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With the season over, it's time to take a look at the Big 12 in 2012. For now, that means assuming a few things. And we all know what assuming does.

It makes us all look like geniuses.

So, for the purpose of this, I'll assume a few predictions. First, I'll assume Robert Griffin III is heading for the NFL. I'll also assume Mike Stoops lands back at Oklahoma.

That said, it's time to project what this league looks like in 2012.

And, before we start, let me make this clear: The Big 12 from 1-6 is absolutely wide open. Last year, the league only had three legitimate title contenders: Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. This year, every one of the top six teams (and maybe seven, if RG3 returns) can win the Big 12 in a realistic scenario. The difference between Nos. 2 and 6 is minuscule and could change a ton by the end of spring practice.

And for the curious: I would have Missouri behind Kansas State on this list, and I'd have Texas A&M right behind Texas.

1. Oklahoma: The Sooners moved into the familiar role of favorite after Landry Jones announced he'd return in 2012, but not nearly as heavy a favorite as they were in 2011. Injuries hurt Oklahoma late this season, and replacing Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Frank Alexander, along with linebacker Travis Lewis and corner Jamell Fleming won't be easy. Receivers Kenny Stills and Jaz Reynolds have to play big for the Sooners to get the win.

2. Kansas State: The big question mark for this team is can it take care of business and not get stuck in close games in 2012? The Wildcats were 8-1 in games decided by a touchdown or less this season. They can't count on duplicating that in 2012. They should be better, and return most of the big pieces from this season's 10-win team, most importantly quarterback Collin Klein and linebacker Arthur Brown. Next season is the time to prove it.

3. West Virginia: Who else is excited to see Geno Smith, Dana Holgorsen and the Mountaineer Express show up in Big 12 country next season? Like I wrote last week, giving up 33 points and still winning by five touchdowns is the Big 12 way of life. The Mountaineers broke Baylor's week-old bowl scoring record with 70 points, and bring back most of a good Big East champion team in 2012. The transition won't be easy, but they've got a chance to make a big splash in their inaugural year. The Big 12 and West Virginia are both convinced that the Mountaineers will join the Big 12 in 2012 and are planning as if it will happen, though pending lawsuits with the Big East mean it's still unofficial.

4. TCU: The transition will be more difficult for TCU, methinks. Depth could be an issue. There aren't any weeks off in the Big 12. Not even Kansas. Ask Baylor about that one. New Mexico's staying behind in the Mountain West. Eventually, I think TCU has a chance to be on par with Texas and Oklahoma on the recruiting trail and on the field. Being the only team in the metroplex is a huge deal. And it'll bring back a great team with lots of offense, headlined by QB Casey Pachall and receivers Josh Boyce and Skye Dawson, along with Brandon Carter. It'll be fun to watch.

5. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys should sustain success from this year, even though they lose Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon. They don't have to worry about a losing season, but with a first-year starter at quarterback, the odds are against them winning the Big 12. First-year starters have only won the Big 12 twice. Look out for Joseph Randle to have a huge year in 2012. I'm also betting on Clint Chelf to grab the starting QB job, but keep an eye on early enrollee Wes Lunt.

6. Texas: The Longhorns should be better and have lots of upside, but it's looking more and more like this team will only go as far as David Ash will take it. We'll learn just how far that is during spring and summer. This offseason is paramount for Ash's development. He's got to show something big next fall. The defense should be stingy, the offensive line improved and the backfield loaded. It's up to him.

7. Baylor: Sounds like 2012 may be the Nick Florence Show in Waco. Baylor will take a step back without RG3, but we'll see just how much he had around him, which is to say, a lot. Kendall Wright and Terrance Ganaway will be gone, but Terrance Williams and Tevin Reese will get a chance to shine. Oregon transfer Lache Seastrunk will get plenty of preseason attention, too. The Bears look like a fringe bowl team with some upside without RG3.

8. Texas Tech: Tech and Oklahoma State probably have the most upside of any team in these power rankings. The Red Raiders were better than 5-7 this season, but will have to prove it in 2012, and have to stay healthy. Seth Doege, Eric Stephens and Darrin Moore could be a dynamic set of triplets in 2012, and don't rule out a top-three finish for the Red Raiders in 2012.

9. Iowa State: The Cyclones may have a bit of a quarterback controversy in the spring after Steele Jantz reclaimed the quarterback job in the second half of the Pinstripe Bowl. Paul Rhoads joked about it after the game, but he's not joking when it comes to needing one of those guys to push the other. Jared Barnett has more upside, and the Cyclones could certainly grab a third bowl bid in four years if he plays well in 2012. ISU's a good team, but it's stuck in an absurdly deep conference that could have as many as seven (six, most likely, depending on RG3) Top-25 teams to start the season.

10. Kansas: There's a new flavor at KU, and the variables will be unpredictable for this team through spring and fall. The season should be fun. Can Charlie Weis redeem himself? What about Dayne Crist? Was Notre Dame just not the right fit for either? The opportunity to do something special at Kansas is here, and the bar is very, very low after a miserable two years. The defense can't be worse, and the Jayhawks have solid, maturing running backs.

Welp, this is it. The college football season is over, and two teams have closed up shop in the Big 12. This will be Texas A&M's and Missouri's last time to make an appearance in the Big 12 Power Rankings.

After 14 weeks of the regular season and eight bowl games (the Big 12 went 6-2), here's how the league sits.

1. Oklahoma State (12-1, beat Stanford, 41-38 in overtime): The Cowboys needed some help from Stanford's kicker to get their BCS win, but their spot atop the Big 12 was never at stake. The Cowboys proved themselves as the Big 12's best team throughout the season and beat Stanford to make history. Stillwater's never seen a season like this, and Mike Gundy was rewarded with a $1.6 million raise after the season for his efforts.

2. Kansas State (10-3, lost to Arkansas, 29-16): The Wildcats' Cotton Bowl experience wasn't a fun one after early mistakes, but K-State earned its first double-digit-win season since 2003 and earned the tiebreaker against Baylor on the field. Arkansas, too, is a whole lot better than Washington. This was a disappointing end for the purple folks from the Little Apple, but they bring back almost the entire core of the 2011 team. The Wildcats look like 2012 Big 12 title contenders.

3. Baylor (10-3, beat Washington, 67-56): The Bears put on a show and Terrance Ganaway's 200 yards, along with two other 100-yard rushers, iced the win over the Huskies. That gave Baylor the third 10-win season in school history and the first bowl win since 1992. Now, the big question awaits: Is RG3 gone, or is the allure of one more year in college for the Heisman winner enough to convince him to provide one more memorable season in Waco?

4. Oklahoma (10-3, beat Iowa, 31-14): The Sooners stumbled at the end of the season, but closed it in fine fashion, not playing their best game but soundly beating Iowa. Landry Jones will return. Will former DC and former Arizona coach Mike Stoops? Oklahoma's secondary was a liability this year, and Sooners fans would love to see Bob Stoops' brother put in charge to change it.

5. Missouri (8-5, beat North Carolina, 41-24): Missouri's season wasn't too memorable, but the Tigers rebounded from a 3-4 start to win eight games, including the best offensive performance of the season against the Tar Heels. That gave Mizzou eight wins for a sixth consecutive year. Only a handful of programs have duplicated that feat.

6. Texas (8-5, beat California, 21-10): The Longhorns' defense shut down the Bears and David Ash made a few big throws to make Texas' return to the postseason a good one. Ash has to show he's the guy for Texas moving forward. He'll get more offseason work than he did last year, which may show up in the fall. Freshman Connor Brewer will be joining, but it looks like a juco quarterback won't.

7. Texas A&M (7-6, beat Northwestern, 33-22): The Aggies head to the SEC after the most disappointing season in recent history. A team stocked full of NFL talent and toting a top-10 ranking lost four of its final five Big 12 games, with the only win coming at home over 2-10 Kansas. Now, new coach Kevin Sumlin returns to lead A&M into its new conference after coaching four years at Houston and winning 10 games in two seasons.

8. Iowa State (6-7, lost to Rutgers, 27-13): Paul Rhoads is already only the second coach to win a bowl game at Iowa State, but he couldn't win his second bowl in three years in Ames. Either way, the Cyclones have a good shot to be even better in 2012. Redshirt freshman Jared Barnett showed a lot of promise, and he'll progress during the offseason, even though he was benched in the bowl game for Steele Jantz, who started the season's first half.

9. Texas Tech (5-7, idle): A disappointing season gave way to a tumultuous offseason in Lubbock, with a handful of new assistant coaches and defensive coordinator Chad Glasgow heading back to TCU, who joins the Big 12 next season. The Red Raiders have to be better. Offensively, they were good enough, despite injuries, in 2011. They weren't great, though, like Texas Tech has been. Defensively, they've been awful for both seasons under Tommy Tuberville. Injuries have played a role in that, but improvement starts there.

10. Kansas (2-10, idle): Get ready to see much-needed new blood in Kansas. Turner Gill is out after two terrible seasons and a 2-10 record in 2011 that included six losses by at least 30 points. Now, it's time for Charlie Weis to take over, and he's brought two big quarterbacks and a receiver with him.

The Big East ended the Big 12's perfect record in bowls by way of the 27-13 Rutgers win over Iowa State in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, played Friday inside Yankee Stadium.

Iowa State fought late, but it's a solid win for the Scarlet Knights, playing only about an hour away from their campus.

How the game was won: Rutgers climbed out of an early 6-0 hole with a 17-point second quarter to take control of the game. The Scarlet Knights used a powerful running game to dominate Iowa State's front seven, while Iowa State's offense sputtered for much of the final three quarters.

Turning point: Iowa State made it interesting with a 20-yard touchdown run by Jeff Woody to cut the lead to 20-13, and the Cyclones got the ball back. But after a punt, Chas Dodd hit 6-foot-6 Brandon Coleman for an 86-yard touchdown with 5:47 to play. That basically wrapped this one up. Matching up 5-foot-7 Jeremy Reeves against Coleman? Not a great idea.

The Cyclones had a drive reach the red zone, but a fourth-down pass to Darius Reynolds in the end zone fell incomplete.

Stat of the game: This one was the antithesis of a thrilling nightcap Thursday, won by Baylor over Washington, 67-56. These two teams combined to convert just four of 26 third downs. So many punts. So few first downs.

Stat of the game 2: Rutgers won the turnover battle 3-0.

Player of the game: Jawan Jamison, RB, Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights averaged just 91.5 yards per game on the ground entering today's game. Only five teams in college football were worse, but Jamison's diminutive size (5-foot-8, 198 pounds) didn't prevent him from bruising the ISU defense and running hard for 134 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. He had topped that production only once all season, with a 200-yard game in a win over Cincinnati. He and the Rutgers' running game took control in the second half.

Best call: Iowa State got off to a nice start with a gutsy move from coach Paul Rhoads. He faked a field goal on fourth-and-2 from Rutgers' 31-yard line on his second possession of the game. Holder Brett Bueker narrowly got the first down, and extended the drive by taking the snap and running straight ahead. It swung momentum, but after a sack, Iowa State had to settle for a field goal just 3 yards closer, which gave it a 6-0 lead. The Cyclones didn't score again until Woody's touchdown.

Second guessing: Rhoads' reluctance/refusal to put Jared Barnett back in the game after benching him for Steele Jantz. Jantz had a few nice runs to spark the offense when he came in, but he didn't help the offense convert very many third downs and wasn't much of an improvement over Barnett, who struggled early, completing just two of seven passes for 23 yards. Jantz's passes sailed on him for much of the night, while Barnett most often threw passes at receivers' shoelaces. Not a sharp day for the ISU quarterbacks. Barnett was a bit gimpy when he left the game in the first half, but if he was capable of playing, why not give him another shot in the second half?

Jantz finished 15-of-31 for 197 yards and two interceptions.

Well wishes: Big East defensive player of the year Khaseem Greene announced his plans to stay at Rutgers another year, rather than enter the NFL draft. The junior linebacker went down with an ugly right leg injury late in the fourth quarter, though, after a hit on Jantz. It didn't look good, and he was attended to by trainers on the field for several minutes, while in obvious pain. His teammates came on the field to encourage Greene before he left on a cart with his right leg in an air cast.

What it means: This wasn't the way Iowa State offensive coordinator Tom Herman wanted to go out. He'll leave Iowa State to join Urban Meyer's staff as his offensive coordinator and playcaller at Ohio State next season. Cyclones coach Paul Rhoads was denied his second bowl win in three years, but Rutgers coach Greg Schiano won his fifth consecutive bowl game.

Jantz also failed to recapture his fourth-quarter magic from early in the season. He quarterbacked the Cyclones to three fourth-quarter comebacks against Northern Iowa, Iowa and UConn, but the effort wasn't enough in this one.

Record performance: In the first half, Rutgers junior receiver Mohamed Sanu snatched the school record for receptions. He finished his season with 210 career catches, breaking running back Brian Leonard's record.

This week, we'll take a look at the biggest surprises across the Big 12 this season.

1. Robert Griffin III is a lot more than just a good player on a bad team. That's mostly what you heard about Griffin before this year. The Bears got walloped by the Big 12 powers in 2010 and didn't make a bowl with Griffin in 2008. What more could Baylor really do, even if it had a transcendent quarterback? Uh, apparently, a whole lot. Griffin nabbed the school's first Heisman Trophy and the 9-3 Bears finished third in the Big 12, including the school's first win over Oklahoma.

2. Iowa State can truly play giant killer. All of Iowa State's early benchmark wins under Paul Rhoads had something in common: They mostly came to middling teams with big names and no offense. Texas in 2010 was in the top 25, but the Longhorns finished 5-7. Nebraska gifted the Cyclones eight turnovers and scored seven points in ISU's upset in 2009. But Oklahoma State? That was near impossible. The Cowboys were maybe the best offense in the nation and played well, jumping out to a 24-7 lead before the Cyclones rallied for a shocking upset and shook up the college football landscape.

3. It's possible to get fired in two years. It seems odd and perhaps unfair for a coach to only get two years, but Turner Gill came to Kansas as one of the hottest coaches in college football, fresh off an unbelievable rebuilding job at Buffalo. But Gill's Kansas teams were permanent fixtures in the Big 12 basement, losing the final 10 games of 2011 and six of them by at least 30 points.

4. Collin Klein deserves Heisman buzz and a spot on the All-Big 12 team. Klein came into the year as a former receiver with an ugly throwing motion that he'd only actually used in a game 19 times before 2011. He left the regular season with a staggering 26 rushing touchdowns. Only two players in college football had more. He carried the ball 293 times, more than anyone in the Big 12 and nearly 100 more times than the Big 12's third-most used back. He's no polished passer like Brandon Weeden, Landry Jones or RG3, but his play compelled some to create an "all-purpose" position on the All-Big 12 first team.

5. Missouri is an ... SEC school? Missouri's desire to leave the Big 12 for the Big Ten was the league's worst-kept secret in the summer of 2010, but the SEC? Oklahoma dropped a bombshell back in September when it openly admitted it was shopping around for conferences. A bigger bombshell came later that month when reports indicated the SEC was interested in Mizzou. Months later, that relationship was consummated and the Big 12 had lost its fourth member in the past year and a half.

More on Friday...

Paul Rhoads doesn't know if he'll be at Iowa State forever.

He doesn't know if he'll always be welcome.

He knows what he wants.

"I’d like to have my name attached to things that have never been done in the history of Iowa State football," Rhoads told ESPN.com this week.

Let's assume he means he'd like his name attached to more things that have never been done in Ames.

First came the 2009 turnaround. Rhoads inherited a team that lost its final 10 games under Gene Chizik, yet he led the Cyclones to a bowl game-winning season the following year that also included a win at Nebraska, Iowa State's first since 1977.

His impassioned locker room speech ("I am so proud to be your football coach!") went viral, making a big win even bigger on the national stage.

In 2010, he beat Texas for the first time in school history.

This year, he knocked off No. 2 Oklahoma State for the school's first win over a top-6 opponent in 59 tries, ended a three-game losing streak to rival Iowa and put the Cyclones back in a bowl game when nobody outside the facilities gave them a shot to make the postseason.

Early this season, Iowa State president Gregory Geoffroy and athletic director Jamie Pollard began preparing what eventually became a 10-year, $20 million contract extension. The new deal allowed Rhoads to shed the title of the Big 12's lowest-paid coach.

They first presented it to him after a 13-10 win over Kansas with a bye week awaiting.

Two weeks after beating the Jayhawks, he rewarded their loyalty by beating the national title-aspiring Cowboys to send the Cyclones to a bowl game.

The two sides discussed details as Rhoads' name floated to the top of Pittsburgh's wish list for its new head coach. The extension was announced on Dec. 16. Rhoads confirmed what most assumed: He's not going to Pittsburgh, but the extension doesn't necessarily mean he plans to be at Iowa State forever.

"I don’t think any coach can ever say 100 percent they’re going to be at this school this year or this long or any of that," he said.

Mike Gundy's called Oklahoma State his "New York Yankees job", but Rhoads stops short of calling Ames his destination job.

"I’m excited about what we’ve done and I’m even more excited about where we can take this. But that doesn’t mean that this is the last and only head-coaching job for me. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future," he said. "But right now, with this 10-year extension, the commitment of our kids and the commitment of the administration, I’m the same way. I’m fully committed to what we’re building."

He's not saying forever, but he's said plenty.

"Do I desire to be here? Absolutely. That’s why I agreed to a 10-year extension. I’m extremely proud of the work that we’ve done in three years."

Rhoads has earned a spot as one of the Big 12's best coaches, and is ready to build on accomplishments that have been big for an often-downtrodden program that looks on its way up.

"We’ve won three league games three years in a row. We’ve got to start toppling that mark," he said. "We’ve got to get to .500 and above, and I’d love to see this thing grow and develop like we are right now, and at some point, be able to challenge for a Big 12 championship on the field."

Rhoads already has the Cyclones in two bowl games in three years. Before he arrived, the Cyclones had played in nine since 1900. The bar for achievement hasn't been consistent, but it's been high. Dan McCarney got Iowa State to bowl games in five of six seasons before resigning in 2006. He also got the Cyclones into the AP top 10 in 2002.

Rhoads will try and surpass that.

"The energy around this program is the best that it’s ever been," Rhoads said. "I think we have this program positioned to move forward the best that it’s ever been. I think the Big 12 stability right now is calmed down with the grant of rights and where we’re headed in our next negotiation with the primary [media rights].

"We’re very solid."

Rhoads' new contract is deserved, and he says it's about much more than rewarding him for a job well done the past three seasons. It's about what's best for the school.

"It provides stability that hasn’t always been existent in this football program. I think that stability is vitally important in the living room and in the meeting room," he said. "When you’re out trying to convince young men that this shining star at Iowa State is not one that’s going to burn out, that we’re building for the long haul and we’re building for the future and we want them to help become a part of that."

You hear it every year, but let's take an official look back at the Big 12 preseason media poll, compared to actual finish by season's end.

Each team's finish is compared with its preseason projection in parentheses.

1. Oklahoma (-3): Oklahoma received 41 of 43 first-place votes, but suffered its first loss at home against Texas Tech on Oct. 22, in its fourth conference game. It finished 6-3 in Big 12 play and 9-3 overall, tied for third with Baylor, but Baylor held the tiebreaker over the Sooners via its 45-38 win on Nov. 19. The Sooners had one final chance to win the Big 12, but lost 44-10 to Oklahoma State on Dec. 3.

2. Texas A&M (-5): Texas A&M earned one first-place vote and was just two total points ahead of Oklahoma State. Essentially, if one more voter had placed A&M No. 3 and OSU No. 2, the teams would have tied for second. The Aggies lost the inside track to what they hoped was a Big 12 title when Oklahoma State erased a 17-point halftime deficit to win at Kyle Field. That was just the start of a season-long trend. A&M would lose four more games with a double-digit halftime lead and another (Texas) with a double-digit first-half lead. The Aggies finished 6-6 and 4-5 in the Big 12, good for seventh in the Big 12.

3. Oklahoma State (+2): The Cowboys were a contender in the preseason, but Texas A&M and Oklahoma looked like more complete teams. Nope. OSU ascended to an outright Big 12 title, beating Oklahoma and Texas A&M in the process. The lone loss to Iowa State (on the road in double overtime) kept them out of the BCS National Championship Game, but didn't keep them from making history.

4. Missouri (-1): Missouri's defense was good, but perhaps not as good as expected in the preseason. Offensively, the passing game missed Blaine Gabbert's arm, but James Franklin's legs filled in nicely. Kansas State and Baylor overachieved, and kept the Tigers from landing right where most expected. The Tigers' 4-1 finish put them fifth in the conference at 7-5 and 5-4.

5. Texas (-1): This was no 5-7 campaign, but Texas slid to a 1-3 finish in part due to offensive injuries. The defense was solid once again, leading the Big 12 in total defense for a fifth consecutive season, and by a wide margin (67 yards per game) this year. Texas got a win against A&M, but finished sixth in the Big 12 with its 7-5 record and 4-5 mark in conference play.

6. Baylor (+3): Robert Griffin III and the Bears did things few thought possible. I was one of a few who had the Bears fifth (Texas was 71 points ahead of Baylor in the preseason poll) and thought they'd finish above the Longhorns, but a third-place finish in the Big 12 surprised just about everyone. That's what happens when you have a Heisman winner at quarterback, and the Big 12's leading receiver and rusher.

7. Texas Tech (-2): The Red Raiders looked like a seven-win team to me in preseason, but injuries knocked them down to a 5-7 team, the first losing season since 1992. Texas Tech amazingly finished just three total points below Baylor in the preseason poll, but then again, Tech had never lost to Baylor in Big 12 play. The Red Raiders bring back a lot next season, but this season was just short of a disaster.

8. Kansas State (+6): Here is your big overachiever this season. The Wildcats lost a heartbreaker in Stillwater to OSU and were blown out at home by Oklahoma. They won the other 10 games for the first double-digit win season since 2003 and an outright second-place finish in the Big 12. They nearly won a share of the Big 12 title, but Oklahoma's Bedlam loss stuck Kansas State in second. The Wildcats will be Big 12 title contenders next season, but will try and shake off a BCS snub to beat Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl.

9. Iowa State (+1): Iowa State is the big testament to the Big 12's depth. The Cyclones knocked off No. 2 Oklahoma State in the biggest win in school history, storming the field to celebrate bowl eligibility along with the nationally televised upset. Three seasons under Paul Rhoads could have equaled three bowl trips if not for one failed fake extra point that was this close to working. Unbelievable run for the Cyclones, who once again, were given no shot to go 6-6 this season.

10. Kansas (0): The Jayhawks were amazingly the only team in the Big 12 that finished where it was picked in the preseason, though they did underachieve by a bit. Kansas started 2-0 before losing its final 10 games, including six losses by at least 30 points. Not pretty. New coach Charlie Weis' first task is simple: Get the Jayhawks out of the basement. Right now, they're buried way, way down there.

So, the season gets, you know, kind of crazy. It's unrelenting, and recruiting plummets in priority. Thus, we haven't had a recruiting update since before the season.

Time to update.

Signing Day is less than two months away, and here's where each Big 12 team sits as we hit the recruiting home stretch before the big day in February.

All commit totals, rankings and stars via ESPN Recruiting, which updated its national recruiting rankings this week.

1. Texas Longhorns

National ranking: No. 1
Total commits: 25
ESPNU 150 commits: 10
Key commits: RB Johnathan Gray, DT Malcom Brown, WR Cayleb Jones, QB Connor Brewer
Class notes: Four of Texas' top five commits are skill position players, a huge need for the Longhorns. They're one of a handful of schools still chasing one of the nation's top recruits, too, receiver Dorial Green-Beckham. Gray will come to Texas as the Gatorade National Player of the Year. Texas also has two juco transfers coming next year, OT Donald Hawkins and DT Brandon Moore, a rarity for the Longhorns.

2. Texas A&M Aggies

National ranking: No. 8
Total commits: 22
ESPNU 150 commits: 4
Key commits: OLB Jordan Richmond, RB Trey Williams, ATH Bralon Addison, QB Matt Davis
Class notes: Texas A&M's class is being spearheaded by Davis, who's spreading the "Agg Swagg Movement" via social media, and Texas A&M will enter the SEC with one of its best classes in recent history. It's a deep class, too. Eleven of the 22 commits earned four-star status on ESPN.

3. Oklahoma Sooners

National ranking: No. 9
Total commits: 17
ESPNU 150 commits: 5
Key commits: RB Alex Ross, WR Sterling Shepard, WR Durron Neal, OL Ty Darlington
Class notes: The Sooners are after DGB, too, but may have a sudden big need at running back after a handful of transfers over the past few months. ESPNU 150 signee from 2010 Trey Metoyer, a receiver, is expected to be in Norman next year after spending a year at Hargrave Military Academy. He'll offer some nice help, but will Landry Jones be throwing him the ball?

4. Texas Tech Red Raiders

National ranking: No. 17
Total commits: 22
ESPNU 150 commits: 3
Key commits: WR Reginald Davis, WR Dominique Wheeler, OT Michael Starts, QB Clayton Nicholas
Class notes: The Red Raiders added five commits since our last update, but Davis, Wheeler and Starts should all be nice pickups and additions to an offense that lacked a big-play threat this year when Darrin Moore was battling injuries. Tech is also adding five juco transfers, including two more receivers and a pair of pass-rushers.

5. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Total commits: 16
ESPNU 150 commits: 1
Key commits: TE Dominic Ramacher, OLB Jeremiah Tshimanga, QB Wes Lunt
Class notes: Texas swiped CB Kendall Sanders with a late recruiting push, following a few high-profile former OSU commits to go elsewhere. This year's class won't make many headlines, but it'll be interesting to see if the 2011 Big 12 title pays off in the 2013 recruiting class. OSU knows definitively now that it can be better than OU and Texas. Lunt, an Illinois native, is an uber-productive dual-threat. Former blue-chipper Calvin Barnett, a DT from Tulsa, spurned OSU for Arkansas on Signing Day 2010, but he's committed this year via junior college.

6. Baylor Bears

Total commits: 19
ESPNU 150 commits: 0
Key commits: ATH Corey Coleman, OT Kyle Fuller, CB Terrell Burt, WR Kiante' Griffin
Class notes: Baylor added a handful of recruits just before the season to reach 18 commits, and added just one commit over the course of the season. Baylor's grabbed big-time recruits like Ahmad Dixon and Kendall Wright in the past that have been productive, but there's no big name in this class just yet.

7. Missouri Tigers

Total commits: 15
ESPNU 150 commits: 0
Key commits: DT Donald Hopkins, QB Maty Mauk, ILB Donavin Newsom
Class notes: Missouri is chasing DGB too, but the story this season has been class attrition for the Tigers. They were in the top 20 but lost ESPNU 150 commit Evan Boehm, who decommitted. The Tigers fell out of the top 25 and fell behind Oklahoma State and Baylor. Running back Jonathan Williams took his four stars to Arkansas and OT Germain Ifedi moved to fellow future SEC member Texas A&M. Mauk, Hopkins and Newsom are the only remaining four-star recruits in the class.

8. Iowa State Cyclones

Total commits: 20
ESPNU 150 commits: 0
Key commits: OT Daniel Burton WR P.J. Harris, WR Quan West, QB Grant Rohach
Class notes: The Cyclones added 11 commits since our last update. Three of the Cyclones top four commits are offensive skill position players, but Burton is the class' top commit. He committed on Sept. 29. A second QB, Luke Knott, committed way back in April. His older brother, Jake Knott, is a star linebacker for the Cyclones. Paul Rhoads' 10-year contract extension could help on the recruiting trail next year, too, offering parents some security that he'll still be coaching their sons for their whole careers. ISU has no four-star commits, but eight three-stars.

9. Kansas State Wildcats

Total commits: 11
ESPNU 150 commits: 0
Key commits: WR Vernon Vaughn, DT Travis Britz, RB Jarvis Leverett, QB Tavarius Bender
Class notes: Kansas State added four commits since our preseason update. Seven of the commits are three-stars and just one is committed via junior college. Two commits are unranked.

10. Kansas Jayhawks

Total commits: 8
ESPNU 150 commits: 0
Key commits: QB Seth Russell, TE Jordan Smith, OG Brian Beckmann
Class notes: ATH Bilal Marshall and DE De'Jon Wilson are no longer committed and new Kansas coach Charlie Weis has his work cut out for him. He says he doesn't want to be under scholarship numbers, but he doesn't want to offer guys just to fill scholarships with bodies. It'll be a tough balance. He's got catching up to do. WR Tre Parmalee and DT Keon Stowers are Weis' first two commits.

Iowa State hasn't been a "destination job" for many coaches.

It might be one for Paul Rhoads.

The Cyclones coach signed a 10-year, $20 million contract with Iowa State, making clear his intentions to stay in Ames for quite a bit longer.

Gene Chizik won five games in two seasons at Iowa State before leaving for Auburn. Rhoads took over a two-win team and won seven games in 2009, capped by a bowl win.

This season, he has the Cyclones back in a bowl game for the second time in three seasons, and is 18-19 over his tenure.

His five-year deal that ran through 2013 paid him $1.15 million this year. The school said the total value of the new contract was $20 million, with specific terms to be released later.

"The support of everyone in Cyclone Nation has been fantastic," said Rhoads, who took his first head coaching job at Iowa State after serving as defensive coordinator at Auburn in 2008. That followed eight years as defensive coordinator at Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh coach Todd Graham left after one season to coach Arizona State this week, and the Panthers were reportedly targeting Rhoads for a return.

"Today is a great day for Iowa State University," athletic director Jamie Pollard said. "Paul Rhoads and Iowa State are a perfect match for one another, and we could not be happier that he is going to be our football coach for the long term."

Rhoads helped the Cyclones pack Jack Trice Stadium with 50,000-plus fans for all six games this season, the most in school history. He also helped the team achieve notoriety with his famous postgame YouTube videos after big wins, capped by his signature catchphrase, he's "so proud" to be his team's coach.

This season, Iowa State beat then-No. 2 Oklahoma State for the first win in program history against an opponent ranked in the top six. Before the win, the Cyclones were 0-56-2 against such opponents.

The Cyclones also ended a three-game losing streak to Iowa this season, and beat Texas for the first time in school history last season. That win against the Longhorns, combined with an upset of Nebraska in 2009, gave Iowa State wins against ranked opponents on the road in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1976-77.

The news also had Rhoads' name trending on Twitter on Friday afternoon.

Does he get a bonus for that?

We know how the computers felt about Oklahoma State: They love them. The Cowboys got the nod over Alabama in four of the six computer rankings.

But what about the coaches poll and the Harris poll? They make up the other two-thirds of the BCS standings, and the ballots were made public today.

Here's the Harris poll votes, and the full coaches poll ballots.

A few notes:

• The biggest head-scratcher was George Wine, who retired as the Iowa SID in 1996, but has a vote in the Harris Poll. He had Oklahoma State at No. 6, lower than any voter in either poll. Complicating matters: he had Houston, who lost to Southern Miss by three touchdowns on Saturday, at No. 5. He told the Tampa Bay Times today that he did it because Southern Miss is better than Iowa State, who beat Oklahoma State in Ames in double overtime last month. "This voting is highly subjective. I realize that voting is subjective and often arbitrary. I probably don't do as much research ... but who the hell knows whether Oregon is better than Wisconsin?" Inexplicable.
• Missouri coach Gary Pinkel was the only Big 12 coach who voted Oklahoma State behind Alabama on his ballot. He reinforced it on Sunday night, saying the BCS "got it right." Not only that, but he didn't even put OSU at No. 3. He had them at No. 4, behind Stanford.
• Remember, only 59 coaches vote, including five from the Big 12. Pinkel joins Tommy Tuberville, Art Briles, Bob Stoops and Paul Rhoads.
• Six coaches had Oklahoma State below No. 3. Air Force's Troy Calhoun had the Cowboys at No. 5. Duke's David Cutcliffe and Syracuse's Doug Marrone had OSU at No. 4. The other two, besides Pinkel? Alabama's Nick Saban and Stanford's David Shaw, who both had Stanford at No. 3.
• Only one coach had Texas in his top 25: Rice coach David Bailiff, whose teams lost to the Longhorns this season, had them at No. 25.
• Kansas State was as high as No. 6 (Art Briles) and as low as 17 (Les Miles).
• Oklahoma was as low as No. 24 (Skip Holtz, South Florida) and as high as No. 10 (Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee).
• Sonny Dykes had Baylor at No. 21, lower than any coach, and Paul Rhoads was one of two coaches that had Baylor at No. 11.
• Missouri was on five of 59 ballots, as high as No. 22 on Fresno State coach Pat Hill's ballot.
• Former Hawaii coach Bob Wagner and former Notre Dame player Derrick Mayes also had Oklahoma State at No. 6 on his Harris poll ballot.

Here's how the Big 12 sits heading into the bowl season.

1. Oklahoma State (11-1, 8-1, LW: 1) The Cowboys made it clear on Saturday night that they're the Big 12's best team. The defense shined on a big stage, and the offense returned to form after the shocking night in Ames.

2. Kansas State (10-2, 7-2, LW: 3) How about the Wildcats? They started the season at No. 8 in the Power Rankings and slipped all the way down to No. 10 after needed a fourth-quarter comeback to beat Eastern Kentucky in the opening week. Now? Here they are. Unbelievable.

3. Baylor (9-3, 6-3, LW: 4) There was no late-season collapse this season. The Bears beat Oklahoma and Texas in the same season, won nine (!) games and as Robert Griffin III said, may have itself its first Heisman winner. Only two years after Alabama got their first, right? Best season in Baylor history?

4. Oklahoma (9-3, 6-3, LW: 2) What a fall for the Sooners. One blowout loss lands Oklahoma all the way down here at the end of a disappointing season riddled by injury. Disappointing season for a million different reasons, but the Sooners fell well short of their stated goal of a national title. One of the most disappointing preseason No. 1 teams of all-time.

5. Missouri (7-5, 5-4, LW: 5) The Tigers rescued their season from 3-4 to win four of their final five games and reach 7-5. Well short of what they'd like, but still an OK year with a defense that wasn't quite what most expected and a first-year starter at quarterback. Off the Tigers go into the SEC East.

6. Texas (7-5, 4-5, LW: 6) The Longhorns' defense was solid, but if you can't put points on the board, you can't win big in the Big 12. Texas learned that this year, and for the second consecutive season, the Longhorns don't have a quarterback they know they can roll with for a 12-game season. With nothing settled between Case McCoy and David Ash, and Connor Brewer on the way next year, don't expect that to change soon.

7. Texas A&M (6-6, 4-5, LW: 7) The Aggies are coachless, and the fired Mike Sherman was justifiably unhappy with being notified he was fired via phone while pulling into a recruit's driveway. Texas A&M will try to win a bowl game under interim coach Tim DeRuyter, but loses a lot on the field and will be in a new system come spring. It could be a rough first year in the SEC West for the Aggies.

8. Iowa State (6-6, 3-6, LW: 8) The Cyclones took the last two losses to Oklahoma and Kansas State really hard, and as painful as they are, Iowa State is bowling, and that's all that matters. Two in three years for Paul Rhoads, who already won his first shot in a bowl game.

9. Texas Tech (5-7, 2-7, LW: 9) For the first time since 1999, Tech won't be bowling. The transition from Mike Leach to Tommy Tuberville has been difficult and made even more so by huge numbers of injuries in both seasons, but the Red Raiders bring back lots of talent in 2012. They could make some noise if they stay healthy.

10. Kansas (2-10, 0-9, LW: 10) Chalk up another coachless Big 12 team. The Jayhawks won't get Leach on the sideline, but a change was needed after two years of blowout losses and no respect across the Big 12.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-4) vs. Iowa State Cyclones (6-6)

Dec. 30, 3:20 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Rutgers take from Big East blogger Andrea Adelson: You understand why there might not be a joyous celebration among Scarlet Knights fans today, despite a terrific turnaround from 4-8 last season to 8-4 and bowl team this season. Rutgers had a chance to clinch a share of their first Big East title in the regular-season finale. All they had to do was beat a UConn team with a losing record. But the Scarlet Knights had one mistake after another and lost 40-22, ending the season on a sour note. Still, that should not take away what was accomplished this year. After being selected in the preseason to finish last in the conference, Rutgers went 4-3 in Big East play -- posting a winning league record for the first time since 2008. Receiver Mohamed Sanu showed everybody just how special he is, shattering school and Big East single-season records with 109 receptions. Sixty-five of his 109 receptions have been for first downs, the second-highest total nationally. The defense, which featured significant player position changes, finished as the No. 1 group in the Big East. Khaseem Greene, moved from safety to middle linebacker, led the league with 127 tackles and is a leading candidate for Big East Defensive Player of the Year. There have been a few hiccups – coach Greg Schiano switched quarterbacks in the middle of the season, going with true freshman Gary Nova over starter Chas Dodd. But he went back to Dodd in the fourth quarter against USF, and he rallied the team to a win. Nova relieved Dodd against UConn, so it is uncertain who will start the bowl game. The offensive line was better, but the run game was not, averaging 2.6 yard per carry and 91.5 yards per game. Still, Rutgers made enough improvement this season that it was a Big East contender, and is now back in a bowl for the sixth time in seven seasons.

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Iowa State take from Big 12 blogger David Ubben: If there's one thing we know by now, it's that coach Paul Rhoads is SO PROUD of his team this season. The Cyclones are the biggest overachievers in the country. Favored in just two games, Iowa State scrapped its way to six wins and a second bowl game in three years under Rhoads. That stretch included a 3-0 start with fourth-quarter comebacks in each, including a win over rival Iowa. The Cyclones also played giant killer and handed Big 12 champion Oklahoma State its only loss. Midway through the season, the spectacularly named Steele Jantz was sent to the bench for redshirt freshman Jared Barnett, who helped spark a late-season run when the Cyclones beat Texas Tech, Kansas and Oklahoma State in Barnett's first three starts. Despite a loss to Oklahoma the following week, the Cyclones led the Big 12 in scoring defense over that stretch. There's nobody in the Big 12, except perhaps Kansas State, that does more with "team" than the Cyclones. Not many outstanding talents, but they play a physical brand of football and under Barnett, have played it much closer to the vest. The results have been ideal.

We were off last week in the awards update, but we're back with one week of games left.

Offensive Player of the Year

1. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor: Griffin overtook Weeden after his huge game against Oklahoma two weeks ago, and held on despite the concussion last week. He'll need a big game this week to keep the award though, and even then the voting might be close.

2. Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State: Weeden could usurp Griffin regardless of what RG3 does if Weeden has a big game and beats the Sooners. Should be some drama on Saturday, but Griffin leads Weeden in total offense per game.

3. Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State: Klein was off last week, but his passing numbers are OK and he's fifth in the Big 12 with 1,013 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns. He's also thrown for 11 scores and five interceptions.

Honorable mention: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor; Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State.

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Frank Alexander, DE, Oklahoma: Alexander might be alone at the top for this one. He leads the Big 12 with 18 tackles for loss and tied for the Big 12 lead with 8.5 sacks.

2. Sean Porter, LB, Texas A&M: Porter came back to life with 2.5 tackles for loss against Texas and 1.5 in the win over Kansas. He now has 16 to rank second in the Big 12.

3. Emmanuel Acho, LB, Texas: Acho makes his first appearance on the list after notching four consecutive games with at least 12 tackles, including a season-high 14 against Texas A&M. He's now second in the Big 12 with 105 tackles.

Honorable mention: Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State; Jake Knott, LB, Iowa State; Ronnell Lewis, DE, Oklahoma; Damontre Moore, LB, Texas A&M, Steven Johnson, LB, Kansas.

Coach of the Year

1. Bill Snyder, Kansas State: Snyder's Wildcats are still rolling and look likely to win an unbelievable 10 games after being picked to finish eighth in the Big 12. Standing between them: Iowa State, a six-win team picked to finish ninth place in the Big 12. Beware.

2. Paul Rhoads, Iowa State: Rhoads keeps impressing. First the win over Iowa. Then beating Texas Tech by 34 a week after the Red Raiders beat Oklahoma. Two weeks ago, it was the upset over Oklahoma State. Welcome to the postseason for the second time in three years.

3. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State: Gundy probably won't be able to grab any national coach of the year awards after losing to Iowa State, but he might get a few votes if the Cowboys win the Big 12 title outright, and do it impressively.

Honorable mention: Art Briles, Baylor.

Here's what I'm watching in the Big 12 this week:

1. Cyrus Gray's status. Mike Sherman said that what trainers originally thought was a bruised shoulder was a stress fracture and that Gray would be day to day. Without Christine Michael, that would be a huge loss. Gray alone is worth 7-8 points in this game. If A&M can't run the ball, it will be forced to play into the Longhorns' biggest strength: pass defense. If Gray doesn't play, this game's a near toss-up.

2. Texas' quarterback shuffle. We're in late November, and Texas still has quarterback problems. It looks like Case McCoy will get the start, but will he finish? Texas A&M's pass defense is vulnerable, but the Aggies have punished opposing quarterbacks this season. McCoy seemed to have chemistry with Jaxon Shipley this season, but Shipley seems unlikely to play.

3. Oklahoma's resolve. The Sooners still have to win to keep their Big 12 title hopes alive. Iowa State proved it's capable of a lot last week when it beat an OSU team that is better than OU, all things considered. Without a national title on the table, this will be a test for Oklahoma's motivation.

4. RG3's Heisman chances. Texas Tech's defense doesn't scare too many folks, and Robert Griffin III racked up almost 600 yards against a solid Oklahoma defense last week. That propelled him into Heisman contender status, if not the favorite, and we'll see what he's got in store for an encore. A week before the OU upset, the Bears almost lost to KU.

5. Iowa State's defensive revival. The Cyclones gave up huge points in their first four lopsided conference losses. They're 3-0 since and bowl eligible with Jared Barnett at quarterback. The defense gave up seven points to Texas Tech, 10 to Kansas and held an OSU offense to 24 points in regulation, tied for the fewest of any team in the past 22 games. It's also the fewest points OSU has scored with Justin Blackmon in the lineup. Can Iowa State continue that level of play against Oklahoma?

6. Kansas' desperation. A win against Mizzou would make a 3-9 season about as bright as a 3-9 season could possibly look, but the Jayhawks were close before taking a bunch of steps backward against Texas A&M last week. Missouri isn't blowing very many teams out this season. We'll see if the Jayhawks make a game of it before Mizzou heads to the SEC.

7. Missouri's reaction. Gary Pinkel will be back on the sidelines this week after watching last week's win against Texas Tech from his condo in Lake of the Ozarks. He'll return to the team on Thursday and take his team to Saturday's game in Kansas City. What's his team's reaction? Will we see an awkward performance, or an inspired one as good as we've seen all season.

8. Bounce back for Darrin Moore? Moore's been banged up all season, but he looked amazing against Missouri last week. He's as physically gifted as any receiver in the Big 12 (yes, even Blackmon), but we'll see how well he can harness it and turn it into production. Baylor's secondary will have a big task.

Time to name a few superlatives from across the Big 12 this weekend.

Best offensive player: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor. Griffin had another legendary performance with 479 yards passing and 72 yards rushing, throwing for four touchdowns. The 479 yards were a school record and Griffin set the single-season record for passing with two games and a bowl game still left on the schedule. For his efforts, he was named the Walter Camp National Player of the Year Award.

Best defensive player: Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas. Jeffcoat had a pair of sacks and made 3.5 tackles for loss with a pass breakup in a 17-13 loss to Kansas State. Never easy to do against K-State, who doesn't throw much and has a quarterback that's always tough to bring down.

Best game: Baylor 45, Oklahoma 38. This one went down to the final possession and two second-half comebacks. Lots of points and lots of fun. Polish it off with a field storming, and you've got yourself a classic. The dramatic finish gives the Bears' win an edge of the shocker in Ames. Honorable mention: Iowa State 47, Oklahoma State 41 (2 OT)

Best play: Griffin to Terrance Williams for a game-winning 34-yard touchdown pass. Griffin drifted to his left after escaping pressure in the pocket, and saw Williams in the back corner of the end zone, one-on-one. He threw across his body for Williams as he was hit, and queued up one of the craziest nights in Baylor history. Honorable mention: Dominique Hamilton tipping a game-sealing interception to Michael Sam.

Most immaculate reception: Griffin to Tevin Reese's hands and head to Kendall Wright for an 87-yard touchdown. This was a must-see play and one of the craziest we've ever seen. The big play tied the game in the third quarter, too. It was supposed to be a run play, but RG3 checked out and Terrance Ganaway went in motion. Wright was following coaches' advice to simply play fast, and the deflected ball ended up hitting him in stride.

Best speech: Paul Rhoads, Iowa State. Rhoads delivered another beauty to his team after it upset Oklahoma State to reach bowl eligibility. He even included a nod to his original classic, professing his pride in the privilege of being the head Cyclone.

Best halftime show: Oklahoma and Baylor's bands. I enjoy a little Party Rock only if it's dusted in irony. But two team bands combining for a choreographed flash mob? (OU gets in on the party at about 1:45 mark.) I can get behind that. It got the crowd going, too. Honorable mention: Texas A&M's Block T featuring the entire Corps of Cadets for the first time since 1956.

Funniest quote: Michael Sam, DE, Missouri. After intercepting Seth Doege to essentially seal the game, Sam remembered a piece of coaching from his acting head coach, defensive coordinator Dave Steckel. "I could hear his voice in the back of my head saying ‘Get your a-- down, Michael Sam,'" he said.

Second-funniest quote: Sam. What happened on that game-changing play? "I was trying to hit the s--- out of the quarterback," Sam said. "He threw the ball, and then I just dropped back, and Dominique (Hamilton) batted it up." A banner day for Sam and voice recorders in Columbia on Saturday.

Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads talks about his team’s effort in Friday’s 37-31 victory over Oklahoma State.