DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -No. 2 Texas clarified the Big 12 South title picture by thumping No. 18 Oklahoma State 41-14 in Stillwater on Saturday night.
The race for the North division crown, though, is more muddled than ever.
The top five teams in the North are either 5-3 or 5-4 and have at least two losses in conference play. Kansas State (5-4, 3-2) remains the surprise leader of the division, followed by Nebraska (5-3, 2-2) and Iowa State (5-4, 2-3).
Preseason North favorites Missouri (5-3, 1-3) and Kansas (5-3, 1-3) got off to slow starts in the Big 12. Only Colorado (2-6, 1-3) looks like it won't be a factor after losing four of its last five.
Missouri snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Buffaloes, 36-17, though the Tigers could only muster a field goal in the second half.
``At times on offense, we look like we did a year ago. And there's times on offense when we look like we can't get a first down,'' Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. His team faces Baylor this week.
Kansas, which has dropped three straight after a 5-0 start, can make a big statement this weekend against the rival Wildcats in Manhattan. Coach Mark Mangino said Monday that senior quarterback Todd Reesing will start this week, despite being benched late in a 42-21 loss to Texas Tech.
Mangino said the offensive line's inability to adequately protect Reesing was part of the reason he pulled him. Reesing was sacked six times by the Red Raiders.
``I think it was the appropriate thing to do,'' Mangino said. ``I didn't want him taking any more shots.''
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FROSH QUARTERBACKS: Nebraska joined a growing list of Big 12 teams playing freshman quarterbacks when it started Cody Green in a 20-10 win over Baylor.
Green was the first freshman to start for the Huskers since Tommie Frazier in 1992. Though his numbers weren't great - he was 12 of 21 passing for 128 yards and an interception - Green led Nebraska to points on its first three drives.
Oklahoma freshman Landry Jones had one of the best games of his young career over the weekend, tossing for 294 yards and four TDs in a 42-30 win over Kansas State.
Iowa State frosh Jerome Tiller started his second game in place of Austen Arnaud, who has a bruised throwing hand. Tiller threw two costly interceptions in a 35-10 loss at Texas A&M, and Cyclones coach Paul Rhoads said Arnaud will start against the Cowboys in Ames on Saturday.
Texas Tech freshman Seth Doege completed 14 of 28 passes for 159 yards, but he also fumbled twice and was pulled in favor of Taylor Potts at halftime with the game tied at 14.
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LONGHORNS NOT LOOKING AHEAD: Texas coach Mack Brown knows some have already penciled his Longhorns in for the BCS title game after their resounding victory over Oklahoma State.
That's why he met his with team on Sunday for a ``longer than normal'' discussion about the rest of the season. Brown said he was impressed with his players mindset heading into the final stretch of the year, which starts on Saturday when the Longhorns host Central Florida in a rare late nonconference game.
``This is a team that, it's got a lot of young guys on it, but it's got mature leadership,'' Brown said. ``These guys know where we are, they know where we've got to go really more than ever before.''
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PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Oklahoma QB Landry Jones and Texas Tech RB Baron Batch were named the Big 12's co_offensive players of the week. Batch rushed for 123 yards and four touchdowns, including three in the fourth quarter, in the win over the Jayhawks.
Nebraska's Jared Crick was the league's defensive player of the week, setting a school record with five sacks in a win over Baylor.
Kansas State's Brandon Banks was the special teams player of the week for the third time this season. Banks returned a fourth-quarter kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown against the Sooners. It was the fifth kickoff return for a TD of his career and the fourth this season, both Big 12 records.
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QUOTABLE: ``I put my arm around him and asked him 'You're a senior, aren't you?' and he said 'Yeah.' And I said 'Well, I'm glad because I'm tired of watching you return kicks.''' - Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops on what he said to Banks after the game.
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EXTRA POINTS: Texas A&M went 10 for 13 on third-down conversions against Iowa State and have won two straight - by an average of 23.5 points - after their 62-14 loss to Kansas State. ... Missouri's defense, which was carved up for 41 points in a loss to Texas on Oct. 24, had eight sacks and forced four turnovers against Colorado. ... The Longhorns returned two interceptions for touchdowns against Oklahoma State and have now scored nine non_offensive TDs, the most in the FBS. ... Halloween is scary for Baylor. The Bears haven't won on that date since 1936.
