Welcome to the 2011 college football season! BCS Know How will be taking you through the six automatic-qualifying BCS conferences and five non-AQ conferences with profiles of each conference. We continue with the Big 12. Scroll down to see our profiles of the other 10 conferences.

Conference: Big 12 Conference (Big 12)

Active Since: 1996

Current Member Schools: Iowa State Cyclones, Kansas State Wildcats, Kansas Jayhawks, Missouri Tigers, Baylor Bears, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Texas A&M Aggies, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Oklahoma Sooners, Texas Longhorns. (10)

Bowl Affiliations: Fiesta Bowl (BCS), Holiday Bowl, Alamo Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl, Insight Bowl, Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl, Cotton Bowl. (7)

2010 Results:
Conference Champion – Oklahoma
Conference Runner-up – Nebraska
BCS Bowl Results: 2011 Fiesta Bowl – Oklahoma 48 vs. Connecticut 20
Overall Bowl Record: 3-5
Heisman Vote Recipients: Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon (Fifth Overall)

2011 Outlook: With conferences adding and shuffling teams left and right, the Big 12 seems to have been left behind and somewhat forgotten.

A conference with just 10 teams (although they kept the ‘Big 12′ moniker) might seem destined to fall back into the second-tier of automatically qualifying BCS conferences, but the Big 12 seems ready to pick up right where they left off as a BCS power conference.

In the process, the Big 12 is now a single-division conference and no longer will hold its traditional conference championship game.

Gone might be Nebraska (to the Big Ten) and Colorado (to the Pac-12) but traditional powers Oklahoma and Texas are ready to lead a stacked 10-team conference into the future.

But who will stand up in 2011? Could it be one of those traditional Big 12 powers, or can Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Missouri show what it takes to make the next step in the smaller conference?

2011 Heisman Hopefuls: Oklahoma QB Landry Jones; Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon, Baylor QB Robert Griffin, Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez.

BCS Know How’s 2011 Predictions:
Conference Champion – Oklahoma Sooners
Conference Runner-up – Oklahoma State Cowboys
BCS bids – One: Oklahoma – BCS National Championship Game
Heisman Finalists – Oklahoma QB Landry Jones

Connecticut Huskies (8-4)

How They Got Here: After finishing in a three-way tie for first place in the Big East conference, the Connecticut Huskies were the beneficiaries of the tiebreaker with both West Virginia and Pittsburgh after beating both teams during the regular season. As the winner of the tiebreaker the Huskies were awarded the Big East’s automatic BCS bowl bid.

Connecticut’s 2010 Season: Expectations were high for the Huskies entering the 2010 season, but after starting the season 1-2 against non-conference opposition, people began to rethink their opinion of Connecticut. Then when the Huskies dropped their first two Big East games, there were even doubts about UConn’s bowl eligibility hopes.

But after rolling off four straight victories against Big East conference opponents, the Huskies were in position to win the Big East conference’s BCS bowl bid by virtue of a tiebreaker.

Then on the final day of the 2010 regular season, the Huskies pulled out a last-second victory over South Florida on the strength of a Dave Teggart’s 52-yard field goal with 17 seconds to play — clinching the three-way tie atop the Big East at 5-2 and a BCS bowl bid.

Oklahoma Sooners (11-2)

How They Got Here: Champions of the Big 12 South division on the strength of their finish in the seventh BCS standings of the season, the Oklahoma Sooners clinched another BCS bowl bid with their 23-20 victory over Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship Game in the final week of the season.

Oklahoma’s 2010 Season: The Sooners were among a select group of teams that pundits believed had a chance at a national title in 2010, and the Sooners looked the part, climbing as high as No. 1 in the BCS early in the 2010 season.

However, losses to Missouri and Texas A&M dashed the Sooner’s hopes at another shot at a BCS national title, and instead the Sooners are headed to yet another BCS bowl as champions of the Big 12 in the conference’s final season as a 12-team league.

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Matchup to Watch: The nation as a whole has been well-versed in Bob Stoops offense and defense as the Sooners are seemingly a yearly feature in the Big 12 and BCS races. The real question here is how UConn’s offense and truly the entire team will be able to respond to the spotlight of their first BCS bowl in school history.

UConn running back Johnathan Todman is among the best in the country, and at just 5-foot-9 will be a difficult task for the Oklahoma front seven to locate and tackle. Can Todman and quarterback Zach Fazer overcome the perceived mismatch and hand Oklahoma yet another loss in a BCS bowl?

BCS Know How Prediction: Yes, Oklahoma has made a habit of dropping the ball in the biggest situations — namely BCS bowls — but this matchup seems to be more in the Sooners’ favor than ever before. UConn is a better team than their record or rank show, but they’ll be hard pressed to hang with Oklahoma.

Oklahoma 42 vs. Connecticut 17

With the release of tonight’s BCS standings, the Oklahoma Sooners have officially claimed the Big 12 South title, and will play next weekend against Nebraska for the Big 12′s automatic BCS bowl bid.

After Saturday’s results, the Big 12 South had a three-way tie atop its ranks, with Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M all tied at 6-2 in conference play.

The tiebreaker in the situation came down to BCS standings — the highest ranked team in today’s BCS standings would be the South’s representative in Cowboys Stadium next weekend.

A clause added this year added some intrigue — if the top two teams had been separated by one spot in today’s BCS rankings, the head-to-head result of the two teams’ game would be used to break that secondary tie — however Oklahoma was more than a spot clear of both teams at No. 9.

Oklahoma State (BCS No. 14) and Texas A&M (No. 18)  will now await their postseason fate at home, with the Cowboys holding out slight hope for a BCS bowl bid and the Aggies likely headed to a high quality Big 12 bowl game, such as the Holiday or Insight Bowls.

With Oklahoma’s victory over Oklahoma State in the Bedlam game, the Sooners, Cowboys and Texas A&M have tied atop the Big 12 South.

With the three-way tie, the tiebreaker that will be enacted will be the BCS rankings. The highest ranking team among the three 6-2 teams will be awarded a berth in the Big 12 Championship Game against Nebraska to be held next weekend.

The Sooners are in the best position to claim the upper hand in the tiebreaker, as they beat the one team ahead of them — Oklahoma State — and were well clear of Texas A&M in last weekend’s BCS standings.

Next weekend’s edition of the Big 12 championship game will be the final edition, as both Colorado and Nebraska will be leaving the conference next season.

With their 45-17 victory over Colorado on Friday night, the Nebraska Cornhuskers have clinched a spot in next weekend’s Big 12 Championship Game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The Cornhuskers leaped out to a 17-3 halftime lead over the Buffaloes at home and did not look back, finishing off Colorado with a balanced attack throughout the game — outscoring the Buffs 28-10 in the second half.

With the victory, the Cornhuskers eliminated the Missouri Tigers in the Big 12 North race, rendering the Tigers’ meeting with Kansas on Saturday meaningless in the division race.

This will be Nebraska’s second-straight berth in the Big 12 Championship Game, following last year’s classic in which the ‘Huskers lost a heart-breaker, 13-12 to the Texas Longhorns.

Nebraska will now await the result of tomorrow’s Bedlam game between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, which will likely decide their opponent in next weekend’s Big 12 title game.

If Oklahoma State wins, they will win the Big 12 South outright. With an Oklahoma win, a logjam at 6-2 in-conference would be created at the top of the South division, which would leave the decision to the BCS standings.

Despite the possibilities that the BCS standings tiebreaker method create, it is likely that Oklahoma would still be in the best position to win the South’s bid to the Big 12 title game.

With the season entering its final two weeks, conference races in all six conferences are coming down to the wire.

And although some are clear cut and easy to understand, others are a little bit more messy and may even require some tiebreakers.

Each of the six BCS conferences are listed here, with the teams still vying for a spot, and how each team will need the next two weekends to play out in order to either make their conference title game or win their conference crown.

Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)

Coastal Division

Virginia Tech has clinched the Coastal Division and will play in the ACC Championship Game.

Atlantic Division

Florida State has clinched the Atlantic Division and will play in the ACC Championship Game.

Big 12

North Division

Nebraska has clinched the North Division and will play in the Big 12 Championship Game.

South Division

Oklahoma has clinched the South Division by the nature of the three-way tiebreaking BCS standings, and will play in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Big East

Connecticut (4-2) will win the conference if they beat South Florida.

West Virginia (5-2) IF Connecticut loses to South Florida.

Big Ten

Wisconsin, Ohio State and Michigan State all finish 7-1 in conference, and the Big Ten’s automatic BCS bid will go to the team ranked highest in the final BCS standings.

Pac-10 Conference

Oregon has clinched the Pac-10 conference championship and will receive a BCS bowl bid.

Southeastern Conference (SEC)

East Division

South Carolina has clinched the East Division and will play in the SEC Championship Game.

West Division

Auburn has clinched the West Division and will play in the SEC Championship Game.

Big Ten

Conference Leader: Wisconsin (10-1, 6-1)

Lurking: Ohio State (10-1, 6-1)

Game of Last Week: Ohio State 20 vs. Iowa 17. The Buckeyes struggled, but they did just enough to stay alive in the three-team Big Ten title race, that will likely come down to positioning in the BCS standings.

Game of Next Week: Ohio State vs. Michigan. Ohio State will need some help to claim the Big Ten title, but a victory in their traditional rivalry game with the Wolverines is as important as ever.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Michigan State Spartans, Ohio State Buckeyes, Wisconsin Badgers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Northwestern Wildcats, Michigan Wolverines, Penn State Nittany Lions, Illinois Fighting Illini.

Big 12

Conference Leaders: Nebraska (9-2, 5-2; North Division) and Oklahoma State (10-1, 6-1; South Division)

Lurking: Missouri (9-2, 5-2; North Division) and Oklahoma (9-2, 5-2; South Division)

Game of Last Week: Texas A&M 9 vs. Nebraska 6. A victory here would have given the Cornhuskers the North title, instead the Aggie victory opened both division races and left it to the final weekend to decide who will fight for the Big 12′s BCS bid.

Game of Next Week: Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State. Bedlam will have an extra important feel this year, as a victory for the Cowboys would give them the Big 12 South title, while an Oklahoma victory would likely give the Sooners that crown — by virtue of a three-way tiebreaker.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Baylor Bears, Kansas State Wildcats, Texas A&M Aggies, Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Big East

Conference Leader: Pittsburgh (6-4, 4-1)

Lurking: Connecticut (6-4, 3-2)

Game of Last Week: Pittsburgh 17 vs. South Florida 10. If the Bulls could have won on Saturday, they would have had a surprisingly good shot at the Big East title, but a Panther victory ended most of those hopes while keeping Pitt a game clear of the rest of the Big East race.

Game of Next Week: West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh. The Backyard Brawl has added meaning as a victory for Pittsburgh would help them get to the BCS, while a West Virginia victory could spell a variety of possible Big East conference champions.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Syracuse Orange, South Florida Bulls, West Virginia Mountaineers, Connecticut Huskies, Pittsburgh Panthers.

Big Ten

Conference Leader: Wisconsin (9-1, 5-1)

Lurking: Michigan State (9-1, 5-1)

Game of Last Week: Northwestern 21 vs. Iowa 17. A last minute drive — which would prove to be his last of the season — engineered by Wildcat quarterback Dan Persa gave Northwestern the upset victory, their fifth win over Iowa in six tries.

Game of Next Week: Ohio State vs. Iowa. The game has slightly less importance after Iowa’s loss to Northwestern, but the test will be just as still for the Buckeyes in Iowa City.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Michigan State Spartans, Ohio State Buckeyes, Wisconsin Badgers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Northwestern Wildcats, Michigan Wolverines, Penn State Nittany Lions.

Big 12

Conference Leaders: Nebraska (9-1, 5-1; North Division) and Oklahoma State (9-1, 5-1; South Division)

Lurking: Missouri (8-2, 4-2; North Division) and Texas A&M (7-3, 4-2; South Division)

Game of Last Week: Texas A&M 42 vs. Baylor 30. A meeting between two surprise contenders in the Big 12 conference proved to be an affirmation of the Aggies victory over Oklahoma the week before.

Game of Next Week: Nebraska vs. Texas A&M. A victory here would assure Nebraska of the Big 12 North title and a berth in the Big 12 Championship Game, while a victory for the Aggies would keep them in the race for the South.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Baylor Bears, Kansas State Wildcats, Texas A&M Aggies.

Big East

Conference Leader: Pittsburgh (5-4, 3-1)

Lurking: Syracuse (7-3, 4-2)

Game of Last Week: Connecticut 30 vs. Pittsburgh 28. UConn running back Johnathan Todman ran for 222 yards and the Huskies converted a fourth down in their own territory to give the Panthers their first Big East loss and reopen the Big East title race.

Game of Next Week: Connecticut vs. Syracuse. Although no game seems to be a “knockout game” in the Big East race this year, victories by either team would certainly help their aspirations for a Big East conference title.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Syracuse Orange, South Florida Bulls, West Virginia Mountaineers.

Big Ten

Conference Leader: Michigan State (9-1, 5-1)

Lurking: Wisconsin (8-1, 4-1)

Game of Last Week: Michigan 67 vs. Illinois 65. In a game that made the schools’ basketball game score from last season look paltry, Michigan outlasted the Illini in three overtimes.

Game of Next Week: Ohio State vs. Penn State. The Buckeyes will have to pass the test of a suddenly rejuvenated Nittany Lions team if they want to stay alive in the crowded Big Ten race.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Michigan State Spartans, Ohio State Buckeyes, Wisconsin Badgers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Northwestern Wildcats, Michigan Wolverines, Penn State Nittany Lions.

Big 12

Conference Leaders: Nebraska (8-1, 4-1; North Division) and Oklahoma State (8-1, 4-1; South Division)

Lurking: Missouri (7-2, 3-2; North Division) and Missouri (7-2, 3-2; South Division)

Game of Last Week: Texas A&M 33 vs. Oklahoma 19. The Sooners suffer a crushing second loss in Big 12 play while the Aggies impress enough to get a spot in this week’s BCS standings.

Game of Next Week: Oklahoma State vs. Texas. On the road in Austin, the South Division-leading Cowboys will again be put to the test against a team that is usually in their spot.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Baylor Bears, Kansas State Wildcats, Texas A&M Aggies.

Big East

Conference Leader: Pittsburgh (5-3, 3-0)

Lurking: Syracuse (6-3, 3-2)

Game of Last Week: South Florida 28 vs. Rutgers 27. The matchup did not disappoint, as the Bulls captured their first victory over the Scarlet Knights in five tries.

Game of Next Week: Pittsburgh vs. Connecticut. The Huskies have a chance to derail the seemingly easy road ahead of the Panthers for the Big East crown with this Thursday night showdown.

Bowl Eligible Teams: None yet.

Big Ten

Conference Leader: Michigan State (8-1, 4-1)

Lurking: Ohio State (8-1, 4-1)

Game of Last Week: Iowa 37 vs. Michigan State 6. The Spartans were looking to use a road win at Iowa to propel them to an undefeated season and a Big Ten crown. The Hawkeyes had other ideas — knocking Michigan State out of the BCS title race, and reinserting themselves into the Big Ten race.

Game of Next Week: Illinois vs. Michigan. The Illini’s only two conference losses have come against the cream of the Big Ten crop, can Michigan and Denard Robinson hang with them at home?

Bowl Eligible Teams: Michigan State Spartans, Ohio State Buckeyes, Wisconsin Badgers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Northwestern Wildcats.

Big 12

Conference Leaders: Nebraska (7-1, 3-1; North Division) and Baylor (7-2, 4-1; South Division)

Lurking: Missouri (7-1, 3-1; North Division) and Oklahoma State (7-1, 3-1; South Division)

Game of Last Week: Nebraska 31 vs. Missouri 17. Missouri looked to keep its undefeated season alive against Nebraska after toppling former BCS No. 1 Oklahoma last weekend. The Cornhuskers instead ran all over the Tigers and gave Missouri its first loss.

Game of Next Week: Oklahoma State vs. Baylor. Two surprise contenders for the South Division lead will play the equivalent of a knockout game for a chance at the South crown.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Baylor Bears.

Big East

Conference Leader: Pittsburgh (5-3, 3-0)

Lurking: Syracuse (6-2, 3-1)

Game of Last Week: Connecticut 16 vs. West Virginia 13. The Huskies needed overtime, but they were finally able to defeat West Virginia — a first in the team’s time in the Big East.

Game of Next Week: Rutgers vs. South Florida. Its hard to stress enough — every team in the Big East can still take the conference title and BCS bid, but if either of these teams want a shot, they’ll have to come out of this matchup with a win.

Bowl Eligible Teams: None yet.