An old list is stirring up memories and serving as a reminder that the Big 12 Conference is almost starting anew when it comes to college football — at least in a historical context.
Bleacher Report’s 2010 story ranking the greatest college football players of all time now features just one player in its Top 30, with former Oklahoma State running back and 1988 Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders coming in at No. 5 on the list. The list came up again after a tweet from College Football Alerts.
Of the Top 30 players on the list, nine came from teams that once called the Big 12 home — five from Texas and four from Nebraska. Former Georgia running back and 1982 Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker took the No. 1 spot. Former Nebraska quarterback and two-time national champion Tommie Frazier was the highest-ranked player from a current or former Big 12 school at No. 3.
#PlayOfTheDay (1996): Nebraska's Tommie Frazier runs through the entire Florida defense in the same way that the 1995 Nebraska team ran through the rest of college football. Nebraska would win the game 62-24 on its way to the 1995 National Title. pic.twitter.com/ClAUuUy6dD
— Pick Six Previews (@PickSixPreviews) June 24, 2020