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National Love

posted by Jeremy Chrysler on 11/7/2007 -

Kansas Basketball

Front page of the USAToday folks. Pick up a copy to tell your kids about.

Since beginning its ascent with a 52-7 rout of Central Michigan on Sept. 1, Kansas has evolved from question mark to curiosity to legitimized Big 12 contender. The Jayhawks, it seems, are doing everything well.

They’re the nation’s second-highest scoring team behind Hawaii, averaging better than 46 points, and the second-stingiest on defense behind Ohio State, allowing a little more than 13. Only Cincinnati has collected more turnovers than the 27 forced by KU, and only seven teams have given up fewer than its 11 in nine games. None has been less-penalized.

Also, Dennis Dodd wonders why there isn’t more of a fuss being made about us and the Big 12 in general.

I want to figure out how the SEC gets four three-loss teams in the top 25 and no one is talking about what might be the biggest football week in Big 12 history. That 12-year history has roughly paralleled that of the BCS. This week, three teams are in the top six of the BCS, two (Kansas, Missouri) from one division. That has happened once before, in 2001, when Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas were rated that high.

As each week passes, we’ll get more and more attention. I’m not really worried about it at this point.

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3 Responses to “National Love”

dave31175 Says:
November 8th, 2007 at 6:18 am
Has anyone in the Big 12 beaten any serious non-conference competition? OU’s biggest win was Tulsa. MU’s biggest win was Illinois. KSU’s shining moment was Missouri State. KU’s triumph was Toledo?! UT seems to win the prize with a victory over over-ranked TCU!

Perhaps some of these B12 teams really are serious contenders, but they certainly haven’t done anything to prove it.

So why isn’t more of a fuss being made about the Big 12? LOL!
Jeremy Chrysler Says:
November 8th, 2007 at 7:34 am
Ohio State’s non-con win over Washington was somehow more impressive to you?

Oregon had an impressive win over Michigan, assuming Michigan is good. The Wolverines have made money winning mostly non-losable games against mostly mediocre Big 11 teams.

LSU probably has the most impressive non-con win with their blow-out of Virginia Tech earlier in the year and one of the best overall wins of the year with their win at Tennessee.

Both LSU and Oregon are good teams, but both have slipped up.

If you reevaluate strength of schedule to look at how many losable games a team has played (home / neutral games against top 15 teams, road games against top 50 teams), KU’s schedule compares very favorably with others in the top 10.

Regarding “proving it,” KU has the best chance of the top teams to prove that they deserve to be where they do. Oregon’s and LSU’s SOS rankings are going to get worse, and KU’s is going to get better. For better or for worse, if KU keeps winning, they’ll be in the BCS title game. I just don’t think the voters will keep them out.

It’s fun to speculate anyhow.
dave31175 Says:
November 8th, 2007 at 10:24 am
I understand what you’re saying. But the point I was trying to make isn’t that other ranked teams have tougher schedules. My point is that KU and the B12 shouldn’t be questioning a lack of national respect when they’ve done nothing to earn it.

Of course I understand that no team wants to risk a loss by playing a real team. “National Championships” are “won” by playing a season of HS Girls teams and then lucking out in a bowl game. After all, how many “National Championships” does Nebraska have from playing only one team in a season? LOL

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National Love

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