It's a Gatorful World

Buckeyes Are Gatorbait

Florida tried to erase any doubt with a 41-14 mauling of Ohio State in last night's mythical national championship game. Boise State will always have their case after posting an undefeated season, but the Gators get the trophy. Random thoughts on the game:

• Listening to ESPN radio yesterday afternoon was a little annoying. They were discussing how the championship didn't have much atmosphere around it because it was too late in the year. They claimed they'd rather be talking about the NFL playoffs. Whatever. It came off as more anti-college playoff proganda.
• Speaking of a football playoff, I used to be an eight- or ten-team guy, but I'm starting to move into the 16-game crowd. I used to think you could keep some bowls on the side, but I overdid it this bowl season. I watched one too many meaningless bowl games and I'm sort of burnt on the whole system. Give me a 16-team playoff and ace the bowls. I don't care when it starts or ends just get it done.
• Back to the game, Ted Ginn Jr.'s kickoff return for TD was damned impressive. Might want to hold off a little on the celebration.
• Florida's offense was fun to watch. The utilization of  Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin is the kind of innovative approach that keeps you ahead of the crowd. Makes you wish KU could have been more creative in getting the ball to Marcus Herford this season. Not saying that Herford is the next Harvin, but he definitely should have the ball in his hands more often, especially considering the fact that he can throw (yes, I know he almost killed Brian Murph in Waco). The short run/throw for TD that Tebow executed is something I can see Herford pulling off. It's all over now though. We'll see this kind of approach spread across the college football landscape.
• I guess the Gators didn't get the memo -- you can't win in both basketball and football.
• I know about six Heisman winners that might agree that the trophy should be awarded after the bowl season. Or maybe not.
• Going for it on fourth and one on your own 30. I think I get it. That looked like a "prove to me that you want it" call by Jim Tressel. The old "if you can't get one yard then you don't deserve to win" theory. KU fans please see third and one vs Texas A&M.
• Despite the blowout, the game was pretty engaging and to the Buckeyes credit they fought pretty hard throughout the game. It was an entertaining conclusion to the 2006 season and a nice diversion from chasing down recruiting stories. When is the spring game?

Chris Harris Verbals to KU

Athlete Chooses Kansas

According Rivals.com, athlete Chris Harris (6-0/180/4.4) has made a verbal commitment to Kansas after visiting over the weekend. Harris was an All-State defensive back at Bixby High School in Oklahoma for the 2006 season. He is rated as a two-star recruit by Rivals. Scout.com lists Harris as a wide receiver and has him with a one-star ranking. Other schools reportedly interested in Harris include Baylor, Colorado State, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Wyoming and Tulsa.

2007 Commitments

PS  STAR Player/Location/Ht/Wt/40/Signed
CB   ***  Brian Murphy/Lawrence, KS - 5-8/165 - 06/21/2006
LB   ***  Drew Dudley/College Station, TX - 6-2/221/4.59 - 07/24/2006
LB   ***  Steven Foster/Sedgwick, KS - 6-2/235/4.60 - 10/6/2006
CB   ***  Kendrick Harper/Butler County CC - 5-10/185/4.45 - 12/1/2006
DB   ***  Patrick Resby/Corsicana Navarro CC - 6-2/195-12/10/2006
RB   ***  Carmen Boyd-Anderson/Jacksonville, TX - 6-1/200/4.5-12/11/06
DE   ***  Aaron Mack/Phoenix, AZ - 6-3/240/4.6 - 12/17/06
OL   ***  Chet Hartley/Butler County C.C. - 6-4/310/5.0 - 12/17/06
OL   ***  Jeremiah Hatch/Dallas, TX - 6-3/301 - 1/1/2007
WR  **   Ryan Murphy/Lawrence, KS - 5-9.5/170 - 06/09/2006 
WR  **   Isiah Barfield/Haven, KS - 6-0/175 - 06/29/2006
DT   **   Patrick Dorsey/Houston, TX - 6-0/255/5.30 - 07/27/2006
WR  **   Chris Tuck/Dallas, TX - 6-4/200/4.50 - 05/22/2006
QB   **   A.J. Steward/St. Louis, MO - 6-4/210/4.6 - 11/19/06
DE    **   Richard Johnson/Jefferson City, MO - 6-4/255/5.0 - 12/10/06
DE    **   Jake Laptad/Jenks, OK - 6-4/214/4.9 - 12/17/06
ATH **   Chris Harris/Bixby, OK - 6-0/180/4.4 - 1/7/07

Fambrough Street and The Search

Catching Up On Recent News Stories

Fambrough Street
The LJ-World had a recent article on a KU student that is organizing an effort to get all of or a portion of Missouri Street renamed in honor of Don Fambrough. Hey, I'm hardcore -- this isn't even a debate. I'm on board with Fambrough Avenue.

Searching For The OC
Mark Mangino gave some insight into the offensive coordinator situation in another LJ-World article on Friday:

“Making the correct decision is more important than making a hasty decision,” Mangino said, “so I’m making sure that everything is well thought-out.”

In other words, it looks like it'll be a while before we have a replacement and it sounds like the resignation was a little bit of surprise for the staff. Still, the tone of the article indicates that they are taking a careful look at the offensive approach and that should be a good thing.

One Football Source: Jayhawk Network

The Jumping Off Spot for KU Football Info

It started as a tool to help me keep up to date on all KU football info for this blog site. Then I thought why not make it public and a part of the site. Then I realized it really pretty much stands on its own, so I purchased the JayhawkNetwork.com URL and started compiling the page. So today, you'll find a link at the upper left of Hawk Digest that will direct you to the one-page Jayhawk Network home. What is it and how does it benefit me? Essentially, it's just a huge collection of quick links and basic info with some news and blog feeds on KU football. In addition, there are some "KU historical info cards" that rotate through site.

In reality, you can get all of the same info by having your own set of links and plugging these newsfeeds into your My Yahoo account or other newsreader. There's nothing revolutionary here.  The thought is that it would be a great to just have one starting point for all KU football info. The Lawrence-Journal World, Phog.net and Rivals are all essential tools for the KU football fan, but since they are "competitors," you're on your own navigating between the sources. Now, no matter where you are, you know that you can type in JayhawkNetwork.com and use it as your jumping off point for KU football.

There's a lot of info there now, but it's still being built, so expect plenty more info in the future. In fact, it still doesn't have a contact link, so if you have suggestions, go ahead and post them as comments here.

Bowl Game: The Minimum Standard

4 x 12

Now that we've weeded through the multitude of "consolation" bowl games, we'll finally get a match-up that means something on Monday night when Florida and Ohio State battle for the MNC. I suppose the Boise St. win over OU meant something. I'd certainly be claiming a national championship with a Florida win on Monday if I was a Boise St. fan or player. Still, the rest of the bowls were meaningless clashes created for TV interest and tourism under the guise of tradition. So as I watched teams like Houston, South Florida, Kansas State, Missouri and Nebraska enjoy a bowl trip, I once again take note of the fact that we have beaten each of those teams at least once within the last two seasons. Sure, Missouri clipped us pretty good this year, but Nebraska didn't exactly spank us. We've proven that we can pretty much play with and beat virtually any team in our conference. The question is -- why can't we do it consistently?

In general, KU fans have been pretty impressed that KU players continue to play hard no matter what the situation. I'll tend to agree with that. For the most part, performances like the Missouri game have been pretty rare. However, it does seem like there is always a portion of each game where KU loses intensity. Frequently, it comes in the second half. I'd say KU needs to work on their killer instinct and I'd also suggest a new motto for 2007 -- 4 x 12. As in, play all four quarters for all 12 games. You've proven that you can play, now can you prove that you can play well over a full season? With all of the mediocre teams that actually play in bowl games, there is no excuse for missing the bowl season. The pressure is on for 2007.

Sweating the New OC

Time Keeps On Tickin'

The early speculation that offensive coordinator Nick Quartaro was forced out seems a little more off target each day that passes with no announcement of a replacement. For fans looking for improvement, that could be bad news. Lew Perkins has certainly demonstrated the financial ability to attract a solid replacement, but if the staff is scrambling for candidates ... well, color me concerned. Just a little bit of improvement on the offensive side of the ball should net us about two more wins per year. Even though I'm not in the "Nick Q makes bad play calls club", no one can argue that KU has had trouble making the plays on offense at critical junctures in the game. In my opinion, sometimes that was the play call and other times it was a failure to execute properly. Whatever the reason, KU needs improvement. Nick's offensive units were productive over the years (excluding first half 2005) when you check out the numbers. Now we need to be productive when the game is on the line. Good luck on the hire.

KU Lands 14th Ranked Center

Hatch Will Be a Jayhawk

Jeremiah Hatch (6-3/301) commited to Kansas yesterday according to the Lawrence Journal World. Hatch is the 14th ranked center in the nation and eases the pain of losing senior center David Ochoa to graduation. As rated by Rivals.com, KU now has nine three-star commitments.

Rivals Page on Hatch
Phog.net Discussion

2007 Commitments

PS  STAR Player/Location/Ht/Wt/40/Signed
CB  ***  Brian Murphy/Lawrence, KS - 5-8/165 - 06/21/2006
LB  ***  Drew Dudley/College Station, TX - 6-2/221/4.59 - 07/24/2006
LB  ***  Steven Foster/Sedgwick, KS - 6-2/235/4.60 - 10/6/2006
CB  ***  Kendrick Harper/Butler County CC - 5-10/185/4.45 - 12/1/2006
DB  ***  Patrick Resby/Corsicana Navarro CC - 6-2/195-12/10/2006
RB  ***  Carmen Boyd-Anderson/Jacksonville, TX - 6-1/200/4.5-12/11/06
DE  ***  Aaron Mack/Phoenix, AZ - 6-3/240/4.6 - 12/17/06
OL  ***  Chet Hartley/Butler County C.C. - 6-4/310/5.0 - 12/17/06
OL  ***  Jeremiah Hatch/Dallas, TX - 6-3/301 - 1/1/2007
WR  **   Ryan Murphy/Lawrence, KS - 5-9.5/170 - 06/09/2006 
WR  **   Isiah Barfield/Haven, KS - 6-0/175 - 06/29/2006
DT  **   Patrick Dorsey/Houston, TX - 6-0/255/5.30 - 07/27/2006
WR  **   Chris Tuck/Dallas, TX - 6-4/200/4.50 - 05/22/2006
QB  **   A.J. Steward/St. Louis, MO - 6-4/210/4.6 - 11/19/06
DE  **   Richard Johnson/Jefferson City, MO - 6-4/255/5.0 - 12/10/06
DE  **   Jake Laptad/Jenks, OK - 6-4/214/4.9 - 12/17/06

Texas Evens The Score

Big 12 Hits .500

With the 26-24 Texas win over Iowa in yesterday's Alamo Bowl, the Big 12 moved to 3-3 for the 2006 bowl season. Of course, the south division is doing the heavy lifting by going 3-1 thus far. The north is slipping back into its stereotype as a weak division with a nice 0-2 showing.

Sour Grapes

Of course any negative comments toward Mizzou from a KU source are purely sour grapes, but after watching the Sun Bowl this week a few things are really starting to bother me:

• It feels wrong to have the MU offensive coaches read the defense as they set up and give Chase Daniel the play at the last second. Maybe, I'm old-fashioned, but back in my day, it was up to the quarterback on the field to read the "D" and make an audible.¹ No, I don't think there should be a rule against it, and yes I understand that coaches are pretty involved in the overall outcome and strategy of the game anyway. This just feels a little over the top to me.
• Secondarily, when they are making the call from the sideline, they should be on the sideline. If they are standing on the field, it should be a penalty.

Yes, I am bitter about KU not being in one of the 900 bowls that are being played this year.

1) Maybe I'm wrong about MU using this method. I am strictly basing this on observations from televised games and watching the Tigers in person over Thanksgiving. Being at the stadium, I realized that Mizzou employs this quite a bit and the coaches are on the field when the ball is snapped a significant number of plays. Please correct me if you have some insight on this practice.

Nick Quartaro Resigns

What Does It Mean?

By now the news of Nick Quartaro's resignation has spread like wildfire through the Jayhawk football fanbase. Speculation is that it was a forced resignation. Time will tell but there is no question that Quartaro has been abused pretty severely over the years on the message boards. Mainly, fans have taken issue with playcalling in close games. Certainly fans will remember not being able to pick up a third and one versus A&M this year or not being able to generate a single point in the second half versus Texas Tech in 2004 (a preview to last night's Minnesota meltdown). However, probably the largest concern this year was the perceived mis-use of Jon Cornish all year long. It can be argued a number of different ways, but the reality is that KU had trouble holding onto leads late despite having the Big 12's leading rusher. That alone represents a fairly significant problem.

Still, the rejoicing by the anti-Quartaro club is a bit premature. Like the departure of Glen Mason, there are two components to this. Getting rid of the problem, then finding a replacement that is actually better. As we saw starting in 1997, things can actually get worse.

Speculation on the Phog Board has produced names like Dirk Koetter, Rick Neuheisel, John Latina and many more. Others fear an internal promotion. Either way, KU's two biggest areas of inconsistency (secondary and offense) over the past few years have now experienced coaching changes following a disappointing 6-6 season. It looks as though Kansas is pretty serious about correcting problems and moving to the next level.

Story links on Nick Q's departure: LJW | Wichita Eagle | UDK

Bowl Meltdowns

It was bad enough when Mizzou choked away their two-touchdown lead to fall to Oregon State 39-38, but Minnesota created a true masterpiece by giving it all up to Texas Tech. The Golden Gophers led 38-7 before falling in overtime 44-41. No one has ever looked as helpless as Glen Mason did in last night's fourth quarter.

The Tech comeback was pretty crucial for the Big 12. The conference gets a split for the day and now has a 2-3 record for the bowl season.

Tough Start

One for Three

The Big 12 got off to a rough start in bowl play with a couple of embarrassing losses last night. The day started all right as Oklahoma State survived a late scare by Alabama and held on for a 34-31 Independence Bowl victory. Dantrell Savage led the Cowboys with 112 yards and a TD on 23 carries. Things got ugly in the evening as Cal spanked Texas A&M 45-10 in the Holiday Bowl and Rutgers schooled KSU 37-10 on a slippery field at the Texas Bowl. Marshawn Lynch led the Bears with 111 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.

The Rutgers domination of KSU makes it a little tough to evaluate the progress of the WIldcats. On the one hand, you have the big win versus Texas in Manhattan. However, the last two losses put that into question and actually make you wonder about Texas. KSU is obviously a young team that struggles to stop the run. That should improve with experience. On the offensive side of the ball, the regression of young Josh Freeman is a little concerning. It's probably just the inconsistency of a freshman QB (KU fans know), but the flood of turnovers in the last two games will have to be corrected or 2007 could be a tough one for the Purple People. Still, a 7-6 record in year one is pretty impressive for Ron Prince. Plus, I think everyone will be a little wary of playing the Cats in Manhattan.

Today's Big 12 Action:

 Missouri vs Oregon State, Sun Bowl, 1:00 p.m.
 Texas Tech vs Minnesota, Insight Bowl, 6:30 p.m.

The Missing LOI

Word on Aaron Mack

The information on the lack of an LOI for Phoenix College defensive end Aaron Mack has been pretty scarce. However, Grayhawker over on the Rivals board indicated that Mack needs to finish up a few more courses. Here's the link to the thread.

Cornish Headed to Shrine Game

Credit: Bill Carter

One More Game

KU fans will get one last chance to see senior running back Jon Cornish perform at the college level. Cornish was selected to play in the Annual East-West Shrine Game at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas on January 20. Cornish will play for the West team which will be coached by Dan Reeves and includes several Big 12 players including Nebraska QB Zac Taylor and ISU running back Stevie Hicks. The East team will be coached by Don Shula.

Shrine Game Website

West Roster Link