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Re-ranking the Big 12's top players: 20-16

We've ranked the Big 12's best players before the season. We've done it after the season.

Time for a midseason checkup.

Here's the next round of my top 25 list, which we'll be revealing throughout the week. Here's more on my criteria.

16. Dominique Whaley, RB, Oklahoma: Whaley may have "former walk-on" in front of his name for awhile, but perhaps he can soon add "One of the Big 12's best players," too. Whaley has held off his more highly recruited competition in Oklahoma's backfield to become the league's No. 2 rusher, with 627 yards and nine touchdowns.

17. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M: Tannehill is eschewing the Aggies' senior quarterback curse as expected, and continuing to improve in his first full season as a starting quarterback. He's thrown for 1,742 yards and 13 touchdowns with six interceptions, but he's also run for 231 yards and three touchdowns.

18. Christine Michael, RB, Texas A&M: Michael's been a beast this season for the Aggies, returning from a broken leg last season and looking better, bigger and faster than ever with the same mean streak that makes him arguably the most talented back in the league. He's one of just two rushers in the Big 12's top 11 with fewer than 100 carries, turning them into 565 yards and seven touchdowns. Among the top seven in the Big 12 in carries, he has the highest yards per carry average, at 6.08.

19. Seth Doege, QB, Texas Tech: Doege's stepped in for Taylor Potts at Texas Tech and the Red Raiders haven't missed a beat. His 290 pass attempts are the nation's most, but he's completed 70 percent (205) of them for 2,167 yards, 18 touchdowns and four interceptions. Much of that has come without his top receiver, Darrin Moore, too. Don't expect Doege to slow.

20. Eric Stephens, RB, Texas Tech: Like Michael last year, Stephens won't be on the postseason list, but he deserves a spot on the midseason list. He's done for the year after five games after dislocating his knee against Texas A&M, but before the injury, he was the Big 12's No. 2 rusher. Stephens will be back for a strong senior year in 2012, but he finishes the season with 570 yards and eight touchdowns.

Stay tuned for the rest of our list later this week.

The rest of the list: