Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
The first week of the season produced some strong performances and others that weren't quite as notable. Here's a look at the highs and lows of the first week of the Big 12
Sizzling -- Oklahoma State, which arguably had the best opening-game performance of any Big 12 team. The Cowboys notched a 26-point victory at Washington State, marking one of two of the conference's victories over foes from BCS conferences. In the process, the Cowboys allowed almost 17 points less on defense than they allowed as an average last season.
Who's hot -- Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell, who notched the third 500-yard passing effort in his career after passing for 535 yards against Eastern Washington. It marked the first time that Tech has won when Harrell has passed for more than 500 yards.
Who's not -- Tech WR Michael Crabtree, whose 74-yard effort against Eastern Washington was the second-lowest single-game performance in his career. It was only the third time in his 14-game college career he failed to produce at least 100 yards receiving in a game.
Who's hot -- Oklahoma's defense, which held Chattanooga to two first downs, one gain of more than 10 yards, forced 13 punts and limited the Moccasins to 0-for-16 on third-down conversions. Of course, it was Chattanooga.
Who's not -- Missouri's defense, which allowed 20 plays of at least 10 yards to Illinois, including nine passes of at least 20 yards, two more of 19 yards and two of 17 yards. Of course, it was Illinois.
Who's hot -- Oklahoma, which has won a nation-best 19 consecutive home games.
Who's not -- Baylor, which has lost five straight home games.
What's hot -- Colorado's pass rush. The Buffaloes notched five sacks in their opener against Colorado State, compared to 21 for the entire 2007 season. It was the most for the Buffaloes in a single game since notching six against Colorado State in 2006.
What's not -- Texas A&M's offensive line. A young group that has combined for 22 starts looked woefully inexperienced against Arkansas State, yielding four sacks. It was the most allowed by an A&M team in a single game since allowing four against Texas in 2005.
Who's hot -- Nebraska K Alex Henery, who must have something about the digit "4." Henery went 4-for-4 last week in field goals, with all of them from 44 yards.
Who's not -- Texas Tech freshman K Donnie Carona, who went 0-for-2 in field goals and had a blocked extra point in his first game.
Frigid -- Texas A&M. Not a good sign when an offense can't score against a Sun Belt team on its final eight possessions of the game. It looks like it could be a long, long season for Mike Sherman, doesn't it?
Tim Griffin joined ESPN.com in February 2008. He has covered the Big 12 since its inception, among a variety of beats during a 24-year career at the San Antonio Express-News. Griffin, a Memphis State University graduate, lives in San Antonio with his wife and son.
