Texas Longhorns

Turnover is an annual tradition in college football, but with that, teams' strengths and weaknesses constantly shift, too. Today, we'll continue our look at the biggest strengths and weaknesses for each Big 12 team.

Next up: Texas.

Strongest position: Running backs

You simply could not ask for anything more from one position, and I might make the case that this is the strongest unit in the Big 12 in terms of pure skill. The Longhorns lost D.J. Monroe from this unit last year, but they run four deep and each brings something special to the table. Johnathan Gray has the best balance of the quartet, and the rising sophomore looks like a favorite to win the starting job on the back of his strong first step. The starting position is a bit pointless ultimately, considering all four will get touches, especially Malcolm Brown, a balanced back with a great feel for space between the tackles who leans a bit more toward being a power runner.

The other two backs are pure specialty, but every backfield can use those. Joe Bergeron is a 240-pound bowling ball who rolled his way to 16 touchdowns a year ago, more than anyone else in the Big 12 except Collin Klein, who finished third in the Heisman voting. On the other end of the spectrum is Daje Johnson, a sophomore speedster who averaged 11.5 yards a touch last season. He had touchdown runs of 45 yards (New Mexico) and 84 yards (Baylor) that showcased his speed. This is a solid group with elite talent and tons of depth and versatility. Texas has recruited running backs so well lately, and it's showing up on the field. What more could you ask for?

Weakest position: Specialists

Texas has solid talent in the return game with Quandre Diggs and Jaxon Shipley, but the kicking game was a disaster last season and the Longhorns are trying to find an answer at punter to fill in for Alex King, who graduated after averaging better than 45 yards a kick on his 43 punts last year. The big problem that carried over from last season is at place-kicker. Texas finished last season just 11-of-19 on field goals, tied for the worst mark in the Big 12 and 107th nationally.

Penn State transfer Anthony Fera was the biggest hope at the position, but he was nagged with a persistent groin injury and has been working mostly at punter this spring after making 2-of-4 field goals last year. Freshman Nick Jordan made 9-of-15 kicks last season and has to be better to hold onto his spot.

Texas has recruited well all over the field and doesn't lose much from last year's team, but when I survey the depth chart, kicker and punter are clearly the biggest weaknesses for the Longhorns. The players currently on the roster are long on potential but short on real accomplishments.

More Weak and Strong.

AUSTIN, Texas -- There was a time when Collin Klein was average.

Actually, he was slightly below average, a reserve even. One deftly deployed to beat an awful Texas team in 2010, but a reserve just the same.

That year Klein was a sophomore. Two years later his team is in the Fiesta Bowl, largely because of that one-time reserve.

In his second year in the program, Alabama’s AJ McCarron held on extra points. Florida State’s EJ Manuel had two starts his sophomore season, a win and a loss. Jordan Lynch, the Northern Illinois quarterback who was No. 3 nationally in total yards per game in 2012, was a backup as a sophomore.

Half of the quarterbacks in this year’s BCS games either didn’t play or were reserves in their second year in their current program. The other half is all in their second year. But of the latter group only Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota have better pass efficiency ratings that Texas’ David Ash in 2012. It’s a compelling argument that Ash, Texas’ second-year quarterback, is far from being off the rails.

Still, obviously, the sophomore wasn’t on track against Oklahoma, Kansas or TCU. Excuses can be found and fingers pointed, but ultimately Ash failed -- something he will readily admit -- to perform to his potential in those games. But that he flourished in so many others, particularly the last, in addition to the unavoidable conclusion that experience matters, should allow for those in the foam finger crowd to have a modicum of hope.

The point is, Ash is learning and the pace is not all that unnatural. In fact, it’s been at breakneck speed. True there are others, Mariota, Bridgewater and Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel, who have been better quarterbacks given the same amount of time within their respective programs. They have also had better offensive minds and systems around them.

Ash had a play-caller clearly trying to find his way and his identity in a BCS conference after swimming for oh so long in the guppy waters of the far west.

Already the impact of having Major Applewhite as the quarterbacks coach appears to have taken hold of Ash. After starting poorly and ending worse in the three aforementioned games, Ash was able to turn things around against Oregon State in the fourth instead of watching from the bench. That maturity was not present at any other point this season.

That finish, while maybe not finishing off all the quarterback controversy talk this offseason, at least closed the valve a bit. There may be a leak here and there, but by and large, the belief is that Ash has now shown the ability to get the job done.

He also might have the experience necessary. To start the 2013 season, Ash will be the highest rated returning starter in the Big 12 unless J.W. Walsh is selected as the starter at Oklahoma State. He will also be the winningest and most experienced quarterback in the Big 12. All of which is a long way from average.

Colleague Phil Steele checked in with our ESPN Insider folks for a look at all 70 bowl teams ... in 2013.

What can they all expect next season? You'll need Insider to see his full comments, but he weighed in on the nine Big 12 bowl teams.

Baylor's stock: Down

My take: I'd lean more toward even for the Bears. They're losing Nick Florence and Terrance Williams, but Tevin Reese is a strong candidate to continue the receiver tradition at Baylor under Art Briles, and Lache Seastrunk might end up being the Big 12's best back next year. Don't be surprised if new QB Bryce Petty is even better than Florence. It's very easy for me to see Baylor winning seven (or more) games next year, and once again, it's hard to see the defense getting worse.

WVU's stock: Even

My take: The record might be the same (7-5) next year, but I would lean toward trending down for WVU, just because it won't have the upside or potential of this year's team. WVU was good enough to win 9-11 games this year, but with a new QB, no Tavon Austin and no Stedman Bailey, it's tough to see next year's team being able to make that claim.

Texas' stock: Up

My take: How up depends on David Ash's development, once again. When he played well early in the season, Texas looked like it could beat a whole lot of teams. When he struggled against KU and Oklahoma, Texas didn't look like it could beat anyone. The defense can't be any worse.

TCU's stock: Up

My take: Way, way, up. Maybe more up than any team in the country. TCU was 70 percent freshmen and sophomore this year and still managed to go 7-5. It has tons of talent on both sides of the ball, and running back Aaron Green, a blue-chip transfer from Nebraska, will be on the field. Quarterback Casey Pachall may return, too. Big 12 title contenders.

Iowa State's stock: Even

My take: I'd agree. Sam Richardson showed some promise, but I don't know if I see a true impact player there. ISU still has to improve its skill position talent in a big way to truly make the jump from fringe bowl team.

Oklahoma State's stock: Up

My take: Other than TCU or Texas, no Big 12 team's stock should be more up next year. OSU can absorb the loss of Joseph Randle if he leaves, and if he stays, OSU will likely have the Big 12's best offense with a good O-line, maturing QBs and experienced backs. They'll go from seven wins to a Big 12 title contender.

KSU's stock: Down

My take: Agreed here. It's pretty simple. This is a very, very experienced team with two huge talents in Collin Klein and Arthur Brown that will be difficult to replace. K-State has a lot of potential at QB in Daniel Sams and juco commit Jake Waters, but Chris Harper will be gone, too. John Hubert and Tramaine Thompson will have to play big, and the offensive line will have to lead the way.

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- What was being billed as the biggest home game in Kansas State history turned into the biggest Wildcat home win in history. Faced with the opportunity to win a conference title for only the third time in school history, make it to a BCS bowl game and quite possible push their senior leader, Collin Klein, to the front of the Heisman line, Kansas State at least delivered on the first two with its 42-24 win over Texas. As for the Heisman, that will have to wait. Despite the win, the the odds of grabbing the school's first remain quite long.

It was over when: Kansas State wide receiver Tyler Lockett grabbed a 55-yard touchdown pass to start the fourth quarter and put the Wildcats up 28-17. The play-action pass was set up by the Wildcats' previous drive in which Klein kept the ball on the ground for the majority of the 67-yard drive.

Stat of the game: After being held to just 114 yards in the first half and Klein being largely pedestrian, KSU scored the first three times it touched the ball in the second half. Kansas State put scoring drives of 75, 67 and 55 yards together to pull away from Texas.

Stat of the game, part 2: Texas quarterback Case McCoy completed 17 straight passes after starting the game with an incompletion and an interception. Texas has not had a quarterback complete 17 straight since Case's brother, Colt, did it. Colt McCoy holds the record for completions with 18 straight.

Game ball goes to: Although Klein did not put up the stats necessary to wow Heisman voters, his senior leadership steadied KSU in the second half and his command of the offense allowed the Wildcats to pull away. Klein was 4-of-10 passing for 72 yards with an interception in the first half, adding 19 yards rushing and a touchdown. Klein came out and rushed for 54 yards in the third quarter alone and was 3-of-3 passing for 57 yards in that quarter.

What it means for Texas: The Longhorns appear to be entrenched in the Cotton Bowl. Texas will finish third in the Bg 12 behind Kansas State and Oklahoma. Both those teams should go to BCS bowls, leaving Texas as the clear choice for the Cotton Bowl. Texas' likely opponent is LSU, but there is a scenario that would allow Georgia to come to the Cotton Bowl.

What it means for KSU: For only the third time in school history the Wildcats have won a conference title, with the most recent coming in 2003. The other occasion was 1934. While Klein did not do himself any favors in Heisman voting, the team did wrap up a bid to the Fiesta Bowl.

Collin Klein might get all the hype, but the Kansas State skill players who surround him will get plenty of attention from Texas’ defense this week.

One of the most dangerous members of that group is a Texas native who didn’t get much attention coming out of high school: John Hubert.

The Wildcats got a steal in Hubert, a junior running back who was ranked No. 182 among running back prospects in 2009 by ESPN. The recruiting rankings weren’t alone in overlooking him.

He rushed for more than 2,800 yards and 41 touchdowns as a senior at Waco (Texas) Midway. You’d think that would be enough to put him on several in-state schools’ radar. Instead, the closest offer close to home came from North Texas.

Hubert ended up picking KSU over Idaho State, Louisiana Tech, North Texas and Montana State. Other Big 12 schools, including hometown school Baylor, gave him a look but didn’t bite.

At 5-foot-7 and 191 pounds, Hubert was an easy one to pass up. Last season, he should’ve been relegated to a minor role behind five-star transfer Bryce Brown. But the former No. 8 overall recruit and Philadelphia Eagles back left KSU after three carries in two games.

(Read full post)

AUSTIN, Texas -- Alex Okafor remains unconvinced.

Well, sort of unconvinced. A few weeks ago, when the rushing yards were piling up faster than people could pile on the Texas defense, the senior defensive end came out and said he had "zero confidence" in the run defense.

Then Texas went out and gave up 176 yards to James Sims of Kansas. It was the fifth straight week Texas had allowed an opposing player to have a career-high rushing day. Welcome to the land of less than zero. That is not some sort of nod to Bret Easton Ellis. It’s a shake of the head at the Texas defense -- by its own players nonetheless.

But there was more football to be played and more opponents to be stopped. And lo and behold, Texas has been able to do just that. In the past two weeks, against teams that are not exactly juggernauts when it comes to running the ball, mind you, Texas has only allowed a total of 256 yards.

Given that there were single games where Texas allowed a higher total and that a backup running back once eclipsed the 200-yard mark on his own, this can be seen as progress. Even in Okafor’s eyes.

"I'm slowly gaining confidence," he said. "We are getting better game by game. We still have a long way to go. But slowly but surely, we are getting better at the run defense."

(Read full post)

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas has so many issues in so many facets of the game it is hard to know where to begin.

Or if you happen to be a Texas fan, if it will ever end.

But of all the stats, and there are reams, the most startling might just be this provided by the crack researchers at ESPN Stats & Info: If Texas makes it to a bowl game -- while the last two games have not been good, that is a pretty safe assumption -- the Longhorns are on pace to allow 5,846 yards this season. That would break the program record for most yards allowed in a season by more than 1,000. Texas gave up 4,825 yards in 2007.

The assumption would be that since Texas has played the meat of the schedule in terms of offensive juggernauts, there might be a chance that Texas does not break the aforementioned dubious record.

But there are still a few teams who can move the ball up ahead. Baylor, which had a down day against TCU and only scored 21, scored 63 against West Virginia. Remember that’s a defense that Texas’ offense only scored 38 against. (Seven came via fumble recovery.)

Texas has to go on the road to Lubbock and Texas Tech just put 49 on the Mountaineers.

(Read full post)

» Power Rankings: ACC | Big 12 | Big East | Big Ten | Pac-10 | SEC | Non-AQ

The Big 12 power rankings are heavily influenced by what each team did in the previous week, and aren't necessarily a reflection of the Big 12 standings.

Think of it this way: As of right now, this is how well each Big 12 team is playing. Here's how I slot it to begin the season:

1. Oklahoma: The Sooners have an awkward opener, kicking things off on the road out in the desert against UTEP at 10:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. Still, we'll get a first look at a revamped offensive line and the new, young receivers Landry Jones will be throwing to all season. Look out for a coming out party from Trey Metoyer, the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year.

2. West Virginia: West Virginia plays Saturday's first game, kicking off against in-state rival Marshall at noon. The Big 12 newcomers have all the offense they need, but what will the pass rush look like with new defensive coordinators Joe DeForest and Keith Patterson?

3. Kansas State: K-State opens with Missouri State on Saturday night, with Collin Klein's revamped arm on display after an offseason of development. Everyone's watching that. What they should be watching? How does the offensive line look after replacing three starters?

4. Texas: The Longhorns settled on David Ash at quarterback, but the season opener Saturday night against Wyoming on the Longhorn Network. The defense will be fiendishly fun to watch this year, but how much better is Ash? We'll get somewhat of a feel in this one.

5. TCU: Oh, you poor Frogs. TCU is officially a Big 12 member, but has to sit and watch all Saturday as the rest of the Big 12 opens their respective seasons. It gives Amon G. Carter Stadium one more week to prepare for the debut of its facelift, but by the time it does next week against Grambling, 13 Big 12 games will have been completed.

6. Oklahoma State: The defending Big 12 champs are the sixth team in the mix for a Big 12 title in 2012, but their hopes rest on the 18-year-old shoulders of Wes Lunt, a true freshman we haven't heard much out of all summer or fall camp. The Pokes don't know who his top target will be just yet, but the defense that supports the offense should be improved from 2011. We'll see them open up against the poor saps at Savannah State (yuck) on Saturday night.

7. Baylor: The post-RG3 era doesn't officially kick off until Sunday, when Nick Florence takes a snap against Baylor's old Southwest Conference rival, SMU. Last year's opener against TCU proved to be one of the most memorable games of the season. Florence and receivers Terrance Williams and Tevin Reese have the firepower to outgun the Mustangs in a shootout. Hyped transfer Lache Seastrunk will make his long-awaited debut after coming back home from Oregon.

8. Texas Tech: Tech opens against Northwestern State on Saturday night. That's no big challenge. Staying healthy could be after two injury-riddled years to start the Tommy Tuberville Era. Keep an eye on how running back Eric Stephens looks after returning from a catastrophic knee injury last season.

9. Iowa State: The Cyclones should be challenged in their 3:30 p.m. visit fron Tulsa. Steele Jantz quarterbacked ISU to three fourth-quarter comebacks to open last season, and he may need another one. Paul Rhoads' Cyclones are a slight underdog in this windy weather showdown.

10. Kansas: Kansas' last coach, Turner Gill, opened with a disastrous 6-3 loss against FCS outfit North Dakota State two years ago. This time, Charlie Weis takes on South Dakota State. He's got a better team. Expect a better result Saturday for the former Notre Dame coach and a former Irish quarterback, Dayne Crist.

I saw colleague Heather Dinich's look at the longest 1,000-yard rusher droughts in the ACC earlier this week, and got curious: What about the Big 12 droughts?

No big surprise, Texas Tech leads the way by a long, long time.

Florida State has the nation's longest 1,000-yard rusher drought (Warrick Dunn, 1996), but Tech is only two years behind.

The Big 12 had just three 1,000-yard rushers last year among teams that return for 2012, but every other team in the Big 12 has had at least one 1,000-yard rusher since 2007.

The last team to have two 1,000-yard rushers? Oklahoma's record-setting offense in 2008, which scored more points than anyone in college football history. DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown both topped quadruple digits.

The Big 12 is known for its passing acumen, and perhaps no one is synonymous with that than Texas Tech. Last year, Eric Stephens was well on his way to a 1,000-yard season before dislocating his knee, among other damage.

Here's how long each team's drought has been:

No drought

• Texas: Jamaal Charles, 2007: 1,619 yards
• Kansas: Brandon McAnderson, 2007: 1,135 yards

• Texas Tech: Ricky Williams, 1998: 1,582 yards