ESPN's Schlabach Rates KU at #17

I wonder if Oklahoma State and Texas A&M are getting sick of the subtle insult delivered every time someone mentions KU's upgraded schedule of doom.

Schlabach's Rankings

Get Into the Mind of a Sooner Fan

You'll want this four minutes back, but it is an excellent case study.

For Tampa Bay Fans - Aqib Talib Video Mix

For Buccaneer fans, cuz KU fans already lived it.

James McClinton Update

According to this KC Star tidbit, James McClinton will not continue on with the Chiefs:

"The Chiefs planned to sign nine rookies from their recent tryout camp, but two local favorites, Missouri safety Pig Brown and Kansas defensive lineman James McClinton, were not among them."

If you get into the article, you'll catch Herm bashing the entire group. It'd be nice if James could hook up with a team that isn't "so awesome" on the d-line.

2008 KU Football Schedule Difficulty

I don't like to do record predictions, because like Mark Mangino, I think we should try to win them all. So, I offer the following 2008 Kansas football schedule with degree of difficulty per contest:

08/29 ... Florida International ... 20%

It didn't go well for the 1-11 Panthers last year in Lawrence. A nice tune-up.

09/06 ... Lousiana Tech ... 35%

The 5-7 Bulldogs from the WAC lost 44-45 to Hawaii last year. An appropriate upgrade in preparation for the roadie.

09/12 ... @South Florida ... 80%

The word is that USF loses a lot of players (14 starters), but Matt Grothe will be back and this is an early season roadie. Either way, KU will learn a lot from this game.

09/20 ... Sam Houston St ... 11%

The obligatory FCS game. The Bearkats were 7-4 last year with a 3-39 loss at OSU. It's Band Day! 

10/04 ... @Iowa State ... 55%

We've won three in a row, but it is in Ames. We better be ready to play.

10/11 ... Colorado ... 50%

Colorado may be ready to join the discussion in 2008, but this one is in Lawrence. The Hawks have two-straight over CU.

10/18 ... @Oklahoma ... 91%

At some point, Mangino will beat Stoops. I'm okay if we do it here, but I definitely want to get one this cycle.

10/25 ... Texas Tech ... 70%

This is in Lawrence, so this should be a win. However, we have really struggled to slow down the Leach offensive machine. Nice prep for the Mizzou game.

11/01 ... Kansas State ... 54%

Who knows? So many JUCOS coming in -- if they pan out, KSU could be a challenge, but how often does that plan work? Even most 'Cat fans are skeptical. Still, this is a rivalry game. Should be an awesome atmosphere.

11/08 ... @Nebraska ... 85%

I believe there is discussion of another streak on this one. The challenge is that if Nebraska's defense becomes even mediocre and the offense retains just a little of the explosion from last year, Pelini really is set up to give the Huskers a bounce back year. No matter what, the Huskers will fight hard at home. Still, this is a big one on the list of "to dos."

11/15 ... Texas ... 70%

Is it Senior Day or the 2004 Justice Game? BCS II? The Dollar Signs Bowl? This one's for Charles G. A lot of people say let it go, but this one ranks up there with the 1968 Orange Bowl 12th man debacle.

11/29 ... @Missouri ... 88%

This one's all on Clint Bowen. The standard defensive game plan has failed two seasons in a row. We will score on these guys, but you've got to stop CD.

Yeah, That's Pretty Fast

Saw it at Burnt Orange Nation.

Thursday Recycle: Olaitan Oguntodu, Ryan Cantrell, Michael Crabtree and more

The Power of Olaitan | Checking in on this week's UDK article on Clint Bowen, I found this quote to back up what I saw in the Spring game:

 "... sophomore strong safety Olaitan Oguntodu settled in at outside linebacker during some plays to offer some pass-rushing help."

I think this is a nice feature and with his jersey number (44) could create confusion for those reading our defense.

Cantrell for Rimington | KU center Ryan Cantrell was named to the watch list for the Rimington Trophy for the 2008 season. Hopefully, he'll enjoy a full recovery and snag this award. Other Big 12 players named:

• J.D.  Walton / Baylor
• Jordan  Bedore / Kansas State
• Jon Cooper / Oklahoma                   
• Andrew Lewis / Oklahoma State                          
• Chris Hall / Texas  

New Jayhawks in the Sunday League | There's a great post over on the Gridiron Board updating the progress of recently drafted KU players fighting for roster spots in the NFL. Even has pictures. Go there.

1986 KU Football Media Guide Available | Also tipped from the Gridiron Board. Ebay is your friend.

Big 12 Spring Football Round Table -- Blog Style | The Crimson and Cream Machine posted a blogger round up of questions on Big 12 football. Skip to the predictions if you check it out. Note that all three Nebraska blogs pick the Corn in second. I really like Corn Nation putting KU in the fourth spot. It's a consensus for Missouri, unless you count Rock Chalk Talk's vote. For comic relief, Bring on the Cats has an interesting take on the order in the North. This is how bad it's gotten in Manhattan -- "who knows and who cares?" 1998 seems so far away.

Michael Crabtree Interview | Double T Nation tipped off this interview of Tech Wide Receiver Michael Crabtree. Favorite excerpt with a KU twist:

CS: You played multiple positions at Carter, but primarily at quarterback. How did you wind up becoming a wide receiver?

Crabtree: I was a receiver my sophomore year [at Carter]. I was basically a receiver my whole life; I played quarterback and receiver. When I left high school and attended Tech, I wanted to play receiver.

CS: Did you like one position over the other?

Crabtree: I prefer being a receiver. It’s a real fun position, and I’ve learned a lot.

CS: What went into your decision to go to Texas Tech?

Crabtree: They throw the ball, and I wanted to be a receiver. They say that this system only has system players. It doesn’t matter what the system is, if you’re a football player, you can ball.

CS: Was there another school that you were strongly considering?

Crabtree: Kansas was the other school, but everyone was saying that Kansas wasn’t good. Everyone was telling me that Kansas is just a basketball school; don’t go there, don’t do that.

CS: They finished 12 – 1 last year and won the Orange Bowl.

Crabtree: Yeah, I know.

Another note: On the system vs player question -- c'mon Michael it has to have a little to do with the system right? I mean just a tiny portion ... maybe? Your call.

SI.Com Article on Mangino | This has been out a while, but you might want to check it out if you missed it.

Sound and the Fury: Facilities

We're starting a new department today. More readers than you would imagine are averse to using the comments section and the Hawk Digest forum is still on hiatus. So, I get a fair amount of e-mail questions. I thought I would utilize that as new department idea. No more than one a week and I'll post them as I can.

With the new offices and practice field nearly complete, what's next for Memorial Stadium?

There's a lot on the table and actually a real plan to take the track out. Interestingly, in that plan there is no desire to get the seats closer to the field. The goal is to make the first five rows actually "game viewable seats" by lowering the field slightly.

So why take out the track? Sliding the field to the north gets the field closer to the bowl (good for both noise and ticket prices). However, that presents an issue with the suite holders. The guy on the fifty is now on the 35-yard line. Think about the end suite on the south. In other words, the suite holders may get the WEF parking lot treatment the regulars enjoyed a few years back.

For my personal pet issue -- the blue screened fence -- some good news. There are drawings, but I don't have that kind of a connection. I'm just glad it's in the universe of possibility.

The theory that Memorial Stadium will someday match the yellow exterior of the football offices is not valid. The University did make the choice and I believe it had something to do with being easier to keep clean along with matching other campus facilities. There is a desire to work on the exterior of Memorial, but nothing concrete on that yet. The east side sure could use it.

Okay, it sounds good. Lose the track, make the first few rows viewable seats and slide the field to the north. What's the hold up? Well, it's not money and it's not desire. There is a sort of "this has to happen, then this has to happen" domino effect when you talk about removing the track, but there is actually a bigger factor to consider. It's right there in front of you if you look, but no one will say it out loud. Suffice it to say, it should be a few years. We are due for new turf though.

Big 12 Portal

As promised, progess on the site continues. Today, I want to unveil the Big 12 Portal page. This new page merges the old  Big 12 Digest news feed page with the Big 12 blog links. The links page is pretty popular and the news feed was before I shut it down early this year. The news is all baseball and recruiting now, but that news feed will really start spin as football season gets closer. Check it out, bookmark it, enjoy and remember there is always a link located in the left column. 

Big 12 Portal

Spring Game Special Notes

Checking in on the Fox Spring Game special this weekend:

• Does the host/hostess always wear the school colors?
• I love Memorial Stadium.
• Mark Mangino's comments on Isiah Barfield caught my attention. Sounds like he is legit and may be a true contender for a starting position. We all know about his speed. If his skills match up, watch out.
• The underlying theme is valid and the Hawks might as well get used to it. Can you win with a target on your back? The players are saying all of the right things, but let's hope they really are ready to take it up to another level. Nineteen sixty-eight is a long time ago. Time to bury it.

Spring Game Special Starts Today

Fox will start airing the KU football spring special today at 2:00 p.m. For Kansas City Time Warner users Fox is on channel 59. It's also airing at 10:30 p.m. on 5/6 and 5:30 p.m. on 5/8 this week. For a full schedule, check the official KU press release.

James McClinton Gets A Call from the Chiefs

The Kansas City Star is reporting a free agent try out for J-Mac with the Kansas City Chiefs. Glenn Dorsey and James McClinton manning the front line for the Chiefs? Doesn't sound too bad to me.