1-8-08
Jon Sobolewski
Sobeball.com
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Kansas' Todd Reesing led the Jayhawks to the upset (CBS News) |
If I would have been asked back in August to rank in order the likelihood of a 12-1 Kansas football season, a Julia Roberts’ sex tape emerging, and a new Tupac CD not being released, I most certainly would have imagined Julia getting Texas rug burns and Pac releasing another song he wrote back in ’94 instead of the Walrus leading his boys to 12-1.
Kansas was terrific in knocking off the backstabbers from Blacksburg, but more importantly, or maybe more dangerously, the Jayhawks, in following the Big Ten’s footsteps, used the perfect formula for BCS success. Mangino avoided all competition, flopped in only one game, and threw a two-hitter in the national spotlight.
On a side note, Mangina would be a great name for Mark Mangino, but I just can’t do it because Mangino, other than being morbidly obese, seems like an awesome guy who is wining the right way and did it with some of the most average players in the country. Outside of motor mouth stud corner Aqib Talib, the Jaywhawks aren’t winning games with NFL draft picks and blue-chippers.
Virginia Tech was clearly the more talented team in the Orange Bowl and there just always seemed to be a feeling that Beamer’s boys would pull it out, but with the Walrus completely outcoached Beamer, and KU snagged a 24-21 victory. It may be oversimplifying the game, but Kansas won because they made fewer mistakes, not necessarily more plays.
Hokies running back Brandon Ore really must have had his coaching staff livid following his one quarter suspension because they inexplicably ignored him and allowed their mediocre quarterbacks to lose the game for them. The Hokies dominated up-front, outside of some sharp play by the Kansas ends, but the Hokies continued to prefer the ole five-step and a bad decision play perfected most recently by Chicago Bears’ quarterbacks.
Kansas’s MVP was Talib, but it likely should have been punter Kyle Tucker who averaged 50 yards a punt, including a 62-yarder following Virginia Tech calling upon a reverse to take on punt home. Credit also can go to mini-me quarterback Todd Reesing who played a damn solid game in the face of a good Hokie defense that pounded him on several occasions, but the little man from Texas kept getting up as if he merely ran out of bounds.
Reesing is a perfect example of the current Jayhawks team which includes only one four-star (out of five) prospect according to Scout.com. In other words, the “Walrus meets Snarf” is finding players that fit his system and more importantly buy into it. Reesing was so sought after that Kansas had to fight off college football monster Duke and struggling Kansas St. for his 5’11” services.
Talib, who is such a nut-job that he would throw temper-tantrums in high school because opposing teams wouldn’t throw at him and subsequently his coach wouldn’t play him on offense when he demanded, is another prime example of the recruits Mangino is finding. Talib signed with the Jayhawks instead of his offers from powers like Arizona, Tulsa, Wyoming, and Baylor because he would play sooner. Talib was sure a nice get for Kansas, but how would you feel about a recruit if he picked your school because the depth chart at Baylor scared him more than your’s.
To reiterate, I really enjoyed the Orange Bowl for so many reasons, but I have to rip the absurdity of the 2007 Kansas season and the wicked reality of modern college football. From enjoying KU’s run, Boise St.’s run, and hating the overhype of Big Ten chumps like Penn St. and Ohio St. I have designed the perfect formula for a BCS bowl bid and misleading success: pathetic non-conference schedule of directional schools + over-hyped conference + few mistakes = BCS bid. The advanced formula figures in a kinda lucky win on the national stage to get some misleading success and national attention.
Hardcore football fans know of Kansas’ ugly non-conference schedule of Central Michigan, Southeastern Louisiana, Toldeo, and Florida International. Ohio St. did it with Youngstown St., Akron, and Washington and Penn St. took on Florida International, Notre Dame, and Buffalo on their way to nine wins. How on earth did a team led by Anthony Morelli have nine wins?
Then by playing a weak major conference, you can prove your mettle by beating teams that are similarly over-hyped in your league. The only Big Ten win of note this year goes to Michigan somehow beating Florida. No, Penn St. over 7-6 Texas A&M who fired their coach doesn’t count.
Here’s the sick thing; I expect Ohio St. back in the BCS title game next year. They catch USC, while they are breaking in a new QB, early in the year, so that game could go either way, but regardless, OSU will be better than this past season and Michigan has no quarterback. The 12-0 or 11-1 Buckeyes will most certainly be competing for the national title and if next year goes just like this past year, 11-1 will cut it.
To recap it for all my fans (most of whom are cougars), Kansas stole a bid off of Missouri, who thumped them, OSU got walloped again, stealing a spot from a half-dozen other teams, and Julia Roberts still isn’t striking it rich on the internet.
