Around the Big 12: Week #6

Other than KU toying with emotions in Ames, the "elite" teams of the Big 12 took no mercy on the bottom half. Next week should be a little more entertaining for the rest of the league as more teams will play in there own flight (remind me to lay out my developmental division format in the offseason). As for KU, I think we could all handle a little less "entertainment" than we enjoyed at ISU.

1 (A+ 97%) - Oklahoma (5-0) #1, s = 27
Okay, seriously -- should Baylor really have to play OU every year. With the Texas game on deck, I guess we'll go ahead and eliminate one south contender next Saturday.
(HD rank 1-1-1-1-1-1)

2 (A 96%) - Missouri (5-0) #3, s = 4
A 52-17 win in Lincoln -- I know times have changed, but still you've got to give the Tiggers credit. To be honest, I'm not sure that I still believe OU is better than Mizzou, but I can't produce any factual evidence to move OU down. OSU comes to Columbia next Saturday to provide a real test for the MU defense.
(HD rank 2-2-2-2-2-2)

3 (A 95%) - Texas (5-0) #5, s = 58
Okay, a 38-14 win in Boulder looks pretty nice on the resume and shows that the Longhorns can play some defense. Now can they eliminate OU from the South race?
(HD rank 4-4-3-3-3-3)

4 (A- 91%) - Texas Tech (5-0) #9, s = 95
The way Texas Tech is easing into the season they should have plenty of momentum by the time they go to Lawrence on October 25--their first legitimate game of the season. They rolled the Cats up pretty good in Manhattan (58-28) and I'm sure they expect to treat Nebraska the same way this Saturday in Lubbock. Holding KSU to 28 indicates a nice defensive effort for the Red Raiders.
(HD rank 5-5-4-4-4-4)

5 (B 84%) - Kansas (4-1) #15, s = 64
The Jayhawks maintain a slight edge on OSU based on last year's win and gain one percentage point for finding a way to win at Iowa State after digging a 20-point hole. The game seemed similar to the KSU road trip last year. The Jayhawks need to build on it and protect their home turf when CU arrives at Memorial Stadium next Saturday.
(HD rank 3-3-5-6-5-5)

6 (B 83%) - Oklahoma State (5-0) #18, s = 106
Alright, the 56-28 home win over the Aggies looked pretty convincing for the 5-0 Cowboys, but they step up to the big time next Saturday when they travel to Columbia. They'll walk the fine line between exposed and dream season.
(HD rank 6-6-6-7-6-6)

7 (C 76%) - Colorado (3-2) #44, s = 2
Still the best of the rest despite the 38-14 home loss to UT. An immediate jump could take place if they could steal one in Lawrence next week. They should note -- no lead appears to be safe against the Jayhawks.
(HD rank 7-8-8-5-7-7)

8 (D+ 69%) - Nebraska (3-2) #45, s = 1
Okay, we know Mizzou is now a "mega-power college football program," but the Huskers still drop a full letter grade just for looking helpless at home. Oddly though, they hold the #8 slot. Next up: Texas Tech in Lubbock. Wheeeee! 
(HD rank 8-7-7-8-8-8)

9 (D+ 68%) Iowa State (2-3) #90, s = 108
The Clones look a lot like a team I watched in the middle part of this decade. Step one is showing that you can compete with any team that comes into your home stadium. ISU has pretty much established that with wins over Iowa, KSU and CU last year and now near misses vs OU and KU. Coming up, the Cyclones travel to Baylor where we can really get some clarification on the order in this sector of the conference.
(HD rank 10-10-11-11-11-9)

10 (D 66%) Baylor (2-3) #86, s = 37
The Bears get the edge over KSU due to playing the #1 team in the nation. The home game against ISU a must-win though if they want some respect for the 2008 campaign.
(HD rank 11-11-10-9-9-10)

11 (D 64%) - Kansas State (3-2) #65, s = 114
Let's face it -- Tech is going to humiliate a lot of teams this year, but the Cats are first so they get to take the punishment in the HD poll. Plus, this makes for a great battle for cellar in College Station next Saturday.
(HD rank 9-9-9-10-10-11)

12 (D- 61%) Texas A&M (2-3) #87, s = 81
A real opportunity to escape the Big 12 dungeon awaits as KSU comes into town. Plus, fans can celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the 1998 Big 12 Championship game with a live re-enactment. Woo-hoo!!!!!
(HD rank 12-12-12-12-12-12)

# = CBS Sportsline Rank

s = CBS Strength of Schedule 

KU Football Conference Season Starts Promo

Inside the Tent: Kansas 35, Iowa State 33

DJ watching the game

“Worst collective half of football since I've been here.”
--Todd Reesing

From the Living Room DVR

I believe our quarterback is referring to the first half in the quote above. And remember, Todd was here to witness the second half of the 2006 Oklahoma State game, so he's witnessed some bad football. I'm inclined to agree and right now I think I'm as confused as I ever been. I'm not surprised that the offense was able to cover a 20-point deficit in relatively short time. I'm even used to the KU offense going brain dead for back-to-back series or a quarter here and there, but this was an impressive thirty minutes of rest time that Jayhawks took in the first half. A lot of teams have played five games at this point in the season. By taking quarters off on occasion and a full half against ISU, I'd say the KU offense is the most rested unit in the nation. My estimate would be that they've played roughly 3.25 games to date. Possibly, they're just trying to make it a little more interesting like when you let the X-Box build up a 30-point lead to see if you can come back.

Still, I shouldn't be hard on this team as road trips to Ames are generally like this. Todd Reesing witnessed an aberration during his last trip to Jack Trice when KU had a rare 41-10 blow out on the Cyclones home field. As the great philosopher Luke Skywalker once said, "Overconfidence is your weakness."

For ISU road games, KU fans are more accustomed to the 13-7 freakshow loss we witnessed in 2004 or the 50-47 torture-fest from 1992. For future reference, it doesn't matter if they put a knitting club in yellow and red uniforms, you better be ready to play on down number one when you go to Ames.

And on Defense 

If I'm an NFL scout, I have got to go find James McClinton and sign him to a contract immediately. It's clear now that McClinton and Aqib Talib were the two best defensive players in the history of college football. There is just no way a defense can regress this much with the loss of two players. Again, it's feels wrong to bash the defense when they were able to force a pair of field goals in the first half while playing nearly the entire half. Plus, they just dominated the third quarter. Unfortunately, KU's dirty little secret was blatantly on display. The best place to play KU is from behind -- when you have to pass every down. Clint Bowen will not blitz on your half of the field with the lead. So, you can get nice and warmed up as an opposing QB in the fourth quarter. You'll have all day to throw against the first down three-man rush. By the time he starts blitzing when you've reached the KU 35-yard line, you should be nice and warmed up.

Note to Big 12 quarterbacks* -- invite NFL scouts to visit during the second half of your date with Jayhawks.

In Conclusion

Okay, each unit played roughly 30 minutes each and we still won a road game in Ames after falling into a 20-point chasm. Considering the 17-7 Oklahoma affair last year in Ames, I think I might consider possibly thinking about being okay with that. I would also like to request that the team go back to playing three quarters per game and at least move for a referendum on playing a full four quarters in Norman.

The Randoms

• I have to admit -- there were a few times during that game that I thought we might not win 
  
• Well, we finally saw a running game, but I wonder when we'll see Jocques Crawford again.
• When I said there was a likely Big 12 upset on deck for Saturday, I really wasn't intending for it to be us.
• I don't know if Kerry Meier is right- or left-handed, but if he is a righty, do you know how hard it is to catch a ball over the head on your right shoulder? This guy is an awesome wide receiver -- definitely the best KU wideout I've seen since Isaac Byrd.
• Great game for Jake Sharp. A welcome addition to the season 
• Not a bad start for Dexton Fields -- I really wanted him to get to the endzone on that play 
• Mike Rivera played like the man that I remember 
• 1-0 in conference -- that's all that matters  

 *Does not apply to Chase Daniel or Graham Harrell.

Saturday Chatter: HD Newsletter + Tonight We Dine In Ames!

The newsletter is available here:

Hawk Digest Newsletter #4 -- Iowa State PDF

 I participated in the Rock Chalk Rountable this week along with Rock Chalk Talk and KJ-IBT

http://www.rockchalktalk.com/2008/10/2/627205/rock-chalk-roundtable-edit

KJ-IBT posted a nice Big 12 / Office comparison this week

http://kansasfootball-itsbusinesstime.blogspot.com/2008/10/well-hiphop-has-certainly-been-carrying.html

This one's for Angus -- "Jayhawks! Tonight we dine in Ames!"

Game Preview: KU at Iowa State

Photo: www.annependleton.com

Series: KU 47-34-6
Time: Saturday, Oct. 4 – 11:30 a.m. (CT) 
Venue: Jack Trice Stadium (55,000)
Location: Ames, Iowa
TV: VERSUS
Line: Kansas (-13)

Recent History (Tied 5-5 | all time series link)
1998 ISU 23, KU 20
1999 KU 31, ISU 28
2000 ISU 38, KU 17
2001 ISU 49, KU 7
2002 ISU 45, KU 3
2003 KU 36, ISU 7
2004 ISU 13, KU 7
2005 KU 24, ISU 21
2006 KU 41, ISU 10
2007 KU 45, ISU 7

Hawk Digest Preseason Capsule on Iowa State

The Rundown
Until 2007, October was not a fantastic month for Mark Mangino. The Jayhawks went 4-16 in October during Mangino's first five seasons before posting a 4-0 mark last year. Generally, Mangino fared better in November, but it was impossible to garner national attention with the mid-season slumps. Check your calendar as it's October again and Mangino is actually riding a five-game October winning streak. Tomorrow brings a fantastic opportunity to sustain momentum and get a leg up in the North with a coveted road division win. The Cyclones are in transition but the near upset of OU last year and the home victories against KSU and Colorado indicate a hard-working squad that will obviously play tough to defend the home turf. Exhibition play is over and it's time for the Jayhawks to make a statement about where they stand in the division and conference for 2008.

The Key
Thanks to Todd Reesing, KU can win this game without dominating in the run game, but they sure would like to see another step in the right direction. Especially on the road, a run game can help establish control and smooth out the times when momentum appears to shift (see USF game). The Clones play seven seniors on defense so it may be a bit of a challenge for the "work in progress" Jayhawk offensive line. Three of those seniors are on the defensive line, but standout senior LB Michael Bibbs is questionable. On the other side of the ball, ISU has played both Phillip Bates and Austen Arnaud at QB. Bates is mainly a runner at this point, but Arnaud led a key 98-yard drive last week to tie UNLV late and send that game to overtime. However, KU is generally solid against average QBs and Arnaud falls into that category in the Big 12.

Essentially, the big key is whether or not KU will finish the job if they get control of the game. The step on the throat mentality that was there in 2007 hasn't quite appeared yet.

The Bullets

• KU has held its opponent to less than 200 yards rushing in 31 consecutive games
  
• Todd Reesing currently has 5,095 career passing yards and needs 38 passing yards to pass David Jaynes (5,132) for third place Frank Seuer is KU's all-time leader with 6,410 yards
  
• ISU posted a 45-3 win in Mark Mangino’s first game as the head coach at KU.  He is 4-1 against the Cyclones since
• KU has won 13 straight games against un-ranked opponents and 16 of the last 17 games against teams not ranked
• Kansas’ defense allowed a season-low 45 rushing yards against Sam Houston State
• The Jayhawks are 12th nationally in total offense (473 ypg) and sixth in passing offense (354.0 ypg)
• Kerry Meier leads the nation with 9.25 receptions per game
• Justin Thornton leads the Big 12 with 8 passes defended
  
• James Holt leads the Big 12 with 3 forced fumbles
• KU is third in the Big 12 in rush defense (94.8 yards per game)
• Iowa State is tied (OU) for first in the Big 12 with +6 turnover margin. KU is +3
• KU leads the Big 12 in time of possession 34:09 per game

"Those guys worked extremely hard all week. They were sweating and were dog-tired. It gives the running backs confidence when we see our offensive lineman working like that. They are trying to be more physical and that was encouraging."

--Angus Quigley, on the offensive line

Run & Gun: College Football vs the US Economy

I’m no economist and in general I'm wary of all types of "ists." So I have to admit it's getting a little old having the "economic crisis" dominate nearly every news station and written publication on a daily basis eating up precious time that could be used for analyzing and discussing college football. C'mon, can't you have an economic collapse on your own time -- like in June or something. Still, I want to be worldly, so I figured why not go with it.

Here’s a Word Association Exercise….

1) East Carolina -- Stock Market

Both started off great early on, but now have stock that is rapidly declining and losses are continuously mounting.

2) Pac-10 – US Dollar

Both are extremely weak these days. Powerhouse USC loses to Oregon State?

3) Tennessee – Warren Buffet

Both are extremely optimistic about their bold investments. Tennessee has invested everything into Phillip Fulmer and seems to get very little in return; Mr. B has thrown $8 Billion at Goldman Sachs and GE. We’ll see how he does.

4) Ann Arbor, MI – Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac

Both seem to be in housing crisis. Michigan struggles at the “Big House”, Fannie and Freddie have their own problems.

5) Virginia Tech – Recession

Both appear to be showing an inevitable downward trend. 

6) Texas A&M -- Depression

The Ags go 2-2 in non-con play with losses to Arkansas State and Miami, FL with narrow wins over New Mexico and Army … need I say more.

7) Kansas State Players – Wall Street

Both apparently will need to be “bailed out”. See Kansas State safety Gary Chandler and Running Back Leon Patton.

8) Kansas State Team -- AIG Bank

Both may be in over their heads and just might fold up shop with a little adversity.

9) Florida State – 401K

Both were extremely good looking not too long ago, but now it’s looking ugly.

Let’s end this on a positive note…

10) South Florida – Bull Market

A Bull is on the rise. South Florida seems to have it going on, let’s see if the US economy follows suit.

Big 12 Predict-O-Scores: Week #6

Last week the VIC-20 super-computer was 7-0 straight up and even had a winning record as a spread beater at 4-3. Overall, the VIC stands at 15-5 straight up and 8-10 versus the spread. At $1000 per game, I guess I'm down $2500 right now. Ouch.

Week #6 on deck:

Texas 34 @ Colorado 24
Vegas has Texas -14 / Well, the Buffs are certainly prepared -- they did beat OU at home last year.

Texas A&M 28 @ OSU 32
Vegas has OSU -24.5 / I don't see this as a four-point game but 24.5 is a lot to cover for a team that 39 points plus to BCS teams at home last year.

Oklahoma 38 @ Baylor 21
Vegas has OU -27 / The big spreads make me nervous, but I'm pretty sure it won't be as close as the VIC-20 predicts.

Texas Tech 32 @ Kansas State 36
Vegas has Tech -7.5 / This is a tough sell, but Mizzou was the only team that went into Manhattan last year and pushed the Cats around. Too bad Tech is sort of like MU.

Mizzou 39 @ Nebraska 25
Vegas has MU -10.5 / It's hard for me to imagine MU scoring less than 40.

Kansas 33 @ Iowa State 17
Vegas has KU -13 / I'd be pretty happy with this result.

Update on Sunday, October 5, 2008 at 07:52PM by DJ Goodwin

Okay, since the VIC-20 went out on a limb for KSU and paid dearly, this would be the only entity in the galaxy that didn't go 6-0 straight up for Big 12 games over the weekend. The VIC gets to live with a 5-1 record over the weekend and can bite into a nice tasty 1-5 record playing against Vegas. Nice.

Overall, the VIC is 20-6 straight up and 9-15 vs the spread. The anti-system may pan out.

Sound and the Fury: Focus on Today

Seriously, aren't you a little bit concerned about the Hawks as they head into conference play?

My simple answer is KU fans have too much of a "worried Kansas farmer" mentality. You think too much about the future and whether or not it's going to rain. We're 3-1 and we can beat Iowa State. Those top 10 games are a lifetime away and believe me -- Mangino will have us ready to play each and every one. If that's not enough consider the following four concepts:

1) This game is about execution and confidence. Our young guys are getting better at a faster rate then you think and the biggest thing right now is to take out a conference opponent and get to 4-1. Winning becomes a habit and it was good to have SHSU after that showcase game in South Florida. All the focus should be on Iowa State and getting a critical road win in the division to start the real season. I think you'll be surprised at how much a win at ISU will help the confidence of the young players.

2) Todd Reesing is 15-2 as a starter. Some people are basically saying he'll go 1-4 or 0-5 in the big games this year? On top of that a lot of people have called him the fifth best QB in the league. I think TR is pretty balanced in his approach, but this is a competitive environment and I think he likes to finish on top. I'm not betting against this guy.

3) Jeff Spikes and Jeremiah Hatch are going to be good. Jocques Crawford is going to be good. I happen to think Angus Quigley is already good. We know what Jake Sharp can do when utilized properly. It's a matter of time before the running game breaks out again. In my opinion, teams right now are absolutely committed to taking away our run simply as a mental tactic. They know our staff wants to be balanced and they want to get in Ed Warriner's head. Eventually, teams will tire of getting roasted by Todd Reesing.

4) Seems like I've been talking about the pass rush since 2006. Actually, I have. Here's where I stand right now. We underappreciate what Russell Brorsen and John Larson do as run game defensive ends. I don't want to come off negative about that pair in any way. I feel they need a pass rush specialist to compliment their game. This year, I felt like someone between Jeff Wheeler, Maxwell Onyegbule and Jake Laptad would step up. I haven't given up on that and right now I'm giving the edge to Jake Laptad. Re-watching the games it seems like he is just percentage points away from being in the QBs face on a much higher number of plays.

Around the Big 12: Week #5

The Big 12 went 5-2 overall over the weekend, but 1-2 against BCS schools dropping the season record to .500 versus the big schools. That's not going to impress the SEC.

Big 12 vs BCS: 7-7
Big 12 vs All: 38-10

1 (A+ 97%) - Oklahoma (4-0) #1, s = 20
I don't have any questions. Anybody have any questions? The Sooners kick it off at Baylor this Saturday. Televised for your amusement at 11:30 a.m. on FSN.
(HD rank 1-1-1-1-1)

2 (A 94%) - Missouri (4-0) #4, s = 46
I raised Mizzou by a percentage point because I thought they should be #3 in the polls. The game in Lincoln has all kinds of intrigue. Nothing on paper says the Huskers can keep it close -- except it's in Lincoln. That didn't seem to bother the Hokies much.
(HD rank 2-2-2-2-2)

3 (A 93%) - Texas (4-0) #5, s = 62
Looks like Texas should beat Colorado 52-10, unless the Buffs want to accept the alternate Texas score of 42-13. Anyway, I'm convinced.
(HD rank 4-4-3-3-3)

4 (B+ 87%) - Texas Tech (4-0) #9, s = 110
Okay, we finally get to see the Leach offensive machine against BCS competition as Tech travels to KSU Saturday. ABC was interested so you can watch this at 2:30 p.m. on the ol' Telly. We assume Tech can score, but they'll need to limit KSU if they want to find some true believers in the defense.
(HD rank 5-5-4-4-4)

5 (B 83%) - Kansas (3-1) #15, s = 21
The Jayhawks move up a spot just for accepting the 2008 schedule. That and Colorado had to move down. As the ranked teams close in on the schedule, widespread paranoia grips the KU media -- Rock Chalk Talk, Tom Keegan and Bill Mayer. Take a breather boys -- we start at Iowa State this weekend. We'll worry about the rest later.
(HD rank 3-3-5-6-5)

6 (B- 82%) - Oklahoma State (4-0) #26, s = 105
I'd sure like to know more about the Cowboys. The 55-24 win over Troy was nice, but I'd like to see them play a real team before I start putting on my highway gear. They host A&M Saturday in a no-win situation. Doesn't really feel like they have done much to prepare to go into Columbia in two weeks.
(HD rank 6-6-6-7-6)

7 (B- 81%) - Colorado (3-1) #37, s = 79
One tough game too many for the Buffs as they fall to FSU 21-39. Hell month continues with UT travelling to Boulder on Saturday (FSN at 6:00 p.m.). You've got to wonder if the Buffs are going to be completely worn out by mid-October.
(HD rank 7-8-8-5-7)

8 (C+ 79%) - Nebraska (3-0) #41, s = 11
Strange game against Virginia Tech. Stuffed the Hokies in the red zone, but they couldn't answer on the other end. Seemed like they were throwing the ball around fairly well at times. Hosting the Tigers on Saturday night. We'll all be watching this one as long as it stays interesting.
(HD rank 8-7-7-8-8)

9 (C- 70%) Baylor (2-2) #81, s = 47
How can I have a two-loss Baylor team ahead of KSU? I don't know, maybe I'm still punishing the Cats for that brutal loss to Louisville. Maybe the Bears can back up this #9 ranking by kicking OU all over the field in Waco this Saturday.
(HD rank 11-11-10-9-9)

10 (D+ 68%) - Kansas State (3-1) #61, s = 118
The University of Louisana caught an angry KSU team and paid dearly with the 45-37 pounding at Wagner Field. Probably a lot of restless nights coming up this week for Mike Leach. Cat's open Big 12 play at home? First time since 1996. But there is no bias from the conference headquarters.
(HD rank 9-9-9-10-10)

11 (D+ 67%) Iowa State (2-2) #90, s = 106
The Clones can make it all go away with a simple home win over KU. That used to be a given, but the last three have gone KU's way 24-21 OT, 41-10 and 45-7. The 41-10 score was the last match-up in Ames.
(HD rank 10-10-11-11-11)

12 (D 66%) Texas A&M (2-2) #84, s = 113
The Aggies can make it all go away with a simple road win over OSU. That's still a given, right? A&M hasn't lost to the Cowboys since 2003.
(HD rank 12-12-12-12-12)

# = CBS Sportsline Rank

s = CBS Strength of Schedule   

Sunday Bonus Chatter: A Lot of Carnage Out There

Upset Special
Nine teams in the top 25 fell this week, including three of the top five. Mizzou at #6 benefits huge as it looks to me that it should be:

1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. Missouri
4. LSU
5. Texas

The rest is too crazy to predict, but Texas Tech could easily move up as well, but I'd say USF and Penn State might jump them. Looks like the Jayhawks will only get to move up one spot.

Rooting For Nebraska
Do you think Mizzou fans were rooting for Nebraska last night? They should have been -- the weak schedule talk is going to really annoy them. Illinois is at 2-2 now and this three game stretch could really take the life out of the Nebraska as Tech and Mizzou can put up those spirit-crushing type scores. Unless OSU proves to be solid, the only challenging games on the 2008 regular season schedule will be @Texas and Kansas.

2009 Non-Con Alert
Looks like Duke might be a nice little challenge by the time they show up in Lawrence next year. The Blue Devils wasted Virginia 31-3 yesterday and are now 3-1. They have a win over Navy (beat #16 Wake Forest) and their lone loss was to a 5-0 Northwestern squad (20-24).

This Year's Kansas?
Boy, that term annoys me. But if you qualify it as a team that has a chance to come from nowhere and chase undefeated ... you may want to throw 5-0 Northwestern (6-6 in 2007) into the mix. They get a solid Michigan State squad after a bye next week, but really the tough part of the schedule happens at the end of the year. Maybe throw Kentucky, Oklahoma State and Vandy into the group as well (all at 4-0). Other undefeated teams:

Penn State 5-0
Mizzou 4-0
Oklahoma 4-0
Oklahoma State 4-0
Texas 4-0
Texas Tech 4-0
South Florida 5-0
UCONN 5-0
Alabama 5-0
LSU 4-0
Ball State 5-0
Utah 5-0
BYU 4-0
Boise State 3-0

Saturday Chatter: No Fear

Having a bye week always feels like the party is going on without you. Saturday seems so pointless. However, I did catch an interesting strategy to get the Jayhawks motivated over at KUsports.com. Bill Mayer proposed that Mark Mangino use fear to motivate the Jayhawks for the "big bad" conference schedule. A few excerpts:

In looking over the final eight games, I think Mangino would be wise to use the element of terror, abject, gnawing fear of failure, to motivate his charges from here on. 

Nebraska, Texas and Missouri to wind up the regular season. KU might be 1-2 at best there. Three major menaces. Tell your guys to be afraid, Mark, real afraid.

The one thing I'm sure of is that the team knows the schedule inside and out. Sitting around and worrying about playing mighty Oklahoma isn't really the best way to get ready for the most important game of the year -- a road date with Iowa State. Also known as the next game.

Did Oregon State look like they were afraid of USC? They should have been but it doesn't work that way. To paraphrase what the KU players were saying last year -- we're all college football players, lifting weights, training, practicing. Everybody wants to get better. The edge is stepping on the field and knowing that you're going to win.

The fear-based tactic -- that's old-school KU thinking ("can't go to back-to-back bowls, good year last year has to be followed by bad season, we're just a basketball school"). The 7-5 fan/media attitude needs to go away. Look around, it's 2008. We sold out for Sam Houston State. We can absolutely beat anyone on our schedule. It's really a matter of how many good wins can we string together. It starts with Iowa State and getting to 4-1. That's really all we need to talk about at this point.

Sound and the Fury: KU Football News

Why aren't the other KU sports blogs included in your KU football news feed?

Well, I used to have Rock Chalk Talk in there because they had a really nice feed specific to football. The main answer is that I'm trying to filter out non-football stories. However, both sites have been so heavily oriented to football recently that I've put them back in at least through the Big 12 Championship. Also, they're always in the Big 12 Portal feed. 

Kind along the same lines of the overall community, I had to drop a few links for SB Nation sites after they did there upgrade a long while ago. Some of them linked Hawk Digest back in but others kind of dropped the ball. 

Other Items This Week:

USC Goes Down
The Trojans lose 27-21 at Oregon State. Could be the start of another wacky season in the wonderful new world of college football parity.

39,000 Season Tickets for KU
Up 8,000 over the 31,000 season tickets from 2007. I'm ready to exand Memorial. 

“When the kids come out of the locker room and there’s people in the stands or on the hill, it really does play a factor. The crowd makes a difference. Now, if we can get them to stay here the whole time, it will be even better.”
--Clint Bowen

http://www.kansan.com/stories/2008/sep/25/season_ticket_sales_set_record/?news

Capacity Average Attendance
Tim Griffin posted a chart showing KU as #3 in Big 12 attendance based on percentage of capacity.
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/big12/0-2-178/Attendance-booming-across-the-Big-12.html