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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Call it a quarterback controversy or a competition. Whatever it is, the Texas Longhorns remain unsettled at the position heading into the 2012 season.

The Longhorns reported to training camp Sunday with David Ash and Case McCoy still fighting to take control of the offense after a rocky 2011 in which both started several games in an 8-5 season.

Texas could have the best defense in the Big 12 and has a stable of potentially punishing running backs. If they produce a legitimate passing game, the Longhorns could be back in contention for a conference title — and maybe more.

Ash would seem the likely frontrunner after leading Texas to a Holiday Bowl win over California, a solid performance that earned him the games' most valuable player honors. But coach Mack Brown has so far refused to name Ash the starter for the Sept. 1 season opener against Wyoming and insists there's a spirited competition for the position.

So what's holding Ash back?

"You're asking the wrong guy," Ash said Sunday. He and McCoy sat about 20 feet apart and each was surrounded by reporters asking about the competition, their summer workouts and how they've tried to improve their play.

Ash, who was 3-3 as a starter last season as a freshman, said he's been reading and studying how to be a better leader, yet struggled Sunday to define what it means to be one.

"What is leadership? I don't know. People say it's a lot of different things. When you come down to it, it's a real abstract term that has a different meaning to a lot of people."

McCoy, who was 3-2 as a starter, said he's more confident after putting on an extra 15 pounds to get up to 200 and bulking up in the weight room. McCoy said not playing in the Holiday Bowl was motivation to challenge Ash for the job this season.

Both players struggled badly at times last season as the Texas passing game floundered to eighth in the Big 12. Ash appeared to be a calm and steady personality but he struggled to grasp a complex college offense as a true freshman. McCoy, the younger brother of former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, showed flashes of his brother's playmaking brilliance, but his swashbuckling approach also led to some critical errors. McCoy's fourth-quarter scramble set up the game-winning field goal against Texas A&M and a week later he had five turnovers in a loss at Baylor.

McCoy, who will be a junior this season, admits he's got to cut out the mistakes if he hopes to play.

"I've matured. David's matured. That's going to show," McCoy said. "I'm a whole lot more confident."

McCoy's mistakes came in bunches, but Ash had his share with eight interceptions compared to just four touchdowns.

Brown said Sunday he expects both players will be better this season. After a summer of player-led workouts, Brown said who starts will be determined over the next couple of weeks in practices closed to the media and public.

Brown said he's in no hurry to declare a starter.

"When they make the decision for us, then we'll make it," Brown said. "I'm not panicked when it's done. The worst thing you can do is make a decision when it's not ready."

Brown is no stranger to quarterback controversies in his 15th season at Texas.

In 2000 and 2001, the Longhorn fan based was divided over his decision to start Chris Simms over Major Applewhite. In 2003-2004, Chance Mock was still battling Vince Young until Young took over the role for good and led the Longhorns to the 2005 national title.

After Young left, most assumed talented recruit Jevan Snead would take over but Colt McCoy emerged as the starter as a redshirt freshman and won 45 games over the next four seasons.

But in each of those cases, the Longhorns still won a lot of games because the battles were between players with elite talent. Since Colt McCoy left, Texas is just 13-12 over the last two seasons with two straight losing seasons in the Big 12.

"Everybody needs to help us get that position back," Brown said.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — David Ash never doubted he would be the starting quarterback at No. 15 Texas.

Now that he has won the job, the challenge is keeping it beyond Saturday's season-opener against Wyoming.

Ash, who rotated last season with Case McCoy, won the preseason battle to take over the job without an "or" between their names on the depth chart. Coach Mack Brown announced the decision last week and Ash met with reporters Monday.

"I expected it," Ash said. "I worked really hard. The coaches have given me a shot. That's all you can really ask for."

Ash still has a lot to prove on the field.

He was 3-3 as a freshman starter last season with just four touchdown passes and eight interceptions. His completion rate was under 58 percent and Texas ranked 86th nationally in passing.

Ash seemed to be asserting himself as the Longhorns' No. 1 when he played every snap of Texas' Holiday Bowl win over California. Ash was named the most valuable player of the game after passing for one touchdown, catching another and not committing any turnovers.

But even with that game under this belt, Texas opened their 2012 training camp with Brown refusing to name a starter and he insisted McCoy was battling Ash for the job. Despite the competition, Ash said his confidence has grown as he's matured and had more time to learn just how to be a college quarterback.

"I can play football," Ash said. "I can play quarterback as good as anybody else."

Some of his teammates said Monday they thought the competition was close until Brown announced Ash was No. 1.

"For me, it was a tossup," linebacker Jordan Hicks said. "We had no clue."

McCoy, the younger brother of former Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy, could still get playing time against Wyoming. Brown said McCoy and Ash are friends but Ash revealed little about their relationship.

Ash said both wanted whatever is best for the team. When asked if he said anything to McCoy after the decision, Ash said, "Um, not really."

Ash knows his play will be the focus of a lot of scrutiny. The Longhorns expect to have one of the best defenses and running games in the Big 12. Even a decent passing game could be the difference between another mediocre season and one where Texas again competes for the league championship.

Texas went Texas went 69-9 from 2004-2009, won two Big 12 titles and appeared in two national championship games behind Vince Young and Colt McCoy. The Longhorns are just 13-12 over the last two seasons, including a paltry 6-11 in Big 12 play.

Brown will have to hope Ash is developing into the quarterback the Longhorns need.

"The concern we had with David last year was he tried to make every play," Brown said.

Now he's making better decisions when reading defense and finding his escape routes, such as pulling back a deep pass into coverage to complete a shorter one.

"Trust your other players,' Brown said. "Drop it off to the back in the flat. He may score."

PHOENIX (AP) — College football is in for some big and, some say, much-needed changes with the switch to a four-team playoff.

Before we get to that, there's still a couple more seasons under the current system; the playoffs don't begin until 2014.

And this one will be worth watching.

There's plenty of interesting story lines, from Penn State trying to rebuild in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal to Urban Meyer's return to coaching with Ohio State.

There's no shortage of great players, either.

Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley skipped the NFL for the chance at a national title, Michigan's Denard Robinson is a blur even without his shoelaces tied and Wisconsin's Montee Ball is like trying to tackle a wrecking ball.

Great teams? Could be a few of those, too. USC, LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma, Oregon — the BCS could be under a lot of strain this season with those teams all bidding for No. 1.

So to get you ready, we've got a rundown of some of the things to watch out for this season.

Enjoy.

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TOP TEAMS

USC. Barkley is back. So is his top target, Robert Woods. Former Penn State running back Silas Redd was a nice addition. Postseason eligible again, the Trojans aren't aiming for just any bowl; they want a trip to Miami and national championship.

Alabama. The Crimson Tide have won two of the past three national championships. They figure to be contenders for another.

LSU. The Honey Badger is gone. All those other NFL prospects — such as defensive end Sam Montgomery and safety Eric Reid — should keep the Tigers from missing him.

Oklahoma. The Sooners have a record-setting QB in Landry Jones, a brick wall of an offensive line and with the return of Mike Stoops, Bob's feisty little brother, they should be good on defense, too.

Oregon. LaMichael James and Darron Thomas are gone? Big deal. The Ducks have plenty of other players who can fly in those new winged unis.

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KEEP AN EYE ON

Arkansas. QB Tyler Wilson and RB Knile Davis are back, coach John L. Smith has calmed the storm after Bobby Petrino's motorcycle crash and subsequent firing. All Arkansas has to do now is get by Alabama and LSU — its only two losses a year ago — which isn't as farfetched as you might think. Both visit the Natural state, one early (Alabama on Sept. 15) the other late (LSU the day after Thanksgiving)

Florida State. The Seminoles' return to prominence has been rumored for years. Under coach Jimbo Fisher, it may actually happen this season.

Wisconsin. The Badgers are hungry after consecutive Rose Bowl losses and they have Ball, one of the nation's best running backs.

Michigan State. Behind RB Le'Veon Bell, the Spartans could be on the verge of breaking a Rose Bowl drought that goes back to 1988.

Texas. Mack Brown's crew appears to be headed back to the big stage behind a helmet-rattling defense.

West Virginia. The Mountaineers could make their first season in the Big 12 championship worthy.

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TOP PLAYERS

Barkley, USC. Projected as a high NFL draft pick, Barkley became an instant Heisman Trophy front-runner when he announced he was coming back for his senior season.

Ball, Wisconsin. The Badgers' star running back changed the pronunciation of his name from Mon-tee to Mon-tay. Whatever you call him, dude's good.

Robinson, Michigan. The Wolverines' electric quarterback has churned out more than 8,000 yards in his career, most of those the past two seasons. Imagine what he could do if he tied his shoes.

Geno Smith, West Virginia. The Mountaineers' QB set multiple school records as a junior and more could be on the way in his final season in Charleston.

Barkevious Mingo, LSU. Been known to train wreck offensive linemen.

Jones, Oklahoma. He's been around since Barry Switzer was coach. OK, maybe not that long, but the four-year starter will leave as the most prolific passer in OU history.

De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon. Spectacular as a freshman last season and will likely get more touches this season now that James is in the NFL.

Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina. Back from a torn ACL last season, he should be one of the nation's top running backs this year.

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BIG GAMES

Sept. 1, Michigan vs. Alabama at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas. The annual opener at Jerry Jones' funhouse has had some great matchups in the past. This one could be the best of the bunch.

Sept. 15, Alabama at Arkansas. Winner could get the inside track on a national-title run.

Sept. 22, Michigan at Notre Dame. Last season's epic finish makes this a must-watch.

Oct. 13, Oklahoma vs. Texas in Dallas. The Red River rivalry continues after all the conference shuffling and could become epic again with these two teams on the rise.

Oct. 27, Notre Dame at Oklahoma. A rare meeting between power programs.

Nov. 3, Alabama at LSU. We may not get sucked into calling it the Game of the Century again, but it still figures to have national-title implications.

Nov. 3, Oregon at USC. Triple digits in combined points is a possibility with all those playmakers on the field.

Nov. 24, Michigan at Ohio State. Meyer is running the Buckeyes and Michigan appears to be back. This rivalry could be heating back up.

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THE NEW GUYS

There was quite a bit of turnover in the coaching ranks over the offseason, with some pretty big names landing in new places. Here's a few:

Bob Davie, New Mexico. Away from coaching for a decade, Davie tries to turn around a program plagued by embarrassments on and off the field under Mike Locksley.

Todd Graham, Arizona State. The fast-talking Texan has done everything right in Tempe so far, soothing concerns about bouncing around while building excitement for the program. All that's left is to win some games.

Mike Leach, Washington State. His offenses are always entertaining. So's his mouth.

Meyer, Ohio State. Burned out no more, the two-time national champion coach returns to the sideline with one of the country's premier programs — and too many references to an Urban renewal.

Bill O'Brien, Penn State. The former o-coordinator of the New England Patriots might have the toughest job in the country.

Rich Rodriguez, Arizona. RichRod's three-year run at Michigan didn't go so well, but he has Tucson buzzing about football again with his suped-up offense.

Smith, Arkansas. The Razorbacks needed someone to smooth over the ugliness of Bobby Petrino's firing. The even-keel Smith should be a good fit.

Charlie Weis, Kansas. Weis' first stint as a head coach petered out at Notre Dame. The Jayhawks are hoping he can turn around a program that languished under Turner Gill.

Follow John Marshall on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jmarshallap