Oklahoma Sooners

Nonconference schedules can reveal many things. They can be the difference between a BCS championship berth or being left behind, and they can provide a glimpse of future success or future disappointments. Here's a look at the Big 12's 2013 nonconference schedules ranked from toughest to easiest.

1. Oklahoma: Louisiana-Monroe, Tulsa, at Notre Dame

All three of OU’s nonconference opponents won at least eight games in 2012, making the Sooners’ nonconference schedule a solid test as they look to break in a new quarterback. And their visit to South Bend, Ind., could be one of college football’s top matchups in 2013.

2. TCU: LSU (at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas), Southeastern Louisiana, SMU

The opener against the Tigers will be one of the highlight games of opening weekend and raises the overall ranking of TCU's nonconference schedule. It’s an opportunity for TCU to prove itself and send a message for the Big 12. And TCU's home contest against SMU should be a solid test, as well.

3. Texas: New Mexico, at BYU, Ole Miss

After a fairly easy season opener, the Longhorns travel to Provo, Utah, to face BYU in a game that could be tougher than most people expect. Then UT hosts Ole Miss, giving the Rebels a chance to avenge their home loss to the Longhorns in 2012. Facing the Cougars and Rebels in back-to-back weeks will be a tough test for Mack Brown's squad.

4. Iowa State: Northern Iowa, Iowa, at Tulsa

The Cyclones' road test at Tulsa won’t be easy as ISU looks to avenge its Liberty Bowl loss to the Golden Hurricane. This game could be considered a conference matchup in some ways as it will be the third meeting between the two teams in two years. Add rival Iowa to the mix and suddenly ISU has one of the conference’s tougher nonconference slates.

5. Oklahoma State: Mississippi State (at Reliant Stadium in Houston), at Texas-San Antonio, Lamar

The Cowboys' season opener is the lone saving grace in this nonconference lineup. The Bulldogs should be a solid early test for OSU, but neither UTSA nor Lamar should prove to be major hurdles.

6. Kansas: South Dakota, at Rice, Louisiana Tech

Rice, which defeated KU in Manhattan, Kan., last season, and Louisiana Tech will be tough tests for the Jayhawks. Both games should give a glimpse of how much KU has improved in Charlie Weis’ second season at the helm.

7. Texas Tech: at SMU, Stephen F. Austin, Texas State

The Red Raiders' toughest matchup should be its opener at SMU. In Kliff Kingsbury’s first season, Texas Tech will have the chance to get its feet wet in nonconference play even though a Big 12 battle with TCU is sandwiched between its matchups with SFA and Texas State.

8. West Virginia: William & Mary, Georgia State, vs. Maryland (at Ravens Stadium in Baltimore)

Not much of a nonconference slate for WVU, with the Terps as the lone BCS team on the schedule. Things set up well for Dana Holgorsen’s offense as the Mountaineers try to replace quarterback Geno Smith and receivers Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey.

9. Kansas State: North Dakota State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Massachusetts

Louisiana-Lafayette could provide the sternest test for the Wildcats, but there’s no reason why KSU can’t enter Big 12 play undefeated. Their nonconference schedule sets up well for a team looking to replace standout quarterback Collin Klein.

10. Baylor: Wofford, Buffalo, Louisiana-Monroe

It’s unlikely Baylor will get tested before its first conference game. The Bears were recently forced to add FCS opponent Wofford after their game with SMU was cancelled, so Louisiana-Monroe could be their toughest nonconference test. They should pile up the victories but might not know much about their team before conference play.

As we continue our season wrap, we'll be looking to 2013 today. Let's take a look with some bold predictions in 2013.

1. The Big 12 will not expand or institute a championship game. I get the questions every day, but I simply don't believe the Big 12 will seriously consider expansion before the new college football playoff is in place, and the Big 12 gets an idea for where it stands in the college football landscape. Bob Bowlsby turned heads when a report surfaced that he'd inquired to the NCAA about bringing back the championship game, but that's a long way from actually doing so. Bringing back a No. 1 versus No. 2 league title game unless the Big 12 is a 12-team league with divisions is the surest way for the Big 12 to find it difficult to crack the four-team playoff.

2. Neither Texas nor Oklahoma will win the Big 12's automatic BCS bid. Simply put, TCU and Oklahoma State are likely better teams. One of those two will win the league and represent the Big 12 in the Fiesta Bowl as its BCS representative. Texas is good, but not quite good enough and will have a difficult decision to make about Mack Brown's future after falling short. Oklahoma is just losing too much on defense and trying to live without Landry Jones, which fans will find more difficult than they imagined.

3. The Big 12 will have a Davey O'Brien Trophy finalist. The Big 12 is reloading at quarterback, and will likely have only one starting quarterback in 2013 (barring what happens at TCU) who started at least half of his team's games in 2012: Texas' David Ash. It won't necessarily be him at the awards ceremony, but I believe in the Big 12's quarterback development, and we'll see a breakout star next year. Will it be Michael Brewer at Tech? Bryce Petty at Baylor? Ford Childress/Paul Millard in Morgantown or Blake Bell in Norman? What about Daniel Sams or Jake Waters at K-State?

4. Three Big 12 teams will finish in the national top 35 in total defense. This year, the Big 12 had only one team (TCU) crack the top 35. There will be great defenses coming back. Look for Texas, TCU and Oklahoma State to grab this accomplishment, and Texas Tech might not be far off, too. Offenses as a whole will be down from their crazy pace next year, and that's an opportunity for some experienced defenses.

5. The Big 12 will not play for a national title ... again. It's getting old for the league these days. Texas and Oklahoma both played a part in the SEC capturing seven consecutive national titles, but the Big 12's sat on the sidelines on that Monday night in January for each of the past three seasons. Make it four next year.

6. Texas Tech will be the Big 12's biggest overachiever. They'll do it on the back of Brewer, who I buy as the most likely breakout star for the Big 12 next year. He's got great running backs, a great system and great, experienced receivers. Having Eric Ward back will be huge, and Jace Amaro and Jakeem Grant will continue to grow. I'm a little cautious on picking them in the top half of the league in the preseason, but I wouldn't be surprised at all to see the Red Raiders finish in the top three or four next year.

7. Baylor will win at least eight games again. The Bears' offense will be back, and the defense will be a little bit improved. It'll be enough to win eight games in three consecutive seasons with three different quarterbacks. That's crazy, and yet another testament to what Art Briles has done in Waco.

8. Kansas will win a Big 12 game. It has to happen eventually, doesn't it? The Big 12 losing streak now stands at 21 games. It won't reach 30 this time next year.

DALLAS -- Oklahoma beat Texas every which way en route to a dominant 63-21 victory at the Cotton Bowl.

It was over when: Backup quarterback Blake Bell plunged over the goal line for his fourth touchdown to put OU ahead 36-2 three minutes before halftime. The rout was on from there.

Game ball goes to: OU fullback Trey Millard, who had his best offensive performance as a Sooner. Known more for his blocking, Millard led OU with 119 yards receiving and a touchdown on five catches. He also rushed for 45 yards on three carries.

Stat of the game: The Sooners produced both their longest rush and longest pass in the history of the Red River Rivalry. Damien Williams’ 95-yard touchdown put OU up 13-2 late in the first quarter. Millard’s 73-yard reception -- in which he a hurdled a Texas defender -- set up the Sooners’ fourth touchdown.

Turning point: Late in the first quarter, Texas punter Alex King pinned OU inside its own 5-yard line. But Williams broke free along the sideline and, with a key block from teammate Kenny Stills, raced 95 yards for a touchdown to put the Sooners up 13-2. Texas failed to generate any momentum the rest of the game.

Unsung hero: Sooners defensive coordinator Mike Stoops, whose game plan completely shut down the nation’s sixth-highest scoring offense. Texas was held to just 74 rushing yards, and quarterback David Ash was forced into three turnovers.

What it means: The Sooners are right back in the thick of the Big 12 title race, and maybe the national championship picture, too. Voters are likely to take notice of OU’s dominant Red River performance. With back-to-back losses, Texas will have its work cut out getting off the mat after getting destroyed by its biggest rival.

Bob Stoops will coach his 14th Red River Rivalry on Saturday. But he says the exhilaration of the game is the same as it was in the beginning for him.

“It’s impossible to not be excited,” Stoops said Monday during his weekly news conference as his Sooners prepare for Texas. “Just incredibly exciting and exhilarating. It’s what you want in sports.”

Stoops is 8-5 in the game, and has won the last two over Texas coach Mack Brown.

“I know what’s like to walk down the tunnel,” Stoops said, “and the importance of this game.”

The Sooners and Longhorns are both 1-1 in the Big 12. The winner of the game will be no worse than third in the Big 12 race, with a chance to be tied for first.

Even though Texas gave up 48 points in a loss to West Virginia, Stoops said he’s still impressed with the Longhorns defense.

“They are talented and a good bunch,” Stoops said. “It’s hard to determine having to gauge against the offenses of Oklahoma State and West Virginia. But I believe they’re a really good defense when you look at them. They can get you in some bad plays.”

The Sooners, however, have been playing better defense. They picked off Texas Tech QB Seth Doege three times, including Javon Harris’ 46-yard touchdown return.

Even so, during the game ABC analyst Chris Spielman said the Sooners don’t have the NFL talent they usually do on defense. Stoops took issue with the comment Monday.

“That doesn’t matter to me, his opinion,” Stoops said. “I bet we end up having guys in the NFL.”

Hey, you stay at the top long enough, people get tired of seeing you there.

Such is life as Mack Brown and Bob Stoops.

This year, we asked who got you fired up the most, and Brown and Stoops ran away with the poll.

Stoops hauled in 39 percent of the vote, while Brown checked in with 37 percent.

They couldn't be any more different in personality, but they have one big thing in common: They win. If a coach kept beating your team, you wouldn't like it much, either.

Stoops got the OSU faithful fired up last season when he needled them for recognizing a co-Big 12 South title in 2010. He's won the biggest of any coach in the Big 12, and until the past two seasons, Brown had won with the most consistency.

That streak of nine consecutive 10-win seasons came to a screeching halt with a 5-7 campaign in 2010, leading more than a few to question Brown's coaching prowess. Could he be as effective at another school? What if you plopped him right in the middle of Ames? Would you still be impressed?

And at Texas, which has all the resources -- both financial and recruiting -- anyone could ever want, shouldn't a coach win more than one national title in 14 seasons?

Maybe that's fair. Maybe it's not. Only eight coaches currently coaching college football even have one national title. Stoops and Brown are both in that group.

The duo has outlasted every other Big 12 coach. No one in the league has been at their current schools longer. (Yes, Bill Snyder's three-year sabbatical disqualifies him.)

Before last season, Snyder was the only coach to swipe a Big 12 title from Brown and Stoops since 2001.

Hate them if you must. Pardon them if they don't stop winning long enough to notice.

The BCS brass -- aka conference commissioners -- are set to meet again this week to discuss the future of college football's postseason. On Monday, several Big 12 coaches took a swipe with their input on what, if any, changes should be ushered into the game.

Last year's SEC rematch in the BCS Championship Game -- and Oklahoma State's snubbing -- rubbed plenty of folks the wrong way, and Texas coach Mack Brown was the most adamant about bringing change. He's not sure what he wants, he just wants something else.

"I'm hoping it's something different than what we've got now. I'm not really sure what I think would be best," Brown said on Monday's Big 12 coaches teleconference.

For now, it looks like all eight- and 16-team playoff options are off the table, but the BCS as it currently stands had Brown fired up.

"I don't like our current system. I don't like the fact that last year two teams played twice. I do not feel like the BCS really gives credence to, really, strength of schedule," he said. "We've had some teams play in the BCS that played some poorer teams and still had an opportunity to play. I don't like the fact that we compete between BCS and non-BCS, as far as who plays. I understand that that's the money cycle, but I'd rather see the best teams play at the end."

TCU, who will join the Big 12 in 2012, went undefeated in 2010 and beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl but was denied a chance at playing fellow undefeated Auburn, which took home the national title.

"I'd rather have different means to evaluate the best teams in the end," Brown said. "I think the best teams should play at the end. That's more fair to the coaches, that's more fair to the players and that's more fair to the fans."

One problem for some in the process? Nobody can seem to agree on what to call a new postseason, even if it's four teams playing for the right to be called champion.

"I'm not for a playoff, because it would ruin the bowl system, and I don't believe it would be good for student-athletes," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said.

However, later on, he expressed his preference for the plus-one, which could just as easily be referred to as a playoff.

"I'd like to see the plus-one," he said. "If they do so, I'd like to see the four teams that qualify as the per se 'playoff teams' participate in two of the BCS bowls and then rotate it every two years, which bowls are hosting the playoff teams and which ones aren't, and then the plus-one after it."

Stoops often looks back fondly on his bowl week experiences as a defensive back at Iowa and doesn't want to rob future players of a week in the sun during winter with light practices, red-carpet treatment and a week spent solely with teammates.

"Anything that eliminates the bowls would in the long run not be positive for college football," Stoops said.

As for the elder statesman of the Big 12 coaches, Bill Snyder? He's staying out of the argument.

"I don’t have any startling estimations in regards to what will happen and don’t really have any major preference as far as playoff versus the system," Snyder said. "I can’t imagine it’s getting into an eight or 16-team playoff."

NORMAN, Okla. -- Texas coach Mack Brown was the first Big 12 coach to speak out against some of college football's latest rule changes, but Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy joined him in expressing concerns this week during interviews with ESPN.com.

Stoops' biggest concern was the potential for players to be penalized for continuing to play if their helmet is knocked off during the course of a play.

"It doesn’t make sense," he said. "It’s not anybody’s instinct to stop. I don’t think that’s very fair or very realistic."

Stoops and Brown both brought in officials this offseason to explain the rule change. For example, pass rushers can continue to rush the pocket without a helmet if they're engaged with an offensive lineman, but if a passer escapes the pocket or steps up to run, players must stop. If not, they can be flagged for 15-yard penalties.

"I’m not for that. Any rule that gives the officials or makes the officials have judgment calls is a bad rule because it’s not fair to them either," Gundy said. "Judgment calls make it difficult, and so you always want to take judgment calls out of their hands."

Additionally, players must sit out a play if their helmet comes off, which Brown noted could pose problems late in games. If a helmet comes off and the player's team doesn't have a timeout saved in a game's final minutes, there will be a 10-second run-off.

"They might need to look at that a little bit more," Stoops said.

The nightmare scenario? Being forced to run a game-deciding play with a top talent on the sidelines because a helmet came off.

"You can’t have a game changed because a helmet came off a key player," Gundy said. "That’s not a good thing."

The intent of the rule is to get players, some of whom have grown lazy in correctly buckling helmets, to take safety seriously and wear helmets correctly, which could also prevent concussions.

The question: Will the good intent outweigh controversial side effects?

"They’re trying to get them to tighten up their helmets, which is a good rule," Gundy said. "But those kinds of things have to be taken into consideration."

Additionally, players may call for a fair catch on onside kicks this year if the ball bounces high in the air after just one bounce. If it bounces twice, it's a live ball on an onside kick as it had been previously.

Stoops says he's "fine" with that rule, and Gundy sounded less concerned about the rule change than Brown.

"I am not a big fan of the onside kick. I hold my breath whenever you do it or you’re against it, because three kids, three players on both teams are going to get blown up every time. You’re just sitting ducks. You’re standing there looking in the air and a guy’s blowing you up. If that were my kid, I wouldn’t be real fired up about that," Gundy said. "I know it’s part of football and this and that, but there’s a lot of things that go on in history of life that we change when we think it’s better."

The result for Gundy's Cowboys? He may abandon the onside kick altogether with the new rules.

"Basically that means you have to squib the ball, and if you squib the ball, your percentages go down considerably," he said. "I agree with Mack, it’s not even worth it. Why run in there and blow everybody up for a play that was probably less than 10 percent chance to get, now it’s less than three percent?"

Oklahoma prepared for Texas Tech all week as four-touchdown favorites while its rival up north, Oklahoma State, listened to critics place it on upset alert all week heading into a road matchup against Missouri.

The Sooners, you might have heard by now, lost. Oklahoma State won by three touchdowns.

Oklahoma decided to limit its media access following the loss to just one post-practice opportunity instead of the usual three. The move is reminiscent of late last season when the Sooners closed their season with two mammoth road games against Baylor and Oklahoma State and trimmed media access to a few select players.

Did Oklahoma let the confidence of others outside the locker room get in its head? Who knows? But Texas coach Mack Brown, not speaking specifically about the Sooners, says it wouldn't be the first time that's happened to a team.

Brown's wife, Sally, likes to tell him she knows nothing about football, but she's learned at least one thing over the years.

"She says about the time someone says, 'That absolutely cannot happen,' is when it happens," Brown told reporters during the weekly Big 12 coaches teleconference. "Kids sit around all week and listen to the fans. They listen to the media, and when people are talking about the other team not having a chance to win -- or you start talking about a game down the road instead of the one that week -- it is a very, very dangerous thing. That's why coaches get so paranoid about games each week. All of us have been in one of those, and when you've been in one, that's enough. That'll keep your attention for the rest of them."

Oklahoma experienced that disappointment on Saturday. Oklahoma State didn't, but Mike Gundy knows a similar performance from his team could produce a similar result.

"You try to do everything you can as a coach to stress the importance of trying to play at a high level every week," Gundy said. "The example that I've used is that we're in March Madness from Sept. 1 in college football. There are not many opportunities to slip and continue to have a chance to be there at the end of the season."

Oklahoma State is one of just eight remaining undefeated teams left, including two in the Big 12. It's the highest-ranked Big 12 team, five spots above fellow undefeated Kansas State, which hosts Oklahoma this week. The challenge ahead of the Cowboys is clear: avoid the fate Oklahoma fell victim to against Texas Tech.

"We think as a coaching staff that the greatest challenge we have now is to get them to play at a high level 12 weeks in a row," Gundy said.

Late in the second quarter of Oklahoma's 55-17 victory over Texas last weekend, Longhorns standout Fozzy Whittaker had returned a kickoff 100 yards to stifle OU's momentum and cut its lead to 27-10.

Four players later, Texas brought a big blitz to try to get to Sooners quarterback Landry Jones, whom the Horns sacked just once.

OU was ready. It had a screen play called to Jaz Reynolds. Jones dumped it off, and Reynolds caught a quick glance at the sideline.

"I looked over at Mack Brown and his hands were on his head. And he was pissed, man," Reynolds said. "That was a good feeling. I was like, Yeah, I got him."

Reynolds turned the catch into a 16-yard play to reach midfield. Two plays later, the Sooners were in the end zone and led 34-10 at halftime.

"Next thing you know, you look up and we’re scoring and it was an even better feeling," Reynolds said.

It was a great moment in a day full of them. He racked up 92 yards receiving. His six catches were a career high.

Before last season's Red River Rivalry, though, Reynolds endured a career low.

He'd already been suspended for a game for academic reasons and hadn't appeared in a game to that point, but a rabble-rousing tweet suggesting people from Austin commit suicide cost him the rest of his season, with a stern suspension from Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops.

The lesson was painful.

"I’m being watched at all times. No matter what I’m doing, somebody’s watching you," Reynolds said. "I have to be more selective in what I say and how I handle myself on and off the field to get my spot back. Kenny [Stills] came in and was playing well and Dejuan [Miller] and Trey [Franks] were playing well. It wasn’t just going to be given to me."

But Reynolds earned it. And a year after being a black eye for the team heading into its biggest rivalry, he was one of its biggest assets.

That status might only grow.

"A year ago there were quite a few more drops. He’s just been more and more consistent catching it, route running, being more competitive. Everything," Stoops said. "That’s also understandable now that he’s a junior, he’s getting older and he’s just grown in the position and he’s doing really well."

Part of that growth, both on and off the field, has been a result of working every day next to one of the best in the game.

"I think [Ryan Broyles] rubbed off on all the players in the receiver room," Stoops said. "Coach Jay Norvell does a great job coaching them, but when you’re looking at an example in Ryan and how serious he takes it, he watches tape, he understands coverages, how he’s working it, his route running. All of it. And they see how hard he works at it, so I think it’s rubbed off on all those guys."

After Saturday's game, Reynolds rejoined Twitter, while several of his teammates have ramped up their use of the site in the past year.

"You won’t hear much from me. The only time you’ll hear from me is whenever y'all interview me," Reynolds said. "Or whatever I do on the field."

Everyone heard him loud and clear on Saturday.

Here's what I'm watching for in Saturday's games.

1. Have mercy, Oklahoma. At this point, it's mostly just curiosity. It won't get any worse for Kansas this year, but I remember checking my phone on the field at the Cotton Bowl last Saturday and seeing OSU led 35-7 at the end of the first quarter. I shouldn't have been surprised. I was. Oklahoma's winning this game. The biggest question is by how much.

2. Whaddaya got, Wrecking Crew? Especially you guys at the back. There's no reason Texas A&M should be this bad defending the pass. It's a definite anomaly. The Aggies rank last nationally and are giving up 113 more yards per game through the air than in 2010, but it is second nationally in sacks. Want to prove you're not that bad? Shutting down or slowing down Baylor will do it.

3. Baylor's front seven. Meanwhile, Texas A&M is fully capable of running over just about anybody in the league, and definitely Baylor. The Bears rank 82nd nationally in rush defense, and that could mean a big day for Christine Michael and Cyrus Gray.

4. Kansas State's time of possession. Caring about this stat has gone out of style everywhere but Manhattan, it seems. The Wildcats average 35:56 a game, which is almost three full minutes more than anyone in the league. Tech, meanwhile, is one of seven Big 12 teams under the 30-minute mark. Will a win in this stat mean a win on the scoreboard?

5. Does home field matter...at all? Can the crowd in Kansas do anything to help stave off an ugly loss for the Jayhawks?

6. Which side is more desperate? Iowa State needs this game to keep its hopes of a bowl game alive. If Missouri loses, the possibility of missing the postseason becomes very real, too. Win and the Tigers may get some momentum moving forward. This is a classic case of a must-win for both sides. That usually produces great football.

7. Henry Josey. I'm guessing most of you didn't know the man who started the season as Missouri's third-string running back is leading the Big 12 in rushing. He's been outstanding. That's what happens when you average more than 10 yards a carry. Will Missouri keep handing him the ball as its other backs get back to health?

8. Texas' pass rush. There's no truth to rumors that Landry Jones consuming both a corn dog and a fried Snickers in the backfield last week, but he had enough time to do it if he wanted to. The Longhorns can't let Oklahoma State's quick-release offense do the same. Brandon Weeden must be pressured, or OSU will roll in this one easily.

9. Case McCoy and David Ash. How will the distribution between these two Texas quarterbacks look? Ash is the more physically impressive quarterback, but he made big, big mistakes against Oklahoma's experienced defense. These guys have to play well and move the ball consistently for the Horns to pull the upset.

10. OSU stays consistent? The Cowboys, outside of a game last year without Justin Blackmon, was the Big 12's most consistent team a year ago. That's been the case again this year, and OSU has won seven consecutive road games. Texas has never lost the week after the Red River Rivalry under Mack Brown, but this is likely the toughest team the Horns have seen in that 13-game stretch. Austin is generally a tough place to play, but OSU made it look easy last year. Will this year look the same?

Oklahoma Sooners

Record: 5-0 (2-0 Big 12)

Oklahoma entered 2011 as national title contenders and the prohibitive favorite for the crown. So far, the Sooners have been as advertised, even if their ranking has suffered. Tougher early schedules and impressive showings have pushed LSU and Alabama ahead of Oklahoma in the AP Poll, but the Sooners earned some early-season respect with a win against Florida State on a rowdy night in Tallahassee, and injured FSU quarterback E.J. Manuel in the process. The Sooners erased an early 14-3 deficit to Missouri and beat the Tigers by double digits two weeks before a showdown with Texas on Saturday.

That game went exactly as Oklahoma would have liked, and the Sooners showed off their best performance of the season. Much to the delight of the rest of the Big 12, Oklahoma exposed an overmatched Texas team and rolled to a 55-17 win in the Cotton Bowl, handing Mack Brown his third-worst loss at Texas.

The reigning Big 12 champions still have to host Texas A&M and travel to Kansas State and Baylor, but the real major attraction of the season's second half may come down to a possible national semifinal in Stillwater against Oklahoma State. It would be a rematch of last season's 47-41 Oklahoma win with the Big 12 South title on the line. This time, a trip to the national title game may be at stake. Will the Sooners take care of business? History suggests yes.

Offensive MVP: Landry Jones, QB. Jones has continued his development this season with a fantastic start. He's distributing the ball to a deep receiving corps and has 1,815 yards with 13 touchdowns to five picks. He's fifth nationally and second in the Big 12 in passing, and while quarterbacking the Sooners, has himself in the Heisman conversation.

Defensive MVP: Frank Alexander, DE. Alexander has a case as the Big 12's best defender through the season's first half. He's been a big playmaker, disruptive and blossoming into the player Oklahoma hoped he'd become early in his career. He already has 5.5 sacks (second in the Big 12), 7.5 tackles for loss and has broken up four passes. He's got 28 tackles and even picked off a pass against Tulsa, returning it 27 yards. He forced a second-half fumble against Texas that was returned for a touchdown, too.