Last Year: 12-1 (8-1 in Big 12), beat Stanford, 41-38, in overtime in the Fiesta Bowl.

Why: RBs Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith could end up being the best backfield tandem in the Big 12, in spite of the fact that they’re the backs on one of the most prolific passing teams in college football. Lane Taylor and Jonathan Rush are the anchors of an offensive line that only has two returning starters, but plenty of experienced players on the roster. The defense should be better for Oklahoma State this year as it tries to successfully defend its Big 12 title. The Cowboys have seven starters back on defense, including free safety Daytawion Lowe, who led the team in tackles with 97 last season. P/K Quinn Sharp is one of the best in the country and KR Justin Gilbert returns after averaging 27.0 yards per return last season. Most of OSU’s toughest Big 12 games will be played in Stillwater.

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Or, as you know them, the usual suspects.

texas is led by Mack Brown, known to some as “Mr. February” for the school’s consistently successful recruiting classes. Oklahoma and Bob Stoops are no slouches either. It’s hard to believe that as good as these two are at recruiting that they’ve only led their respective programs to one national championship each.

But you can’t win titles if you don’t have the talent, right? So maybe winning in February isn’t such a bad thing after all.

The Big 12 is still in transition. The conference isn’t even sure if West Virginia will be joining for the 2012 football season, although the Mountaineers and the conference really want it to happen. Rare is the day when a BCS conference is at the mercy of the Big East, but that’s where we’re at right now in regard to that issue.

Last year was a big year for Baylor, which happens about once every 20 years or so. The Heisman Trophy campaign of Robert Griffin III stole headlines. But let’s not forget that Oklahoma won the conference and that texas finished the season strong after spending most of the year playing young players at key positions.

And the Bears enjoyed a nice bounce because of that. But let’s not forget who usually dominates this league.

Burnt Orange and crimson and cream.  The usual suspects.

So who won and who lost? Find out after the jump.

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Should Robert Griffin III go pro? He'll answer that question before Jan. 15.

It might seem that everyone believes that Robert Griffin III will go to the NFL. It’s just a matter of his announcing it. If his father is to be believed, RGIII may already be looking at agents. But with no formal announcement yet, there’s still room for debate – should Robert Griffin III go pro?

Remember, it’s not always an easy decision, and college athletes have surprised us lately. USC’s Matt Barkley did so last week. Stanford’s Andrew Luck did so around this time last year, choosing to stay at Stanford for at least one more year. Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden could have jumped last year but stayed. It appears Oklahoma’s Landry Jones will stay at Oklahoma one more year. Former Sooner Sam Bradford eschewed the NFL for one year. And then there’s the gold standard, former texas back Ricky Williams.

It used to be that going “hardship” was only something juniors did when it was absolutely necessary (for instance, you family needs the money). Now, juniors just do it to do it, it seems. I don’t usually agree with leaving early. I think there’s more to learn in college. Juniors that stay that extra year get that extra year of maturity, especially physically. Sure, there are risks physically, but overall I think a full education is worth it.

So should Robert Griffin III go pro? To me, there are three reasons why a college player chooses to stay. Where does Griffin stack up? Find out after the jump.

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First, let me apologize for my absence. I’ve been on vacation the past two weeks, mixing sports (Stanford and California games) and leisure (four days in beautiful Cabo San Lucas). When I returned on Friday, my Top 25 – at least the Top 10 – was pretty much how I left it.

But that changed Saturday night. I’m not sure what surprised me more – how Wisconsin lost or that Oklahoma lost at all.

The Sooners have been my No. 1 team since the preseason and I’ve been steadfast in my devotion to the Crimson and Cream. But the texas Tech Red Raiders went into Norman, OK, and defeated the Sooners, 41-38. It was the Sooners’ first home loss in 39 games. And if you look at the box score, how the Sooners lost seems mysterious. I mean, QB Landry Jones had 412 yards passing and 5 touchdowns. But then you look at texas Tech QB Seth Doege’s numbers – 441 yards passing and 4 touchdowns – and you get the picture. This was Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday facing off against the Clanton Brothers at the OK Corral. Someone was going to lose. It just turned out to be Oklahoma.

Does this loss destroy Oklahoma’s BCS Championship game hopes? Not necessarily, though the Sooners can’t lose another game and must hope that both LSU and Alabama lose someone along the way, the latter of which seems unlikely.

But then I thought Oklahoma and Wisconsin both having a loss after Saturday being unlikely, too. The Badgers went down to East Lansing and played what looked to be a solid game. QB Russell Wilson wasn’t spectacular, but he and his running backs, Montee Ball and James White, had done enough to give the Badgers a shot at overtime.

Then Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins threw what may now be the most famous pass in Michigan State history, a 44-yard Hail Mary to Keith Nichol as time expired. I missed it because I was watching my texas Rangers get drilled by the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 3 of the World Series. And now that I’ve seen the replay, I’m still not quite sure Nichol got across the goal line. But that’s the call and the Badgers have to live with another season lost.

So, the losses of my Nos. 1 and 6 teams from my last poll after Week 5 necessitates some shifting around.

So, without further ado, My PigskinU.com Top 25 poll after Week 8:

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September doesn’t define much. It helps pad bowl eligibility and wallets. October is about starting the process of winnowing down the field for the BCS National Championship game. And on the first day of October of this season, that process starts with a buffet of big games.

On Saturday there will be five games that will feature undefeated teams playing one another.

But Nebraska at Wisconsin looms largest.

This game is huge and it’s perfect for prime time. It’s the Big Ten opener for both teams. For Nebraska the game is its first Big Ten game ever. What a way to start. The conference could have chosen to start the Cornhuskers with a patsy like Minnesota. Instead it drew a road trip to Camp Randall. Continue Reading…

Another slow start by Dayne Crist and Notre Dame has everyone experiencing preseason hype remorse.

Matthew Postins files The Walkthrough twice a week during the season at PigskinU.com. Early in the week, it’s a wrap-up of last weekend’s action. Late in the week, it’s a preview of what’s coming up that weekend. And it call comes with news, commentary and Postins’ dry wit and opinion.

I, like most of you, are guilty of buying into the Notre Dame hype — again. The Irish won four games in a row to end last season and put us all on notice that they were on the way back under Brian Kelly. But the road to being “back” is much harder than it looks. The Irish have lost their first two games of the season by a combined seven points to a plucky South Florida outfit and a Michigan team trying to reclaim its own tradition as a legitimate national power.

One could say that “Hey, the Irish are actually pretty close. They only lost each game by a field goal.” Sure, you could say that. But these were two games the Irish legitimately had a chance to win, and two games that I felt they should have won. Certainly the South Florida game. Plus, there’s the way the Irish lost the Michigan game, up 24-7 and then squandering that lead to the Wolverines. Ugly.

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If you’ve read PigskinU.com this year, you know I’m a fan of the chances of Oklahoma State University winning the Big 12 title for the first time. So, I checked out the Cowboys during their season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette at Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday.

The Cowboys produced 666 yards in total offense as they dominated the Ragin’ Cajuns, 61-34. After watching it in person, Oklahoma State leaves me with few questions about their ability to contend in the Big 12 and in the BCS National Championship game chase.

First, there’s the defense. Yes, we talk quite a bit about the Cowboys’ offense. But it looks like their defense is just as good. They frustrated QB Blaine Gautier all night, goading him into mistakes, when he wasn’t being sacked or knocked to the ground. The Cowboys knocked him out of the game twice and he was lucky to stay upright. Louisiana-Lafayette couldn’t muster an offensive touchdown until the fourth quarter. In fact, their first two touchdowns came off OSU mistakes. Both were interception returns for touchdowns.

The Ragin’ Cajuns racked up 320 yards in total offense, but a good portion of it came in the fourth quarter after the Cowboys sat their starters. Louisiana-Lafayette also gained just 2.9 yards on the ground, forcing them into second-and-long and third-and-long against OSU, which is never a good recipe in a game where you’re overmatched to begin with.

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This game was first set for Nov. 26, but Big 12 officials wisely recognized the potential significant of this game and moved “The Bedlam Bowl” to the same weekend as the conference championship games.

This contest could have the same impact on the BCS bowl pecking order.

When I look at Oklahoma and Oklahoma State’s schedules, I see a pair of teams with undefeated potential after 11 games. OU’s toughest non-conference game will be Florida State on Sept. 17, and it won’t be easy. OSU’s non-conference schedule is cake, frankly. They both have to face every Big 12 team this year, opposed to last year’s divisional format. That means they’ll both have to play Missouri, and the Sooners can tell Oklahoma State all about how tough the Tigers were in 2010. Missouri beat Oklahoma in 2010 and perhaps kept the Sooners out of the BCS title game.

My point is this – both OU and OSU are good enough to beat every team on their schedule, and if that’s the case when these teams meet on Dec. 3, the winner could find itself in the BCS National Championship Game.

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Justin Blackmon should have plenty of reasons to stay in the Heisman race in 2011.

PigskinU.com is using the off days of summer to highlight the 10 players it feels will be major players in the Heisman Trophy race in 2011. This series will appear periodically at PigskinU.com’s Just Sayin’ blog, so check back frequently before fall practices begin.

Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

2010 Statistics: 12 games, 111 receptions, 1,782 yards, 16.1 yards per catch, 20 touchdowns, 148.5 yards per game.

Last year’s Heisman? Blackmon was fifth in voting last year.

Why him? If you’re looking for a receiver who has the best chance to win a Heisman in 2011, look no further than Blackmon, who had a beast of a season in 2010 and has all of the tools around him to do it again in 2011. Blackmon’s quarterback, Brandon Weeden is back. Despite the departure of offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, the Cowboys are smartly going to keep the same offensive scheme this season. Then there’s Blackmon himself. At 6-foot-1, 211 pounds, he has the size and strength to deal with any cornerback the Big 12 has to throw at him. Plus, the Cowboys put together a creampuff non-conference schedule that should allow Blackmon to put up some gaudy numbers to kick off his drive for the Heisman. Aside from texas A&M and Oklahoma, Blackmon should have no trouble with the rest of the conference. He’s easily one of the Top 10 Heisman Candidates of 2011.

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Kellen Moore has plenty of upside as a potential Heisman candidate in 2011.

PigskinU.com is highlighting the 10 players it feels will be major players in the Heisman Trophy race in 2011. This series will appear periodically at PigskinU.com’s Just Sayin’ blog.

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

2010 Statistics: 13 games, 182.6 quarterback efficiency rating, 273-of-383 for 3,845 yards, 35 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 71.3 completion percentage, 295.8 yards per game passing.

Last year’s Heisman? Moore was fourth in Heisman voting.

Why him? Don’t you love underdogs? Of course you do. This is America. And we love underdogs even more when they’re incredibly talented like one of our Top 10 Heisman Candidates in 2011, Kellen Moore. While Andrew Luck has the big-school pedigree, Moore has the small-school, outsider pluck that goes with leading Boise State the last three years. But unlike most small-school QBs, he’s cultivated a respected national reputation that may earn him points if the Broncos end up undefeated. He has a tremendous number of positives. On the field, he’s one of the nation’s most efficient quarterbacks. He rarely throws interceptions (just six a year ago). He leads his team with unquestioned alacrity. Off the field, Moore appears to be as humble and as focused as they come. Face it – voters for awards like these enjoy voting for guys that seem as if they came by their success the right way.

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