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.

Barely any Texas talk but ESPN has a brief look at the teams in the East Region of the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Watch Rece Davis, Digger Phelps, and Scott Bilas break down the region below…

Stop if you’ve heard it before, the Texas basketball team is struggling. The Longhorns followed their huge home victory up with a close and ugly win over Texas Tech and then a loss in Stillwater to Oklahoma State.

In both games Texas was sloppy on the offensive end. Texas’ main problem is their personnel combinations. The whole season hinged on Justin Mason and/or AJ Abrams being able to play the point consistently. Both were given chances and both failed.

That inability forced another point guard into the starting lineup. And that is Rick Barnes’ dilemma, do you move Damion James to the four and play the small guards and a big like last year’s team or do you bring Mason, your best perimeter defender, off the bench to keep James at the three with two big men.

The answer so far has been James to the four. The decision has brought mixed results, but I don’t think Barnes likes the decision. All offseason Barnes stressed getting bigger in the back court. Playing Mason at the three makes Texas one of the smallest perimeter teams in the country.

But what choice does he have?

Gary Johnson is hurt. Alexis Wangmene is hurt. Connor Atchley has been sacked. Dexter Pittman can’t play over 20 minutes per game. And I’m not sure Matt Hill still can play without his hair. Barnes has put more faith in Clint Chapman as of late, but the sophomore is nothing more than a role player with some offensive upside at this point.

The fact is the Longhorns hands, or hooves, are tied. This is last year’s team without a superstar point guard who can shoot from the outside. For all intents and purposes that is like saying the Bulls were the same team when MJ was trying to hit curveballs in the minor leagues.

Barnes’ team has two conference games left (Kansas and Baylor) before the conference tournament. As long as Texas splits those games and wins their opening round tournament game they’ll get into March Madness.

Luckily Texas won some early games against big name opponents and Blake Griffin can’t handle contact or NIT would have been what this team had for supper.

There aren’t any great teams in college basketball. North Carolina, Connecticut, Duke, Oklahoma, and everyone else have shown the ability to drop a game they should win. That fact gives Texas hope if they can hang in there and get to the tournament. The Longhorns could be a bracket buster this year.

Maybe not.

Want to be really pissed? Read this story about a Harris Poll voter from The Oklahoman’s Barry Tramel:

Some have questioned the validity of the Harris Interactive poll, which has had a spotty run in its four years as being part of the BCS.

The skepticism could be valid.

True story from the Boone Pickens Stadium pressbox Saturday night.

I asked Harris poll voter Pat Quinn, the former Oklahoma State University sports information director, how he would vote OU and Texas if the Sooners won Saturday night.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Quinn said. “Doesn’t really matter.”

Really?

“I think Alabama and Penn State will probably play for the national championship,” Quinn said.

You do?

“They’re the only undefeated teams, aren’t they,” Quinn said.

Uh, actually, Penn State has a loss.

“Oh well,” Quinn said, “those Big Ten teams have a lot of votes.”

Sigh. It’s so awful it’s almost hard to get angry about it. It’s not exactly unexpected as I was already under the impression that a great deal of Harris Poll voters watched little to no college football every weekend. I hope the BCS takes a long look at exactly who is voting in these things (including the current coaches) and whether they’re qualified to do so. Just a wild guess, Mr. Quinn won’t be a voter again next year.

For the first time in a few weekends there are lots of good games for our viewing pleasure. A few have National Championship implications, and a few are just good rivalry match-ups. Of course the big one is tonight and all Texas fans will be glued to the match-up in Stillwater. Most Texas fans rooted for OU last week and they one, I think they owe us a favor now and need to lose against Okie State.

Another solid 2-1 last weekend and I am planning on going undefeated today. Let’s see what’s going on:

#22 Georgia Tech at #11 Georgia (-7.5) - 12:00 PM EST on CBS. Georgia doesn’t have a shot at going to the National Championship, but they probably don’t care much about that this Saturday as all they want to do is kill Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech, and the whole ACC for that matter, has been very up and down this season. Since Georgia Tech played so well last weekend, they are due to get blown out this weekend. Take Georgia and the easy win.

Auburn at #1 Alabama (-14.5) - 3:30 PM EST on CBS. Even Auburn had ANY semblance of a real quarterback, I would probably take them in this game. Even though this is a heated rivalry game, since Alabama already has the SEC West wrapped up, I feel they may be looking ahead to Florida. But that won’t really matter much since they will jump out early and dominate this game from the beginning. Take Alabama, but buy the half point just in case.

#4 Florida at #20 Florida State (+16.5) - 3:30 PM EST on ABC. The same thing applies in this game. Florida already has the SEC East wrapped up and all anyone can talk about it their matchup against Alabama. Florida State actually has the athletes that can keep up with Florida and won’t be too surprised by their speed. Now that won’t help them win, but I do think it will help them cover. I am thinking Florida State covers this one.

Baylor at #7 Texas Tech (-23) - 3:30 PM EST. The big question in this one is whether or not Texas Tech will have a letdown game after getting drubbed in Norman. Baylor has played pretty well this season and I think this 23 points might be a tad high. Yeah Tech can score some points, but I bet a lot of them think their season is over. Baylor might even win this one. Take the Bears and the points.

#3 Oklahoma at #12 Oklahoma State (+8) - 8:00 PM EST on ABC. Obviously the biggest game of the day for Texas fans. Luckily this weekend we actually get to root against OU. As much as I would like to think Oklahoma State can hang with OU, I just can’t make myself believe it. Oklahoma State does have the extra week to prepare for this one, but if OU plays up to their potential that doesn’t matter. I expect Stoops to have Oklahoma extra ready for this one and they probably plan to make another statement this weekend. Take Oklahoma and give the points, and say goodbye to our National Championship dreams.

SI.com writer Stewart Mandel has written up his predictions for all the BCS and non-BCS bowls and has the Horns headed to the Fiesta Bowl. He’s predicting Texas Tech will win out and make it to the BCS title game. The Red Raiders winning out would make football hell freeze over but is actually the clearest path for the Horns to make it into a BCS game. Mandel’s BCS and Big 12 predictions are below:

BCS Bowls

Orange: Maryland (ACC champ) vs. Cincinnati (Big East champ)
Rose: Penn State (Big Ten champ) vs. USC (Pac-10 champ)
Sugar: Alabama (BCS at-large) vs. Utah (BCS at-large)
Fiesta: Texas (BCS at-large) vs. Ohio State (BCS at-large)
BCS Championship: Texas Tech (BCS No. 1) vs. Florida (BCS No. 2)

Big 12 non-BCS Bowls

Alamo: Missouri (Big 12 No. 4) vs. Northwestern (Big Ten No. 4)
Holiday: Oregon State (Pac-10 No. 2) vs. Oklahoma State (Big 12 No. 3)
Toilet: Michigan (Big 10 No. 9) vs. Texas A&M (Big 12 No. 11)
Sun: Arizona (Pac-10 No. 3) vs. Nebraska (Big 12 No. 5)
Insight: Minnesota (Big Ten No. 6) vs. Kansas (Big 12 No. 6)
Cotton: Oklahoma (Big 12 No. 2) vs. LSU (SEC)

The Longhorns lost the battle to Texas Tech on Saturday but they still haven’t lost the war. The new BCS rankings were revealed tonight and Texas fell only to number four, behind Alabama, Penn State, and Texas Tech who moved all the way up to number two. The Horns still have a every good chance to end up back in the top two and headed to the national title game.

All the Horns need is for two teams ahead of them to go down, and with the remaining schedules ahead for both Tech and Alabama that is a distinct possibility. Texas fans need to be rooting hard for Oklahoma and Oklahoma State the next few weeks and for LSU this week against Alabama. The team needs to take care of business during the final weeks of the season for any of this to matter, but fans will be doing a lot of scoreboard watching.

The BCS top 10 rankings are listed below:

		BCS		Harris Poll			USA Today			Comp. Rankings
	Team	BCS Avg	Prvs	RK	Pts	%	RK	Pts	%	Avg	%
1	Alabama	.9747	2	1	2798	.9818	1	1498	.9823	T-1	.960
2	Texas Tech	.9372	7	3	2644	.9277	3	1409	.9239	T-1	.960
3	Penn State	.9286	3	2	2689	.9435	2	1437	.9423	4	.900
4	Texas	.8531	1	6	2322	.8147	7	1227	.8046	3	.940
5	Florida	.8268	8	4	2391	.8389	5	1268	.8315	5	.810
6	Oklahoma	.8220	4	5	2366	.8302	4	1290	.8459	9	.790
7	USC	.7551	5	7	2273	.7975	6	1232	.8079	10	.660
8	Utah	.6972	10	9	1864	.6540	9	1018	.6675	7	.770
9	Oklahoma State	.6660	9	8	2021	.7091	8	1066	.6990	11	.590
10	Boise State	.6529	11	10	1797	.6305	10	958	.6282	8	.700

Related: View the full BCS rankings

The Texas Longhorns played their toughest game of the year last Saturday against Oklahoma State and the match-up between two top ten teams came down the last play. Texas had to fight all game long and needed big efforts from players all over the field to pull this one out. Check out this week’s top players below:

Colt McCoy

Colt may indeed be human, but just barely. He made two big mistakes in the second half but overall considered his exceptional play at quarterback. Despite not having a running game and being under pressure from a solid OSU defensive line he still managed to complete 84% of his passes for a career high 391 yards.

Henry Melton

After not playing much against pass-happy Missouri, Henry had an outstanding game this week. In addition to his nine total tackles he also had two huge sacks and a quarterback hurry for the Texas defense. He might have earned a few more snaps this week against Texas Tech and their spread offense.

Jordan Shipley

Like his roommate, Shipley also had a career day against the Cowboys. He continued to get open constantly for Colt when lined up in the slot and ended the afternoon with 15 catches for 168 yards.

The Texas defense bent (a lot) against Oklahoma State but held strong just when they needed to secure the win. In what may have been the most important play of the season so far they stuffed the OSU offense on fourth down on a critical fourth quarter drive. The defense sniffed out the wide receiver slip screen and defensive tackle Lamarr Houston tackled Dez Bryant as soon as he caught the ball, well short of the needed yardage.

That play is up against plays from Florida State, Georgia. and probably the deserving winner from the Ohio State/Penn State game. That big hit and then fumble by Terrelle Pryor probably put Joe Pa in the title game.

Go to www.pontiac.com/ncaa and vote for the Horns. Be sure to click on “Rush” to see the ESPN guys talk at length after a good replay of Vince Young running for 80 yards against Okie State back in the incredible 2005 game.

The new BCS standings are out and the Longhorns remain easily atop the list. A close game against Oklahoma State had no effect on either the human or computer polls that make up the rankings. Texas is number one in every computer poll and holds nearly every first place vote in both the Harris and USA Today Coaches poll.

All the team has to do is take care of business and it appears there’s no way any other team could jump them in the rankings. One indicator of how much both the humans and robots love the Longhorns are the rankings of both OSU and Oklahoma even after losses to Texas. After the loss this weekend the Cowboys only fell one spot in the Harris Poll and two in the USA Today poll. This might mean the Horns could lose a game and still be around number three in the BCS. Let’s hope we don’t find out.

Check out the top ten in the latest BCS rankings below:

		Harris Poll			USA Today			Computer Rankings		BCS
	Team	RK	Pts	%	RK	Pts	%	%	Comp avg	BCS Avg	Prvs
1	Texas	1	2839	.9961	1	1522	.9980	1.000	1	.9981	1
2	Alabama	2	2696	.9460	2	1439	.9436	.960	2	.9499	2
3	Penn State	3	2650	.9298	3	1414	.9272	.920	3	.9257	3
4	Oklahoma	4	2370	.8316	4	1265	.8295	.820	T-4	.8270	4
5	USC	7	2255	.7912	6	1228	.8052	.750	6	.7822	5
6	Georgia	8	2124	.7453	8	1137	.7456	.820	T-4	.7703	7
7	Texas Tech	5	2286	.8021	5	1246	.8170	.610	T-10	.7431	8
8	Florida	6	2258	.7923	7	1199	.7862	.610	T-10	.7295	10
9	Oklahoma State	9	1871	.6565	10	972	.6374	.730	T-7	.6746	6
10	Utah	10	1802	.6323	9	987	.6472	.730	T-7	.6362	11

Related: View the full BCS rankings

It wasn’t the high scoring game most of us expected but the number one Texas Longhorns were able to hold off a valiant effort from number six Oklahoma State Cowboys yesterday. The Horns got in front early and stayed there but the game was tight through out and the team had to stop a hail mary attempt on the game’s final play to win.

Watch highlights and post game interviews below:

The Texas Longhorns are a near unanimous number one team in the country and they face a surprising Oklahoma State Cowboys team that is sitting at number six in the BCS standings. The teams will face off at 2:30pm today on ABC in one of the biggest games of the college football weekend. Will the Longhorns keep the train rolling and be one game closer to a national title shot? Find out what the editors of Bevo Sports think below:

Brian - Another top ten opponent for the Longhorns and probably another high scoring game. OSU might have the most balanced offense the Horns have faced all year and everybody of the defense will be tested. This will be a game where linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy will need to shine and he’s going to come up big. The Texas offense will continue to score in bunches and will get big days from two different running backs. This could be Fozzy Whittaker’s week to finally show he can break a big run. Texas 45 - Oklahoma State 31

Matt - Texas doesn’t get a break as they face another top ranked team for the 3rd straight week. Even though Texas has won 10 straight in this match-up, Oklahoma State has been a trouble spot for Texas in recent years, needing many a miracle 2nd half comeback to pull out the victory. I think this year Texas will jump out early at home and continue to apply pressure throughout the game. Zac Robinson can run, but the speed on the Texas defense should keep him under wraps. This one could be a shootout with both teams ranking in the top 5 in the nation, but the Texas defense will give them the win. Texas 58 - Oklahoma State 40

Mike - Oklahoma State provides a challenge this team hasn’t faced all year. For the first time a team is going to try and establish a running game against Will Muschamp’s defense. Texas’ front seven has been outstanding this year against the run and while some would say it is because their competition has consisted of pure passing teams, I think they are just that good. I see another game similar to the Missouri game last week. I don’t think Texas pulls out to a 35-0 in the first half, but I do see them winning by at least 20 points. Colt McCoy and this offense has been on a roll and they are just going to get better with the emergence of Brandon Collins, Malcolm Williams, and a healthy Fozzy Whittaker. Texas pulls away with a physical second half. Texas 52 - Oklahoma State 34

Some really good match-ups this weekend, especially in the Big 12. You get to start off the day with Texas Tech playing on the road in Kansas, and then get to watch the #1 Texas Longhorns play Oklahoma State in the afternoon. Then you get to finish on the day with Penn State playing at Ohio State in the late game on ABC. Overall not a bad Saturday, not bad at all.

Now I did only go 2-2 last week, but I am still around 70% for the season. This weekend should be good.

#8 Texas Tech vs. #23 Kansas (PK) - 12:00 PM EST on ESPN. Texas Tech is 7-0 for the first time since 1976, but their undefeated is in serious jeopardy this weekend playing at Kansas. Kansas has proven they can score and Texas Tech’s defense has been looking pretty week in the last 2 weeks. The over/under in this one is around 68, which is not nearly enough for these two teams. Look for this one to be in the 80s as Kansas pulls out the victory in the end.

#6 Oklahoma State vs. #1 Texas (-12.5) - 3:30 PM EST on ABC. Texas doesn’t get a break as they face another top ranked team for the 3rd straight week. I think Texas has proven they can handle the pressure of being #1 in the nation by demolishing Mizzou last weekend. Even though Texas has won 10 straight in this match-up, Oklahoma State has been a trouble spot for Texas in recent years, needing many a miracle 2nd half comeback to pull out the victory. I think this year Texas will jump out early at home and continue to apply pressure throughout the game. Give the points in this one.

#7 Georgia vs. #13 LSU (-1.5) - 3:30 PM EST on CBS. To me this one seems pretty simple. LSU has nothing at the quarterback position, and that will kill you with the SEC defenses. LSU’s defense struggled mightily against Florida’s speed, and it will probably be more of the same against Georgia. I really hate to go against LSU, but my gut tells me they don’t have a shot in this one.

#3 Penn State vs. #9 Ohio State (+2) - 8:00 PM EST on ABC. This one might be the toughest on the board. You can make pretty good arguments both ways. Ohio State has been playing much better since getting blown out by USC, but Penn State has just been dominating every opponent. To me this one just comes down to offense. Ohio State struggles to score points, and Penn State averages 45 points per game. Even though this one is at OSU, take Penn State minus the points.

Every game comes down to the play of a few guys floating under the radar. Of course Texas needs Colt McCoy, Jordan Shipley, and Brian Orakpo to step up, but in order for Texas to keep the number one spot a few other guys that may not be “stars” (yet) need to play big. Last week a few of the guys, like Brandon Collins and Curtis Brown, were huge for Texas. Who are the five guys the Horns need to step up against Oklahoma State? Here’s what we think.

Fozzy Whittaker

The speedy freshman got back on the playing field for the first time since the UTEP game last week against Missouri. Fozzy wasted little time making an impact by breaking off a darting 20 yard run off the zone play Texas relies on. Coming into the season the coaching staff quietly believed Fozzy would be the featured back of this offense. Instead, Chris Ogbonnaya has taken the job by the horns so to speak while Fozzy healed up injuries to both knees. Ogbonnaya has far exceeded expectations, but the addition of the speed that Fozzy has could give this team the one thing they have been missing—a homerun threat in the backfield. We will know how healthy Fozzy is by how many snaps he is given.

Malcolm Williams

We finally saw the big play ability those around the program have been gushing about when Williams made a leaping catch over the Missouri defense for a touchdown. The catch ended up being his only of the day, but with it Williams may have finally become a big time player for this team. For as good as Shipley and Quan Cosby are, they are not consistent down the field threats that push safeties back. Malcolm Williams is. The deeper opposing safeties have to play, the more room underneath for guys like Shipley, Cosby, and emerging star Brandon Collins. The more game Williams can make an impact in, the bigger the impact of the underneath guys. The staff is hoping the highlight catch last week turns into a confidence booster along the lines of Limas Sweed’s catch in Ohio State.

Aaron Lewis

All the defensive line talk has centered on Brian Orakpo and Sergio Kindle. The teams Texas has been facing have been pass heavy which has allowed the speed guys to make names for themselves. For the first time all year the Texas defense will have to face an offense that relies heavily on the run. The defensive tackles are going to be key. Everyone knows about Roy Miller, but quietly Aaron Lewis has taken over Lamarr Houston’s spot on the majority of snaps. Lewis has played well when given the opportunity, and a big game from him, Houston, and Henry Melton is crucial for this team. If Oklahoma State’s run game can get their offense into manageable third downs, the Texas defense could get exposed.

Rashad Bobino

The senior has become the forgotten member of this linebacking unit. Late in the game last week, sometimes starter Jared Norton went down with what appeared to be a stinger. Even though all signs point to Norton playing, with the two already splitting time, it would be expected to get a bulk of the playing time against a strong running team this week. Bobino has started a large number of games in his career and has continued to be an emotional leader for this Longhorn defense. Bobino has been through the fire as one of the only Horns to say he was there for the Rose Bowl. Coordinator Will Muschamp has been pleased with all the backers play, and this game appears to be the biggest test for a group that could be the best of the Mack Brown era.

Curtis Brown

Two weeks ago fans were wondering if Curtis Brown would ever get to play at defensive back while attending the University. They saw true freshman get more playing time than the sophomore and with an already youth riddled secondary it appeared that the ex-Gilmer star would get passed up. A huge special team’s play against Oklahoma and a solid performance after Chykie Brown left the game against Missouri later and Brown finds himself as major player for this secondary. Every team in the Big 12 likes to spread the field, so more than the two designated starters get significant playing time, especially with Texas relying heavily on the nickel defense. Sources say Chykie Brown should be able to start on Saturday, but with an ankle there is always a possibility of the injury resurfacing. If that happens, it appears Curtis Brown is next in line at cornerback.

Great video analysis from ESPN of what Oklahoma State did defensively last Saturday in their upset win over Missouri. They look at how the defensive line did such a good job getting pressure on quarterback Chase Daniel and at how the OSU secondary took away Daniel’s options if he did have time. Watch:

With the athleticism of the Texas defensive tackles a similar strategy would be effective at getting to Daniel both up the middle and around the edge. It will be interesting to see what wrinkles Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will use to shut down Mizzou’s high powered offense and if their coaches have any answers now that a team has them “figured out”. We’ll find out Saturday at 7pm.

For the second time this year 3 of the Top 4 teams in the nation lose. No one is safe at the top, and most of the Top 10 will be playing each other in the next few weeks so expect to see even more changes. So far this year is looking even crazier than last year.

1. Alabama

   
   LW: 3

   Even though they didn’t play, I don’t think they deserved to be bumped down below Texas.

2. Texas

   
   LW: 5

   Texas won with Colt’s leadership and the defense stepping up at the right times. Will Muschamp has the defense improving every week. It was kind of nice cruising through the season unnoticed, but that time is definitely over.

3. Penn State

   
   LW: 7

   I guess I to move up Penn State after their blowout win. It looks like they are definitely the class of the Big 10, though that is not saying very much.

4. Oklahoma

   
   LW: 1

   Sam Bradford threw for 5 touchdowns and still lost. Oklahoma has a great team and their schedule is setup to keep them in a BCS bowl game.

5. Florida

   
   LW: 11

   I had watched Florida play a few times this year, but I have never seen the speed and precision they displayed against LSU. They have some of the fastest running backs in the nation, and if they can keep Tim Tebow from making mistakes they should be good.

6. Texas Tech

   
   LW: 8

   Texas Tech played like crap but was surprisingly still able to come out with a win against Nebraska. They have a pretty easy road before playing Texas at home.

7. Oklahoma State

   
   LW: 15

   Not sure if was too much of an upset, but Oklahoma State managed to put a hurting on Mizzou. Oklahoma State has proven they definitely have the offense, but do they have the defense to hang with the big boys.

8. Missouri

   
   LW: 2

   I am actually pretty disappointed that Mizzou lost, because that would have meant Texas would play two #1 teams in a row. Now that Mizzou has lost, Texas will definitely be expected to beat them this Saturday.

9. USC

   
   LW: 10

   Looks like USC is getting back into form after totally dominating Arizona State 28-0. They probably have the easiest schedule left of any Top 10 and will probably somehow backdoor their way into the national championship.

10. Georgia

    
    LW: 9

    Georgia had a solid win against Tennessee but I am still not very impressed with this team. I expect them to lose 2 more games this season.

11. BYU

    
    LW: 6

    I have decided to not leave BYU so high up in the polls. They play nobody, and until they beat Utah I will not move them any higher.

12. LSU

    
    LW: 4

    You either smoke, or you get smoked, and LSU got smoked. That was a pretty weak performance against Florida, and if they don’t get someone to play quarterback they will struggle all season long.

13. Kansas

    
    LW: 12

    Kansas continues to plod along and will probably go relatively unnoticed the rest of the way unless they can beat one of the big teams in the Big 12. Don’t expect that to happen.

14. Utah

    
    LW: 13

    Utah and BYU really don’t seem much different to me. They will have to prove their ranking by beating both TCU and BYU.

15. Boise State

    
    LW: 16

    Thank goodness we didn’t have to see them play on their ugly blue field this weekend.

16. Ohio State

    
    LW: 17

    Luckily Ohio State beat Purdue because they are about to lose two in a row. I can’t wait to drop them out of the Top 25.

17. Michigan State

    
    LW: 19

    Again, the only thing they have going for them is their running back, but man is he awesome. Can we trade for him?

18. Virginia Tech

    
    LW: 18

    Does anyone really care about anyone in the ACC. They will probably all beat each other and end up with a conference champion that has 3 losses.

19. South Florida

    
    LW: 20

    Bye week

20. North Carolina

    
    LW: 21

    It took a last minute play, but North Carolina thankfully kept Notre Dame out of the Top 25. North Carolina is making the most out of their spot, but see Virginia Tech.

21. Wake Forest

    
    LW: 22

    Another so-so ACC team barely holding on to their spot in the Top 25.

22. California

    
    LW: 24

    Bye week

23. TCU

    
    LW: -

    TCU has another huge game coming against BYU. Can they prove BYU is overrated, or will they fall back out of the Top 25?

24. Vanderbilt

    
    LW: 14

    It was only a matter of time before Vanderbilt came back down to reality. They couldn’t handle the pressure of the being a top team and now they will probably struggle the rest of the way.

25. Tulsa

    
    LW: 25

    They struggled a little only scoring 37, but I am sure they will get back on track and put up 60+ on UTEP.

Well lookie here, the Texas Longhorns are the new number one team in the land. After the team’s big win over Oklahoma the team vaulted from number five in both polls to the very top. Huge shakeup this week with losses in the top five by OU, Missouri, and LSU, but in the AP poll the Sooners surprisingly only fell to number four. Alabama is a very close second in both polls followed by Penn State.

This week’s opponent Missouri fell out of the top ten with a loss, but they’re still a very good team and it doesn’t get easier after them. Due to the way the schedules lay out, the Longhorns could actually face two more top five teams in Oklahoma State and Texas Tech if they win the games they should and stay undefeated.

Check out this week’s rankings or view the top 10 teams below:

	AP Top 25		USA Today Poll
1	Texas (39) 6-0 1,599		Texas (44) 6-0 1,505
2	Alabama (26) 6-0 1,582		Alabama (14) 6-0 1,452
3	Penn State 7-0 1,492		Penn State (3) 7-0 1,416
4	Oklahoma 5-1 1,306		USC 4-1 1,198
5	Florida 5-1 1,284		Texas Tech 6-0 1,195
6	USC 4-1 1,247		Oklahoma 5-1 1,147
7	Texas Tech 6-0 1,210		Florida 5-1 1,145
8	Oklahoma State 6-0 1,184		Brigham Young 6-0 1,143
9	Brigham Young 6-0 1,131		Georgia 5-1 1,010
10	Georgia 5-1 1,081		Oklahoma State 6-0 958

This could be one of the biggest weekends of the year in terms of national title implications. Arguably the top four teams in the Big 12 are playing each other, #1 Oklahoma vs #5 Texas and #3 Missouri vs #17 Oklahoma State (I think Texas Tech is probably a little overrated). Then you have the two powerhouse teams in the SEC squaring off with #4 LSU traveling to the Swamp against #11 Florida. And if you feel like checking out the boring Big 10, you get to see #6 Penn State playing at Camp Randall Stadium against Wisconsin.

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 (for around the 4th straight weekend).

#5 Texas at #1 Oklahoma (-6.5) - 12:00 PM EST on ABC. For a #5 team in the nation, Texas has managed to keep a relatively low profile this year. I think that has been a blessing in disguise since it has let the team grow without a lot of added pressure. Honestly if you asked me to pick this game at the beginning of the season, I would probably have said Oklahoma without even a doubt. But with the way Texas has played this season and their improvement on defense, they have a legitimate shot of coming out of this one with a victory. Both offenses have overpowering stats and high profile quarterbacks. Neither quarterback has faced any adversity, and I think that will change greatly for Sam Bradford this week. Will Mushcamp has something going here in Austin, and I think that will be the difference in the game. I don’t bet on this game, but the Texas moneyline looks good.

#17 Oklahoma State at #3 Missouri (-14) - 8:00 PM EST on ESPN2. The O/U is set at 77 in this one and features the #2 and #3 scoring offenses in the nation, so you know some points will be scored. Both teams are undefeated when scoring 40 or more points since 2001, but that should change this weekend. This is basically a matchup of one of the nations best rushing attacks (OSU) versus one of the nations best passing offenses (Mizzou). I always prefer a better running game since it moves the ball more consistently and wears down the defense. This game should come down to whoever has the ball last. OSU might now win this one, but I think they easily cover the 14.

#4 LSU at #11 Florida (-6.5) - 8:00 PM EST on CBS. Tim Tebow has not impressed me much this season. And losing to Ole Miss at home? Come on now. LSU also has big questions at the quarterback position, but they have the defense to win them games in the SEC. I think they key here is LSU was off last week so they have had extra time to prepare and get some players healthy. Don’t take the points on this one, take LSU moneyline.

#6 Penn State at Wisconsin (+6) - 8:00 PM EST on ESPN. Yawn. Two more boring Big 10 teams playing each other. Not sure who is really going to watch this game with the two games above starting at the same time. Maybe if both games are at commercial? Penn State did not fair well in their last trip to Camp Randall Stadium (remember Coach Pat’s broken leg?), but it should be a much different game this year. Penn State is better than Wisconsin in every phase of the game and will dominate this game. You know what, don’t watch this one, just take Penn State and win some money.

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).

Finally a week were pretty much all of the top teams went out and took care of business. There is a lot of shuffling around towards the bottom of the Top 25 as many teams have dropped out.

1. Oklahoma

   
   LW: 1

   Went out and took care of business and didn’t look ahead to playing Texas. I was actually somewhat surprised they only scored 49 points against Baylor.

2. Missouri

   
   LW: 3

   Missouri hadn’t won in Nebraska in 30 years. Apparently they were a little tired of losing there and put a whooping on the Cornhuskers. Pretty sure Bo Pelini is a little embarrassed after that one.

3. Alabama

   
   LW: 2

   Alabama actually showed some of their first signs of struggling, but they were still able to pull out the victory. Things will get a lot tougher for them as teams will be gunning to knock them off.

4. LSU

   
   LW: 4

   Bye week

5. Texas

   
   LW: 5

   I was actually a little nervous playing at Colorado, but thankfully Texas jumped out to the early lead and never looked back. Texas’ defense looked better than ever and might possibly be prepared for OU.

6. BYU

   
   LW: 8

   Still feels weird to have BYU up here so high, but they have been absolutely killing teams lately. Because of their week schedule though, they probably won’t move much past this spot.

7. Penn State

   
   LW: 9

   Penn State continues to dominate in the weak Big 12, and will face their first tough test playing at Camp Randall against Wisconsin.

8. Texas Tech

   
   LW: 10

   I actually thought Kansas State would give Tech a game, but Tech just scored at will. Graham Harrell threw for 450 yards and 6 touchdowns. Not a bad day.

9. Georgia

   
   LW: 12

10. USC

    
    LW: 11

    Starting off, USC looked like they might be losing another one to a team from the state of Oregon. But in the end they reeled off 40+ straight points and cruised to victory.

11. Florida

    
    LW: 13

    Florida was lucky to have a bye week, oh wait, they did play Arkansas, which is just like having a bye week. Now they have to play LSU in a showdown in the SEC.

12. Kansas

    
    LW: 14

    Kansas struggled a little bit at Iowa State but were able to squeak out of there with a win. Todd Reesing is a seriously talented QB.

13. Utah

    
    LW: 15

    Utah is quietly hanging around in the Top 15 and beating all the teams they should. I guess we will just have to wait until they play BYU.

14. Vanderbilt

    
    LW: 16

    Vanderbilt continues to be the surprise of the SEC. They are actually leading the SEC East! I doubt this will last much longer.

15. Oklahoma State

    
    LW: 17

    Hard to tell if Oklahoma State is really that good or if A&M is just that bad. It’s probably a little bit of both and I am really scared of playing this team later this month.

16. Boise State

    
    LW: 18

    I can’t stand to watch this team playing on that bright blue field, but they continue to win impressively and dominate their opponent. They have a legitimate shot at going undefeated this season.

17. Ohio State

    
    LW: 19

    Ohio State pulled off an impressive win at Wisconsin proving the whole Big 10 is just a joke. Everyone pretty much just sucks equally.

18. Virginia Tech

    
    LW: 21

    They don’t win big and they don’t win pretty. They somehow just manage to play just good enough to get the win. They will have to play better if they want to make it through the ACC schedule.

19. Michigan State

    
    LW: -

    The only thing they have going for them is their running back, but man is he awesome. Can we trade for him?

20. South Florida

    
    LW: 6

    South Florida of course had to ruin their dream season and go lose to a crappy Pittsburgh team. Does anyone want to step up in the Big East?

21. North Carolina

    
    LW: -

    Not sure the last time North Carolina was ranked in football, but it has to be a while. They have a solid team and have a pretty favorable schedule the rest of the way.

22. Wake Forest

    
    LW: -

    Hmm…not really sure what to make of this team. Sometimes they look really good, and sometimes they look really awful. Week to week it is tough to tell which team will show up.

23. Auburn

    
    LW: 7

    Auburn losing to Vanderbilt? Who would have guessed that in the beginning of the season? Luckily for them they have a bye week next week, oh wait, they play Arkansas.

24. California

    
    LW: -

    Doesn’t seem right to have a Pac-10 team in the Top 25 that’s not USC, but California is quietly putting together a nice season.

25. Tulsa

    
    LW: -

    Tulsa seems to score 60 points every time they play, and that will usually get it done. They play SMU this week, which means they will probably score 80.

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

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).

Talk about a crazy weekend in college football. Three of the top four teams go down in upsets, with unbeatable #1 of all-time USC losing to an unranked Oregon State team.

1. Oklahoma

   

   The clear #1 in the nation after other teams in the Top 5 seemed scared to win. The Texas game in two weeks looks bigger than ever.

2. Alabama

   

   Maybe even more of a butt-kicking than the USC/Ohio State, Alabama got out to a 31-0 lead at Georgia. I think this was a combination of Alabama having a solid team and Georgia being ridiculously over-hyped.

3. Missouri

   

   Good time to have a bye week. Their schedule gets tough now as they open Big 12 play.

4. LSU

   

   LSU didn’t look all that impressive in their win against Mississippi State. They will need to improve their quarterback play if they want to continue to win in the SEC.

5. Texas

   

   Talk about slaughtering the pig against Arkansas. The Texas defense finally showed up and held them to only 3 points for most of the game.

6. South Florida

   

   The class of the Big East continues to look good. Now they start conference play, so we will see if they can keep it up.

7. Auburn

   

   They don’t win pretty, but their defense can keep them in any game. If they actually had a good quarterback they would probably be #2 in the nation.

8. BYU

   

   BYU in the Top 10? Just doesn’t seem right somehow but they are playing great football right now. Two shutouts in a row will usually give a team some confidence.

9. Penn State

   

   I hesitate to put a Big 10 team so far up in the rankings because they will soon get smashed by some other crappy Big 10 team. Will this happen to Penn State? No doubt.

10. Texas Tech

    

    Not sure what to say about Tech except that they probably won’t last much longer with no losses. In fact, they will probably lose to Kansas State.

11. USC

    

    On cue, USC has their one “bare-minimum” game of the season and somehow loses to Oregon State. Now they can cruise for the rest of the season with their easy Pac-10 schedule.

12. Georgia

    

    Not really surprised that they lost to Alabama, more surprised about how they lost. Down 31-0 at the half at home? I knew they were over-rated, just didn’t know it was that bad.

13. Florida

    

    Rounding out the upsets this weekend is Florida. If Tim Tebow was an actual quarterback and could throw the ball, maybe they wouldn’t lose to a mediocre Ole Miss.

14. Kansas

    

    Bye week

15. Utah

    

    Utah continues to sneak up the polls relatively quietly. Now they have to play the vaunted Oregon State Beavers.

16. Vanderbilt

    

    With Georgia and Florida losing, Vanderbilt now leads the SEC East. If they beat Auburn this weekend is it time for them to start thinking national championship? Ha.

17. Oklahoma State

    

    The Big 12 is absolutely stacked this year. Oklahoma State’s offense can hang with anyone. Too bad they play @Missouri, @Texas, and @Texas Tech.

18. Boise State

    

    Bye week

19. Ohio State

    

    Not sure that a 13 point win over Minnesota is very impressive, but a win is a win. Terrelle Pryor looks like a legit college quarterback. I bet they are wishing he played more against USC.

20. Oregon

    

    Hard to get a read on just how good or bad the Pac-10 is. My guess is that Oregon will be dropping soon as they play USC this weekend.

21. Virginia Tech

    

    Man, Virginia Tech has an incredibly weak schedule this season. If they didn’t lose to East Carolina they would easily be in the Top 10.

22. Wisconsin

    

    The Big 10 is just awful and I think Wisconsin proves that. Not sure how a Top 10 team loses to a horrible Michigan team. Oh yeah, it’s the crappy Big 10.

23. Maryland

    

    Maryland actually looks like they have a good team this year. The ACC is wide open right now and Maryland should be near the top at the end.

24. Fresno State

    

    Pretty impressive win at UCLA.

25. Connecticut

    

    Impresive win at Louisville. They will be tested in next two games of three straight road games. If they can make it through that, they will be looking good.

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.