Hilfestellungen » Beyond playoff favorites such as O

NORMAN, Okla. -- In 2008, the Big 12 had unmatched star power.Four of the top five finishers in the Heisman race hailed from the conference, including the winner, Oklahomas Sam Bradford. Texas Colt McCoy was second, Texas Techs Graham Harrell was fourth and his teammate, Michael Crabtree, was fifth. Since then, the league has consistently produced top contenders for the award, with Baylors Robert Griffin III winning in 2011.This year, the conference will be lucky to land anyone in the top 10.Oklahomas Baker Mayfield, the Big 12s top contender heading into the season, finished fourth last year. He had a chance to make himself a front-runner this year, but struggled in losses to Houston and Ohio State.I believe Baker will shine for us as we go through the year, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. I really believe that. The guys works too hard not to. Like everybody, hell learn from these games and not press too much.Mayfield is among the Big 12 quarterbacks who will bring some excitement to the league, even though they wont have last years stage, when Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU and Baylor were in the running for a spot in the College Football Playoff. This year, the highest-ranked team is No. 16 Baylor . Texas is No. 21 and Oklahoma is No. 25.Baylors Seth Russell might have the best shot at being a Heisman finalist. He was in the conversation last year before he suffered a season-ending neck injury. Now, hes back, and the Bears are unbeaten. He hasnt put up numbers like last year, but that could change in conference play. Baylor hosts Oklahoma State on Saturday.Oklahoma States Mason Rudolph, a big, pro-style quarterback, passed for 540 yards last week in a win over Pittsburgh. The biggest strike against him? That loss to Central Michigan that came after the Chippewas were incorrectly awarded an untimed down.Texas Techs Patrick Mahomes leads the nation with nearly 500 yards passing per game heading into his conference opener Sept. 29 against Kansas. The strike against him is that the big numbers have come in wins over Stephen F. Austin and Louisiana Tech, and in a loss to Arizona State.Kansas coach David Beaty believes Mahomes is a special player.Hes really good, Beaty said. Hes very talented. Hes big. Hes hard to tackle. Hes very well-coached. Hes got a ridiculous arm. He can throw it from anywhere, and he breaks rules because hell throw it to the wrong guy and hell still put it in there.TCUs Kenny Hill has put up big numbers, too, but the Horned Frogs lost to Arkansas, and what appeared to be a chance to make a splash against Oklahoma on Oct. 1 isnt what it could have been because of the Sooners slow start.The receiver position doesnt have quite the star power as last year, either. Baylors Corey Coleman, TCUs Josh Doctson, Oklahomas Sterling Shepard and Texas Techs Jakeem Grant are all in the NFL. This year, the leagues most explosive receiver is probably Oklahoma States James Washington. He caught nine passes for 296 yards and two touchdowns against Pittsburgh and was the conferences offensive player of the week. Baylors KD Cannon is also a standout.The running back position is unusually weak, at least statistically. The leagues leading rusher, Texas DOnta Foreman, has 288 yards in two games. After that, there is a significant drop off. West Virginias Rushel Shell is second with 87 yards per game. That would have been eighth in the conference at the end of last season.Samaje Perine, one of Oklahomas all-time leading rushers, has pounded out just 149 yards in the first three games, and is actually second on the team in rushing behind Joe Mixon. Iowa States Mike Warren, a preseason all-conference pick, is averaging 51 yards per game and 3.6 yards per carry. Baylors Shock Linwood has just 213 yards through three games.---Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter (at)CliffBruntAPDeMarre Carroll Spurs Jersey . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. Quinndary Weatherspoon Jersey . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. https://www.spurslockerroom.com/Patty-Mills-City-Edition-Jersey/ .H. -- Matt Kenseth made it 2 for 2 in the Chase, holding off teammate Kyle Busch to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Bryn Forbes Spurs Jersey . Dusautoir, the former World Player of the Year, sustained a torn bicep playing for Toulouse in the Heineken Cup on Saturday. The flanker, who has played 65 times for France, is expected to be out for up to four months. Lonnie Walker Jersey . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human.With the 2016 college football season kicking off Thursday night, fans and sportsbooks are buzzing with excitement. Beyond playoff favorites such as Ohio State, where do the best value bets lie?Two of ESPN Chalks college football betting experts, Phil Steele and Will Harris, are here to help. Below is our 2016 college football betting guide, covering the best values among teams to win the College Football Playoff, season win totals, conference titles, games of the year, overvalued and undervalued teams and Heisman Trophy contenders.If youre looking to wager on college football this season, this is the primer you need to read.Note: Odds courtesy of thhe Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook unless otherwise noted.ddddddddddddFB PickCenter | Top 25 previews | Betting guide: Best title, Heisman betsBest title betsSteeleFlorida State Seminoles (7-1): I have had a rule throughout the preseason that I will not take a team with odds less than 10-1 to win the national title, but I will go against that rule for one team ... and that team is Florida State. There is not great value in picking a team at 7-1 odds, but they are my pick to win the national title so I have to list them here. ' ' '