Kansas State v. Texas Tech; the NFL & Charlie Strong; and Michigan's mess

Well, well, well, Kansas State Wildcats defensive coordinator Tom Hayes; whatcha got this week for this matchup with Texas Tech on Saturday in Manhattan?

- We get to find out just how disciplined Danzel McDaniel, Travis Green and the rest of the K-State secondary (Hayes' position group) has grown to be in four games.

- If guys try for huge hits and/or plays and miss, Tech's offense will take it to the house.

- I think it behooves KSU to stick to what it knows in keeping everything in front and forcing the opponent's offense to be consistently good -- something Tech wasn't against Oklahoma State.

- Let's play a little guessing game with Terrell Clinkscales, shall we?

- A third of the way through the season, and the junior college defensive tackle appeared on the participation report for the first time against UTEP, where he played very late in the blowout.

- Is that the light about to come on for this guy, or is it the "check engine" light for a career hyped to be a hot rod but hasn't barely made it off of the starting grid.

- He came in late, obviously, so is it a conditioning thing, a consistent effort thing, an understand-the-scheme thing, or ...

- Yes?

- None of that is great, but it's not as if it matters too terribly much when guys like fellow defensive tackle Will Geary keep on keepin' on despite increased duties.

- The KSU offense needs to increase its level of play.

- "Balance" doesn't mean "ordinary," and that's what you call a unit that is ranked 65th nationally in yards per game (421.3), 58th in rushing (175 ypg) and 59th in passing (246.3 ypg).

- We entered this season wanting to believe K-State's offense would be what West Virginia and Tech have shown to be. Instead, the reality is despite a fantastic quarterback, a little bit of speed at receiver, a pretty awesome tight end and a Gronk, it's ... it's ... it has been ...

- ... boring.

- Ugh. There, I said it.

- Yes, I realize I'm saying this following a blowout win, but there's no snap or electricity to it. Maybe it improves, but for now, it's just sort of there.

- What's far out there, on the border of sanity, is NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell meeting with Texas head coach Charlie Strong while looking for his input on personal conduct policy and a bit on "core values."

- Those "values": honesty, treating women with respect, no drugs, no guns, and no stealing.

- Charlie Strong doesn't have a program value system; he has a set of rules for the penitentiary yard.

- No wonder the NFL is interested.

- Here, Rog and Charlie, I dunno, maybe try a couple of these: commitment; UNSELFISHNESS; unity; improve; be tough; SELF-DISCIPLINE; great effort; enthusiasm; eliminate mistakes; never give up; don't accept losing; no self limitations; expect to win; consistency; LEADERSHIP; RESPONSIBILITY.

- No guns... no stealing ... no drugs ... as pillars of your "core values" and policy?

- And that kind of "program" is accepted as something that should explored further by one of the biggest businesses in the world?

- Are you kidding me?

- It's not even remotely funny how poorly the Michigan Wolverines brass has handled Shane Morris' concussion.

- Students have protested on the president's campus-house lawn, asking for the athletic director to be fired.

- In this day and age, why are kids having to stand up and protect one of their own?

- Oh, that's right, the coach (and maybe other suits) is too busy trying to stay employed, which is why, inexplicably, nobody "saw" Morris get hit or stumble to the sideline.

- Willful or not, incompetence is a real pain in the ...

- As for ending something on a positive: Best Royals game I've ever seen - the kind of game that could lead marketing campaigns for 29 years.

- Regardless of whom you cheer for, I hope you were able to feel an entire generation finally being able to let go of a futile history it was forced to embrace but never wanted. That doesn't happen every day.