The Big 12 Conference’s four losses to teams from non-Bowl Championship Series conferences were further proof that the so-called mid-majors can play with the big boys on any given Saturday.

But Big 12 coaches say fans shouldn’t read too much into last week’s losses by Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas Tech.

They point to 2001, when Colorado lost to Fresno State in its opener and went on to win the Big 12 championship.

“Those games just give you a wakeup call,” Buffaloes coach Gary Barnett said Monday on the conference coaches’ teleconference with reporters. “You realize you’re not as good as what you’ve been reading in the paper and that you have to work.”

The week started with Missouri losing, 24-14, at Troy last Thursday. Two days later, Kansas State became Fresno State’s latest BCS victim. The Wildcats, as coach Bill Snyder said, were “well embarrassed” in losing, 45-21.

Turnover-plagued Nebraska lost, 21-17, to Southern Mississippi, and New Mexico beat Texas Tech, 27-24, on a field goal as time expired.

The coaches said the gap has narrowed between the BCS and non-BCS teams because of the 85-scholarship limit.

There are more than enough good players to go around, Snyder said, and the non-BCS teams are getting their share.

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said his 10 years at Toledo gave him a good understanding of the mid-majors’ motivation against college football’s elite.

Pinkel said the non-BCS team goes into such games as an underdog, and its players may resent the fact that the opponent didn’t try to recruit them.

“This is their shot to prove themselves,” he said.

Texas Tech’s Mike Leach agreed, saying, “Some of those teams can generate a lot of energy around one specific opponent when they don’t have to play as many other (BCS teams) down the road.”

• Perkins perking: Oklahoma’s Antonio Perkins’ NCAA career-record-tying eighth punt return for a touchdown against Houston makes one wonder why teams continue to kick to him.

OU coach Bob Stoops said it wasn’t as easy as it seemed to kick away from him.

“If we could all put the ball out of bounds 40 yards, we would all do it,” Stoops said. “When you start trying to get it out of bounds — and it’s happened to us many a time — you end up with some 20, 25, 30-yard punts.”

• Finding a way to win: Colorado’s Barnett says he’s relieved to be 2-0, especially after his team failed to score an offensive touchdown and produced only 117 yards in a 20-12 win over Washington State. The Buffaloes beat Colorado State, 27-24, in the opener.

“It’s taken character to win them,” Barnett said. “Based on where we are with this team, it’s going to be that way every single week. As long as at the end of three hours we have one more point than the other team, that’s all we’re trying to accomplish.”

• Preseason games: Count Baylor’s Guy Morriss among the backers of NFL-style preseason games that would allow college teams to evaluate players in “live” situations.

Morriss said exhibitions could be played at a neutral site, maybe even on a high school field.

“It’s an opportunity to give the kids different faces to look at, different bodies to hit,” Morriss said. “I would welcome the opportunity to go somewhere in the region and scrimmage somebody else.”

• Extra points: Missouri’s Pinkel bristled at media criticism that he is stymieing quarterback Brad Smith by coaching him to operate out of the pocket rather than freelancing. “I never ever look at the media for evaluation,” Pinkel said. “If that was the evaluation out there, then I suggest those people don’t know what they’re talking about.” … Injuries to Selvin Young and Erik Hardeman have left Texas with only two scholarship tailbacks — starter Cedric Benson and freshman Ramonce Taylor. Longhorns coach Mack Brown said it’s a good thing his team has an open date before playing Rice Sept. 25… .

Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione says his team’s 42 rushing attempts and 29 passes in a 31-0 win over Wyoming was a misnomer. “As the year goes on, you’re going to see us closer to 50-50,” he said… . Nebraska may be using the West Coast offense, but the Cornhuskers are still effective running the ball. They rank seventh nationally at 318.5 yards a game… . …

Oklahoma State has attempted only 16 passes in two games, and Les Miles said red-shirt freshman Donovan Woods is going to have to throw more. “I’m not ready to say he’s Josh Fields from a year ago, but I can tell you he has the ability,” Miles said.