Reflections on the Big 12 Conference football season while wondering if Colorado fans are bumming or beaming after the Buffaloes failed to qualify for the Fort Worth Bowl. …

Best One-Year Career — Texas Tech quarterback B.J. Symons languished in the shadow of Kliff Kingsbury for three years, then made a senior splash by throwing for 5,336 yards and 48 touchdowns to earn the prestigious Sammy Baugh Award, a prize almost everyone thought in the preseason would go to the pedigreed Eli Manning.

Best Third-String Running Back — With Oklahoma State starter Tatum Bell and back-up Seymore Shaw on the shelf, the curiously named Vernand Morency riddled Kansas for 269 yards, then ran roughshod for 227 more yards against Baylor a week later. That’s nearly 500 yards in just two games.

Best Quarterback Who Lost His Job — Texas junior Chance Mock threw for 1,288 yards and 15 touchdowns with just two interceptions, but coach Mack Brown awarded the key position to freshman Vince Young, a better runner, late in the season. Now Mock is talking about taking a walk.

Best Skier in a Football Uniform — Colorado downhiller Jeremy Bloom broke only one return for a touchdown, but was a threat to wax opponents’ skis every time he hauled back a kickoff or a punt.

Whatever Happened to Roy Williams? — No, not the North Carolina coach, the Texas wide receiver. Williams bypassed the NFL draft, returned for his senior year and did nothing to diminish his pro stock by catching 61 passes, including eight for TDs.

The Iron Leg Award — Baylor’s Daniel Sepulveda punted 87 times for an impressive 43.1-yard average. Iowa State’s Tony Yelk was a distant runner-up with 73 punts.

The Iron Schedule Award — Kansas State coach Bill Snyder always takes heat for playing powder puffs, but the Wildcats played 14 games during the regular season and that’s one more than the Chiefs have played so far.

Best Running Back Produced by a Kansas High School Since Barry Sanders — Kansas State’s Darren Sproles, an Olathe North product, currently ranks No. 2 nationally with 1,948 rushing yards. Like Sanders, a Wichita native, Sproles is small but amazingly durable.

Most Underrated Running Back — Kansas sophomore Clark Green isn’t fast, he isn’t shifty and he isn’t flashy. But Green doesn’t fumble and he’s as proficient a blocker as you’ll find among ball-carriers.

Worst Impersonations of Seneca Wallace — Iowa State quarterbacks Austin Flynn and Waye Terry. Calling all junior college quarterbacks: You can start next season in Ames.

The Smith-Roberson Clone — On paper, quarterbacks Ell Roberson of Kansas State and Brad Smith of Missouri were the same player. Both played in 12 games. Roberson averaged 266.2 yards per game of offense and Smith 261.0. That’s basically a wash. A closer look, though, shows Roberson accounted for 37 touchdowns, nine more than Smith.

Dubious Boot Distinction I — Colorado freshman Mason Crosby misfired on six of 37 extra-point attempts, a Big 12 high.

Dubious Boot Distinction II — Kansas junior Johnny Beck led the conference in failed field-goal attempts with seven.

Best Cornerback Playing Wide Receiver — Freshman Charles Gordon topped Kansas in receptions with 53, but the 5-foot-11, 165-pounder may be even better at cornerback, a position he also played during the last quarter of the season.

Most Amazing Stat of the Year — Nebraska compiled 45 takeaways (29 interceptions and 16 fumble recoveries) on the way to leading the nation in turnover margin. No other Big 12 school had more than 31 takeaways.

Second Most Amazing Stat of the Year — Missouri had only 10 turnovers (four lost fumbles and six interceptions). Oklahoma was runner-up with 15. The league average was 24, coincidentally also the number of Kansas giveways.

Good News, Bad News Award — Kansas led the Big 12 in fourth-down conversion success at 66.7 percent (10 of 15), but KU was last in opponents’ fourth-down conversions at 72.7 percent (8 of 11).

Most Meaningless Stat — Fourth-down conversions and opponents’ fourth-down conversions.