Around the North | Week #13

Missouri (11-1, 7-1) has had the offensive output for a few years, but we always felt like they wouldn't be able to put together a defense. They did and now we get to deal with Mizzou as a real program. Not fun. Mizzou opens as three-point underdog to OU.

For Kansas (11-1, 7-1) it was a great run that ended against a better team. I felt like our players put everything they had into it. The only thing I would have changed would have been to disguise our coverages and blitzes with more defensive audibles. No complaints though, Bill Young has a system and style that suffocates most teams. Great season should be rewarded with a good bowl. Start the recruiting.

Colorado (6-6, 4-4) capped off a nice bounce back season with a 65-51 senior day win over Nebraska. The Buffs are bowl eligible, but is there a location for them?

Iowa State (3-9, 2-6) again looks better as Nebraska gives up 65 to CU. The Clones should climb in the north next year. They get both KU and MU in Ames and they dump Texas, OU and Tech from the schedule.

Nebraska (5-7, 2-6) gets ready to start over. It could actually be a quick turn around next year. There are good players in the system.

It really looks to be heading the wrong direction for Kansas State (5-7, 3-5) after the 45-29 road loss at Fresno State. The speed defense really faded in November allowing 49.5 points per game in four losses.

North Sagarin Rankings -- Rank/Schedule
Missouri -- 3/34
Kansas -- 4/90
Colorado -- 52/12
Kansas St -- 57/39
Nebraska -- 63/3
Iowa St -- 91/14

Full Rankings

Around the North | Week #12

It's Missouri Week

As a Kansas (11-0, 7-0) fan or player, you've trained for this one full year. The media has space to fill so they can talk all they want about the BCS, San Antonio and the Heisman, but the only thing that matters is the Border War. KU looked pretty zoned in during the 45-7 win over ISU. Mizzou can expect to see our best effort of the year. The game opened as a "pick 'em," but KU is currently a two-point favorite.

Missouri (10-1, 6-1) erased that Manhattan losing streak with a 49-32 win. We know the the Tigers have the flash. This week we'll see what happens when they get punched in the mouth.

It's finally coming to a close for Nebraska (5-6, 2-5). The best highlight of the year will probably be a TO sack of Bill Callahan. If the Huskers win in Boulder to become bowl eligible, it'll be interesting to see how Nebraska handles the timeline. The Huskers have a bye week before traveling to Colorado. No line on the game yet.

Iowa State (3-9, 2-6) ran into a team on a mission on Saturday, but you can see that this team is coming around. Chizik should be able to get some recruits off of the KSU and Colorado wins.

Not a great weekend to be a Kansas State (5-6, 3-5) fan. Clearly, MU has the better team, but Cat's fans were probably hoping for some Manhattan magic. KSU must now win at Fresno State to avoid a four-game slide. Fresno State opened as a 1-point favorite, but the game is now even.

Colorado (5-6, 3-4) really could use a win this Friday. Otherwise, the Buffs could lose all of the momentum of those big early season wins.

North Sagarin Rankings -- Rank/Schedule
Kansas -- 1/101
Missouri -- 9/47
Kansas St -- 45/31
Colorado -- 56/5
Nebraska -- 57/2
Iowa St -- 91/6

Full Rankings

Around the North | Week #11

The Tide Has Turned

If the KC Star had their numbers right, KU and MU secured the interdivision bragging rights this past weekend by helping the North to a 10-8 record versus the South for the 2007 season. Nice turn around after a few years of criticism.

Nationally, they don't understand what the Kansas (10-0, 6-0) 43-28 win over Oklahoma State means, but you can be sure that the world of the Big 12 gets it. The new BCS standings are out and KU slots in at #3 (the exact right place to be right now), but the information was filed away last night as the Hawks now focus in on Iowa State and Senior Day in Lawrence. Kansas opened as a 24-point favorite.

Missouri (9-1, 5-1) did what they had to do to get the 40-26 win against a physical squad from A&M. Mizzou is playing with a lot of pressure each week, but it doesn't show. Suddenly the roadie to Manhattan doesn't look quite as tough. The Tigers opened as an 8-point favorite over KSU.

Hmmm. 73 points. Will Nebraska (5-6, 2-5) actually finish as the third best team in the North. If they beat Colorado in two weeks their only North losses will have been against KU and MU. Perhaps Nebraska should run the offense and defense as two entirely separate organizations -- retaining Callahan for the offensive entity. Seven TDs and 510 yards -- Joe Ganz is impressive. The Huskers have a bye week before traveling to Colorado.

Okay, Iowa State (3-8, 2-5) is officially shaping up to be a pretty good football team. The 31-28 win over CU puts the Clones on two-game winning streak. Plus, they played OU tough and didn't get humiliated in Columbia. How will they standup against the complete package in Lawrence?

This is the concern about building a smaller team based  on speed. What happens as the weekly wear and tear starts to wear you down later in the season? Kansas State (5-5, 3-4) didn't like the answer to that question as they were throttled in Lincoln 73-31. This one raises a number of issues.

It looks like Colorado (5-6, 3-4) is thinking about a switch to the south division -- undefeated against the south, but winless in the north. Actually, the Buffs are probably looking at a way to escape the division basement and possibly sneak into a bowl.

North Sagarin Rankings -- Rank/Schedule
Kansas -- 1/97
Missouri -- 9/52
Kansas St -- 48/42
Colorado -- 56/8
Nebraska -- 59/4
Iowa St -- 90/15

Full Rankings

Around the North | Week #10

It's On

Kansas (9-0, 5-0) played it's biggest home game of the year and unleashed the full power of the Todd Reesing offense. The secondary had a rough outing, but I'll give them one off week. The win was historic for about 90 different reasons, but it's already time to move on. We've got bigger things in mind now. So, if you want to beat the real OSU, you better be able to handle the other OSU. Kansas opens as a 5.5 favorite in Stillwater.

Full credit to the Tigers. Missouri (8-1, 4-1) claims a double on comparison scores. They easily handled Colorado on the same field that KU gutted it out with the Buffaloes. KU posted 76 on the Huskers but allowed 39 points. The "suspect" Missouri defense allowed only six. Get ready for war at Arrowhead. Missouri opens as a 16.5-point favorite against visiting A&M this Saturday.

That pretty much did it for Kansas State (5-4, 3-3). You just knew Iowa State was going to knock off a Big 12 opponent this year once they put up a fight against OU and MU. The Wildcats fell into the trap in Ames and now things get a little tricky. North title hopes are officially gone and it will now be a fight to get into a bowl. The 'Cats need to get two wins out of of schedule that includes a road game with Nebraska, a home matchup with Missouri and another roadie with Fresno State. KSU opened as a 7-point favorite in Lincoln.

Too much to soon for the Buffaloes. Colorado (5-5, 3-3) was completely overmatched by Missouri and now knows exactly how far away they are from being a division contender. If the Buffs can bounce back and do what K-State couldn't (win in Ames), they've got a good shot at a bowl game since they host Nebraska. CU opens as a 5.5 favorite in Ames?

Nebraska (4-6, 1-5) -- "Why is this happening to me? I'm getting what I deserve, I'm reaping what I sow."

Iowa State (2-8, 1-5) may be the best 2-8 team in the country. I'm glad we face the Clones in Lawrence. Seriously, ISU gets better each week.

North Sagarin Rankings -- Rank/Schedule
Kansas -- 2/107
Missouri -- 8/53
Kansas St -- 33/40
Colorado -- 43/3
Nebraska -- 68/6
Iowa St -- 95/14

Full Rankings

Around the North: Week #9

How Do You Like Me Now?

The Kansas (8-0, 4-0) win over A&M drew the north into an 8-8 tie versus the south this year. The north boys did it the hard way as well taking two of three in southern territory (CU over Tech, NU lost at Texas). As for the Jayhawks, Lee Corso finally admitted that he'll never pick Kansas, so we'll always have a Saturday morning motivator for the players each week. Excellent. Forget about all of that though, it was another big win for the Jayhawk road warriors. KU controls it's destiny and homecoming versus the Huskers should be a lot of fun on Saturday. KU opened as a 14-point favorite. That's already risen to 17.

Okay, I thought we settled this last week. Does Missouri (7-1, 3-1) have a defense or not? In Columbia, the Clones outgained MU 389 to 366 in total yardage and picked up 25 first downs to the Tigers 23. A win's a win, but we may have to reconvene the jury regarding the MU defense (especially with the loss of Pig Brown -- tough way to end a career). Looking ahead, Mizzou will play at Boulder this week, so we can finally get a true KU/MU comparison (NU will serve that purpose as well). MU opened as 4.5-point favorites over Colorado.

Kansas State (5-3, 3-2) did what they had to do rolling it up against Baylor 51-13. The Cats are a solid squad and they need to collect wins fast to secure a bowl birth. They'll be playing for eligibility next week in Ames against what looks to be an improving ISU unit. It looks like the Big 12 will have nine eligible teams, so the Cat's will want to target eight or nine wins overall. As for longshot north title hopes, the match-up with Missouri in Manhattan in three weeks looms large. KSU opens as 13.5 point favorite against ISU.

Again, you lose to KU and every one wants to question how good you are. Colorado (5-4, 3-2) answered with an awesome road victory in Lubbock that is further evidence that there is no longer a gap between the North and South divisions. Keeping the Tech offense under control in Lubbock is impressive and should serve as a good warm-up for this week's home game with Mizzou. The Buffs can really shake up the college football world with an upset of the Tigers.

The Nebraska (4-5, 1-4) visit to Texas set forth three things to consider: 1) The power of Tom Osbourne is much greater than I can fathom. 2) Texas is truly mediocre? 3) Nebraska is going to fight to the death in Lawrence this Saturday.

Two weeks in a row Iowa State (1-7, 0-4) fights the good fight. It's starting to look like they got a good shot at picking up a conference win before closing out the 2007 season. The Clones are no longer a gimme on the schedule.

North Sagarin Rankings -- Rank/Schedule
Kansas -- 1/101
Missouri -- 14/66
Kansas St -- 15/24
Colorado -- 30/3
Nebraska -- 65/19
Iowa St -- 121/25

Full Rankings

Around the North | Week #8

Screaming for Vengeance

Respect. It will be earned one team at a time for Kansas (7-0, 3-0). Teams in the north understand what the Hawks are all about, but the south division teams probably assume that there is some sort of typo when they look at KU's record. The Jayhawks aren't even on the Aggies radar at this point. But this Saturday's trip to College Station isn't about 8-0, BCS rankings or getting closer to that north division title. It's about one game, one chance to avenge the aborted win at Memorial Stadium last year. It ended KU's nine-game win streak in Lawrence and rocked the foundation of Mark Mangino's regime in Lawrence. It won't be quite like the media circus that the visit from Texas will generate next year, but for revenge games, this re-match with the Aggies ranks near the top of the list. Get some. Kansas opened as a 2-point favorite for the road trip to College Station.

It's official. Missouri (6-1, 2-1) has a defense. I think you get invited to the White House if you hold Texas Tech to 10 points. The Border War = the Battle for the North. Kansas City wanted to land a Super Bowl. This will be even better. The Tigers are a 28.5-point favorite versus Iowa State in Columbia this Saturday.

Well, I suppose Kansas State (4-3, 2-2) deserved that after stealing last year's matchup with OSU. It was cruel though. The Wildcats have officially entered the "need help" zone for their division title hopes. The Cats will start thinking about securing the seven wins needed for a bowl as the schedule turns favorable -- Baylor, @ISU and @Nebraska. They can play spoiler when Mizzou comes to town on November 17. This week the Wildcats are 24.5 favorites this Saturday versus Baylor.

The loss to KU was pretty much the last stand for Colorado (4-4, 2-2) as far as division hopes go. Still, it's a pretty good turn around for the Buffs this year. They'll want to win three of the next four to secure a bowl bid (KU doctrine -- six wins probably doesn't do it). They travel to Tech this week, then host Missouri. They'll have to win one of those two, but the schedule closes out with winnable games at Iowa State and a visit from the Cornhuskers. This Saturday CU is 12.5-point underdog in Lubbock.

For Nebraska (4-4, 1-3) fans this might be a good time to take up a new Saturday hobby. It should get better next year, but the Huskers have a horrible stretch coming up -- @Texas, @Kansas, Kansas State, @Colorado. On the flip side, Double Extra Point is the hands down winner in the photography category for Big 12 blogs for 207. The Corn opened as a 20-point underdog to Texas.

Great scott! What am I to make of Iowa State (1-6, 0-3) holding OU to 17 points? Let's spin it this way -- OU may not be as good as everyone thinks. How about this? The North and South are pretty even this year. Credit the Clones for fighting hard at home. I'm glad we don't have to go to Jack Trice this year. If ISU can give Mizzou a game in Columbia, Gene Chizik will start making friends in Ames.

North Sagarin Rankings -- Rank/Schedule
Kansas -- 2/117
Missouri -- 13/48
Kansas St -- 18/14
Colorado -- 38/7
Nebraska -- 63/23
Iowa St -- 126/41

Full Rankings

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

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

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

Around the North | Week #4

Power Shift

Thanks to Ball State, Missouri (4-0) is officially the team to beat in the North. The Tigers took care of business on Saturday beating Illinois St. (FCS) 38-17, but it appears the idea that the Tiger defense is going to develop is starting to fade. Mizzou allowed Geno Blow to gain 116 yard on the ground and Eyad Salem to catch seven passes for 106 yards. Chase Daniel threw his fourth interception of the year ...

Kansas (4-0) is viewed with skepticism due to the schedule, but the fact is they are 4-0 and have looked good doing it. It can all change on October 6, but winning is all the Hawks know right now. The defense is gaining confidence and playing fast. Are they ready to play at Big 12 speed? It's always nice to have a bye week to prepare for the critical games ...

Kansas State (2-1) had a bye week, so there is no fun new angle to explore this week. The matchup at Texas this Saturday will have everyone's attention. Are the 'Cats good or not? The wait is almost over ...

If Nebraska (3-1) would have lost on Saturday, at least Ball State could have left the stadium happy. The way it played out though, I can't imagine a more joyless place than Lincoln on Saturday evening. The Huskers allowed 40 points to Ball State at home. RIP Blackshirts. So long, Cosgrove ...

Okay, now this week it looks like Colorado (2-2) could figure into the mix for the North race. The Buffs smoked Miami (Ohio) 42-0. We know the defense is good, but can the offense play against BCS teams. I'm not sure if the matchup with OU in Boulder will give us any clarity on CU ...

Well, what can you say? Not a lot of teams win in the Glass Bowl. Iowa State (1-3) fell to the mighty Rockets 36-35 on the road and the 'Clones solidified their grasp on the sixth spot. Still, they did beat Iowa and really going to Lincoln just isn't what it used to be. Score watching for the Clones and Huskers this week will certainly be interesting ...

North Sagarin Rankings -- Rank/Schedule
Missouri -- 19/108
Nebraska -- 17/16
Kansas -- 26/177
Colorado -- 58/26
Kansas St -- 61/125
Iowa St -- 95/81

Full Rankings

Around the North | Week #3

Rivals Are 3-0

Well, cancel the plans for a College Gameday visit to Lawrence on November 3rd. Nebraska took a 49-31 beating from #1 USC that wasn't as close as the score indicated. The Huskers get credit for taking their shot, but it seems like at this stage in the Callahan era, they should be able to better protect the home turf against anyone ...

Missouri fans were suffering from a severe case of cupcake envy as they endured chatter from KU fans. They got a belly full of sugar on Saturday, smoking Western Michigan 52-24 in Columbia. Again the defense showed some weakness, but the offense is a machine. Jeremy Maclin had 275 all purpose yards. Chase Daniels did throw two INTs including one that turned into a pick six ...

Over in Lawrence, the score was pretty much the same, but the reviews weren't quite as favorable as in previous weeks. Kansas beat Toledo 45-13, but muffed punts, dropped balls and a few wild pitches by Todd Reesing spoiled a little bit of the fun. Aqib Talib made up for it with an impossible dive/flip into the endzone for his third TD reception on the year ...

Kansas State also got the chance to devour a nice little treat as Missouri State visited Manhattan for a 61-10 beating. Jordy Nelson appears to be 100% as he had 209 yards on 15 catches and a TD. The Cats will now take a bye week to prepare for a trip to Austin for a game that is looking more and more winnable ...

This is what college football is all about. One week ago, it was time to talk about shutting down the program, but when you have your in-state rival at home ... the emotions of rivalry can take over. Still, the 15-13 Iowa State victory over Iowa is hard to figure. Do we have to take the Clones seriously again? Comparison game coming as ISU heads to Toledo next Saturday ...

Colorado frustrated Florida State on Saturday with a stifling defense, but still lost at home 16-6. FSU managed just one TD against the Buffs. CU's Cody Hawkins threw for 306 yards and a TD, but also was intercepted twice. Is the old CU plan starting to work? You know -- improve against tough competition in the non-con, then beat up on questionable north teams in conference play.

North Sagarin Rankings -- Rank/Schedule
Missouri -- 16/82
Nebraska -- 18/17
Kansas -- 28/166
Colorado -- 67/26
Kansas St -- 72/150
Iowa St -- 101/73

Full Rankings

Around the North | Week #2

The Top Teams Represent

Nebraska went on the road and did what they had to do taking a 20-17 win over Wake Forest and the ACC. Sam Keller put up bigger numbers with 258 yards and a touchdown, but he also threw two INTs. He was pretty shaky when the pressure was on. However, the Blackshirts look solid ... Missouri is working on a theme as they once again took a comfortable lead, then watched it quickly evaporate. The bottom line is that it was another road win over an SEC team, but no one is feeling comfortable with that defense. Chase Daniel threw for plus 300 yards and five TDs. Tony Temple had 123 yards ... Everyone was looking for a 50+ point win for Kansas as they entertained a not-so formidable FCS team in Lawrence. Cross that off the checklist as the 'Hawks started a little slow but put up a 62-0 mark. Rival fans want to know when KU will play someone. It'll be a while yet, but KU is looking sharp and the confidence is building. It'll be interesting to see how Toledo approaches a KU team that will be motivated from the start ... Kansas State got in the win column with a 34-13 home victory over a San Jose St team that was 9-4 last year. Josh Freeman completed nearly 70% of his passes and amassed 273 yards, but still managed to throw two INTs. His career TD/INT ratio is a disturbing 7/19. The rushing game showed life as James Johnson rushed for 111 yards and a TD. This game was 17-7 going into the fourth quarter ... Colorado started fast, but it looks like they're not quite ready for the big-time falling 33-14 at Arizona State. The Buffs jumped out to a 14-0 lead early, but that was it for the day as Cody Hawkins put up 42 passes and completed only 15 for 155 yards. CU rushed for 39 yards. ASU is #12 in the Sagarin rankings ... Iowa State has a long way to go and the 24-13 home loss to N. Iowa pretty much says it all. Brett Meyer threw two intereceptions and ended up as ISU's leading rusher with 50 yards on the ground. Todd Blythe caught two passes? Next up: Iowa.

North Sagarin Rankings -- Rank/Schedule
Nebraska -- 14/85
Kansas -- 25/166
Missouri -- 28/62
Colorado -- 48/26
Kansas St -- 58/74
Iowa St -- 136/115

Full Rankings