Dallas ? Here’s another reason why No. 2 Texas is such a heavy favorite to win the Big 12 title game: The South division-champion Longhorns put eight players on the Associated Press all-conference team, the same amount as the entire North division. And the only first-teamer from North champion Colorado was its kicker.

Quarterback Vince Young heads the Texas players picked as the Big 12’s best at their positions in a vote of 20 sports writers who regularly cover the league for newspapers throughout the conference’s seven states.

Kansas University landed two players on the first team: unanimous linebacker Nick Reid and defensive lineman Charlton Keith. Charles Gordon was a second-team all-purpose selection.

Young, a unanimous pick as the AP’s offensive player of the year, also was among four unanimous first-teamers. So was Buffs kicker Mason Crosby, who has the added honor of being among six repeat first-teamers.

Young and Crosby will be on display Saturday when Texas and Colorado meet in the Big 12 title game in Houston. The Longhorns are favored to beat the Buffs by more than the 25 points they won by when the teams met in October.

Texas (11-0, 8-0) has the incentive of playing for a spot in the national-championship game. Colorado (7-4, 5-3) will be trying to end a two-game losing streak.

For the Buffs to get to Young, they’ll have to get past two All-Big 12 blockers: Jonathan Scott, a repeat first-teamer, and Justin Blalock. Sometimes they’ll have to go through a third all-conference pick, tight end David Thomas.