40 Acres Sports

It’s about that time to start sizing up the college football season, so here’s my rundown of games on the Longhorns schedule, in order from easiest to hardest. These rankings take each team’s projected strength, plus the location and timing of the game.

12. Louisiana-Monroe (Sept 5)

Why they’re here: Because this is a gimmie game. Don’t kid yourself; this is the Glass Joe on our schedule. In their two games versus big-time teams last year (Auburn and Ole Miss) the Warhawks were outscored 93-0. Best of luck fellas!

Why they’re not higher: Because they finished 4-7 last year and the game is at home. Seriously, the Christians walking into the Coliseum to face Lions had more of a chance. On the bright side, this may be our first glimpse at the QB of the future Garret Gilbert.

11. At Wyoming (Sept 12)

Why they’re not here: Okay, this team is also Glass Joe… but playing at home in what should be the biggest game in their history. Sorry that’s all I got.

Why they’re not higher: Because the got pounded by the “big boys” in the WAC last year (TCU, Utah, BYU) by a combined score of 129-14. Bite the curb, and tell us how it tastes. We’ll try and not make you look too bad in front of your parents.

10. UTEP (Sept 26)

Why they’re here: Yes, they are a small conference school, but they have a coach who guided his previous team to two Rose Bowls. Don’t underestimate the importance of coaching in college football.

Why they’re not higher: Because when you move past the coach, this is still the same team we beat 42-13 in El Paso last year. And there won’t be any chicks giving their boyfriends hand favors on the mountain to distract our defense this year.

9. Central Florida (Nov 7)

Why they’re here: They gave us a hell of a tussle in their place a couple of years ago. More than any “gimme” in the schedule, they probably believe they can beat us. Plus, given where they fall on the schedule (between Oklahoma State and Baylor) our boys could be due for a letdown.

Why they’re not higher: Because they lost to UTEP by 45 points last year. THE END.

8. Colorado (Oct 10)

Why they’re here: Because their coach is pretty damn good, and they play division one football there. Not intramurals brother…

Why they’re not higher: Because we smoked their ass last year, and this team traditionally is not great away from Boulder. Seriously, look it up: the school’s biggest three wins since joining the Big 12 have either come at home or on the a neutral site. Danger Dan Hawkins, danger!!!

7. At Missouri (Oct 24)

Why they’re here: Because last year at this time, people were picking them as a National title contender. Sure they lost a bunch of talent, but I’m sure Pinkle has a bunch of talent ready to shine, right?

Why they’re not higher: Wrong. Sorry, but Chase Daniels was special (for Missouri at least) and Jeremy Maclin and Chase Coffman are NFL talents. So far, Missouri hasn’t shown the ability to reload and keep pace in the Big 12.

6. Texas Tech (Sept 19)

Why they’re here: Because they beat us last year, and are always a tough out. Tech is the most hit-or-miss team in the country: when they’re off they can lose to SMU, when they’re on they can beat Oklahoma or Texas…

Why they’re not higher: at home. Sorry, I should have finished that thought. Look it up, Tech’s biggest wins in the last few years have come in Lubbock. Factor in that they will be working in a new starting quarterback, and the timing of this game is the final nail in the Red Raiders coffin. Don’t underestimate the “revenge” factor working in Texas’ favor.

5. At Texas A&M (Nov 26)

Why they’re here: It’s the Aggies; they have one good game in them a year and they always seem to save it for “t.u.”. They also will be playing at home and have the benefit of the 12th Man, plus they have a former NFL coach at the helm and a better-than-you-think reservoir of talent.

Why they’re not higher: Because the reservoir doesn’t run THAT deep. Look at the rankings, the Ags recruiting fell off mightily during the Fran tenure (or as they call it on Texags.com “the Dark Ages”). Plus the fact that the Horns seniors are 1-2 versus the Ags will provide a little extra motivation. A+M will really need the 12th Man… hell, they might even need to grab a 13th and 14th while they’re at it.

4. At Baylor (Nov 11)

Why they’re here: Because the Bears have the fastest collection of skill players in the Big 12 (no really!), and now their Freshman All-American QB Robert Griffin has a full year starting under his belt. If you recall, the Bears battled back to tie the score at 14 in Austin last year before Texas pulled away. I just have the feeling that Art Briles has one major upset in him next year… and A&M doesn’t count.

Why they’re not higher: Because playing Baylor on the road is only slightly more difficult than playing them at home. Waco is basically a stone’s throw from Austin, relatively speaking, so the crowd will be 40% Horn fans at worst. Plus, Colt McCoy’s girlfriend will be in attendance, so he’ll be extra motivated. Wouldn’t you be?

3. Kansas (Nov 21)

Why they’re here: Because Kansas is good, that’s why… potentially REALLY good. Todd Ressing is a top 10 quarterback nationally, and Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe form the conference’s best 1-2 punch on the outside. The Jayhawks’ falloff last year can directly be attributed to the defense, which should be much improved this fall.

Why they’re not higher: Because the game is in Austin and an improved Kansas squad is still a notch below what the Horns will line up with. The Texas D, playing without All-American Brian Orakpo, shut down the Jayhawks last season holding them to a season-low 7 points. Plus the timing of this game likely means the Horns will either be locked in on a BCS berth, or at the very worst trying to salvage the Cotton Bowl; regardless, it is unlikely they will have their guard down coming into this game.

2. Oklahoma (Oct 17)

Why they’re here: This is always the game of the year in the Big 12 conference, but with all the late season debate and hoopla last year, this game’s intensity has been ratcheted up to another level. The Sooners are they only team quite in UT’s weight class on the schedule, and like it or not, they’re won the last three conference championships. The offense is manned by Heisman winner Sam Bradford and All-American Jermaine Gresham (who’s caught three touchdowns in his career versus the Horns), and their defense looks both deep and talented. Plus they have Ryan Reynolds back, who’s like the greatest football player ever!

Why they’re not higher: No, really he’s not. This is still the same defense that Colt hung 38 on last season, and Greg Davis seems to have Brent Venerables’ number. The Sooners’ also lost four starters on the offensive line along with their top two receivers, so Bradford won’t likely duplicate his numbers from last year. And to be honest, all the extra motivation is on Texas’ side: they beat OU, OU gets the BCS title shot and Bob Stoops crows and taunts by taking some less-so-subtle shots at Mack Brown. It’ll be a battle, but Texas looks to be a little stronger than 08, whereas OU looks to have taken a slight step back.

1. Oklahoma State (Oct 31)

Why they’re here: 26. That’s the combined halftime deficits the Horns have faced their last two trips to Stillwater. I don’t know if it’s something in the water or what, but our boys always seem to stumble through the first half, only setting the stage for a thrilling comeback. This team is too good for us to spot double digits in the first half, plus the Horns will be coming off one huge game (Oklahoma) and one somewhat tough road game (Missouri) the two previous weeks; can they be at their best three weeks in a row?

A lot of things about this scenario bring back memories from Lubbock last year.

The Texas Longhorns did exactly what they were supposed to today in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament, they throttled an overmatched Colorado team that finished the season at the bottom of the conference standings. Junior center Dexter Pittman played more minutes than he has any other game this season and dominated an outclassed CU frontcourt with 26 points. Brief ESPN highlights are below:

The Horns take on Kansas State Thursday at 2pm.

In the first week of conference play every team that was supposed to win did just that. Iowa State gave Kansas a heck of a run so they move up one spot even after a loss, but no one else moves. This week should be much more interesting as four of the top five teams in the conference go head to head.

Check out this week’s Big 12 power rankings below:

1. Oklahoma

   
   LW: 1

   The Sooners throttled an overmatched Baylor team and ended the game quickly by putting up 28 first quarter points. Baylor QB Robert Griffin ran well against them so maybe Colt McCoy can do the same this week when the Sooners and Longhorns face off.

2. Missouri

   
   LW: 2

   Mizzou wins in Lincoln for the first time in thirty years in a rout. The Tigers’ defense continued to give up big yards (particularly through the air) but only gave up 17 points to the Cornhuskers. This week the Tigers face Oklahoma State.

3. Texas

   
   LW: 3

   The Horns took care of business easily against CU in their conference opener. The offense wasn’t perfect but the defense nearly was in the team’s win. This week the Longhorns will try to take down rival and top ranked Oklahoma.

4. Texas Tech

   
   LW: 4

   Tons of points for both Tech and Kansas State. The game was never in doubt for the Red Raiders but the team’s defense still is. The team faces a good passing offense this week in Nebraska and we’ll see if they’re up to the test.

5. Oklahoma State

   
   LW: 5

   The Cowboys whooped the Aggies and at 5 - 0 are climbing up the national rankings. The team advantage of five Aggie turnovers and won easily despite giving up a lot of yards. The Cowboys face a big time defensive test this week against Missouri and I don’t think they’re up for it.

6. Kansas

   
   LW: 6

   Uh oh. I was tempted to drop Kansas even after squeaking by with a win against Iowa State. They had to rally from a 20-point halftime deficit to the Cyclones but surprisingly held their #16 national ranking. Should be an interesting game against Colorado this week.

7. Colorado

   
   LW: 7

   Colorado coach Dan Hawkins desperately needs to find offensive line help or he’s going to get his own son killed. The line was completely dominated by the Longhorns and therefore couldn’t get anything started on offense. They travel to Kansas this week for a battle to be the North’s second best team.

8. Nebraska

   
   LW: 8

   They ran their mouth during the week and then spit on Missouri QB Chase Daniel before the game but got blown off the field once the game started. They make way too many mistakes (penalties and turnovers) to be a good team. Up this week is Texas Tech.

9. Baylor

   
   LW: 9

   They’re still Baylor, in case you were wondering. Despite looking like an improved team early in the season they didn’t put much of a fight against Oklahoma. The defense surrendered nearly 600 total yards and 49 points in game that would have been much worse if OU hadn’t started taking it easy after just one quarter. This week the Bears have a winnable game against Iowa State.

10. Iowa State

    
    LW: 11

    The Cyclones move up one spot despite losing. They jumped out to a big halftime lead but just couldn’t hold onto it once KU got going in the second half. The game could have been either a sign the team is getting better or a backbreaking loss that sends them into a tailspin. We’ll find out Saturday against Baylor.

11. Kansas State

    
    LW: 10

    The Wildcats put up some yards against Texas Tech but were bad on third downs and couldn’t put up nearly enough points to make up for their defense. KSU needs to win their next two games against A&M and then Colorado if they hope to pull themselves up from the bottom tier of the conference.

12. Texas A&M

    
    LW: 12

    As predicted, the Aggies got their butts kicked against Okie State. The offense did put up a ton of yards but turned the ball over five times in the first half. This week they face a pretty average Kansas State at home so we’ll find out if they’re as bad as we think they are. Should be fun(ny).

Texas did beat beat a decent conference opponent on the road by 24 points, but did we really look all that good? I would say the defense probably had their best all-around game, but there are still some areas of concern. The offensive line had one of their worst games of the season and is anyone going to step up at the receiver position so Colt can throw to someone else besides Cosby and Shipley? And our running backs? Obviously Chris Ogbonnaya had a great game, but we need some more consistency from Cody Johnson and Vondrell McGee. It’s pretty scary to have to rely on Colt to do everything.

Now with all of that said, Texas is 5-0 and you really can’t ask for much more heading into OU. I guess we will really get to see what Texas is made of with their tough upcoming schedule (OU, Mizzou, OSU, @Tech).

My favorite stat of the game? QB Cody Hawkins threw for only 13/33 and 118 yards. I bet he is going to have nightmares this week of the Texas defense. Now let’s see how each position fared:

Quarterback - Overall Grade: B

Colt McCoy probably had his worst game of the season. Colt’s stats aren’t horrible, 23/30 for 262 yards and 2 touchdowns. The concerning part is the two interceptions. One of them was just a poor decision and had Tony Romo written all over it. Luckily Colt is having his off day in a game that wasn’t ever in question. I expect Colt to bounce back and have a great game against Oklahoma.

John Chiles seems to be looking more and more lost out there on the field. And now when he is running and seems to be reluctant and has no purpose. Hopefully this isn’t the future of the Texas QB.

Running Backs - Overall Grade: B

Chris Ogbonnaya had a career game. Chris O started off the game with a 65 yard touchdown and reception and later added a 51 yard run. His performance on Saturday deservedly earned him the starting nod against OU. It’s the other running backs that have me a bit worried. Vondrell McGee did show a little speed, but ended up with only 30 yards on 8 carries. I was expecting big things from McGee this year and he has yet to have that breakout game. Cody Johnson did score two touchdowns, but had only 27 yards on 11 carries. It looks like Cody Johnson will be useful for short-yardage situations, but probably doesn’t have the fitness for much else. When is Fozzy Whittaker going to return? We need him stat.

Wide Receivers - Overall Grade: B-

Of course Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley had great games, but I am docking the receivers because someone else needs to step-up and give Colt a solid target. Only 3 catches were made by receivers other than Cosby and Shipley (not counting RBs). That just won’t cut it against Oklahoma this weekend. Man that Blaine Irby injury is looking more and more costly.

Defense - Overall Grade: A

The defense was the main bright spot against Colorado. The defensive front-seven controlled the game and spent most of the game in QB Cody Hawkins‘ grill. The defensive MVP had to be Roy Miller, who had a monster game in the middle with eight tackles, a fumble recovery, three QB hits, and two pass breakups. The play of the game goes to Chykie Brown when he knocked down a long pass attempt early in the game. If he doesn’t make that play and Colorado scores, the game could have been totally different.

Overall Grade: B

The offense was decent and the defense showed signs of greatness. So how am I feeling going into next week? Pretty nervous. But luckily no matter what happens, OU will still SUCK!

With the Horns and Sooners set to do battle at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, there’s another reason for fans of the two teams to argue and spit at each other. The Big 12 has released the men’s basketball preseason coaches poll and Texas is at number two right behind Oklahoma.

The Horns lost their best player in DJ Augustin but returns a ton of talent and depth everywhere but point guard. With defending conference and national champs Kansas losing so many players the conference is wide open this season. If either Dogus Balbay or somebody can step up to man the point the Longhorns should have another shot to win the conference and make a deep tourney run.

2008-09 Big 12 Preseason Poll

See how the coaches think the league will turn out below:

	Team	Points
1	Oklahoma (3)	109
2	Texas (4)	107
3	Baylor (2)	103
	Kansas (3)	103
5	Texas A&M	79
6	Oklahoma State	69
7	Missouri	51
8	Kansas State	50
9	Nebraska	49
10	Texas Tech	39
11	Iowa State	20
12	Colorado	13

Starting this year the coaches have started to keep a “big board” of the top 11 players on the offense and defense each week. With the start of conference play, we’ve decided to make one of our own. Here’s the list after the Colorado game:

1. Chris Ogbonnaya - Texas may have found their running back. Chris “O” made the game’s first big play on a 65 yard touchdown catch from Colt McCoy that set the tone. He also added 75 yards on the ground and showed some big play ability.
2. Roy Miller - The big guy was everywhere on Saturday night. Miller had eight tackles, a fumble recovery, three quarterback hits, and two pass breakups. He may be the conferences best in the middle.
3. Colt McCoy - It says a lot about McCoy’s play thus far this year that the game versus Colorado is a step back. Colt had been playing out of this world so far, and came back to earth a bit against a Colorado team that decided to blitz all night. He finished 23 of 30 for 262 yards including two touchdowns and interceptions. McCoy didn’t lead the team in rushing finally, rushing for a solid 59 yards.
4. Roddrick Muckelroy - Muckelroy was all over the field in this game. He led the team in tackling again, accounting for 10 tackles and a pass break up. The speed and violence he is bringing to this line backing core has the unit playing better than any group in Mack Brown’s tenure.
5. Brian Orakpo - “B-Rak” is making himself a lot of money this year. Texas fans were hoping he’d put it all together on the field and he hasn’t disappointed. When teams decided to block him with just one guy he seems to get at least a hit on the quarterback every time. He finished with only two tackles, but had five hits on the quarterback and made the pocket a place CU’s quarterback Cody Hawkins a place he didn’t want to be.
6. Earl Thomas - As Earl Thomas goes, so goes this young secondary. The red shirt freshman appears to be the emotional leader of the group in the back. Earl’s name wasn’t mentioned all that much last night, and that is a good sign. He had two pass breakups and provided good support in the run game.
7. Cody Johnson - Johnson began the game as the starting running back for the first time in his young career at Texas. With Ogbonnaya having such a big game and the score becoming lopsided, Cody was limited to a short yardage back. He capitalized however, and two touchdowns will get you on the big board every week.
8. Jordan Shipley - Shipley caught the other McCoy pass on the night. It wasn’t a huge day for the ex Burnet star, but he got in the end zone and moved the chains on a few receptions. He has definitely become the guy McCoy looks to on hot reads and around the goal line. Their chemistry is amazing.
9. Quan Cosby - Cosby had the most catches on the team and appeared to be the most explosive on the night. The old guy on the team finished with nine catches for 71 yards. His long was just 15 however, as all the wide outs failed to make a big play.
10. Sergio Kindle - Sergio is just a physical freak. He causes havoc wherever he is on the field. When he lines up opposite Orakpo in the “buck” package an offense has no chance. Kindle looked better playing in space as he gets more and more comfortable on his surgically prepared knee. The light has finally come on in his third year on campus, and the sky appears to be the limit for this guy.
11. Chykie Brown - Chykie Brown played his best game as a Longhorn Saturday night against Colorado. It started early, as the starting corner knocked down a long pass attempt by Cody Hawkins. If that pass is completed the game may have been completely different. The whole secondary played with a swagger it never had last year. The Tony Yayo hand dance needs to go, but the play of this group is here to stay.

Houston Chronicle writer Joseph Duarte has posted three brief but good interviews from after Saturday’s game with Texas players. Maybe it’s because I’m not living in Austin but hearing from the players in this casual situation is a rarity. The only video we usually get is from organized press conferences so it’s nice to see them talk in a different setting.

Senior Quan Cosby discusses CU and the Big 12 schedule:

Roy Miller talks about the difficulty in not looking past Colorado:

Brian Orakpo talks about the match-up with OU:

Source

The Texas Longhorns played their toughest opponent of the season Saturday but still dominated against the Colorado Buffaloes. The defense was downright dominant and the CU quarterback will be seeing the Texas defensive linemen and linebackers in his dreams for weeks. We’ll find out in less than a week what the Longhorns are made of.

See what everyone is saying about the game below:

Bevo Sports

• Video: Texas at Colorado highlights
• Live game blog
• All Texas/Colorado coverage

Local Media

• Texas/Colorado box score
• Texas/Colorado game quotes
• Texas/Colorado game notes
• Texas beats Colorado, looks ahead to OU
• Texas defense looks good after stuffing the Buffs
• Ogbonnaya looks like an answer at running back
• Scott’s limited results fine with UT
• Longhorn football notebook
• Takin’ Care of Business
• Becoming Brett

Colorado Media

• Longhorns roll over Buffs
• Overmatched Buffs come up far short against No. 5 Longhorns
• Longhorns crank up the “D”
• Buffs get clocked in speed trap
• CU’s defense lone bright spot vs. McCoy, Texas
• Buffs kicked while down
• Gap still large between CU, Big 12’s best
• Hawkins continues to struggle under center
• Teammates won’t put blame on Goodman

Texas media

• Unbeaten OU, UT should make Red River Rivalry hard to beat
• UT takes care of Colorado, sets up showdown with OU
• Texas defense rushing to the top
• Texas 38, Colorado 14, final thoughts
• Texas Longhorns make a statement with defense
• Chris Ogbonnaya could be the answer for Texas’ running game
• Longhorns wax Buffs
• UT drops Colorado 38-14 in Big 12 opener
• Houston Chronicle live blog

National media

• Ogbonnaya scores 2 TDs, saves another as No. 5 Texas cruises
• AP photo gallery
• Defense carries Texas to win at Colorado

Texas played their best defense in years as they knocked off their first conference opponent Colorado. Quarterback Colt McCoy wasn’t perfect but he was darn good and senior running back Chris Ogbonnaya had his best day as a Longhorn. Watch video highlights of the game from ESPN below:

There’s also some good but not embeddable highlights available from FSN to check out.

Follow along below with our live thoughts and analysis during tonight’s game versus Colorado on FSN. We’ll be live right around kickoff so join us to discuss the game right around 6pm tonight. Feel free to leave comments and questions using the live tool, but not all comments will be published. Read below for more notes on comments and how the live blog will work. Hook ‘em!

Notes: Comments on the article itself will be turned off till after the game. The Writer can view all comments sent to them but only they can publish your comments for everyone to see. The “autoscroll” feature ensures you’re always shown the newest content without having to refresh or scroll your screen. Subtle sound effects alert you to new content as the writer publishes it. You can turn these features on or off by using the controls at the bottom of the Live Blog.

The Texas Longhorns were expected to have a down season (by their standards) but after four blowout wins the team finds itself setting ranked as one of the top five teams in the country. On FSN (and in HD) at 6:00 pm tonight the Longhorns will face their first conference opponent of the season in a 3 - 1 Colorado team. This is the first game before a tough four-game stretch against ranked opponents but the Longhorns can’t start looking ahead or things can come crashing down very quickly.

Will the Longhorns avoid the upset? Can the defense continue to get after the opposing quarterback? Read on to see what the editors of Bevo Sports and a guest from Buffs.tv think will happen today:

Brian - The Longhorns played their best game of the season last week and I think they step it up again against Colorado. They were ranked last week but other than a win over not as good as we thought West Virginia they haven’t been overly impressive. Texas’ special teams will be the key to avoid the upset. Colt McCoy will continue to impress and freshman running back Cody Johnson will get his first career 100-yard game. Texas wins by the same score they do every week… Texas 52 - Colorado 10

Matt - There are a couple of things that worry me about this game. First, it is an almost night game in Boulder. The fans will be crazy (probably drunk) and it is tough to play with that thin air. Second, the last time we played Colorado we beat them 70-3 and knocked out their quarterback. I’m pretty sure Colorado is looking for a little revenge and will keep that previous game in mind. And finally, this game comes a week before the Red River Rivalry, so there is definitely a possibility that the Horns will be looking ahead. Now with all of that said, I still think Texas has too much offense for Colorado to handle. And with the improved defense I don’t see Colorado doing too much. Texas needs to jump out to a quick start to kill the hopes for the Buffaloes. If they do that they should roll. Texas 45 - Colorado 20

Mike - The Longhorns face their first big test of the year on the road at Colorado to get Big 12 play started. Colorado has a solid team, and proved they could pull an upset by beating Oklahoma the week before last year’s Red River Shootout. Texas is on a roll and I don’t think anyone not wearing crimson and cream is going to slow the Horns down. Colorado wears black and gold. I may have started drinking the Kool-Aid on this one, but I think Texas wins and wins big. They dominate from the start and Colt McCoy keeps his Heisman hopes alive with another big game through the air and on the ground. The defense records over five sacks and two turnovers, and a running back will finally have a run over 30 yards. Texas 45 - Colorado 13

Marc from Buffs.tv - This game is going to come down to the trenches. Can the Colorado line hold off the Longhorns long enough for Hawkins down field? Can the Buffs get enough pressure on McCoy to force him into some bad decisions? If the Buffs can’t win at least one of these battles, winning the game will be very difficult. The good news is that the Buffs never give up in Boulder. This game will be decided in the fourth quarter. Texas 21 - Colorado 23

Texas opens up Big 12 play tonight at 6pm against a good Colorado team coming off their first loss of the season. The Buffaloes are a talented team heading in the right direction thanks to head coach Dan Hawkins and the play of his quarterback son, but the Longhorns are 13-point favorites and if they do their job they’ll win the game.

Read below for the Longhorns’ keys to beat the Colorado Buffaloes:

1. Don’t look past Colorado to next week.

Texas fans are already making plans and looking forward to next week’s huge match-up with Oklahoma but the team can’t do the same. The Buffaloes are easily the toughest team Texas has faced and can easily pull off the upset if the Horns don’t play as well as they should.

2. Don’t give up a big kickoff return.

WR Josh Smith is Colorado’s biggest weapon, particularly on kickoff returns. Nothing kills momentum worse than giving up a backbreaking return after a touchdown. The kickoff coverage team has been solid so far but they haven’t faced a guy like Smith. Kicker Justin Tucker needs to what he’s done all year and put his kickoffs high and in the end zone and he’ll completely neutralize Smith’s abilities.

3. Pressure quarterback Cody Hawkins.

After back-to-back weeks of seven sacks the Texas defense suddenly has one of the top pass rushes in the country. The Colorado offensive line has been decimated by injuries and Brian Orakpo and company need to take advantage. The real test comes next week but this will be a good indicator of what the defensive line and linebackers can do against an offensive line that doesn’t average sub-260 pounds. Texas needs to hound Cody Hawkins and bring him down for at least three sacks tonight.

Conference play is in full swing this weekend with many teams getting their first real test of the season. The Big 12 now has 4 teams in the Top 10, with all of them on the road. It will be interesting to see if they can all come out unscathed. If Texas and Oklahoma both win their Big 12 openers, they will face off next week in a possible #1 versus #5 match-up.

Let’s take a look at a game in each of the big conferences. Remember, I did go 3-1 last weekend against the spread.

#13 Auburn at #19 Vanderbilt (+4) - 6:00 PM EST on ESPN. Vanderbilt is definitely one of the surprises of the season. And after last week their win against Ole Miss is looking that much better. Auburn has been anemic on offense and basically riding their defense to wins. With two weeks to prepare and home field, Vanderbilt has the advantage in this one. It will probably be close, but take Vandy to win.

#7 Texas at Colorado (+13) - 7:00 PM EST on FSN. There are a couple of things that worry me about this game. First, it is an almost night game in Boulder. The fans will be crazy (probably drunk) and it is tough to play with that thin air. Second, the last time we played Colorado we beat them 70-3 and knocked out their quarterback. I’m pretty sure Colorado is looking for a little revenge and will keep that previous game in mind. And finally, this game comes a week before the Red River Rivalry, so there is definitely a possibility that the Horns will be looking ahead. Now with all of that said, I still think Texas has too much offense for Colorado to handle. And with the improved defense I don’t see Colorado doing too much. Texas needs to jump out to a quick start to kill the hopes for the Buffaloes. If they do that they should roll.

#23 Oregon at #9 USC (O/U 57) - 8:00 PM EST on ABC. Everyone wants to see how USC will respond after getting smoked by Oregon State last week. I don’t expect to see a blowout or anything against Oregon, but I do expect to see USC’s A game. Both teams can score almost at will and this will probably be the typical Pac-10 shootout. Look for each team to score in the 40s and take the over in this one.

#14 Ohio State at #18 Wisconsin (+2) - 8:00 PM EST on ABC. Hardly anyone comes out of Camp Randall with a victory, with Wisconsin winning their last 16 at home and 27 of the last 28. Ohio State has now turned over the reigns to Terrelle Pryor, and with Beanie Wells back from injury their offense is heating back up. As long as their defense can do a decent job against the Badgers, Ohio State should be able to come out with the victory. Actually on second thought this game probably shouldn’t be on the “what to watch” list since it will probably be pretty boring. Just take Ohio State and cash-in in the morning.

Saturday at 6pm on FSN the Longhorns will start Big 12 play against Colorado. The Buffaloes are easily the Horns’ toughest opponent of the season so despite four blowout wins the team still hasn’t proven anything. Texas will lean on Colt McCoy as they do every week, but Texas will also need these five other players to step up to take care of business:

Cody Johnson

The Texas coaches and fans thought the running game would be led by the tandem of Vondrell McGee and Foswhitt Whittaker. While Whittaker has struggled to contribute as expected because of injuries to both knees, McGee has just struggled. Enter former fullback Cody Johnson. The big man has looked like the best ball carrier on the team not named Colt McCoy. Mack Brown has preferred big, downhill runners throughout his career, a la Natrone Means and Ricky Williams. And even though the UT running game doesn’t appear to suit Johnson’s strengths he has excelled. If Johnson can outperform McGee again, this time in a conference game, it seems likely that the combination of Johnson and Whittaker when he is healthy will lead the running game going forward into the season.

James Kirkendoll

Texas has to find a third receiver. The physical appearance and upside of Malcolm Williams and Dan Buckner led many to anoint them the leaders for the position. But through four games it is clear that McCoy does not trust these two yet for whatever reason. Colt does seem to trust Kirkendoll, who made a nice run after the catch early in last week’s blowout of Arkansas. The loss of Blaine Irby allows defenses to key on Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby. If Texas wants to continue their success through the air, one of the young receivers must step up. This week is Kirkendoll’s week to solidify himself as that guy.

Blake Gideon

There is no doubt that the true freshman from nearby Leander High School has exceeded expectations. After only being out of high school for six months, Gideon finds himself leading a young but talented secondary for the Texas Longhorns. Most 18 year’olds would be overwhelmed, but the coach’s son appears to be taking to his new position like a duck to water. Gideon hasn’t made a whole lot of huge plays, but according to defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, Gideon is lining up the defense correctly. I think Muschamp, a former college safety, sees a lot of himself in Gideon and for UT fans that is assuredly a good thing. Teams are going to try and confuse the secondary to create big plays, if Gideon can limit these by being smart and aware, the Longhorn defense could become one of college football’s best this year.

Keenan Robinson

If nobody else is running, I’d like to nominate myself as the President of the Keenan Robinson fan club. This may be premature but Robinson has looked like a star in the making every time he is on the field, albeit in cleanup duty. He has the speed and nose for the football that Muschamp craves in his line backing unit. Overall the group of Roddrick Muckelroy, Sergio Kindle, Rashad Bobino, and Jared Norton has looked great, but Robinson gives this defense the ability to keep three linebackers on the field against three receiver sets. The other linebackers on the team struggle in space. With Robinson’s speed and ball skills, he is a prime candidate to get more time as the opposing offenses become faster. The problem is deciding whose snaps the talented freshman cuts into. The combination of Robinson and Muckelroy at linebacker with Kindle playing rush end appears to be the best combination for Texas on obvious passing downs.

Justin Tucker

Historically, Texas has not done great on kick coverage. Don’t believe me? Watch the DVD of the first Rose Bowl Texas played in. With the talent on campus, it has appeared the Horns have struggled to find the types of players it takes to excel on special teams coverage. Kick coverage is more about willingness and want to than superior athletic ability. Kickoff specialist Justin Tucker is making this quandary obsolete. Tucker has been booming the ball, forcing touchbacks at a rate not seen on the 40 acres. It’s beginning to seam that on balls he doesn’t kick into the end zone come at the coach’s request in order to get a look at the coverage unit. Against teams like Oklahoma, Missouri, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech special teams could decide the game. A weapon like Tucker, and on the punt team with John Gold, gives Texas an advantage in every game.

With Big 12 play getting underway this Saturday Ryan Palmer and the entire secondary are about to really be tested. Watch the video below (courtesy of the AAS) to see Ryan dish out a few cliches, discuss facing the top teams in the conference, Colorado, and the young defensive backs in general.

There were several of teams off last week in the conference but there was still a lot of movement in the power rankings. Losses by Colorado and Nebraska and a shaky home win by Texas A&M sent all those teams down a bit. Meanwhile Oklahoma State continues to win in impressive fashion. The Cowboys are undefeated and putting up big offensive numbers so have moved up three spots to number five. Conference play starts Saturday so things should be much clearer in next week’s rankings.

Check out this week’s Big 12 power rankings below:

1. Oklahoma

   
   LW: 1

   The Sooners jumped to a huge first quarter lead against TCU and then just road that through the end of the game. QB Sam Bradford threw for a ton of yards but had by far his least accurate performance of the season. More troubling for OU is the complete ineffectiveness of the running game. They tried to force the issue but manage to only rush for an abysmal 25 yards on 36 carries.

2. Missouri

   
   LW: 2

   Bye week. The Tigers face Nebraska this weekend to open Big 12 play.

3. Texas

   
   LW: 3

   Another week and another 52 - 10 win for the Longhorns, this time over SEC rival Arkansas. The Texas offense has been impressive all season but for the first time all season the defense was dominant. The front seven was able to sack the Razorbacks’ QBs seven times and the Horns are now top five nationally with 16 sacks on the season. Texas faces Colorado Saturday at 6pm on FSN.

4. Texas Tech

   
   LW: 4

   Bye week. Red Raiders open Big 12 play against Kansas State.

5. Oklahoma State

   
   LW: 8

   Okie Lite put another 50 spot on the scoreboard this past weekend against Troy. The Trojans aren’t exactly a national power but Ohio State struggled to get past them while the Cowboys racked up 612 total yards. They host the Aggies Saturday at 7pm.

6. Kansas

   
   LW: 7

   Bye week. KU opens conference play with a virtual bye against Iowa State.

7. Colorado

   
   LW: 5

   Colorado didn’t show up well in a surprisingly thorough loss to Florida State. QB and coach’s son Cody Hawkins was inaccurate and inefficient and the running game didn’t do enough to pick him up. The FSU offense wasn’t much better but thanks to terrible kick coverage was able to play with a short field on several possessions. The Buffaloes face the Longhorns Saturday.

8. Nebraska

   
   LW: 6

   Nebraska fans may be disappointed in a home loss to Virginia Tech but Bo Pelini’s team fought hard till the end and almost came back and won it. This week Nebraska has a tough one when they host #4 Missouri.

9. Baylor

   
   LW: 10

   Bye week. Next up are the number one ranked Sooners.

10. Kansas State

    
    LW: 9

    Another shaky week for the Wildcats, barely beating a 1 - 3 Louisiana-Lafayette team in Manhattan. QB Josh Freeman and the offense again looked solid but the defense looked like swiss cheese. The Ragin’ Cajuns ran all over them to the tune of 335 total rushing yards in the game. Not good. Up this week is Texas Tech.

11. Iowa State

    
    LW: 12

    Bye week. This week the Cyclones face off against Kansas.

12. Texas A&M

    
    LW: 11

    Just how bad are the Aggies? Army wasn’t just winless but they were winless against mediocre competion, and at Kyle Field the A&M needed a fourth down stop to escape with a win. Their match-up with Oklahoma State Saturday night will be an interesting one to watch (but not actually watch because it’s embarrasingly not being televised).

The great Colorado fan site Buffs.tv has written up a nice preview of the Texas vs. Colorado game. They definitely think their team is in for a long Saturday evening. If the Horns show up and play like they have been lately they’re definitely the better team.

Read a quick excerpt below and then head over there to read the full thing:

This week will be a true test for this squad. I’m not one to believe in moral victories, but after the tough loss last week this might be the best the Buffs can hope for. If Colorado can come out and play a complete game on offense, defense and special teams, get a couple of breaks to go their way they have a good chance to win this game. I am hoping that the team that showed up last week is not the true Colorado Buffaloes, if it is then this will be a long long day and could affect the team for the rest of the season.

The Longhorns get conference play started this week with a road game against the Colorado Buffaloes. Texas has been on a roll, while CU enters the game after suffering their first loss of the season last week in Florida State. Last year, Colorado shocked Oklahoma in Boulder the week before the UT-OU showdown so Texas will have to show up to play and not look ahead to Dallas if they want to leave undefeated.

When Texas has the ball

Quarterback Colt McCoy has played as good as any other quarterback in the country. McCoy has played as good as any player in the country. Period. The guy has done everything for the Longhorns: he runs, he passes, he pooch punts, if he cleaned the locker room and prepared the food would you be shocked? Me neither. A great quarterback gives a football team a chance to win every game. McCoy is a great quarterback, and shows no signs of slowing down in the first test Texas faces this season. The offensive line has been above average. While the pass coverage has been outstanding, this group must take some of the blame for a lack of production from the backs. Colorado has given up a ton of yards in back to back games to West Virginia and Florida State. A good day would be great for confidence heading into OU week.

The Colorado defense is simple, but good. They don’t blitz a lot, they don’t disguise coverage, they play mostly zone. Expect Texas to pass, and do it often with McCoy getting pre-snap reads on virtually every play. Texas is hopeful running back Foswhitt Whittaker will be back this weekend. Couple the darting style of Whittaker with the emergent bruising style of Cody Johnson and the struggling Longhorn backfield could become one of the better tandems in the nation. Take into account that both of them are freshman and it should ease the anxiety of a Longhorn fan base that is used to stars toting the rock.

The biggest concern for Texas fans should be the inability of Malcolm Williams, and to a lesser extent Dan Buckner, to become a deep threat that opposing coaches must worry about. I can not remember one deep ball thrown to either of these guys when the ball wasn’t near the goal line. Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley have been very good, but with the loss of Blaine Irby a threat down the field needs to replace the threat in the middle to allow space for Cosby and Shipley. If the offense can’t find one, the room Shipley and Cosby have been enjoying will dry up quickly.

When Colorado has the ball

Last week we finally got to see what Will Muschamp is going to do with the Texas defense. Attack, attack, attack. The Longhorn defense was flying to the ball, and when they got their they made sure Arkansas ball carriers remembered it. Never under Mack Brown has a defense been as fast and aggressive as the defense was this week. When the knowledge and experience that only comes with game snaps catches up with the raw talent and energy of this defense this group is going to remind a lot of people of the old Miami and Florida State defenses UT fans used to beg for. Mack Brown’s best coaching move may be hiring Will Muschamp when it is all said and done.

On offense Colorado is just a solid football team. They don’t do a lot of things great, but they don’t hurt themselves. These are the types of teams that can jump up and bite a better team. If Texas makes mistakes and lets Colorado hang around, the home crowd could put them over the top. However, these types of teams can also be overwhelmed if the better team applies pressure from the beginning. The best way to silence a crowd is to make big plays with your defense.

UT has already scored twice this year on the defensive side of the ball. Texas is ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense, and has been applying a ton of pressure the last two games. The combination of Brian Orakpo and Sergio Kindle has to keep opposing quarterbacks awake at night. With those two coming off the edge, it has almost been a guarantee someone is getting to the quarterback. Add Lamarr Houston, Henry Melton, Sam Acho, and Eddie Jones, and you can see how Texas has recorded seven sacks in each of the last two games.

Muschamp biggest contribution could be the job he is doing as the linebackers coach. Last year this same group of players looked lost in many situations. The scheme seemed to have them playing on their hills, a skill the collective group lacks. The scheme brought in by Muschamp has the linebacker’s core playing downhill and loving it. And while the group of Rashad Bobino, Roddrick Muckelroy, Sergio Kindle, and Jared Norton have been great; the next great linebacker at Texas may have had his coming out party against Arkansas in the second half. His name is Keenan Robinson. The freshman was everywhere, and just appeared to be playing at a different speed. Muschamp loves speed. I don’t know whose snaps will be taken away, but Robinson is going to play more and more.

The secondary is coming together, and it has all hinged on the play of safety Earl Thomas. The secondary is what it is, but if Thomas can play with his swagger, and the front seven keeps applying pressure they have a chance to improve greatly. The best friend to a secondary is a pass rush, and I expect Texas to blitz a lot from here on out. The young secondary will get beat a few times, but so far they have gotten better each week. Muschamp will make sure that continues.

No movement at the top but the teams in the bottom half of the rankings are starting to drop games. Last weekend Kansas State, Baylor, Texas A&M, and Iowa State all had losses. The most impressive team last week may have been the Colorado Buffaloes, who if they keep the running game going might be able lay claim to be the best team not named Missouri in the Big 12 North.

Check out this week’s Big 12 power rankings below:

1. Oklahoma

   
   LW: 1

   Off week before facing number 24 TCU this weekend.

2. Missouri

   
   LW: 2

   Tigers made a lot of mistakes and let lowly Buffalo hang in there for a long time. Chase Daniel’s career day eventually allowed them to pull away in the second half. The Tigers are off this week in prep for Big 12 play.

3. Texas

   
   LW: 3

   The Horns clobbered an overmatched Rice squad with another near perfect performance from Colt McCoy. The defense wasn’t great but may have turned a corner when they put up an epic goalline stand. This week Texas hosts former SWC rival Arkansas in their last non-conference outing.

4. Texas Tech

   
   LW: 4

   The Red Raiders put on a good ol’ thumping of Division 1AA UMass. They have off this week but their real season will finally begin when they stop playing Pop Warner teams and start playing Big 12 foes.

5. Colorado

   
   LW: 5

   Impressive overall performance for the Buffs on national television against top 25 ranked West Virginia. He might not get the pub his fellow freshman running back does but the miniature Rodney Stewart looked lightning quick while rushing for 166 yards. Next up is another tough one against Florida State.

6. Nebraska

   
   LW: 7

   Bye week for Nebraska before they face Virgina Tech this Saturday.

7. Kansas

   
   LW: 8

   Not exactly impressive but the win over Sam Houston State was never in doubt either. Former car detailer and OU quarterback Rhett Bomar threw for 340 yds but was also picked off three times. Kansas is off this week.

8. Oklahoma State

   
   LW: 9

   Oklahoma State was off last week. This week they get Troy State.

9. Kansas State

   
   LW: 6

   First real opponent of the season and Kansas State didn’t look good against a Louisville team that isn’t of the caliber of recent years. It was only a nine point loss but the Wildcats never stood a chance. Up this week is Louisiana-Lafayette.

10. Baylor

    
    LW: 11

    UConn isn’t some chump team and the Bears played them very tough on the road. Losses like this would be wins at home and might lead to future wins from freshman QB Robert Griffin. Baylor has an off weekend to prepare to attempt a huge upset of OU on October 4th.

11. Texas A&M

    
    LW: 12

    Aggies got blown out of the water by the Miami Hurricanes and it could have been much worse. If they had wanted to the Hurricanes could have ran off tackle every play for 300 yards and never attempted a pass. This week they host Army.

12. Iowa State

    
    LW: 10

    I thought head coach Gene Chizik might have turned things in the right direction in Ames but maybe not. Iowa State has now lost 13 straight road games and unless they beat Baylor in a few weeks they might not win one away from home this season either. The Cyclones have a much needed bye this Saturday.

Outside of Kansas against South Florida not an exciting week of games in the Big 12. None of the top six teams moved but losses by KU and Iowa State means some movement in the bottom half of the rankings.

Check out this week’s Big 12 power rankings below:

1. Oklahoma

   
   LW: 1

   Another week, another dominating win. The defense gave up a little more this week though, especially through the air as Washington QB Jake Locker passed for 249 yards. OU QB Sam Bradford was nearly perfect in the win, passing 304 yards and 5 TDs on 18 of 21 attempts.

2. Missouri

   
   LW: 2

   The best offensive performance of the season by the Tigers. Chase Daniels passed for 405 yards and four TDs as the offense put up 69 points against Nevada. The backup quarterbacks added 114 more yards for a whopping total of 519 yards through the air. Up this week is another easy one against Buffalo.

3. Texas

   
   LW: 3

   Unexpected bye week thanks to Hurricane Ike. Next up the Horns face Rice in what should be a gimme.

4. Texas Tech

   
   LW: 4

   The Red Raiders defense picked off five passes from SMU’s Bo Levi Mitchell and the offense had nearly 700 total yards. Tech is going to give up yards, but if they can become a big play defense that creates turnovers that might make them a legit Big 12 title contender. This week on their gauntlet of a non-conference schedle is Division 1AA UMass.

5. Colorado

   
   LW: 5

   Colorado had last week off before a nationally televised Thursday night game against West Virginia.

6. Kansas State

   
   LW: 6

   Off last weekend in preparation for an mid-week game against Louisville.

7. Nebraska

   
   LW: 8

   A solid win over a New Mexico State team playing their first game of the season. The Huskers jumped out early and stayed up throughout. The defense wasn’t dominant but didn’t allow any long scoring drives. This week they face their first half decent test against Virginia Tech.

8. Kansas

   
   LW: 7

   The Jayhawks fell in a close one on the road against South Florida. They were up at halftime but were completely dominated in the third quarter as they coughed up the lead. KU won’t be a contender in the North unless they can run the ball better and do a better job defending the pass. This week they face Sam Houston State.

9. Oklahoma State

   
   LW: 10

   Not exactly a game that tells us much about the Cowboys but the rushing offense did impress. Against Missouri State three different players topped 100 yards on the ground and the team averaged eight yards per carry. They’re off this week.

10. Iowa State

    
    LW: 9

    They didn’t get blown out against rival Iowa but the Cyclones’ offense couldn’t put the ball in the end zone. They actually outgained the Hawkeyes 325 to 244 but turned the ball over three times and gave up a long punt return for a TD. Head coach Gene Chizik has them headed in the right direction but I’m not sure he’ll be around long enough to reach the destination. This week: UNLV.

11. Baylor

    
    LW: 12

    I love me some Robert Griffin. After throwing the ball in his first start, against Washington State the Baylor quarterback ran all over the place. He rushed 11 times for 217 yards, which is nearly 20 yards per carry. This week the Bears face UConn on Friday night.

12. Texas A&M

    
    LW: 11

    No game as the Aggies get two weeks to prepare (to get blown out) for the Miami Hurricanes.

After a second week of games the Big 12 pecking order is starting to clear up just a little. The conference won all 12 games last weekend but not every team played well. Even in victory, several teams (including Texas) were outgained by their opponents. There’s some shuffling in the rankings this week, including near the top as Mizzou hopped ahead of Texas.

Check out this week’s conference power rankings below:

1. Oklahoma

   
   LW: 1

   The Sooners looked nearly as good as in week one, this time against a much better opponent. It was close at halftime and for a while in the third quarter but QB Sam Bradford led a 24-0 run to put the game away. They face a Washington team this week who got screwed Saturday and might not be up for another top 25 opponent.

2. Missouri

   
   LW: 3

   After playing a tough opponent last week Mizzou had a virtual bye this week against Southeast Missouri State. The Tigers rolled to a 48-0 lead by halftime but did give up 334 yards. The FCS Redhawks put together three long, sustained drives in the first half but came away with no points. After two games the defense has to worry Tigers fans at least a little.

3. Texas

   
   LW: 2

   After two straight weeks of pass defense resembling 2007 the Longhorns drop behind Missouri this week. There’s time for the secondary to improve and I still have faith in Will Muschamp, but for now the Horns just aren’t playing as well as the Tigers. Texas is off this week after the Arkansas game was postponed.

4. Texas Tech

   
   LW: 4

   Another win but another troubling game for Tech fans. The Red Raiders were outgained 488 to 421 by Nevada and QB Graham Harrell completed only 41% of his passes and threw two interceptions. I looked for a team to move ahead of them but despite the struggles no other Big 12 team really has earned this spot either.

5. Colorado

   
   LW: 5

   The Buffaloes barely survived a scare at home versus Eastern Washington. They were down by 14 at halftime and down by a touchdown with only two minutes left in the fourth quarter. They scored with two minutes left and then less than 30 seconds later picked off a pass for the gamewinning score. Big game hosting West Virginia this week.

6. Kansas State

   
   LW: 6

   A big blowout win for the Wildcats against FCS Montana State. I’m not sure exactly what they’ve proved in the first two weeks but both games have been incredibly easy for KSU. QB Josh Freeman was again impressive.

7. Kansas

   
   LW: 8

   KU jumps Nebraska after a shutout win. The defense shut down the Louisiana Tech offense and QB Todd Reesing threw for a career high 412 yards. The Jayhawks get their first test of the season this coming Saturday when they face #19 South Florida on the road.

8. Nebraska

   
   LW: 7

   As is a common theme this week in the conference, the Cornhuskers were underwhelming in a win and were outgained by their opponent. The score is deceiving but Nebraska was only up 14-12 in the fourth quarter before returning a kickoff for a touchdown and opening up the game.

9. Iowa State

   
   LW: 9

   Another week and another solid win for the Cyclones as they made the most of turnovers and big plays. Iowa State had five scoring drives less than 25 yards, including three under 10 yards. Rivalry game up this week against Iowa is their first real test.

10. Oklahoma State

    
    LW: 10

    Wide receiver Dez Bryant put up incredible numbers in a big shootout against Houston. He had nine catches, 236 yards, and three touchdowns and RB Kendall Hunter chipped in 210 yards rushing as Okie State put 56 on the board. The Cowboys have a couple of “easy” games before starting Big 12 play in October.

11. Texas A&M

    
    LW: 11

    There’s definitely a quarterback controversy brewing in College Station. After Stephen McGee went down with an injury sophomore Jerrod Johnson filled in and tossed three touchdown passes. It got sketchy for a while against New Mexico in the fourth quarter but they held on. The Aggies may be in for a world of hurt against Miami this week.

12. Baylor

    
    LW: 12

    Coach Art Briles gets his first win as Baylor coach as true freshman QB Robert Griffin looked great in his first career start. Griffin completed 79% of his passes for 294 yards and three touchdowns against Northwestern State. He also rushed for 42 yards and another score. I’m feeling a big win coming this weekend against Washington State.

Last week’s rankings

Finally some football. After one week of games the top 5 in the weekly Big 12 power poll stays the same but there were a few changes in the list. Kansas State looked good and jumps a couple of spots and meanwhile the Aggies drop big time after their loss to Arkansas State. Check out the rankings below:

1. Oklahoma

   
   LW: 1

   Not that you can really learn a lot when you play a team like Chattanooga but the Sooners were about as dominant as you can be. They were a perfect 7-for-7 on drives to start the game and were up 50-0. Amazingly they outgained Chattanooga 343-to-10 in the first half and 487-to-36 for the game. Dominant.

2. Texas

   
   LW: 2

   The Longhorns played a much tougher opponent than OU and were pretty much just as dominant, certainly on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Colt McCoy was near perfect and the offense could have and did do whatever they wanted to against FAU. The pass defense looked eerily familiar to last season, let’s hope that was an aberration or the offense may have to put up 52 every week to win once in Big 12 conference play.

3. Missouri

   
   LW: 3

   The Tigers had easily the toughest opening week opponent and for parts of their game against Illinois looked like a national title contender, but their defense made Juice Williams look like Dan Marino to the tune of 451 yards and 5 TDs. Kick returner Jeremy Maclin was electric but left with an ankle injury, Missouri fans better have their fingers crossed he stays healthy all year or they’re not going to be able to outscore every team on their schedule.

4. Texas Tech

   
   LW: 4

   That improved defense sure looked good giving up 17 points in the second quarter to Eastern Washington. Just as troubling is that the offense “only” had 35 points after the end of three quarters. They sure looked like the same Red Raiders team who drops 4 or 5 games per season.

5. Colorado

   
   LW: 5

   The Buffs looked pretty solid in a rivalry game against Colorado State. They played well on offense, defense, and Josh Smith had a 93-yard kickoff return for a score. Things are going get a lot tougher starting with West Virginia on 9/18.

6. Kansas State

   
   LW: 8

   Great first win for the Wildcats and QB Josh Freeman against North Texas. Freeman was efficient and error-free throwing the ball and added two scores on the ground, an impressive game that could give him confidence for the rest of the season. The KSU defense completely shut down Todd Dodge’s spread offense attack whose only score came on a 15-yard drive.

7. Nebraska

   
   LW: 6

   The Bo Pelini era starts off with a win but not an overly impressive one. The Huskers’ offense looked good but the defense gave up over 340 yards through the air to Western Michigan quarterback Tim Hiller. I think NU needs to control the game with Marlon Lucky and the running game in order to improve on their 5-win 2007 season.

8. Kansas

   
   LW: 9

   The Jayhawks were in complete control of the game by halftime and cruised to an easy opening week win against Florida International. Todd Reesing threw 52 passes in a very busy and effiecent performance. The KU defense looked goosd as well, giving up only 139 total yards.

9. Iowa State

   
   LW: 10

   San Diego State isn’t a big time opponent but Gene Chizik’s Cyclones did what they’re supposed to do against this caliber of an opponent. Last year started with losses to Kent State and Northern Iowa so a win is a win for this program. They finished the season pretty strong last year so they should be gaining confidence and a win over Kent State would give them good momentum going into the Iowa game.

10. Oklahoma State

    
    LW: 11

    Good start for the Cowboys. Washington State is a middle-of-the-road Pac 10 team but they’re better than a lot of the other Big 12 opponents and OSU won easily. They were in control throughout the game and their return men twice set the offense up for easy points.

11. Texas A&M

    
    LW: 7

    Uh oh. I didn’t expect a huge season from the Aggies this season but not only did they lose to Arkansas State but they looked terrible doing it. Mistake-prone and average in all three phases of the game. QB Stephen McGee didn’t play well but that might have something to do with offensive line and the fact that his top two receivers in the game were the second and third string quarterbacks.

12. Baylor

    
    LW: 12

    I thought they’d give Wake Forest more of a fight than they did but it wasn’t a terrible opening week showing under a new head coach. Best news for Baylor fans is it looks like they may have found their quarterback for the next 4 seasons in true freshman Robert Griffin.

No games have been played since our spring power rankings so there’s not much movement in our preseason big 12 power rankings below. Baylor kicks things off for the conference and the entire country Thursday night when they host Wake Forest and everybody else finally gets underway Saturday. A week from now in our first regular season power rankings things will begin to clear up, but here’s our preseason conference rankings:

1. Oklahoma

   
   LW: 1

   The Sooners are on many lists as a top national title contender and until at least October will likely remain the class of the conference. We won’t learn a thing about them in week one against Chattanooga .

2. Texas

   
   LW: 2

   Muschamp fever is spreading and I’ve definitely caught it. The Texas defensive depth chart is incredibly young but with Muschamp calling the shots there could be a big improvement over last year.

3. Missouri

   
   LW: 4

   Mizzou moves up because I’ve got less and less faith in Texas Tech as we get closer to kickoff. The offense will be great, can Gary Pinkel and the defense hold up their end of the bargain?

4. Texas Tech

   
   LW: 3

   Improved defense? Where? The Red Raiders played four good teams after the coaching change and gave up 41, 59, 27, and 28 points. They’ll be good but they’ll fade again when they hit the tough stretch.

5. Colorado

   
   LW: 6

   I’m not the biggest Darrell Scott fan after his recruitment but I think he’s going to make a big difference for CU starting this season. They’ve got an incredibly tough schedule starting with week one so I wanted to give them some love now because they might drop fast.

6. Nebraska

   
   LW: 5

   I like Bo Pelini but I’m starting to get a bad feeling about his tenure in Lincoln. It’s just incredibly quiet up there and with a program with the history and prestige of Nebraska I don’t think that’s a good thing.

7. Texas A&M

   
   LW: 7

   With the way they’re “recruiting” for 2009 Aggie fans better hope they overachieve this year or Mike Sherman is a coaching god because it’s going to get worse before it gets better. I like Stephen McGee, can he remember how to pass now that he’s in a real offense?

8. Kansas State

   
   LW: 8

   Something is still missing about this team, I thought they’d have turned a corner by now. I’m still glad they’re off our schedule this year. Can Ron Prince and Josh Freeman lead them to any upsets and get them in a bowl game this year?

9. Kansas

   
   LW: 9

   I thought I might be alone on my opinion of the Jayhawks return to the bottom third of the league but I haven’t really seen too many national experts expecting them to come close to repeating this season. We won’t know anything about them till week three.

10. Iowa State

    
    LW: 10

    Probably the easiest schedule of any Big 12 team. They play Iowa in non-conference play but they manage to avoid Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech. Gene Chizik is thanking the scheduling gods every morning.

11. Oklahoma State

    
    LW: 11

    I don’t know what happened to Oklahoma State… oh wait I do: Mike Gundy. As much as I thought Les Miles was a dufus he had the Cowboys headed in the right direction before he left.

12. Baylor

    
    LW: 12

    Art Briles looks like he’s going to put things in true freshman QB Robert Griffin’s hands early and reports are he’ll be a good one. I think Briles’ has the offensive mind to take advantage of his great size and speed.

After seeing the first spring Big 12 power rankings from ESPN and disagreeing with their placement of the Missouri Tigers at number one, I am now proud to present the first 2008 Bevo Sports Big 12 Power Rankings. This will be a weekly feature during the season and we’ll likely post updates at the end of spring practice and again in the preseason.

1. Oklahoma

   
   

   I’m not 100% behind Sam Bradford as a top quarterback but he’s definitely good enough to lead this team. They lost several good players early to the NFL Draft, but they’ve got talent and running back DeMarco Murray is a stud.

2. Texas

   
   

   Too many question marks to be ranked any higher this early, but early practice reports from this spring are encouraging. If the Horns’ secondary and linebackers improve and flourish under coach Will Muschamp they’ll be my conference favorite.

3. Texas Tech

   
   

   I struggled deciding between Tech and Missouri, but I ended up placing the Red Raiders third thanks to a slightly better defense and a love for pirates and Michael Crabtree.

4. Missouri

   
   

   I don’t trust Gary Pinkel, I think he lucked into last year’s success and was tempted to put the Tigers much lower. Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin could be poised for a huge season, but their defense leaves a lot to be desired.

5. Nebraska

   
   

   I think the Cornhusker players will play with a new enthusiasm after being rescued from Bill Callahan’s regime. Marlon Lucky is a very talented running back and coach Bo Pelini’s return should immediately improve the defense.

6. Colorado

   
   

   This is a team I’m really not sure about. They could go either way, either compete for the Big 12 North or completely suck. They lost a couple of good linebackers but if QB Cody Hawkins makes plays and Darrell Scott is as advertised they could compete.

7. Texas A&M

   
   

   I think this is a transition year for the Aggies and new head coach Mike Sherman. I think he’s a step up from Fran but I’m not sure he’s the longterm solution. The defense should be improved under new coordinator Joe Kines, but losing Yemi Babalola off the offensive line hurts bad.

8. Kansas State

   
   

   I like quarterback Josh Freeman a lot but the two other guys that killed the Horns the last two years (particularly Jordy Nelson) are gone. Ian Campbell is a beast on defense.

9. Kansas

   
   

   Welcome back to reality Kansas fans, though I still think the Fightin’ Manginos are headed in the right direction. They don’t have the same season they did in 2007 but they’re going to be a contender in the Big 12 North again soon if Mangino stays.

10. Iowa State

    
    

    Other than a win over rival Iowa last season the Cyclones and former Texas coach Gene Chizik had a rough 2007. Chizik reportedly has things headed in the right direction and two conference wins late last year might be an indication of that.

11. Oklahoma State

    
    

    The only coach in the Big 12 I think less of than Mizzou’s Pinkel is the Cowboys’ Mike Gundy. They’ve had more talent in previous years and not done much with it, this is a down year and they’ll finish near the bottom and Gundy won’t be back in 2009.

12. Baylor

    
    

    I think bringing in Art Briles was a genius move by Baylor. It is going to take a couple years for him implement his scheme and bring in his type of players, but he’s got a chance to turn the Bears into a Texas Tech caliber team. They’ll suck this year.

Update: Preseason Big 12 Power Rankings are released! (8/27/2008)

CFN takes another look back at 2007 season in the Big 12. Nice capsules on all the teams.