Thanks to Matt over at Crimson and Cream Machine, our favorite Oklahoma blog, for setting up a spring roundtable.  Check out his post for links to all the other responses.  Sorry my answers are short, not well-thought-out, and unsubstantiated with links, but I'm studying for three exams at once right now.  Feel free to provide your own answers in the comments or the diaries.

1.  Who are some of the new faces that emerged in the spring who could be serious playmakers for your team this fall?

Surprisingly, the biggest newcomer was a walk-on.  Keithen Valentine rushed for more than 100 yards in the epic, heart-stopping, nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat spring game that ended in a 3-0 White victory.  In all seriousness, Valentine looks like a solid addition at running back, which is welcome after the departure of James Johnson.

2.  What is your biggest concern following the spring?

Integration of JuCo transfers.  Most of them won’t be on campus until this summer or even August, so it’s going to take some work getting them into the system.

Other than that, it’s the same thing we heard all last year: defense.  There are some encouraging signs, particularly the return of Josh Moore and Antwon Moore’s recovery from knee surgery.  Also, we have scrapped that stupid 3-4 and will move Ian Campbell back to defensive end, which is where he should have been last year.

3.  Any major changes (philosophy, coaching or personnel) that you are concerned or worried about?

As usual, we had more coaching turnover than necessary in the offseason.  Who knows how much different the product on the field will look?  We have gone back to a base 4-3 on defense, thank God.  On offense, nobody has any real idea what we’ll be doing.  The new offensive coordinator is a spread offense disciple, but it would be damn near impossible to really implement a full spread offense in the limited time available (i.e., spring practice and fall camp).  On top of that, we'll be implementing the 214 JuCo transfers we signed for next year this fall, so putting in anything radically different would be a steep learning curve for all parties involved.

4.  Looking over the 2008 which home and away game will be the most difficult?

Among the teams that come to Bill’s House next year, the Dirt Burglars are probably the toughest matchup.  Texas Tech is never an easy game for us either, and that is the first conference game on the slate (What??? We start conference play at home?  Somebody in Irvine probably got fired over that one!).  Clearly the most difficult road trip will be to Columbia to face North favorite Missouri.

5.  Time for your way too early predictions (Yes, you can change them in August). Rank how you see your division finishing up next season.

1. Missouri

2. Who knows?

3. Who knows?

4. Who knows?

5. Who knows?

6. Who cares?

1.  With only two or three games left, how are you feeling about your season? Disappointed, elated, surprised, a little violated?

I’m going with a little violated.  Think of K-State’s season as a blind-date situation.  The guy who sets you up with this girl tells you endlessly how hot she is, much better than the last girl he set you up with, blah, blah, blah.  Then you meet up with the girl and, what do you get?  More of the same.  We saw the same thing, allowing our hopes to get sky-high after the big win over Texas and the blowout of Colorado, and then everything crashed around us with the losses at Oklahoma State and especially Iowa State.

2.  I have to ask, how do you feel about the ( possible) buyout of Fran at Texas A&M?

I will never feel sorry for any of the big-money (Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Nebraska) programs in the Big 12.  Ever.  They get themselves into situations like this, and I feel it’s my duty to laugh at them when it happens.  Go ahead, Aggies.  Throw money at the situation, and hope to God it gets better.  A great reminder to every arrogant fan of a big-money program that you’re only one bad head coach from suckage.  Oklahoma learned that in the 1990s, as did Texas.  Nebraska has learned its lesson now.  And A&M is perfecting the technique.

3.  We’ve picked coaches, players, stadiums and everything else from other teams. Now, we get down to something even more near and dear: mascots. If you could pick another Big 12 mascot other than your own - who would it be and why?

How could it be any mascot other than Ralphie?  I mean, if an 800-pound buffalo running around doesn’t get you pumped up, I don’t know what will.  I’d love it if K-State had a live bobcat running around, although bobcats are kind of small.  And it’s good that CU has Ralphie, because Chip is one of the goofiest-looking mascots I’ve ever seen.

4.  Unexpected Greatness, Unexpected Suckage. Who surprised you this year? Who did you get really excited about, only to be let down? (The first Roundtable asked who was the face of the franchise - do you still feel that way?)

I picked defensive end—turned—linebacker Ian Campbell as the face of the franchise before the season.  While Campbell hasn’t had a bad year by any stretch of the imagination, he’s been far from the face of the franchise.

Although his greatness has not been totally unexpected—before the season I picked him as a player the rest of the conference should keep its collective eye on—Jordy Nelson has taken his play to a level few expected.  The absolute travesty that is his lack of national recognition can’t overshadow how great he has been on the field.  He’s made a believer of everyone who has watched him.  If he doesn’t win the Biletnikoff Award, I will join the masses and declare all postseason college football awards a fraud of epic proportions.

5.  I told you there would be booze. Characterize your team by the beverage of your choice.

I will characterize K-State as wine in a liquor store.  Not any specific kind of wine, just wine.  You see, I hate wine.  I never drink it unless I absolutely have to.  I wouldn’t know a good bottle of wine if its cork popped out and hit me in the nuts.  So, I am likely to be about as consistent about choosing a good bottle of wine from the hundreds of bottles at the liquor store as K-State is likely to consistently play well this year.  Sometimes I’ll make a home-run decision and pick a bottle of win that rocks my socks (analogous to: Texas game, Colorado game), and sometimes I’ll pick something that tastes like it was strained through a Frenchman’s sweaty socks (analogous to: Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Baylor first half).

Lightning Round - worth double the points (which will still work out to zero...), and twice the fun!

- Love ‘em.
Jordy Nelson—How could you not, unless you're the national media?
Marcus Watts—Injured every year at K-State, and has played through the pain.
Rushing Attacks—I’m really getting tired of all this passing.  This is Great Plains Football, people!
"I’m a man!  I’m forty!"—I will never tire of saying that till the day I die.

- Diss ‘em.

Iowa State—Damn you for getting better!
Nebraska—Because we play you this week.

--Pick 'em.
Colorado @ Iowa state – Iowa State (don’t disappoint me!)
Texas A&M @ Mizzou - Mizzou
KState @ Nebraska – K-State
TCEH @ Texas - Texas
Baylor @ Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Kansas @ Okay State: Oklahoma State (please, God, awake me from this horrible nightmare!)

- Rank ‘em.

Oklahoma
Mizzou
KU
Texas
Oklahoma State
K-State
Texas Tech
Texas A&M
Colorado
Iowa State
Nebraska
Baylor

I lied yesterday.  The Big 12 Roundtable is not gone, it was just in the hospital.  Go over to Crimson and Cream Machine and wish Matt well.

This week, the Roundtable comes from Big Red Network, a fine Husker blog...and one among many.

1. Will firing Steve Pederson help Nebraska's program long term or will they be as bad or worse off without him?

That's hard for me to say until they name a permanent athletic director.  It's hard for me to imagine they could do worse than Pederson, but I've been amazed before (see: KU football this season).

What will be most interesting to me is to see who interim God Tom Osborne brings in to coach the Huskers--as if anyone really believes Bill Callahan will still be around next year.  As I recall, Osborne was the one who handed the reigns to Frank Solich--who was no Ron Prince--and gave his blessing to Pederson as athletic director.  If he hires Turner Gill, color me skeptical.  Either way, it's going to take a while to get things turned around.

2. Can Kansas keep winning conference games, not just this year but on into the future?

I have no reason to bet against them, but I'll believe it when I see it.  That's not because I think that 'beaker fans will fail to get behind the football program, but it takes a while to make winning a part of the culture.  Considering that K-State briefly considered abandoning football before Bill Snyder arrived, I will never say never to any program turning things around.  Given Jabba the Coach's last few years at KU--7-5, 6-6, and now 7-0--I would have to say they are moving in the right direction.

3. Is Sam Bradford at OU good enough to lead the Sooners to victories in all of their remaining games or will he meltdown again like he did late against CU?

For whatever reason, Bradford doesn't seem to play very well in road games.  Let's look at what Bradford has done away from the comfy confines of Red Dirt Central:

@ Colorado: 8/19, 119 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
@ Iowa State: 16/28, 183 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT

On the positive side, he played well against UT in Dallas.  But you can't just chalk those poor performances up to playing good teams.  Colorado has a pretty good defense, but Iowa State does not and Bradford played at an extremely average level against them.  It's probably just freshman inconsistency, but I see a loss somewhere among Texas A&M (unlikely), Texas Tech (most likely) and Oklahoma State (in the middle).

4. Do the routs of ISU and Baylor mean Texas is firing on all cylinders or will this be another disappointing season in Austin?

No, it really means very little.  After Texas rammed Rice, most thought all was well in Austin...and then K-State put a 41-21 loss on UT the next week.  The big win over Iowa State was fairly impressive, but the win over Baylor was not.  Texas is 6-2 right now, I see them finishing 9-3 with one loss among the games against Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Texas A&M.  I guess that consitutes a disappointing season in Longhornland, but in the spirit of this Roundtable hosted by a Husker blog, I would caution any program against freaking out about going 9-3.

This week's Roundtable is hosted by MidWest Coast Bias, a blog that will probably be looking for a new name at the end of the season.  Good luck with that creative pursuit, sprite.

1.  If you could steal another coach at any level (head, assistant, etc.) from another school, who would it be and why?

After Bill Snyder retired, my first choice as a replacement was Jim Leavitt.  Turns out he really likes what he built at South Florida, and with good reason, so he wasn’t interested.  But his Bulls play tough defense and he has a dynamic quarterback in Matt Grothe.  I’m pretty happy with Ron Prince at this point, though, so I’m content with the status quo.

2. What two teams will play for the Big XII Championship and why?

Oklahoma will come out of the South.  Texas is too far behind and OU has the tiebreaker on them.  Tech will test the Sooners, but Bob Stoops and Brent Venables will make Tech one-dimensional and win that game.  Texas A&M’s early success was built on beating Baylor and an inconsistent Oklahoma State team.  As mentioned, Oklahoma State is too inconsistent to make a run at the South.  It’s the Sooners’ to lose.

The North is much more difficult to figure.  It’s extremely crowded at the top (the South is, too), with KU, K-State, Colorado and Mizzou.  I still think Mizzou will come out of the mix, but with Nebraska’s plummet I’m wondering about the quality of the Tigers’ win over the Huskers.  Given the weak schedule (no game against Texas or Oklahoma), the unthinkable could happen, and KU could represent the North in San Antonio.  I still haven’t ruled out K-State, but we have to play consistently and get some help in the form of a couple somebodies beating KU somewhere.

3. What is the best bowl game your team has a realistic shot at and, if your team has a shot, who would you like to play in said bowl?

I would say the Cotton Bowl is probably realistic, although unlikely.  An appearance in Dallas would probably require making it to the Big 12 championship game, which is not out of the question at this point.  After that, a Holiday Bowl appearance would be nice.  Given the history of K-State fans traveling well to bowl games, I think we have an X-factor in our favor for getting a good bowl invitation.

If we were to make the Cotton Bow, that would be a matchup with an SEC team.  My pick would be Alabama, because I hate Nick Saban and would love to have a chance to beat his team.  If it were the Holiday Bowl, I would like to see USC lose another game or two and get a shot at them in San Diego.

4. If given the opportunity, would you keep the Big XII status quo or kick out a team and go to a Big 10-style conference play?

I would like to have a 10-team conference and play a nine-game conference slate, more like the Pac-10 than the Big Teneleven.  Of course, that would require cutting two teams, which would be difficult.  Obviously, Baylor is always going to jump out because it’s the only private school and isn’t good in the most visible sports—football and men’s basketball—but they do bring a lot to the conference in other sports (and BearMeat).  Iowa State seems like another school that would be at the top of the list because of its recent struggles, plus the fact that they don’t have a real rivalry within the conference.

On the other hand, I am loathe to speculate too much on this because K-State once faced the very real prospect of being booted from the Big 8, and such a prospect can spell ruin for an athletic department (just ask my current school, the University of Houston).  I really don’t know where Iowa State would go, and I don’t have any real objection to having them in the conference.  Same with Baylor, except I’m pretty sure they would be easily picked up by Conference USA or the Mountain West.

5. Rank the Big XII teams

 The Sooners took Missouri's best shot and ended up delivering the knockout blow.  Now OU gets a bit of a breather, with a trip to Iowa State and home tilts with Texas A&M and Baylor upcoming.  Suddenly, the November 17th trip to Lubbock looks like it might have a lot riding on it.
 Although they didn't win, the Tigers played awfully well in Norman.  Even without Tony Temple running the ball, Mizzou outyarded the Sooners, and who knows what would have happened had MU had a credible rushing threat.  This team is still my pick to represent the North in San Antonio, but it's gut-check time for Mizzou this week as Texas Tech brings its aerial circus to Columbia.
 Once things finally got going--there was a long lightning delay--the 'beaks got rolling and trounced Baylor.  Granted, the Bears aren't any better than the pitiful teams KU played in the non-conference schedule, but they again annihilated inferior competition.  This week will be very interesting, as KU travels into the thin mountain air to take on a Colorado team that suddenly has its back to the wall when it comes to the North race.
 Very impressive effort out of the Cats late Saturday night.  The offense finally ran the ball and threw downfield a little bit, and once the defense adjusted to the huge holes up the middle for Hugh Charles, this one was in the books.  Now the Cats travel to Stillwater for a winnable game against a South team that is on a roll after beating up on Lincoln Southeast last weekend.  A win againt the Pokes could propel the Cats to a big run with games against Baylor and Iowa State on the horizon.  One week at a time...
 Ho-hum, a beatdown of hapless Iowa State.  This team has plenty of potential if the coaches figure out how to use it.  The Horns should move above .500 in conference play the next two weeks with games against Baylor and Nebraska, before finishing the season with a march to the sea through South opponents.
 This team is starting to look like a South contender after beating the Aggies senseless in Lubbock.  Michael Crabtree is an absolute freak and Graham Harrell is directing the Red Raider offense to perfection.  On tap?  A trip to Missouri, where a win would really cement Tech as OU's leading challenger in the South.
 Tough and really unimpressive loss this weekend, and things don't get any easier in the next few weeks for CU.  North leader KU arrives in Boulder this weekend.  After that, it's Texas Tech and Mizzou.  The next three weeks are make-or-break time for the early North leader.
 Yikes.  After the first few series, the Aggies were no match for Texas Tech, losing by four touchdowns out on the South Plains.  Next week's matchup with Nebraska, which looked like a marquee matchup in the preseason, has suddenly become a pillowfight between two proud programs in embroiled in turmoil.  The Aggies need the win, because after that they face a murderer's row of opponents in KU, Oklahoma, Mizzou and Texas.  Good luck, Fran.
 If there's a conference team that has been more up-and-down than my beloved K-State, it's Okie State.  An uncompetitive loss to Georgia.  An ugly loss at Troy.  A shootout at the OK Corral with Texas Tech.  A coach's meltdown.  A one-point loss in Aggieland.  And finally a blowout of Nebraska...in Lincoln.  Wildcat fans better hope it's the Pokes week for a bad performance.
 Steve Pederson is gone, but that's not going to improve Bo Ruud's tackling ability.  Everything that possibly can go wrong has, and Husker fans are right to wonder who else on the schedule they can beat if the team continues its putrid play.  I would think this team can turn things around, if only a little bit, but there may be something deeper wrong here because it looks like the players have quit.
 What can you say?  If not for BearMeat, BU football would be unbearable (I really didn't intend that as a pun).  Seriously, check out the latest BearMeat post if you really want to laugh.  Their picture captions are hilarious.  Oh, and the Bears' reward for last week's stomping in Lawrence?  A visit from the Longhorns.
 I still think Iowa State is going to wake up some weekend and knock off someone it 'shouldn't', I just hope that doesn't occur against K-State.

I will be the host for this week's Big 12 Roundtable, so check the comments here as the week goes on for links to the other Big 12 bloggers' reponses.  

1.  Some teams are coming off a big win or wins (Oklahoma, Colorado, KU, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Missouri), while others are dealing with the sting of a tough loss or losses (K-State, Texas, Nebraska, Baylor, Iowa State, Oklahoma State).  Tell us where your team is headed in the wake of the first two weeks of conference play.

K-State is truly a team at a crossroads right now.  It has experienced the ultimate high one week with the win over a top 10 team on the road, then experienced the ultimate low the next week by losing a home game to its hated intra-state rival.  Now the Cats stay at home for a pivotal, nationally televised game under the lights with Colorado, who is 2-0 in conference and looking DAMN good.

It comes down to this...win this game, get back in the North race at 2-1...or lose, drop to 1-2 and all but out of the race before it starts.  I can't predict a win right now, even at home, but it's far from impossible.  If our defense gets things worked out this week, they will make life tough on Cody Hawkins.  They better, because our own offense ain't gonna do much on that Buffs' defense.

So to sum it up: beat Colorado, we still have hopes of finishing near the top of the division.  Lose, and we might be looking at a 3-5 conference record.

2.  Colorado and Texas A&M have emerged as unlikely conference leaders at 2-0 (give yourself a cookie if you predicted that), while preseason darlings Texas (0-2) and Nebraska (1-1 and not playing well) are floundering.  Do the current leaders have the wherewithal to make it to San Antonio, or will somebody from elsewhere in the pack overtake them?

I'm still a tad skeptical of how far Cody Hawkins can carry the Buffaloes, but their defense will usually ensure that he won't have to do much more than not lose the game all by himself.  Still, at this point I have to think Mizzou looks like the team to beat in the North.  Is it insane to say that a Gary Pinkel-coached team is the favorite in the North?  If it is, I went crazy this spring when I first predicted that, so I might as well stick with it now.

So far, Texas A&M has beaten (I use the term loosely) Baylor and Oklahoma State, who at this point are looking like they may finish 5-6 (not respectively) in the South.  I'm not saying the Aggies are a fraud, but...well, maybe I am, because I think their comeuppance arrives this weekend in Lubbock.  Unless the J-Train and Mike Goodson run wild through the Tech defense, the Aggies will lose this weekend.  After that, they have road trips to Norman, Columbia and Lincoln (that game may be a pillow fight), not to mention home games with KU and Texas.  At this point I have to go with Oklahoma to win the South.

3.  A few weeks ago we did a ranking of the six BCS conferences, with most bloggers picking the Big 12 in the middle of the pack, which would be a big improvement over the last couple years.  Have the middle and bottom teams of the conference improved significantly, or have the teams at the top declined significantly?  Or is it something else?

One thing is for sure, Texas is not the same team it was with Vince Young.  So from that standpoint, the top of the conference has declined somewhat.  But Oklahoma is still operating at a high level.  So my position is that the middle of the pack has improved, some teams significantly.  For example...

K-State was a sub-.500 team in 2004 in 2005.  They aren't back to 1998 or 2003 form by a long shot, but they went to a bowl last year and beat a top-10 team on the road this year.  Definite improvement.

Colorado was a mess at the end of the Gary Barnett era, with accusations of scandal and a team that quit on Barnett, leading to a 70-3 loss to UT.  I'm not even sure they'd be an underdog to UT this year, at least not at home.  Obvious improvement (2-10 last year seems like a distant memory).

Missouri...do I really have to say anything here?  Sure, they start every year out like this, but I tend to think the Tigers are the real deal this year.

KU: It's almost the middle of October and I still haven't heard (much) basketball talk out of Lawrence, which is a record by at least a month.  KU already has five wins this year, with a sixth likely this week, and are a legitimate contender for the North.  I still hate that a-hole that passes for the 'beaks coach, but he has done a good job turning that program around.

Nebraska...well, never mind.  Before this year I would have noted significant improvement from Callahan's first year, but is this team better than Frank Solich's last team (2003)?  Nope.

Oklahoma State still doesn't play consistently and has disappointed this year, but is certainly a lot better team than Mike Gundy had in his first campaign.  I should reserve final judgment, but I see at least slight improvement from the Pokes.

The rest of the teams have either stayed pretty steady (Texas Tech, Baylor, Iowa State) or I'm not sure what to make of (Texas A&M...was last year smoke-and-mirrors for Fran?), thus they aren't discussed above.

4.  Getting waaaaay ahead of ourselves: What if Missouri or KU goes undefeated and wins the Big 12 Championship Game?  Would they get a shot at the national championship game?

First of all, I don't think either team will go undefeated, I only asked this question to get some discussion going.  I think Missouri would almost certainly get a shot at the national title game IF it went undefeated, because along the way it would beat Oklahoma and whomever won the South (probably Oklahoma again).  On top of that, the Tigers beat Illinois the first game of the year, and all the Illini have done since is win every game, including tilts with Penn State and Wisconsin.

On the other hand, KU could win out and possibly get left out.  If the 'beaks were to have a chance, they would pretty much have to have MU come into the Border War undefeated, then hope they got to face a one-loss Oklahoma in the Big 12 CG.  Much as Mangino wants to make of staying at home and winning games in the non-con, he gained no national respect by doing so, which means he's going to have to find a win somewhere along the way that will be a signature win in the eyes of the nation.

Typing all that felt a little surreal.  KU and MU possibly undefeated?  I'll believe it when I see it.

5.  Rank the conference teams

 Got by a grudge match in Dallas, and now turn toward the high-flying Missouri Tigers.  Sam Bradford should find the going easier against the Mizzou defense than he did against Colorado and Texas, but the way this season has gone, I wouldn't bet on USC beating Stanford straight up.  Wait, they didn't???  You don't say.

 Last weekend was a statement game for Mizzou, from the first-possession touchdown drive to the fourth-quarter fake field goal.  Pinkel finally got his team to really finish a game, and hasn't "Pinkeled" (I used to say Quinned, but he got canned) himself yet this year.  If MU can steal a win in Norman this week, the conference championship talk can officially heat up.

 I really had thought the earth would crash into the sun before I'd rank a non-basketball KU team in the top three of the conference, but they have validated themselves.  I guess the only real question left to be answered, if it's even a question at all, is whether the 'beaks play as well consistently against conference competition when they don't have a bye week to prepare.  I guess we'll have to wait a while to see that, considering they play Baylor this weekend.

 The Longhorns won back a lot of respect by taking it to Oklahoma this weekend, but they still lost and have quite a few question marks.  I tend to think they'll "salvage" the season and still get a pretty good bowl berth (by non-Texas standards), and it all begins with a game against Iowa State this weekend.  Healing has to start somewhere.

 I probably have the Buffs too low, considering they pickled Baylor this weekend and look to be legitimately back.  But Texas' tough game and the realization that Baylor is, well, Baylor led me to give the 'Horns the nod...for now.  I may regret this ranking if that beotch known as karma comes around in the form of a big CU win in Manhattan this weekend.

 A loss to KU this year probably isn't as bad objectively as it seems to a K-State fan, but I haven't shaken the disappointment yet.  This ranking can be solidified with a win this weekend, or a precipitous fall may begin if...better not to think about that.

 The Aggies are 2-0 and leading the South, but yet I don't have them in the top half of the conference?  I really must be an idiot.  But the Ags two wins have been at the expense of Baylor and Okie State, who are not going to contend in the South this year.  And I just can't get over that blowout loss to Miami, who just lost to that North Carolina juggernaut last weekend.

 The Red Raiders took it to Iowa State and evened their conference record.  I have predicted they will get that second conference win this weekend against A&M, but the defensive questions remain.  This is probably the floor for this team, but that doesn't mean it's not the right ranking...yet.

 Tough loss for the Pokes.  Despite the supposed unification we were supposed to see after Mike Gundy went ballistic on Jenni Carlson, this team still has been far from dominating, or even decent.  The Pokes-Huskers game, which looked like a great matchup preseason, is suddenly two offenses and two "defenses" engaging in a pillow fight in front of 85,000 people wearing red.

 Another team for which this ranking is probably the floor, but the Huskers are in disarray right now.  For as crappy as Mizzou's defense was statistically--worse than 90th in the nation--Sam Keller and Cronies couldn't even cross the goal line once.  The defense gave up 600+ yards, again, and the finger-pointing has begun in earnest on the Sea of Red.

 Got waxed at home and that 3-1 start seems like a distant memory.  The Bears better hope they catch KU in a purple haze this weekend coming off their landmark win Saturday, because that's about the only shot they have in Lawrence.

 The Cyclones will probably knock somebody off when you least expect it this year, but 1-11 is looking more likely with every passing weekend.  Chizik gets a shot at his old crew, and he may be missing more than the balmy Austin weather when the high Saturday tops out in the upper 60s.

This week's Roundtable is being hosted by Clone Chronicles.  The title is probably apt, but for me it could also be called the "breaking all the rules edition."  You'll see why shortly.

1.  Were Saturday's games a sign that the Big 12 North may be on its way back?

They are certainly a sign the North could be on its way back.  In past years, the only team the North could consistently beat was Baylor, and even that ended last year.  However, K-State and Colorado have served notice that the South is no longer to be considered unbeatable.  Two games in one weekend do not a trend make, but it could be the start of something.

Personally, I’ve thought this might be coming for a while.  As I wrote on the eve of the season-opener against Auburn, K-State is not going anywhere.  Dan Hawkins has served notice that Colorado is on its way back.  Mizzou hasn’t sent such a statement yet, but they are capable.  Nebraska dropped A&M in College Station last season.  I’m not ready to predict a conference championship for a North school, but I do think this year’s game in San Antonio will be the most competitive in a while.

2.  How seriously do we take the hot starts at Mizzou and Kansas?

Mizzou: I take the Tigers very seriously, see rankings below.  That offense is fearsome, and can keep a defense off-balance by attacking from all angles with a lot of different players.  I have predicted from the beginning that MU was the favorite to win the North.  The race looks a lot more crowded now, but at this point I still give the upper hand to the Tigers.

KU: Sorry for the inconsistency, but I can’t call this team Kansas.  As to their start, I take it seriously, but with a grain of salt.  The ‘beaks have done exactly what really good teams are supposed to do to inferior competition.  On the other hand, really good teams don’t usually play four home games against inferior competition, they usually mix in a road game against a mid-level BCS school or some sort of high profile matchup.  KU can’t really get into a high-profile matchup because, well, they aren’t a high-profile football program.  But they could, and should have gotten at least one team with a legitimate shot to beat them on the schedule.  So in conclusion, I am absolutely not writing this team off, but I’m going to have to see them defeat a team that can go toe-to-toe with them first.  I just hope it doesn’t happen in my beloved Manhattan this weekend.

3.  Pick one team from the opposite division that you truly hate, and say why; follow this up by picking another team from the opposite division that you don't mind pulling for, and say why.

Tough question.  The only team in the South that I really don’t like is Oklahoma.  For one, the way Stoops pulled assistant coaches from Manhattan in 1998 has left a sour taste in the mouth of many a K-Stater, to say the least.  Also, I took a massive amount of abuse walking into Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City back on a cold December night in 2003, then watched OU’s players push our band, cheerleaders and dance team around before the game (even was told by a girl on the dance team she got pushed by a player).  You could tell the Sooners thought they owned the world and who could blame them, everyone was telling them they were possibly the best team in the history of college football.  Needless to say, I didn’t hear much on the way out of that stadium, but my distaste for OU lingers to this day.  Plus, I grew up in Nebraska, so disliking OU is probably hardwired into my DNA.

The South team that I don’t mind and often cheer for is Texas A&M.  A lot of my good friends down here are Aggie alums, so we often watch the games.  I was even invited up to College Station for last year’s A&M/OU primetime game, and was treated to a free ticket, free food, free beer, and a lot of good times.  They wouldn’t let me pay for anything!  I’ve often said that if Texas A&M didn’t have a Corps of Cadets, it would be a lot like K-State.

4.  The NCAA has enacted a rule allowing you to bring back one senior that graduated last year to play for your team for the rest of the season. Would you do it? And if so, who?

In my mind, there are three players in the running here: Yamon Figurs, Zach Diles and Brandon Archer.  I can only imagine how scary the wide receivers would be with Figurs, Jordy Nelson, and Deon Murphy.  But I’m going to eliminate Figurs because Murphy has been a decent addition in the passing game, and as we saw in Austin, the return game has not gone anywhere.

Another reason I eliminate Figurs is because of the injuries we’ve seen to the linebackers this year.  It would be huge to have one more experienced LB.  I’m going to go with Archer, although this is a really tough call.  I’d take either one of them.

5.  Rank the conference teams

 Oklahoma (Previous Week 1): This ranking doesn’t mean I think Colorado’s win was a fluke, because I think CU is going to be turning some heads before this season is over.  But at this point, I can’t justify putting anyone ahead of the Sooners.  Beating Miami was a decent win, but the every other team they’ve played is either marginal (Tulsa) or pitiful (Utah State, North Texas).

 Missouri (3): I don’t subscribe to the theory that you can’t move a team up or down when they didn’t play, thus Mizzou moves to No. 2.  I found that one of the two teams in front of Mizzou wasn’t as good as I thought (Texas).  In all honesty, I almost moved Mizzou to the top, because the Tigers’ win over Illinois is as impressive to me as Oklahoma’s over Miami, not to mention the Tigers have gone on the road for a win, albeit over Ole Miss.  The only reason I didn’t is because the MU defense is just not very good, so I gave OU the upper hand.  For now.

 K-State (5): Too big of a jump?  Maybe.  But I don’t think Texas is as bad as some think, and I had them at No. 2 last week.  The Cats’ defense smacked UT’s offense around, and that was without Marcus Watts on the field.  The offense may not be spectacular, but it is protecting the ball and putting together just enough scoring drives.  And of course, there’s the X-factor—special teams.  If we can rely on one big return to change field position each game, we can count on being ahead of most teams.  Finally, recruiting what?  Former walk-ons Jordy Nelson and Ian Campbell were the Big 12 offensive and defensive players of the week.  Like I’ve always said, give me a good athlete who will run through the wall for me over a lazy egomaniac any day...

 Texas (2): Like I said, the Horns are not that bad.  K-State has received little respect from around the conference (MidWestCoast Bias ranked them 11th in the conference a mere three weeks ago), and some KU message board fans believed that blowouts of glorified Division II teams would lead to a beatdown in Manhattan.  The point is, no matter the national, or even conference-wide perception, losing to K-State isn’t some huge shame.  Now the way in which it happened should concern UT fans, but the Horns have plenty of talent.  They will be fine.

 KU (6): Nothing new to say about KU, although if they held a 1s vs. 1s scrimmage Saturday, it would have been the toughest competition the team had seen all year.  The ‘beaks meltdown or validation will come this weekend in Manhattan.

 Colorado (10): Too low?  Quite possibly we will see the Buffs higher than this by season’s end.  Their defense dominated OU’s offense, but until the fourth quarter their own offense didn’t get much going.  They don’t need to score much with that defense, but can they even score that much?

 Nebraska (4): The 415 yards Nebraska gave up to Iowa State this weekend was a little deceiving in that ISU held the ball for nearly 2/3s of the game.  But that only leads to the question, "How in the hell did ISU hold the ball for 2/3s of the game?"  The Huskers made some big plays on defense, but that doesn’t mean they’re back considering the competition had previously lost to Northern Iowa, Toledo and Kent State.  Can Sam Keller outscore Chase Daniel this week?  Maybe the better question is whether Keller can avoid making stupid throws that lead to picks.

 Texas A&M (7): The Aggies picked up a solid win in a game I honestly thought they might lose.  Part of that was me getting too caught up in Baylor’s huge wins over Rice, Texas State and Buffalo, part of it is all the doomsday Ag fans I hang out with on a regular basis.  Somebody will come out of next weekend’s matchup with Oklahoma State with a full game lead on either Texas or OU.

 Oklahoma State (8): Solid but not spectacular win over an overmatched Sam Houston State team (a free shoutout to anybody who can tell me what famous Texas attraction is in the same city as SHSU).  I was a bit underwhelmed by this game, as I figured the Cowboys would be ready to take out the frustrations of last week’s drama in a big way.  Can the Pokes slow down A&M’s rushing attack?  And if not, can they outscore it?  Will Dennis Franchione sell team secrets to T. Boone Pickens for the right price?

 Texas Tech (9): It may be unprecedented to move a team down for a 75-7 win, but I’ve broken every other ranking ‘rule’ so I might as well break this one, too.  Northwestern State is terrible, and the Red Raiders win over them told us absolutely nothing about Tech that we didn’t already know.

 Baylor (11): I was really surprised the Bears lost to A&M as badly as they did, but then again I fooled myself considering the competition Baylor had been beating.  Now the Bears face a suddenly threatening Colorado team, fresh off a win over OU, the consensus top team in the conference until last week.  Going from having a chance to beat A&M to 0-2 in the conference would be crushing.

 Iowa State (12): Even when a lot of things go right for the Cyclones, they still lose.  Is Texas gonna be a pissed-off bunch of cows this weekend or what?  Good luck, Coach Chizik.

1.  The Big 12 conference has only four unbeaten teams left and has endured numerous embarrassing performances on television. State where you believe the Big 12 ranks among the BCS conferences.

In the Pac-10, we have USC, Cal, Oregon and Arizona State.  The SEC has LSU, Florida and Kentucky unbeaten, and solid teams in Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama.  So the boys from the South appear to have the deepest league in America, although USC’s performance thus far and Cal’s win over Tennessee make me think the race is fairly close at the top.

To actually answer the question, the Big 12 stacks up favorably with any conference after that.  I would rank the ACC as the worst conference at this point, as they don’t have a single serious national title contender.  The Big 10 probably doesn’t have a serious title contender, either, but both Ohio State and Wisconsin are still undefeated.  In the Big East, you can make a case that West Virginia and Rutgers are in the title chase, South Florida is still undefeated pending this Friday’s showdown with WVU, and Cincinnati is having a good season.

I would probably put the Big 12 in a tie for third with the Big East, with the Big 10 close behind.

2.  What has been the conference’s best victory and worst defeat so far this season?

I can’t think of a single bigger victory than Oklahoma’s demolition of Miami, which is kind of sad because I really don’t think Miami is very good this year, notwithstanding last week’s slapdown of Texas A&M.  Texas over TCU looked good at the time, before TCU went in the tank the next week against Air Force and then snuck by SMU.

When I think of a "worst defeat" type game, I don’t look necessarily at the quality of the team dealing the loss.  I look more at the team who lost, what its expectations were, and how the game was supposed to play out.  For that reason, I don’t consider Iowa State’s loss to Northern Iowa the worst, because UNI is a good FCS team and ISU was supposed to struggle this year.  My finalists for worst loss are Nebraska to USC and Texas A&M to Miami.  I’ll go with A&M, because I actually got to the point this fall where I believed they would challenge for the South title, before my high burned out and I remembered Dennis Franchione is still the Aggies’ coach.  Further, the Aggies were never competitive with the Canes’, whereas the Huskers at least made it respectable through 30 minutes against USC.  And Miami is, well, not USC.  By a lot.

3.  Who is the worst coached team in the conference?

It’s tempting to go with Nebraska here, because Kevin Cosgrove runs a defense that doesn’t work and Bill Callahan runs an offense that can’t be understood by NASA’s best and brightest.  However, Dennis Franchione has managed to take a program that has an extensive budget, sits in the middle of the most high school football talent in the nation, and has facilities that could act as Viagra for a college football fan, and yet he can’t field a competitive team.  That absolutely boggles my mind, and makes Texas A&M my clear choice for worst-coached team.

4.  With the regular season already a third of the way over, which players received too much hype in late August and which players didn’t receive enough?

I’ll have to drop a mea maxima culpa here and admit I went overboard with the preseason hype of Oklahoma State quarterback Bobby Reid.   Questions about his attitude and toughness aside, he hasn’t played very well at all this year, and that is when he’s playing.  He has gone so far as to lose his starting job to Zac Robinson, and who knows if he’ll get it back.

It would seem OU quarterback Sam Bradford is the obvious choice here, but I considered him more unproven than underrated.  I’ll cast a vote for K-State wide receiver Jordy Nelson.  After a good season in 2005 (including eight touchdowns), Nelson played hurt most of last year and fell out of the spotlight.  He’s back this year, tied for second in the conference in receptions per game and third in receiving yards per game.

5.  Conference Power Rankings. The best part of the roundtable is voicing how we believe the conference teams rank each week, from top to bottom. So, go ahead, let us know who’s up and who’s down in your book this week.

 Oklahoma: Miami’s dismantling of Texas A&M, coupled with OU’s dismantling of high-octane Tulsa now has me officially convinced.  I still don’t think Miami’s that great of a team, but if they can beat up A&M, they can’t be all bad, and OU throttled them.  I’m going to be very interested to see Sam Bradford take on Big 12 defenses, as he’s been extremely impressive thus far.

 Texas: Did what was expected against Rice, although you can’t logically say that means Texas is back if you also don’t think KU’s play thus far is impressive.  So far, Texas has shown it is a talented team whose coaches don’t use the talent effectively.  Game with our Cats this week will be a good indication of both teams’ direction this year.

 Missouri: Another beatdown of an average team.  I should also note Mizzou’s first-week victim, Illinois, is now 3-1 after wins over Syracuse (who made Louisville look silly) and conference-foe Indiana (itself 3-1).  The questions about the defense will always be with Mizzou, but Nebraska fans should be terrified of the numbers Chase Daniel will put up if Gary Pinkel doesn’t get in his way again.

 Nebraska: Still here more by default than anything.  Since my last ranking, NU got run by USC (at home) and gave up 600+ yards to Ball State (at home), but the three teams I had ranked behind them (A&M, K-State, Tech) have not asserted themselves as definitively better than Nebraska.  This entire ranking will be better sorted after October 6th, when we get K-State/KU, Nebraska/Mizzou, and Oklahoma/Texas.

 K-State: Blew out FCS Missouri State, which is another "what you should have done" win.  Former opponents Auburn and San Jose State finally picked up another win, but neither was very impressive (Auburn led by one at half against New Mexico State before pulling away, SJSU snuck by winless Utah State).

 KU: If KU can come out of Manhattan in 10 days with a win, I’ll look dumb for this ranking.  But at this point, they’ve done nothing more than blow out four teams who are a combined 3-13 against even worse competition.  How important is the October 6th game in Manhattan to KU fans?  They returned to K-State 275 unsold tickets.

 Texas A&M: The Aggies remain this high simply because I consider them more talented than other teams below them.  With players like Mike Goodson, Jorvorskie Lane and Stephen McGee running the ball, and Martellus Bennett catching it, there’s no reason other than poor coaching why A&M should not be scoring points.  The Ags better get ready; Blizzle Szyzzle and the AirBear attack arrive in College Station this weekend for the Battle of the Brazos.

 Oklahoma State: Takes this spot by virtue of beating Texas Tech in one of the biggest track meets I’ve ever seen (OK, I didn’t actually see it, I just heard about it).  Both teams have obvious defensive deficiencies, and some would say Okie State now has off-the-field distractions with the Mike Gundy saga.  I don’t think that will affect the Pokes’ on-field play much, and they get a tuneup with Sam Houston State before the trip to College Station.

 Texas Tech: How do you have a quarterback throw for 646 yards and NOT win?  Answer: Give up 366 rushing yards to your opponent.  It will be interesting to see how this team reacts to Mike Leach’s scathing post-game remarks and the resignation of defensive coordinator Lyle Setencich.  They should have a chance to get two wins with Northwestern State and Iowa State coming to town in the next two weeks.

 Colorado: If nothing else, the Buffaloes know how to play them some defense.  For that fact alone, I almost moved them ahead of Tech, before I came to my senses and realized how much more prolific Tech’s offense is.  The Buffs shut out Miami (OH) in a 42-0 win.  Did I also mention Miami (OH) beat Ball State on the road?  I may have the Buffs to low (or the Huskers too high).

 Baylor: Break up the 3-1 Bears!  Baylor shuffled off to Buffalo and picked up a rare road win last weekend, and now return to Texas (though not to Waco) and get a shot at an ailing Aggie team.  If the Bears win that one, they will be only two games from bowl eligibility.

 Iowa State: Couldn’t sustain the momentum of an emotional rivalry game win over Iowa with a one-point loss at Toledo.  Any time the Cyclones manage to get up for a game this year, they could be dangerous against a team that takes them lightly, but it’s going to require a Clones’ best game versus opponent’s worst game scenario.  On a side note, ISU will sport new uniforms next season.  I think they look pretty sharp.

(Jordy Nelson photo courtesy ESPN.com)

This week's Roundtable is again being hosted by Crimson and Cream Machine.  Check Matt's post for links to the other responses from around the conference.

1.  Based on what you now know to be your team’s strengths and weaknesses if the game was on the line do you want your offense or defense on the field?

That’s a difficult call.  After the Auburn game, I would have said the defense in a heartbeat.  However, now we know that AU’s offense borders on pathetic, and the defensive effort was lacking a little against San Jose State.  The offense is still unproven, but I like the progress I’m seeing with the running game and the offensive line.  On top of that, last year Josh Freeman led a beautiful late-game drive against Oklahoma State.  With players like Jordy Nelson and Deon Murphy running around in the defensive secondary and Josh Freeman completing 61 percent of his passes, I have to pick the offense right now.

2.  If you had to pick a team from the AP Top 10 for your team to play this weekend who would you pick and why (OU & Texas are not options).

I would pick No. 10, Ohio State.  They seem to me like a young team that doesn’t have much offense, and we have seen we have a chance in a low-scoring slugfest (see the Auburn game).  On the other hand, the Buckeye defense could give our offensive line a tough game, but I’d rather play a low-scoring game.  That’s why I chose Ohio State over teams like Cal and Louisville, because I’m not sure the Cats can win a shootout.

3.  You can take one player off your team and trade him for any player in the conference who plays the same position who are you taking?

Hmm, are we talking fair value?  I can’t tell from OU’s Web site which position Duke Robinson plays, but he’s good enough I’d take him at any position.  I don’t mean this as a slight to Brock Unruh, but Robinson is an all-conference performer and would be a great anchor for any line.  A close second would probably be Jeron Mastrud for Martin Rucker/Carson Coffman.

4.  Conference Power Rankings! Rank the teams in the conference from first to worst.

1.    Clearly the most impressive team thus far.  Have put up massive yards and points, answered the QB question, and played solid defense.

2.    Unimpressive in week one and in the first half against TCU, but may have woken up in second half with 34 points.  

3.    It was really hard to decide who to put here.  Mizzou has defeated two BCS conference teams, and Chase Daniel has put up impressive numbers.  The defense looks very suspect, giving up a ton of yards and points, but for now Mizzou is the most impressive team in the North.

4.    Did not play well in win at Wake Forest, and big win over Nevada lost some luster when Wolfpack fell to Northwestern this weekend.  This week will tell a lot.  If the Huskers put a scare into USC or, wonder of wonders, wins, they could jump Mizzou.  If they lay down like they did last year or get blown away, the doubts will be confirmed.

5.    I had the musical Jekyll and Hyde in mind watching A&M this weekend.  The Aggies pretty much dominated the first half, and were pretty much dominated in the second half.  Defense does not look very good, and offense is a mystery.  This ranking is hanging by a thread right now.

6.    Another team that was unimpressive Saturday, but the game was never in doubt.  Biggest worry is whether the team can bring it every weekend and avoid losses to teams that are beatable with effort like we saw at Auburn.  "Near win" at Auburn lost some shine, but damn is Auburn’s defense good.

7.  I had a hard time believing I ranked the Red Raiders this low, but they got manhandled by UTEP in the first half Saturday.  Win over SMU first week was impressively done, but SMU got into a shootout with OU-whipping-boy North Texas last week.  May put up 700 passing yards on hapless Rice this week.

8.    Another team that seems rated too low, but I’m still skeptical given the competition level.  Can’t argue with what they’re doing to the competition they have faced, but I’ve seen bad teams beat up on really bad teams and go on to a crappy season (see K-State, 2004).  This ranking is out of skepticism only, and a big win over Toledo would move the ‘beaks up.

9.    I hear Bobby Reid got hurt in this game, and the backup QB played well.  Other than that, it was the average rollover of an overmatched team.  The Pokes couldn’t have been happy to see Georgia get beat, either.  Next weekend could be interesting as the Cowboys travel to Troy, Ala., and we’ve seen how Big 12 teams have fared in trips to play Troy (see Missouri, 2004).

10.    Actually put up a fight early in the desert before Arizona State ran off 33 straight points.  First week victim Colorado State also took Cal deep before losing by six, which makes the first-week victory a little more impressive.  I think CU is going to be quite a bit improved this year, but I just can’t move them in front of any other teams until I see the results.  A win over Florida State this week would make me a believer.

11.  Bears cooked Rice to slightly make up for the first week’s debacle at TCU.  Pretty good chance for the Bears to get to 3-1 with upcoming games against Texas State and Buffalo.

12.    Not much to say here.  Losses to a MAC team and a FCS (I-AA) team pretty much say it all.

5.  Big 12 Players of the Week – Make your selections for offensive and defensive players of the week for week two.

Sam Bradford looked really good against better competition, but I’m giving the nod to Baylor’s Blake Szymanski.  Szymanski was terrible in the opening game against TCU, but bounced back for a huge game against the Owls, connecting on 29 of 46 attempts for 412 yards and six (!) touchdowns.  Plus, he's obviously got some game...

On defense I’ll go with Brandon Foster from Texas.  His fumble return for a touchdown was much shorter than OU’s Reggie Smith (69 yards vs. 20 yards), but it sealed the victory for Texas and you’re not going to convince me that Miami is a better team than TCU.  Foster also recorded seven tackles to Smith’s two.

(All team logos courtesy College Football Schedule Creator)

This week’s Roundtable is being hosted by Corn Nation.  JJ pulls no punches, so I’m not surprised we’re going to get a little personal.  Check in at Corn Nation for his thoughts and the roundup of all other Big 12 blogger comments.

1.  What did you learn, if anything, about your team on opening weekend? More specifically, did you see anything that brought complete elation or utter disappointment?

I learned a lot about K-State.  Josh Freeman is significantly improved from a year ago, from a standpoint of avoiding mistakes and making plays one small chunk of yardage at a time.  He did have two interceptions and no touchdown passes, but both interceptions were situational (a Hail Mary at the end of the first half and a desperation drive at the end of the game) and we won’t face a defense as good as Auburn’s the rest of the year.  I also learned that K-State’s defense is pretty solid in its own right.  Other than a blown coverage early in the game, the transition to the 3-4 looks like a success so far.  The Mob (dare I call it that again?) got a lot of pressure on Brandon Cox while also thoroughly shutting down Auburn’s rushing game.

We also learned some bad things.  The team is still undisciplined and penalty-prone.  The coaches, while coming up with a good game plan overall (see the first half, especially), didn’t always make the necessary adjustments during the game.  The most glaring was the inability to get Alesana Alesana some help blocking Quentin Groves late in the game.  Leaving a JuCo recruit all alone against a first-team all-SEC defensive end can be blamed squarely on the coaches.  And finally, the run blocking is woeful.  Some of that is due to Auburn’s powerful defensive front, but some of it is also due to inadequate offensive line play.  We need to see that improve.

I didn’t see anything that caused complete elation or utter disappointment.  The best thing I saw was our team walking into a hostile SEC environment and acting like it was no big deal.  Hell, I thought Josh Freeman looked like he needed a nap on that first drive.  My only moments of utter disappointment were when Cox found his tight end in the back of the end zone for the go-ahead score and when Groves slammed into Freeman’s back and caused a fumble.

2.  Twenty years from now, someone will ask you "Where Were You When Appalachian State beat Michigan?"  Describe what you were doing at the time, your reaction.

My buddy and I started a new tradition this weekend.  To put is simply, we made breakfast, drank screwdrivers, and watched GameDay and the games from 9 a.m. until about 3 p.m.  So that’s where I was, at his apartment enjoying the best weekend of the year.

We couldn’t get the game on TV, so we pulled up ESPN’s Insider scoreboard, which updates immediately.  When Appalachian State kicked the go-ahead field goal, we thought they had missed it because time ran off but the score didn’t change.  When the score did change, we jumped up and yelled and chest-bumped (yeah, I’ll admit it).  Then gametracker showed us Michigan had completed a long pass and it looked like they had a chip shot field goal to win it.  Obviously we didn’t see the block, but the clock ticked down and the game went final.  We just leaned back and said, "Wow."

3.  Given the big event of this past weekend, what's the worst you've ever felt about your team?

Hmm, I was still a high school kid in Nebraska when Sirr Parker tore out Wildcat Nation’s collective heart in 1998, so I can’t claim that one.  The worst I’ve ever felt would probably be in 2003 when I heard John Saunders say that Ell Roberson had been arrested and charged with rape only 24 hours before our Fiesta Bowl game with Ohio State.  Never mind that neither of those accusations were true, John, you freaking moron.

The worst I’ve ever felt at a game was also in 2003 when the Roberson-less Wildcats lost to Marshall.  I honestly felt before that season that K-State was a legitimate national title contender, and there’s no way in the world we would have lost that game with Roberson in the lineup.  Maybe we wouldn’t have beat Oklahoma State and Texas even if Roberson had stayed healthy, but having the dream end like that was cruel.

4.  Take a classic - like Homer's Odyssey, Lord of the Flies, Little Women, or, heck, even the latest Simpsons Movie and tell me how it relates to your team this season.

I’m not well-versed in the classics, so I’ll say Ayn Rand’s "The Fountainhead."  To tailor it to our season, it’s the story of an architect (Howard Roark) who knows he’s better than anyone else gives him credit for, and has to fight through years of disappointment before he finally gets the respect he deserves.  Rand purists will crucify me for that description, but it’s fairly accurate.  The glaring difference is that Roark is the greatest architect in the world, whereas I’m not sure K-State is even the best team in the Big 12 North.  However, K-State has received little respect this preseason.  Most people focused on Missouri and Nebraska as the favorites for the North, considering K-State an also-ran likely to finish third (at best).  Before the game against Auburn, there were those who speculated we might get beat so badly we’d need a running clock to keep it respectable.  Finally, Ron Prince does tend to do things his own way, but that doesn’t mean it’s a worse way.  I guess I'll let 311 speak for me here (think "F*** the naysayers, 'cuz they don't mean a thing!").

5.  It wasn't just by accident you got here. Somewhere, some time, there was someone who influenced you to become a fan of your team. Tell that story.

I don’t know that it was really any one person.  I came to K-State as a freshman in 2002, and really had no intention of becoming a K-State fan.  In fact, I planned to sell my tickets so I could play golf at Colbert Hills on Saturdays.  However, I went to the first game and the atmosphere and passion of the fans got into my blood.  The fact that K-State was a powerhouse that year didn’t hurt anything.  Probably the seminal moment was the victory over USC in Manhattan early in 2002.  So I can’t really say any single person influenced me to become a K-State fan, it was more like the collective effort of Powercat Nation.

6.  Give us your nominations for the offensive and defensive players of the week within the conference.

Offensive: Marlon Lucky, Nebraska
This is a pretty obvious choice.  Usually I try to avoid obvious choices, but when they’re clearly better than any other choice, it’d be stupid not to.  Lucky had 30 carries for 233 yards and three touchdowns.  Jeez, show me a line that’s even close to that.  Granted, Nevada’s defensive linemen average only 268 pounds, but Lucky still ran wild.

Defensive: Marcus Watts, K-StateI’ll admit, I didn’t watch other games closely enough to see who had a good game, and I didn’t do a whole lot of research for this.  Watts’ line against Auburn included seven tackles, an interception, half a tackle for loss, and one pass breakup.  I’m also giving him the benefit of the doubt because Watts faced probably the best opposition.

Photo credits: Flickr, Flickr, K-StateSports.com

Big 12 Blogger Round Table—Face of the Team Edition

1.  Pick one current player to be the "Face of the Franchise" for your team. You can only select one player so tell us why you selected the person that you did.

The obvious pick would be Josh Freeman, but I’m going to go with defensive end-turned-linebacker Ian Campbell.  Campbell is a senior (*EDIT* junior) while Freeman is a sophomore, and Campbell has accomplished more in terms of production and accolades.  Plus, he’s a senior (*EDIT* junior) who came up the hard way, being a former walk-on and rejected by other programs (Colorado State and Wyoming).  I’m not saying Freeman hasn’t worked hard, but he hasn’t had the obstacles Campbell has faced, and I would think that has rightly earned him some credibility.
Plus he once told me to stop running my mouth during an intramural basketball game, so I don’t want him looking for me.

2.  Tell us what makes your team’s stadium great, traditions, facilities, etc...

What makes Bill’s House great, to me, is the memories I’ve had there.  I’ll never forget watching the Cats beating Carson Palmer’s USC, or embarrassing Seneca Wallace, or hanging 49 on Nebraska.  Sweltering August days gave way to frigid November nights, and we showed up every Saturday for more and more.  You can’t forget the roar when Brandon Archer intercepted Brad Smith and took it to the house to seal a win in Bill Snyder’s final game.  You can’t forget the cheer when Willie decks some student-dressed-as-opponent at midfield, or the echo of "K!  S!  U!  WILDCATS!" when he gets up.  You can’t forget "Purple, get ready to roll!", or (in the better days) "The number (rank) team in the nation, your...Kansassssss State...WILDCATS!", or Willie’s roar or "Please welcome our guests from (city), (state)...BOOOOOO!!!!!!"  You can’t forget the roar of Harley Day, or the smell of exhaust lingering into the second quarter.  You can’t forget the forlorn look on the KU fan’s face after State handed them another loss.  And most of all, you’ll never forget your friends and the background you share because you were Wildcat fans and you lived all of this together.

3.  Hypothetical – Your team has to vacate their current stadium and play a game in another Big 12 stadium which one would you pick for them to play in and why?

This is a surprisingly difficult call for me.  I would say Colorado because of the mountainous setting, but I despise CU and can’t bring myself to do it.  Among teams I don’t hate, I would probably choose Kyle Field at Texas A&M.  Except for being about twice as large, it has some similarities to Bill’s House...it’s mostly open on one end, and the upper deck can induce a wicked case of vertigo.  Most of the charm of Kyle disappears when the Aggies and their million traditions aren’t there, but I’d take it as a temporary home.

4.  Unthinkable – Take your team’s biggest rival’s head coach and make a case as to why he would be a good fit on your sideline.

Ugh.  It makes me ill to imagine either Mark Mangino or Bill Callahan on our sidelines.  While I would consider Nebraska our primary rival in football, if I had to choose between Callahan and Mangino I’d choose Mangino as a better fit.  Why?  He used to coach in Manhattan, and thus has an idea what it takes to recruit there.  Nobody is ever going to attract consistent blue-chip talent to Manhattan, and God only knows how bad Callahan’s teams would be if he had to rely on his coaching ability.  In my mind, Mangino is a much better X’s and O’s coach, if only because it doesn’t take a rocket scientist and an astrophysicist to decipher his playbook.

5.  Prediction Time
Tell us who is going to win;

Baylor @ TCU:  TCU (in a rout)
Colorado State @ Colorado:  Colorado
Kent State @ Iowa State:  Iowa State
Central Michigan @ Kansas:  KU (close)
Kansas State @ Auburn:  Auburn (low-scoring game)
Missouri/Illinois:  Missouri
Nevada @ Nebraska:  Nebraska
North Texas @ Oklahoma:  Oklahoma (big)
Oklahoma State @ Georgia:  Oklahoma State (my upset special, guaranteed to jinx OSU)
Arkansas State @ Texas:  Arkansas...oh wait, it’s Ark. State.  Never mind.  Texas.  Big.
Montana State @ Texas A&M:  Montan...never mind, the opponent isn’t Colorado.  Aggies by a lot.
Texas Tech @ SMU:  Road opener?  Still no problem against the Dallas rich kids.  Tech.

Matt over at Crimson and Cream Machine says we’re going to keep track of these predictions throughout the year.  Go ahead and pencil me in for last because I always second-guess myself out of the ultimately correct picks.  Thanks for organizing this Matt!

CCMachine over at the Oklahoma Sooners blog, Crimson and Cream Machine, has decided to sponsor a Big 12 Roundtable.  Basically, he posed a few questions and posted his answers here.  I'll give it a shot, and feel free to post your answers in the comments or a diary.

1.  Pick a team (other than the one you blog about) from the north and south divisions and explain why they may be the best team in the division.

I've picked Missouri to win the North and Texas to win the South, so I guess it would be appropriate to talk about them.  But that's no fun.

In the South, I'll go with Oklahoma State as a team that MAY be the strongest team in the division.  They have an exciting offense with playmakers galore in Bobby Reid, Adarius Bowman, Dantrelle Savage, and Keith Toston.  The defense may not be spectacular, but it should be adequate with returnees such as Marque Fountain, Nathan Peterson and Andre Sexton.  This team is my darkhorse to win the South, although a road schedule that includes Georgia, Texas A&M, Nebraska and Oklahoma may doom this pick.

In the North, I'll take Nebraska as a team that MAY be the strongest in the division.  Sam Keller has proven that he can be a playmaker at QB when he's a) healthy and b) isn't throwing interceptions.  The Huskers have a good offensive line (except Matt Slauson may miss time with an injury) and Maurice Purify will return at wide receiver after the Nevada game.  On defense, the Huskers have to replace their entire defensive line, and their best player in the secondary (Zack Bowman) is coming off his second ACL surgery.  But the linebackers should be pretty good with Bo Ruud, Corey McKeon and Steve Octavien.

2.  If the Big 12 Conference had a Heisman trophy candidate who would it be and why?

I think the leading candidate going into this year would be Texas' Colt McCoy.  I don't see any other returnees around the league that have national name recognition at this point.  Prior to his injury against K-State, McCoy was beginning to get some Heisman hype, and he leads the offense of one of the most visible teams nationwide.

Other candidates could include A&M's Mike Goodson (will be hurt by sharing time with Jorvorskie Lane), Oklahoma State's Bobby Reid and perhaps Adarius Bowman (will be hurt by Okie State's lack of prominence on the national radar), and Mizzou's Chase Daniel (will need to overcome Gary Pinkel's coaching and will probably need to lead his team to the North crown, at least, to get any real credit).

My prediction:  A Big 12 player will not win the Heisman Trophy this year.  I'm sure you're shocked.

3.  If you had to place a $100.00 bet on a current Big 12 head coach being fired at the end of the season who would you pick and why?

I'm glad I don't have to actually bet this, because I literally don't have $100 to my name right now after buying my textbooks.

BearMeat reports that Baylor head coach Guy Morriss has sold his house near Waco.  That's all I need, plus the fact that Morriss set the bar too high for himself last year by winning two conference games and doesn't have a returning quarterback.

4.  The one non-conference game, not involving your school, you would pay money to see would be?

That's kind of a tough one.  There are quite a few good games involving conference teams this year.

I'll bypass Nebraska-USC to choose Texas-TCU in Austin.  There are a couple reasons for this.  First, Austin is a helluva lot more fun than Lincoln.  Second, TCU is pretty darn good this year and just might give UT a game, even in Austin.  Third, it's an old $WC rivalry, and you know the Horned Frogs will be on fire to beat the 'Horns and prove to the world they are this year's Boise State.

5.  Which of the four Big 12 schools currently ranked in the AP Top 25 doesn’t belong there?

For everyone's help, including mine, here are the four Big 12 teams in the AP Poll...

4.  Texas

8.  Oklahoma

20.  Nebraska

25.  Texas A&M

Hmm, that's a pretty hard group to argue with.  However, I picked A&M to go 4-4 in conference and finish 5th in the South (which I've admitted was probably a bad pick), so it'd be kind of hypocritical of me not to choose them.  However, early in the season it may be Nebraska, because I see them struggling with (if not losing to) Wake Forest, and then losing the next week at home to USC.  Two losses or a tough game against an unranked team and a loss to USC would probably drop them out of the top 25.

6.  Make a case for one of the 8 Big 12 schools not ranked as to why they should be.

It has to be Missouri.  They're the media pick to win the North over Nebraska and are the top vote-getter among non-ranked teams in the AP Poll.  A strong second would be Oklahoma State, considering the firepower they bring to the field this year.

7.  Prediction Time:  Tell us the offensive and defensive players who are going to make the biggest impact on the conference this season.

Offensive:  Bobby Reid, Oklahoma State.  He passed for 2,266 yards last year and netted 500 yards running.  I could see him as a 2,000/1,000 guy this year.  His success is key to the Pokes' success, and thus I see him having a huge impact on how the South is decided.
Defensive:  Reggie Smith, Oklahoma.  The kid's fast and he gets to the ball.  I picked K-State's Ian Campbell as my conference defensive player of the year, but OU's defense will be the difference between whether they win the South or not, so Smith's performance as a part of that defense will have a bigger effect on how the conference standings shake out.

Thus concludes my first Big 12 Roundtable.  I'll be back later tonight (I hope) with an update on the Rashaad Norwood situation.  For now, just know he was arrested twice (yes, twice) yesterday for a variety of behavior that was really dumb.  More later.