Follow-up to Baylor Predictions

If they shut down Lot 124, parking will be the biggest challenge of the day
They shut it down, but it actually went pretty well. The biggest challenge was trying to stay sober during a five-hour pregame tailgate.

Todd Reesing ties Bill Whittemore's season TD record
I can just keep repeating this one and I'll get it right within two weeks.

Either B-Mac or Jake Sharp goes for 200 yards
I should have known Quigley would play the fourth quarter.

Aqib Talib two INTs, one TD
A quiet day for stats, but that actually means a great day for a corner. Prior to this game, Szymanski was averaging 302 passing yards per game prior to the KU game. Talib and the Hawks held him to 119 yards and snagged four INTs.

This Baylor football supporter will be welcome at any KU tailgate
We kept an eye out for her, but it didn't seem like many Baylor fans made the trip.

HD Player of the Week: Jake Sharp

Player of the Week

Jake Sharp provided the lightning inside the stadium with 110 yards on 18 carries plus a TD.

Honorable Mention: Joe Mortensen (8 tackles, 1 for loss), Todd Reesing (14-31, 186 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs),  Chris Harris (6 tackles, 1 INT, 2 pass breakups), Mike Rivera (8 tackles, 1 pass breakup) 

Play of the Week

Marcus Herford changed the game after Baylor tied KU at 3-3 with a slash up the middle on the ensuing kick return that went 88 yards for the TD. KU went up 10-3 and never glanced back. Looks like Marcus is a threat each time he returns. It'll be a shock if he doesn't take at least one more to the house this year.

Honorable Mention: 54 yard TD reception and run by Marcus Henry, Justin Thornton INT, Chris Harris INT, Brandon McAnderson 15 yard TD scamper down the sideline.

Team of the Week

Opponent Update | Week #7

This Week: Colorado

When the Buffs knocked off Big 12 heavyweight Oklahoma in Boulder, it looked there was another contender in the North race. After getting smoked by the Cats in Manhattan this past Saturday, the forecast has changed. Still, CU gets an immediate shot at redemption as they host our division leading Hawks this week. Colorado's only loss in Boulder this year is to Florida State and KU hasn't won there since 1995. Prep yourself for the Buffalo hunt this Saturday by checking in on Buffalodigest.com -- a web page consolidating all of the blog news feeds on the Buffs. Big12digest.com is good for all of the conference blog feeds.

Colorado #39 (4-3)
W Colorado St 31-28
L @Arizona St 14-33
L Florida St 6-16
W Miami (OH) 42-0
W Oklahoma 27-24
W @Baylor 43-23
L @Kansas State 20-47
Next: Kansas
 

CMU Leads Division

Central Michigan took the one win for the non-con opponents this week with a 47-23 home victory over Army. Quietly, the 4-3 Chippewas have moved to 3-0 in the MAC and are leading the West division. Good luck at Clemson next week. KU's best friend on the schedule is Kansas State. Sandwiched around their home loss to KU are impressive wins at Texas and against Colorado. The next best win out there for this crew is Toledo over Iowa State.

Central Michigan #65 (4-3)
L @ Kansas 7-52
W Toledo 52-31
L @Purdue 22-45
L N. Dakota St. 14-44
W N. Illinois 35-10
W @Ball State 58-38
W Army 47-23
Next: @Clemson

SE Louisiana #184 (2-4)
L @ New Mexico St. 14-35
L @ Kansas 0-62
W Kentucky Wesleyan 79-7
L @Tulane 27-35
W Stephen F. Austin 21-3
L @Northwestern St 24-27
Next: Central Arkansas

Toledo #133 (2-5)
L Purdue 24-52
L @ Central Michigan 31-52
L @ Kansas 13-45
W Iowa State 36-35
L Western Michigan 28-42
W Liberty 35-34
L  @Buffalo 33-43
Next: Ohio

Florida International #163 (0-6)
L @ Penn State 0-59
L Maryland 10-26
L @Miami (Fla) 9-23
L @Kansas 3-55
L @Middle Tennessee 6-47
L Troy 16-34
Next: @Louisiana-Monroe

Kansas State #14 (4-2)
L @Auburn 13-23
W San Jose St 34-14
W Missouri St 61-10
W @Texas 41-21
L Kansas 24-30
W Colorado 47-20
Next: @OSU

Baylor #110 (3-4)
L @TCU 0-27
W Rice 42-17
W Texas St 34-27
W @Buffalo 34-21
L @Texas A&M 10-34
L Colorado 23-43
L @Kansas 10-58
Next: Texas

# = Sagarin Ranking

Around the North | Week #7

Hawks In Control

The skeptics will say Kansas (6-0, 2-0) hasn't really played anyone other than State, but the fact is that doesn't really matter. KU is a game up in the north and the last remaining undefeated team in the Big 12. Until proven otherwise, the Hawks are the best team in the Big 12. A win in Colorado (especially since OU faded away there) will send a loud message. Kansas opened as a 5-point favorite against the Buffs.

Missouri (5-1, 1-1) is rightfully taking the moral victory from the 41-31 loss in Norman. The Tigers can now play without the target on their back. The reviews on the MU defense were positive, allowing OU only 118 rushing yards. Still, Bradford passed for 266 and 41 points is a lot to give up. Texas Tech should provide a final judgement on the Tiger defense this week in Columbia. MU opened as a 4-point favorite against the Red Raiders.

Now that Kansas State (4-2, 2-1) bounced back with a convincing 47-20 win over Colorado the loss to KU doesn't seem quite so bad. The Cats gained 249 yards on the ground which makes things a lot easier. As stated before, KSU is a good team. They can get back all of their UT momentum with a win this Saturday in Stillwater. KSU opened as a 2.5-point underdog.

Colorado (4-3, 2-1) officially dropped out of the north division frontrunner bracket with the loss in Manhattan. Of course, they can become everyone's best friend in the North with a simple home win over KU. That would muck up the division race quite a bit. KU hasn't won in Boulder since 1995.

At least there's no more wondering at Nebraska (4-3, 1-2). The 45-14 home loss to OSU makes the decision pretty easy. Of course, the contract extensions certainly complicate matters. The Huskers will host A&M this Saturday. Get your commemorative Callahan vs Franchione game cups -- a rare collector's item. Nebraska opened as a 1.5-point favorite.

Was it as good for you as it was for me, Gene? Love, Mack. Iowa State (1-6, 0-3) fans will be looking forward to this Saturday's matchup with OU. Thank you sir, may I have another? OU opened as a 28.5 point favorite.

North Sagarin Rankings -- Rank/Schedule
Kansas -- 4/126
Kansas St -- 14/18
Missouri -- 16/60
Colorado -- 39/8
Nebraska -- 58/30
Iowa St -- 123/43

Full Rankings

Lightning Strikes: Kansas 58, Baylor 10

Paybacks are a ...

It seemed a little excessive to torture the Bears with a delayed start time and another pause in the action after Marcus Herford delivered a lightning strike kick return for TD. Nothing was going to stop the inevitable as the 2007 Jayhawks attempted to reach back into 2006 and revise history. The one-point road loss in Waco is in the record books, but after Saturday's 58-10 mauling it sure doesn't seem quite so significant.

The rout was keyed by a Blue Steel defense that is more impressive each week. The defensive backs had a big day as they collected four interceptions. Confidence and depth in the secondary combined with this front seven means that KU should be able to frustrate even the best offenses in the league.

So the Bears are vanquished along with the Rockets ... three to go. However, before the vengeance tour continues, we've got to head west for a little Buffalo hunt.

'06 Meltdown Losses to Avenge Checklist
X  -- Toledo
X  -- Baylor
_  -- Texas A&M
_  -- Nebraska
_  -- Oklahoma State

Final Stats |  Quotes |  Notes |  Photo Gallery

From Row 53

• Justin Thornton (1 tackle, 1 INT, 1 pass breakup) played the best game of his career. The young player was on the wrong end of a few game changing plays last year so it was nice to see him putting it all together for this game.
• Chris Harris was again impressive with six tackles, one interception and two pass breakups. Throw-in the play of Kendrick Harper (1 tackle, 1 breakup) and you feel pretty good about what KU can do on defense this year. Also, you feel a little better about how the unit will deal with the anticipated early departure of Aqib Talib.
• Is Kerry Meier our best "hands" receiver? Looks like he needs more early game action at wideout.
• Angus Quigley looked good in the backfield. I'm wondering if we didn't jump the gun on pulling the redshirt off of Carmen Boyd-Anderson. Not a big deal, as now he'll have some experience when he goes into spring ball to compete for B-Mac's spot in the rotation.
• KU fans are stressing about the punt game. Tucker has really struggled against the wind this year. We know he can launch the ball when he's on his game. Hopefully, Mangino is right in that it's just a slump and maybe he can get a nice calm day in Boulder and get back on track.
• I'm not 100% comfortable with the new punt returners. Anthony Webb caught one on a dead run that nearly caused me to have a heart attack. Still, all of the balls we fielded successfully.
• Dropped balls. KU keeps on winning, but if this is corrected, KU's offense would be lethal. Plus, Reesing won't have to hear about how his completion percentage is too low.
• I wasn't properly trained for a five-hour pre-game tailgate.
• KU is ranked 15 in both polls. In the AP, they are tied with Mizzou.
• Next week's game at Colorado will start at 4:45 CST and will be on ESPN. It's KU's first regular season appearance on ESPN since 1995.
  

"They are a Top 20 team and they are playing like it. Once they got the momentum, they just kept it rolling."
--David Gettis, Baylor wide receiver

Game Day Notes -- Baylor @ KU

Revenge Game

Series: Baylor 5-3
Line: KU (-26)

The Rundown
KU is playing to win right now and they are looking for revenge. Baylor's allowing 28.2 points a game and KU is averaging 48.8. Todd Reesing and his array of targets should be looking to polish up their game and put up big points. Today, Reesing could make someone famous. On the other side of the ball, Baylor hasn't shown much against good teams. Still, KU will have to be focused as this type of offense can put up points fast. The Bears have a lot of new players in the mix -- getting more experienced every week. You don't want today to be the day that they figure it out. Consider it a low-grade tune-up for an offense we'll face later in the year.

The Key
KU secondary vs Blake Szymanski.

Predictions

• If they shut down Lot 124, parking will be the biggest challenge of the day
• Todd Reesing ties Bill Whittemore's season TD record
• Either B-Mac or Jake Sharp goes for 200 yards
• Aqib Talib two INTs, one TD

Baylor Bears -- Quick Primer

Bear Fight: Lawrence Re-Match!

Resources:
Baylor Bears Preview Capsule (Hawk Digest) | Baylor Network  | Big 12 Digest

Baylor Brings the Smack:
With this week's sneak attack by BearMeat, I may have to reconsider my status as the last remaining member of Fans Outside of Waco That Believe Baylor Should Be In the Big 12 Social Club (FOOWTBBSBINB12SC). It was more fun before we lost Dan McCarney.

Recent History: (home team)
1998 Baylor 31, KU 24
1999 KU 45, Baylor 10
2002 Baylor 35, KU 32
2003 KU 28, Baylor 21
2006 Baylor 36, KU 35

Gamblers Anonymous Marc Lawrence Tip:
KU is 3-1 in the last four against Baylor versus the spread. The Hawks are a 26-point favorite.

Stats Rundown:

• Baylor scored 19 points in final 9:22 of last year's game
• KU's last win against a south division team was a 28-21 home win against Baylor in 2003
• Mark Mangino is 1-14 against south division teams
• KU is 23-7 at Memorial starting in 2003
• KU is on a six-game win streak at home
• Brandon Whitaker is Baylor's leading rusher with 186 yards
• Blake Szymanski has 15 TD passes and 9 INTs. He's passed for 1815 yards -- third in the Big 12
• Todd Reesing has 1466 yards with 14 TDs and 4 INTs 
• Brandon McAnderson and Jake Sharp have rushed for 796 yards and 10 TDs. They average 159.2 yards per game
• Marcus Henry leads KU with 23 catches for 417 yards and two TDs
• Justin Akers has 23 catches for 278 yards and four TDs for Baylor
• Aqib Talib is tied for the conference lead with three interceptions with Marquis Carpenter of Texas A&M
• KU's Joe Mortensen is fifth in the Big 12 with 9.4 tackles per game. Baylor DB Jordan Lake is sixth with 9.2 per game. Mortensen leads the conference in tackles for loss with 10.5
• Baylor DB Jake La Mar leads the Bears with three sacks
• KU is ranked #1 in the Big 12 in scoring defense, pass defense and total defense

Do You Bleed Blue?

As a KU fan, I'd be sad if I wasn't at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

Talib Wants You There! 

Big 12 Power Rankings | Week #6

1) Missouri (5-0, 1-0) #10 CBS
We don't like it, but the Tigers are good. They're officially wearing the target now -- get ready for everybody's best shot.
CBS Schedule Rank: 13
Results: W Illinios 40-34 | W @Mississippi 38-25 | W W. Michigan 52-24 | W  Illinois St 38-17 | NU 41-6
Next:  @OU (5-1)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 5-4-3-3-1-1
CBS: 41-36-28-21-15-10

2) Colorado (4-2, 2-0) #39 CBS
Still standing at #2 after a trip to Waco. That seems high, but it won't if they win in Manhattan.
CBS Schedule Rank: 14
Results: W Colorado St 31-28 OT | L @ASU 14-33 | L Florida St 6-16 | W  Miami (Ohio) 42-0 | W OU 27-24 | W @Baylor 43-23
Next: @ KSU (3-2)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 10-10-10-9-2-2
CBS: 53-59-61-60-42-39

3) Oklahoma (5-1, 1-1) #6 CBS
The Sooners can get control of the conference again with a simple home win over Missouri. Can the MU offense operate against a big time D?
CBS Schedule Rank: 56
Results: W N. Texas 79-10 | W Miami (Fla) 51-13  | W Utah St 54-3 | W  @Tulsa 62-21 | L @CU 24-27 | W Texas 28-21 
Next: Missouri (5-0)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 1-1-1-1-3-3
CBS: 10-3-3-3-10-6

4) Kansas (5-0, 1-0) #20 CBS
The team that can't win a conference road game has now won two of the last three. In the Baylor series, the visitor usually does the polite thing and finds a way to lose. The big question is will Memorial reach capacity this Saturday?
CBS Schedule Rank: 95
Results: W Central Michigan 52-7 | W SE Louisiana 62-0 | W Toledo 45-13 | W  FIU 55-3 | W @KSU 30-24
Next: Baylor (3-3)
Week-by-Week:
North: 8-6-6-4-4-4
CBS: 52-47-43-34-34-20

5) Texas A&M (5-1, 2-0) #27 CBS
I guess if they keep beating conference teams, we'll have to keep moving them up.
CBS Schedule Rank: 54
Results: W Montana St 38-7 | W Fresno St 47-45 | W ULM 54-14 | L @ Miami (Fla) 17-34 | W Baylor 34-10 | W OSU 24-23
Next: @Texas Tech (5-1)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 4-5-4-6-7-5
CBS: 21-17-14-31-31-27

6) Kansas State (3-2, 1-1) #41 CBS
There's no time for crying in your Power Towel. CU comes to town and it's time to "get busy livin' or get busy dyin'."
CBS Schedule Rank: 9
Results: L Auburn 13-23 | W San Jose St 34-14 | W Missouri St 61-10 | W @UT 41-21 | L KU 24-30
Next: Colorado (4-2)
Week-by-Week
HD: 9-9-8-5-5-6
CBS: 54-50-45-46-28-41

7) Texas (4-2, 0-2) #24 CBS
"Things are going to start happening for me now."
CBS Schedule Rank: 38
Results: W Arkansas St 21-13 | W TCU 34-13 | W UCF 35-32 | W Rice 58-14 | L KSU 21-41 | L OU 21-28
Next: @Iowa State (1-5)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 2-2-2-2-6-7
CBS: 8-9-9-9-18-24

8) Oklahoma St (3-3, 1-1) #62 CBS
Good news for the Cowboys and Huskers -- somebody's going to feel better after Saturday. The loser ... if OSU puts a big score up in Lincoln, BC may be fired after the game. 
CBS Schedule Rank: 17
Results: L @Georgia 14-35 | W FAU 42-6 | L @Troy 23-41 | W Texas Tech 49-45 | W Sam Houston 39-3 | L @A&M 23-24
Next: @Nebraska (4-2)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 7-8-9-7-8-8
CBS: 37-34-66-59-57-62

9) Texas Tech (5-1, 1-1) #31 CBS
Woohoo! Finally, a team has a schedule rank lower than KU. If the Red Raiders cancel the team bicycle outing this week, maybe they can get a piece of the Aggies. Everyone's rooting for them.
CBS Schedule Rank: 105
Results: W SMU 49-9 | W UTEP 45-31 | W Rice 59-24 | L OSU 45-49 | W NW St.  75-7 | ISU 42-17
Next: Texas A&M (5-1)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 6-7-7-10-10-9
CBS: 45-41-34-48-48-31

10) Nebraska (4-2, 1-1) #34 CBS
The defenseless Huskers must win on Saturday or insanity takes over in Lincoln.
CBS Schedule Rank: 28
Results: W Nevada 52-10 | W @Wake Forest 20-17 | L USC 31-49 | W Ball State  41-40 | W ISU 35-17 | L @MU 6-41
Next: OSU (3-3)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 3-3-5-8-9-10
CBS: 19-13-19-20-16-34

11) Iowa State (1-5, 0-2) #108 CBS
Two 0-2 teams battle it out in Ames. A joyful reunion for Mack and Gene.
CBS Schedule Rank: 98 (Hey, another team with a schedule rank lower than KU!)
Results: L Kent St 14-23 |  L N. Iowa 13-24 | W Iowa 15-13 | L @Toledo 35- 36 | L @NU 17-35 | L @TTU 17-42
Next: Texas (4-2)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 12-12-11-12-12-11
CBS: 70-113-103-104-104-108

12) Baylor (3-3, 0-2) #83 CBS
The Bears move down by virtue of losing at home. Man, I wish ISU and Baylor could meet on the field to settle this. So far, the difference maker is ISU's win over Iowa.
CBS Schedule Rank: 58
Results: L @TCU 0-27 | W Rice 42-17 | W Texas St 34-27 | W @Buffalo 34-21 |  L @A&M 10-34 | L CU 23-43
Next: @Kansas (5-0)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 11-11-12-11-11-12
CBS: 80-78-78-72-78-83

HD Player of the Week: James McClinton

Player of the Week

A lot of guys stepped up in Manhattan, but the eventual unraveling of Josh Freeman can probably be most attributed to the never-ending pressure of James McClinton. The big man had 6 tackles with two of those going for losses that totaled seven yards.

Honorable Mention: Anthony Collins, Joe Mortensen (11 tackles), Todd Reesing (22-35, 267 yards, 3 TDs), Aqib Talib (1 INT, 1 rec, 5 yards, 1 TD), Dexton Fields (6 rec, 78 yards, 1 TD), B-Mac/Sharp (29 carries, 158 yards, 1 TD, 4 rec, 39 yards), Chris Harris (7 tackles)

Play of the Week

Into the fourth quarter, you knew the KU defense had to make a stand to win the game. Give it to Kendrick Harper for coming up with a key INT that really put the Cats into collapse mode.

Honorable Mention: Talib's INT, Sharp's TD, Fields' TD, Briscoe's TD, Talib's TD, Rivera's hit on Jordy Nelson, B-Mac's drive -- credit Jordy Nelson for the big TD early for the Cats

Team of the Week

Stanford -- Hee Hee.

OL John Williams Verbals To Kansas

According to Rivals, three-star offensive lineman John Williams out of Tulsa, Oklahoma gave a verbal commitment to the Jayhawks yesterday. Wiliams is 6-4, 335 lb. That's a big kid.

Reports are that Ryan Glazer has opened up recruiting, but Rivals still has him on the KU list, so I'll keep him there as well.

Star/PS  Player/Location/Ht/Wt/40/Signed
4-DT -- Ryan Glazer/El Cajon, CA (JUCO) -- 6-3/285/5.1 -- 6/3/2007
3-OL -- John Williams/Tulsa, OK -- 6-4/335 -- 10/9/2007
3-TE -- Tim Biere/Omaha, NE -- 6-4/235/4.8 -- 6/18/2007
3-TE -- Tanner Hawkinson/McPherson, KS -- 6-6/230/4.8 -- 6/16/2007
3-WR -- Daymond Patterson/Mesquite, TX -- 5-8/165/4.43 -- 6/9/2007
2-DT -- Zach Stadther/North Little Rock, AK -- 6-2/275/4.9 -- 6/19/2007
2-WR -- Jamaal Johnson/Houston, TX -- 6-2/180 -- 5/25/2007
2-ATH -- Sean Ransburg/Harrisonville, MO -- 6-1/185/4.5 -- 4/10/2007
Rating Source: Rivals

Opponent Update | Week #6

This Week: Baylor

If you think Baylor looks like a football program that has been cursed, you are correct. Checkout BearMeat for the latest curse cast toward Waco. They'll travel to Lawrence with a 3-3 record, but they've struggled against the quality opponents. They put up 23 points against a solid Colorado defense and they do throw the ball quite a bit (60 times versus CU). In other words, they shouldn't be taken lightly, even on the road. Of course, taking the Bears lightly won't be a problem for KU after last year's game. The Hawks would surely feel some sort of redemption by becoming bowl eligible against Baylor this Saturday -- the collapse in Waco cost the Hawks a bowl trip last year (see also Toledo, Texas A&M, OSU). Prep yourself for the Bear Fight this Saturday by checking in on Baylornetwork.com -- a web page consolidating all of the blog news feeds from the world of Waco. Big12digest.com is good for all of the conference blog feeds.

Baylor #106 (3-3)
L @TCU 0-27
W Rice 42-17
W Texas St 34-27
W @Buffalo 34-21
L @Texas A&M 10-34
L Colorado 23-43
Next: @Kansas
 

Revenge of the Cupcakes

Wow. KU's opponents were 3-2 this Saturday, which includes the KSU loss to the Hawks. After the performance in Lincoln, it was a little surprising to see Ball State fall 58-38 to CMU at home. SE Louisiana played at their level and picked up a solid 21-3 win. How about that impressive 35-34 beating of mighty Liberty for the Rockets? FIU moves to 0-6, but they just played two of the toughest teams in the conference. This week they go on the road, but ULM presents a better opportunity to end the losing streak.

Central Michigan #80 (3-3)
L @ Kansas 7-52
W Toledo 52-31
L @Purdue 22-45
L N. Dakota St. 14-44
W N. Illinois 35-10
W @Ball State 58-38
Next: Army

SE Louisiana #175 (2-3)
L @ New Mexico St. 14-35
L @ Kansas 0-62
W Kentucky Wesleyan 79-7
L @Tulane 27-35
W Stephen F. Austin 21-3
Next: @Northwestern St

Toledo #124 (2-4)
L Purdue 24-52
L @ Central Michigan 31-52
L @ Kansas 13-45
W Iowa State 36-35
L Western Michigan 28-42
W Liberty 35-34
Next:

Florida International #163 (0-6)
L @ Penn State 0-59
L Maryland 10-26
L @Miami (Fla) 9-23
L @Kansas 3-55
L @Middle Tennessee 6-47
L Troy 16-34
Next: @Louisiana-Monroe

Kansas State #27 (3-2)
L @Auburn 13-23
W San Jose St 34-14
W Missouri St 61-10
W @Texas 41-21
L Kansas 24-30
Next: Colorado

# = Sagarin Ranking