ESPN Big 12 Blog

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

A lot of people are taking today and this weekend off, so I wanted to wish everybody a safe and happy Fourth of July holiday.

Take some time this weekend to think about the troops who are making sure this is the greatest of all countries. Remember them and keep them in your prayers.

Football season is just around the corner. We've got the Big 12 media days coming up in the Dallas area beginning on July 27.

I can't wait for what promises to be another great season of Big 12 football and that gathering will kind of kick everything off.

I'll be back on Monday. We've got a big week with the continued countdown of the most memorable Big 12 moments and the mythical Big 12-SEC challenge.

Be safe and enjoy the holidays.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

To all Nebraska fans, it's become a larger-than-life memory known simply as "Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass" -- one of the most unforgettable plays in school history.

But Crouch's heroic touchdown reception that helped beat Oklahoma in 2001 was more than just a great play.

It pushed the Cornhuskers into the No. 1 position in the BCS poll after the victory.

It also helped boost Crouch into the lead for the Heisman Trophy, an honor he claimed later in the season. His dramatic catch came in one of Crouch's worst statistical games ever.

The victory turned out to be the biggest in Frank Solich's coaching tenure with the Cornhuskers.

The Sooners carried a 20-game winning streak to the game and hadn't lost since Bob Stoops' first season when they brought their No. 1 team in the BCS poll into Memorial Stadium.

Oklahoma had built that streak on its defense and appeared ready to continue that during the game.

The game turned early when Oklahoma quarterback Jason White sustained a knee injury that would sideline him for the rest of the season -- save for a couple of plays later in the game.

Backup Nate Hybl then entered the game and engineered the game's first scoring drive. His 4-yard strike to tight end Trent Smith gave the Sooners an early 7-0 lead.

Nebraska matched that less than five minutes later on a 2-yard touchdown run by Dahrran Diedrick. Both teams traded field goals -- a 27-yarder by Nebraska's Josh Brown and a 20-yarder by Oklahoma's Tim Duncan with 15 seconds left in the half -- for a 10-10 halftime deadlock.

The Cornhuskers went ahead early in the third quarter after Erwin Swiney picked off Hybl on a pass that bounced off the facemask of receiver Antwone Savage. Thunder Collins scooted 39 yards on an end-around to the Oklahoma 25 on the next play, setting up a 26-yard field goal by Brown.

Hybl injured his left shoulder on the next Oklahoma possession when he was slammed to the turf by Nebraska linebacker Chris Kelsay, but returned after missing two plays. Amazingly, White returned to action for those plays despite his earlier injury.

After recovering from his injury, Hybl rallied the Sooners in the fourth quarter. But the drive stalled at the Nebraska 36. Stoops then decided against a long field goal in favor of a pooch punt that pinned the Cornhuskers at their own 5. Similar strategy had boosted Oklahoma to a victory over Texas earlier that season.

Crouch gained 19 yards to get the Cornhuskers out of the shadow of their end zone. But Oklahoma appeared to have gotten a defensive stop after Tommie Harris and Cory Heinecke produced a seven-yard loss on third down. Officials ruled Heinecke had grabbed Crouch's face mask on the play, giving the Cornhuskers a first down at the Nebraska 37.

On the next play, the Cornhuskers struck. Crouch handed the ball to Collins, who then pitched it to freshman Mike Stuntz, a backup quarterback on what appeared to be a reverse.

Stuntz instead fired a perfect spiral to a wide-open Crouch, who caught the ball at the Oklahoma 38 and easily jetted past Oklahoma 6-foot-2, 275-pound defensive tackle Kory Klein and defensive back Derrick Strait to the end zone. The play covered 63 yards.

Interestingly, Oklahoma had tried almost the exact play earlier in the game. The Sooners' play failed when Hybl fell down.

It wasn't the longest play for Crouch, who earlier in the season had run 95 yards for a touchdown against Missouri. It wasn't even his first touchdown reception.

But it was the kind of play that resonated with Heisman voters and helped him become the first Nebraska quarterback to win the award.

They said it, part I: "This was one of those games where you want some excitement, so we thought we'd come out and try it. It worked," Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch on his game-clinching touchdown reception.

They said it, part II: "In the end, losing is a strange feeling in our locker room (as far as) what to feel. We haven't experienced this in quite a while," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops on the end of his team's 20-game winning streak.

They said it, part III: "No matter what happened, I knew we were going to get the job done. It wasn't finesse. It wasn't gaining 500 or 600 yards, but we got it done when we needed to," Crouch on Nebraska's big-play effort against the Sooners.

They said it, part IV: "I won't lie. I was a little bit nervous. I was just thrilled to death,'' Nebraska wide receiver Mike Stuntz, on his game-clinching TD pass to Crouch.

Factoids: The loss was the first time that Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops ever lost against a top-10 opponent, snapping a winning streak of eight games ... The Sooners came into the game as the nation's No. 1 ranked team in the BCS standings and Nebraska was No. 2 ... The Nebraska upset ended a 20-game winning streak for the Sooners that dated to their 1999 Independence Bowl loss to Mississippi. It was the nation's longest winning streak at the time of the game ... Crouch rushed for 21 yards on 13 carries and completed 10-of-18 passes for 102 yards. His rushing total was a career low in a game where he started at quarterback ... On the three possessions before Crouch's game-clinching TD reception, the Cornhuskers had produced three, eight and nine yards ... Hybl completed 17-of-36 passes for 184 yards and an interception ... The victory extended Nebraska's home winning streak to 20 games, a streak that would eventually stretch to 26 games before the Cornhuskers lost in 2002 to Texas ...

The upshot: Nebraska and Oklahoma switched spots in the BCS poll the following week, with Nebraska at No. 1 and Oklahoma at No. 2.

The potential for a rematch in the Big 12 title game never materialized as both teams lost the final game of the regular season to cost them a chance at their respective division titles. The Cornhuskers were blown out in a 62-36 loss at Colorado that snapped their 11-game winning streak to the start the season. And Oklahoma dropped a 16-13 home loss to Oklahoma State.

Even with the loss, Nebraska still qualified to play for the national championship in the Rose Bowl. But mistakes cost them three quick touchdowns as Miami cruised to an easy 37-14 victory. The two losses at the end of the season dropped the Cornhuskers (11-2) to No. 8 in the final Associated Press poll. The Cornhuskers haven't finished the season ranked as highly since then.

Despite the late struggles, Crouch still claimed the Heisman Trophy, winning the award by 62 points over Florida quarterback Rex Grossman. His touchdown reception against Oklahoma no doubt helped catapult him to the honor, becoming the first Big 12 quarterback to win the honor.

Stuntz never threw another touchdown pass for the Cornhuskers. He ended his career in 2005 as a defensive back.  

Oklahoma finished the season with a gritty 10-3 victory over Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl, limiting the Razorbacks to six first downs and 50 net yards as the Sooners wrapped up an 11-2 season. The Sooners ended the season ranked sixth in the final AP poll.

The countdown: 

8. Sproles and Roberson stun top-ranked OU, leading KSU to its first Big 12 title.
9. Emotional A&M victory brings closure after Bonfire tragedy.
10. Roll left: James Brown guarantees victory and then backs it up.
11. When BCS meant "Boo Chris Simms" in Colorado's first Big 12 title.
12. A Buffalo stampede: Six Chris Brown TDs lead CU to first Big 12 title game.
13. Run, Ricky, run. Ricky Williams breaks NCAA career rushing record.
14. Wild game, wilder post-game rants when Gundy and Leach meet in 2007.
15. Rout 66: No, that score wasn't a typo.
16. KSU finally slays the Cornhuskers.
17. Kingsbury and Long hook up in a passing duel for the ages.
18. Henery and Suh make Colorado blue.
19. Stunning OSU rally leads to Stoops' first home loss.
20. It's never over for Texas Tech until it's over.
21. Reesing to Meier. Again and again.
22. A Texas-sized comeback -- Texas over Oklahoma State in 2004.
23. A Border War unlike any of the rest -- Missouri over Kansas in 2007.
24. Seneca Wallace's wild TD run vs. Texas Tech in 2001.
25. Baylor's "So Much for Taking a Knee" against UNLV in 1999.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Colorado (Big 12 No. 7) vs. South Carolina (SEC No. 7)

Colorado's record against the SEC: 0-2
South Carolina's record against the Big 12: 0-1
Previous series: Never met.

Distance between them (according to How Far Is It): 1,404 miles.
Where they should play: Clarksville, Ark. (717 miles from Boulder, 722 miles from Columbia)

Who wins: Colorado.

Why: Two of the great quote machines in college football will square off in this matchup. It's too bad the action on the field likely wouldn't compare with the interplay between Steve Spurrier and Dan Hawkins.

Even with the uncertainty of Colorado's quarterbacking with Cody Hawkins and Tyler Hansen battling for the job, the Buffaloes would be able to run consistently against a Gamecock defense weakened by the departure of its top three playmakers from last season. And although Stephen Garcia was Spurrier's first big-time recruit with the Gamecocks, he hasn't gone through the wars in college football -- yet.

The Gamecocks' specialty on defense is stopping the pass. Unfortunately, Colorado moves the ball much better running the ball than passing. So it's not a good matchup for South Carolina defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson's group.

South Carolina might be able to beat some other more highly ranked Big 12 teams that rely on passing more than the Buffaloes. But in this game, Darrell Scott, Rodney Stewart and an improving offensive line would enable the Buffaloes to grind out a victory.

The count: Tied, 3-3.

Monday: Texas Tech (Big 12 No. 6) vs. Arkansas (SEC No. 6).

Note: Matchups are determined by the most recent rankings of Big 12 blogger Tim Griffin and SEC blogger Chris Low. All cumulative records go back to the 1996 season -- the first of Big 12 competition.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Is there really any doubt across the country what the best college football rivalry is?

ESPN.com colleague Pat Forde ranked the top national rivalries playing out this season and placed the nation's bitterest blood feud at the top.

Of course, it's Texas and Oklahoma. It's a series that has featured more bragging and whining over the years than any other.

And it should be even better this season. The controversy after Oklahoma leap-frogged the Longhorns to earn their third-straight Big 12 championship still is a festering wound to most Texas fans.

Texas' subsequent awarding of the asterisk-influenced Big 12 title on a team meeting room for a few weeks earlier this season has only escalated intensity for the Sooners.

It's already made the Oct. 17 game at the Cotton Bowl the most eagerly anticipated game in the bitter 103-game history of the series. Amazingly, it's still 107 days away.

But I was especially glad to see Forde pick out some other Big 12 matchups for his list.

Forde ranks the Texas Tech-Texas A&M rivalry as the sixth-best nationally, trailing only Texas-Oklahoma, Tennessee-Florida, Florida-Georgia, UCLA-USC and LSU-Alabama.

The vituperation in the blood feud between the Aggies and Red Raiders has been escalating over the years, but has percolated since Mike Leach started coaching at Tech. And it's become an even nastier feud in recent seasons, considering some of Leach's taunts about Stephen McGee and his consideration of the Aggies' talent compared to his own.

Making it even more galling for A&M fans, the Red Raiders have won 11 of the last 14 games in the series.

Forde shows his respect by elevating the Tech-A&M game past even the Ohio State-Michigan game. And in terms of recent bitterness, it certainly deserves the higher ranking -- at least for this season.

Congratulations Aggies and Red Raiders. The nation is watching.  

The only other Big 12 rivalry that Forde mentions is the Kansas-Missouri feud, which has picked up steam in recent seasons as both have become North title contenders.

I was a little surprised not to see Texas-Texas A&M listed on Forde's list, but I guess I can understand why.

To have a rivalry, there has to be a semblance of competition. And despite the Aggies' back-to-back victories in 2006 and '07, the importance of this game has nosedived with A&M's lack of relevance as a South Division title contender.

For the Texas-A&M rivalry to get nasty again -- at least in the eyes of the nation -- the Aggies have to get better.

It's as simple as that.  

The folks at ESPN.com's Sports Nation are running a poll to determine the most bitter feud, according to our readers. Please feel free to vote by checking out this link.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The Fourth of July has sent most players and coaches across the Big 12 scurrying to an early vacation this week.

But we don't stop around here just because of the approaching festivities.

There are always a good crop of lunchtime links available, if you search hard enough. And today's group is especially succulent.

So here are today's offerings as a prelude to all the brats and watermelon that will be available for all of you over the weekend.

Enjoy them responsibly, along with the weekend pyrotechnics.

• The Kansas City Star's Mike DeArmond reports about the banner year for quarterbacks from across Missouri among the class of 2011.
• Nebraska freshman safety Mason Wald and junior walk-on fullback Justin Makovicka have left the Cornhuskers' program since the spring semester ended, the Omaha World-Herald's Rich Kaipust reports.
• Projected Kansas starting offensive tackle Tanner Hawkinson has boosted his weight by 19 pounds since the spring, Susie Epp of the McPherson Sentinel reports. Hawkinson now weighs 279 pounds with eventual plans to reach 290 -- up from 245 pounds that he weighed when he arrived at Kansas last year.
• Martin Manley of the Kansas City Star's blog "Upon Further Review" checks out the cumulative preseason rankings of Big 12 teams.
• The Tulsa World's Bill Haisten has an interesting question-and-answer session with Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy. Haisten also comments on the chances that the Cowboys will enter the season with their highest preseason ranking in history.
• Colorado cornerback Anthony Wright is expected to be ready to compete for playing time after sitting out spring practice to recover from a knee injury, the Boulder Camera's Kyle Ringo reports.
• Lincoln Journal-Star staffers Curt McKeever and Brian Christopherson and Steve Ryan of the Big Red Report discuss Nebraska's rushing game and the productive combination of Roy Helu Jr. and Quentin Castille in their Husker Extra Press Box.
• Center Austin Woods of Heath High School in Rockwall, Texas, has committed to Oklahoma, the Oklahoman's Jake Trotter reports. Woods, who chose the Sooners over Baylor, Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas, Tech, is the Sooners' fourth offensive line commitment in the 2010 recruiting class.
• Texas will spruce up the appearance of its mammoth Godzillatron scoreboard by putting a burnt-orange backing on it, the Austin American-Statesman reports.

ESPN.com's Ivan Maisel and Tim Griffin discuss the Big 12's red-hot rivalries for '09.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The rest of the Big 12 should consider themselves warned. Lamarr Houston is finally feeling comfortable at defensive tackle.

After playing defensive end earlier in his college career, Houston moved inside last season to help fill a hole for Texas. A foot injury and his new surroundings kept him from really ever thriving at the new position last season.

	Brian Bahr/Getty Images
	Texas' Lamarr Houston should show improvement in his second season at defensive tackle.

But that will all change as Houston begins his second season at defensive tackle when training camp starts for the Longhorns.

"It's a completely different position from defensive end," Houston said. "The contact coming on you is so much faster and it's on every play. It comes immediately after the ball is snapped. You have to get used to that."

Houston has worked on boxing techniques to get ready for the hand-to-hand combat inside in the trenches. After a year of playing experience, he finally feels ready to blossom in his senior season.

"Obviously, playing defensive tackle is totally different from what I was used to," Houston said. "It was quite an adjustment mentally for me. But I got over it plenty fast and feel like I'm coming along in learning my position."

Houston's on-the-field development, as well as his leadership, will be critical for a Texas defensive line that is judged as one of the team's primary question marks.

The defensive front loses key performers from last season's unit like Roy Miller, Brian Orakpo, Henry Melton and Aaron Lewis. That group that led the nation in sacks and ranked third nationally in rush defense.

"It's always hard to replace those guys like Orakpo, Miller and Melton," Houston said. "But we recruit so that our tradition never really graduates."

...

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Baylor recruits Bryce Petty and Tevin Reese and Texas A&M recruit Chris Henderson all had productive outings in Team USA's 55-0 victory over Mexico in the World Junior Football Championships Wednesday night in Canton, Ohio. 

The outcome never was in doubt after Team USA scored four touchdowns on its first six snaps, jumping to a 27-0 lead with 3:34 left in the first quarter of the 48-minute game.

Petty, a native of Midlothian, Texas, accounted for the third of those scores on a 53-yard scoring pass to Robert Bell.

And he later helped ice the victory with a 27-yard scoring toss to wide receiver Aaron Dobson on the first play of the fourth quarter to account for the final USA score. Petty finished by completing 6 of 8 passes for a game-high 136 passing yards.

Reese, a native of Temple, Texas, tied for the team lead with three receptions for 48 yards and also produced a 36-yard kickoff return.

And Henderson, a defensive tackle from Carter High School in Dallas, produced a sack for a swarming Team USA defense that limited Mexico to three first downs and 12 total yards. The Americans notched eight sacks in posting their second straight shutout.

Their big efforts have helped boost the United States into the championship game at 1 p.m. Sunday against Canada. 

Petty told the Canton Repository that the Americans have been expecting to meet up with the Canadians since before the tournament started.

"We've been gunning for Canada this entire tournament as far as that team being ranked No. 1 and we're No. 2," Petty said. "I'm sure we'll come out and be headhunting and be ready for them."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Sproles, Roberson send Stoops crashing to lone title-game loss

Date: Dec. 6, 2003
Place: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
Score: Kansas State 35, Oklahoma 7

Top-ranked Oklahoma was on the verge on running the table en route to a perfect season and a trip to the BCS championship game when it entered the title game aiming for their third championship in the last four seasons.

Kansas State had struggled earlier in the year, losing at home to Marshall, the start of a three-game losing streak. A trip to the Big 12 title game after an 0-2 conference start wasn't even a consideration for the Wildcats until they caught fire late in the season.

A stout KSU defense that had allowed only 39 points in its last five regular-season games was the reason the Wildcats claimed the North title. That group would be tested by an explosive Sooner offense keyed by Jason White.

The Sooners looked ready to continue that run after KeJuan Jones scored on a 42-yard run less than three minutes into the game on the Sooners' fourth play from scrimmage.

But when usually reliable kicker Trey DiCarlo shanked a 44-yard field goal to start the second quarter, KSU had an opening. And the Wildcats took advantage of it immediately as diminutive tailback Darren Sproles gashed the Sooners on a 55-yard run on the next play. Quarterback Ell Roberson hooked up with Brian Casey on a 19-yard TD pass three plays later to tie the score.

Roberson, a streaky quarterback during much his career at KSU, gave the Wildcats the lead for good on a 63-yard strike to James Terry 2:23 later. It typified a tough night for Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops, who had announced several days earlier he would accept the vacant coaching job at Arizona after the championship game.

Oklahoma, which had averaged 56.5 points in its last four games before the championship game, also struggled with offensive mistakes. A dropped pass by Jejuan Rankins killed the next drive on fourth down. And White was victimized on an end zone interception on the Sooners' next possession.

Sproles provided another big play shortly before halftime when he scooted 60 yards on a screen pass for a touchdown to give the Wildcats a 21-7 halftime edge.

The Sooners took the opening drive of the second half, but came up empty after a seven-minute drive when DiCarlo hooked a 28-yard field goal attempt.

Kansas State answered with an 80-yard touchdown drive, capped by a 10-yard strike from Roberson to Antoine Polite with 3:02 left in the third quarter.

And with 10:16 left, Kansas State linebacker Ted Sims snatched a White interception and rambled on a 27-yard TD return to ice the victory.

The stunning upset brought the Wildcats their first conference football championship since winning the Big Six in 1934, capping the biggest victory during Bill Snyder's coaching tenure.

They said it, part I: "We just got our butt whipped. I'm not going to sit here and lobby our way into a bowl game. If the BCS says we're in, we're in," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, after his team's loss.

They said it, part II: "Let the little man run it. If they don't respect him, we'll throw it. That's what it came down to," Kansas State quarterback Ell Roberson, describing the Wildcats' heavy use of Darren Sproles in the upset.

They said it, part III: "Our D-line was making him scramble all day and really getting to his head. He was so scared," Kansas State linebacker Josh Buhl, describing to the Associated Press the Wildcats' strategy against Jason White.

They said it, part IV: "They put pressure on us and got to us a few times. They hit us where we are weak," Oklahoma quarterback Jason White.

Factoids: Oklahoma's defense came into the game allowing only 234 yards per game. But they were gashed by Sproles, who rushed for 235 yards on 22 carries -- most ever gained against an Oklahoma defense to that point in its history. Sproles also added three receptions for 88 yards ... Roberson did the rest, completing 10-of-17 passing for 227 yards and four TDs and adding 62 rushing yards ... Coming into the game, Oklahoma's defense had surrendered only seven touchdown passes all season ... Kansas State blistered the Sooners for 519 yards on 58 plays, an average of 8.94 yards per snap ... The loss snapped a 14-game winning streak for the Sooners, longest in the nation at the time of the game ... The seven points were the lowest point total ever for a team coached by Bob Stoops ... The victory was the first time that Kansas State beat a No. 1 ranked team in 10 tries ... White struggled with Kansas State's "Purple on White" defensive scheme. He completed 27-of-50 passes for 298 yards, but was intercepted twice. ... The Sooners produced only one score despite advancing inside Kansas State territory four times in the first half ... DiCarlo's two misses came after he had converted 19 of 20 field-goal attempts for the season coming into the game.

The upshot: Oklahoma's upset loss threw the Bowl Championship Series into turmoil when the Sooners fell to No. 3 in both major polls after the game. But they remained No. 1 in the final BCS poll, qualifying for a shot at the national championship against LSU in the Sugar Bowl. But the Tigers claimed a 21-14 victory over the Sooners -- the first of Stoops' current streak of five consecutive BCS bowl losses.

That loss dropped the Sooners to 12-2 for the season as they finished No. 3 in the final Associated Press poll.

Despite the loss against Kansas State, White won the Heisman Trophy the week after the game. He nosed out Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald by 128 points to become the first Oklahoma quarterback to win the award.

Kansas State's victory boosted the Wildcats into the Fiesta Bowl in their first BCS bowl trip in school history. But Ohio State claimed a 35-28 victory in that game, snapping the Wildcats' seven-winning streak coming into the game. Kansas State finished the season 11-4 and No. 14 in the final AP poll, the last time the Wildcats were ranked at the end of the season.

The countdown:

9. Emotional A&M victory brings closure after Bonfire tragedy.
10. Roll left: James Brown guarantees victory and then lives up to his prediction.
11. When BCS meant "Boo Chris Simms" after Colorado's upset.
12. A Buffalo stampede: Six Brown TDs lead CU to first Big 12 title game.
13. Run, Ricky, run. Ricky Williams breaks career rushing record.
14. Wild game, wilder post-game rants when Gundy and Leach meet in 2007.
15. Rout 66: No, that score wasn't a typo.
16. KSU finally slays the Cornhuskers.
17. Kingsbury and Long hook up in a passing duel for the ages.
18. Henery and Suh make Colorado blue.
19. Stunning OSU rally leads to Stoops' first home loss.
20. It's never over for Texas Tech until it's over.
21. Reesing to Meier. Again and again.
22. A Texas-sized comeback -- Texas over Oklahoma State in 2004.
23. A Border War unlike any of the rest -- Missouri over Kansas in 2007.
24. Seneca Wallace's wild TD run vs. Texas Tech in 2001.
25. Baylor's "So Much for Taking a Knee" against UNLV in 1999.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Missouri (Big 12 No. 8) vs. Kentucky (SEC No. 8)

Missouri's record against the SEC: 4-1
Kentucky's record against the Big 12: 0-0
Previous series: Kentucky leads, 2-0
Most recent meeting: Kentucky, 12-6, at Lexington in 1968.

Distance between them (according to How Far Is It): 431 miles.
Where they should play: Paducah, Ky. (237 miles from Lexington, 240 miles from Columbia)

Who wins: Missouri.

Why: Both teams are coming off recent runs that have been the most successful in recent history. Missouri has made back-to-back appearances in the Big 12 title game. And Kentucky has made three straight bowl appearances for the first time since 1950-52 under coach Rich Brooks.

In this mythical matchup, Missouri will send a rebuilding offense keyed by quarterback Blaine Gabbert against a salty Kentucky defense unit led by cornerback Trevard Lindley. The key, like most games for Missouri this season, will be consistent production from its running game led by Derrick Washington and De'Vion Moore.

Missouri returns only four starters on defense, but Gary Pinkel has been raving about the increased athleticism at defensive end and at cornerback. Streaky Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline hasn't shown much consistency in his career and likely would struggle against the Tigers' defense, particularly linebacker Sean Weatherspoon.

In the end, I think Missouri grinds out a victory because of the running game and with Gabbert making just enough plays to let them win.

Thursday: Colorado (Big 12 No. 7) vs. South Carolina (SEC No. 7).

The count: SEC, 3-2.

Note: Matchups are determined by the most recent rankings of Big 12 blogger Tim Griffin and SEC blogger Chris Low.

All cumulative records against a conference go back to the 1996 season - the first of competition in the Big 12.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin's freshman season is another example of how the NFL's process of separating sacks from rushing statistics gives us a clearer picture of running effectiveness.

The rushing totals of Griffin were diminished significantly last season because of the sacks he endured as a passer.

Griffin rushed for 1,118 yards to rank fifth last season among all NCAA quarterbacks. But a preponderance of sacks cost Griffin 275 yards of that gain, dropping him back to 843 yards.

And because of those losses, he wasn't even the leading rusher of his team after the net yardage was sorted out. Tailback Jay Finley nosed him out with 865 yards.

Griffin is one of college football's transcendent stars. He's one of three returning quarterbacks who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season before those pesky sacks were figured in.

He's a throwback to the glory days when the zone-read play dominated Big 12 offenses and quarterbacks were as much rushers as passers.

Not too many years ago, Missouri's Brad Smith posted three 1,000-yard rushing seasons in his four-season stint as a starter for the Tigers.

Jammal Lord of Nebraska posted a conference rushing record for quarterbacks with 1,412 yards in 2002. Earlier, Scott Frost and Eric Crouch each produced 1,000-yard rushing seasons while quarterbacking for the Cornhuskers.

And Vince Young rushed for back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in leading Texas to back-to-back BCS bowl triumphs in 2004 and 2005.

Young's 2005 season was the last time a Big 12 quarterback topped 1,000 yards rushing.

Griffin appears to have the best shot of joining that group, although it's going to be hard.

As he evolves as a passer, it will be surprising if Griffin runs as much as a sophomore in 2008. Look for Griffin to flash his scintillating rushing skills at times, but not nearly as often.

The Big 12 had three of the nation's top 20 rushing quarterbacks last season. I would expect all of them to see their rushing totals diminish in 2009 as their roles are transformed in their respective offenses.

Quarterback School Rushing gains Net Rushing 1. Julian Edelman* Kent State 1558 1370 2. Colin Kaepernick Nevada 1208 1130 3. Michael Desormeaux* Louisiana-Layayette 1139 1043 4. Joe Webb UAB 1218 1021 5. Pat White* West Virginia 1109 974 6. Robert Griffin Baylor 1118 843 7. Tyrod Taylor Virginia Tech 884 738 8. Juice Williams Illinois 923 719 9. Jeremiah Masoli Oregon 851 718 T-10. Josh Nesbitt Georgia Tech 832 693 T-10. Chase Clement Rice 942 693 12. Tim Tebow Florida 792 673 13. Diondre Borel Utah State 855 632 14. Terrelle Pryor Ohio State 853 631 15. Kinsmon Lancaster Louisiana Monroe 803 614 16. Dan LeFevour Central Michigan 763 592 17. Matt Grothe South Florida 830 591 18. Chip Bowden Army 710 572 19. Zac Robinson Oklahoma State 760 562 20. Colt McCoy Texas 734 561 Note: Gains include all positive rushing yards. Net rushing is the total after sacks are subtracted. Source: ESPN.com research. *Graduating senior

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

It's hard to believe that July is here.

Big 12 teams will be opening camps in a few weeks and the season is a little more than two months away.

To get you ready, here are a few lunchtime links.

• The Sporting News' way-early 2010 mock draft has Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh as the top pick. Big 12 players account for six of the first 11 picks.
• Bob Stoops received the "rock star" treatment Tuesday night when the Oklahoma Caravan hit Wichita, the Wichita Eagle/Kansas City Star's Jeffrey Martin reports.
• The Tulsa World's Dave Sittler analyzes the pitfalls if Mike Gundy chooses to call the offensive plays for Oklahoma State again this season.
• Colorado's athletic department is in the money again. The Boulder Camera's Ryan Thorburn reports that the department has pocketed $610,000 in donations earmarked for improvements at the Dal Ward Center.
• The Topeka Capital-Journal's Tully Corcoran writes that recent football struggles have made Kansas State ripe for losing a generation of fans across the state.
• The Columbia Daily Tribune's Dave Matter writes that Sergio Kindle's recent accident, allegedly while texting, has caused him to put down his Blackberry while driving.
• The Omaha World-Herald's Rich Kaipust goes in depth to describe what Nebraska's 1962 throwback uniforms, to be worn later this season, will look like.
• The Gainesville Sun's Arnold Feliciano ranks Texas Tech as his No. 20 team nationally.
• Ted Hutton of the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel explains why Howard Schnellenberger distanced himself from Barry Switzer during his one season as Oklahoma's coach.
• The Des Moines Register's Randy Peterson predicts five to seven wins for Iowa State this season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Being in the middle of Oklahoma's biggest question mark isn't something that Ben Habern shies away from.

In fact, the Sooners' freshman center is excited about the opportunity to prove something to the doubters who are wondering about Oklahoma's young offensive line heading into the upcoming season with four new starters.

	J.P. Wilson/Icon SMI
	Oklahoma's Ben Habern has some big shoes to fill as he replaces Jon Cooper at center.

It's made Habern wish his team's Sept. 5 opener against BYU was only a couple of weeks away.

"There are a lot of people who don't think we have enough talent to make it through the Big 12 or to a big bowl game," Habern said. "But a lot of people aren't here during our practices. We've seen how athletic we are."

Some of the doubt started earlier when Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops called out the unit before spring practice even began. Stoops was disappointed in the group's lack of dedication during preseason conditioning drills and didn't hesitate to make his comments known.

The words stung, particularly for a group that was looking to build some confidence before heading into practice. But Stoops' point got across and helped the group coalesce.

"We lost a lot of senior leadership and have a lot of guys to replace," Habern said. "It was a big step and a challenge to get everything settled. But I feel like we handled it pretty well."

One of the biggest reasons for the group's fast growth has been the development of Habern, who has claimed the starting job after strong work during the spring to replace Jon Cooper.

Jason Hannan, who was once considered the nation's No. 1 center prospect and Cooper's eventual replacement, couldn't beat out Habern for the job, leading Hannan to transfer earlier this spring.

"Habern has been doing a wonderful job," Oklahoma offensive line coach James Patton told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "He's got a chance to be a really good one. Jon was a great leader and Ben" is from "that same kind of mold."

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Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Bonfire game shows softer side of Texas-A&M rivalry

Date: Nov. 26, 1999
Place: Kyle Field, College Station, Texas
Score: Texas A&M 20, Texas 16

Just eight days after the most stunning tragedy in school history, Texas A&M had to refocus to play Texas in the 106th meeting of the storied rivalry between the two bitter adversaries.

Except this time, it was a little different.

Thousands of maroon balloons filled the sky, followed by the pregame release of 12 white doves -- one for each of the 12 current and former A&M students who were killed in the bonfire collapse. Four F-16 fighters flew overhead in the missing man formation, a tribute usually saved for pilots killed in the line of duty.

Earlier in the week, A&M missed practice for two days. When the bonfire stack collapsed, A&M players helped rescuers move the logs in search of survivors.

Texas players and the Longhorn football staff held a blood drive to benefit the victims. Texas officials also canceled their annual "hex rally" before the game in favor of a unity rally that also included hundreds of A&M students.

The Aggies jumped to quick lead on a 3-yard TD run by bullish tailback Ja'Mar Toombs. But the conversion backfired when holder Mark Farris bobbled the snap, leaving kicker Shane Lechler to try an ill-advised pass that was returned 96 yards by Lee Jackson for the two-point conversion.

But heralded freshman Texas quarterback Chris Simms led a pair of scoring drives later in the first quarter that gave the Longhorns the lead. Simms was starting only because Major Applewhite was ailing with an upset stomach.

A fumble by Texas A&M quarterback Randy McCown helped the Longhorns to score their first TD, provided on a 14-yard run by Hodges Mitchell. Texas extended its lead to 16-6 later in the quarter on a 1-yard TD plunge by Chris Robertson.

The Aggies blocked a punt later in the second quarter, but were unable to score as they trailed 16-6 at the break.

Many fans who were at the game still remember the halftime presentation by both bands as the most moving part of the game. The Texas band played "Amazing Grace" and members took off their hats at the end. The A&M Band honored the bonfire victims by marching off the field without its usual musical accompaniment as the Kyle Field crowd was eerily silent.

The inspired A&M defense was the difference in the second half, limiting Texas to only two first downs as Simms struggled and was eventually replaced by Applewhite in the fourth quarter.

Toombs, rushed for 126 yards on 37 carries to lead the Aggies, gradually wore down the Longhorns in the second half. His 9-yard scoring plunge pulled the Aggies within 16-13 with 4:47 left in the third quarter.

And with 5:02 left, McCown lofted a 14-yard lob into the end zone that was snagged by his roommate Matt Bumgardner for the game-winning score.

The Aggies' defense took care of the rest. With 23 seconds left in the game, cornerback Jay Brooks forced a midfield fumble by Applewhite. Linebacker Brian Gamble recovered the fumble to seal the victory.

A&M offensive lineman Chris Valletta wore a T-shirt with the names of the 11 A&M students and one former student under his pads and jersey.

"We had the thought and memory of those 12 who died in our hearts and minds every single play," Valletta told reporters after the game. "I hope this can ease the pain a little bit."

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Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Who needs a quiet summer? Alex Henery is doing his best to stay busy by trying to win another job with Nebraska.

It's why Henery is trying to build on his record-breaking start as a kicker by becoming the Cornhuskers' regular punter.

But whether booming high spiraling punts or drilling balls through the uprights, Henery has confidence he can help the Cornhuskers at both positions.

	Josh Wolfe/Icon SMI
	Nebraska kicker Alex Henery is looking to add the punting duties to his plate in 2009.

"It's something that I can do," Henery said. "Some kids are strictly kickers and others are punters. I feel like I can do both. It's a challenge I feel like I can accomplish."

Henery actually came to Nebraska as a punter after averaging more than 41 yards per kick at Burke High School in Omaha in his junior and senior seasons. Those numbers earned him all-state honors as a punter from the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal-Star in both seasons.

But when he arrived at Nebraska, his chances at the position were stifled with Dan Titchener and Jake Wesch in front of him on the depth chart. After sitting out a redshirt season, Henery moved to kicker where he has blossomed into one of the nation's most consistent performers once he got his chance.

And he earned Bo Pelini's ultimate compliment when he was described as "a stud" after his record-breaking 57-yard kick that helped beat Colorado last year.

During his college career, Henery has missed only one extra point and one field goal attempt inside of 50 yards. He is the most consistent kicker in Nebraska history to this point.

"I couldn't imagine things turning out much better for me than how they've worked out," Henery said. "I'm happy with how things have gone so far. My career has worked out pretty well."

Even with that early success, Henery hopes to build on that by punting this season after the graduation of Wesch and Titchener.

Few college players have been successful at both jobs. But recent success by Wake Forest standout Sam Swank and West Virginia's Pat McAfee have convinced Henery to give it a shot.

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