"If LSU (11-2) beats Ohio State (11-1) in the BCS championship game Monday night, should the media members who vote in the Associated Press poll give Kansas (12-1) their national championship?"
I double-dog dare you.
http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/cfb/entries/2008/01/04/should_kansas_s.html
Working for the Lunch Pail
I think Mark Mangino's excessive praise toward Tech was genuine. They harrassed Reesing and the KU offense more than any other squad we played in 2007. This was the only game where I felt like it was kind of hit and miss whether or not we could get two yards on the ground when we needed it.
MetroSports I
Dave Stewart (KSU) was right -- the oranges in the trophy do look a little rough.
Aqib Talib and Anthony Collins
We certainly have nothing to complain about if they go to the NFL. They have accomplished what they came here to do. Of course, a Big 12 Championship would be an enticing reason to stay. On the other hand, there are probably millions of reasons to go. KU fans wish them the best. We hope they'll stay because we're going to miss seeing them on the field at Memorial.
MetroSports II
The Hokies probably didn't account for the Scott Reesing/Brian McAnderson dual threat.
MNC
Joe Posnanski was right yesterday. I'll be rooting for LSU on Monday. Finishing as the only BCS school with one-loss would be nice.
Okay, I know, you're wondering how a hardcore blogger could actually be in Kansas City rather than Miami. Here's the short story -- unavoidable work conflict. So, we move on. To get in, click comments and type away. Rock Chalk!
Halftime update: 17-7 Kansas. Aqib started it off with a pick six (above).
KU (11-1) vs Virgina Tech (11-2) | Dolphin Stadium (capacity: 76,500)
Series: First Meeting Time: 7:00 p.m. TV: FOX Line: Virginia Tech (-3.5)
Virginia Tech Resources:
Official, TechSideline.com, TechSuperFans, Working for the Lunch Pail, Washington Post, Roanoke Times + Randy King
What It Is
KU football has been disrespected all season by most of the national media. They've been referred to as pretenders despite the fact that no one in the KU football program has made a claim to anything. The Jayhawks went out and quietly tried to win their division. They came up short in the KU/MU game of all-time and the criticism toward Kansas soared. The Jayhawks have a taste of the what it's like to be on the national radar and I can guarantee they want more. A legitimate Virginia Tech squad presents the perfect opportunity to silence the critics and set the table for 2008. The Hokies will field the best defense that the Fighting Mangino's have played or likely will play. The experience will pay massive dividends as we add Texas and Oklahoma to our plate next year.
The Key
You have to assume that KU's defense can keep the Hokie offense in check. Because if they don't, the Hawks are in trouble. Given that, the question is can Todd Reesing and the crew solve the Virginia-Tech-7-NFL-player defense? This is where the team mentality is key for KU. Every week this year, the KU team has identified what the opposing "D" will give them and fortunately the Hawks have enough weapons to play it anyway that Tech wants. Speed kills though and it will be interesting to see how KU deals with that. It'll be a little suffocating, but spreading the field and attacking from several different points should eventually pan out for the Hawks. Virginia Tech doesn't have a lot of experience against this type of offense. It's easy to see this one play out much like the the Colorado or A&M games.
Final Analysis
It'd be nice to get out to a quick start. Again, our defense has to perform well. Virginia Tech only averages 3.4 yards per carry, so KU needs to eliminate the Va Tech ground game early on and allow the offense time to solve the equation on their side of the ball.
X-Factor
No gloves for Todd Reesing.
Bowl season has been a little rough on the five teams that stretched undefeated into November and beyond. The group is 1-2 thus far with both Hawaii and ASU getting smoked:
Results/Schedule
12/26 -- Holiday Bowl -- Texas 52, Arizona State 34
12/28 -- Champ Sports Bowl -- Boston College 24, Michigan State 21
1/1 -- Sugar Bowl -- Georgia 41, Hawaii 10
1/3 -- Orange Bowl -- Kansas vs Virginia Tech
1/7 -- BCS Championship -- Ohio State vs LSU
DJ Goodwin
I guess the final 2-3 bowl record should be recorded for posterity.
This is an interview piece I was recently asked to participate in with NBCsports.com. If you pay attention, my secret identity is revealed.
It's a non-issue this versus Virginia Tech, but I found it interesting that Bill Young and Mike Rivera were quoted on the spread offense in this morning's KC Star article. As good as Bill Young is, KU has struggled to slow down spread teams. It's a little surprising that we are now willing to state that in the media. It will be critical during the off season for Young to solve this riddle, considering that we have both Mizzou and Texas Tech on next year's schedule. Perhaps all of these big d-line recruits will solve the issue.
From the KC Star:
Young found out more about the Tigers’ unbalanced line. They had lined up the center in the spot normally reserved for a guard, and two tackles flanked one side of the line.
“They had a good scheme that was different than anything we’ve seen,” Young said. “Virginia Tech has a different style of offense. They are a power running team. Powers, counters, leads. We have our plate full.”
http://www.khqa.com/sports/sports_story.aspx?id=79548
It's always nice to see one of the Jayhawks in the NFL news. The fact that Rideau is still in the mix with the Sunday league is a good sign for Marcus Henry. A big Orange Bowl performance would certainly help out as well.
If you caught the Holiday Bowl with Texas and Arizona State, you saw one of the more ridiculous plays of the year. A member of the Texas coaching staff (Mack Brown's stepson) either touched or didn't touch a live ball on the field. Either way it nullified a recovered fumble by the Longhorns.
The play itself demonstrates an issue I have with both football and basketball. Coaches should never be on the field or court until a play is blown dead. Even hanging a toe over the line should result in a "too many men on the field or court" penalty.
The thing is coaches seem to be getting bolder each year. The rules seem pretty clear to me, so enforce them. Then, we won't have to listen Kirk and Brent whine about a late game timeout. Video review wouldn't have been necessary last night, if you just go with the "too many men on the field" call.
I have some sources that actually know Tim Beck and unfortunately they are not helping to clarify the situation. Obviously, there is a friendship with Bo Pelini that comes into play; however, my sources are speculating that Beck is likely not interested in a lateral move position-wise. Please note the word "speculating."
If Beck leaves, what is the biggest impact? One word -- recruiting.
There were plenty of KU fans on hand to send the Jayhawks to Miami on a cold morning today in Lawrence. It was a tough crowd to estimate, but it seems like there were well over 1,000 fans on hand as the Jayhawks and Mark Mangino boarded busses on the southwest side of Allen Field House. There was some Orange Bowl swag on hand as well -- posters, cups, beads and more. The freebies disappeared pretty fast so it was clear the turnout was larger than expected.
Yep, the bowl season truly starts to roll out today. KU fans may be looking for Central Michigan to pull off the upset against Purdue tonight, thereby providing a measure of relief on the "weak schedule" discussion. Don't count on it. It's not really a secret that the Boilermakers hammered the Chippewas 45-22 earlier in the year. Don't let the score fool you. Purdue actually led 38-0 at one point in the third quarter. CMU may be champions of the mighty MAC, but here is what happened when they've gone up against the big boys:
L @ Kansas 52-7
L @ Purdue 45-22
L @ Clemson 70-14
Of course, those games were all on the road, so how about we throw in a 44-14 home loss to North Dakota State. Yes, North Dakota State. Sure the Bison were 11-1 with a road win over Minnesota this year, but that's really no reason for the MAC champion to get toasted by a Great West team. Sorry, Jayhawk fans. There will be no relief from the schedule talk this evening, but that won't stop me from rooting for the upset.
