They're the teams within the team - those cohesive little units bound together by their shared responsibilities within the larger team context.

Whether it's the offensive linemen firing off time after time into those familiar blocking sleds, or the defensive linemen drilling repeatedly on how to shed blockers, or the defensive backs breaking on ball after ball - these teams in miniature hone their tasks on the practice field until those tasks become second nature.

By Braden Gall (@AthlonBraden) and Steven Lassan (@AthlonSteven)

Athlon Sports continues its countdown to the college football season with a look at the top 35 players for 2011 in the Big 12.

Several factors worked into the criteria for developing the 35 players: 

Debate: Who is the best quarterback in the Big 12?

Athlon editors Braden Gall and Patrick Snow debate who is the best signal-caller in the Big 12. The three candidates:

Landry Jones, Oklahoma: 4,718 yards, 38 TDs, 12 INTs, 65.6%, minus-128 rush yards, 1 TD
Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma St: 4,277 yards, 34 TDs, 13 INTs, 66.9%, minus-68 rush yds
Robert Griffin, Baylor: 3,501 yards, 22 TDs, 8 INT, 66.9%, 635 rush yards, 8 TDs