Texas Longhorns

AUSTIN, Texas -- At a time when a team, even a young one like Texas, should be hitting its stride, the Longhorns (12-5, 2-2) are hitting the wall.

And to make matters worse, the players are not hitting shots. Or even taking the right ones for that matter.

In the last three games, the Texas offense has averaged 64 points per game -- 12 below its average -- shot 33 percent in the first halves and started games glacially slow -- averaging just 13 points in the first 10 minutes of each game. The staggering thing is, twice Texas got away with such poor offensive play in large part because of how bad Texas A&M and Oklahoma State were, and because of the Texas defense.

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In this week's edition, Recruiting Nation gets the latest updates on No. 1 prospect Mario Edwards. We also look ahead to national signing day to see what schools could be making big strides.

Take a listen.

This was a fun post to visit last year, and we're rounding up the best in-game atmospheres of 2011. It's a question I'm asked very, very often, so here's a list of the five best to clear it up.

Just like last year, to be fair, I can't weigh in on games I didn't attend this year, so you can find the list of games I did attend at the bottom of this post.

As an added bonus, below the list, I've linked all our coverage from every game in the post, so you can go back and reminisce on a memorable season.

For a second consecutive season, a Kyle Field crowd tops the best atmosphere list. To be honest, this was a bit of a weak year when it came to atmospheres. Last year was much more memorable. That said, there were some classics.

1. Texas A&M vs. Texas at Kyle Field: So, yeah, maybe we could have predicted this one back in September, but the Thanksgiving night crowd lived up to the hype. They filled the stadium early and were loud from start to finish. Well, until close to the finish. After Texas' Justin Tucker won the game on a 40-yard field goal, the Texas sideline mobbed him in relative silence. There was only a small contingent of burnt orange that made the trip to College Station, but the atmosphere was by far the Big 12's best. Of all the games and atmospheres on this list, it's probably the only one I'll never forget. Compare that with last year, which had three I'd classify in that category.

2. Oklahoma vs. Texas at the Cotton Bowl: The 50-50 split wasn't deterred by the 11 a.m. kickoff at the State Fair. This game was the only one on the list that had ESPN's "College Gameday" in town, and former Sooners star Blake Griffin showed up on the sidelines to share his picks with Kirk, Lee and Desmond. The Texas fans had emptied out by the end of the 55-17 laugher, but this battle of then-undefeated teams was a fun one.

3. Oklahoma at Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium: This Bedlam didn't have the national title implications it looked like it might early on, but the Cowboys fans who came got a therapeutic experience. What's it like to take out a decade of frustration by embarrassing your rival on your home field to win your first league title in your current conference? Four hours of fun, capped by storming the field to celebrate.

4. Kansas State vs. Arkansas at Cowboys Stadium: These fans showed up early and were constantly loud, providing the best atmosphere of the bowls and one of the best of the entire season. The 19 decks of Cowboys Stadium were about 80 percent full an hour before the primetime matchup, and they provided a second consecutive year of a great atmosphere for the Cotton Bowl. Apparently, LSU fans aren't the only ones who can be loud. Both fan bases toted big travel parties, and it showed.

5. Oklahoma State vs. Stanford at University of Phoenix Stadium: Same story here. This wasn't as packed as the Cotton Bowl, but it was almost full, and the thriller only amplified the noise late. The Oklahoma State exploded when Jordan Williamson yanked a 35-yard game-winning field goal to extend the Cowboys' season and open the window for the eventual 41-38 win.

Call this post a double whammy. Not only is it the best atmospheres, it can also serve as sort of a gameday yearbook. You ought to bookmark this one. All the pregame videos, all the in-game posts and instant analysis and all my gameday columns (you may need to scroll down a bit on some of the links to find the columns) in one place.

Week 1: TCU at Baylor; SMU at Texas A&M

Week 2: Arizona at Oklahoma State; BYU at Texas

Week 4: Oklahoma State at Texas A&M

Week 5: Texas A&M vs. Arkansas at Cowboys Stadium

Week 6: Oklahoma vs. Texas at the Cotton Bowl

Week 7: Baylor at Texas A&M

Week 9: Baylor at Oklahoma State

Week 10: Kansas State at Oklahoma State

Week 11: Oklahoma State at Texas Tech

Week 12: Oklahoma at Baylor

Week 13: Texas at Texas A&M

Week 14: Oklahoma at Oklahoma State

Bowls: Oklahoma State vs. Stanford at the Fiesta Bowl; Kansas State vs. Arkansas at Cowboys Stadium in the Cotton Bowl.

The ESPN HS Great State Debate continues with a look at states that are producing the best college quarterbacks.

With names like Darron Thomas, Andrew Luck and Case Keenum in the mix, it's no surprise that Texas is doing well.

As part of today's package, Mark Schlabach looks at how Alabama has succeeded with in-state talent. He also looks at the pressure of in-state recruiting and the importance of signing big names within the state.

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Eighteen players from the Big 12 will be on the Senior Bowl roster, set for Jan. 28.

Texas A&M earned the most roster spots in the Big 12, with five, though quarterback Ryan Tannehill and cornerback Coryell Judie will miss the game with injuries.

Texas A&M (3)

• Randy Bullock, K
• Cyrus Gray, RB
• Jeff Fuller, WR

Oklahoma State (3)

• Levy Adcock, OT
• Markelle Martin, S
• Brandon Weeden, QB

Texas (3)

• Keenan Robinson, LB
• Emmanuel Acho, LB
• Kheeston Randall, DT

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Sunday was the final deadline for players to enter the NFL Draft, so here's a look at who's in and who's out for 2012.

Leaving early for the NFL:

Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State: Blackmon's decision was mostly a formality all season. Coach Mike Gundy intimated several times that he expected Blackmon, who held a dramatic news conference before the 2011 season, to leave and advised him to do so. Blackmon went through Senior Day festivities as a junior, and made it "official," I suppose, right after the Fiesta Bowl, announcing his intentions in a postgame interview.

Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor: Griffin's stock skyrocketed faster and more dramatically than anyone in the draft over the last half of the season, and after winning the Heisman Trophy and the Alamo Bowl, Griffin said he felt it was time to go. He's right. He said he felt like he needed to go after breaking down in the locker room after the bowl win, and he'll leave the Big 12 as one of the league's all-time greats. Both Blackmon and Griffin are projected as top 10 picks easily. Both could realistically go in the top five.

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HornsNation recruiting writer William Wilkerson will be chatting on Tuesday at 2 p.m. CT.

Stop by to talk about the Longhorns' 2012 recruiting class, their chances of landing any of the top remainng talent and much more.

If you have questions, submit them here.

As we get ready for Monday's showdown in Lawrence between Baylor and Kansas, here are this week’s Big 12 power rankings:

1. Baylor: The Bears aren’t just talented. They’re tough. Three of Baylor’s last six wins have come by two points. Freshman Quincy Miller is beginning to find his groove for a team that scored 106 points in Saturday’s win over Oklahoma State. Monday’s matchup with Kansas at the Phog may be the most anticipated game of the Big 12 season.

2. Kansas: Tyshawn Taylor scored 28 points in Saturday’s come-from-behind victory against Iowa State at Allen Fieldhouse, where Kansas has won 84 of its past 85 games. As good as Taylor and forward Thomas Robinson have been, the Jayhawks won’t beat Baylor unless complementary players such as Travis Releford, Jeff Withey and Elijah Johnson step up.

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ESPN HS presents the Great State Debate looking at where the best quarterbacks are grown.

For this Great State Debate, ESPNHS has narrowed the field to the final five, researched the numbers and made a case for each state, but this is a debate nobody can argue better than the football fans who hail from the homes of the sport's greatest quarterbacks.

Texas joins Alabama, California, Ohio and Pennsylvania in the debate.

Why will Texas win?

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Joe Lunardi's latest bracketology is out. Despite dropping two conference games, the Longhorns are still in the Big Dance. Lunardi has Texas as a 10 seed facing No. 7 Murray State in the Greensboro Region.

Here's the full bracket.

For more, here's Lunardi's bracket odds and rundown.