No. 1 Nebraska
Last Game: Beat South Dakota State 17-3.
Summary: We channel our inner Bo Pelini and say “you saw it.”
Coach Quote: "Our guys didn’t play team football. They didn’t apply their rules, they didn’t do the things they’ve been taught to do. You have to control you. You have to do what you have to do within the scheme and let plays come to you. And that didn’t happen." - Pelini
Next Game: Bye week. Ten days to prepare for Kansas State

No. 2 Oklahoma
Last Game: Beat Cincinnati 31-29
Summary: The Sooners’ defense isn’t quite right. Facing a Cincy team with recognizable spread schemes - and average talent after an exodus of players - OU gave up 461 yards. It wasn’t just breakdowns, either. If Landry Jones, DeMarco Murray and Ryan Broyles don’t keep bailing Oklahoma out, it could be a rocky 2010 for defensive coordinator Brent Venables.
Coach Quote: "Obviously we’re not used to playing defense this way. We’re having too many missed tackles and too many fundamental plays that we’ve got to get ironed out." -Bob Stoops on his defense
Next Game: Texas in Dallas Expect a hard-hitting, emotional game from two teams that are, by all accounts, a little ragged.

3. Texas A&M
Last Game: Bye week
Summary: Key moment for Mike Sherman. The Aggies have more overall talent than road foe Oklahoma State this week, and shouldn’t have too many problems scheming the Cowboy Raid offense. This is a game a Top 25 team wins.
Coach Quote: "Some of our players have grown up a little bit They‘re playing with less hesitation…the scheme fits our personnel. It allows us to play with speed and aggression." - Sherman on his defense.
Next Game: OSU Thursday


No. 4 Missouri
Last Game: Beat Miami (Ohio) 51-13
Summary: Complete win for the Tigers, who scored on defense, rushed for 236 yards and shut down the Redhawks’ offense. Mizzou slides into a bye week and must feel very good about itself, having escaped a better-than-you-think San Diego State two weeks ago. There isn’t a game on the schedule that isn’t winnable - and that includes games at A&M and Nebraska and a home game vs. Oklahoma. Blaine Gabbert’s been a little leaky through the non-conference season.
Coach Quote: "You give the offensive line credit. That's where it starts, but it's also better to be balanced, balanced as much as you can. Balance for us isn't as much as a typical team, but when we can run the football it helps our passing game and vice versa. All those backs are pretty quick and can run pretty good.” Gary Pinkel on the running game.
Next Game: Bye week

No. 5 Oklahoma State
Last Game: Bye week
Summary: OSU can’t possibly be certain what it has just yet. The Cowboys offense has been deadly and efficient - the nation’s best, to this point - but the opponents haven’t necessarily been of a high caliber. Texas A&M has its weaknesses and holes, but it’s a more complete, balanced team that can keep the ball away from Mike Gundy’s offense.
Coach Quote: "Our coaching staff has enjoyed being under the radar, but our players understand the importance of performing in big games" - Mike Gundy on Thursday night.
Next Game: A&M Thursday

No. 6 Kansas State
Last Game: Beat Central Florida 17-13
Summary: Credit where it’s due: KSU grinded out a tough win a on weird day- a long weather delay occurred right at the start of the game - against the Knights, whose defense is as fast as most in the Big 12 North. Carson Coffman may not be able to win a Big 12 game with a fourth-quarter drive, but he won this one, delivering when it counted. UCF outgained KSU 344-272.
Coach Quote: "We gave up an awful lot of yardage but we were able to get them stopped when we needed to have them stopped. Offensively, we laid a massive egg during the first half of the ball game and a good portion of the second half, but yet when we had to have it we were able to get it and that speaks favorably for the young people in our program." - Snyder on the win
Next Game: Bye.

No. 7 Texas
Last Game: Lost to UCLA 34-12.
Summary: The Longhorns have to change. Now. The running game isn’t there because there isn’t a running back good enough to execute it. Meanwhile, Oregon’s LaMichael James, a Texas native, is averaging 158 yards per game for a better team. All because UT wasn’t patient enough to evaluate the kid as a senior. Smart. The real root of Texas’ problem is a recruiting mindset that left talent by the side of the road because they wouldn’t commit fast enough. Turn this team over Garrett Gilbert, who’s better than his numbers might suggest.
Coach Quote: "I thought they tried. I really did. It was discouraging. The offense didn’t give the defense enough hope. Then the defense got their heads down. I saw guys fighting and competing that’s what was so disappointing. I thought the kids tried. I don’t think this is about them. I think it’s about us. They play like they’re coached" - Mack Brown on the loss
Next Game: Oklahoma in Dallas. Expect a dandy. Texas didn’t forget how to coach.

No. 8 Texas Tech
Last Game: Bye week
Summary: Tech got a bit of a raw deal with an early bye week after the Texas game; the Red Raiders go right back to conference play with a game at ISU. Paul Rhoads worked for head coach Tommy Tuberville at Auburn in 2008. The Red Raiders went back to practicing more against their own defense to deal with the speed of Big 12 defenses.
Coach Quote: "It‘s one of the most solid teams you’ll see. They’re not fancy. They try to make first downs and control the football." - Tuberville on the Cyclones.
Next game: at Iowa State. Hard to read this game. The Red Raiders have to show up and stop the run.

No. 9 Colorado
Last Game: Bye week
Summary: Colorado has a real chance to kick a Bulldog when it’s down. Georgia is 1-3, so-so on defense and never plays in altitude. CU can steal one here, and roll into Big 12 play with a bowl game in sight.
Coach Quote: "I don’t take a lot of stock in the fact they’ve lost a few games…they’re a great football team and a great program. They’ll be ready to go when they get in here." - Dan Hawkins, on Georgia
Next Game: Dawgs

No. 10 Baylor
Last Game: Beat Rice 30-13
Summary: Probably the most complete win of the Art Briles era. Everything clicked: The running game, Robert Griffin’s passing, a defensive plan that thwarted Rice’s plans. Nice bounce-back from an awful loss to TCU.
Coach Quote: "They had a lot of determination and I thought they showed a lot of fight, character and resiliency. We have got a little momentum coming into this week. We had a great crowd out there last night, which was huge for us and we will have a huge crowd this Saturday against Kansas. We have some things going in our favor and we need to take advantage of them." - Art Briles.
Next Game: Kansas. Must-win if Baylor wants bowl hopes to stay alive.

No. 11 Iowa State
Last Game: Beat Northern Iowa 27-0
Summary: Here’s perhaps the most misleading score in the history of college football. Get this: NIU outgains ISU 320-210, but the Cyclones return two interceptions for touchdowns while the Panthers missed four field goals and committed five total turnovers. Iowa State was lucky, to say the least, and now must decide whether Austen Arnaud is healthy enough to play Saturday - he got hurt early - or if Jerome Tiller (who’s smarter with the ball anyway) gets the nod vs. Texas Tech.
Coach Quote: “We know exactly where we are. We have a young, inexperienced defense, and an offense that has not gotten productive and has not gotten in sync yet.“ - Rhoads.
Next Game: Texas Tech. It’ll be smart to start Tiller. Arnaud isn’t particularly good healthy or hurt.

No. 12 Kansas
Last Game: Beat New Mexico State 42-16
Summary: You can always count on Mew Mexy State to be a temporary cure for all that ails a Big 12 team. The Jayhawks racked up 501 yards - 237 on the ground - and got a solid game from quarterback Jordan Webb. Still not enough to get KU out of the cellar, of course.
Coach Quote: "“I feel better. No doubt about it, we still have some work to do. I feel good about us going into conference play. Obviously, coming in with a win is a good situation for us, but we still have some things to improve on." - Turner Gill, on KU heading into the conference season.
Next: at Baylor. Kansas has its work cut out for it on defense.

Week Three
Week Two

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