Sometimes we just don't understand the media in this town.
KU goes through a rough few weeks playing at Colorado, against a talented OU team at home, and then on the road at Texas Tech. Tech somehow becomes a "must-win" for KU, and when they don't win, people are ready to write them off when it comes to the Big XII North race...even though if they win their remaining games against their North opponents (1 home, 1 road, 1 neutral site), they're pretty much guaranteed the division crown thanks to tiebreakers.
MU, after going through a similar tough stretch against their South slate, goes out to Colorado and wins convincingly at the same place KU lost, but doesn't get much play the Monday after, even though they are in a similar situation as KU, with games against K-State, Iowa State, and KU left that, if won, will virtually guarantee them the crown.
Nebraska this week has the opportunity to seize the North race by the throat if they find a way to beat OU at home. Even if they don't, they have games remaining against KU, K-State, and Colorado that would lock up the North should they win each one.
Finally, K-State, after beating the pants off what appears to be a decent aTm team, and then just throttling down on a Colorado team that had just knocked off KU, barely gets mentioned in the division race until they manage to only lose by 12 at Oklahoma. While there were certainly encouraging aspects of that performance, there was plenty to cause concern...such as the three easy touchdowns given up by the defense at the beginning of the game, and the inability to stop OU's offense at a crucial point in the game on
1st and 45 and 3rd and 24. A large part of the reason K-State stayed in the game was a huge kickoff return and several unconventional plays. Let's not forget that K-State used this formula just recently to knock off Texas in back-to-back years, only to have losses to KU follow closely behind. The opponent this week? KU.
In reality, we are no closer this week to determining the North champion as we were last week. The stasis that is the Big XII North standings and upcoming schedule remains in place. If KU and Oklahoma win this week, that stasis will remain. However, K-State or Nebraska could help their causes tremendously with a win. A K-State win would also eliminate KU from the discussion, as they could finish no better than K-State and would lose the tiebreaker to the Cats.
K-State has a golden opportunity over the next few weeks. They can go out and win themselves a division championship by winning two home games. They would be well-served to do so, because next year will be tough sledding, even with the improvement that Snyder can be expected to bring in his second year back. The conference schedule features only 3 conference home games, and those are against Texas, Oklahoma State, and Nebraska. K-State has to go on the road to KU, Mizzou, Colorado, and Baylor (who should have the electric Robert Griffin under center). At this point, none of those games looks to be a sure win.
Meanwhile, this season K-State finds themselves in first place and in control of their destiny with three conference games remaining, against their three biggest geographic rivals, including two at home. If Bill Snyder has any tricks left in the bag this year, this is the time to pull them out. A division championship for K-State in the first year of his return could jump-start his re-resuscitation and recruiting efforts and allow K-State fans to legitimately hope for another conference crown sometime in the next few years. Losses in the last three games, however, will likely cause the rebuilding road to be a longer haul.
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