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Texas is easily the wildest card in the Big 12 deck this season, but how do you see the Longhorns faring in 2010?

The defense returns six starters, and is the strength of the team, despite losing Chykie Brown, Curtis Brown and Aaron Williams to the NFL. The team's safeties, Kenny Vaccaro, Christian Scott and Blake Gideon are solid, though Scott will be sidelined the first three games because of a suspension.

The front seven is loaded with potential, and the Longhorns have two of the best linebackers in the league, Keenan Robinson and Emmanuel Acho. Alex Okafor and Jackson Jeffcoat are exciting defensive ends offsetting Kheeston Randall, one of the league's best overall linemen.

Offensively, well, the Longhorns have a lot to prove. They're the only Big 12 team left that doesn't know its starting quarterback for the opening weekend. Eight starters from last year's offense return, but some of the team's biggest hype is coming from players new to campus.

Running back Malcolm Brown and receiver Jaxon Shipley showed up to campus this summer, but quarterback David Ash impressed coaches after enrolling early this spring.

The offensive line will have to be better, especially if any of those three will have success. Shipley should add some solid playmaking ability to a receiving corps depleted with the losses of Marquise Goodwin (Olympic track qualifying) and Malcolm Williams (personal issues), who won't be with the team this year. Mike Davis will likely be the team's go-to receiver, at least to start the season.

So how do the Longhorns stack up?

The Big 12 has released its All-Big 12 preseason team as voted on by the media, including yours truly.

Here's my ballot, for reference.

And here's the preseason team, in all its glory.

OFFENSE

QB: Landry Jones, Oklahoma
RB: Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M
RB: Bryce Brown, Kansas State
RB: Roy Finch, Oklahoma
WR: Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
WR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma
TE: Michael Egnew, Missouri
OL: Levy Adcock, Oklahoma State
OL: Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State
C: Ben Habern, Oklahoma
OL: Lonnie Edwards, Texas Tech
OL: Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M

DEFENSE

DL: Brad Madison, Missouri
DL: Ronnell Lewis, Oklahoma
DL: Kheeston Randall, Texas
DL: Frank Alexander, Oklahoma
LB: Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
LB: Jake Knott, Iowa State
LB: Keenan Robinson, Texas
DB: Coryell Judie, Texas A&M
DB: Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State
DB: Blake Gideon, Texas
DB: Demontre Hurst, Oklahoma

SPECIALISTS

K: Grant Ressel, Missouri
P: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State
KR: Coryell Judie, Texas A&M
PR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

AWARDS

Offensive Player of the Year: Justin Blackmon, WR, OSU

Defensive Player of the Year: Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma

Newcomer of the Year: Malcolm Brown, RB, Texas

Selections by team: Oklahoma (9), Oklahoma State (4), Texas A&M (4), Missouri (3), Texas (3), Iowa State (2), Kansas State (1)

And a few thoughts:

• Generally, I agree with most of the selections. Nothing was really shocking. Brandon Weeden vs. Landry Jones is pretty close to a coin flip, and let's not act surprised that the quarterback from the bigger program got the nod. Perception is reality, even if the numbers are so, so close. Jones has the Heisman hype coming into the season, certainly more than Weeden, based on little more than the possibility his team runs the table.
• Running back is going to get a lot of attention, but let's not get riled up. This is going to sound bad, but believe me when I say I don't mean it to: Bryce Brown's selection is more an indictment of the returning talent at running back in the Big 12 than an endorsement of the hype surrounding Brown, who isn't even the clear-cut starter at K-State just yet. Here's what I wrote when I posted my ballot earlier this month. "The second running back spot is near impossible. Just about anyone might get it on the official vote when its revealed by the Big 12. You could realistically make a convincing case for James Sims, Eric Stephens, Joe Randle, Roy Finch and even newcomers like Malcolm Brown, Bryce Brown or Oklahoma's Brandon Williams. And that's the first team!" Well, there you go. For the record, I voted for Christine Michael, and still feel good about it.
• Finch and Brown tied for votes, giving the Big 12 three running backs. There weren't three spots on the ballot. And it also explains how Malcolm Brown got Newcomer of the Year and Bryce Brown got first-team All-Big 12 running back, despite both being newcomers. It's a little confusing, I suppose, and maybe not everyone did it, but my guess is a lot of ballots had Finch as the first-team running back and Malcolm Brown as the Newcomer of the Year. Not all that surprising.
• I originally had Luke Joeckel on my ballot, but took him off for Missouri's Elvis Fisher. I think Joeckel will end up being better, and maybe even by the end of this year, but right now, Fisher is the better lineman, and that's how I define the ballot. Perhaps others see it differently. There's no concrete rubric for this.
• I'm not very surprised to see Ronnell Lewis and Blake Gideon grab spots on the team, though I voted for Tony Jerod-Eddie and Trent Hunter in those spots on my ballot. Second safety and defensive line were pretty tough for me to fill out. Neither spot is very deep in this league, and both Lewis and Gideon have two of the biggest names, which matters in a media vote.
• Quite a huge gap between Oklahoma and the rest of the league. The Sooners had a lot of guys on my ballot that were close, but five more selections than anyone else in the league? That's impressive, and if ballot deadlines had been after Jamell Fleming's reinstatement, Oklahoma might have had 10 guys on the team. My ballot had Oklahoma State leading the way with seven selections, followed by Texas A&M with six and Oklahoma with five. My ballot also only had six teams represented. The media's Bryce Brown vote put Kansas State on the board, making it seven teams represented on the official team.

We've taken a few passing glances at some 2012 mock drafts, but NFL.com's Gil Brandt ran down his top 100 draft-eligible prospects for 2012. Here's a look with some thoughts on my end.

From the list:

• No. 5: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
• No. 7: Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma

Lewis could be this year's version of Von Miller, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft. Lewis is a three-year starter at Oklahoma and had 109 tackles in 2010 and 362 in his college career. Lewis, who was a high school running back has the speed and athletic ability to play at the next level.

• No. 10: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma

Named after former Dallas Cowboys coach and Hall of Famer Tom Landry, Jones has the size and arm strength teams look for in quarterbacks but is not a good runner. He completed 65 percent of his passes for 38 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions in 2010. Oklahoma does a great job of coaching quarterbacks; former Sooner Sam Bradford was the No. 1 overall pick of the St. Louis Rams in 2010.

• No. 20: Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma

He has the speed and quickness to be explosive, much like the Eagles' DeSean Jackson. Broyles had 131 receptions last season for 1,622 yards and 14 touchdowns

• No. 21: Kelechi Osemele, OT, Iowa State

He's a left tackle for the Cyclones who will likely play guard or right tackle in the NFL. Teams will make the trip to Ames to check this kid out.

• No. 25: Michael Egnew, TE, Missouri
• No. 42: Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M
• No. 44: Keenan Robinson, LB, Texas
• No. 49: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
• No. 57: Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M
• No. 71: Levy Adcock, OT, Oklahoma State
• No. 84: Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
• No. 88: Kheeston Randall, DT, Texas
• No. 93: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

A few thoughts:

• All in all, it's a solid list. That's as high as I've seen Kendall Wright on any list, but he's a solid player with a whole lot of experience and even more speed. Brandt has him as the 14th-best receiver.
• I won't dwell on it, but my thoughts on Michael Egnew remain the same. If he goes that high, I'd be shocked. If somebody wants to tell me what separates him from Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman at the next level, I'm all ears.
• I was pretty surprised to see Travis Lewis that high. He's obviously got great toughness and even better football IQ, but I've never been very impressed with his speed in coverage. The comparison to Von Miller is one I haven't seen before. Clearly, he doesn't have that kind of speed, but if he proves himself a solid coverage linebacker as a senior, I could see him making a jump into the top half of the first round.
• Osemele is the only player NFL teams will be watching from ISU, but I also wonder if anyone from the Cyclones will catch NFL teams' eyes when they're in Ames getting a look at Iowa State's solid bookend.
• Cyrus Gray seems to be a little polarizing among NFL analysts, just like Landry Jones. I'd expect his production to suffer this year with Christine Michael back on the field, but there's no denying what he did at the end of last season. I always pegged Gray as a balanced guy that leaned toward speed as the lesser half of that duo, but he showed some nice power during his late-season tear. There's no such thing as easy yards against Nebraska and LSU.

I'd say that's about what most expected, no? Texas A&M finished off a red-hot stretch with a 24-17 victory to end its regular season, and is now in great position for a big-time bowl game.

Here's some instant analysis:

How the game was won: Texas A&M (9-3) shook off a slow start offensively, and rode Cyrus Gray to a win for a second consecutive week. The Longhorns (5-7) had a final chance late, but Von Miller intercepted a tipped ball from Garrett Gilbert to seal the game. Texas recovered a muffed punt and blocked another to produce 10 second-half points, but it wasn't enough to overcome Gray's career-best night. After a first-quarter touchdown drive that featured two completions of longer than 30 yards, the Longhorns offense didn't reach the end zone again.

Player of the game: Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M. Gray finished with a career-high 223 yards on 27 carries and scored on runs of 84 and 48 yards. The first tied the game at seven in the second quarter, and the second run gave the Aggies a 24-14 lead on the first play of the possession after Texas got within three in the third quarter.

Stat of the game: Yards per carry. Texas' time of possession advantage of nearly eight minutes doesn't count for much. A big reason for that advantage was Cyrus Gray's big runs. Texas A&M runners averaged 6.6 yards per carry. Texas averaged 3.7.

Unsung hero of the game: Texas A&M's offensive line. Gray played well, but he wasn't exactly bowling over multiple defenders on his touchdown runs. Texas' defensive line features big talents in Sam Acho and Kheeston Randall, but the Aggies' improving offensive line, featuring two freshman tackles in Jake Matthews and Luke Joeckel, dominated them up front and gave Gray big holes to burst through.

What it means for Texas: Texas will most likely be home for the holidays for the first time since 1997. There are 64 bowl-eligible teams in America, and 70 slots for bowl teams. Eleven more teams will play over the weekend to achieve bowl eligibility. Want to keep an eye on your fate, Longhorns? Here are the remaining teams playing for bowl eligibility this week: Colorado, Louisville, Houston, Western Michigan, Oregon State, California, Tennessee, Georgia, Troy, Florida International and Louisiana-Monroe.

What it means for Texas A&M: Texas A&M finishes their regular season on a six-game winning streak in Big 12 play that featured two road wins and two wins over top 10 teams. If Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State on Saturday, the Aggies will be in a three-way tie for first in the Big 12 South. Here's more on how that tiebreaker will be settled. The Aggies aren't completely eliminated, but in all likelihood, the winner of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State on Thursday will advance to the Big 12 title game next Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Record performance: Cyrus Gray was the first Texas A&M player to top 200 yards rushing since Leeland McElroy in 1995. That's the fifth-best performance in Texas A&M history.

LUBBOCK, Texas -- So Texas wants to run the ball. It didn't in Saturday's 24-14 win over Texas Tech, carrying the ball 32 times with its top two backs, Fozzy Whittaker and Cody Johnson, for an average of 2.8 yards a carry. Johnson carried the ball 17 times and his longest run went for five yards.

Texas wants to take care of the ball, too. Who doesn't? Texas didn't on Saturday, losing the turnover battle, 4-3.

The Longhorns offense isn't championship caliber. At least yet.

But Texas' defense is. And as long as that's the case, championship-caliber play from the offense isn't necessary for a win. Even in one of the toughest venues in the Big 12 against a talented, experienced Texas Tech team more than capable of upsetting the No. 4 Longhorns.

"Tonight we were pretty dominating," Texas coach Mack Brown said of his defense.

It dominated Texas Tech's passing game, limiting Taylor Potts to just 158 yards on 21-of-35 passing and precipitated a third-quarter QB change to Steven Sheffield for a series. Previously, Potts topped 290 yards in both starts and threw seven touchdowns without an interception.

It dominated the running game, giving up one 25-yard run to Baron Batch, but limiting Batch and backup Eric Stephens to just 19 yards on their other 11 carries.

Pop all that in a calculator, subtract some yardage for Texas' four sacks and a 21-yard loss on a snap over Potts' head on the first play from scrimmage, and it's 144 yards. The last team to hold Texas Tech under 150 yards? Miami. In 1990.

"They did unbelievable all night long," said quarterback Garrett Gilbert, who threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns on 21-of-36 passing. His second touchdown to tight end Barrett Matthews all but sealed the game. All three of his interceptions were tipped balls.

"They were able to get off the field and get us back on there," Gilbert said of the defense.

They did it with a luxury few can afford to lean on: a four-man rush. Texas played 10 defensive linemen on Saturday by coordinator Will Muschamp's count, and its starting front of Sam Acho, Kheeston Randall, Eddie Jones and Tyrell Higgins kept Potts on the run and eliminated the running game.

It all came against an offense that returned seven starters from a unit that ranked fourth nationally in total offense last season.

"We couldn't slow their front down," said Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville, who fell to 4-1 when coaching on his birthday. Today was No. 56. "They just turned loose on us in the second half."

Add sophomore Alex Okafor and Jackson Jeffcoat, a true freshman playing in his first conference game, to the mix, and Texas' depth on the front line makes Tuberville's take unsurprising.

"He really understands flipping his hips in the rush and using his hands in the rush," defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said of his freshman, who ranked among the best in his 2010 class nationally. Jeffcoat had a hand in a pair of sacks and also recovered a fumble on his first play when Texas Tech center Justin Keown snapped the ball over Potts' head inside Texas Tech's 10-yard line.

"Obviously, he's been tutored pretty well. Coming into camp he was well beyond his years because of that. He's certainly given us a lot of juice on the edge."

That push up front made an easy night for the seven dropping back, including a secondary full of NFL talent. They picked off three passes and frustrated the Texas Tech offense for most of the night. Most poetic were interceptions by Curtis Brown and Blake Gideon. Goats two years ago on the same field, they left as winners, key pieces of a defense that will rank among college football's most dominant by year's end.

Brown stood up in the postgame locker room and told his teammates he "felt as good tonight as I felt bad then."

"The happiest time for a player, a coach or a head coach's life is when you whip somebody, a rival in a tough place on the road in a tough game and you can be in that dressing room satisfied, and go back and get on that plane together," Mack Brown said. "You understand you did something a lot of people don't do out here."

The reason for those feelings Brown and his players experienced on Saturday night is simple: defense.

And best of all? Everyone on Texas' sideline saw a dominating performance, but they also saw a defense that could provide more.

"We played well, but there's still a lot of work we need to do to get to that top level," Acho said, looking back on Potts' fade route to Lyle Leong in the end zone for the Red Raiders only offensive score and Batch's 25-yard scamper. "We played very well, we're very excited about what we did, but we know there's a couple areas of improvement."

Let's be clear about this: Would I bet on any of these things? Maybe some of them. Definitely not all of them.

But there are limbs that need to be stepped out onto. I'm here to oblige. Let's swing for the fences on some predictions for 2010, and maybe have some fun on the way out of the ballpark.

1. Oklahoma and Texas will play in another BCS bowl. Nebraska will be relegated to the Cotton Bowl. Whoever doesn't win the South will still have at least 10 wins and be ranked in the top 10. Nebraska won't be able to reach a BCS bowl without beating Oklahoma or Texas in Dallas. The second-place South team will slide in over the Big 12 runner-up Huskers.

2. Texas will throw the ball 35 times against Oklahoma. The Longhorns' commitment to the running game may make it past Texas Tech. It should make it past UCLA. It won't make it past the first quarter against Oklahoma's stout front seven. Texas may recommit to the downhill game in the weeks that follow, but running the ball 35 times at 2.5 yards per carry is a recipe for a Red River loss.

3. Baylor will make -- and win -- a bowl game. The schedule sets up nicely for the Bears to reach a bowl game without needing a massive upset. A 3-1 record in nonconference is awesome, but they'll have to beat Kansas and Colorado to set up a make-or-break game against Kansas State on Oct. 23. Lose that, and they'll need a win in Stillwater or a home upset against Texas A&M to notch their sixth win. Bears fans will flock to the Dallas Football Classic at the Cotton Bowl, where Michigan's Rich Rodriguez offers Robert Griffin a spot on his team after the Bears knock off the Wolverines. Griffin declines.

4. Missouri's Aldon Smith will lead the league in sacks. The scariest part? He'll keep getting better into 2011.

5. Daniel Thomas will win his second Big 12 rushing title in two years. Alexander Robinson has to face four teams with fearsome front fours. Roy Helu Jr. will split carries with Rex Burkhead. The same at Texas A&M. Kendall Hunter will be busy catching balls as much as he's carrying them. And I'll believe DeMarco Murray can handle a 275-carry load when I see it.

6. Kansas will finish as the Big 12's most improved team in November. They won't win either game, but they'll put a major, major scare into Nebraska or Missouri in one of the season's last three weeks.

7. Texas will lead the league in scoring defense, outdoing Oklahoma and Nebraska. They'll need big years out of defensive tackle Kheeston Randall and safety Christian Scott to do it. Both will deliver.

8. Brandon Weeden will lead the league in completion percentage. He'll be comfortable enough after three warmup games in Stillwater to start the season as the league's second-leading passer behind Jerrod Johnson through three weeks. His yardage and touchdowns will slip a bit as conference play hits, but he'll make smart decisions and give his receivers plenty of YAC opportunities.

9. Iowa State will be better than Kansas and Colorado. They will have a worse record overall and in conference. The schedule will get the best of the Cyclones in 2010. Jerome Tiller should be ready to fill in after Austen Arnaud in 2011, and with Paul Rhoads, the future looks bright in Ames.

10. Texas Tech will be in the top third of the league in turnover differential. They will be in the bottom third in scoring defense. How will that manifest itself in the win column? I have no idea. That's why we play the games, folks.

So far this preseason, we've ranked the conference's best quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and linebackers. We'll even out the offense-defense balance a little more this afternoon with a ranking of the Big 12's top 10 defensive linemen.

This will encompass both ends and tackles, so get ready. The next few minutes you spend reading this could be among your life's most intense.

6. Adrian Taylor, DT, Oklahoma

Taylor faces an uphill battle after recovering from an ugly dislocated ankle in the Sun Bowl, but when he's at 100 percent, he's definitely one of the league's best. Overshadowed by NFL first-round talent Gerald McCoy last year, Taylor played nearly every snap alongside the star, finishing with 36 tackles, including seven for loss and 3.5 sacks. He'll line up next to former blue-chip recruit Jamarkus McFarland this year in the center of a defense that will try to stop the run like it did in 2009, when the Sooners ranked 10th nationally in rush defense.

7. Ugo Chinasa, DE, Oklahoma State

Chinasa should be one of the rocks of defensive guru Bill Young's defense in his second year in Stillwater. Chinasa's excellent speed off the edge helped him reach 6.5 sacks in 2009, including a strong finish against Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl, with 2.5.

8. Jake Laptad, DE, Kansas

One of the bright spots on a defense that struggled to a 10th-place finish in 2009, Laptad made 6.5 sacks as a third-year starter, earning All-Big 12 honorable mention. A better performance in conference (only two of his sacks came in Big 12 play, and one was against Colorado, who gave up 43 in 2009) would move him up this list in the postseason.

9. Pierre Allen, DE, Nebraska

Nebraska fans and coaches don't see a defensive dip in the team's future, and Allen is a big reason why. One of the new leaders of a defense that lost four starters from last year's team, Allen will get a chance to showcase his talents outside two good tackles once again in Jared Crick and Baker Steinkuhler. He'll be a third-year starter as a senior and by now, has seen about everything Big 12 offensive lines have to offer.

10. Kheeston Randall, DT, Texas

He's been called the key to the middle of Texas' defense, and the Longhorns' coaches expect a big season from their big 6-foot-5, 295-pound junior. He's got lots of talent around him, but after taking over as the starter last season, expect him to surpass his 25 tackles and two sacks from last season.

Honorable mention: Marquez Herrod, DE, Colorado; Lucas Patterson, DT, Texas A&M; Alex Okafor, DE, Texas; Frank Alexander, DE, Oklahoma

Big 12 Media Days in Irving, Texas are only a couple weeks away, and the schedule for the three-day gabfest has been released.

First thing I noticed: Nebraska (first) and Texas (last) are as far away as possible. Though I don't think the week is going to be as conducive to fireworks as some believe, it should still be plenty entertaining.

Media Days run July 26-28, and here's when to look for who on your team. (all times ET)

Monday, July 26

2:00 Nebraska: Coach Bo Pelini, WR Niles Paul, DE Pierre Allen, CB Prince Amukamara

2:45 Baylor: Coach Art Briles, LB Antonio Johnson, OT Danny Watkins

3:30 Iowa State: Coach Paul Rhoads, QB Austen Arnaud, RB Alexander Robinson, DE Rashawn Parker

4:15 Texas A&M: Coach Mike Sherman, QB Jerrod Johnson, LB Von Miller, DT Lucas Patterson

Tuesday, July 27

10:00 Missouri: Coach Gary Pinkel, QB Blaine Gabbert, RB Derrick Washington, CB Kevin Rutland

10:45 Oklahoma State: Coach Mike Gundy, QB Brandon Weeden, LB Orie Lemon, DE Jamie Blatnick

11:30 Kansas State: Coach Bill Snyder, RB Daniel Thomas, S Tysyn Hartman, OL Zach Kendall

12:15 Texas Tech: Coach Tommy Tuberville, QB Taylor Potts, QB Steven Sheffield, DL Colby Whitlock

Wednesday, July 28

10:00 Kansas: Coach Turner Gill, DE Jake Laptad, CB Chris Harris, OL Brad Thorson

10:45 Oklahoma: Coach Bob Stoops, DE Jeremy Beal, LB Travis Lewis, WR Ryan Broyles

11:30 Colorado: Coach Dan Hawkins, CB Jalil Brown, WR Scotty McKnight, OL Nate Solder

12:15 Texas: Coach Mack Brown, QB Garrett Gilbert, OT Kyle Hix, DE Sam Acho, DT Kheeston Randall

A few quick thoughts:

• Definitely surprised that Texas' Garrett Gilbert will be making the trip. I saw firsthand how well-spoken he was this spring on my visit to Austin, but I'm still surprised Brown would trot out his first-year starting quarterback for the media horde outside Dallas. Although his presence guarantees there should be plenty to talk about with the Longhorns.
• Tommy Tuberville probably had to bring two or none of his quarterbacks, lest he tip his undecided hand at his starter and get people talking about a nonexistent decision. He chose the former. Interesting to note that Colorado's Dan Hawkins went with the latter.
• Not sure why DE Jamie Blatnick will be one of Oklahoma's State's representatives instead of DE Ugo Chinasa or S Markelle Martin. Chinasa is a senior two-year starter heading into his third, while Blatnick is a junior who started only part-time last season. Martin is one of the conference's rising stars.
• Baylor is the only team in the league bringing just a three-man contingent, and in Waco, they're the closest team to Media Days. A little surprised that Robert Griffin III won't be making the short drive, but at least that forces everyone to ask questions not about Griffin's knee. For that, I thank you, Art. But throwing WR Kendall Wright in the car at the last minute wouldn't be a terrible idea.
• Meanwhile, Texas is the only team with a five-man crew. Everything's bigger.
• Pretty good representation elsewhere, no real complaints. What do you think?

Miss your team's mailbag? Here's the first two:

• Texas Tech
• Texas A&M

On with the show...

Dan St. Peter, Minn. asks: Who do you think has/had more pressure put on them, Freshman Colt McCoy following VY's run into glory or Grapes (GG) following his...um...encounter with the Alabama Defense?Do you think the "lights will be to bright for him" as they were for Nebraska's Cody Green or will he deliver as a freshman?

DU: First off, Grapes is a fantastic nickname. Although, it opens up the Horns to some too-easy jokes every time he gets sacked about what’s eating him. And I can only assume you’d have to pay Johnny Depp some royalties. I’m sure no one wants to get into that.

But to your question: It’s Gilbert. The hopes were high for McCoy, but no one expected him to do what Vince did. Even though he never got that national title, he was arguably as good overall as Vince was, even though they were very different quarterbacks. Now, the folks in Austin have seen that legends can be replaced and that it’s possible for Gilbert to be as good as McCoy—and he might be. No pressure, just replace the quarterback with the most wins in the history of college football.

I don’t think “the lights will be too bright,” but like McCoy in his first year (Ohio State, Texas A&M), Gilbert’s going to have his bad days and forgettable games alongside his memorable ones. But unlike McCoy, he’ll have a top-notch defense to fall back on and help the Longhorns “down year” be pretty high. The Longhorn defense finished 24^th nationally in scoring and total defense when McCoy was a freshman. I’d be shocked if Texas was that low this year.

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Eric in Dallas, Texas asks: Which running back actually steps up to take some of the load off Gilbert, and will Texas stick with the running game if Gilbert proves he is consistent and reliable?...........Or will Texas ditch running the ball around the UCLA game, only to try and revive it after OU takes a halftime lead in the RRR?

DU: Tre’ Newton and Fozzy Whittaker should receive the bulk of the carries, but I think the distribution will vary game-to-game based solely on who’s being more productive. As for your second question, I think the reverse is more possible. They’ll keep running the ball and I don’t see Texas losing a game until maybe at Texas Tech in the third game but more likely the Red River Rivalry. If they’re down at the half, I could definitely see the running game scrapped and the game put in Gilbert’s hands, depending on how he’d played in the first four games. If he engineers a comeback and beats Oklahoma, thus reincarnating the spread in Austin, well… let the legend begin. He looked really good in the spring game, and I didn't see any real negatives in his Easter performance against his own defense. Obviously, that wasn't the case against Alabama, but he won't see defenses like that every week. We'll probably get a good read of what to expect from him this year by the end of the Texas Tech game.

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Bobby in Austin, Texas asks: Why did you not put Texas' three-headed monster on your list?? I mean, Texas has so much talent to be afraid of, it is ridiculous! Garrett Gilbert will be the best QB in the Big 12 this year with all his skill and leadership. He already has 2 Texas state championships to his credit and several Texas high school passing records. Fozzy Whitaker and/or Tre' Newton will have a big year in the new offense with Gilbert being more under center. They are fast and shifty and can make big plays. And Malcolm Williams and Marquise Goodwin will have a party on the field this year at receiver. The size and athleticism of Williams could rival anyone in the conference, while Goodwin is one of the fastest players in the nation and can jump farther than anyone (proven by his national championship in long jump). So what gives?

DU: Who would you kick off my list for a quarterback with zero career starts, two running backs who have never rushed for more than 600 yards in a season and two receivers who have also never touched that mark? Oklahoma State has a couple of those, but they also have a guy without a real ceiling in Kendall Hunter and a chance to put up crazy numbers offensively.

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Larry in Salina, Kansas asks: Does Texas pay you weekly or monthly for your services?

DU: Bi-weekly, with per-post bonuses.

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Cecil in Plano, Texas asks: Mack Brown and Co. have a lot of work to do this off season and once the season starts. What are the realistic expectations for the 2010 Horns and what will you be looking for in order for them to make a championship run this year or next?

DU: The defense will keep the Longhorns streak of winning 10 games for the past nine seasons alive. How many more they win is up to Gilbert. If he plays well, Texas could go undefeated. The defense won’t be able to beat teams like Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas A&M by itself. If he plays poorly in those games, the defense will need to make a couple big plays or force some timely turnovers to win.

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Kevin in Austin, Texas asks: David, love the blog. I have a feeling that the post-Earl Thomas era for UT's secondary is going to be BETTER than last year. I think the added experience of Aaron Williams, Chykie Brown, Curtis Brown and Blake Gideon, in a defense that snatched 17 non-Earl Thomas INTs in 2009, will mature into the scariest secondary in college football. Do you agree and should the rest of the conference decide to focus on the run game versus UT?...(uh oh...Acho brothers....)

DU: I agree completely. Texas should have the best secondary in the nation, and that front seven will help them do it. The Acho brothers, Sam and Emmanuel, LB Keenan Robinson and DT Kheeston Randall will put pressure on passers and keep teams from focusing on the run. The entire defense will have a hand in what should be a good turnover ratio and a great pass defense, but the talent and depth that Texas has on the defense’s back line is unrivaled.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Will Muschamp wanted to get out of his house for a few hours while visiting relatives in Atlanta on Christmas Day 2000, figuring that meeting a few old coaching friends would provide a calming respite.

He called some old friends on the LSU staff that morning with hopes of watching the Tigers practice for their Peach Bowl game a few days later.

While there, Muschamp met first-year LSU coach Nick Saban. Both of their lives changed from that moment.

The then-Valdosta State defensive coordinator was hired to join Saban's staff three weeks later as a linebackers coach after a vacancy appeared on the staff.

"He wanted somebody young, from the South and who had ties with people on the staff," Muschamp said. "They brought me in for an interview and we talked that day. That night, he offered me the job."

LSU won a BCS championship barely four years later. Muschamp then followed Saban to the Miami Dolphins, where at 34, he was one of the youngest defensive coordinators in recent NFL history.

Later, Saban returned to Alabama and Muschamp became the defensive coordinator at Auburn. Muschamp eventually was hired at Texas, where his strong work has earned him the designation of Mack Brown's successor when he leaves coaching.

Back in the LSU days, Saban had a reputation as a taskmaster who was difficult for many assistants to work for.

But in Muschamp, he found a kindred spirit who enjoyed grinding away at the job as much as he did.

"Nick never asked me to do anything he wasn't doing himself," Muschamp said. "From a work standpoint, a recruiting standpoint or a coaching standpoint, if you didn't want to work it wasn't a good place to be. But I enjoyed work and I like coaching football.

"I like evaluation and I like recruiting and that's why we got along philosophically and schematically. We believe the same way in coaching and motivating. I think that's why we got along."

Today, Muschamp's players say the apple hasn't fallen too far from the tree in terms of Muschamp's dedication for work.

"I always want to try to beat him into the office," Texas defensive tackle Kheeston Randall said. "But it's hard to do. He's the first one there a lot and the last one to leave. You look out and see (Muschamp's) that white truck out there all the time."

Saban is proud of Muschamp's ascension in coaching like the development of former assistants like Michigan State head coach Mark D'Antonio, incoming Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher or Louisiana Tech head coach Derek Dooley.

"To put it into perspective, (it's like) when one of your children does something that makes you proud," Saban said. "That's how you feel when coaches on your staff go on and do bigger and better things and have success in what they do. I'm really proud and want to see them all do extremely well."

Because of their dedication to coaching, Muschamp estimates that he and Saban talk less than once a month. They haven't exchanged pleasantries since the Texas-Alabama matchup was set when Texas beat Nebraska in the Big 12 championship game and Alabama defeated Florida in the Southeastern Conference title game earlier that day.

"It's tough during the season," Muschamp said. "He knows they are playing us and I know we're playing them. He's busy and I am, too."

Both coaching staffs have a lot of connections other than the Saban-Muschamp association. Current Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart was Muschamp's secondary coach at Valdosta State when Muschamp was hired at LSU. Alabama associate head coach/linebackers coach James Willis worked as Muschamp's linebackers coach at Auburn. And Texas running backs coach Major Applewhite worked on Saban's staff as his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2007.

Saban faced a similar challenge at Miami when he faced his old mentor, Bill Belichick, when he was coaching the New England Patriots.

"I'm really proud and want to see them all do extremely well," Saban said. "We're good friends and you compete and play against each other, but you don't dislike each other and it's not you don't have the same amount of respect and admiration for them.

"You want to be helpful to those guys if you can. And even if you compete against somebody in that moment in time, you're trying to do the best you can for your team."

Muschamp learned a lot during his time with Saban. While he jokes there will be a lot of "wasted ink" written bout their relationship over the next few weeks, he remains grateful for the opportunity to join Saban's staff nine years ago.

"When you get there and get exposed to a lot schematically, that appealed to me," Muschamp said. "And that's obviously where I formed my ideas about how you play and the things you needed to do to be successful."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Here are a few tidbits from around the Big 12 this week.

The biggest change in recent weeks is that Nebraska coach Bo Pelini is trusting in his scheme and the players who are operating it. Earlier this season, Pelini crafted a gimmick defense when he played Missouri. Now, he's more willing to let his talent play. Of course, the recent surge by the Nebraska front four is helping him feel that way, too. The Cornhuskers have notched nine sacks in their last two games after producing only five in the first five Big 12 conference games.

Two recent losses to Texas A&M has Texas coach Mack Brown searching for ways to better prepare for his traditional rival. One change that will help will be enthusiasm from his young players. Brown has been pleased with the contribution of young players in recent weeks. The list includes safety Christian Scott, center David Snow, defensive tackle Kheeston Randall and defensive ends Sam Acho and Eddie Jones. All had big games in the Longhorns' 35-7 triumph over Kansas last week. And the excitement of playing next week for a possible BCS berth should do the trick, too.

Oklahoma will be scrambling against Texas Tech's massive offensive line without two key pass rushers this week as defensive ends Auston English and Alan Davis both will be out with knee sprains. To build depth at the position, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops has moved converted linebacker J.R. Bryant to one backup spot and seldom-used Pryce Macon will serve at the other position behind starters Frank Alexander and Jeremy Beal. The Sooners are also bracing to use the nickel formation as their base against Tech's collection of wide receivers. That would mean extensive use for backup safety Quinton Carter, who made his first career start against Kansas last month. And Nic Harris will likely remain at safety with redshirt freshman Austin Box continuing to start at middle linebacker for Ryan Reynolds, out for the season with a knee injury.

Chase Coffman is unquestionably one of the most valuable receivers in the conference, but does the Missouri system play just a little part in his success? Freshman backup Andrew Jones produced seven catches last week against Iowa State as the Cyclones hardly missed Coffman, who was out with a sprained toe.

Iowa State has gotten to the final game without quarterback Austen Arnaud sustaining an injury, with only freshmen Jerome Tiller and Brett Bueker behind him as backups. If Arnaud should become injured against Kansas State, coach Gene Chizik has a plan. Chizik said he would insert freshman wide receiver Darius Darks, a converted high school quarterback and the team's leading receiver last week against Missouri, into the quarterback position. Chizik also said that the Cyclones have worked on an emergency package that includes direct snaps to the tailback. He remains adamant about saving the redshirts for both Tiller and Bueker after not playing either of them this season after the midseason departure of former backup quarterback Phillip Bates.