ESPN College Football

The Big 12 might be weak at the top of the running back heap, but it's definitely not at receiver. The conference has at least three of the top five receivers in the country, and the top two. They highlight a very strong group of receivers across the league, and I continue our position rankings with receivers today.

Remember that depth plays a big part of these rankings. We'll be ranking the top 10 individuals at each position later on before the season begins.

Other position rankings:

• Quarterbacks
• Running backs

1. Oklahoma

The Sooners have the nation's No. 2 receiver, Ryan Broyles, but found a handful of others to surround him in 2010 and should have a couple more in 2011. Sophomore Kenny Stills broke Broyles' freshman receiving record and looks like a budding star. Dejuan Miller came on strong before a season-ending knee injury, but he's back. The Sooners lose Cameron Kenney, but Trey Franks had a strong freshman campaign, and freshmen Justin McCay (redshirt) and Trey Metoyer could provide even more playmakers.

2. Oklahoma State

The Cowboys boast the returning Biletnikoff Award winner and 2011 favorite, Justin Blackmon, with a great group around him, too. Slot machine Josh Cooper returns for his senior year, and fellow senior Hubert Anyiam (the team's leading receiver in 2009) is hoping to return to form after being slowed by an ankle injury in 2010. Isaiah Anderson is a shifty speedster, while Michael Harrison and Tracy Moore offer a more aerial approach to receiving.

3. Texas A&M

The Aggies have the Big 12's No. 3 receiver, Jeff Fuller, who is arguably one of the top-five in the college game. But they also have the Big 12's most experienced receiving unit, with guys who won't be surprised by anything they see in Big 12 play. Juniors Ryan Swope and Uzoma Nwachukwu are the team's second and third options, but fellow juniors Kenric McNeal and Brandal Jackson could be bigger pieces of the offense in 2011. Tight end Nehemiah Hicks should see his profile rise in his coming sophomore year.

4. Baylor

Top target Kendall Wright will likely end his career as the Bears' leading receiver for all four of his seasons on the field, and 6-foot-4, 220-pound junior Josh Gordon looks like the new Jeff Fuller. Terrance Williams, Lanear Sampson and Tevin Reese round out the Bears' top five, who all had at least 40 catches last season, and all return.

5. Missouri

Missouri still lacks a proven big-play threat, but has two pass-catchers who have some of the best hands in the game. Receiver T.J. Moe and tight end Michael Egnew won't drop many passes, and combined to catch 182 for 1,807 yards and 11 touchdowns. Wes Kemp and Jerrell Jackson bring a lot of experience and both had at least 39 catches last season. If Marcus Lucas or Rolandis Woodland can become a consistent downfield threat, Missouri will rise up these rankings by season's end.

6. Texas Tech

Tech's top two receivers, Lyle Leong and Detron Lewis, must be replaced, but the Red Raiders have a few solid candidates to do it. Junior Alex Torres will likely lead the group, but fellow junior Austin Zouzalik and seniors Jacoby Franks and Tramain Swindall will be counted on for more production. Dark horse/juco newcomer Marcus Kennard could blossom into a household name across the Big 12 by season's end.

7. Texas

Sophomore Mike Davis and redshirt freshman Darius White are loaded with potential, but two of the team's top three receivers (James Kirkendoll, John Chiles) are gone, and no Texas receiver caught more than two touchdowns last season. Malcolm Williams and Marquise Goodwin are as different as two receivers could be, but both need to break out to help whoever becomes the Longhorns quarterback next fall.

8. Kansas State

Brodrick Smith will be back this season after breaking his leg in a loss to Nebraska. But two of the team's top three receivers are gone, leaving converted quarterback Chris Harper as the leading returner, though Smith might have held that title if he'd stayed healthy. Sophomore speedster Tramaine Thompson can make plays if he gets the ball with some space.

9. Iowa State

The Cyclones will be breaking in a new quarterback this season and they will need a playmaker to step up. Tight end Collin Franklin led team in receiving last season but he is now gone. Darius Reynolds looks like a possible candidate to fill the role, although incoming slot receiver Aaron Horne might rack up a few catches in space. Darius Darks and Josh Lenz should earn some more targets too.

10. Kansas

Converted defensive back Daymond Patterson is the team's top receiver, but the team's No. 3 receiver junior Bradley McDougald, moved to safety in the middle of the season. Tight end Tim Biere is one of the Big 12's best and led the team with four touchdowns last season. Chris Omigie and D.J. Beshears have some potential, and converted quarterback Christian Matthews keeps showing up in spring games. But all three, along with the rest of the group, would benefit from some consistency at the quarterback spot.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Mike Davis didn't catch a pass in his first game as a Longhorn, but in 10 other games, he finished with 47 catches as a true freshman. He accounted for 478 yards and two receiving touchdowns, tied for the team lead.

With 2010's leading receiver, James Kirkendoll, out of eligibility, Davis is charged with taking control of the Longhorns' receiving corps in just his second year in the program. So far, he's taken advantage of the opportunity.

"Right now, he would be the go-to receiver on our team," said coach Mack Brown. "He’s really had three great days of practice, not good days. We’ve been impressed."

A knee injury kept Davis out of his first Red River Rivalry and set him back in the middle of the season, Brown said. But early on in his career, he's already showing signs of leadership that can be passed down to others in the program.

"We’d have 6 a.m. meetings and Mike is sitting out at the door at 5," Brown said. "He’s just so anxious, but he really loves football, loves to play, loves to compete, loves to practice. He’s got the passion you need for it."

He's impressed on the field as a route-runner, and Brown complimented the sophomore on his hands and his head, which has helped him rack up a 3.7 GPA with three semesters at Texas behind him.

After practice, he's on the field for 30 minutes catching extra passes.

"He can be a great player, not just a good player," Brown said. "He’s talented, he can catch, he’s tough, he’s smart. He’s got excellent hands. He runs really good routes. He’s got to learn to block better, but he knows that."

The biggest factor needed to get Davis from good to great is simple.

"It’ll be quarterback play," Brown said. "He’ll do his part. We’ve just got to get him the ball."

AUSTIN, Texas -- Both teams have arrived, and it should be a beautiful night for football. It's a little windy, hovering around 60 degrees and prepared to drop below 50 as the sun sets well before the 8 p.m. ET kickoff.

Both teams have arrived, and a few Texas players have made their way on the field for warm-ups.

One player who hasn't is Texas receiver Marquise Goodwin. He'll be out tonight to attend his grandmother's funeral in Lubbock.

That means Garrett Gilbert is down one of his targets, and Goodwin is third on the team with 28 receptions. The Longhorns will have to put points on the board to beat No. 10 Oklahoma State, the No. 3 scoring offense in the country, which is something they haven't done much this year.

For Texas to pull the upset in this one, top receivers Mike Davis and James Kirkendoll will need big days. That, or Texas can control the time of possession with a ball-control running attack like it showed at Nebraska in an upset this season.

Either way, look for Gilbert to try and make a few plays with his feet at some point tonight, especially after struggling last week in a loss to Kansas State that featured five interceptions from the sophomore first-year starter.

Goodwin's absence only adds to Texas' missing numbers heading into tonight's game. The Longhorns lost cornerback Chykie Brown for the season last week, and will be without offensive linemen Michael Huey and Kyle Hix for tonight's game.

It's hard to see it getting much worse for Texas.

Garrett Gilbert threw an interception in the end zone to end the half, squandering the Longhorns best chance to get on the scoreboard.

Kansas State, despite not completing a pass in the first half, leads 24-0 at halftime.

Texas also has three turnovers, all Gilbert interceptions.

His best play of the half, what would have been a long touchdown pass to James Kirkendoll over the top of the defense, was called back for holding. Kansas State is built to hold leads like this, and it wouldn't be shocking to see them finish off the Longhorns without completing a pass.

What's the point of allowing Texas' experienced, ball-hawking secondary -- even without Aaron Williams, who's back in Austin (and tweeting) with a concussion -- a chance to snatch a ball and make a game-changing play for the Longhorns?

This game is firmly on Daniel Thomas, William Powell and Collin Klein's legs.

It made sense at the time, and in theory, Texas should have had the offensive line to do it.

"We did a lot of self study and found out that we had more explosive plays when the quarterback was under the center in the running game as well as the tailback being right behind the quarterback," Texas coach Mack Brown said during Big 12 Media Days. "The other reason that we feel like we need to go ahead and run the ball more and better is the last two years in the BCS we played two-back downhill running Ohio State, and this year we played two-back downhill running Alabama. And in both cases, we didn't tackle the great tailbacks very well. We feel like by having downhill runs and working more in the running game and against the running game in practice would help us if we go out in conference and see someone who wants to just line up and run us."

Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Texas probably shouldn't expect to run into Alabama or Ohio State this postseason.

Maybe the Longhorns intended approach is best for the long term, especially with superstar recruit Malcolm Brown on the way next fall. Texas wanted balance. Through five games this season, it's clear that the running game Texas hoped to establish won't arrive with any consistency, despite three senior offensive linemen and three experienced running backs.

Texas' best chance to salvage something meaningful from this season rests with putting the ball in the hands of its best offensive player: Garrett Gilbert. Gilbert's big mistakes have been limited and the offense has been most productive when the Longhorns have spread out and let him sling it.

Big deficits forced Texas to do it against UCLA and Oklahoma.

Now, the Longhorns should choose to do it.

Its most explosive play against Oklahoma's suspect rush defense didn't come with power between the tackles. It came from the shotgun, a jet sweep handoff to a streaking D.J. Monroe, Texas' fourth running back, who quickly proved how much faster he was than anyone else on the field with a 60-yard touchdown that brought Texas to within 14-7.

It's been five games, and Texas hasn't had a longer run from scrimmage than Monroe's. So much for explosiveness from under center.

Letting Gilbert, a sophomore who will make his sixth career start in two weeks against Nebraska, determine the result of Texas' season doesn't sound appetizing.

But can Texas really trust a running that is averaging more than four yards a carry? Remember, see that number drop is likely to drop when the Longhorns hit the meat of their conference schedule.

Gilbert taking over could also help speed the development of Texas' second-best offensive player, freshman receiver Mike Davis.

Gilbert hasn't shown a tendency toward game-breaking mental or physical mistakes. In his worst game of the season -- Texas Tech -- two of his three interceptions were tipped at the line of scrimmage. Deep balls to James Kirkendoll and Malcolm Williams against Oklahoma and another to Kirkendoll against Texas Tech showed his potential. The more opportunities he gets to nurture that potential, the better.

DALLAS -- Oklahoma was firmly in control of this one most of the way, and moves to 5-0.


How the game was won: Oklahoma used a dominant first half to jump out to a 21-7 lead and a pair of costly penalties kept Oklahoma drives alive in the second half to keep the Longhorns from ever having the ball with a chance to win the game.

Stat of the game: Oklahoma's first-half first downs: 19. Texas? Six.

Stat of the game II: Oklahoma had zero turnovers. Texas' offense isn't good enough to put up 30 points on Oklahoma, and needed a big play from the defense to do it. It's only forced turnover of the game -- a sack/fumble caused by freshman defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat -- was erased by an offside penalty.

Player of the game: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma. He threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half, kept Oklahoma's offense moving and most importantly, eliminated the turnovers that contributed to Oklahoma's 16-13 loss last season.

Unsung heroes of the game: Texas' secondary. It prevented any back-breaking plays in the passing game and held Ryan Broyles -- who entered the game as the nation's leader in receptions -- to just five catches for 36 yards, though he did catch a deep pass for a touchdown that was called back for an illegal shift.

Best call: Mack Brown's fake punt. At midfield on Texas' opening possession of the second half, the Longhorns called a direct snap to Ryan Roberson, who ran three yards to convert the first down and keep Texas' drive alive. Garrett Gilbert hit James Kirkendoll for a 44-yard gain later in the drive and the Longhorns scored three points on the drive.

What it means: Oklahoma has won its second Red River Rivalry in six years, and takes control of the Big 12 South race, tied at 1-0 with rival Oklahoma State. Texas now has two weeks to prepare for its showdown with Nebraska in Lincoln, where a loss will mean a three-game losing streak and a 3-3 overall record.

DALLAS -- Through a quarter and a half, Texas has thrown the ball downfield just once, an long incompletion to Malcolm Williams from Garrett Gilbert.

Down 21-7 midway through the second quarter, Texas will have to scrap the swing passes and draw plays to get back into this game. The Longhorns receivers have been inconsistent for most of 2010, and are playing without freshman Mike Davis, who has more receptions than any other receiver on the team, despite being blanked in the season opener.

But for Texas to get back in the game, it's going to take a handful of plays from the Longhorns receivers who are playing: namely James Kirkendoll, Williams and Marquise Goodwin, who had his only touchdown of last year in this game as a freshman.

That doesn't mean Texas has to abandon the running game, and clearly, another run like D.J. Monroe's 60-yarder in the first quarter would help, but Oklahoma won't finish this game with 21 points. To keep up, Texas has to air it out.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wide receiver James Kirkendoll discusses UT's win and Garrett Gilbert's performance and more.

LUBBOCK, Texas -- It took Texas until its second drive for the offense to get rolling, but it only needed one sustained drive to take a 14-0 lead over Texas Tech midway through the first quarter.

The Longhorns running game was shut down on the first drive after Texas Tech stopped 251-pound Cody Johnson on a third-and-2 to elicit the loudest cheer of the night.

But Texas Tech is still the underdog, and a snap over the head of Taylor Potts on the Raiders' first play was a terrible start. Texas freshman defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat scooped up the fumble.

Texas Tech has been unable to stop Texas' new-look running game ever since. Fozzy Whittaker scored from 7 yards on the first play, and Texas has 33 yards on six carries, a 5.5 yard average.

If that continues, Texas Tech may get blown out at home. Garrett Gilbert has been fantastic, also. Mike Davis dropped his first pass, but he's completed his next five, including two big throws to Malcolm Williams over the middle and a deep pass down the left side to James Kirkendoll.

Garrett Gilbert proved he deserved to be Colt McCoy’s replacement with his performance in Texas' title-game loss, rebounding from a disastrous first half to toss two touchdown passes and get the Longhorns to within three of Alabama late in the fourth quarter.

But Gilbert’s just beginning the real work.

“Garrett has picked up and is really doing a good job,” offensive coordinator Greg Davis told reporters on Monday. “He is making good decisions with the football. We have a battle going on for the second-team quarterback position.”

But against Alabama, nine of Gilbert’s 15 completions were to NFL-bound Jordan Shipley. Whoever develops a connection with Gilbert first could earn the beneficial status of “Young Quarterback Safety Blanket.”

“It is a work in progress, but I see things with Garrett and Malcolm (Williams), Garrett and (James) Kirkendoll that are really encouraging in terms of putting the ball on the back shoulder and stopping a guy on a route because of the coverage,” Davis said. “I see all of that developing, but that synergy between Colt and Jordan was developed over a long period of time, so to say that we are at that spot, we are not. That is the stop that we want to work towards.”

This spring Davis is preparing his offense for a departure from the spread -- that accentuated McCoy’s accuracy and mobility -- to an offense that operates from under center more often.

Gilbert's progress could be accelerated by valuable scrimmage time against a defense that ranked No. 3 nationally in total defense last season.

“We're going to call the game. He's going to see it in the first game against Rice and down the line,” defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said, when asked if he’d help “ease” Gilbert into a starting role.

“There’s nothing worse than going out and losing your kids because they’re not prepared for something. We’re very well tied together as far as our installation is concerned, but we’re throwing everything we’ve got.”

But for all the experience he’ll get, he won’t be able to duplicate what he saw in the title game against the Crimson Tide, or the circumstances that surround it. The spring is just step one for Gilbert and the Longhorns to reach their long-term goal: getting back to the title game.

“He has been on that stage, and I think that what he did in the second half showed us what kind of quarterback he can be,” Davis said.

Here's a breakdown of three issues facing each program heading into the spring:

Baylor Bears
Spring practice starts: March 16
Spring game: April 10

1. Quarterback Robert Griffin III's surgically repaired right knee. Griffin hasn't played since tearing the ACL in his right knee in the third game of the '09 season. He recently said he's ahead of schedule in rehabilitation, but probably won’t do much during spring practice. He'll wear a heavy knee brace and won’t participate in contact drills.

2. New linebackers. The Bears lost strongside linebacker Antonio Jones and middle linebacker Joe Pawelek, who combined to make 190 tackles last season. Senior Earl Patin, who also has played some defensive end during his career, is poised to replace Pawelek in the middle. But Patin will have to hold off highly regarded youngsters Chris McAllister and LeQuince McCall, who redshirted in ’09. Senior Chris Francis is probably the top candidate to replace Jones on the strong side.

3. Safety. The Bears must replace both of their starting safeties, including All-Big 12 performer Jordan Lake, who started 36 games in a row. Junior college transfer Byron Landor and sophomore Mike Hicks will get the first looks in the spring. But they'll have to hold off incoming freshman Ahmad Dixon, one of the top prospects to ever sign with Baylor, after he arrives for fall camp.

Colorado Buffaloes
Spring practice starts: March 6
Spring game: April 10

1. Michigan transfer Toney Clemons. Buffaloes coach Dan Hawkins called Clemons his team's most exciting receiver while he sat out the '09 season under NCAA transfer rules. The cousin of Arizona Cardinals receiver Steve Breaston, Clemons could bring an interesting dynamic to the CU offense. His arrival couldn't come at a better time, either, after Markques Simas was suspended indefinitely for violating team rules.

2. Linebacker. The Buffaloes must replace their two most productive linebackers after losing Marcus Burton and Jeff Smart. The departed seniors combined to make 105 solo tackles and 6.5 sacks last season. Senior Michael Sipili is the top candidate to replace Burton in the middle, and sophomore Jon Major might get the first crack at replacing Smart on the weak side.

3. Offensive line. The unit's inconsistency has dogged Hawkins' offense in each of his first four seasons. Eight offensive linemen had significant playing time in '09, so the Buffs are looking for more stability up front. The return of sophomore guard Maxwell Tuioti-Mariner from a pair of knee injuries, and early arrival of junior college transfer Eric Richter might shore up the interior line.

Iowa State Cyclones
Spring practice starts: March 23
Spring game: April 17

1. Linebackers. The Cyclones lost each of their starting three linebackers: Josh Raven, Jesse Smith and Fred Garrin. Junior Jacob Lattimer is in line to replace Raven on the strong side, and two highly regarded sophomores are in line to fill the other spots. A.J. Klein, who had 17 tackles in 13 games as a freshman, might get the unenviable task of replacing Smith, who led the Big 12 in tackles in '09. Jake Knott, who had 23 tackles as a freshman, is the top candidate to start on the weak side.

2. Wide receiver. Iowa State lost leading receiver Marquis Hamilton, who had 50 catches for 606 yards with four touchdowns in '09. Tight end Derrick Catlett, another top receiving threat, also is gone. The good news: Junior Darius Reynolds returns from a broken leg that caused him to miss all but four games last season. Reynolds, who earned the moniker "Money" for his big-play potential, had 13 catches for 72 yards before he was hurt in practice in late September. Junior college tight end Ricky Howard enrolled in classes in January and will participate in spring practice.

3. Defensive line. Two starters will have to be replaced after ISU lost right end Christopher Lyle and tackle Nate Frere. Lyle led the team with five sacks in '09; Frere was a pretty good run-stopper. Sophomores Cleyon Laing and Roosevelt Maggitt will get strong looks at end, and senior Austin Alburtis and sophomore Jake McDonough will move into the tackle rotation.

Kansas Jayhawks
Spring practice starts: March 27
Spring game: April 24

1. Quarterback. New Kansas coach Turner Gill might have one heck of a competition on his hands. Sophomore Kale Pick is a mobile option, after averaging 11.9 yards per rushing attempt in 2009. Junior college transfer Quinn Mecham, who enrolled in classes at Kansas in January, threw for 3,091 yards with 40 touchdowns and 11 interceptions at Snow College in Utah last season.

2. Wide receiver. The Jayhawks have to replace departed stars Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe, which will be no easy task. The duo combined to catch 186 passes for 2,322 yards with 17 touchdowns last season. Bradley McDougald and Johnathan Wilson were proven targets last season, but younger players such as Chris Omigie and incoming freshman Keeston Terry will have to help this fall.

3. Secondary. The Kansas defense gave up too many big passing plays and didn't create enough turnovers last season. The Jayhawks will have to replace strong safety Darrell Stuckey, who led them with 93 tackles in '09. Senior Phillip Strozier will get the first crack at replacing the heart and soul of the Kansas defense.

Kansas State Wildcats
Spring practice starts: March 21
Spring game: April 24

1. Oregon transfer Chris Harper. In 2008, Harper played wide receiver and quarterback for the Ducks as a freshman. He became the first Oregon player in eight years to run, pass and catch a touchdown in the same season. Harper, a native of Wichita, Kan., might figure into Kansas State's quarterback or wide receiver plans after sitting out the '09 season under NCAA transfer rules.

2. Quarterback battle. Harper and two other players will probably battle to replace departed senior Grant Gregory. Senior Carson Coffman, who started the '09 season at quarterback, figures to be back in the mix, along with junior college transfer Sammuel Lamur.

3. Defensive line. The Wildcats have a couple of gaping holes to fill up front defensively. End Jeff Fitzgerald, who had 40 tackles and 10 tackles for loss in '09, has to be replaced, along with tackles Daniel Calvin and Chidubamu Abana. Junior college transfer Javonta Boyd, who has already enrolled in classes, could help in the interior line.

Missouri Tigers
Spring practice starts: March 9
Spring game: April 17

1. Wide receiver. The Tigers have to replace Danario Alexander, who led the country with 1,781 receiving yards in 2009. Juniors Jerrell Jackson and Wes Kemp both caught more than 20 passes last season, but younger players like T.J. Moe and Rolandis Woodland are going to have to contribute more. Incoming freshman Marcus Lucas could help in the fall.

2. Linebacker. The Tigers bring back two of their starting three linebackers, but three-time All-Big 12 selection Sean Weatherspoon is the one who left. Sophomore Donovan Bonner heads into spring camp as the top candidate to replace Weatherspoon on the weak side, and Will Ebner and Andrew Gachkar are back at the other linebacker spots.

3. Defensive line. Two starters are gone on the defensive front: end Brian Coulter and nose tackle Jaron Baston. At least the Tigers know they’re set at one side, with end Aldon Smith coming back after totaling 19 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks in '09. Marcus Malbrough and Jacquies Smith will battle for starting end, and Terrell Resonno could move into the vacant tackle spot.

Nebraska Cornhuskers
Spring practice starts: March 24
Spring game: April 17
What to watch:

1. Will quarterback Zac Lee keep his starting job? After Lee was plagued by inconsistency throughout the '09 season, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson is expected to open the competition during spring practice. Sophomore Cody Green, senior Latravis Washington and freshman Taylor Martinez will all be given a fair chance to win the job.

2. Defensive tackle. Nebraska fans won't see All-American Ndamukong Suh commanding double-team blocks along the line of scrimmage. Even after losing one of the most decorated players in school history, the Cornhuskers figure to be pretty good up front. Jared Crick and Baker Steinkuhler will man the middle, with Pierre Allen and Cameron Meredith entering spring camp as the favorites at ends.

3. Rex Burkhead. The sophomore burst onto the scene after Roy Helu Jr. was hurt early in the Huskers' 33-0 rout of Arizona in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, rushing for 89 yards with one touchdown. Burkhead was very explosive running out of the Wildcat package, so look for Watson to try and utilize him even more to make the Nebraska attack less predictable.

Oklahoma Sooners
Spring practice starts: March 8
Spring game: April 17

1. Offensive line. The Sooners have a lot of questions up front on offense, after left tackle Trent Williams and right guard Brian Simmons departed. Will junior Donald Stephenson finally be ready to contribute at left tackle after being suspended for all of the ’09 season? Will center Ben Habern be ready after breaking his leg late in the ’09 season? When will Jarvis Jones return from a broken heel?

2. Linebacker Ronnell Lewis. The sophomore had a break-out game in the Sooners’ 31-27 victory over Stanford in the Sun Bowl, finishing with six tackles and a forced fumble. With starting linebackers Keenan Clayton and Ryan Reynolds departing, Lewis will assume a starting role on the strong side. Redshirt freshman Tom Wort is projected to start in the middle, with junior Travis Lewis starting on the weak side.

3. Secondary. The Sooners have shuffled their defensive backs after losing cornerbacks Dominique Franks and Brian Jackson. Sophomore Demontre Hurst is in line to replace Franks at field cornerback, and senior Jonathan Nelson has moved from strong safety to boundary cornerback. Junior Sam Proctor is expected to replace Nelson at strong safety, and senior Quinton Carter is back at free safety.

Oklahoma State Cowboys
Spring practice starts: March 8
Spring game: April 17

1. Quarterback Brandon Weeden. The 26-year-old junior is the top candidate to replace Zac Robinson, who broke nearly every OSU passing record. Weeden was a second-round choice of the New York Yankees in the 2002 amateur baseball draft. If he can grasp new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorson's spread offense quickly, the Pokes' passing game should again be potent in 2010.

2. Defense. Defensive coordinator Bill Young will have his hands full this spring trying to replace nine starters. The only returning starters are defensive end Ugo Chinasa and strong safety Markelle Martin. The Pokes have to replace three starters on the defensive line, three linebackers and three defensive backs. Three newcomers -- linebacker Caleb Lavey and defensive backs Devin Hedgepeth and Malcolm Murray -- will get early looks in spring camp.

3. Offensive line. The Cowboys will have to replace star left tackle Russell Okung, left guard Noah Franklin, center Andrew Lewis and right tackle Brady Bond. Juniors Nick Martinez, Casey LaBrue and Grant Garner will be the top candidates to fill open starting spots.

Texas Longhorns
Spring practice starts: Feb. 26
Spring game: April 4

1. Quarterback Garrett Gilbert. The sophomore was thrust into action after Colt McCoy injured his shoulder against Alabama in the Citi BCS National Championship Game and played admirably well in tough circumstances. The Longhorns might change their identity on offense with a young quarterback under center, so developing a running game to take pressure off Gilbert might be a top priority.

2. Defense. The unit is in good hands with coordinator Will Muschamp, but he'll have to replace many of the star players from 2009. End Sergio Kindle, tackle Lamarr Houston, linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy and safety Earl Thomas are all gone. Younger players such as end Alex Okafor and tackle Tyrell Higgins will have to turn it up a notch during spring practice.

3. Wide receiver. Jordan Shipley, who was McCoy's favorite target, also departed. Seniors James Kirkendoll and John Chiles, junior Malcolm Williams and sophomore Marquise Goodwin will have to be more consistent in their route running and pass catching. Other receivers such as D.J. Monroe and DeSean Hales will be trying to crack the receiver rotation during the spring, before talented freshmen like Darius White, Mike Davis and Demarco Cobbs arrive on campus.

Texas A&M Aggies
Spring practice starts: March 23
Spring game: April 17

1. New defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter, who built one of the country’s best units at Air Force last season. He inherits an A&M defense that was woefully porous last season and will switch to a 3-4 scheme. Nine starters are coming back on defense, including pass-rushing specialist Von Miller. DeRuyter will spend the spring trying to install his system and getting his players comfortable with it.

2. Offensive line. The Aggies must replace three starting offensive linemen: left tackle Michael Shumard, center Kevin Matthews and right tackle Lee Grimes. Juniors Joe Villavisencio and Danny Baker and sophomore Stephen Barrera have to be ready to step up this spring.

3. Special teams. The Aggies’ special teams weren’t so special last season, as they ranked 104th in net punting, 91st in kickoff return defense and 49th in kickoff returns among FBS teams. Aggies coach Mike Sherman is putting a new emphasis on special teams, which cost his team dearly in its 44-20 loss to Georgia in the Independence Bowl.

Texas Tech Red Raiders
Spring practice starts: March 7
Spring game: April 17

1. Quarterbacks. With former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville replacing Mike Leach at Texas Tech, senior quarterbacks Taylor Potts and Steven Sheffield figure to start spring camp on a level playing field. Potts started 10 games last season, throwing for 3,440 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Sheffield started two games and threw for 1,219 yards with 14 touchdowns and four picks. New offensive coordinator Neal Brown, who was hired from Troy, runs a version of the spread offense, but Tuberville will probably incorporate more of a traditional running game into the offense.

2. Defensive line. New defensive coordinator James Willis has to replace three starters on his defensive front: ends Brandon Sharpe and Daniel Howard and tackle Richard Jones. Making matters worse, the top two reserve ends in 2009 were seniors, along with the backup nose tackle.

3. Offensive line. O-line coach Matt Moore, who was retained from Leach's staff, has to replace three starters: center Shawn Byrnes, right guard Brandon Carter and right tackle Marlon Winn. Juniors Justin Keown and Mickey Okafor and sophomore LaAdrian Waddle will probably be given first crack at replacing them. Incoming junior college transfer Scott Smith could play stand-up end in Tech's 3-4 scheme, and junior college defensive tackle Donald Langley might also have an impact in spring practice.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Earlier this season, Texas offense consisted of Colt McCoy throwing a lot to Jordan Shipley.

Short passes. Screen passes. Deep passes. All kinds of passes from one roommate to another.

But as the Longhorns prepare for Saturday’s Big 12 championship game against Nebraska, the offense has evolved with many more potential playmakers.

“Overall, we’ve worked hard, prepared and found out what works,” McCoy said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who can help us out. And now, I feel like we are really playing at a high level.”
Malcolm Williams produced a team-high nine catches last week against Texas A&M. James Kirkendoll produced four grabs that led to a career-best two touchdowns, including a pivotal 47-yard fourth-quarter TD grab.

That growth should lead to a change in the kind of coverages that Shipley is seeing because of his productive teammates around him.

“The emergence of Malcolm and Kirkendoll has been huge,” Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis said. “That makes it tough to do special things to Shipley. It makes it good when they get the one-on-one and they come through like they have. “

And the Longhorns’ much maligned running game has showed some promise in the last several weeks. After failing to crack 100 yards in back-to-back games against UCF and Oklahoma State, the Longhorns have averaged 217.7 yards in their last three games. That binge was topped by the 293-yard effort against Texas A&M that is their best against a conference foe this year.

The running game got a varied lift. Tre’ Newton rushed for a career-best 107 rushing yards. And all of those performances came in a game where McCoy rushed for 175 yards and became the first player in Big 12 history and only the third in college history with 300 passing yards and 150 rushing yards in the same game.

With so many other weapons around him, McCoy’s Heisman chances have improved over the last month as the Longhorns have become one of the nation’s most productive offenses. Since the Oklahoma game, Texas has scored on 36 of its last 61 drives (59.0 percent) with McCoy in charge.

“It’s somebody different every week,” Shipley said. The good thing for us is that we have a lot of guys making plays,” Shipley said. “If we can continue to spread the ball around and all those guys contribute the way they have, we’ll be pretty tough to stop.”

Williams has produced 15 receptions over his last two games after notching 20 catches in Texas’ first 10 games this season.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder has always been considered a potential star because of his superb athletic ability. But his struggles in practice have kept him from becoming a consistent playmaker until late this season.

“It was just growing confidence,” Williams said. “The coaches are having faith with me to out and make plays. And Colt believes in me enough to throw me passes.”

Kirkendoll emerged to grab a career-high eight passes against Kansas before the first multi-touchdown game of his career against A&M last week.

“Colt is so poised in the game,” Kirkendoll said. “We go over all of this stuff in practice and it’s really just muscle memory. Everybody is comfortable with each other and Colt is just a good quarterback (in getting them the ball). He’s really like a point guard in getting us all involved.”

The contributions from the varied cast members are making things easier for McCoy. He has responded with his best play of the season and arguably his career over the last month. That late charge has helped him become more comfortable in his offense after some admitted self doubt earlier this season.

“We weren’t very good early in the season, and we were erratic at receiver,” Texas coach Mack Brown said. “We were running some inconsistent routes, and a quarterback needs to trust his receivers, and that just wasn’t happening.

“We had a different running back playing every week, and Colt was sick for two of the games. I think he had such a great junior year that he thought it was just going to happen. But we had to kind of reinvent this offense and go back and figure out who we are.”

The change has come for McCoy after all of the new weapons sprouting around him.

“Those guys are really playing well. Offensively, we’re a different team,” Shipley said. “We’re a different team than from when we played Oklahoma earlier in the year.

“That’s a tribute to our coaches and all the hard work we’ve put in. But you’ve also got to give credit to James and Malcolm for putting the pieces of the puzzle together.”

The South Division has dominated play in the Big 12 in recent years. It will be up to Nebraska to turn things around and provide some competition in the championship game.

Here's how I see the game playing out.

Texas 28, Nebraska 13: The Longhorns are heavy favorites to claim Mack Brown’s second Big 12 title. Nebraska has been one of the hottest teams in the conference as the Cornhuskers have run off five straight victories after starting 4-3. And the Cornhuskers have a puncher’s chance of stealing an upset victory in this game. If they are to be successful, they must continually pressure Colt McCoy and contain Texas’ offense. And on offense, they can't be intimidated by the Longhorns' No. 1 ranked rush defense. Because so much of Nebraska's offense is based on running the ball, they have to keep trying Roy Helu Jr. and Rex Burkhead, even if it isn't immediately successful. They do have hope after the Longhorns were gashed for 190 rushing yards and 532 total yards by Texas A&M last week. And Helu and Burkhead are an upgrade over the Aggies’ backs.

Nebraska must stay ahead of the chains and keep Zac Lee from long down-and-distance situations that have caused him to struggle this season. If the Cornhuskers are to be successful, they also must dominate the special teams with big efforts from punter/kicker Alex Henery and kickoff specialist Adi Kunalic.

But even with those weapons, Texas still has too many weapons. The Longhorns should get some big plays from receivers like Malcolm Williams, James Kirkendoll, Dan Buckner and John Chiles -- particularly if the Cornhuskers elect to double-cover Jordan Shipley. The Cornhuskers will stay close for much of the game, but the Longhorns should pull away late as they head to the BCS title game.

Last week: 5-0 (100 percent)

Season record: 74-23 (76.3 percent)

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- It’s been a wild first half as Texas has claimed a 28-21 halftime lead over Texas A&M.

The two teams have combined for 28 first downs and 643 yards of total offense in a game where the offenses have ruled.

It's almost like the Big 12 last year, all over again.

Here are some specifics about why the Longhorns have charged to the lead, but struggled at times against the Aggies.

Turning point: Anthony Lewis pounced on a muffed punt return to give Texas A&M possession at the Texas 36 with 2:38 left in the half. Five plays later, Jerrod Johnson hit Howard Morrow with a 14-yard touchdown pass that tied the score at 21. The punt was intended for Jordan Shipley, but grazed off the knee of Texas blocker Emmanuel Acho, who was on the ground near Shipley.

Stat of the half: The Aggies have already scored 21 points against the Texas defense. The Longhorns’ season high for most points allowed was 24, which came in a 34-24 victory over Texas Tech on Sept. 19.

Best player of the half: Colt McCoy needed a big night to convince the Heisman voters in what will be his next-to-last game before the ballots are due. He’s done that and more in the first half, completing 18 of 26 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns. McCoy has also rushed for 119 yards on 10 carries and a 65-yard score. His offensive numbers have been astounding as he's accounted for 341 of Texas’ 398 yards so far.

Best call: McCoy and James Kirkendoll hooked up on a 5-yard touchdown pass with 5 seconds left in the half to boost the Longhorns to a 28-21 halftime lead. McCoy showed great patience on the play, waiting as Kirkendoll charged past defender Justin McQueen on an out-and-up move to push the Longhorns ahead. McCoy either rushed or passed for every yard on the 64-yard scoring possession that put Texas back ahead.

What Texas needs to do: Play some pass defense. The Longhorns have showed some struggles in their deep coverage and tackling. Johnson has picked them apart in the first half as he’s hit 13 of 15 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns. Something tells me that Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp is blistering some ears in the locker room as I type this.

What Texas A&M needs to do: Do a better job of containing McCoy. The Aggies have been blitzing more than at any time this season. It might be wise if they accounted for a defender to spy specifically on McCoy considering the way he’s ripped them apart in the first half with his arm and his feet.