When you’re deep in the throes of a rebuilding season, it’s OK to count a small blessing as a thank-you-very-much.
Thus news Monday that the Kansas-Nebraska football game on Nov. 9 in Lincoln would not be televised has to be regarded as a boon for KU coach Mark Mangino as he attempts to re-stock the ordnance in KU’s Mother Hubbard-esque arsenal.
Kansas-Nebraska had become the death-and-taxes television game of Big 12 Conference football. No matter how good the Cornhuskers were or how bad the Jayhawks were, the KU-NU game would be on TV. Period. In fact, this will mark the first year since 1994 it will not be on the tube.
In the last seven years, only one of those KU-NU games has been worth watching. That was the 1999 meeting at Memorial Stadium a contest surprisingly close until the fourth quarter when the Cornhuskers snapped a 17-17 tie and crawled back to Lincoln with a 24-17 victory.
The other six games were blowouts, pure and simple. You could barely tell the difference between the last two a 51-17 romp in 2001 and a 51-16 cruise in 2000. The other KU-NU televised-game results were 41-0, 35-0, 41-3 and 63-7.
So, thanks, TV guys, for ignoring Kansas-Nebraska this year. Kansas will be a heavy underdog, as usual, with virtually no chance of winning in Lincoln even though the Cornhuskers may not win at least nine games this season for the first time since the sinking of the Lusitania.
By the way, although conference caliphs won’t make it official until next Monday, the Jayhawks’ season finale against Oklahoma State on Nov. 16 has about has much chance of being televised as the Lincoln-Douglas debates. So book KU-OSU for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
Did you see where Tulsa University ended the nation’s longest losing streak at 17 last Saturday by blanking Texas-El Paso, 20-0?
Boy, after watching Kansas ring up 43 points on the Hurricanes’ statue-like defense a few weeks ago, I wouldn’t have believed Tulsa could shut out anybody. However, UTEP’s regular quarterback was lost to an injury the week before and his replacement threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles.
Now the nation’s longest losing streak belongs to Army. The Cadets have lost eight in a row.
That makes me wonder if Kansas will ever play Army again. The Jayhawks went to West Point, N.Y., 80 years ago and lost, 13-0, in the first and last meeting between the two schools. It’s high time for another Kansas-Army football game and not just because my grandchildren live just 15 minutes away from the U.S. Military Academy. KU needs more games against beatable foes.
Speaking of beatable foes, it has become ever more apparent Nevada-Las Vegas fits into that category. UNLV clipped the Jayhawks, 31-20, in the second game of the season, but the Rebels are 3-5 record and one of their other victories was a 21-17 squeaker against mini-major Nevada in Reno.
You know how they talk about basketball teams being on the bubble at NCAA basketball tournament time? Well, Missouri and Oklahoma State are on the Big 12 Conference football bowl bubble.
Eight Big 12 bowl slots exist and eight teams have five or more victories. MU and OSU are on the cusp while only Kansas and Baylor are out of the running. Mizzou’s bubble could burst in a hurry, though, because the Tigers still have Iowa State, Colorado, Texas A&M and Kansas State remaining. Oklahoma State has Baylor and Kansas among its final four.
Then again, the Big 12 could have nine slots if two league teams qualify for the bowl championship series, a likelihood probably only if Oklahoma and Texas win out.
All you need to know about the 2002 KU football season: In the opener, Zach Dyer started at quarterback and David Hurst was the back-up tight end. Now Dyer starts at safety and Hurst is a fixture at right guard.
When you’re deep in the throes of a rebuilding season, it’s OK to count a small blessing as a thank-you-very-much.
Thus news Monday that the Kansas-Nebraska football game on Nov. 9 in Lincoln would not be televised has to be regarded as a boon for KU coach Mark Mangino as he attempts to re-stock the ordnance in KU’s Mother Hubbard-esque arsenal.
Kansas-Nebraska had become the death-and-taxes television game of Big 12 Conference football. No matter how good the Cornhuskers were or how bad the Jayhawks were, the KU-NU game would be on TV. Period. In fact, this will mark the first year since 1994 it will not be on the tube.
In the last seven years, only one of those KU-NU games has been worth watching. That was the 1999 meeting at Memorial Stadium a contest surprisingly close until the fourth quarter when the Cornhuskers snapped a 17-17 tie and crawled back to Lincoln with a 24-17 victory.
The other six games were blowouts, pure and simple. You could barely tell the difference between the last two a 51-17 romp in 2001 and a 51-16 cruise in 2000. The other KU-NU televised-game results were 41-0, 35-0, 41-3 and 63-7.
So, thanks, TV guys, for ignoring Kansas-Nebraska this year. Kansas will be a heavy underdog, as usual, with virtually no chance of winning in Lincoln even though the Cornhuskers may not win at least nine games this season for the first time since the sinking of the Lusitania.
By the way, although conference caliphs won’t make it official until next Monday, the Jayhawks’ season finale against Oklahoma State on Nov. 16 has about has much chance of being televised as the Lincoln-Douglas debates. So book KU-OSU for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
Did you see where Tulsa University ended the nation’s longest losing streak at 17 last Saturday by blanking Texas-El Paso, 20-0?
Boy, after watching Kansas ring up 43 points on the Hurricanes’ statue-like defense a few weeks ago, I wouldn’t have believed Tulsa could shut out anybody. However, UTEP’s regular quarterback was lost to an injury the week before and his replacement threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles.
Now the nation’s longest losing streak belongs to Army. The Cadets have lost eight in a row.
That makes me wonder if Kansas will ever play Army again. The Jayhawks went to West Point, N.Y., 80 years ago and lost, 13-0, in the first and last meeting between the two schools. It’s high time for another Kansas-Army football game and not just because my grandchildren live just 15 minutes away from the U.S. Military Academy. KU needs more games against beatable foes.
Speaking of beatable foes, it has become ever more apparent Nevada-Las Vegas fits into that category. UNLV clipped the Jayhawks, 31-20, in the second game of the season, but the Rebels are 3-5 record and one of their other victories was a 21-17 squeaker against mini-major Nevada in Reno.
You know how they talk about basketball teams being on the bubble at NCAA basketball tournament time? Well, Missouri and Oklahoma State are on the Big 12 Conference football bowl bubble.
Eight Big 12 bowl slots exist and eight teams have five or more victories. MU and OSU are on the cusp while only Kansas and Baylor are out of the running. Mizzou’s bubble could burst in a hurry, though, because the Tigers still have Iowa State, Colorado, Texas A&M and Kansas State remaining. Oklahoma State has Baylor and Kansas among its final four.
Then again, the Big 12 could have nine slots if two league teams qualify for the bowl championship series, a likelihood probably only if Oklahoma and Texas win out.
All you need to know about the 2002 KU football season: In the opener, Zach Dyer started at quarterback and David Hurst was the back-up tight end. Now Dyer starts at safety and Hurst is a fixture at right guard.
When you’re deep in the throes of a rebuilding season, it’s OK to count a small blessing as a thank-you-very-much.
Thus news Monday that the Kansas-Nebraska football game on Nov. 9 in Lincoln would not be televised has to be regarded as a boon for KU coach Mark Mangino as he attempts to re-stock the ordnance in KU’s Mother Hubbard-esque arsenal.
Kansas-Nebraska had become the death-and-taxes television game of Big 12 Conference football. No matter how good the Cornhuskers were or how bad the Jayhawks were, the KU-NU game would be on TV. Period. In fact, this will mark the first year since 1994 it will not be on the tube.
In the last seven years, only one of those KU-NU games has been worth watching. That was the 1999 meeting at Memorial Stadium a contest surprisingly close until the fourth quarter when the Cornhuskers snapped a 17-17 tie and crawled back to Lincoln with a 24-17 victory.
The other six games were blowouts, pure and simple. You could barely tell the difference between the last two a 51-17 romp in 2001 and a 51-16 cruise in 2000. The other KU-NU televised-game results were 41-0, 35-0, 41-3 and 63-7.
So, thanks, TV guys, for ignoring Kansas-Nebraska this year. Kansas will be a heavy underdog, as usual, with virtually no chance of winning in Lincoln even though the Cornhuskers may not win at least nine games this season for the first time since the sinking of the Lusitania.
By the way, although conference caliphs won’t make it official until next Monday, the Jayhawks’ season finale against Oklahoma State on Nov. 16 has about has much chance of being televised as the Lincoln-Douglas debates. So book KU-OSU for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
Did you see where Tulsa University ended the nation’s longest losing streak at 17 last Saturday by blanking Texas-El Paso, 20-0?
Boy, after watching Kansas ring up 43 points on the Hurricanes’ statue-like defense a few weeks ago, I wouldn’t have believed Tulsa could shut out anybody. However, UTEP’s regular quarterback was lost to an injury the week before and his replacement threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles.
Now the nation’s longest losing streak belongs to Army. The Cadets have lost eight in a row.
That makes me wonder if Kansas will ever play Army again. The Jayhawks went to West Point, N.Y., 80 years ago and lost, 13-0, in the first and last meeting between the two schools. It’s high time for another Kansas-Army football game and not just because my grandchildren live just 15 minutes away from the U.S. Military Academy. KU needs more games against beatable foes.
Speaking of beatable foes, it has become ever more apparent Nevada-Las Vegas fits into that category. UNLV clipped the Jayhawks, 31-20, in the second game of the season, but the Rebels are 3-5 record and one of their other victories was a 21-17 squeaker against mini-major Nevada in Reno.
You know how they talk about basketball teams being on the bubble at NCAA basketball tournament time? Well, Missouri and Oklahoma State are on the Big 12 Conference football bowl bubble.
Eight Big 12 bowl slots exist and eight teams have five or more victories. MU and OSU are on the cusp while only Kansas and Baylor are out of the running. Mizzou’s bubble could burst in a hurry, though, because the Tigers still have Iowa State, Colorado, Texas A&M and Kansas State remaining. Oklahoma State has Baylor and Kansas among its final four.
Then again, the Big 12 could have nine slots if two league teams qualify for the bowl championship series, a likelihood probably only if Oklahoma and Texas win out.
All you need to know about the 2002 KU football season: In the opener, Zach Dyer started at quarterback and David Hurst was the back-up tight end. Now Dyer starts at safety and Hurst is a fixture at right guard.
When you’re deep in the throes of a rebuilding season, it’s OK to count a small blessing as a thank-you-very-much.
Thus news Monday that the Kansas-Nebraska football game on Nov. 9 in Lincoln would not be televised has to be regarded as a boon for KU coach Mark Mangino as he attempts to re-stock the ordnance in KU’s Mother Hubbard-esque arsenal.
Kansas-Nebraska had become the death-and-taxes television game of Big 12 Conference football. No matter how good the Cornhuskers were or how bad the Jayhawks were, the KU-NU game would be on TV. Period. In fact, this will mark the first year since 1994 it will not be on the tube.
In the last seven years, only one of those KU-NU games has been worth watching. That was the 1999 meeting at Memorial Stadium a contest surprisingly close until the fourth quarter when the Cornhuskers snapped a 17-17 tie and crawled back to Lincoln with a 24-17 victory.
The other six games were blowouts, pure and simple. You could barely tell the difference between the last two a 51-17 romp in 2001 and a 51-16 cruise in 2000. The other KU-NU televised-game results were 41-0, 35-0, 41-3 and 63-7.
So, thanks, TV guys, for ignoring Kansas-Nebraska this year. Kansas will be a heavy underdog, as usual, with virtually no chance of winning in Lincoln even though the Cornhuskers may not win at least nine games this season for the first time since the sinking of the Lusitania.
By the way, although conference caliphs won’t make it official until next Monday, the Jayhawks’ season finale against Oklahoma State on Nov. 16 has about has much chance of being televised as the Lincoln-Douglas debates. So book KU-OSU for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
Did you see where Tulsa University ended the nation’s longest losing streak at 17 last Saturday by blanking Texas-El Paso, 20-0?
Boy, after watching Kansas ring up 43 points on the Hurricanes’ statue-like defense a few weeks ago, I wouldn’t have believed Tulsa could shut out anybody. However, UTEP’s regular quarterback was lost to an injury the week before and his replacement threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles.
Now the nation’s longest losing streak belongs to Army. The Cadets have lost eight in a row.
That makes me wonder if Kansas will ever play Army again. The Jayhawks went to West Point, N.Y., 80 years ago and lost, 13-0, in the first and last meeting between the two schools. It’s high time for another Kansas-Army football game and not just because my grandchildren live just 15 minutes away from the U.S. Military Academy. KU needs more games against beatable foes.
Speaking of beatable foes, it has become ever more apparent Nevada-Las Vegas fits into that category. UNLV clipped the Jayhawks, 31-20, in the second game of the season, but the Rebels are 3-5 record and one of their other victories was a 21-17 squeaker against mini-major Nevada in Reno.
You know how they talk about basketball teams being on the bubble at NCAA basketball tournament time? Well, Missouri and Oklahoma State are on the Big 12 Conference football bowl bubble.
Eight Big 12 bowl slots exist and eight teams have five or more victories. MU and OSU are on the cusp while only Kansas and Baylor are out of the running. Mizzou’s bubble could burst in a hurry, though, because the Tigers still have Iowa State, Colorado, Texas A&M and Kansas State remaining. Oklahoma State has Baylor and Kansas among its final four.
Then again, the Big 12 could have nine slots if two league teams qualify for the bowl championship series, a likelihood probably only if Oklahoma and Texas win out.
All you need to know about the 2002 KU football season: In the opener, Zach Dyer started at quarterback and David Hurst was the back-up tight end. Now Dyer starts at safety and Hurst is a fixture at right guard.
