winning. It will be a good challenge for the Aggies -- particularly on defense -- as they try to stem a recent bowl tailspin that has seen them lose seven of their last eight bowl games since 1998.

8. Kansas State: No bowl game for the Wildcats, but Bill Snyder is hitting the junior-college recruiting trail in earnest as he tries to find playmakers who will fill in for departing seniors like Jeffrey Fitzgerald and Grant Gregory. The Wildcats came much closer to making a bowl trip this season than most expected before the season. Their inability to practice in December will be a huge impetus for Snyder to make sure he includes only one FCS team on his future schedules.

9. Iowa State: Cyclone fans have traditionally stepped up with the kind of interest that makes bowl directors take notice -- even pushing them ahead of teams like Missouri that had significantly better records and head-to-head victories over the Cyclones. Paul Rhoads won’t apologize for his trip to the Insight Bowl, or a chance at a winnable game against Minnesota. ISU will be looking to hand Minnesota its third straight Insight Bowl loss from a different Big 12 team. Considering the Gophers’ late-season offensive struggles, the Cyclones should have a good shot at their first bowl victory since 2004.

10. Kansas: After Mark Mangino’s “resignation” last week, Lew Perkins is looking for a new coach. That chore obviously overrides all other aspects of running the program. Perkins is under the gun a little bit, considering that recruiting can be started by the new coach as soon as he is hired. The coaching search at least will take some of the focus away from the seven-game losing streak that will keep the Jayhawks home for the holidays after a promising 5-0 start this season.

11. Colorado: Dan Hawkins is answering questions about his secret new e-mail address. That’s what happens when you talk about winning “10 games with no excuses” and end up not making a bowl game. But after Hawkins’ one-season reprieve, he’s probably not complaining too much.

12. Baylor: The Bears remain tied with Duke for the nation’s longest bowl drought at 15 seasons and counting. The key for Art Briles’ team to break it next season is getting Robert Griffin healthy and developing a defense that can stand up to the rigors it will face in the South Division next season.

Here's how I rank them heading into the Big 12's championship game week.

1. Texas: The Longhorns are cruising to the BCS title game, although they showed some unexpected defensive struggles against Texas A&M. Fortunately for them, Colt McCoy was ready with the kind of performance that subdued their old rivalry and gave him some big Heisman Trophy traction. Their challenge beating Nebraska this week will be to stay away from mistakes and play with the confidence that befits their national title contender status.

2. Nebraska: It’s no surprise the Cornhuskers are playing for the Big 12 title. But they have overcome their share of adversity as they make their first championship game appearance since 2006. Bo Pelini's team has a puncher’s chance Saturday night against Texas mainly because of a determined defensive front and a special teams unit that has dictated field position all season long. Punter/kicker Alex Henery has been among the most valuable Cornhuskers all season and will need a big game against Texas on Saturday.

3. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys ran into a buzz saw Saturday at Oklahoma as they struggled offensively throughout the game against a determined and challenged Oklahoma defensive unit that whipped them in the trenches. With their BCS at-large hopes dead, Mike Gundy's team remains the likely choice for the Cotton Bowl and the opportunity to finish with 10 victories for the first time since 1988. But it wasn't a good sign for them that Donald Booker likely will miss a bowl game and Zac Robinson was hobbling with a sprained ankle.

4. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders dodged a bullet in a struggling offensive performance against Baylor before Taylor Potts piloted them to a second-half comeback against the plucky Bears. But the biggest story in that game and all season was a strong defensive effort down the stretch. Mike Leach has Tech pointed upward through what was expected to be a rebuilding year. Considering all of the quarterback injuries, the Red Raiders have accomplished more than what was expected in an 8-4 season.

5. Missouri: Battling out of an early hole, the Tigers showed some gumption in their comeback against Kansas. Danario Alexander again showed why he deserves to be a Biletnikoff Award finalist after producing his third 200-yard effort in the past four games. In Missouri football history, there had been three previous 200-yard receiving games before Alexander. Blaine Gabbert finished strongly, avoiding an interception over his last 161 attempts of the season. The defense struggled against Kansas, but provided a key stop at the end of the game, and Carl Gettis' two fumble recoveries helped spark the comeback.

6. Oklahoma: The Sooners came up with their defensive performance of the season, limiting Oklahoma State to 109 yards and denying them from converting on all 14 third-down plays. Ryan Broyles made a huge difference in the return game and the Sooners overcame a patchwork offensive line to play consistently. Bob Stoops punctuated his most disappointing regular season with an impressive triumph. Now, he'll attack those pesky bowl-game struggles that have dogged him the past few seasons.

7. Texas A&M: Jerrod Johnson started his 2010 Heisman candidacy early with a career game against Texas as he accounted for 439 total yards and four touchdown passes. The Aggies had the offense to stick with Texas, but critical errors on defense and special teams were too great in the end to overcome. The upcoming bowl practice will be invaluable for a young team aiming to improve and become a potential surprise in the South Division next season.

8. Kansas State: No bowl game for the Wildcats, but Bill Snyder can take a lot of pride in the job that he did to take them within a game of the Big 12 championship game. Mike Gundy’s loss at Oklahoma opens up discussion for Snyder as the Big 12’s coach of the year. Considering the way Snyder built his team’s offense around quarterback Grant Gregory and running back Daniel Thomas -- both of whom arrived on campus shortly before fall practice -- provides evidence that he merits serious consideration for the honor.

9. Iowa State: Kansas’ loss assures the Cyclones a bowl berth and a chance to have some critical bowl practice for a young team that will grow immensely from the experience. Paul Rhoads will get his share of coach of the year votes for his four-game win/loss turnaround from last season. And how about a chance for the Cyclones to finish this season with bowl trip to Shreveport and a shot at Gene Chizik and Auburn? But ISU won't be picky about any bowl trip.

10. Kansas: For 57 minutes Saturday, Mark Mangino was providing a clinic on why he should return as the Jayhawks’ coach. But his clock management and play-calling decisions down the stretch left him open to huge questioning as Missouri charged back for the comeback victory. It still remains amazing that a team that started 5-0 and appeared ready to challenge for the Big 12 North title would fall apart like the Jayhawks did during a seven-game losing streak to finish the season. And their late performance Saturday against Missouri provides critics with ample ammunition why a coaching change is necessary.

11. Colorado: Dan Hawkins’ job was saved and he’ll enjoy the benefit of coaching a team that should be more experienced after this season’s struggles. This time around, don’t expect Hawkins to make any wild pronouncements or predictions for next season at the team’s season-ending banquet like last season. The Buffaloes showed hope for the future by gashing Nebraska for 403 yards -- the most allowed by the Cornhuskers this season. Hawkins' first task will be to work on the team’s fundamentals after the Buffaloes committed 107 penalties this season.

12. Baylor: Blake Szymanski’s return to the starting lineup looked like a masterstroke before Texas Tech charged back for the comeback victory. The Bears’ bowl hopes were in trouble as soon as Robert Griffin was out with a season-ending injury. But Art Briles' team still played tough and showed a lot of moxie as the season progressed without its standout quarterback. The Bears learned lessons from the struggles but will have to rebuild a defense that will be stripped of key playmakers like Jordan Lake and Joe Pawelek. Briles must find replacements if the Bears have any hopes of snapping their conference-worst bowl drought that dates to 1993.

As we had into the last week of the regular season, here’s how I rank the Big 12 teams.

1. Texas: The Longhorns are aiming squarely ahead at the BCS title game. Victories over Texas A&M on Thursday night and against Nebraska next week will get them there. Their offense has developed a variety of weapons around Colt McCoy and the defense has gotten better as the season has continued. They haven’t been tested in any Big 12 game since the Oklahoma game. Maybe that challenge comes this week at Kyle Field.

2. Oklahoma State: A dramatic comeback orchestrated by third-stringer Brandon Weeden got them past upset-minded Colorado last week and kept their BCS at-large hopes alive. Zac Robinson is still a 50-50 proposition to play Saturday at Oklahoma. This game puts the Cowboys in the position that Oklahoma always has seemed to be in previous games in the series, having to win to keep to boost their BCS hopes. One underrated factor in the Cowboys' recent charge is that the Cowboys' defense is playing with determination and tenacity. But it’s hard to believe the Cowboys can go into Norman and give Bob Stoops his third career home loss unless Robinson plays -- and plays well.

3. Nebraska: The Cornhuskers have wrapped up their fifth North Division title and first since 2006. This arguably might be the least talented Nebraska team to win a North title. But if the Blackshirts continue playing like they have down the stretch, they’ll have a puncher’s chance of stealing an upset victory from the Longhorns.

4. Texas Tech: New nicknames aside, Texas Tech quarterback Taylor “Nick” Potts might be the streakiest player in the league. When he’s on, the Red Raiders have the same kind of offense that has marked some of Mike Leach’s best teams. But when not or he’s been injured, the Red Raiders fall far behind that level. The biggest reasons the Red Raiders could soar as high as the Cotton Bowl in the conference's pecking order are because their defense has played with an edge and Baron Batch has evolved into one of the most valuable and versatile players in the conference.

5. Oklahoma: One of Bob Stoops’ biggest embarrassments in his Oklahoma coaching career took place Saturday in Lubbock when the Sooners were humbled by Texas Tech. For the first time all season, the Oklahoma defense struggled and appeared to give up on the Red Raiders' final scoring drive. Before that backbone collapsed, the Oklahoma offense crumbled along with it as the Sooners lost by 28 points. Despite the bitter disappointments that have marked the season, the Sooners can spoil Oklahoma State’s BCS bowl hopes by winning the Bedlam game. Will the Sooners’ pride enable them to defend their nation-best 29-game home winning streak? We’ll see on Saturday.

6. Missouri: The North’s second-best team down the stretch has been the Tigers, who are jelling behind the pass-and-catch combination of Blaine Gabbert and Danario Alexander. Their late run has been accentuated by the return of a running game that was dormant most of the season. If the Tigers can finish strongly, it's not out of the realm of possibility that the Tigers could end up at the Cotton Bowl. An impressive victory over Kansas might get them there.

7. Texas A&M: The Big 12’s most underrated and perhaps most productive passer down the stretch has been Jerrod Johnson, who has orchestrated the Aggies’ late charge to a bowl game. Sure, his team has been streaky and the defense hasn’t played with a pulse at times earlier in the season. Some of that can be ascribed to the number of young players playing significant roles. Escaping the Big 12 South cellar and making a bowl game has been a positive step for this team. And beating Texas on Thursday night would qualify as a huge momentum surge heading into the bowls and recruiting season.

8. Kansas State: No bowl game for this bunch, but it still doesn’t diminish the coaching job that Bill Snyder did. Considering Grant Gregory and Daniel Thomas both didn’t arrive until fall practice began speaks to the huge transformation this team made. In the end, the Wildcats were bitten by a weak nonconference schedule and their lack of productivity against the North Division’s best teams. But putting things into perspective, this group might have overachieved more than any Big 12 team this season.

9. Iowa State: The Cyclones likely now will be assured of going bowling, and the extra practice alone will make this a worthwhile endeavor for Paul Rhoads’ team. Austen Arnaud kept ISU in the game at Missouri until its pedestrian secondary wore out against Missouri's athletic receivers. The biggest challenge for Rhoads will be to start attracting the kind of recruits that will enable his team to start narrowing that talent gap with the rest of the league.

10. Kansas: Coaching questions aside, the Jayhawks still could make a bowl trip with an upset victory over Missouri Saturday in Kansas City. It’s almost the same situation as last season, when the Jayhawks stunned the Tigers when most had given up on them. Can Mark Mangino rally his troops one more time as his direction of the program has never been under such duress?

11. Baylor: All Baylor fans will likely wonder what might have happened if Robert Griffin hadn’t gotten injured in the third game of the season. That malady doomed the Bears from that point forward as they skidded to a 4-7 record. Griffin will be back next year, but the loss of key defensive players like Joe Pawelek and Jordan Lake can’t be overstated. Art Briles had Baylor’s momentum shooting upward heading into the season. It’s taken a step back now. And in the South Division it will be a tremendous challenge for him to get his program pointed in the right direction.

12. Colorado: The Buffaloes’ loss at Oklahoma State was their season in a microcosm. This group isn’t bereft of talent and might have been a bowl team with a couple of breaks. But critical mistakes with turnovers and penalties doomed them over and over again. It sounds like Dan Hawkins’ status already has been determined. And if -- or when -- a new coach is hired, he’ll have some talent to mold. He just better work on fundamentals with this group.

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska and Kansas State used to be the Big 12 North’s two Tiffany programs as they combined for every championship game appearance from the division in the first five years of the conference’s history.

Neither program has approached the levels of those earlier days. But tonight’s winner-take-all battle between the Cornhuskers and Wildcats still will settle who will be playing in Arlington on Dec. 5.

Bo Pelini and Bill Snyder have had their moments over the years. Pelini angrily accosted Snyder after the Wildcats’ 38-9 victory in Lincoln in 2003 when he was the Cornhuskers’ defensive coordinator when he felt the Wildcats tried to tack on a late touchdown against a young Nebraska defense.

Both have made their amends since then. But their first matchup as rival head coaches will be an interesting one with huge stakes.

Here are some of the things I’ll be watching:

For Nebraska:

Follow Legate in the I-formation: Nebraska has seen much recent success when redshirt freshman fullback Tyler Legate was inserted into the lineup. His blocking has helped open holes that have sparked Roy Helu Jr. to back-to-back 100-yard rushing games as the Cornhuskers have run off three consecutive victories. I look for them to utilize a similar offensive strategy – particularly early in the game as they dare KSU to stop them.

Senior Day for the Cornhuskers: It will be an emotional game tonight for key Nebraska players like Suh, center Jacob Hickman, guard Andy Christensen, linebacker Phillip Dillard, safety Matt O’Hanlon and defensive end Barry Turner who will be concluding their home careers at tonight’s game. This group was here to start their careers with Bill Callahan before finishing up with the first two seasons of Pelini’s coaching tenure. They’ve seen the Cornhuskers return to the cusp of another title. Will they be able to get them back there tonight?

Will Cody Green get a call for Nebraska: If starting quarterback Zac Lee struggles early, it will be interesting to see if Pelini and Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson make a change -- even for a couple of series -- to freshman Cody Green. He’s had his moments earlier this season, but lost his job after struggling against Oklahoma. Lee has played with much confidence in the last couple of weeks, so I wouldn’t expect the Nebraska coaches to have a quick hook tonight.

Bo’s money ball: If the Cornhuskers can win tonight, it would be worth an extra $150,000 to Bo Pelini for qualifying for the Big 12 title game. He also stands to make an extra $100,000 by taking the Cornhuskers to a Big 12 title and another $100,000 bonus by leading the Cornhuskers into a bowl game.

For KSU:

Protect inside: There will be much pressure against KSU guard Zach Kendall and Kenneth Mayfield and center Wade Weibert to account for Nebraska’s talented tandem of defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Jared Crick. The middle of the Kansas State defense must do a good job in keeping them away from starting quarterback Grant Gregory.

Thomas the Train: Bullish 227-pound tailback Daniel Thomas expected to challenge for the starting job at quarterback when he arrived at Kansas State. Instead, he’s become the focal point of the Wildcats’ offense in another way. Thomas has accounted for about 35 percent of the Wildcats’ offense, leading the team with 1,166 yards. Expect the same kind of use tonight as the Wildcats will try to lengthen their possession with multi-play drives keeping the ball away from the Cornhuskers.

Tackle with abandon: The Wildcats have been very turnover-productive this season, ranking second in the conference and 19th nationally with a plus-eight turnover ratio. Nebraska has been susceptible to turnovers throughout the season, committing eight against Iowa State. The KSU defense will similarly need a couple of big plays, to take the loud sellout crowd of the game.

Get a cheap touchdown -- or two: Brandon Banks needs one more kickoff return to tie the NCAA career record for kickoff returns. With Nebraska’s defense likely to be extremely difficult to dent, a special-teams score would be huge. Even if Banks just dictates field position with his returns, it would be important for a KSU team that figures to struggle to producing consistent yardage against the Cornhuskers.

The upset bug didn't bite nearly as badly last week. My predictions were better because of it.

Everything turned out for me except for Missouri's surprising beatdown at Kansas State. I thought the Wildcats' perfect home record before last week would give them an edge.

I was wrong.

But the rest of the picks made up for it in a strong week with only one miss.

This will be the complete week of the season. Hopefully, I'm set for a strong finish with these picks.

Oklahoma State 34, Colorado 14: Zac Robinson's playing condition is iffy and the Cowboys have struggled passing the ball very effectively in recent weeks. But it won't matter Thursday night as they will be playing for their hopes as a BCS at-large team before a national television audience. That should help boost OSU's strong running tandem of Keith Toston and Kendall Hunter to have big games, no matter if Robinson plays or not. And look for a big effort from the underrated Oklahoma State defense, which has limited four of its last five opponents to 17 points or less.

Nebraska 28, Kansas State 17: The North Division title is up for grabs in this winner-take-all battle. The Cornhuskers' running game will be tested by Kansas State's gritty defensive front which has overachieved all season. Roy Helu Jr. has been Nebraska's key offensive threat in recent weeks, but Zac Lee needs to continue to build on his strong effort of last week against Kansas to balance the Cornhuskers' attack. Kansas State figures to struggle against the Cornhuskers' defensive front and will need to stay ahead of the chains to keep Grant Gregory from too many long-yardage situations. Bill Snyder will try to dictate the pace by shortening the number of possessions and keeping the game away from the Cornhuskers as much as possible. But Nebraska has too much defense to let the division title slip away.

Texas 45, Kansas 14: It should be an emotional game as Colt McCoy, Sergio Kindle & Co. play their last home game. Look for the Longhorns to try to build on their strong running performance that was developed last week at Baylor with featured ball carriers Cody Johnson and Tre' Newton getting most of the carries. Kansas has been through an emotional wringer this week with all of the discussion about Mark Mangino's coaching methods called into question. Todd Reesing will return home to play in Austin. The Jayhawks showed some improvement last week against Nebraska, but playing the No. 3 Longhorns in Austin will be an entirely different matter.

Oklahoma 28, Texas Tech 24: A rare matchup between these two old rivals without championship ramifications seems a little strange. But the Sooners will be looking to rebound after struggles on the road all season. Landry Jones bounced back with a big game last week, but the biggest story was the return of DeMarco Murray. If he's on, the Red Raiders will have difficulty matching Oklahoma's athleticism on offense. The Red Raiders have questions at quarterback and will be supremely challenged by the Sooners' strong defense. That combination should be enough to enable them to escape from Lubbock with a win.

Texas A&M 27, Baylor 21: Both teams have bowl aspirations in a must-win game for the Bears. Because of that, I expect them to play much better than last week against Texas. They have confidence from beating A&M soundly in Waco last season. But A&M has too manyoffensive weapons this season, starting with Jerrod Johnson and receivers Jeff Fuller and Uzoma Nwachukwu. Art Briles will make this a battle, but the Aggies have too much firepower not to continue their long winning streak over Baylor at Kyle Field, which dates to 1984.

Missouri 34, Iowa State 17: Gary Pinkel's team will be looking to play strong back-to-back conference games for the first time all season. Danario Alexander gives them solid hopes of being able to do that, as well as make some personal history against the smallish ISU secondary. The plucky Cyclones have given up a lot of yards, but have done a good job close to their end zone on defense. Missouri has too many athletic weapons for them as the running game might rebound this week behind Derrick Washington, along with Alexander's sizable contributions. And the Missouri defense came through last week with a big performance in clamping down on Kansas State's running attack. Iowa State has similar offensive aims, which should be a benefit to the Tigers.

Last week: 5-1 (83.3 percent)

Season record: 64-22 (74.4 percent)

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Here are 10 things I’m looking forward to watching in Saturday’s games across the Big 12.

1. Can Mack Brown continue his remarkable winning streak against Oklahoma State? Since coming to Texas, Brown has won 11 straight games against Oklahoma State. For whatever reason, the Longhorns always seem to make the play they need to make to beat the Cowboys. Will this winning streak continue again this season, or are the Cowboys finally due to spring an upset that would turn the South Division race and the BCS on its ear?

2. How will Oklahoma State’s offensive replacements fare against Texas? Keith Toston and Hubert Anyiam have emerged as key contributors for Oklahoma State since Dez Bryant was lost to an NCAA suspension and Kendall Hunter to an ankle injury. Can that group continue its strong recent performance against a Texas defense that ranks in the top 10 nationally in the four major statistical categories -- rushing defense, pass efficiency defense, total defense and scoring defense? And will we see Hunter, who is rounding back into shape after missing the last five games.

3. Can surprising Kansas State continue its strong recent surge at Oklahoma? Despite stinging criticism from coach Bill Snyder for their struggles in the second half in last week’s win against Colorado, Kansas State unexpectedly sits alone in first place in the North Division. Will Grant Gregory, Brandon Banks and Daniel Thomas shake off that lethargy and produce some big plays against an Oklahoma defense that still is one of the best in the country?

4. DeMarco Murray’s return for Oklahoma. After missing last week’s victory over Kansas with a bum ankle, Oklahoma’s most explosive runner and receiver is expected to be back for the Sooners' game against Kansas State. The Sooners looked like they didn’t miss him last week against Kansas. But assuredly, Murray could fill a vital role for them against an underrated KSU defense.

5. Will Seth Doege get his first career start at quarterback for Texas Tech? Reports seem to be pointing that the third-string freshman will start Saturday against Kansas. The Red Raiders are intent on boosting offensive production after losing to Texas A&M last week. Doege, or whoever starts, will be facing a Kansas defense that has struggled this season, ranking 100th in pass defense after allowing eight TD passes in the last four games.

6. How will the Texas Tech defense react to the pointed criticism from Mike Leach? After being gashed for 321 rushing yards by Texas A&M last week -- more than they had allowed in their previous three games combined -- the Red Raiders were called out in unflattering terms by their coach. The Red Raiders shouldn’t face nearly the test in the trenches from Kansas, but Todd Reesing and his fine group of receivers still could make this a long day at Jones AT&T Stadium for Tech’s secondary if the Red Raiders' pass rush can't get more push this week.

7. Iowa State’s bid for another stunning road upset. The Cyclones made history last week by winning at Nebraska as they forced a record eight turnovers in their first victory there since 1977. The excitement of their postgame celebration has already become a YouTube staple across the cyberspace. Now, they travel to Texas A&M where they will meet an A&M team that had a similarly stunning upset last week when it won at Texas Tech. The Cyclones can qualify for their first bowl game since 2005 by winning, but will be tested by A&M’s emerging group of offensive weapons.

8. Can Texas A&M keep up its stunning rushing success? Only a week after producing minus-13 rushing yards at Kansas State, the Aggies exploded for 321 rushing yards and six touchdowns against Texas Tech. Can Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael continue that success against an opportunistic Cyclone defense that bends but does not break and ranks tied for 14th in turnover margin?

9. How will Colorado and Missouri react to the expected mushy conditions on Saturday? With more than two feet of snow expected to pile up on the front range the next couple of days, which team will be favored on the sloppy track? Will it be Missouri’s pass-heavy attack or Colorado’s rushing game that has proved to be a little plodding against Big 12 teams on drier turf?

10. Will Bo Pelini’s recent attention to his offense result in more production for the Cornhuskers? Pelini told reporters earlier this week that he’s offering more advice on offense. It comes after Nebraska has produced only six touchdowns in the last 16 quarters, with four of those coming in a 15-minute span at Missouri. The Cornhuskers have a chance to build some confidence against a struggling Baylor team and a victory would boost them right back into the North title race. The upcoming game might be the best chance for Nebraska to get quarterbacks Zac Lee and Cody Green some playing time.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

It hasn't been a good season for starting quarterbacks in the Big 12.

In fact, it could almost be said that it's been "open season" on starting quarterbacks across the conference this season.

Only six teams have had the same starting quarterback in the lineup for all of their games. And it's no coincidence that the conference's best teams -- Texas and Oklahoma State -- have had the same starting quarterback for every game.

	AP Photo/David J. Phillip
	Zac Robinson has started every game at quarterback for the Cowboys this season.

Baylor and Oklahoma have already lost Robert Griffin and Sam Bradford, ending the Bears' hopes of a bowl game and likely ending the Sooners' chances of defending their unprecedented three-peat of conference titles.

But no team has been as drastically affected as Texas Tech, which had never had a quarterback miss a start before this season under Mike Leach. The Red Raiders have more than made up for it this season as Taylor Potts and Steven Sheffield both have been knocked out of the lineup at different times.

Potts returned to the lineup last week and struggled in the Red Raiders' loss to Texas A&M. It led to a heavy chorus of boos and chants of "No More Potts" after his interception in that game as third-stringer Seth Doege finished the game.

"I ignore that, but I'm going to play whoever I think is the best guy," Leach said of the vociferous fan reaction. "I guess it's free speech."

With Sheffield still a week away as his injured foot heals, Leach could turn to Doege Saturday against Kansas.

But he's not tipping his hand early in the week.

"Game-time decision," he said. "We'll look at practice."

Here's a look at each Big 12 team and their progression of quarterbacks this season.

Baylor: Griffin was idled with a season-ending knee injury against Northwestern State on Sept. 26. Backup Blake Szymanski had struggled with bruised shoulder. Freshman Nick Florence started games against Kent State and Oklahoma. Szymanski started against Iowa State. Florence returned to the starting lineup Saturday against Oklahoma State.

Colorado: Starter Cody Hawkins struggled with on-field performances and was replaced when Tyler Hansen burned his redshirt against Texas on Oct. 10. Hansen started the Buffaloes' games against Kansas and Kansas State, but was replaced by Hawkins against Kansas State on Saturday.

Iowa State: Starter Austen Arnaud bruised his hand during the Cyclones' victory over Baylor on Oct. 17. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Jerome Tiller, who directed the Cyclones' upset victory at Nebraska on Saturday.

Kansas: Todd Reesing has started every game.

Kansas State: Carson Coffman started the first four games, leading the Wildcats to a 2-2 nonconference record. Grant Gregory was inserted into the starting lineup when conference play began, leading KSU to a 3-1 record.

Missouri: Blaine Gabbert has been slowed by a sprained right ankle, but has been the Tigers' starter in every game. Backup Jimmy Costello replaced him late in the Tigers' loss to Texas last week.

Nebraska: Zac Lee has been the starter for every game, but the Cornhuskers have sputtered against top opponents. The Cornhuskers have scored 59 points against opponents from BCS conferences, with 27 of those points coming in one quarter. Coach Bo Pelini has hinted at a change to freshman Cody Green, who despite strong early production, has seen action in only four games this season.

Oklahoma: Bradford was knocked out of the starting lineup late in the first half of the Sooners' season-opening loss to BYU. Backup Landry Jones has played well at times, setting the school's single-game record for touchdowns with six against Tulsa. Jones started three games before he was replaced by Bradford, who started against Baylor and Texas. Bradford was knocked out of the Texas game on the Sooners' second possession, re-injuring his shoulder and forcing season-ending surgery.

Oklahoma State: Despite sustaining a pulled groin muscle in training camp, Zac Robinson has started every game for the Cowboys.

Texas: Colt McCoy has started every game for Texas.

Texas A&M: Jerrod Johnson has started every game for Texas A&M.

Texas Tech: Potts was Texas Tech's starting quarterback for the first five games before he was knocked out of the New Mexico game with a concussion. Sheffield rallied the team with a strong performance in that game and then orchestrated victories in the next two games against Kansas State and Nebraska before injuring his foot against the Cornhuskers. Potts returned to the starting lineup but struggled in the Red Raiders' loss to Texas Tech on Saturday. Now, Leach is hinting that he might start Doege against Kansas this week.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

I’m hoping for a little better luck this week after having gotten stung (again) by Texas A&M, losing out on Nebraska and not having the guts to pick Colorado to beat Kansas, even though I had an inclination the game would be closer than the prognosticators thought.

Maybe I’ll have the guts to pick one of those games when it hits me this year.

Here are my picks for this week:

Kansas State 24, Colorado 21: Look for a tight defensive battle in this one as the improving Wildcats hook up against new Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen. The Buffaloes looked transformed under Hansen, who directed them to the upset victory over Kansas last week. He’ll be challenged by a KSU defense that notched six sacks and produced three interceptions last week. The Wildcats have been limited at quarterback with Grant Gregory and Carson Coffman alternating time this season. But look for the Wildcats to win this one because of the Buffaloes’ difficulties on the road and the coaching acumen of Bill Snyder.

Nebraska 35, Iowa State 17: The Cornhuskers need some confidence after last week’s stunning upset loss to Texas Tech. Bo Pelini has hinted at a possible change to Cody Green as his starting quarterback from Zac Lee, who started their first six games this season. The Cyclones played well against Baylor last week, but will be taking a big step up against the Cornhuskers on the road. Whoever plays for the Cornhuskers at quarterback needs to boost an offense that has struggled with its line play and getting its wide receivers involved.

Oklahoma State 33, Baylor 24: The Cowboys need this one to set up a huge showdown next week in Stillwater against Texas. Despite the loss of Dez Bryant (NCAA-mandated suspension) and Kendall Hunter (cracked foot) their offense has played well. And Bill Young’s defense has emerged in the past several weeks as they were showcased in a strong second-half performance against Missouri. Baylor will attempt to test them with backup quarterback Blake Szymanski, who was intercepted three times last week. The Bears produced only 10 points last week against Iowa State and will need a big improvement in order to gain the upset this week.

Oklahoma 31, Kansas 28: It will be interesting to see how the Sooners rebound after last week’s disappointing loss against Texas. Look for Oklahoma to have a bigger than expected day as Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles will challenge a Kansas pass defense that has struggled and featured three new starters last week. Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing has had success passing all season to Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe, but the Jayhawks will be facing their toughest defensive challenge of the season against the Sooners.

Texas Tech 48, Texas A&M 17: This simmering rivalry isn’t getting as much national attention as usual after the Aggies’ three-game losing streak. Backup quarterback Steven Sheffield has engineered a three-game winning streak for the Red Raiders, but isn’t expected to play after sustaining a foot injury against Nebraska last week. Mike Leach has directed the Red Raiders to four straight victories over the Aggies and seven wins in the last eight seasons. Whoever is playing at quarterback for the Red Raiders should find success against an A&M defense that ranks 94th in total defense and 104th in scoring defense. Also, keep a watch for a Tech defense that has played well in recent weeks, allowing Kansas State and Nebraska an average of 12 points in the last two games.

Texas 38, Missouri 24: The Longhorns hope to continue their march to the Big 12 South title against Missouri, who they have beaten 14 times in a 15-game stretch, marred only by a loss in 1997. An improved running game helped spark a second-half comeback for the Longhorns against Oklahoma. Colt McCoy will hope to rebound after a struggling performance against the Sooners. The Longhorns will be facing a Missouri team that lost its first two conference games -- a far cry from its success in title game appearances each of the last two seasons. The biggest reason has been Missouri's difficulty in producing turnovers. The Tigers need to turn that trend around if they have any hope of stunning the Longhorns.

Last week: 3-3, 50 percent.

Season: 46-16, 74.2 percent

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

1. Texas: It wasn’t pretty, but the Longhorns’ 38-14 victory over Colorado was a good lesson as they prepare for the Red River Shootout. The running game struggled mightily, producing a season-low 46 yards as top backs Vondrell McGee and Tre’ Newton both were dinged up. Those absences only paved the way for a career night for Jordan Shipley, who is becoming one of the nation’s top receiving/return threats. And the Longhorns are playing some stringent defense after limiting their last three opponents to an average of 15 yards rushing per game. Colorado produced only 127 yards, giving the Longhorns two efforts of holding opponents to less than 130 yards this season for the first time since 1952.

2. Nebraska: The Cornhuskers’ defense played at a dominating level against Missouri as it gradually wore down the Tigers before their 27-12 triumph. Ndamukong Suh had a huge game to key a brutal pass rush that won the game for the Cornhuskers. Zac Lee was streaky, but still came up big during a stretch of 3 minutes, 32 seconds early in the fourth quarter when the Cornhuskers took the lead against the fading Tigers. It won’t get any easier for Nebraska this week as Texas Tech’s explosive offense comes to Lincoln. The Cornhuskers rank second nationally in scoring defense, third in pass efficiency defense, 14th in pass defense and 15th in turnover margin. But Tech has won the last three games of the series, scoring 70, 37 and 34 points against Nebraska.

3. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys had a gritty effort against Texas A&M, claiming a 36-31 victory despite not having Dez Bryant (suspension) and Kendall Hunter (ankle). Keith Toston filled in for Hunter with 204 total yards, and a group of receivers stepped up to replace Bryant in the comeback victory. Improved quarterback pressure helped Oklahoma State notch four sacks in a big step forward after its first conference game. A tough game with Missouri is up next as the Cowboys need to continue their recent balanced offensive success.

4. Kansas: A huge aerial effort by Todd Reesing, Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe powered the Jayhawks to a 41-36 victory over Iowa State. It wasn’t pretty, but it was still a win. In coach Mark Mangino’s own words, the Jayhawks were exposed by Iowa State’s underrated offense. Kansas had enough offense to win the game and escape with a share of first place in the Big 12 North. Can the Jayhawks do the same against the better offenses they will be facing in the future?

5. Oklahoma: Sam Bradford is back and the Sooners appear to have things on an uptick heading into the Texas game. Bradford was outstanding in his first game back, passing for 389 yards despite having 11 passes dropped by his receivers, including three in the end zone. The Sooners allowed Baylor third-string quarterback Nick Florence to carve them up for 262 yards, so their defense is a concern heading into the Texas game. They must show more consistency in the red zone and play better defensively if they have any hopes of claiming the upset Saturday at the Cotton Bowl.

6. Missouri: What happened to the Tigers in that driving rain in Columbia last Thursday night? After dominating play for three quarters, the Tigers fell apart late as they allowed the Cornhuskers to roll up 27 points in the final quarter to steal the victory. Blaine Gabbert threw two crucial interceptions in the fourth quarter and the Tigers couldn’t run the ball consistently enough to take pressure off Gabbert. The defense played well until collapsing after all of the turnovers in the fourth quarter. And it won’t get any easier as the Tigers visit Oklahoma State.

7. Texas Tech: A big effort by Texas Tech’s first backup quarterback to start for Mike Leach should help contribute to Leach’s first QB controversy. The offense sizzled with Steven Sheffield in charge, scoring nine touchdowns on their first 10 possessions to blow open a 66-14 victory over Kansas State. The Red Raiders did a nice job of neutralizing leading KSU rusher Daniel Thomas, who was limited to a season-low 49 yards on 11 carries -- with only 15 of those yards coming after the Wildcats’ first offensive series. Leach was playing coy on who his starting quarterback will be, but the Red Raiders will face a huge challenge in Nebraska with whoever is chosen as the starter.

8. Baylor: The Bears moved the ball well in Florence’s second start, but were done in by their inability to score against Oklahoma’s stingy defense in the second half. Baylor produced only two first downs with five three-and-outs and two turnovers. The defense wasn’t bad as it limited Oklahoma to four field goals on red zone possessions to start the second half until Bradford’s late touchdown. The Sooners wore down the Bears before producing 592 yards to extend their winning streak over Baylor to 19 straight games. It was a definite step back after all of the excitement for the Bears during their 3-1 nonconference performance, showing them how much more competitive Big 12 play will be.

9. Texas A&M: After a promising 3-0 start, the Aggies have fallen apart with disappointing losses to Arkansas and Oklahoma State. The struggling trends in those losses make bowl aspirations seem like a fleeting hope. The Aggies struggled protecting Jerrod Johnson against Oklahoma State, allowing four sacks. And the Aggies' defense couldn’t make a play down the stretch to get the Cowboys off the field as they ran the clock on their final possession to wrap up a 36-31 victory. Mike Sherman can only hope these games will help build experience for his young team that featured seven freshman starters on Saturday.

10. Iowa State: Just when it seemed it couldn’t get any more excruciating for Paul Rhoads and the Cyclones, a game like Saturday’s loss to Kansas happened. After losing the previous week against Kansas State by a missed extra point, few expected the Cyclones would match up with No. 16 Kansas. The Cyclones gave the Jayhawks everything they wanted and came within an overthrown pass from Austen Arnaud to Darius Darks at the end of escaping with an upset victory. Alexander Robinson’s return helped rejuvenate the offense after he rushed for a career-best 152 yards, despite recovering from a strained groin muscle. The kicking game must improve after Grant Mahoney missed two extra points, and a 26-yard field goal never was kicked because of a low snap. The Cyclones can’t afford those kicking-game errors in close games.

11. Kansas State: The Cyclones took a huge step backward after getting blown out in a 66-14 loss at Texas Tech -- the most points ever allowed by a team coached by Bill Snyder. The KSU defense came into the game ranked seventh against the pass, but allowed eight TD passes -- most ever against a team in the school’s history. Grant Gregory started, but the broken plays that he turned into touchdowns last week against Iowa State resulted in sacks against Texas Tech. Carson Coffman may have won his starting quarterback job back, but that determination will be made in practice this week. The huge loss has made a bowl trip a virtual impossibility unless the Wildcats claim home victories in the next two weeks against Texas A&M and Colorado.

12. Colorado: It was one of the Buffaloes’ best performances this season, but still not good enough against Texas, who ran them out of the stadium late in a 38-14 victory. The Buffaloes were undone by critical mistakes on special teams and turnovers. Perhaps the most interesting development was when coach Dan Hawkins decided to play backup quarterback Tyler Hansen, effectively ending his chance to redshirt this season. Hawkins said he’s settled on Hansen as his starter. It will be interesting to see if that move settles Colorado’s offense.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Here are my picks for this week. It’s a bounce-back weekend for yours truly after an embarrassing 3-3 performance last week.

I bought into Texas A&M’s offensive hype and also believed that Iowa State would persevere against Kansas State. Little did I know that Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett and KSU kick-blocking specialist Emmanuel Lamur would have something to say about both games. And Oklahoma did me no favors against Miami -- particularly after Ryan Broyles went down early in the game.

Here are my picks for this week:

Nebraska 38, Missouri 31: The Cornhuskers have been waiting for their shot at the Tigers for a long time, particularly after losing the last two games to the Tigers by a combined margin of 93-23. That hasn’t gone down smoothly for the Cornhuskers and particularly Bo Pelini, who has never beaten Missouri after also losing to them as Nebraska's defensive coordinator in 2003. I think that trend changes Thursday night in the slop in Columbia, Mo., where I look for the Cornhuskers to dominate in the trenches. If the weather is nasty, as expected, I think the running of Roy Helu Jr. becomes even more effective. Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert will have his moments with his talented crew of athletic receivers. But I just don’t think the Missouri offensive line can keep Ndamukong Suh, Barry Turner, Pierre Allen and Jared Crick away for the whole game.

Texas A&M 27, Oklahoma State 24: The wheels come off the Cowboys’ bandwagon Saturday afternoon, playing without Dez Bryant. With many of their primary offensive weapons questionable with injuries, Oklahoma State won’t be able to afford to get into a shootout with the Aggies. A&M is still smarting from last week’s offensive effort when they piled up 28 first downs and outgained Arkansas, 458-434, and still lost 47-19. But if the Aggies can take control early and get the large crowd at Kyle Field involved, they have a great chance of upsetting the Cowboys.

Oklahoma 38, Baylor 14: Even without Sam Bradford, I would like the Sooners' chances with Landry Jones starting his fourth game. But with Bradford’s intention to play, I think it makes Oklahoma that much more inspired -- particularly after last week’s disappointing loss at Miami. The Sooners have to develop more offensive rhythm and find some receiving threats who can fill in for Broyles. Look for Blake Szymanski to start for the Bears. He’s not a novice after starting 13 games for the Bears in 2007. But the Sooners’ pass rush should feast against a young, inexperienced Baylor offensive front that will keep the Bears' quarterback harried throughout the game. Without Robert Griffin, the Bears have little hope of making this game competitive.

Texas Tech 42, Kansas State 28: The Red Raiders could make history Saturday night as Steven Sheffield is poised to become the first backup quarterback to start a game for a Mike Leach-coached team. Taylor Potts is recovering from a concussion and likely won’t be ready to play. But it shouldn’t matter against the Wildcats, who haven’t faced an offense nearly as potent as Tech will provide. Kansas State’s best hope will be to try to dictate the tempo with quarterback Grant Gregory and rely on underrated running back Daniel Thomas. But the Red Raiders are allowing only 3.0 yards per carry and that will be pivotal in trying to keep Gregory in long down-and-distance situations. Tech has too many offensive weapons for Kansas State and should be able to win handily.

Texas 49, Colorado 10: The surging Longhorns will be looking to build momentum for next week’s game against Oklahoma. Standing in their path this week is Colorado, which has struggled in two previous road losses to Toledo and West Virginia and been embarrassed three times on national television this season. The Longhorns will make it four. Texas has the best talent the Buffaloes have faced and should be able to score easily against Dan Hawkins’ team. Look for Texas’ athleticism to allow it to jump ahead early as Colt McCoy and his receivers should have another huge game.

Kansas 38, Iowa State 17: This game was competitive last season in Ames, as Kansas was lucky to escape with a 35-33 victory. The margin won’t be nearly that close this time around for the rested Jayhawks, who are coming off last week’s bye in good physical shape. Iowa State can’t match Kansas’ deep collection of tall, talented receivers, providing another chance for Todd Reesing to torment the Cyclones. Reesing has thrown eight touchdown passes and produced a quarterback rating of 202.44 in helping beat ISU in three previous games. The Jayhawks will be tested by Iowa State’s emerging offense. But I expect Kansas to build on a strong fourth-quarter defensive effort against Southern Mississippi to help it beat the Cyclones.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

1. The battle of young guns at Columbia: Missouri and Nebraska both will be bringing largely untested quarterbacks into Thursday night’s pivotal North Division showdown. Nebraska’s Zac Lee has a small edge because he’s played in a big game before -- losing by one point at Virginia Tech on Sept. 19. Blaine Gabbert will be facing his toughest test to date against the Cornhuskers. Whoever wins this battle likely will win the game.

2. Missouri’s running game: The Tigers are averaging only 3.8 yards per carry this season -- down significantly from last season’s average of 5.2 yards per carry. Missouri’s line needs some push against the talented Nebraska front, keeping Gabbert out of too many second-and-long and third-and-long situations. If Derrick Washington, De’Vion Moore and Kendial Lawrence can be productive and keep the Tigers in productive yardage situations, it will go a long way toward a Missouri victory.

3. Oklahoma State’s reaction to the loss of Dez Bryant: The Cowboys already are facing serious injury woes. But now they’ll have to account -- perhaps for the rest of the season -- for the loss of their top offensive weapon and most explosive player after Bryant's suspension by the NCAA. His abilities as a receiver and punt returner made him a threat to score every time he touched the ball. Without him, the Cowboys won’t be nearly as explosive. It will place more pressure on receivers like Hubert Anyiam, DeMarcus Conner and Josh Cooper. They have a combined career total of 21 receptions.

4. The Aggies respond to a blowout: Texas A&M needs to blot out bad memories from a 47-19 loss to Arkansas last week in Arlington, Texas. The Aggies jumped to a quick 10-0 lead before Arkansas blew their doors off with 30 straight points. But their chances of stunning the Cowboys -- particularly with Bryant not playing -- might be better than you suspect. The first two or three possessions for the Aggies will be critical. A key will be whether the young A&M tackles can block better on the perimeter for Jerrod Johnson. And can they do a better job in sticking with the Oklahoma State offense that won’t be nearly as explosive as it typically is. Kyle Field will be rocking. Will the Aggies feed off that support?

5. Sam Bradford’s playing status: The returning Heisman Trophy winner has hinted he’d like to return to action this week, building confidence before the pivotal game with Texas next week. The Baylor game would give him an ideal game to get his feet wet. But whether he is ready physically remains a question. And also, will Bradford be willing to jump back into battle with an Oklahoma offense stripped of its most potent weapons with the loss of Ryan Broyles and Jermaine Gresham?

6. Who starts for Baylor at quarterback? The Bears have questions of their own as Blake Szymanski attempts to return to action after sustaining a bruised shoulder two weeks ago. Nick Florence had a strong debut last week in directing the victory over Kent State. But beating the Golden Flashes and Sooners is a completely different manner. Baylor coach Art Briles would feel more comfortable with an experienced player like Szymanski calling signals.

7. Will Colt McCoy’s first-half struggles continue? Texas’ Heisman Trophy contender is off to a slow start, having thrown four of his first five interceptions in the first half this season. He shouldn’t be challenged against a Colorado defense that has produced only two interceptions this season, tied for 10th in the conference.

8. Colorado's struggling defense against talented Texas: The Buffaloes have been gashed for 11 gains of 40 yards or more this season. Colorado defensive coordinator Ron Collins will face a huge challenge trying to curtail Texas’ big-play abilities, especially considering the Longhorns’ across-the-board edge in athleticism.

9. What do Grant Gregory and Steven Sheffield do for an encore? Kansas State backup quarterback Grant Gregory engineered a victory from the start of the game over Iowa State. Texas Tech backup Steven Sheffield directed a Tech triumph over New Mexico after starter Taylor Potts was dinged late in the first half, scoring touchdowns on his first four possessions in charge. With both backups set to likely start again, who will emerge from Saturday’s game in Lubbock better prepared to make it two straight triumphs?

10. Iowa State's attempts to account for Kansas’ playmakers in space. Kansas offensive coordinator Ed Warriner does a good job of getting his playmakers outside for big plays, with a talented array of standouts like running backs Toben Opurum and Jake Sharp and wide receivers Kerry Meier, Dezmon Briscoe, Johnathan Wilson and Bradley McDougald. Iowa State has been challenged to keep those kind of athletic players in check all season, particularly by an overachieving starting secondary that averages only 5-foot-9 in height. The Cyclones will be challenged to stick with Wilson, Briscoe, Meier (all 6-foot-3) and McDougald (6-foot-2). ISU will face its stiffest defensive test so far this season in terms of containing the Jayhawks' tall, talented and deep receiving crew.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

1. Texas: The Longhorns took the weekend off to prepare for Colorado. The break almost came at a bad time for Texas, considering their performance against UTEP last week. And after the Miners’ stunning upset over Houston Saturday night, how good does Texas’ beatdown victory over the Miners look now?

2. Oklahoma State: After a week off, the Cowboys will travel to Texas A&M this weekend. The break was good for Mike Gundy’s team as it gave key players like Dez Bryant, Perrish Cox, Kendall Hunter and Jeremiah Price a week to heal. But the Cowboys might have received another injury concern when learning emerging freshman running back Jeremy Smith could be undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery.

3. Kansas: Maybe the Jayhawks’ victory over Southern Mississippi doesn’t look as attractive today, after the Golden Eagles’ loss at UAB. But Kansas still heads into Big 12 play heavy with momentum after the week off. The Cyclones have a score to settle with Iowa State after the Cyclones’ near-upset last season at Ames. Figure that Kansas will be focused for this one back home.

4. Nebraska: Coach Bo Pelini begins Big 12 play with one of his toughest Big 12 games first as the Cornhuskers travel to Missouri on Thursday to start conference play -- a place where they haven’t won since 2001. The Cornhuskers’ defense has been emerging in recent weeks and will be the key for their effort on Thursday night. And, yes, the Cornhuskers might have a score to settle with new Missouri quarterback -- and former Nebraska commit -- Blaine Gabbert.

5. Oklahoma: The Sooners dropped their second one-point decision of the season, struggling without much offensive firepower when Ryan Broyles joined Jermaine Gresham and Sam Bradford on the sideline. And that lack of productivity finally bit them when the Sooner defense finally wore down late against Miami, allowing the Hurricanes to kill the clock. Bob Stoops has always excelled when his back was against wall and facing big challenges. He might be facing the biggest test of his 11-season coaching career with the Sooners in the next few weeks.

6. Missouri: The Tigers have been the biggest early surprise in the conference and take a big step forward into North title contention with a victory over Nebraska. A win would continue their recent mastery over the Cornhuskers and prove their 4-0 start was no fluke. One particular key will be running the ball against the Cornhuskers, keeping Gabbert out of long-yardage situations against Nebraska’s fearsome pass rush.

7. Texas Tech: Mike Leach might be facing a rarity as Taylor Potts attempts to overcome a concussion that idled him for much of Saturday’s victory over New Mexico. Steven Sheffield immediately juiced the Red Raider offense, scoring on his first four possessions. But as the Red Raiders get ready for Kansas State, Leach has to be concerned about Tech’s five turnovers vs. New Mexico and the five sacks allowed after yielding only six in the first three games. Tech’s defense has some improvement as well after allowing New Mexico to produce its season-high in passing and total yards last week.

8. Baylor: Impressive relief performances by Nick Florence and Jarred Salubi enabled the Bears to finish off a 3-1 nonconference record. It won’t get any easier as Baylor travels to wounded Oklahoma for its conference opener. The defense remains a concern after Kent State rolled up season-best totals of 424 total yards and 259 passing yards. But Baylor’s special teams came up big with three blocked kicks -- two by Jason Lamb and one by Phil Taylor.

9. Kansas State: Bill Snyder had a trick up his sleeve and pulled it by using transfer Grant Gregory as his starter. Gregory responded with a strong night (206 passing yards, two TD passes, one TD run) to direct a comeback that produced the tight victory over Iowa State. The triumph helps Kansas State claim its first conference game for only the second time in the past nine seasons. And KSU’s victory was preserved by a blocked extra point with 36 seconds left by Emmanuel Lamur -- Kansas State’s 36th blocked kick since 2002.

10. Iowa State: The Cyclones had their chances before a disappointing loss to Kansas State that was settled on a blocked extra point in the last minute. The Cyclones played well at times without leading offensive threat Alexander Robinson, but were done in by too many defensive mistakes in critical situations and a lack of offensive rhythm. Three fourth-quarter three-and-outs on offense and two fumbles were simply too much for the Cyclones to overcome.

11. Texas A&M: After a fast start, the Aggies were exposed down the stretch by a faster and more talented Arkansas team to provide for their first loss of the season. It looked like 2008 all over again as the Aggies struggled to protect Jerrod Johnson. And after dominating early against Arkansas, Von Miller and the Aggies’ pass rush disappeared for most of the game. Those struggles mean that Mike Sherman has his work cut out as he starts facing even stronger teams in the Big 12 South.

12. Colorado: It won’t get any easier for Colorado as the Buffaloes face Texas and Kansas the next two weeks after their disappointing 1-3 record in nonconference play. They showed flashes at West Virginia, but were undone by the same problems that have vexed them all season. Their lack of productivity and defensive struggles are best indicated in this statistic: Colorado has produced only two plays of 40 or more yards in the first four games of the season, compared to allowing 11 plays of 40 yards or more on defense.