Just for Fun: The CFN Top 30 Players in the Big 12

Note the headline. From the folks at CollegeFootballNews.com comes this ranking of the top 30 football players in the Big 12 Conference.

With my personal conclusions at the end of the list.

1. QB Colt McCoy, Sr. Texas
2. QB Sam Bradford, Jr. Oklahoma
3. WR Dez Bryant, Jr. Okla State
4. DT Gerald McCoy, Jr., Oklahoma
5. DT Ndamukong Suh, Sr. Nebraska
6. LB Sean Weatherspoon, Sr. Miss.
7. DE/LB Sergio Kindle, Sr. Texas
8. TE Jermaine Gresham, Sr. Oklahoma
9. QB Todd Reesing, Sr. Kansas
10. QB Robert Griffin, Soph. Baylor
11. OT Russell Okung, Sr. Oklahoma St
12. QB Zac Robinson, Sr. Oklahoma St
13. OT Trent Williams, Sr. Oklahoma
14. RB Kendall Hunter, Jr. Oklahoma St
15. LB Joe Pawelek, Sr. Baylor
16. WR Dezmon Briscoe, Jr. Kansas
17. RB Darrell Scott, Soph. Colorado
18. RB Derrick Washington, Jr. Miss.
19. OT Adam Ulatoski, Sr. Texas
20. LB Ryan Reynolds, Sr. Oklahoma
21. FS Jordan Lake, Sr. Baylor
22. WR Kerry Meier, Sr. Kansas
23. CB Dominique Franks, Jr. Oklahoma
24. SS Darrell Stuckey, Sr. Kansas
25. LB Travis Lewis, Soph. Oklahoma
26. RB DeMarco Murray, Jr. Oklahoma
27. DT Lamarr Houston, Sr. Texas
28. DE Pierre Allen, Jr. Nebraska
29. DE Jeremy Beal, Jr. Oklahoma
30. RB Chris Brown, Sr. Oklahoma

Conclusion No. 1: Oklahoma, with 10 of the top 30 players in the league, need not bother with the regular season. Sidestep any meeting with Texas and Oklahoma State (four each in the top 30) and, for that matter, the Big 12 Conference title game. Go directly to the BCS title game. Do not so much as pause. No need for Coach Bob Stoops to play a faux respect card this year.

Conclusion No. 2: Kansas State, Iowa State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech need not play any other league opponents except each other. With no players in the league’s top 30, you guys ARE the losers bracket.

Conclusion No. 3: Again, based on the CFN picks, Kansas should win the Big 12 North. There are four Jayhawks on the list, compared to only two for Missouri and two for Nebraska.

Conclusion No. 4: With only nine of the top 30 playing for North teams, the division’s best chance when it comes time for the Big 12 title game is to form an all-star squad composed of Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh and DE Pierre Allen, Missouri LB Sean Weatherspoon and RB Derrick Washington, Colorado RB Darrell Scott, QB Todd Reesing and receivers Dez Briscoe and Kerry Meier and S Darrell Stuckey. It would still be nine great North players against 10 great Oklahoma players. But the North All-Stars might still have a chance at making a game of it.

Conclusion No. 5 : Don’t jump to conclusions. Remember, this was just for fun.