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The math didn't quite add up, even as there were few indications that any of Oklahoma State's three quarterbacks was considering a transfer from Stillwater.

J.W. Walsh and Wes Lunt were both highly sought recruits, but only one could be the Cowboys' full-time starter. Before both were injured last season, Clint Chelf looked like he was following former Missouri signal-caller Chase Patton on a road sometimes traveled: Talented, in-state kid settles for career backup status.

Chelf was the Pokes' No. 3 this time last year. Now he's a near sure thing as their starter.

A year after Lunt precociously won a starting quarterback job as a true freshman, he pulled another surprise Thursday by announcing he would transfer. He was the only Illinois native on the roster, recruited by fellow Illinoisan Todd Monken, who left his post as Oklahoma State's offensive coordinator to become head coach at Southern Miss. That exit surely influenced Lunt's decision. Coach Mike Gundy's indications that Chelf would retain the job he inherited because of injury last season, and kept with strong play down the stretch, couldn't have helped, either.

Lunt likely feels he can compete elsewhere, but with three seasons of eligibility left and his main recruiter gone, he didn't feel like he had enough to keep him in Stillwater.

In some ways, it's a head-scratching decision that has to be rooted in Lunt's desire to move closer to home. Chelf will be a senior next season, and Lunt is clearly a more refined passer than Walsh, who earned a niche in OSU's offense as part of a short-yardage package that often featured Walsh running.

After next season, Lunt would have been a heavy favorite to beat out Walsh for the job. Of the three quarterbacks who each threw for 1,000 yards for the Cowboys last season, Walsh would seem the most likely to be looking for an exit.

Now he looks like Oklahoma State's clear starter for 2014 and 2015, barring injury to Chelf this fall. Oklahoma State had the luxury of three quarterbacks who could still make the Pokes a legitimate Big 12 contender. There was some confusion and controversy about who would get the chance to do it, but it was a problem most Big 12 coaches would love to have.

That issue's gotten simpler for Gundy, but it's still never good to see talent walk out the door, no matter how much is left on the roster.

Turnover at the quarterback position is the story of the Big 12 this spring, but some schools have made decisions, some are close, and some haven't gotten far in replacing their passers. Here's an update on where each race sits.

Note: Because they have clear, incumbent starters, Iowa State and Texas have been omitted from this update.

Baylor: Bryce Petty entered the spring as the likely successor to Nick Florence and cemented his status as the starter with a strong 15 practices. Petty was officially designated as the starting quarterback on Baylor's post-spring depth chart, besting Seth Russell.

Kansas: Jake Heaps transferred from BYU and looks to have easily surpassed Michael Cummings, as expected, with a strong spring, working mostly with the first team. Kansas held its spring game on Saturday and Heaps far outperformed Cummings, tossing four touchdown passes and completing 20 of 28 passes for 257 yards. Not much competition here.

Kansas State: K-State is about halfway through spring, but there's been almost no development (publicly, at least) in the quarterback race. Last year's backup, the speedy Daniel Sams, is helping juco transfer Jake Waters get acquainted, but they're still splitting reps with the first team and I'd be surprised if we see an announcement until fall.

Oklahoma: Bob Stoops doesn't care about establishing a starter heading into summer 7-on-7 drills, but Blake Bell might have taken that out of his hands with a strong performance in the spring game. An endorsement from Landry Jones can't hurt. Bell showed this spring he's more than a BellDozer and made plays with his arm on Saturday, completing 14 of 23 passes for 214 yards and two scores. Stoops hasn't made an official designation, but Bell looks like he's distanced himself from his competition in Trevor Knight and Kendal Thompson.

Oklahoma State: You can find folks anywhere making a case for Clint Chelf, J.W. Walsh or Wes Lunt, but Mike Gundy's opinion is the only one that matters. He says Oklahoma State's starter is Chelf, and Chelf is receiving most of the first-team reps this spring. It's not hard to see that changing, but for now, the job is Chelf's. The rising senior may have to do something to lose it.

TCU: Most assumed Casey Pachall's return to the team meant he'd step back in and reclaim his job. This spring, it hasn't been that easy. He may do exactly that this fall, but Gary Patterson says he's looked rusty after not throwing or lifting from October to January while receiving in-patient treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. Meanwhile, sophomore Trevone Boykin has looked much improved. Patterson says it's still an open competition, the duo is splitting first-team reps and there may not be a decision until fall.

Texas Tech: It doesn't seem like Michael Brewer has a ton of competition on the roster, but Kliff Kingsbury turned some heads when he trotted out Davis Webb to start a recent scrimmage. Brewer still has to earn the job and it's hard to see that not being the case, but for now, this job is still up for grabs.

West Virginia: This one's still wide open. Texas natives Paul Millard and Ford Childress are still splitting first-team reps and there doesn't appear to be much separation just yet. Expect this competition to heat up in the fall. The coaching staff has already said they don't expect to name a starter by the end of spring or even by the beginning of fall camp.

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy doesn't allow first-year players to talk with the media. Last season, he proved that rule applies even if a player is his starting quarterback. Perhaps the rule even particularly applies in that case.

Regardless, Wes Lunt turned heads this time last year when he won the spring quarterback competition to replace Brandon Weeden in Stillwater. He didn't turn a single ear, though, because Gundy kept media microphones away.

That ended Wednesday night when Lunt, now a second-year sophomore, met with the local media after one of Oklahoma State's first practices of the spring.

"The best way to describe it is a rollercoaster. I had so many ups and downs," Lunt told reporters. "That’s expected your freshman year, but I’ve got to thank my team and my coaches for backing me up all the way."

Lunt completed the first 11 passes of his career in an 84-0 victory against FCS doormat Savannah State, but his first road start ended in a loss to an upstart Arizona team a week later. Lunt (and anyone who saw the replay) feared his season was over when he dislocated his kneecap and suffered a high ankle sprain in an ugly-looking injury early in Oklahoma State's win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Sept. 15.

The injury wasn't as serious as feared, and Lunt returned to start in a win over TCU on Oct. 27 and again a week later against Kansas State before throwing three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and suffering a concussion.

He's back this spring competing again with Clint Chelf and J.W. Walsh, though the job is Chelf's for now after he helped Oklahoma State close the season strong with blowout wins over Texas Tech, West Virginia and Purdue sandwiched around narrow losses to Oklahoma and Baylor.

"It’s a competition between all three. Clint is getting the most reps, which he should -- he did a great job ending the season," Lunt told reporters. "J.W. and I are going to push him every day and whatever happens, happens."

Lunt admitted he was "shocked" when he was named the starter last spring as a freshman who wasn't quite sure what to expect and what a collegiate starter really looked like. Apparently, it looked like him.

"They get along real well and I think that speaks volumes about their maturity level and who they are as people," offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich told reporters of the quarterbacks. Yurcich chose to refrain from commenting further on the competition until he'd seen more of the trio up close in practice.

"I know they care more about this program than they do their individual needs and that’s when you know you’ve got something special -- when you see unselfishness, you see leadership and you see those qualities and those young men have that."

Mike Gundy's hired his new offensive coordinator, and I'd say chances are astronomically high that as of yesterday, you'd never heard of him. (Diehard Indiana football fans excluded.)

Division II Shippensburg (PA) offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich is Gundy's man to replace Todd Monken, who kept Oklahoma State's offense in the top five nationally in each of the past two seasons.

From our newser:

Yurcich helped Shippensburg rank first nationally among Division II schools in total offense and second nationally in scoring offense at more than 46 points per game.

It's hardly an exciting hire, but it's also one that might provide some continuity for Oklahoma State's offense in terms of recruitment and direction. Gundy's coaching tree is blossoming, but I'm sure he'd rather not have three offensive coordinators in four years.

Yurcich spent 11 of his 13 years coaching below the FBS level. His only experience was at Indiana as a graduate assistant helping coach receivers.

Despite the lack of initial excitement over a non-name hire, Gundy's home-run hires the first two times around in this drill earn him a pretty long leash when it comes to having faith in his hires. Yurcich inherits a powerful offense that's in position to make a run at a Big 12 title next season and remain near the top of the national rankings in total offense. It stayed in the top five this year despite losing two quarterbacks for about a third of the season with injuries.

I'd also think this hire throws a wild card into Oklahoma State's quarterback derby this spring. I don't think I'd call it a clean slate, but anything really could happen between Clint Chelf, Wes Lunt and J.W. Walsh. We'll see how it plays out. Expect another intriguing spring in Stillwater. Lately, there hasn't been any other kind of spring.

The offseason is under way, but offseasons are fun, too. Here are the storylines to keep an eye on until the teams are back on the field in 2013.

1. Can Casey Pachall get back on track? TCU's quarterback is officially back with the team after leaving school to go to an in-patient drug and alcohol treatment facility. Most people want to know if he'll be the same player, but what's even more important is whether he can avoid the same pitfalls and get his life back on track.

2. Expansion junction, what's your function? The odds seem strongly against it, but you know we're not getting through a college football offseason without talking expansion at some point. How much will it heat up? Will Florida State re-emerge as a Big 12 candidate?

3. Will the 'Quarterback Whisperer' do it again? Baylor coach Art Briles' last four quarterbacks have been absurd. Kevin Kolb and Case Keenum got it done at Houston, and Robert Griffin III won a Heisman as the best of the bunch at Baylor. Nick Florence led the Big 12 in passing yards last year. What does Briles have in store this season? Bryce Petty has better measurables than Florence, but can the redshirt junior show off his experience in the system and make good decisions?

4. Striking the fear back in Lubbock. Kliff Kingsbury is looking to bring swagger back to Lubbock. He's still piecing together his staff, but the 33-year-old has the pieces to put together a solid team on the field, too. Can Texas Tech break the string of late-season collapses the past two years?

5. Charlie Weis' juco revolution. Weis has made it clear that he wants quick fixes and to win now at KU. Will his juco recruiting haul do it? Defensive lineman Marquel Combs was the nation's No. 1 juco recruit, and Weis has done a heck of a job selling immediate playing time to these guys. The current recruiting class has 17 juco transfers among 25 commits. Will it pay off, and how will these guys look once they get on campus? Are wins just around the corner?

6. A quarterback competition for the ages. Was Oklahoma State the first team ever to have three 1,000-yard passers? Two of them were freshmen, too. The QB derby last spring was good. This year's will be even better, with all three showing they could win games in Big 12 play. Clint Chelf will have the inside track, but Wes Lunt and J.W. Walsh will try to swipe it away. Could one transfer be imminent after the spring?

7. Are the Longhorns finally, officially, certifiably back? Texas looked like it was back after going up to Stillwater and winning a dramatic game that helped the Longhorns ascend to No. 11 in the polls. Then consecutive losses capped by a Red River Blowout made it obvious the Horns weren't quite back yet. David Ash's development and fixing Manny Diaz's surprisingly vulnerable defense will decide whether 2013 is the season Texas returns to the BCS stage.

8. What about the championship game? Bob Bowlsby turned some heads when he inquired with the NCAA about a waiver to hold a championship game with just 10 teams. I don't think there's much fire around that smoke, but how serious will any talk of a return of the Big 12 title game get? The coaches would hate it.

Purdue Boilermakers (6-6) vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-5)

Jan. 1, 12 p.m. ET, Dallas (ESPNU)

Purdue take from Big Ten blogger Brian Bennett: Purdue will be playing in its second straight postseason when it kicks off the Heart of Dallas Bowl, but that wasn't enough to save head coach Danny Hope's job. Hope was fired on Nov. 25 after a 6-6 season, and assistant Patrick Higgins will serve as interim coach for this game.

Hope was confident this would be his best team at Purdue, and the Boilers got off to a decent 3-1 start that included a close loss at Notre Dame. But with an excellent opportunity to make noise in a probation-ravaged Big Ten Leaders Division, the Boilermakers lost their first five conference games, including multi-touchdown losses to Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Penn State.

The team did rally to win its final three games to salvage a bowl trip, sparked by Robert Marve returning as the starting quarterback. Fans had been calling for that move for weeks, and Marve delivered despite tearing his ACL in the second week of the season and eschewing surgery.

Hope did make some inroads in increasing the overall team speed, and the offense boasts some exciting playmakers such as running backs Akeem Shavers and Akeem Hunt and receiver Antavian Edison. Defensive tackle Kawann Short is a potential first-round NFL pick, and Ricardo Allen and Josh Johnson form one of the Big Ten's top cornerback tandems -- and they will be needed against Oklahoma State's high-powered passing game.

This team was talented enough to push Ohio State to the absolute brink in Columbus yet unfocused enough to fall behind 44-7 at Minnesota. How the Boilermakers respond and play against the Cowboys without their head coach is anyone's guess.

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Oklahoma State take from SoonerNation's Brandon Chatmon: OSU coach Mike Gundy has done one of the best coaching jobs of his career as the Cowboys made Big 12 history with three quarterbacks throwing for 1,000 yards or more. Wes Lunt, J.W. Walsh and Clint Chelf each had their moments this season as the starting quarterback for the Pokes and each signal-caller led OSU to a double-digit win over a Big 12 opponent.

The constant in the Cowboys’ offensive attack is running back Joseph Randle, the Big 12’s leading rusher with 1,351 rushing yards. His toughness, versatility and playmaking set the tone for OSU’s offense. It could be the final game for the junior, who may elect to leave early for the NFL after three seasons as a key member of OSU’s offense.

OSU’s defense had an up-and-down season, holding four Big 12 opponents to 21 points or fewer before allowing more than 600 yards of total offense to Oklahoma and Baylor in its final two games. Defensive tackles Calvin Barnett and James Castleman have been the tone-setters for the Cowboys' defense. When they play well, OSU’s defense is noticeably better.

Keep an eye on the Cowboys' defense on third down. In the losses to OU and Baylor, the Cowboys allowed more than 50 percent of third downs to be converted.

Here's what I learned on a crazy Saturday across the conference:

Kansas State is not a team of robots and will not win the national title. Or the Heisman. I don't know what I watched on Saturday night, but surely it wasn't Kansas State. The Wildcats turned the ball over three times after doing so just six times in 10 games. It was penalized seven times for 60 yards, more than twice its average. It got gashed on the ground in a way unlike any game all season. Add it all up, and you get a painful butt-kicking in a big spot for the Wildcats. K-State had been so consistent and so methodical all year long. Until it wasn't. "We beat the socks off these guys," Baylor safety Ahmad Dixon said. Yes, yes they did.

West Virginia can't catch a break (or a ballcarrier). The Mountaineers have now been a part of a five-game winning streak and a five-game losing streak in the same season, but two of the losses have come down to the wire, including this week's late touchdown pass from Oklahoma's Landry Jones to Kenny Stills. Seriously, how bad is your defense if you have a ballcarrier (Tavon Austin) rush for 344 yards and you still lose? The Mountaineers' streak of having players earn Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors in four consecutive games looks likely to become five on Monday.

There might be a new star born in Ames for the bowl-bound Cyclones. Fans were clamoring for Sam Richardson for weeks, and the freshman finally got his chance after uninspiring starts from Steele Jantz and Jared Barnett. He torched Kansas for four second-quarter touchdowns and threw for 250 yards on 23-of-27 passing. Yes, it was only against 1-10 Kansas. Yes, it's early. But you have to be encouraged, and most importantly, Iowa State is back in the postseason. They'll take it.

Oklahoma is back in the Big 12 title hunt. The Sooners needed help to make an eighth Big 12 title become a reality, and on Saturday, Baylor provided it. There will be drama on the season's final weekend, and the title will hang in the balance. Oklahoma hosts Oklahoma State in Bedlam next week and travels to TCU to end the season, while K-State hosts Texas on Dec. 1. They're tied atop the standings right now, but there's a whole lot to play for and if you lose a game, you risk being booted out of the BCS.

Oklahoma State better scare you. Quietly, the Cowboys have surged and Mike Gundy has done about as good of a job as anyone outside of Bill Snyder this season. For the fourth time in five games, Oklahoma State beat the heck out of a Big 12 team. This time, it was a 38-point win over No. 23 Texas Tech. Four of Oklahoma State's five Big 12 wins have been by at least 21 points. And the only team that came close? Kansas, who at 1-10, lost at home on a rainy day by just six. The Pokes have done it all with three different quarterbacks, but for now, it's Clint Chelf's team. Healthy J.W. Walsh and the CarWalsh formation have given another edge to the Cowboys' offense.

Texas Tech players talked all week about the indignities of last year's 60-point loss to eventual Big 12 champion Oklahoma State. It wouldn't happen again, they said.

Well, the Red Raiders didn't lose by 60. That's about the only thing Tech accomplished in Saturday's 59-21 loss to Oklahoma State in Stillwater, where the Cowboys have won every matchup between the two dating back to 2001.

Clint Chelf has two career starts and both were lopsided wins over conference teams at home. That train's rolling these days, but could probably get running with a little more efficiency. The junior finished with 229 yards and three touchdowns on 11-of-21 passing against the Red Raiders, who entered the day leading the league in total defense.

The day's biggest star was Isaiah Anderson, who scored three first-half touchdowns and turned his four catches into 174 yards. He also broke a 26-yard run on an end around.

There was no doubt about the best defense on the field on Saturday; Oklahoma State held Seth Doege to just 5-of-12 passing for 30 yards and an interception in the second half before he was pulled for backup Michael Brewer.

J.W. Walsh was reportedly available last week, but returned from an injury on Saturday that OSU previously said would end his season. Walsh's dad disputed those reports to multiple media outlets, and it appears he was right. Walsh ran for a touchdown and threw for Oklahoma State's first score in his return. Sketchy stuff there from OSU.

What happened to Texas Tech's special teams, though? The Red Raiders gave up a pair of blocked punts to safety Zack Craig, who returned the second one 30 yards for a touchdown that put the Pokes up, 59-14.

Last week's near-loss to Kansas, which is winless in Big 12 play, got a whole lot easier to believe when you saw Texas Tech's performance on Saturday. The Red Raiders ceded to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 standings and the bowl pecking order by way of the one-sided loss. For now, Oklahoma State's likely slotted for a trip to the Alamo Bowl, but a win at Oklahoma next week could change that and keep the Pokes' slim BCS bowl hopes alive.

David Ubben talks the new BCS No. 1 and Big 12 troubles, Tommy Tuberville, Kansas' streak in doubt and Oklahoma State's quarterback circus in this week's Friday Four Downs.

Here's what I'm keeping an eye on in the Big 12 this week:

1. Remember all the little people. K-State has dealt with the distraction and hype really well this season. The Wildcats have been consistent and solid every week. This week, though, the pressure is at a whole new level. They're the nation's No. 1 team. Collin Klein's presence will test the Sports Illustrated cover jinx. Oklahoma State lost in its 11th game last season. K-State should roll Baylor on paper, but can it keep its focus in uncharted territory?

2. To care or not to care, that is the question. West Virginia was hyped all offseason for this game. Carrying a four-game losing streak into the Oklahoma game was not part of the plan, though. It's asking a lot for fans to come in droves and provide a big-time atmosphere. Will the Mountaineers fans do it and try to help their team reach bowl eligibility? Tough test for a fan base that has had a pretty terrible month or so and hasn't seen a win since Oct. 6 or a win in its home stadium since Sept. 29.

3. Baylor breaks out its Jet Ski. Lache Seastrunk was officially set free last week, emerging as Baylor's No. 1 back with three touchdowns. Can he go to work against K-State's front seven this week, a solid unit headlined by Arthur Brown but still missing Tre Walker? Jarell Childs has played well, but Seastrunk's game-breaking speed could come into play.

4. Just do it. If Kansas is going to beat Iowa State, it will do so on the backs of its, uh, backs. Tony Pierson and James Sims are fantastic. Charlie Weis talked about needing to do creative things to run the ball when everybody knows the Jayhawks are going to run the ball. Well, everybody knows KU is going to run the ball. What does Weis have prepared this week for KU's best chance to crack its 19-game Big 12 losing streak?

5. Get a medical team on it, stat. Klein's injury saga is over, but K-State has more injury issues this week to keep an eye on. Starting safety Ty Zimmerman left the stadium in a boot last week, and Tyler Lockett suffered an ankle injury late against TCU. Both are key pieces to the nation's No. 1 team. Will they play, and will they do so effectively? All bets are off in this one.

6. At what point does someone start swiping chairs? Oklahoma State has played musical chairs at quarterback, and it shocked a lot of folks when Mike Gundy confirmed J.W. Walsh was available last week but didn't play. He is not on the depth chart this week, instead with an "or" between Clint Chelf and Wes Lunt. The good news: All three can play, and OSU can win with all of them. The bad news: This is turning into a bit of a circus. At least it's unpredictable for opponents, so that plays to OSU's advantage while the competition has to prepare for all three.

7. If you're so inKleined. A.J. Klein has had a quiet couple of games since Jake Knott's injury, making just 11 tackles total in the past two games after tallying at least 11 in three of the past five before Klein left the field. Klein has moved to weakside linebacker and wants more production out of the position. Iowa State needs that while Jeremiah George replaces Knott and the duo teams up to slow KU's running game.

8. Gotta fix the leaks. Oklahoma dominated Baylor's passing game, but the defense was hot after the game after giving up a season-high 252 yards on the ground to the Bears. Can WVU's Shawne Alston and Andrew Buie have a little success? Dana Holgorsen wasn't happy with the Mountaineers' run game, but this matchup will have an influence on the winner in Morgantown.

9. Time for the hook ... again? Steele Jantz has gone back to struggling after tearing up Baylor. He completed just more than 50 percent of his passes in consecutive weeks -- both losses -- and hasn't topped 200 yards through the air with one touchdown to three picks. If he struggles again, does Jared Barnett get a shot against KU? I seem to remember another Big 12 team switching QBs late and having it pay off.

It's been a spooky season in the Big 12 this year. To commemorate Halloween on the blog, we're letting you know what to keep an eye on.

Jason Voorhies (team that refuses to die): TCU. The Frogs have taken their licks. Casey Pachall is gone. The team's top two running backs are gone. Receiver Brandon Carter is hurt now, and defensive end Stansly Maponga is banged up. Still, TCU keeps playing, despite losing more than 20 players from this year's team since the end of last season. The Frogs are 5-3 and playing tough in their first year in the Big 12.

Thrillers: Texas. The Longhorns can't stop playing heart stoppers. They converted huge fourth downs on game-winning drives in the final minutes to beat Oklahoma State earlier this season and Kansas last week. They came up short in a dramatic loss at home to West Virginia and hung on late for a six-point win over Baylor.

In the graveyard: Baylor's post-RG3 world. There was plenty of talk about this not being the "same old Baylor" despite losing the best player in the program's history, Robert Griffin III. It's not, and the Bears have been largely competitive, but you can't hide from the record. Baylor is 0-4 in Big 12 play, and that record doesn't look much different than pre-Art Briles Baylor, though the team on the field does. Will we see a second-half revival and a return to the postseason for the third consecutive season?

Frightful sight: Kansas State. Beware of the Wildcats and their ageless coach, Bill Snyder. Who has the highest scoring offense in the Big 12? It's not Oklahoma. It's not Oklahoma State. It's not West Virginia or Baylor. It's the Wildcats and their "slow, meandering offense." The Wildcats have had just two of seven games decided by fewer than two touchdowns this year.

Cursed: Oklahoma State. The Cowboys can't get away from costly injuries to quarterbacks this year. Wes Lunt suffered an ugly knee injury early on and missed more than a month while J.W. Walsh racked up impressive numbers. Then last week, Walsh suffered a knee injury and forced Lunt back into duty. Did someone on the team sell their soul for last year's Big 12 title? It's been a cursed season for QBs in Stillwater.

Haunted house: Owen Field. It's usually a house of horrors for opposing teams. Before this year, Bob Stoops was 77-3 at home. This season, the Sooners are just 2-2, with wins over Florida A&M and Kansas. Meanwhile, top three teams Notre Dame and Kansas State entered Oklahoma as double-digit underdogs and knocked off the Sooners anyway.

Time for a few Halloween costume suggestions:

• West Virginia's entire team:Two-Face from the Batman series. Obvious reasons, I'd say. Juggernauts one week. Getting blown out the next.
• Collin Klein: I mean ... what else could he be?
• Bill Snyder:Richard from LOST. Hasn't aged a day in decades.
• Texas Tech DC Art Kaufman:MacGyver. He's taken a group of jucos and signees with varying levels of experience and turned them into the bomb.
• Terrance Williams: Vacuum cleaner. Throw something in his area code. It gets sucked in.
• Charlie Weis: Sisyphus. The character from Greek mythology was once a king who believed he was more clever than Zeus. The gods punished him by making him push an enormous boulder up an endless mountain for eternity.
• Art Briles: Eric Taylor. He climbed his way up the high school ranks, and he's as Texan as they come. Take state, y'all!
• Arthur Brown: Predator. Once he's locked his radar in on you, you're going down, buddy.
• Bob Bowlsby: President Andrew Johnson. His predecessor held together that which nearly crumbled under his term. Now, it's up to the new guy to begin building a brand-new country, er, conference.

I also asked those of you who follow me on Twitter for some suggestions. Here's the best of what you came up with (the ones that weren't too mean, anyway. Man, some of you were brutal):

• David Ash: Sunshine from Remember the Titans. It's all in the hair, I suppose. (via @zmoney_hookem)
• Jake Knott: Chuck Norris. Both indestructible. Sort of, anyway. (via @crucydr)
• Iowa State DC Wally Burnham: Gandalf the Grey. Wally the Wizard has worked his magic all season long with the ISU defense. (via @_gmackey_)

And a couple costumes that just need to be seen:

• Baby Dana Holgorsen
• Bill Sny the Football Guy (via @Jake_Wittkop)
• KU Jayhawk as John Brown

It's been a rough year for quarterbacks' knees at Oklahoma State this season.

J.W. Walsh is out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury, Mike Gundy said during his teleconference Sunday night. Walsh had started the last three games in place of Wes Lunt, who also suffered a knee injury earlier this season.

Here's more from our newser:

Coach Mike Gundy said Sunday night that Walsh will miss the rest of the season and likely be replaced by freshman Wes Lunt, who had won the starter's job during spring practice only to be replaced by Walsh when he was hurt in the third game of the season.

Gundy called it an "amazing" performance that Walsh was able to complete the game against Iowa State after being hurt in the first half. Gundy believes Walsh might have been hurt within the first 10 plays of the game but never came out.

Oklahoma State hosts TCU next week.

Here's what I learned after five Big 12 games in Week 8:

K-State is the unquestioned leader for the Big 12 title. Any questions? Kansas State has three road victories against Top 25 teams this year and walked into Oklahoma and West Virginia and handed both Big 12 contenders humbling losses. Coach Bill Snyder has this team playing up to its potential, doing the same things it did last year ... just better.

Baylor has work to do to get into the postseason. The Bears are stuck in a three-game losing streak and are slumming at the bottom of the Big 12 standings at 0-3, just ahead of Kansas at 0-4. Baylor is a pretty good team, but the Big 12 is deep, and somebody has to get swallowed up. Baylor has four ranked teams left on its schedule and stands at just three wins overall. With Iowa State, Kansas and Oklahoma State left, the opportunities will be there for the Bears, but only KU looks like a gimme, and the Jayhawks nearly beat Baylor last year, even with RG3.

TCU is playing gutsy, gutsy football. The Horned Frogs have lost more players than anybody in the Big 12, but they keep chugging along and nearly grabbed a huge win against Texas Tech. Trailing by double digits with three minutes to play, Trevone Boykin hit LaDarius Brown for a 60-yard score to get the Frogs back in it. TCU played without Brandon Carter for much of the game, and its best offensive lineman, Blaize Foltz, was missing, too. Preseason All-Big 12 DE Stansly Maponga was out, and the team's top two backs after spring football, Ed Wesley (left team) and Waymon James (knee), are gone this season. Boykin is playing only because of the Casey Pachall mess earlier this fall, but TCU keeps hanging on. Saturday would have been one of the most emotional wins in a long time for the Frogs, but this team is still good and will be scary in 2013.

Texas Tech is a force to be reckoned with. The Red Raiders have one bad loss to a very good team in Oklahoma and eked out a triple-overtime, comeback win on the road against a good TCU team. How good are the Red Raiders? Well, they're one of just three teams (K-State, Oklahoma State) to control their fate in the Big 12 title race, so we'll find out exactly how good next week when they travel to Manhattan, Kan. The Red Raiders look legit, but in case you weren't watching on Saturday night, so did K-State, and significantly more so.

There is still hope for Oklahoma State. Beating Iowa State by three touchdowns isn't easy, even if the Cyclones' offense is struggling. Oklahoma State did it, and did it with its backup quarterback, J.W. Walsh. I generally think the quarterback "controversy" is a joke. This offense is built to run with Wes Lunt commanding things, and it will be his when he comes back, but when will that be? Oklahoma State is crazy if it hasn't had a frank conversation about a medical redshirt at this point. The Cowboys have just one Big 12 loss but a whole lot to prove with five more ranked teams on the schedule in the next five weeks. OSU still hasn't really beaten anybody, but it'll have plenty of chances.

West Virginia has hit rock bottom ... I think. Geno Smith said it after the game, and he's right: This is a terrible, terrible time for a bye week. The Mountaineers have two weeks to do some soul searching before hosting a young but improving TCU team. Those offensive issues last week against Texas Tech may have been a sign of things to come, and TCU knows a thing or two about playing some defense. Coach Gary Patterson learned a lot from these past two games, I'm sure. We know the WVU defense can't stop anybody, but will the offense regain its form? We won't know for another couple of weeks.

Time to hand out some hardware for a job well done this week. Your stickers are in the mail, gentlemen.

Joe Bergeron, RB, Texas: Bergeron rumbled over Baylor's defense for five touchdowns in Saturday's 56-50 win. It's his second game in three weeks with at least four scores and he led the Longhorns with 117 yards on 19 carries, including three on the final drive to milk the clock and ice the win.

J.W. Walsh, QB, Oklahoma State: Walsh started again in place of Wes Lunt and became the second freshman quarterback to throw for 400 yards this season for the Cowboys. Walsh was under control and used a steady diet of runs and passes to keep a very good Iowa State defense on its heels. He finished with 415 yards and a touchdown on 32-of-47 passing and ran for 46 yards and a score in the 31-10 win over the No. 24 Cyclones.

Seth Doege, QB, Texas Tech: Doege set a school record with seven touchdown passes and hit Alex Torres for an eight-yarder to beat TCU 56-53 in triple overtime on the road on Saturday. Doege finished with 318 yards on 30-of-42 passing and hit his stride after a rough start.

Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State: Klein controlled the 55-14 win from start to finish and took advantage of a weak West Virginia defense, completing 19 of 21 passes for a career-high 323 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 41 yards and four touchdowns, his first career game with at least three touchdowns on the ground and through the air.

Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma: Jones is back in a bit of a groove after that Kansas State loss. He hit on 19 of 28 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns in an easy 52-7 win over Kansas. Oklahoma ran just 51 plays, too.

Some Cowboys downplayed the significance. Others admitted they were looking forward to today.

Either way, Iowa State was the lone speed bump that derailed Oklahoma State's run to spot in the national title game last season, and the Cowboys earned a little revenge with a 31-10 win against No. 24 Iowa State.

It felt a little weird to see the Cyclones play on the road as a ranked team against an unranked Oklahoma State squad, but the Cowboys clearly looked like the better team, despite playing without receivers Tracy Moore and Isaiah Anderson, two of the team's top five receivers.

Charlie Moore filled the void, grabbing eight balls for 129 yards, including a 74-yard touchdown catch. He entered the game with just 11 catches for 191 yards.

The Iowa State defense slowed Joseph Randle for most of the day, but he set up Oklahoma State's fourth touchdown of the day with a 62-yard run down to the Iowa State 14-yard line. He finished with 151 yards on 24 carries with a pair of scores.

Wes Lunt didn't play, but J.W. Walsh joined him as a 400-yard passer this season, completing 32-of-47 passes for 415 yards and a touchdown without an interception. Lunt is still day-to-day, but you have to wonder if the redshirt conversation has to be coming if Lunt can't get back on the field.

It's a good win for the Pokes, who move to 4-2 and get their best win of 2012 by far. Iowa State falls to 4-3 and likely out of the BCS standings, but the Cyclones will certainly be in the mix for that sixth win to reach a third bowl in four years under Paul Rhoads.

Iowa State, though, has to figure out its quarterback issues first. OSU's defense has struggled for much of the season, but Iowa State's decision to shuffle in Steele Jantz late for Jared Barnett wasn't effective. Outside of Kansas, Iowa State might have the worst quarterback situation in the Big 12. You can't expect to make a bowl game looking like that.

The win is Mike Gundy's 63rd at Oklahoma State, passing his former coach Pat Jones as the winningest coach in school history.

It's about to get a lot tougher for an unproven Oklahoma State team, though. Just how good are the Cowboys? We'll find out over the next month with five more ranked teams waiting. Today was just the first of six games vs. teams in this week's BCS rankings. The Pokes host No. 23 TCU next week before traveling to No. 4 Kansas State and later hosting Nos. 13 West Virginia and 17 Texas Tech. The stretch ends in Norman vs. No. 9 Oklahoma.

The rest of the Big 12 will soon see exactly what the reigning champs are made of.