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Tuesday
Oct092007

Follow-up to the Kansas State Predictions

  • At 6:33 a.m., approximately thirty minutes into our voyage to RV land, I'll be coaxed into my first adult beverage. 
    Nope. My game plan (bottle of water, pomegranate juice, coffee, then alcohol) worked and I didn't have my first Bloody Mary until we hit the pasture parking lot.
  • I'll find out that KSU fans have regressed to their 1994 never been there before level. Exihibit A.
    Wrong. There were a lot of individual comments on the way into the stadium, but it was nothing like 1994 in Lawrence. In fact, it was quite a bit better than my 1991 trip. Not quite as cordial as 2003 or 2005. Due to the short trips, I would encourage all KU fans to attend the Sunflower Smackdown each year. Lawrence or Manhattan you've got to see the battle for the Governor's Cup. 
  • A giant "Screw KU" balloon will rise above BSF stadium
    Wrong again. A wise man once said, "History is in the past."
  • Mike Rivera will ride his Harley into the stadium
    I know he did in spirit
  • KU wins on a 42-yard Aqib Talib field goal but Talib will once again be looked over for Heisman consideration
    I'll take the game-ending INT and TD reception, but I think Jordy Nelson ran away with Talib's Heisman. Perhaps, Anthony Collins should be our new Heisman candidate
  • KU's First TD (predictions: Dexton Fields, B-Mac)
    Jake Sharp would not be denied. No legend this week.
Monday
Oct082007

Around the North | Week #6

Border Power: Tigers and Hawks Look Legit


Well, the Cornhuskers were supposed to expose the Missouri (5-0) defense this Saturday. I guess that didn't quite happen. A Corn loss was expected, but it was supposed to be a shootout. With a defense that can hold a division rival to six points, the Tigers are officially legit. Illinois helps the case as well. If Missouri goes into Norman and picks up a win, they can start thinking about a lot more than a conference championship. OU opened as a 10-point favorite.

It was survive and advance in Manhattan this Saturday and Kansas (5-0) moves on as the number one challenger to Missouri in the North. There's a lot of football to play before Arrowhead on November 24 and KU will have to start by avoiding a Bear trap this Saturday. With revenge in mind, the Hawks should survive the Baylor visit. The question is will the Hawks be able to address a few of the annoying little issues that surfaced on Saturday -- dropped balls and fielding punts mainly. KU opens as a 23.5 point favorite.

Colorado (4-2) is perfectly positioned in the race to secure the north. First, they actually have a one-game advantage over #11 Missouri and #20 Kansas with a 2-0 Big 12 record. More importantly, Mizzou is wearing the target right now and will have to take everyone's best shot. The Buffs actually are rated lower than KU as well, thanks to the two non-con losses. The Buffs can play the disrepect card for motivation the next few weeks. The true measure comes this weekend in Manhattan. The Buffs open as a 4.5 point underdog.

Kansas State (4-2) hates to lose to KU, but if the Cats can put it into perpective as a tough loss to a good team, they can still factor into the overall race. There's no time to wallow in misery, as It actually starts this Saturday when Colorado comes to town. If they can re-focus for the Buffs, the rest of the schedule plays out pretty well. Later in the year, they have to travel to Lincoln, but they get the Tigers in Manhattan.

We've lived most of our lives hearing about the great Nebraska (4-2) fans. It was easy when the Huskers dominated. I suspect that we'll now find they are pretty much like all sports fans. Of couse, losing to the dark force from the east is enough to drive anyone over the edge. It's pretty much desparation time for Callahan. OSU and A&M are coming to town and a loss to either one would probably do it for the BC era -- especially if a score gets ugly. Vegas still likes the Corn though -- the Huskers open as 5-point favorites against the Cowboys.

Three straight away games wasn't really what the doctor orderd for Iowa State (1-5). Luckily for Gene Chizik, you are usually granted an exception in year one. The 2006 Cyclones helped set the bar pretty low as well. Of course, I'll bet Gene had no idea that it would be quite like this. I wonder how the reunion with Mack will go this Saturday in Ames. The Cyclones open as 16.5-point dog.

North Sagarin Rankings -- Rank/Schedule
Kansas -- 13/138
Missouri -- 15/90
Kansas St -- 27/30
Colorado -- 29/13
Nebraska -- 36/22
Iowa St -- 109/52

Full Rankings

Sunday
Oct072007

Sunflower Duel: Kansas 30, Kansas State 24

Sweet Justice



Since the 2007 Jayhawks are already being compared to the 1995 team, it's fair to go ahead and finally claim payback for that 41-7 blowout in Manhattan that tarnished what should have been a breakout 10-2 season. That demon has been released and now the Hawks can reach for more. The performance was hardly flawless -- Talib got beat early, Reesing threw some INTs, the receivers offered up several dropped balls and Pendleton struggled to field the ball on punts. The reality is -- like KSU -- this is still a team filled with underclassmen and they can improve throughout the season. Iron out the mistakes and the ultimate goal is attainable.

On Saturday, we saw a team that breaks the KU mold of "we would've won, except this play didn't go our way or the ref blew that one call." Sure, the usual fits of anti-Jayhawk karma struck the Hawks as they were establishing control of the game. The most notable one would be the swing pass that bounced off Dexton Fields and nearly struck a helicopter before dropping into the hands of KSU's Chris Carney. The Cat's scored on the ensuing short drive, but KU played with guts all day and pretty much displayed a confidence in demeanor for the entire second half. As a unit, they are starting to display the gunslinger attitude of quarterback Todd Reesing. He throws an INT, but comes back with both guns blazin' on the next series. Talib gets toasted by Nelson, but he brushes it off and makes several big plays throughout the battle. Dexton Fields pops one in the air that leads to a KSU touchdown, but takes it to the house on the next series for the game-winner. It's clear, this is a different breed of Jayhawk football team. Looks they focus in on winning no matter what happens.

Recap |  Notes |  Photo Gallery


From Section 430, Row 19

  • The fourth and one play will be debated by KU fans. Certainly, our section felt that it was an error. At that point, I didn't feel like our defense quite had control of the KSU offense. From an overall points standpoint, sure the safe play is to kick the field goal. However, it was clear to me that either way three or seven points scored on that drive would not matter. No matter what, our defense was going to have to show that they could stop KSU if we were going to win -- so you really have no reason not to go for it. Ultimately, the defense did figure out the KSU offense and delivered when the game was on the line.
  • Follow up to that play. Of course, I'm on top of the stadium and I haven't re-watched the play yet, but it looked like KSU overloaded to KU's left side (Anthony Collin's side). KU did audible and go to the right. KSU may have suckered KU into that one. It looked like the entire K-State defense slanted to KU's right and blew up the option.
  • Jordy Nelson was impressive on the field and off. It was only one leg, but he won the relay race. His postgame comment was very classy. There aren't a lot of players on rival teams that gain my respect, but he is definitely one.
  • Nelson is really like a speedy little tailback that lines up wide. He really is the K-State running game. Other than the 68-yard TD catch, he had 9 catches for 69 yards -- a 7.6 average. Very much like a running back.
  • I had the running strategy exactly backwards. Jake Sharp provided the early electricity and B-Mac punished a tired defense in the second half as they were sweating it out in their dark jerseys. Jon Cornish was a special back and we're following that up with a another special tandem.
  • Chris Harris looks good and Kendrick Harper looks the part as well. Do we have three solid corners?
  • Anthony Collins on offense and James McClinton on D are both proving to be dominating players and great leaders
  • KU ended up with five possessions going against the wind in the first quarter. Conventional strategy says you run the ball to shorten the quarter, but you've got to credit Ed Warriner with sticking to his guns.
  • KU is #20 in both polls.
  • Lou Holtz awarded Aqib Talib a College Game Day sticker on ESPN. Lee Corso chose KU as his teamed that proved to be legit on Saturday.
  • The two teams were similar, but a couple of differences seemed to be the edge for KU.
    1. KU throws deep.
    2. KU was able to establish a true ground presence. Factor in the injury to KSU center Jordan Bedore on that, but you wonder if Josh Freeman shouldn't be running the ball more.
    3. KU's defense for the most part tries to keep the offensive players in front of them. The pressure generally comes from the four down lineman and a lot of heat comes from the middle (McClinton is an animal). The linebackers are shielded and run free. It's a conservative defense that as we saw in 2005 can suffocate teams. Still not there yet, but it is getting better. KSU is a true speed defense that wants to disrupt. Occasionally, they would pack the middle and leave four DBs on the outside in man-to-man at the line of scrimmage. It was clear in those situations that if Reesing could hit the open guy one broken tackle would mean a TD for KU.


"I told our players that this was the day. The time was right. Our program, our players are confident. They feel good about themselves. This 2007 team feels like they can win anywhere"
--Mark Mangino

Saturday
Oct062007

Game Day Notes -- KU @ Kansas State

Let's Party!



Series: Kansas 63-36-5
Line: KSU (-3)

The Rundown
Forget about Colorado* for this Saturday and enjoy this as the first week of the north playoffs. Two teams will jump out as frontrunners and two will move to the loser's bracket. Based on what we've seen thus far, you could argue that the winner of the KU/KSU game will be the favorite since they both play defense. Mizzou and Nebraska thus far just have 11 volunteers that line-up while the other team has the ball. Where are we going here? The Sunflower Smackdown is the biggest game of the week in conference and if you don't believe me ... well, they said it on College Football Live today, so it must be true. Anyway, this is the big one. The winner will talk about joining the NFL while the loser will likely be extended a trial membership to the Sun Belt. Thus far, I count Mangino as 1-3 in early games that nearly live up to this level of hype. I guess Prince is 1-0. It would be nice if this was in Lawrence, but something about "fair play" means we've got to go to Manhattan every other year.

The Key
There are far to many angles to narrow this game down to one key:

  • Will KU run B-Mac right at Ian Campbell?
  • Will Talib shadow Jordy Nelson?
  • If not, is Chris Harris ready for Big 12 play?
  • Can Todd Reesing beat the rush and connect the dots?
  • What will Freeman do with the up the middle pressure that McClinton will apply?
  • If Freeman is flushed from the pocket, can KU's ends and linebackers contain him?
  • Justin McKinney knocked Limas Sweed down a few rounds in the NFL draft, but can KSU's 5-9 corners handle the squadron of large, fast wideouts that Ed Warriner will spread across the field?
  • Will KSU forget about Derek Fine?
  • Will KSU generate any kind of a running game to keep the Blue Steel defense honest?
  • If KU hits a deep pass, all bets are off.
  • Will Mike Rivera track Josh Freeman down?  

Predictions

  • At 6:33 a.m., approximately thirty minutes into our voyage to RV land, I'll be coaxed into my first adult beverage. 
  • I'll find out that KSU fans have regressed to their 1994 never been there before level. Exihibit A.
  • A giant "Screw KU" balloon will rise above BS stadium
  • Mike Rivera will ride his Harley into the stadium
  • KU wins on a 42-yard Aqib Talib field goal but once again Talib will once again be looked over for Heisman consideration

*Colorado has a fantastic opportunity to beat the beat the best team in the south and lose to the worst all in a seven-day period -- which would of course cause the entire division to supernova.

Friday
Oct052007

Kansas State -- Quick Primer

A Scary Smart Hoedown


Resources:

Kansas State Wildcat Preview Capsule (Hawk Digest) | Kansas State Network | Big 12 Digest

National Disrespect for KU:
The national blog Sunday Morning Quarterback turned in a nice dismissal of KU yesterday (scroll down for the Hawks). It also presents another ground-breaking YouTube effort indicating that Mark Mangino is overweight.

Recent History: (home team)
1997 KSU 48, KU 16
1998 KSU 54, KU 6
1999 KSU 50, KU 9
2000 KSU 52, KU 13
2001 KSU 40, KU 6
2002 KSU 64, KU 0
2003 KSU 42, KU 6
2004 KU 31, KSU 28
2005 KSU 12, KU 3
2006 KU 39, KSU 20

Gamblers Anonymous Marc Lawrence Tip:
KSU is 8-1 home off DD ATS win vs opp w/ rev off SU win
(Translated I believe that means KSU is 8-1 at home off of a double-digit against the spread win in a revenge game with opponents coming off a straight up win)

Stats Rundown:

  • KU is 1-9 in the first road game of the season
  • KSU had six turnovers in last year's game
  • The home team has won the last four games of the series
  • KU's four game winning streak is the longest for the Jayhawks since 2003
  • The Hawks have won seven of their last eight games
  • KU's Jake Sharp is averaging 7.3 yards per carry
  • James Johnson leads KSU with 316 yards rushing
  • Brandon McAnderson leads KU with 327 yards rushing
  • Josh Freeman has a 3 to 4 TD to INT ration, but has completed 61.4% of his passes this season
  • Todd Reesing has an 11 to 1 TD ratio and has thrown for 1199 yards
  • Jordy Nelson has 42 catches for 497 yards for an 11.8 ypc average. He has two TD receptions
  • Marcus Henry has 21 catches for 393 yards and two TDs. His ypc is 18.7 (2nd in the Big 12)
  • Joe Mortensen is sixth in the Big 12 with 36 tackles. James Holt has 27 and Mike Rivera has 24. Mortensen leads the conference in tackles for loss with 9.5
  • Justin McKinney leads KSU with 27 tackles. Justin Rowland has 25.
  • Steven Cline has 2.5 sacks for KSU
  • Maxwell Onyegbule has 2.5 sacks for KU
  • Aqib Talib has a touchdown in five straight games, plus two interceptions on the season
Thursday
Oct042007

Predict KU's First TD -- Kansas State

KU's first TD of the game (vs KSU) -- Dexton Fields (add your guess to the comments, winner is awarded status as a legend)

Thursday
Oct042007

Big 12 Power Rankings | Week #5

1) Missouri (4-0, 0-0) #15 CBS
Do I believe MU is the best team in the Big 12? No. However, how can you deny them the top slot at this point. They've done everything they've been asked. Take care of business against the Corn or the fall in the rankings will be mighty.
CBS Schedule Rank: 47
Results: W Illinios 40-34 | W @Mississippi 38-25 | W W. Michigan 52-24 | W  Illinois St 38-17
Next:  Nebraska (3-1)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 5-4-3-3-1
CBS: 41-36-28-21-15

2) Colorado (3-2, 1-0) #42 CBS
Did OU go to sleep in Boulder? It doesn't matter, the Buffs beat the best team in the conference, so they reap the reward. A somewhat interesting revenge game awaits the Buffs in Waco.
CBS Schedule Rank: 18
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
Next: Baylor (3-2)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 10-10-10-9-2
CBS: 53-59-61-60-42

3) Oklahoma (4-1, 0-1) #10 CBS
The only way to erase the sting of the CU loss is to hammer your rival. The Sooners better win because losing takes you to the dark side.
CBS Schedule Rank: 64
Results: W N. Texas 79-10 | W Miami (Fla) 51-13  | W Utah St 54-3 | W  @Tulsa 62-21 | L @CU 24-27
Next: Texas (4-1)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 1-1-1-1-3
CBS: 10-3-3-3-10

4) Kansas (4-0, 0-0) #34 CBS
Another opportunity to step onto the national stage awaits in Manhattan.  Are the Hawks man enough to take what they've earned?
CBS Schedule Rank: 116
Results: W Central Michigan 52-7 | W SE Louisiana 62-0 | W Toledo 45-13 | W  FIU 55-3
Next: @KSU (2-1)
Week-by-Week:
North: 8-6-6-4-4
CBS: 52-47-43-34-34

5) Kansas State (3-1, 1-0) #28 CBS
Just like the glory days. Maybe they waited to long to kick old Bill out. Captain Ron looks ready to steal a Big 12 Championship in year two. Not too bad.
CBS Schedule Rank: 14
Results: L Auburn 13-23 | W San Jose St 34-14 | W Missouri St 61-10 | W @UT 41-21
Next: Kansas (4-0)
Week-by-Week
HD: 9-9-8-5-5
CBS: 54-50-45-46-28

6) Texas (4-1, 0-1) #18 CBS
How is this even possible just two years after a National Championship? Now, the Horns have to beat Oklahoma to avoid an 0-2 conference start and a media frenzy that would make Britney Spears blush.
CBS Schedule Rank: 33
Results: W Arkansas St 21-13 | W TCU 34-13 | W UCF 35-32 | W Rice 58-14 | L KSU 21-41
Next: Oklahoma (4-1)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 2-2-2-2-6
CBS: 8-9-9-9-18

7) Texas A&M (4-1, 1-0) #31 CBS
How can 4-1 look so unimpressive? Coach Dennis is walking the plank each  week -- win or swim with the sharks.
CBS Schedule Rank: 63
Results: W Montana St 38-7 | W Fresno St 47-45 | W ULM 54-14 | L @ Miami (Fla) 17-34 | W Baylor 34-10
Next: OSU (3-2)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 4-5-4-6-7
CBS: 21-17-14-31-31

8) Oklahoma St (3-2, 1-0) #57 CBS
It's not as compelling as the Mike/Jenni Soap Opera, but the Cowboys could take a strong lead in the south with a win a College Station. They'd have two division wins in their pocket.
CBS Schedule Rank: 20
Results: L @Georgia 14-35 | W FAU 42-6 | L @Troy 23-41 | W Texas Tech 49-45 | W Sam Houston 39-3
Next: @Texas A&M (4-1)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 7-8-9-7-8
CBS: 37-34-66-59-57

9) Nebraska (4-1, 1-0) #16 CBS
CBS loves the Huskers, but no else does. A vote of no confidence for the Blackshirts. Still, it would be no surprise for the Corn to go into Columbia and get a win -- a result that would vastly change the outlook in  Lincoln.
CBS Schedule Rank: 17
Results: W Nevada 52-10 | W @Wake Forest 20-17 | L USC 31-49 | W Ball State  41-40 | W ISU 35-17
Next: @Missouri (4-0)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 3-3-5-8-9
CBS: 19-13-19-20-16

10) Texas Tech (4-1, 0-1) #48 CBS
Tech has become the guy at work that keeps telling the same non-pc jokes. At this stage in the Leach era, the 75-7 win over Northwestern St doesn't feel good for anyone after failing to put away an OSU team that should've been ready to collapse.
CBS Schedule Rank: 106
Results: W SMU 49-9 | W UTEP 45-31 | W Rice 59-24 | L OSU 45-49 | W NW St.  75-7
Next: ISU (1-4)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 6-7-7-10-10
CBS: 45-41-34-48-48

11) Baylor (3-2, 0-1) #78 CBS
No breakthrough this year for the Bears. The opportunity to run the table against the north starts Saturday at home. Seems like those teams might be better this year though.
CBS Schedule Rank: 102
Results: L @TCU 0-27 | W Rice 42-17 | W Texas St 34-27 | W @Buffalo 34-21 |  L @A&M 10-34
Next: Colorado (3-2)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 11-11-12-11-11
CBS: 80-78-78-72-78

12) Iowa State (1-4, 0-1) #104 CBS
Chizik re-visits the Lone Star state. Will it feel the same?
CBS Schedule Rank: 85
Results: L Kent St 14-23 |  L N. Iowa 13-24 | W Iowa 15-13 | L @Toledo 35- 36 | L @NU 17-35
Next: @Texas Tech (4-1)
Week-by-Week:
HD: 12-12-11-12-12
CBS: 70-113-103-104-104 

Wednesday
Oct032007

Justice Game Redux


Bring It


Many times sports fans reference the "Gods of Football" or look to the sky after a rough loss and question why. The presence of an otherworldly force in college football is not even debatable. Ask any Missouri fan.

In 1994, the cosmic balance of college football was hopelessly twisted beyond the scope of human understanding. The hated Wildcats travelled east with a team good enough to finally steal a win in Lawrence. There was an overload of purple that day and as expected they were not gracious visitors. In my 15 plus years of attending games, I've never again witnessed a group of visiting fans that could even touch the level of disrespect that those "fans" brought to the pregame atmosphere. That, I suppose, was to be expected, but still way too over the top. As scripted, KSU won 21-13, and clearly emerged as the better team. What happened next defied all logic. The KSU fans tore down our goalpost. To this day, Mizzou fans raz us about letting it happen. The truth is that it was so below the belt that KU fans were totally caught off guard. Had the possibility occurred to anyone, there would have been a melee on the field, but KU fans had once again overestimated the bitter folks from the west.

As 1995 rolled around, the universe seemed ready to make amends. KU rolled out to a 4-0 start with a series of fortunate bounces against a fairly weak non-con schedule. When KU shocked #5 Colorado in Boulder 40-24, it was clear that the Gods of Football were immediately ready to correct the injustice visited upon Lawrence in 1994. KU then beat up on ISU and travelled to Norman for a rare road win against the Sooners. KU was 7-0 and heading to Manhattan with a #7 ranking to exact a measure of justice on the Wildcat Nation that only the people of Bible times could conceive.

The result. A 41-7 Kansas State beatdown. Justice denied and spit upon. The cosmic punishment continued for KU as the best football team I've watched at the university racked up 10 wins, but the celebration was muted as Glen Mason did his job reversal two-step in Hawaii. The Christmas Curse of 1995 took hold and KSU actually ran up 11 straight wins on KU as the program went into a deep football coma at the exact wrong time in history.

Mangino released us from the tyranny of KSU football in 2004. Last year, the KU win once again established the Sunflower Smackdown as a true rivalry. However, there is one debt left unpaid. The table is set nearly as it was in 1995. The time is now ... bring the justice. Set the world free.

Tuesday
Oct022007

Opponent Update | Week #5

This Week: Kansas State

I think we're all pretty in touch with what the in-state rivals have accomplished thus far for the 2007 campaign. The scheduling of a road game at Auburn came under some question, but after clearing out Texas, Captain Ron does indeed look Scary Smart ... or at least Mack Brown Smart. The Wild ones are the real deal and that's what makes this year's edition of the Sunflower Smackdown extra special fun times. It's like a heavyweight prize fight with KSU either retaining a top 25 spot or the challenger KU stealing that spot away. Prep yourself for the trip to Manhattan this week by looking in on the Kansas State Network -- a page consolidating all of the blog news feeds from the world of purple.

Kansas State #19 (3-1)
L @Auburn 13-23
W San Jose St 34-14
W Missouri St 61-10
W @Texas 41-21

The Victim List

This group has moved into the category of pathetic. Central Michigan gets a 35-10 win over N. Illinois. Too little, too late. Thankfully, conference season is here and we can start to look at some solid competition.

Central Michigan #92 (2-3)
L @ Kansas 7-52
W Toledo 52-31
L @Purdue 22-45
L N. Dakota St. 14-44
W N. Illinois 35-10
Next: @Ball State

SE Louisiana #182 (1-3)
L @ New Mexico St. 14-35
L @ Kansas 0-62
W Kentucky Wesleyan 79-7
L @Tulane 27-35
Next: Stephen F. Austin

Toledo #124 (1-4)
L Purdue 24-52
L @ Central Michigan 31-52
L @ Kansas 13-45
W Iowa State 36-35
L Western Michigan 28-42
Next: Liberty

Florida International #171 (0-5)
L @ Penn State 0-59
L Maryland 10-26
L @Miami (Fla) 9-23
L @Kansas 3-55
L @Middle Tennessee 6-47
Next: Troy

# = Sagarin Ranking

Monday
Oct012007

HD Team of the Week: Colorado

Team of the Week

There's an overload of candidates from "insanity" Saturday, but from an HD perspective, you've got to favor Big 12 country. So, that brings it down to Colorado with their 27-24 home win over #3 Oklahoma or Kansas State with a 41-21 road win over #7 Texas. It's truly a tough call, but I give the edge to the Buffs mainly because I could envision a KSU upset a little clearer after last year's win. Plus, the Cats had a bye week to prepare and Texas had shown some vulnerability. The Colorado win seemed more improbable as OU looked like a pretty focused team. Even though it was at home, the impact of what many (including me) thought was the fifth best team in the north taking out the top team in the south is huge. Anyway, both wins were awesome and great for the division and maybe Colorado gets the edge just because we've gotten used to watching the Cats push Texas around.

Sunday
Sep302007

Around the North | Week #5

Who Has the Power Now?


The Cats could have the spotlight all to themselves, but Colorado (3-2) steals the show with a win over an OU team the everyone thought was legitimate. There have been signs that CU is getting better and they certainly have played solid competition. Colorado immediately is a big deal. A national title is out, but a Big 12 Championship is workable. It looks like the toughest challenge will just be surviving the North. Missouri and Kansas State obviously have game -- we'll find out about Kansas next Saturday.

Awesome! Kansas State (3-1) rolls into Austin and deliver a verdict on a Texas team with question marks. Yep, the Longhorns were found guilty of being a poorly coached team with loads of talent. Yes Mack, special teams are a part of the equation and if you don't cover as a unit all the speed in the world can't protect you. Not to take anything away from KSU -- State is officially in the conversation now for a Big 12 championship and that is going to make for an awesome atmosphere in Manhattan next Saturday. KU wants a legitimate win and K-State wants payback for the 'Hawks spoiling last year's Texas upset party. It was questionable before, but now a win would most certainly put KU in the polls for the first time during the Mangino era. NOTE: Auburn beats #4 Florida 20-17 -- moral victory restored.

Missouri (4-0) has to be feeling pretty good about the 27-20 Illinois upset of #21 Penn State. The Illini have won four straight after dropping that initial game against MU. The Tigers are looking legit and they get to kick off Big 12 play by hosting the defenseless Huskers. The season is going as planned for Mizzou. Is CU the new frontrunner or now that the power has shifted in the Big 12, do we need to see how they compete against a North team before giving them MU's spot. NOTE: Western Michigan won at Toledo 42-28.

Kansas (4-0) is probably itchin' to get in the mix against the big boys after a weekend of watching upsets. The opportunity is there next Saturday against State as KU once again has that early season game that can open the door to a great season (Northwestern '04, Tech '05, Nebraska '06). They have yet to jump that hurdle, but it's all the 'Hawks have been focused on since spring practice started. Plus, how about this for motivation on an individual player level? Remember the kid from Texas that was high school player of the year, but was overlooked by all of the Texas schools due to a height issue? Do you think he might be salivating at the opportunity to go out and show his skills against KSU one week after Colt McCoy stunk it up against the Cats?

The 35-17 Nebraska (4-1) win over ISU was pretty predictable. It took until the second half to get the Clone's in check. It's a division win that comes as the team is recovering from two weeks of emotional disaster. So, the Huskers only have one loss and have an offense that should make every game interesting. They'll head into Columbia as underdogs, but it could be a shootout and that could mean it comes down to who has the ball last. A win gets the Huskers mojo back.

Iowa State (1-4) should have really taken the opportunity to kick the Huskers when they were down. Take a look at their upcoming schedule -- @Tech, Texas, OU, @MU. Ouch.

North Sagarin Rankings -- Rank/Schedule
Missouri -- 18/95
Kansas St -- 19/52
Nebraska -- 26/33
Kansas -- 33/171
Colorado -- 36/9
Iowa St -- 104/53

Full Rankings

Saturday
Sep292007

KU 2007 Bye Week Training Video

I thought we'd take a look at some training video in honor of the Jayhawks' extra week of practice and film study. I believe this one is on ball security, which is critical for winning the turnover battle.

Ball Security Training Video