ESPN College Football

On Tuesday, the Big East wrapped up the last set of media days in college football, so it's time to take a look back at what we learned from the Big 12's annual event, as well as what we still have to learn.

What we learned from Big 12 Media Days

The Big 12's coaches weren't excited to see high school games on the Longhorn Network. Almost a week before media days, Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe put a hold on the Longhorn Network's plans to broadcast high school games, but the league's coaches voiced their displeasure at the possibility in various ways, none stronger than Missouri's Gary Pinkel. "It's a lack of common sense there to think that the network, the university network, can have high school games," he said. Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy said his "antenna went up when I started to hear that information." Baylor's Art Briles was the only coach who said it didn't bother him, but on Monday, the league announced it would declare a one-year moratorium on broadcasting high school games, allowing the issue to be further examined by the NCAA.

Mack Brown knows what he wants from his quarterbacks. Brown said summer workouts helped Colt McCoy separate himself from Jevan Snead the last time Texas had a quarterback battle, and he's hoping the same thing happened this summer. Brown wants leadership from his quarterbacks above all, but he wants them to take care of the ball second for a team that ranked 116th in turnover ratio in 2010. Garrett Gilbert has the experience and is the most vocal of the group, but he threw 17 interceptions to 10 touchdowns last season. Case McCoy, Connor Wood and David Ash were supposed to spend their spring and summer mostly learning Bryan Harsin's new, complex offense. Now, it's time to focus on competing. The separation could happen fast, and Texas opens fall camp on Friday.

Art Briles narrowly edges out Tommy Tuberville for the league's most entertaining coach. Tuberville poked at the Big 12 on his way off the stage, but Briles earned a few more fans with a solid collection of one-liners, including one about Ahmad Dixon that somehow got overlooked. "I take a lot of pride in being able to guess how much a male weighs," Briles said of the 206-pounder. "If you looked at him, you'd say that guy looks like he weighs about 183. He's put together pretty good." Briles also argued that talking trash was "in the ear of the beholder" and compared his quarterback to famed hurdler Edwin Moses.

Oklahoma will be fascinating to watch. The Sooners got by far the most attention on Day 2, sharing the second half of media days with the four teams picked to finish at the bottom of the Big 12. Oklahoma, though, isn't shying away from the hefty preseason expectations and players also spoke openly about the death of their teammate, Austin Box, this summer. The Sooners have a few subtle tributes planned, and won't have Box far from their minds throughout the season.

Kansas State's quarterback race is over. Bill Snyder brought Collin Klein to Big 12 Media Days, which seemed conspicuous enough, but he confirmed the obvious once he made it to Dallas. "He’ll take the first snap when we start in the fall," Snyder said. Klein was the most impressive during the spring, ahead of Boston College and Blinn College transfers Justin Tuggle and Sammuel Lamur, but Snyder maintained there wasn't a lot of separation between the three following the spring game. After the summer, it looks like that's changed.

What we have yet to learn after Big 12 Media Days

How will Texas rebound? We won't know this until the Longhorns suit up against Rice and BYU to open the season, but Texas is the Big 12's biggest wild card after a 5-7 season precipitated wholesale changes on the coaching staff. The depth chart is wide open for new coordinators Manny Diaz and Bryan Harsin, and fall camp should be one of the most competitive ever for the Longhorns.

Are Big 12 realignment rumors over for now? Texas A&M said the Longhorn Network produced uncertainty about the Aggies' future in the Big 12, but the one-year moratorium on broadcasting high school games may only delay conversations about the future of the Big 12, especially if the NCAA rules in favor of the practice.

Is this Oklahoma's year? Or the SEC's decade? Bob Stoops told a crowd at an recent caravan that it was "about time" for Oklahoma to win a national title, 11 years after its seventh national championship in 2000. The Sooners have enough talent to do it, but can they play consistently and catch the right breaks to rip off the 13 wins it will take to bring a national title back to the Big 12? Texas' championship with Vince Young in 2006 was the last time any non-SEC team won a national championship.

Who will start at Texas and Iowa State? The Big 12 has just two true quarterback battles left. The Longhorns have to pick between four, but the race in Ames is likely boiled down to Jerome Tiller, who has played in spot duty behind Austen Arnaud, and juco transfer Steele Jantz.

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

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

2006

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blaine Gabbert made the right decision by declaring for the NFL draft. ESPN's Scouts, Inc. has Gabbert as the No. 20 overall prospect in April's draft, and Gabbert received a first-round grade from the NFL draft advisory committee after he submitted his paperwork.

For every Jake Locker and Jevan Snead, there's a Sam Bradford: There's nothing wrong with sticking around another year if you're projected as a first-rounder, and the risk of injury is somewhat overrated.

Gabbert is a bit different. In Missouri's spread offense, he wouldn't have been much further along as an NFL prospect this time next year, and his size (6-foot-5, 240 pounds) and arm strength (ridiculous) are exactly what NFL teams want in a prospective future starter. His capability to make NFL reads and develop footwork on dropbacks wouldn't have been much further along, and for a guy with a promising future looming like Gabbert, he might as well get a head start. Now was the time.

The lack of an elite receiver like Jeremy Maclin or Danario Alexander kept Gabbert from posting jaw-dropping numbers in 2010, but he played well and notched Missouri's fourth 10-win season in school history. To Gabbert's credit, he didn't force very many plays this year, and did what he needed to do for Missouri to win games. Missouri notched 10 wins because of it.

Gabbert is a competitive guy, and he'd surely like to achieve more than he did -- he never played in a Big 12 Championship or won a bowl game -- but he still had a great career and will go down as one of the best quarterbacks in Tigers history. He'll lack the legacy of Heisman finalist and three-year starter Chase Daniel, but don't be surprised if Gabbert is better in the NFL than in college. He's an Academic All-Big 12 performer and a smart, coachable player who made clear strides for all three of his seasons at Missouri. I'd expect that to continue in the NFL.

For the Tigers, things get a bit complicated.

The knee-jerk reaction for some will write off Missouri as a Big 12 contender in 2011, but that's not necessarily what should happen. It'll be tough for Missouri to win, but they bring back plenty of talent, especially on defense and in a more experienced receiving corps with a stable of young running backs who all got experience this year. Talk about replacing starters all you'd like, but Oklahoma State lost a "franchise" quarterback in Zac Robinson and played a first-year quarterback in Brandon Weeden who had not made a start in nine years. His last start was in high school. That worked out pretty well for them. I'd say 11 wins is a pretty good season.

Replacing Gabbert will be crucial for Missouri not just in 2011, but in retaining its stability as a winner in the Big 12. Tommy Tuberville said it last week at the TicketCity Bowl: In the SEC, you win with running backs and defense. In the Big 12, you win with quarterbacks. That's exactly how Missouri has done it.

In the last four years, Oklahoma is the only team with more Big 12 wins than Missouri.

Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, Chase Daniel, Zac Robinson, Graham Harrell, Todd Reesing -- the bar has been set high in this league, even in just the most recent few years.

And for Missouri, any hope they have of being a legitimate Big 12 contender hinges on the guy who steps in for Gabbert. And unlike Daniel and Gabbert were, choosing the next starting quarterback won't be a formality this spring.

James Franklin played more than any of Missouri's other young quarterbacks, but he was used mostly as a runner. He was a miniature version of Brad Smith, at the risk of Missourian heresy.

He has the arm strength, but his decision making ability is a question mark. His coaches probably have only a bit more information from what they've seen in practices. That's what Missouri has to figure out when spring practice kicks off in a couple months.

The true freshman threw all of 14 passes in 2010. That's not much of a sample size.

I'd expect a fierce competition between Franklin and Gabbert's younger brother, freshman Tyler Gabbert, as well as redshirt freshman Ashton Glaser.

Franklin's experience, however limited, gives him the edge. And the Tigers have a few proven playmakers in receiver T.J. Moe, tight end Michael Egnew and receivers Wes Kemp and Jerrell Jackson.

Franklin's legs produced a valuable change of pace, especially in the red zone. He ran 23 times for 116 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

But those legs won't win him the job in 2011. He has to prove it as a passer. Maybe he's Missouri's most accurate passer. Maybe it's the younger Gabbert or Glaser.

We'll find out soon. It should be an interesting spring in Columbia.

Nathan Stanley says he was as surprised as anyone when he got the news in January that Jevan Snead was turning pro.

He knew Snead was thinking about it, but like most people, felt like Snead would return to Ole Miss for his senior season.

“I found out when I got back from Christmas break,” Stanley said. “The first thing that goes through your mind is that you didn’t really see it coming. Then you think, ‘Wow, he’s leaving. This is my shot, my chance. I’m going to have to buckle down.’ ”

Stanley, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound sophomore, did just that for much of the spring and established himself as the clear-cut starter at quarterback. Redshirt freshman Raymond Cotton also played well, particularly in the spring game, but he’s got a lingering shoulder problem.

The Rebels are hopeful that Cotton will be able to make it through the season before having surgery, but there are no guarantees.

For now, Stanley is the only sure thing, although junior college newcomer Randall Mackey is set to arrive this summer.

“The main thing for me this spring was getting out there and earning everyone’s trust,” Stanley said. “Everyone looks to the quarterback to be the leader of the offense, and I knew I had to step up and prove that I was that guy.”

Snead threw 20 touchdown passes last season, but he also threw 20 interceptions. And 15 of those interceptions came in SEC contests.

When the Rebels got in trouble last season, they turned around and handed the ball to Dexter McCluster. They won’t have that luxury next season with McCluster gone.

That means Stanley will have to walk that fine line of producing enough big plays to jump-start the Rebels’ offense, while not trying to do too much and turning the ball over.

He feels like his strength is decision-making.

“I want to be real level-headed and real calm,” Stanley said. “My job is to put the team in a position to be successful.”

Not only is McCluster gone, but so is leading receiver Shay Hodge. Stanley thinks the Rebels will spread it around more next season and be even more diverse on offense.

“Dexter will be hard to replace, but we have guys who played behind him last year like Jesse Grandy, who’s definitely a game-breaker,” Stanley said. “All he needs is the ball. He’s got the speed, got the hands. He’s got it all. I feel like he will sort of take Dexter’s place.”

Stanley said sophomore Melvin Harris and redshirt freshman Ja-Mes Logan also made big strides this spring, and that junior running back Brandon Bolden looked like his old self now that he’s about 10 pounds lighter.

Senior receivers Markeith Summers and Lionel Breaux helped set the tone for the offense with their consistent play, and the most pleasant surprise was junior running back Enrique Davis, who looked like it was finally clicking for him.

“He makes us a whole different offense,” Stanley said. “He really seemed to perfect his craft. He’s big and fast and is really going to help us out.”

Stanley will take all of the options he can get on offense in 2010. The more, the better.

“We’ll all lean on each other,” Stanley said. “It’s going to take more than just one guy anyway, but I feel like we’re on the right track and have the time to get there.”

1. Christmas for recruiting geeks arrives tomorrow. Consider this a friendly reminder that no one really know what’s in each package. I went back and looked over the ESPNU 150 from four years ago . No. 12 was Mitch Mustain. No. 13 was Jevan Snead. And No. 141 was Josh Freeman. Of the two Heisman winners, Tim Tebow was No. 15. Sam Bradford didn’t make the list.

2. In an era when today’s technological marvel is tomorrow’s museum piece, coaches will sit and watch their fax machines Wednesday morning for Letters of Intent from their 2010 signees. Fax? Why not ask the Pony Express to do the job? As I understand it, a Letter of Intent scanned and sent as a PDF would be considered valid by the NCAA. But for some reason, that method of delivery has been slow to catch on.

3. Let’s get this straight: Texas Tech agreed to move its game against Texas to Sept. 18, the third week of the season. In order to do so, the Red Raiders and TCU move their game, which had been scheduled for that day, to a future year. The replacement for TCU, which will be a top-10 team again, is FCS Weber State on Nov. 20. That’s some kind of housewarming gift for new coach Tommy Tuberville.

What makes a great game? What makes a memorable game?

Most of the time, that depends on where you sit.

Again, though, picking just 10 games that stick out in the SEC over the last decade is a thankless task.

My question: Can I pick 10 over the last two seasons?

While realizing some memorable contests are going to be left out, here’s our stab at the 10 best games the decade had to offer in the SEC:

1. Florida 31, Alabama 20, 2008 SEC championship game: The No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country went toe-to-toe for three classic quarters in a game that lived up to every bit of its hype. But in those final 15 minutes, Tim Tebow took over with one clutch play after another, and the Gators -- playing without injured star Percy Harvin -- turned in a flawless quarter to earn a spot in the BCS National Championship Game.

2. Arkansas 50, LSU 48 (3 OT), 2007: Easily one of the more shocking games of the decade. Darren McFadden rushed for 206 yards and three touchdowns and threw for another score, as unranked Arkansas knocked off No. 1 LSU at home on the final weekend of the regular season. Arkansas’ Matterral Richardson intercepted Matt Flynn’s two-point conversion pass in the end zone to clinch the win for the Hogs. It was Houston Nutt’s final game at Arkansas, and LSU limped away thinking it had blown its chance to play for a national title. But the right teams lost, and the Tigers climbed back into position in the final BCS standings and whipped Ohio State for their second national title of the decade.

3. Florida 17, South Carolina 16, 2006: Talk about a surreal setting. Steve Spurrier was back at the Swamp ... but wearing different colors and standing on the opposing sideline. His Gamecocks outplayed the No. 6 Gators most of the day. South Carolina had a chance to win it at the end, but Jarvis Moss blocked Ryan Succop’s 48-yard field goal attempt as time expired to save the Gators. It was his second blocked kick of the game and the third by Florida. The Gators would go on to win their first of two national titles under Urban Meyer.

4. Tennessee 34, Florida 32, 2001: The game was pushed back to the end of the season because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Florida was No. 2 and Tennessee No. 5. The Vols, who hadn’t won in the Swamp since the 1970s, got a career-high 226 yards rushing from Travis Stephens and survived a two-point conversion pass attempt in the end zone at the end of the game to put themselves in prime position to play for the national championship. They couldn’t make it stand up, though, and were upset the next week by LSU in the SEC championship game.

5. LSU 28, Florida 24, 2007: The black-and-blue game of the decade, for sure. The Tigers and Gators went at it in one of the hardest-hitting, most physical games you’ll ever see. Three different times, Tim Tebow led the Gators to 10-point leads over the No. 1-ranked Tigers. But LSU coach Les Miles kept gambling on fourth down, and the Tigers -- namely Jacob Hester -- kept converting. Hester had two fourth-down conversions on the game-winning drive and scored the go-ahead touchdown on a third-and-goal play.

6. Arkansas 71, Kentucky 63 (7 OT), 2003: It was the longest game in NCAA history, taking nearly five hours to play. The Hogs prevailed in the seventh overtime when DeCori Birmingham scored on a 25-yard touchdown run. They then stopped the Wildcats on fourth down.

7. Ole Miss 31, Florida 30, 2008: It’s the game that led to “The Promise” from Tim Tebow, and it’s also the last game the Gators lost before reeling off 22 straight victories. The Rebels shocked the No. 4 Gators in the Swamp. Jevan Snead passed for two touchdowns and ran for another, and Kentrell Lockett blocked an extra point attempt late in the fourth quarter. But the clincher came with 40 seconds to play when the Rebels stopped Tebow on fourth down and less than a yard from the Ole Miss 32. Tebow was hit in the backfield and never made it back to the line of scrimmage.

8. Georgia 24, Auburn 21, 2002: Auburn and Georgia have specialized in playing thrilling games over the years, but the 2002 contest was one of the best. The Bulldogs won it with 1:25 left to play when David Greene hit a leaping Michael Johnson with a 19-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-and-15 play to clinch the Eastern Division title. The Bulldogs went on to win their first SEC title in 20 years.

9. Kentucky 43, LSU 37 (3 OT), 2007: In one of the biggest wins in Kentucky history, the Wildcats took down the No. 1 Tigers in Lexington, settling off a wild celebration in the Bluegrass. Quarterback Andre Woodson threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Steve Johnson in the third overtime, and LSU couldn’t answer on its possession. Charles Scott was stopped on fourth-and-2 by Kentucky’s Braxton Kelley, sealing the Wildcats’ first victory over a No. 1 team since 1964.

10. Alabama 12, Tennessee 10, 2009: Terrence Cody made more than a few big plays during his two seasons at Alabama, but nothing compares to his blocked field goal as time expired to save the Crimson Tide against the Vols. It was Cody’s second blocked field goal of the day, and he ripped off his helmet and went racing across the field in celebration afterward. Alabama seemingly had the game under control, but Tennessee drove for a late touchdown and then recovered an onsides kick to move into position. The Crimson Tide prevailed without scoring a touchdown. Leigh Tiffin kicked four field goals, including a 50-yarder and 49-yarder.

Ole Miss junior quarterback Jevan Snead has met twice with coach Houston Nutt in the last two days, and in at least one of those meetings, informed Nutt that he was leaning toward turning pro, according to a source.

Snead is expected to make a final decision later Thursday and was still trying to sort everything out in his mind before deciding if the time's right for him to take his shot at the NFL.

He's coming off a disappointing junior season in which he threw an SEC-high 20 interceptions. That's after playing brilliantly down the stretch as a sophomore when he threw 16 touchdown passes and only three interceptions during Ole Miss' six-game winning streak to end the season.

One of Snead's concerns about coming back is all the players the Rebels are losing on offense. Starting offensive lineman John Jerry, Daverin Geralds and Reid Neely are all gone as are top playmakers Shay Hodge and Dexter McCluster.

Even with all those players departing, the best move Snead could make is to stay in school. I can't imagine him going very high in April's NFL draft.

Stay tuned to see what he ultimately decides.

A quick look at Ole Miss’ 21-7 victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday in the AT&T Cotton Bowl:

How the game was won: Senior running back Dexter McCluster provided all the offense the Rebels needed with 227 all-purpose yards, and they somehow managed to overcome five turnovers. But the difference in this game was an Ole Miss defense that made amends for a subpar performance in the 41-27 loss to Mississippi State in the regular-season finale. Tyrone Nix’s defense held the Cowboys to 255 total yards, came up with a key goal-line stand and scored the clinching touchdown when linebacker Patrick Trahan picked up a fumble and rambled 36 yards with 3:12 to play.

Turning point: With the game tied at 7-7 late in the third quarter, Oklahoma State recovered a Jevan Snead fumble at the Ole Miss 40 and drove it down to the Rebels’ 1. The Cowboys went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1, but were stuffed by a host of Ole Miss defenders.

Player of the game: McCluster went out in style with 182 yards rushing and two touchdowns. He had an 86-yard scoring jaunt to open the Rebels’ scoring and also scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard scamper out of the Wild Rebel formation. McCluster was sensational during the second half of the season. He’d rushed for 821 yards in his last five SEC games coming into Saturday’s contest.

Stat of the game: The two teams combined for 12 turnovers, and Oklahoma State had six in the fourth quarter.

Stat of the game II: Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead threw three more interceptions and finished the season with 20.

What it means: In winning the Cotton Bowl for the second straight year, the Rebels (9-4) did something they haven’t done since the John Vaught era – win nine or more games in back-to-back seasons. This was a key game for Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt for several different reasons. The Rebels put a happy face on an up-and-down regular season, and by winning a second straight bowl game, he gets out from under the tag he was saddled with at Arkansas of not being able to get it done in the postseason.

Record performance: McCluster became the first player in SEC history to rush for 1,000 yards and have 500 receiving yards in the same season.

Oklahoma State’s hopes of claiming its first bowl victory since 2007 were undone by an embarrassing rash of fourth-quarter mistakes in the Cowboys’ 21-7 loss to Mississippi in the AT&T Cotton Bowl. Here’s a look at what went wrong for the Cowboys and right for the Rebels.

How the game was won: Ole Miss took advantage of six Oklahoma State turnovers on consecutive fourth-quarter possessions to blow the game open. The Rebels got the ball back via interceptions by free safety Kendrick Lewis on consecutive drives, followed by back-to-back fumble recoveries and then interceptions by Patrick Trahan and Fon Ingram during a run in which the Rebels scored the game’s final 14 points.

It’s notable: Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt becomes the first coach to win back-to-back Cotton Bowls since Lou Holtz at Notre Dame in 1993 and 1994.

Turning point: With about 9 minutes remaining in a tie game, OSU had the ball on the Ole Miss 19-yard line and appeared poised to claim the lead. Ole Miss defensive tackle Jerrell Powe looked to have obviously jumped offsides on a snap as he charged past OSU center Andrew Lewis before the snap was completed. Feeling that he had a free play, Robinson threw to the end zone, where he was intercepted by Lewis in the end zone. The Cowboys unraveled from that point in the game.

Player of the game: Oklahoma State’s defense was gearing to stop Ole Miss running back Dexter McCluster. And it still didn’t matter. McCluster rushed for 185 yards on 34 carries, including touchdown runs of 86 and 2 yards to account for both of the Rebel’s offensive touchdowns. He also produced five receptions for 45 yards, becoming the first player in Southeastern Conference history to account for 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in the same season.

Unsung hero: Patrick Trahan capped the victory with two pivotal fourth-quarter plays. He recovered a fumble by OSU wide receiver Hubert Anyiam and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown to give the Rebels a 21-7 lead. He then provided an interception on OSU’s next possession to ice the victory.

Stat of the game: The two teams combined for 12 turnovers, but it didn't top the Cotton Bowl record of 13 that was set when Alabama claimed a 29-21 victory over Texas A&M on Jan. 1, 1942.

What it means: Oklahoma State failed to tie a school record with a 10th victory. The Cowboys’ late collapse in the final two games was a disappointment, but OSU overachieved considering their injury and suspension losses over the course of the season. The Cowboys lose key players like Robinson, Russell Okung, Keith Toston, Perrish Cox and starting linebackers Andre Sexton, Donald Booker and Patrick Lavin next season. But they will try to rebuild around a retooled offense that will should be centered around running back Kendall Hunter, who looked to regain his form Saturday after struggling with injuries all season.

Ole Miss didn’t achieve its preseason goal of contending for an SEC championship, but the Rebels claimed back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time since 1959 and 1960. And they likely will have Jevan Snead back for another season as well.

Breaking down the AT&T Cotton Bowl on Saturday (FOX, 2 p.m. ET) between Oklahoma State (9-3) and Ole Miss (8-4):

WHO TO WATCH: If they awarded the Heisman Trophy based on the last half of the season, Ole Miss senior running back Dexter McCluster might have found himself in New York City for the awards ceremony. He was that good down the stretch and rushed for 821 yards in his last five SEC games. He also has a chance to become the first player in SEC history to rush for 1,000 yards and have 500 receiving yards in the same season. He currently sits at 985 rushing yards and 475 receiving yards. Despite weighing just 170 pounds, McCluster has been amazingly durable this season. And when he gets loose in the open field, he’s truly a treat to watch.

WHAT TO WATCH: What version of Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead do we see in this game? The Rebels hope it’s the version of Snead they saw in last season’s Cotton Bowl. It was a disappointing season for Snead, who threw an SEC-high 17 interceptions. Ole Miss needs him to take care of the ball in this game, and he also needs to have some success in hitting some passes downfield to keep Oklahoma State from loading up against McCluster and the running game.

WHY TO WATCH: Both of these teams started the season ranked in the Top 10, and had visions of making some noise on the national scene. As it turned out, neither team even made it to its respective conference championship game. So this is a chance for the Rebels and Cowboys to put a positive face on the season. For Ole Miss, it would be a second straight nine-win season. The last time the Rebels won nine or more games in back-to-back seasons was 1961 and 1962.

PREDICTION: The sour taste of that 41-27 loss to Mississippi State on the final weekend of the regular season has lingered for Ole Miss. This is a team that’s looked really good at times and really average at times. In the end, look for Tyrone Nix’s defense to bounce back from that poor outing in Starkville and take the Cowboys out of their game. Ole Miss 30, Oklahoma State 21.

Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-3) vs. Mississippi Rebels (8-4)

Jan. 2, 2 p.m. (FOX)

Oklahoma State take by Big 12 blogger Tim Griffin: Mike Gundy’s team had hopes of making its first BCS at-large appearance before a stunning 27-0 loss to Oklahoma to finish the season. They could be facing more of the same against a talented Mississippi defense that ranked in the top 25 in pass efficiency defense, total defense, scoring defense, sacks and tackles for loss. The Rebels whipped Texas Tech at the point of attack last season in the Cotton Bowl and will be looking for more of the same against the Cowboys. But they will be facing a different challenge from a run-heavy Oklahoma State offense keyed by All-American offensive tackle Russell Okung, bullish running back Keith Toston (1,177 rushing yards) and 2008 Big 12 rushing leader Kendall Hunter, who will have another month to get over his early-season injuries.

Bill Young has done a nice job retooling Oklahoma State's defense, which ranked sixth nationally in rush defense and will be tested by leading Mississippi running back Dexter McCluster (985 yards). The key for the game could well be which team gets the best play from quarterbacks who struggled late in the season. Oklahoma State’s Zac Robinson was hobbled with injuries and Mississippi's Jevan Snead threw three interceptions in a season-ending loss at Mississippi State. These teams have met once before when Mississippi escaped with a 31-28 victory over the Cowboys in the 2004 Cotton Bowl.

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Mississippi take by SEC blogger Chris Low:Ole Miss gets a return trip to Dallas, this time getting to play in the Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium. The Rebels can only hope the whole Cotton Bowl experience is as much fun as last season when they shredded Texas Tech.

The end of this regular season wasn’t much fun for anybody in Oxford. Ole Miss was whipped 41-27 by rival Mississippi State, solidifying the Rebels as the toughest team to figure this season in the SEC. They didn’t live up to their top-10 billing early, but then hit a stretch in October and November where they did look like the real deal, only to bow meekly to the Bulldogs in the Egg Bowl.

After a brilliant debut season in the SEC, junior quarterback Jevan Snead threw 17 interceptions and was one of the more disappointing players in the league. He never found a rhythm and didn’t play with a lot of confidence at times.

Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt didn’t put Dexter McCluster at running back full time until midway through the season, and boy, did he take off. Always a threat to go the distance, McCluster rushed for 821 yards in his last five SEC games.

Nutt and Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy go back a ways. Nutt was an assistant coach on Oklahoma State’s staff when Gundy was the Cowboys’ quarterback in the 1980s.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

As good as Ole Miss looked offensively for 25 minutes of the first half, the Rebels seemed to come down with a case of brain-freeze at the end of the first half.

Their clock management was awful and cost them a shot at a field goal. They allowed at least 30 seconds (and maybe more) to tick away and didn't call timeout until there were nine seconds left when they picked up a first down at the Arkansas 39.

Then, all they could manage was a Jevan Snead heave down the field that was intercepted, which really changes the momentum of this game heading into the second half.

Ole Miss had the ball right around midfield with about a minute to play and showed no sense of urgency to try and get in position for a field goal. If the Rebels lose this game by a couple of points, that possession will come back to haunt them. They lead 17-7 at the half.

The good news for Ole Miss is that Dexter McCluster already has 136 rushing yards at halftime. Amazingly, he came into this game without a run of more than 10 yards all season.

Looks like the Rebels are going to give him all the touches he can handle today.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Another solid week for me, if I say so myself.

I was 5-1 last week, missing only Kentucky’s upset of Auburn, and am now 45-10 (.818) on the season.

If we were shooting free throws, you’d love to have me at the line right now in the final minutes of a tight game.

Here are my picks for Week 8 in the SEC:

Kentucky 34, Louisiana-Monroe 14: Even with the injuries, Kentucky looks good to go for the stretch drive. Derrick Locke is banged up, but he’s been outstanding. And what can you say about Randall Cobb that hasn’t already been said? This is a team that persevered through the toughest part of its schedule and has a chance to take off from here.

South Carolina 24, Vanderbilt 9: The mere sight of black and gold causes South Carolina fans to cringe. The Commodores are riding a two-game winning streak over the Gamecocks, which hasn’t gone over well in Columbia. But South Carolina is too good on defense this season and Vanderbilt is too bad on offense for that streak to continue. The Commodores haven’t scored more than 10 points in an SEC game.

LSU 31, Auburn 21: Given the way Auburn has struggled on defense the past few weeks, Gene Chizik’s club just might be what the doctor ordered for LSU’s struggling offense. This is one of those games you don’t want to miss in the SEC. There’s always some type of thrilling finish, controversial play or memorable performance. It won’t be very memorable for Auburn, which will see its losing streak extend to three games.

Ole Miss 28, Arkansas 24: Both teams really need this game, and the winner has a chance to go on and have a big season. The Hogs look like they’re starting to settle into a groove. The Rebels have yet to prove much of anything this season. Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead is due, though, and gets it done Hotty Toddy style on Saturday.

Florida 34, Mississippi State 17: The Urban Meyer vs. Dan Mullen matchup will get a lot of the billing, but the No. 1 Gators can’t get caught up in anything other than playing their game. The Mississippi State community is jacked for this game, and the environment should be electric. The Gators don’t need a history lesson about the last time they visited Starkville. They lost 38-31 in 2004, and Ron Zook was fired two days later.

Alabama 24, Tennessee 13: The Third Saturday in October is taking place on the fourth Saturday in October this year. This is one of the classic rivalries in college football and filled with so much history. Even in those years when one team is clearly better and has more to play for, it’s usually a fourth-quarter game. With the way these two defenses have played this season, Saturday’s game shouldn’t be any different. But Mark Ingram and the Crimson Tide will wear down the Vols and pull away for their third straight win in the series.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

We’re right back where we ended the season a year ago in the SEC.

Midway through, Florida and Alabama appear poised to square off in the SEC championship game for the right to play for what would be the league’s fourth straight national championship and fifth in the last seven years.

Both the Gators and Crimson Tide are unbeaten, and they’re Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in the first BCS standings that were released on Sunday.

Even though the Gators are unbeaten, they’ve had a few bumps in the road getting here. The offense is completely reliant on Tim Tebow, who suffered a concussion in the Kentucky game, but hasn’t missed any game action. Tebow has been the heart and soul of the running game, and the downfield passing game hasn’t been very consistent.

	Marvin Gentry/US Presswire
	Alabama’s Mark Ingram leads the SEC with 905 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns.

The Crimson Tide had been much more diverse offensively until the last two games when quarterback Greg McElroy didn’t throw the ball nearly as consistently as he did in their first five games.

The constant with both teams (and the league in general) has been defense. Big surprise there, huh?

Alabama and Florida are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in total defense nationally. Tennessee (13^th), South Carolina (19^th), Ole Miss (23^rd), Vanderbilt (24^th) and LSU (35^th) give the SEC seven of the top 35 defenses in the country.

Auburn was the big story the first month of the season. The Tigers started out 5-0 under first-year coach Gene Chizik, but have lost their last two games and look like they might be running on empty with a defense that is hurting for numbers.

After Alabama and Florida, it’s difficult to sort the teams out from there. They’re all pretty close.

In other words, the third best team in this league isn’t appreciably better than the ninth best team. All but three teams already have two conference losses.

The team that stands the best chance to break up what’s shaping up to be an Alabama-Florida rematch in the SEC championship game is LSU, which lost 13-3 at home to the Gators two weeks ago. But that was the Tigers’ only loss, and they still get a shot at the Crimson Tide in November.

There are sure to be some other twists and turns along the way. There always are in the SEC. Just last week, both Alabama and Florida had to fight like crazy to survive at home. And even then, the Gators got a little help from the officials.

So don’t write anything in ink just yet.

Offensive MVP: Alabama RB Mark Ingram

With Alabama’s passing game taking a turn for the worse the last two weeks, the Crimson Tide have really jumped on Ingram’s back. He obviously has wide shoulders even if he is built pretty low to the ground. The 5-foot-10, 212-pound sophomore has been a tackle-breaking machine and leads the SEC with 905 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns, eight rushing and three receiving. He’s doing it all for the Tide -- running, catching and blocking -- and has also delivered several big plays.

Defensive MVP: Alabama LB Rolando McClain

Midway through, it’s one big Alabama party. McClain gets the nod over South Carolina outside linebacker Eric Norwood and Tennessee safety Eric Berry based on how versatile he’s been and his overall impact on the Alabama defense. Nick Saban says McClain is one of the smartest players he’s ever coached. He calls all the signals and makes sure everybody is where they’re supposed to be. He’s also plenty productive from his middle linebacker spot. He leads Alabama with 49 total tackles, including 6.5 for loss. Go back and look at how many game-changing plays he’s been involved in, whether it’s deflecting a pass that leads to an interception, forcing a fumble that leads to a touchdown or intercepting a pass himself. He’s the most complete middle linebacker in the country.

Biggest surprise: South Carolina

The Gamecocks (5-2, 2-2) are in position to have their best season under Steve Spurrier. There were a bunch of question marks entering the season, but quarterback Stephen Garcia has matured. The defense has overcome injuries and youth to be one of the better units in the SEC under Ellis Johnson and his staff, and even in their two losses, the Gamecocks have been right there. They played Alabama as well as anybody has this season. Now let’s see if they can finish the season, which has been a problem in Columbia.

Biggest disappointment: Ole Miss

There’s still time to make something of this season, but the Rebels’ hopes of playing in their first-ever SEC title game pretty much went down the drain before the month of September was over. They were awful offensively in their two biggest games to date, losing 16-10 to South Carolina and 22-3 to Alabama. It’s been a rough first half of the season for quarterback Jevan Snead, although he played better last week in the win over UAB. The best thing the Rebels have going for them is Tyrone Nix’s defense. They’ve been terrific on that side of the ball.

Best game: LSU at Georgia, Oct. 3

In all honesty, the game wasn’t that great until the final few minutes. But the finish was thrilling and made up for everything else. The two teams combined for three touchdowns in the final 2:53, with Charles Scott breaking loose on a 33-yard touchdown run to win it for the Tigers with 33 seconds to play. Only seconds earlier, A.J. Green had put the Bulldogs ahead 13-12 after going up and over an LSU defender to wrestle away a spectacular 16-yard touchdown catch. As fate would have it, Green was hit with a bogus 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for celebrating, a penalty the SEC later said should have never been called, and LSU’s Trindon Holliday took advantage by taking the ensuing kickoff back 40 yards to the Georgia 38 -- setting up Scott’s run. Honorable mention would go to Georgia’s 41-37 win over South Carolina on Sept. 12, Georgia’s 52-41 win over Arkansas on Sept. 19 and Florida’s 23-20 win over Arkansas on Oct. 17.

Best coach: Alabama’s Nick Saban

Chizik looked like a runaway winner here until the last two weeks. He’s still done a nice job with an Auburn team that’s really hurting for depth. Spurrier deserves a few votes, too. But Saban gets the midseason award based on the fact that nobody saw the Crimson Tide being this dominant with everything they lost last year -- two All-American offensive linemen, a three-year starter at quarterback and their captain and best safety on defense. The Tide have just reloaded, though, and are trying to become the first Alabama team since 1973 and 1974 to go unbeaten in back-to-back regular seasons. Seems like old times at the Capstone.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

It could have been a memorable week. I hit Tennessee’s win over Georgia and Arkansas’ win over Auburn.

Granted, I didn’t see either game being as lopsided as they were.

My chance at perfection went out the window with Vanderbilt’s overtime loss to Army and then Mississippi State’s loss to Houston where the Bulldogs didn’t get any favors from the officiating crew.

So after six weeks, I’m 40-9 (.816) and was 5-2 last week. There’s a bonus written into my contract that I get to take a limousine to the Florida-Georgia game if I’m still over .800 when that game rolls around.

Please wish me luck. I'm already dreading Union Avenue.

Here are my picks for Week 7:

Mississippi State 30, Middle Tennessee 24: What is Mississippi State doing playing at Middle Tennessee? Talk about a game where you have everything to lose and nothing to win. The Bulldogs are coming off three tough losses in a row, so they’re not going to be picky about the particulars. They need any win. It won’t be easy in Murfreesboro, Tenn., but Anthony Dixon and Co. will find a way to grind it out.

Ole Miss 35, UAB 14: The worse Ole Miss plays, the worse its schedule looks. This schedule wasn’t very flattering when you broke it down back in August. It really looks like a dud now. So far, the Rebels have beaten Memphis, Southeastern Louisiana and Vanderbilt. They get a chance to add UAB to that list on Saturday, which isn’t going to win the Rebels much love nationally. But more than anything, they just need a game where they play well on offense and get everybody going in the same direction.

Georgia 21, Vanderbilt 10: Go back and check the recent history of this series. Vanderbilt always seems to play Georgia tough, and it beat the Bulldogs in Athens in 2006. Vanderbilt has really targeted the state of Georgia in its recruiting, too, so winning this game would give the Commodores even more legitimacy when they start knocking on doors in that state. Look for another second-half game, but Vanderbilt simply doesn’t have enough offense to pull off the upset.

Auburn 38, Kentucky 17: The schedule has really worked out pretty nicely for Auburn to this point. The Tigers get to come back home after their first loss of the season and face an injury-riddled Kentucky team that will be playing without its starting quarterback and best defensive player. The Wildcats played valiantly last week at South Carolina, but you wonder if they’re about to hit that wall.

Florida 34, Arkansas 21: This is the fourth straight week that Arkansas has faced an unbeaten team. The Hogs also get the pleasure of being the second team this season (joining Kentucky) to have faced both Alabama and Florida, the top two teams in the country. The Hogs have a better idea of what they’re getting into for this game than they did at Alabama and have improved on defense. This game will be closer than most people expect, but the Gators are too dialed in to stumble now.

Alabama 24, South Carolina 7: Any time you get Steve Spurrier on one sideline and Nick Saban on the other sideline, it ought to be fun. Now, if Spurrier were still coaching some of those Florida teams from the 1990s, this would be one everybody would want to see. But he’s not. Anyway (as the Head Ball coach would say), the Gamecocks have been one of surprises in the SEC in the first half of the season and have hung in there despite some costly injuries on defense. Quarterback Stephen Garcia is getting better, and this could be one of Spurrier’s best teams at South Carolina. But that’s still a far cry from having a team that’s ready to go to Tuscaloosa and beat an Alabama team that might be the best in the country.