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The NFL scouting combine concludes Tuesday, but the defensive line and linebackers took their turns under the microscope on Monday. We'll take a look at the defensive line here before moving on to the linebackers later this morning.

Position ranking in parentheses when available.

Defensive linemen

Sam Acho, Texas

• 40-yard dash: 4.68 seconds (3)
• Vertical jump: 33.5 inches (9)
• Three-cone drill: 6.69 seconds (1)
• 20-yard shuttle: 4.32 seconds (5)

Ugo Chinasa, Oklahoma State

• 40-yard dash: 4.71 seconds (7)
• Broad jump: 9-9 (7)
• Three-cone drill: 7.07 seconds (7)

Aldon Smith, Missouri

• 40-yard dash: 4.78 seconds (10)
• Vertical jump: 34 inches (7)
• Broad jump: 9-10 (6)
• 225-pound bench press: 20 reps

Adrian Taylor, Oklahoma

• 225-pound bench press: 34 reps (3)

Phil Taylor, Baylor

• 225-pound bench press: 31 reps (6)

A couple of thoughts, notes and observations:

• Acho's time in the three-cone drill (4.68 seconds) was the most head-turning number from the group. It was the best mark in the drill by a defensive lineman in six years. Best of all, it came in a drill that has a lot of applications to his position. I was pretty surprised that Acho's agility in the drill put him in that elite class. He's always been fairly light on his feet, but I didn't peg him for a guy who could change directions that skillfully.
• One has to put measurements taken in controlled situations in perspective, but of this group, it seems likely that Acho was the only player to make a significant move on any teams' draft boards. Aldon Smith is the only player in the group extremely likely to hear his name in the first round, but it'll be based on his upside, still waiting-to-be-filled-out frame and freshman season at Missouri.

1. Quarterback Cam Newton came out of the Auburn-imposed hiding to accept the Walter Camp and Davey O’Brien Awards. I wish the Newton we saw on Thursday had been made available to the public this season. He has a, yes, winning smile. He managed the thrust-and-parry in the interview with Chris Fowler. Newton made clear that whatever his father did during recruiting, Newton remains devoted to him. Newton didn’t provide the answers we wanted, but he provided something. That’s always better than nothing.

2. It’s one thing to understand how talented a cornerback such as Patrick Peterson is. That’s why he won the Thorpe Award. It’s quite another that voters for the Chuck Bednarik Award honored a corner as the defensive player of the year. It is recognition of Peterson ability and recognition of how college football has tilted so heavily toward the pass. A good corner can take away half the field from the opposing quarterback. Peterson has been that good on Saturdays. I bet he’ll be that good on Sundays.

3. At the end of a lousy season, and one day after head coach Mack Brown sent old friend and colleague Greg Davis out the door, Texas finally received some good news. Defensive end Sam Acho won the Campbell Trophy, the “Academic Heisman” awarded by the National Football Foundation. Acho thanked the NFF’s Gold Medal winner, Bill Cosby, for inspiring him as a child. Acho also spoke of his family’s work in organizing annual medical missions to Nigeria, his parents’ homeland. It’s easy to see why he won.

There were definitely plenty of tough calls in this group, and a lot of deserving guys who got left off, but here is my All-Big 12 team for the 2010 season. For reference, here is how the media voted, and how the coaches voted.

OFFENSE

QB: Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State
RB: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
WR: Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
WR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma
TE: Michael Egnew, Missouri
C: Tim Barnes, Missouri
OL: Levy Adcock, Oklahoma State
OL: Nate Solder, Colorado
OL: Ricky Henry, Nebraska
OL: Danny Watkins, Baylor

DEFENSE

DE: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma
DT: Jared Crick, Nebraska
DT: Lucas Patterson, Texas A&M
DE: Sam Acho, Texas
LB: Von Miller, Texas A&M
LB: Lavonte David, Nebraska
LB: Orie Lemon, Oklahoma State
CB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska
CB: Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska
S: Quinton Carter, Oklahoma
S: Byron Landor, Baylor

SPECIALISTS

P: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State
K: Alex Henery, Nebraska
KR: Coryell Judie, Texas A&M
PR: Niles Paul, Nebraska

I'll stop short of listing who I had to snub on my own team, but the easiest positions for me to pick were receiver, linebacker, kicker and tight end. The most difficult were cornerback, kick returner, safety, defensive tackle and quarterback.

Here's how it shook out by team:

1. Nebraska (7)
2. Oklahoma State (6)
3. Texas A&M (3)
3. Oklahoma (3)
5. Missouri (2)
5. Baylor (2)
7. Texas (1)
7. Kansas State (1)
7. Colorado (1)
10. Kansas (0)
10. Iowa State (0)
10. Texas Tech (0)

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.

Best offensive player: Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M. Other players had more yardage, but none had it against a tougher defense and in a more needed position than Gray. He racked up 202 yards of total offense in Texas A&M's 9-6 win over Nebraska, and is officially the first player to get this award from me without scoring a touchdown. Honorable mention: Rodney Stewart, Colorado.

Best defensive player: Sam Acho, DT, Texas. Sure, it was against Florida Atlantic, but Acho turned in one of the Big 12's best games of the year against the Owls. He had three sacks, four tackles for loss, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and had four quarterback hurries. All six of his tackles were solo, as well. Honorable mention: Trent Hunter, Texas A&M

Best team performance: Texas A&M. The Aggies take home the award for the second week in a row after beating Nebraska 9-6 at home in one of the most physical games of the season. Honorable mention: Colorado.

Best offensive freshman: Ben McRoy, RB, Texas Tech. McRoy ran for 81 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns to help the Red Raiders get bowl eligible against Texas Tech. Honorable mention: Kenny Stills, WR, Oklahoma.

Best defensive freshman: Tom Wort, LB, Oklahoma. Wort made eight tackles -- six solo -- and had a sack for a loss of 11 yards in the Sooners' win over Baylor.

Best game: Texas A&M 9, Nebraska 6. No doubt about this one. There are plenty of people who don't like defensive battles. I'm not one of them. Both defenses protected the end zones for 60 minutes, hit hard and didn't give up any back-breaking plays, while delivering plenty of hard shots. And of course, any game that comes down to the final possession is a good one.

Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs and Northern Illinois defensive end Jake Coffman were among 10 football players selected as finalists for the 2010 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must be classified as a senior and have notable achievements in four areas -- community, classroom, character and competition. The winner will be announced Jan. 10, 2011, on ESPN before the BCS national title game.

Here is the list of finalists:

Sam Acho, defensive end, Texas
Sean Bedford, center, Georgia Tech
Anthony Castonzo, offensive tackle, Boston College
Jake Coffman, defensive end, Northern Illinois
Ricky Dobbs, quarterback, Navy
Ras-I Dowling, cornerback, Virginia
Kendall Hunter, running back, Oklahoma State
Christian Ponder, quarterback, Florida State
Ryan Pugh, center, Auburn
Stefen Wisniewski, offensive guard, Penn State

UCLA's Kevin Prince faked a handoff to the right, shuffled left and took off for the end zone from 40 yards away during the Bruins' win at Texas in September. Texas knows it'll see plenty more of that this Saturday -- just much, much faster.

Texas faces No. 5 Nebraska in Lincoln, and leaving with a win starts with stopping Taylor Martinez, who went from freshman phenom to Heisman candidate with 241 rushing yards and five total touchdowns in a 48-13 win over Kansas State on the road last week.

"They looked unbelievable," said Texas coach Mack Brown. "I think they’re as good as anybody in the country right now and have a chance to win all the games and play for a national championship. They were super on defense last year and everybody knew that. But they did not have the explosive plays on offense, and Taylor brings them unbelievable plays."

But, contrary to popular opinion inside Nebraska state lines, stopping Martinez isn't impossible. The freshman forced too many plays against South Dakota State in his third start, finishing without a rushing touchdown and with a pair of interceptions. He stopped himself that day. The Longhorns would like to be the first to do it themselves. Fixing the problems that surfaced against UCLA would be a good start.

"They both run the power, they both run the option. There’s probably a lot of similarities," Brown said, "which doesn’t look good for us."

Said defensive tackle Sam Acho: "He’s such a fast quarterback, he’s got so much speed, so we have to make sure we’re sound in our gaps, make plays and finish off tackles."

Texas didn't do that against UCLA, giving up 264 rushing yards in the 34-12 loss to the Bruins. And nobody's denying that Saturday, against a Nebraska rushing offense that ranks second in the nation in yards per game and averages almost a yard per carry more than any other offense, will be a much tougher test. Martinez has a pair of talented backs -- Rex Burkhead and Roy Helu -- who will line up behind and beside him, but his speed and deceptive ball fake are what's added the explosive component to the 2010 version of Nebraska's offense.

"Every time he touches the ball, he’s got a chance to score, and he’s got amazing composure for a freshman," Brown said, later comparing him to Vince Young, who rushed for 1,000 yards and passed for 3,000 more during Texas' 2005 national championship season. "I’m just very, very impressed."

Consider also that Nebraska ranks second nationally in total rushing yardage, while sitting in 37th in total carries through five games.

That dangerous offense has scored 17 touchdowns with drives of five plays or less, including four in the win over Kansas State. But like Martinez's one rough outing, Texas says its day against UCLA was self-inflicted as well.

"What we took away from that game is making sure that if we handle our responsibilities, do what we’re supposed to do as a defense, we’ll be fine," Acho said. "How we play is on us. We determine how well or how poorly we play."

AUSTIN, Texas -- If anyone had heard Texas coach Mack Brown say "It should have been out of hand at halftime" after Saturday's game against UCLA, most would have figured he was chastising his team for a lackluster win over a 1-2 opponent from the Pac-10.

But he said it, and he said it in regard to his own team's deficit after it turned the ball over four times in the opening half and lost 34-12 to the 16-point underdog Bruins. The loss halts any hopes the young Longhorns had of making a repeat trip to the national title game.

Brown said his team prepared well. The defeat shocked him. His players said the same thing.

"I'm very upset. Being here at the University of Texas, we're demanding to win. We're coming in to win every game," junior cornerback Aaron Williams said. "Since I've been here, I've never had a loss at home or a loss that bad before. The expectations here are so high; having a loss like this, I'm really angry inside."

Said safety Blake Gideon: "We didn't come to Texas to lose, and lose like this especially."

But the Longhorns did. Now the task lies in fixing whatever went wrong, the details of which eluded Brown on Saturday night. The turnovers were obvious, but he liked the week of practice he had gotten from his team and its attitude entering Saturday.

"Just like after a win, it's the 24-hour rule," defensive lineman Sam Acho said. "You look at the tape and get better. Go back to work, regroup and get a good week to prepare."

The Longhorns may not know exactly how to fix the problems that arose against UCLA, but they do know this: They have to do it fast with a top-10, 4-0 Oklahoma team showing up to Dallas for the annual Red River Rivalry on Saturday.

"We've just got to go back and rally the troops," defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said.

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."

Scouts, Inc. has released its list of the top 150 NFL prospects for the 2011 draft, and it's got plenty of Big 12 talent from top to bottom. You'll need an Insider account to see the whole list, but here's a bit of how it relates to the Big 12. Three Big 12 teams were among the nation's top 10 in possessing the most players on the list. Here's where they stood: T-3. Nebraska. (6) T-3. Oklahoma (6) T-10. Texas (4) North Carolina and Ohio State topped the list, with seven total prospects in the top 150. But let's take a closer look. Here's a few notes/thoughts.

• [+] Enlarge
  AP Photo/Nati HarnikPrince Amukamara (21) is the Big 12's top NFL prospect -- and No. 3 overall -- according to Scouts, Inc.
  The Big 12's top overall prospect? Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara, who is the No. 1 cornerback. That echoes what NFL scouts have been saying for the past few months, and it'll be interesting to see the battle between him and Aaron Williams (No. 6 cornerback) as the season moves on. They'll both see plenty of good offenses.
• For all the talk about Nebraska's offensive struggles, they placed three players in the top 150, including Mike McNeill, who is ranked as the No. 6 tight end, despite moving to receiver in the spring. Running back Roy Helu Jr. and receiver Niles Paul both rank in the top 150, at No. 12 for their respective positions. That should prove just how important Nebraska's quarterback situation is this year. Clearly, they've got some individual talent at the skill positions and a great offensive line, but without good quarterback play, they might not be much better than they were in 2009. If Zac Lee pulls a Joe Ganz and has a nice senior year, the Huskers are almost assured a finish in the top half of the Big 12 in scoring offense.
• Everyone wants to talk about Texas' defense, the list is a reflection of why. The Longhorns have three cornerbacks (Aaron Williams, Curtis Brown, Chykie Brown) in the top 150 and Williams and Brown are in the top 10 in their position. Sam Acho rounds out Texas' group as the No. 133 best overall prospect and No. 14 defensive end. That ranks as the best DE in the Big 12.
• Surprising that Oklahoma's Quinton Carter is rated as the No. 2 safety and a better projected pro than teammates Jeremy Beal, Ryan Broyles, Adrian Taylor and DeMarco Murray, all in the top 10 at their positions. No other safeties in the Big 12 rank in the top 10, but the next best is Nebraska's Eric Hagg.
• You can see how every prospect at your school is rated by Scouts, Inc. if you have Insider, but here's how the rest of the Big 12 ranked in players who made the top 150. If your school doesn't have a player in the top 150, here's a list of the top prospects for each team in the Big 12 from Mel Kiper.

4. Colorado - 2 (Nate Solder, No. 8; Jimmy Smith, No. 74) 5. Texas A&M - 1 (Von Miller, No. 20) 5. Baylor - 1 (Phil Taylor, No. 94) 6. Missouri - 1 (Blaine Gabbert, No. 39) 6. Kansas State - 1 (Daniel Thomas, No. 47) 7. Oklahoma State - 1 (Kendall Hunter, No. 147) 8. Iowa State - none 8. Kansas - none 8. Texas Tech - none

IRVING, Texas -- Solid three days here in Irving with a chance to visit with plenty of folks around the conference. Nobody really embarrassed themselves -- players or coaches -- this week, but I'd say I was most impressed with Texas' Mack Brown, Texas Tech's Tommy Tuberville and Paul Rhoads at Iowa State, though I'd suppose it's no surprise that those three are among the best in the conference at handling the media.

Honest, lean, insightful and slow with the cliches. All three follow that path pretty closely. On to more notes, thoughts and quotes from the final day of the conference's powwow outside Dallas:

[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Mike FuentesMack Brown gave a poignant answer to a question about Nebraska's Red Out Around the World video.
• Brown had a great response to a question about the now-edited Red Out Around the World video from Nebraska that caused a ruckus earlier this summer. It was pretty truthful, he stayed away from further inciting the Huskers, but still professionally incisive. If I'm a Nebraska fan, his words have to make me a little furious. Chalk this point up for Brown: "I really think that's a compliment to us, very honestly, for a program like Nebraska to be talking about Texas this time of year and they should be. They're good. They've gotten back. They're in the mix and on the national scene." I don't think he could have handled the issue more adeptly, and he followed it up with lavish praise for the Nebraska fans and way of life, including an often-used anecdote about the Nebraska fans chanting "Heisman! Heisman! Heisman!" at Ricky Williams as he left the field at Memorial Stadium after a Longhorns win.
• I really think Stoops' comments about his offensive line are a big deal. He wasn't shy about criticizing the line last year, and if they still weren't up to his standards, he'd have no reason to stop. If Oklahoma's offensive line is as good as Stoops thinks it is...look out. "We have -- year in and year out -- a fairly good defensive line, and I thought they were toe-to-toe with them all the time and competed with them well,” Stoops said. “So the way they finished the year a year ago. I think all of that together gives us an opportunity to be optimistic.” Before that quote, he mentioned their work ethic in the offseason workouts and praised their efforts during the spring -- the exact opposite of what he said after the spring of 2009.
• On the subject of Oklahoma's defensive line, it sounds like DT Adrian Taylor is right on schedule after suffering an unspeakably gruesome leg injury in the Sun Bowl. Stoops says they plan on him being cleared to play for preseason camp. I wouldn't have bet on that a day after the bowl game, but if Taylor can be healthy and return to his form from last year, Oklahoma's interior should be very, very good with Taylor and former blue-chip recruit Jamarkus McFarland.
• Texas tight end Blaine Irby suffered a bad injury of his own -- to his knee -- two years ago, but Brown didn't sound too optimistic about him. I had heard he was progressing well and looking impressive in voluntary team 7-on-7 workouts, but Brown says he hasn't been cleared to practice yet with camp only a little over a week away. Brown praised up-and-comer Barrett Matthews, who you can read more about in our Texas Fresh Faces post from earlier this month.
• Brown mentioned that Texas will schedule some more "Ohio State-type" games in the future. Not much more to say than this: good idea. Should serve as a nice replacement for the strength-of-schedule bump that traditionally came with the Big 12 championship.
• Not media days related, but Texas A&M is apparently a bit uneasy after commissioner Dan Beebe's comments about the $20 million the Aggies were told they would earn by 2012-13. "A key part of Texas A&M's decision to remain in the Big 12 earlier this summer was the Commissioner’s commitment that Texas A&M would receive a minimum of $20 million annually in future conference distributions," Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin said in a statement. "We remain committed to the conference and fully anticipate that the Big 12 will honor its commitment to Texas A&M." Texas A&M would have regretted leaving the Big 12 for the SEC on their own -- at the very least in the short run -- but I don't make much of his comments yet. All I see now is a concrete possible future spark for future realignment -- along with a theoretical invitation for Missouri from the Big Ten after the conference concludes its expansion study. That is, unless the appropriate amount of money is indeed there when they believed it would be."
• One final note: Former Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson has -- by far -- the strongest handshake of any athlete I've ever met, but I ran into a possible future contender on Wednesday: Texas defensive end Sam Acho. I'm not going to do any psychoanalysis, but you notice that sort of thing quickly, even when you're not looking for it.

The Big 12 announced its preseason award winners and All-Big 12 team Thursday. Here's who's on the list:

Offensive Player of the Year: Jerrod Johnson, QB, Texas A&M

Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska; and Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M

Newcomer of the Year: Toney Clemons, WR, Colorado

Offense

QB: Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M

RB: DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma

RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State

WR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

WR: Jeff Fuller, Texas A&M

TE: Mike McNeill, Nebraska

OL: Ryan Miller, Colorado

OL: Nate Solder, Colorado

OL: Tim Barnes, Missouri

OL: Tanner Hawkinson, Kansas

OL: Stephen Good, Oklahoma

OL: Kyle Hix, Texas

PK: Alex Henery, Nebraska

KR: Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M

DEFENSE

DL: Aldon Smith, Missouri

DL: Jared Crick, Nebraska

DL: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma

DL: Sam Acho, Texas

LB: Travis Lewis, Oklahoma

LB: Von Miller, Texas A&M

LB: Keenan Robinson, Texas

LB: Brian Duncan, Texas Tech

DB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

DB: Aaron Williams, Texas

DB: Quinton Carter, Oklahoma

DB: Blake Gideon, Texas

DB: Curtis Brown, Texas

P: Derek Epperson, Baylor

PR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

A few notes/thoughts from the team:

• Only three players were unanimous selections: Jared Crick, Travis Lewis and Jeremy Beal. Other guys I'm surprised didn't earn that distinction: Ryan Broyles at receiver, Aaron Williams and Nate Solder.
• Ties at linebacker, defensive back and offensive line forced the conference to make room for an extra spot.
• The media's opinion of DeMarco Murray is somewhat divided, so I was a little unsure who would nab the second spot on the ballot. I'd be interested to see how close it was between him, Roy Helu, Kendall Hunter and Alexander Robinson.
• Home run selection of Toney Clemons as Newcomer of the Year. If I'm guessing, the fact that he was the No. 1 pick in Colorado's spring game helped him earn this honor. An action like that by players speaks pretty loudly.
• I definitely prefer football over basketball in these situations, which doesn't have to deal with freshmen on the preseason all-conference team.
• I'm interested in how close the vote was between Missouri's Grant Ressel and Nebraska's Alex Henery. Henery's punting skills make him the clearly more valuable player, but talking strictly place-kicking, it's pretty close, and Ressel's additional accuracy is quantifiable.

Here's the list breakdown by team:

1. Oklahoma - 7

2. Texas - 6

3. Nebraska - 4

3. Texas A&M - 4

5. Missouri - 2

5. Colorado - 2

7. Baylor - 1

7. Kansas - 1

7. Kansas State - 1

7. Texas Tech - 1

11. Oklahoma State - 0

11. Iowa State - 0

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.

You heard about Oklahoma's Landry Jones and his backup earlier this morning, but here are the most irreplaceable players for the rest of the conference.



Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor: This one's pretty simple. Griffin means more to his team than any player in the conference. The 2008 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year helped the Bears win their 2009 season opener at Wake Forest before a season-ending knee injury in the third game. He'll come back for 2010 still a sophomore. But his injury last season now means his backup, Nick Florence, is surprisingly experienced.

Alexander Robinson, RB, Iowa State: Robinson rushed for 1,195 yards in 2009 and is by far the Cyclones' best player. His yards per carry average is almost 1.5 yards higher than his backup last season. This year, the battle for No. 2 is ongoing, with Beau Blankenship and freshmen James White and Jeff Woody trying to earn any spare carries not soaked up by Robinson.

Nate Solder, OT, Colorado: This season will be Solder's third as starting left tackle, the key position on the offensive line. He's proven to be one of college football's premier linemen, but his durability and experience have meant very little playing time for backup Ryan Dannewitz, a redshirt freshman.

Jake Laptad, DE, Kansas: Laptad is a force in the backfield and racked up 6.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss last season. His backup is junior college transfer Quintin Woods, but with just four career tackles, there's a clear dropoff in both production and talent.

Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri: In just his second year as starter, Gabbert could be poised for a big jump like his predecessor, Chase Daniel. The Tigers earned a North title in Daniel's second season and No. 1 ranking after the regular season. But Gabbert needs to stay healthy. His backup is former walk-on Jimmy Costello, who's never played a meaningful snap, but behind him are a group of untested freshmen with potential in Ashton Glaser, James Franklin and Gabbert's younger brother, Tyler Gabbert.

Eric Hagg, S/LB, Nebraska: The central figure of the Huskers' Peso defensive scheme (Hey! Remember that?) gives the Husker defense the teeth that helped them nearly upset Texas and blow out Arizona. His backup is Austin Cassidy, who has plenty of on-field experience after appearing in all 13 games last season. Like Hagg, Cassidy has the ideal size for the position at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, and notched nine tackles as a sophomore in 2009.

Markelle Martin, S, Oklahoma State: Martin's sophomore season was overshadowed by big-hitting senior Lucien Antoine, but he'll be one of the team's leaders as a junior in 2010. He's the team's leading returning tackler, and should join Orie Lemon and Ugo Chinasa as the anchors of a defense replacing its four leading tacklers from 2009. His backup, Mathies Long, played in the last six games of 2009, but has just three career tackles.

Sam Acho DE, Texas: The better known of Texas' Acho brothers, he played in 24 games before taking over as starter last season. He notched 63 tackles and four fumble recoveries, tied for most in college football. He was also a semifinalist for the Lott Trophy. But at Texas, there's always a pretty narrow gap between starter and backup. Acho's backup should be either Russell Carter or Alex Okafor, who will also play behind opposite defensive end Eddie Jones. Carter played in nine games last season and notched five tackles. Okafor played in all 14 games last season and tallied 22 tackles.

Jerrod Johnson, QB, Texas A&M: No backup will be able to reproduce Johnson's impressive numbers from 2009 (38 touchdowns, 4,085 total yards). But Johnson's backup Ryan Tannehill does have plenty of experience--at a different position. He got plenty of reps this spring with Johnson sidelined from live action after minor shoulder surgery, but he's the team's active leader in receiving, with 1,418 career yards. He's thrown just nine passes in two seasons with the Aggies.

Colby Whitlock, DT, Texas: Should assume the role of nose tackle in Tech's new 3-4 scheme under coach Tommy Tuberville and defensive coordinator James Willis. Though it's a new position, Whitlock's experience will be tough to replace. Of his 46 tackles in 2009, 8.5 came behind the line of scrimmage. His backup is a mountain of a man, Myles Wade. The 6-foot-2, 340-pound junior college transfer made just two tackles in limited action last season, but he still has two years of eligibility left, and could plug plenty of holes in the middle of the defense after Whitlock graduates.