Big 12 notebook

Published: November 28, 2006

It took four years, but Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione finally beat Texas. And the 12-7 win in Austin, Texas, has some wondering if the Aggies might be poised to overtake Texas in the Big 12 hierarchy.

"This is going to change a lot of things for Texas A&M football," Aggies safety Melvin Bullitt told reporters afterward. "Defeating the defending Big 12 and national champions is a huge game for us."

It's just one game, of course — far too early to discern any long-term trend. But at least the Aggies stopped a six-game losing streak to their most hated rival. Texas had won nine of 11.

• More Texas: Until Friday, Texas had not lost two straight in 86 games, in 1999. Back then, Texas finished the season with three straight losses.

• Insulted Jayhawk: Did Missouri run up the score on Kansas, or try to rub it in on its rival?

Jayhawks tailback Jon Cornish sure seemed to think so. He was upset that Missouri went for two-point conversions twice while leading in a 42-17 win last Saturday.

"With the score getting run up, I mean, them trying to convert two-point conversions," Cornish told the Kansas City Star. "It was insulting."

• Wishin' and hopin': That's what Kansas is doing in regard to a bowl berth. The Jayhawks, who finished 6-6 after a 42-17 loss to Missouri, appear to be on the outside looking in.

"We'd certainly like to play another game," Kansas coach Mark Mangino told the Lawrence Journal-World. "We feel like we deserve the opportunity to play another game. But we don't have control of the situation."

Oklahoma State sports the same 6-6 record, but bowls are much more interested in the Cowboys because of their fan support. Here's what qualifies as you're-not-going-to-a-bowl: "We've seen Kansas play a couple times, and we're very impressed," Texas Bowl manager David Brady told the Journal-World. "But it may not work out this year."

The Texas Bowl owns the final pick in the Big 12's pecking order.

By George Schroeder