Middle Earth

2009 ALL-BIG 12 FOOTBALL INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Coach of the Year Mack Brown, Texas

Offensive Lineman of the Year Russell Okung, Oklahoma State

Defensive Lineman of the Year Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska

Offensive Freshman of the Year Christine Michael, Texas A&M

Defensive Freshman of the Year Aldon Smith, Missouri

Special Teams Player of the Year Brandon Banks, Kansas State

Defensive Newcomer of the Year David Sims, Iowa State

Offensive Newcomer of the Year Daniel Thomas, Kansas State

Defensive Player of the Year Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska

Offensive Player of the Year Colt McCoy, Texas

2009 ALL-BIG 12 FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM

Offense

Pos. Player School Class

QB Colt McCoy Texas Sr.

RB Daniel Thomas Kansas State Jr.

RB Keith Toston Oklahoma State Sr.

FB Bryant Ward Oklahoma State Jr.

WR Jordan Shipley Texas Sr.

WR Danario Alexander Missouri Sr.

WR Dezmon Briscoe Kansas Jr.

TE Jeron Mastrud Kansas State Sr.

OL Russell Okung Oklahoma State Sr.

OL Trent Williams Oklahoma Sr.

OL Nick Stringer Kansas State Sr.

OL Brandon Carter Texas Tech Sr.

OL Nate Solder Colorado Jr.

PK Grant Ressel Missouri So.

KR/PR Brandon Banks Kansas State Sr.

Defense

DL Ndamukong Suh Nebraska Sr.

DL Gerald McCoy Oklahoma Jr.

DL Von Miller Texas A&M Jr.

DL Brandon Sharpe Texas Tech Sr.

DL Jared Crick Nebraska So.

LB Sean Weatherspoon Missouri Sr.

LB Jesse Smith Iowa State Sr.

LB Travis Lewis Oklahoma So.

DB Earl Thomas Texas So.

DB Perrish Cox Oklahoma State Sr.

DB Dominique Franks Oklahoma Jr.

DB Prince Amukamara Nebraska Jr.

DB Larry Asante Nebraska Sr.

P Derek Epperson Baylor Jr.

2008 record: 5-7 overall, 2-6 Big 12 Conference

2009 projection: Coach Dan Hawkins says 10 wins. I say seven or eight. Every game in the Big 12 North is winnable, but I'd expect only one win against the top three.

Reason to get excited: New run-oriented offense will take the pressure off Cody Hawkins to move the ball in the spread offense and control the game clock.

Reason not to get worked up: They decided to implement the power run game after spring practice, so expect them to be a little wet behind the ears -- not good for an offense trying to bounce back from being the Big 12's worst a year ago.

The gist: A lot went wrong for Colorado last season, from injuries to inconsistencies to occasional hard luck. After all, they had a bowl appearance in their teeth until this happened:



Things look a little better this season. The running backs Darrell Scott and fellow sophomore Rodney Stewart, who led the Buffs in rushing last year, are one of the strongest components of the team, and have a respectable offensive line to work behind. Conversely, junior Cody Hawkins is an experienced quarterback who won't get much help from a young group of wide receivers that ranks among the worst in the Big 12. Unless the new recruits at wideout can step up, Hawkins may be in for a frustrating season.

The defense won't take any steps backwards after last season and is probably the stronger of the two units, despite Dan Hawkins' reputation as an offensive genius. There's no shortage of potential starters at linebacker, led by senior Jeff Smart, and cornerbacks Jimmy Smith and Cha'pelle Brown star in a secondary that can hold its own against most of the Big 12. The D is also prepped to operate out of 3-4 as well as 4-3, which will help keep opposing offenses on their toes. A lot is riding on how much and how fast CU's freshman can contribute.

Rallying point: Scott. His coaches are expecting him to break out as a sophomore.

Cover your eyes: If that 10-win marker starts to fall out of reach. The problem with setting a goal as lofty and finite as 10 wins is this: if you place too much importance on it, and then you lose a couple early games or find out 10 wins is either unrealistic or mathematically impossible, you might be poised for a big letdown.

For what it's worth: I like the idea of using two running backs heavily, and in theory it will help the passing game. Plus, as late as they're installing it, I'd expect it to share snaps with the spread offense, particularly early in the season. The running backs and offensive line are good enough that Cody Hawkins only needs to manage games instead of win them. Finding that balance will at least get them to a bowl game and should be enough to keep Dan Hawkins out of the hot seat.

2008 record: 4-8 overall, 2-6 Big 12 Conference

2009 projection: They'll be better, but the schedule is just as brutal a year later.

Reason to get excited: Sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin. He's the biggest thing to hit Baylor since Daniel Sepulveda, which is to say the Bears have had almost nothing to be excited about since joining the Big 12 Conference.

Reason not to get worked up: The top of the Big 12 South is too stacked for a breakthrough. Fourth-place in their division is about the best you can expect for the Bears.

The gist: Griffin has been top dog in Waco, Texas, since he first arrived. True, that's not an impressive piece of flair to carry around. What does impress, however, are his first 209 passing attempts as a college quarterback before throwing an interception -- a Division I-A record. Griffin also ran for 846 yards, just 19 shy of the team rushing leader Jay Finley. Along with wide receivers Kendall Wright and senior center J.D. Walton, Baylor's offense will need to fill holes on the offensive line if it wants to improve on the 28 points per game it scored last season. Coach Art Briles is hoping JUCO transfers Jason Smith and Dan Gay can make an immediate impact. The Bears' weak spot is on their defensive line, which lacks size and strength outside of Penn State transfer Phil Taylor. Baylor's defense will look porous against top tier teams, but it should do well enough against the lesser two-thirds of their schedule to keep them in most games.

Rallying point: Griffin's poise. For all his talent, the quarterback's calm in the pocket and decision-making abilities are what got him so far into the season without throwing a pick. There is no player at any other school in Division I-A whose presence is so large. That's because without Griffin, Baylor wouldn't be headed in the direction it's going.

Cover your eyes: During non-conference play, where the Bears could go 2-2 as easily as they could go 4-0. If anxiety isn't your thing, better pop a Xanax and wake up in Week 5.

For what it's worth: It's a good time to be a Baylor fan. The program is improving, a bowl game is imminent in the Robert Griffin era, and at least one upset among the Big 12's top four this season is on tap.