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Literally ten minutes ago as I write this, but at 6:40am for you people who got to sleep and stuff, I wandered into the donut shop. We've got a great donut shop here in the hellmouth. It's small, and isn't open on Sundays, but they've got a really great selection. Now, they won't make up a batch of something special just because you want a couple, but if you call in the night before with a specific icing on a plain cake, raised, old-fashioned, or long john, or want a specific filling for your bismarck... well, they're more than happy to do that and hold it for you. Great people. Nice people.
Except today, I walked in and the co-owner (the wife half of the partnership) beamed her friendly smile and said "Good morning, Jon". He daughter, who I had never run into before, said, "Kansas State fan? You think they're gonna beat the Razorbacks?"
"Eh, I honestly think we're going to get our butts kicked," I chuckled.
"I get to go to that game. Are you gonna go?" At this point, I made a face and said I didn't think I was going to be able to. We went about the business of finishing off the donut order, and then the daughter said "Well, if you wanna go sit with some Razorback fans and watch them whoop K-State..." and she grinned at me and zipped around the counter to get the door for me.
So, that was my morning. How's yours?
We are, again, in the doldrums. Yesterday, Luke and I gave you our picks for Saturday's bowl games -- and also the glorious Crowd's Line prediction widgets so that you can do the same.
Not much going on, so Kellis Robinett dug into the ticket situation at the Liberty Bowl. K-State is almost sold out, and Arkansas has sold out. Estimates so far look like the crowd will be about 1/3 red, 1/4 purple, and 5/12 undecided or something.
Sure seems like Scout is making a lot more content free lately. Is that true, or just my perception? Well, either way, in their Big 12 Recruiting Show, Gabe Brooks thinks Bill Snyder's staff is doing a superb job recruiting Texas. It's not often you hear "K-State", "recruiting", and "great" in the same sentence.
The denouement to the FBS All-America rodeo was probably not what we'd have liked for Morgan Burns. Some other players in the state of Kansas, however, get their hands on an All-America selection which is unanimous by nature. The AP Little All-America Team was announced, and it's the only one of its kind; all players south of Division I are eligible.
Area first-team selections include Emporia State K Austin Morton, Northwest Missouri DL Collin Blevins, Fort Hays LB Brock Long, and Missouri Western DB Michael Jordan. Jason Vander Laan, the Ferris State quarterback who shattered the all-level NCAA career rushing record for quarterbacks thsi season (he finished with 5,973) and fellow Harlon Hill finalists Cameron MdDondle (RB, CSU-Pueblo) and Ja'Quan Gardner (RB, Humboldt State) highlighted the first team.
The second team is led by Wesley (DE) quarterback and Gagliardi Trophy winner Joe Callahan. Northwest Missouri OL Shane Smith also received second-team recognition. The Bearcats also had a third-team nod, DB Kevin Berg. Only a couple of NAIA players made any of the three teams, none from area schools.
Finally, your reminder that there are two college football games tonight. At 6pm on ESPNU, there's a rematch in the Stagg Bowl, Division III's football championship game. Of course, it's not the rematch we're sick of after eleven years. It's a rematch of the game which kept that Whitewater-Mount Union streak from being ten straight seasons as Saint Thomas once again takes the place of the Warhawks. It's still Mount Union's eleventh straight appearance, though.
At 7pm, the first of this weekend's two FCS semifinals takes place in Fargo as the BYE-zun take on Richmond. Will North Dakota State run their own championship game appearance streak to five straight? That's on ESPN2.
There's not much noise from the Kaw Valley side of things regarding tomorrow's tilt with Colorado State in Wichita, but Sean Star of the Loveland Reporter-Herald provides some enemy intel. The Rams are reeling and frustrated as they head to Airplane Town.
The women are preparing for a game tomorrow as well. They're hoping to push their winning percentage into the 90s with a win over the visiting Sam Houston State Bearkats, whose football team will be on their way home after either being knocked out of the FCS playoffs or earning a bid to the FCS Championship Game. Quick, hit them while they're distracted! 7pm tomorrow night at Bramlage. It's Fort Riley Operation Santa night -- $3 tickets with a toy donation. That's a pretty good reason to go, in our opinion