Fans of the Big 12 have a ton of storylines to watch this year.

First and foremost will be the excitement generated by Kansas State and Oklahoma, two legitimate national championship contenders. Those are the two best teams in the nation in my mind, and it's just too bad they will likely have to meet in the Big 12 championship game rather than the national championship game. If you're looking for a reason the Big Ten has resisted adding a 12th team and a championship game, there it is.

	Jason White is one of many Big 12 QBs being counted on heavily.

The Sooners are intriguing simply because of their incredible defense, but even more interesting is whether they can beat arch-rival Oklahoma State, a team that has rained on Oklahoma's parade at the end of each of the last two regular seasons. That aside, there is little doubt in my mind that the Sooners will win the national title if quarterback Jason White remains healthy all season.

As for Oklahoma State, the Cowboys' opener against Nebraska will be huge for whichever team wins. That team will gain all kinds of confidence and the loser may take a step back. But no matter what the outcome is, OSU is on the verge of becoming a great team year after year, and the trio of quarterback Josh Fields, running back Tatum Bell and receiver Rashaun Woods a special group.

The progress Ell Roberson has made at quarterback for Kansas State is also something to watch, as is his pairing with 5-7 jitterbug Darren Sproles in the Wildcats' backfield. They will have a terrific offense, and the fact that Kansas State continues to dominate on defense with the turnover both on the roster and coaching staff is amazing. What Bill Snyder has accomplished there is nothing short of phenomenal.

There is a lot to like about Texas, too. The post-Chris Simms era will have a different feel, and some think this team might be even better in 2003. The wide receivers are a trio second to none, but it remains to be seen whether tight end Bo Scaife is 100 percent recovered from a knee injury. And no one knows whether head coach Mack Brown and offensive coordinator Greg Davis will be able to resist the temptation to rotate Chance Mock and super freshman Vincent Young at quarterback.

Defensive coordinator Carl Reese will surely have another terrific defense, making the annual showdown with Oklahoma even better. Even with all the talent that has passed through Austin in the last few years Brown has yet to win a conference championship or play in a BCS bowl game, and it's about time his teams lived up to expectations.

Nebraska is looking to bounce back back from a disappointing season and coach Frank Solich is supremely confident that the Cornhuskers are a changed football team, a passing team that will throw on first down and put five receivers into routes. The team seems emotionally ready, but there is a depth problem at quarterback and an injury to Jammal Lord could be dangerous for NU. The defense should also be improved, with the ability to line up and flat-out fly to the football.

Elsewhere in the North division Gary Barnett has put together a staff at Colorado that has done more with less than anyone in the conference. The Buffaloes continue to beat teams they shouldn't and find their way to the top of the Big 12 despite being a one-dimensional running team. If they can get some decent quarterback play they will be a force. One must also wonder whether Iowa State will continue to thrive in the post-Seneca Wallace era, after Wallace put Cyclone football on the map with his outstanding quarterbacking last season.

And in a departure of sorts for the Big 12, quarterbacks all over the league are now being counted on to make a difference with their passing skills. But uncertainty at that position is the only thing keeping the Big 12 from being the best conference in the nation surrounding the league's quarterbacks.

Lord has been inconsistent and will need to step up in Nebraska's new-look offense, and while Roberson is a terrific runner his throwing must be better. White's knees will have to remain intact for Oklahoma's offense to be serviceable.

That said, it is quarterbacks who have allowed the traditionally downtrodden teams in the conference to scare the big boys. It takes time for a school like Missouri to get the recruits that will allow it to compete regularly, but an athletic quarterback who can spread the field, get the ball to playmakers in open space and make plays with his feet can turn things upside down.

So even if the Tigers don't have five studs on the offensive line and a star running back who can pound the ball all day, quarterback Brad Smith can plant worries in the minds of opponents because of his difference-making abilities in both the passing and running game.

Nebraska is trying to copy that style, Kansas State is almost there, and those schools breaking in new passers -- Texas Tech, Iowa State and others -- are also following suit.

That transition has stemmed the the tide somewhat for the little guys. There are now terrific games all over the schedule and on just about every campus and the Big 12 is a better conference as a result. There were a lot of guaranteed wins when I played at Nebraska, but that is no longer the case.

Just ask Oklahoma.

Trev Alberts is a college football analyst for ESPN and a regular contributor to ESPN.com during the season.