big 12 north...

[K-State Spur]

as of today...

KU...then KSU & Colorado.

Mizzou, UNL, and ISU at the bottom.

Who expected that? Mizzou is probably still the favorite (although their two big wins - Illinois & UNL - aren't looking as impressive as they were last week), they've just played one less game than the teams ahead of them.

[LaMarcus Bryant]

OU will win the conference so the point is moot. They will not face any team that can challenge their offensive line until they flop yet again in their bowl game.

At least I can always look forward to that precious OU pasttime, where they are hyped up to maximum bloadage, then fail miserably on the national spotlight against a greater team. OU is all OL. This season is looking more and more like the Jason White years to me. When they face a team to challenge their OL seriously and get to Bradford quickly, they will crumble, as they always do.
Until then they will continue to climb the polls and look invincible. God I hope they don't end up playing Ohio State though, that is yet another team unworthy of its ranking.

[SrA Husker]

I've gotta put KU in the drivers seat. Staying undefeated through 7 weeks (even with 4 cupcakes and only 6 games) is a feat no other Big 12 team has accomplished. And they play Missouri in what will be a very blue Arrowhead, as the school sold the tickets with their season ticket packages.

[K-State Spur]

KU is much better than I expected, that I cannot deny.

But make no mistake - they have played a 1 game schedule so far. At least 9 other teams in this conference would have won the other 5 games that the Jayhawks have played - maybe not by the spreads, but still the same results.

[K-State Spur]

OU will win the conference so the point is moot. They will not face any team that can challenge their offensive line until they flop yet again in their bowl game.


The Boomers have already lost at the Buffs and Mizzou had some definite opportunities to win in Norman last night.

Nothing (NOTHING) in this conference is moot.

[SrA Husker]

KU is much better than I expected, that I cannot deny.

But make no mistake - they have played a 1 game schedule so far. At least 9 other teams in this conference would have won the other 5 games that the Jayhawks have played - maybe not by the spreads, but still the same results.

Agreed. But, conference play is ultimately all that matters.

They are still the only team undefeated within conference, and that's not a small feat. They've proven themselves on the road at Manhattan and took care of a Baylor team at home as predicted.

Their only road games are this week at Colorado, Texas A&M, and then Oklahoma State. Colorado won't be easy, but A&M is in a downfall and Oklahoma State is unpredictable. They get Nebraska and Iowa State at home, and Missouri in a very-blue Arrowhead. By some miracle, they lined up one of Mangino's best seasons with one where they avoid Texas and Oklahoma completely.

[MajorMike]

KU has a brutal upcoming schedule. I still do not think they are for real.

CU has a nice sched, but they are not for real. KU Mizzou NU all at home; @ ttek/ISU. I can see them losing all.

KSU's sched is brutal as well (@ OSU/NU/ISU; Mizzou home).

Mizzou is good enough that they could win out, or lose just a game or so left, but their sched is so unbelievable that they could easily be the best team in the north, but lose the north title because of the south (ttek/atm at home; @ CU/KU/KSU).

Mizzou is by far the best north team, but may end up tying because of where they play games.

[K-State Spur]

by the standards of this conference, KU has a dream season with their schedule.

the Cats aren't too outlandish either. they've probably played their two toughest road games already, won one handidly, and should have won the other. every game left on their schedule is winnable as an individual contest (of course, that's not saying that they will win them all).

[K-State Spur]

By some miracle, they lined up one of Mangino's best seasons with one where they avoid Texas and Oklahoma completely.

Comes out of nowhere as well. Sophomore QB who wasn't highly recruited and didn't start last year. Didn't return loads of all-conference talent on either side of the ball.

Aqib Talib is probably their only player that the average Big 12 fan has even heard of, and he was the one guy that got torched a couple of times in Manhattan.

Even the many Jayhawk fans I know thought that 6-7 wins would be a very successful year, 8 would be the ceiling if EVERYTHING went right.

Their success thus far really doesn't make any sense, yet it is sitting there for the rest of us to see just the same.

[SrA Husker]

I saw this in the KC Star...


The Missouri game at Arrowhead Stadium was announced as a sellout earlier this week, and there figure to be more Jayhawks in the Chiefs house than Tigers because the game is part of KU’s season-ticket package and not Missouri’s.

Because it’s a sellout, Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins said the schools should pocket more than $2 million each, double what a usual Kansas home game generates and more than the Jayhawks have ever cleared from any bowl game.

Money means a lot. And that's a lot of money.

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/columnists/blair_kerkhoff/story/316614.html