BIG 12 THOUGHTS HEADED INTO WEEK 2

• Poor, poor KU. All that work done in the Mark Mangino era down the drain. With one 6-3 loss to NDSU, the Jayhawks are back to being a college football laughingstock. The Hawks need a solid performance against Georgia Tech tomorrow to try to get back on track. But K-Staters can feel the Jayhawks' pain: in Ron Prince's first game, the Cats almost lost to Illinois State. And last year, in Bill Snyder's first year back, the Cats went down and lost to the University of Louisiana (formerly Lafayette). Transitions can be tough in the new, parity-driven era of college football.
• Because transitions can be tough, we were impressed by Texas Tech's win over SMU. It was only by a touchdown, but this was a game we had circled as a possible loss, as defense-minded Tommy Tuberville took over the Red Raiders' air attack and June Jones brought in what promises to be a high-scoring SMU program. If Tuberville can tighten up the Tech defense while not hindering the offense, Tech could bring itself into the conversation with OU and Texas, who both looked a bit shaky last weekend.
• Why did everyone think OSU was going to be at the bottom of the Big 12 South this year? Granted, their demolition of Washington State looked better on paper, given the weakness of the WSU squad, but all Mike Gundy's done while at OSU is bring in athlete after athlete. OSU should have a dangerous running attack again this year, and enough athletes around the rest of the field to keep them in most games.
• Baylor is another team that seems to be getting less respect than they deserve. After seeing Baylor in person last year, we believe they finally have the size and athleticism to play with other Big 12 teams--and with Robert Griffin at QB, they have a weapon that may lead them to a couple of big wins this year.
• Daniel Thomas picked up right where he left off last year, torching the UCLA defense for almost 250 yards on the ground. It is amazing that he can change directions as quickly as he can, given his size and power. It's a rare combination, and one that makes him a pleasure to watch and a threat to school and conference records. The Cats also showed that his backup, William Powell, can be an effective weapon behind their veteran offensive line.
• Games we're most looking forward to seeing this weekend: we'll probably be at the OSU-Troy game in person, but we're most interested in seeing how KU bounces back against Georgia Tech and how OU performs against FSU. Colorado also has an opportunity to make a statement as they head to Berkeley to take on Cal...hopefully we'll be able to see the field amidst the wafting clouds of reefer smoke.