:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47750999/usa-today-8238902.0.jpg)
Good morning! We hope you got enough to eat laat night, and that you had a safe and happy Thanksgiving. Without getting in too many fights with the fam. Now, it's time for two full days of college football. This serves as your open thread for today's action as well as its normal function, as we prepare for tomorrow's clash with the Jayhawks.
Luke and I fired off the second of this week's two FEPO installments, and we're already one game in the hole for the week. Thanks, Texas. The Big 12 football schedule for 2016 has been unveiled, and KSUEMAW! walks you through the now-finalized K-State schedule. And finally, Eric provides the recap of K-State's simultaneously promising and disappointing defeat at the hands of North Carolina on Tuesday.
The Star's Kellis Robinett soft-sells tomorrow's Sunflower Showdown, dredging up memories of the Futility Bowl; he's not wrong. He also predicts a small crowd, about which he might be.
At the Capital-Journal, Kevin Haskin reports on KU's woes, while Ken Corbitt notes that Bill Snyder is in high spirits. He lives for this week.
Also at the C-J, Rick Peterson, Jr. touches base with Emporia State linebacker Jason Tetuan. Jesse's younger brother will line up in Arkadelphia, Ark., on Saturday as the Hornets face Henderson State in the second round of the Division II playoffs.
Via the Eagle, Robinett reports on K-State's loss to North Carolina, as does Corbitt at the Capital-Journal.
Brian Barbour, my counterpart at Tar Heel Blog, also recaps the game as well as providing some post-game thoughts.
Following their expected beatdown in Storrs, the women had some struggles on Tuesday at Bramlage. But a strong fourth quarter resulted in a 59-47 win over Southern (2-3) which wasn't as easy as it looked. The Cats (4-1) trailed 25-23 at the half, and only led 38-37 after three periods. Kindred Wesemann and Bre Lewis led the way with 16 points, Lewis becoming the fifth Wildcat in five games to claim top-scorer honors and also adding nine rebounds. Kaylee Page scored 10 points; Shaelyn Martin failed to score but did dish out seven assists and grabbed 11 rebounds. Next up is Texas-Arlington at Bramlage on Thursday.
Ahearn is now closed for the fall, as the ladies completed their home schedule with a four-set loss to the rival Jayhawks. K-State (17-10, 9-6 Big 12) lost a close first set 25-22, then won the second set 27-25. The Jayhawks (25-2, 13-2 Big 12) outscored K-State 50-31 in the final two sets, however. Brooke Sassin had 13 kills and Bryna Vogel 12; Kersten Kober scooped up 32 digs. Katie Brand had 41 assists. The Cats only hit .146, and didn't break .200 in any of the four sets, including the second-set win. K-State wraps the regular season tomorrow night in Waco against the Baylor Bears (16-13, 4-11 Big 12), and will then await their NCAA fate.
(A poster on a message board, a USC fan, put together a bracketology post which was updated on Tuesday, listing K-State as probably safely in the field -- that is, not one of the Last Four In -- as long as they beat Baylor. They didn't mention it specifically in the blurb, but the presumption is that the loss to KU was assumed.)
A win Saturday night would secure sole possession of fourth place in the final Big 12 standings; a loss might allow TCU (18-9, 8-7) to pull into a tie, especially as the Frogs face last-place West Virginia (5-23, 0-15 Big 12) today at 2pm.