Cruising Big 12 Conference football for commentary while wondering how much longer the Oklahoma-Texas game will be played in Dallas now that both Texas and Oklahoma have more on-campus stadium seats than the Cotton Bowl. …
- As far as I’m concerned, the issue of whether to allow students to tear down goal posts after a football game is similar to standard rules when police are involved in a car chase.
University officials worry about students suffering serious injuries — and rightfully so — when a post topples, but law enforcement officers also face the risk of injury if they try to stop the mob. When in doubt, take the path of less risk, keep your fingers crossed and let it happen.
Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg put it this way: “Do you want to set up a police-state approach? Is that the atmosphere you want? But there’s obviously great risk having that many people on the field, (and) goal posts being torn down.”
- Overheard at lunch: “Isn’t it nice that we have a better record than Kansas State?” I hadn’t thought of it that way, but 4-1 Kansas University holds a half-game lead over 4-2 Kansas State in the overall standings. If the Jayhawks maintain that narrow edge going into the Oct. 25 meeting in Manhattan, you can expect to see it in the prime 2:30 p.m. ABC window. KU hasn’t been on ABC since the 2000 Nebraska game. …
- Name the three Big 12 South teams nobody wants to play these days. Answer: No. 1-ranked Oklahoma, high-flying Texas and wild and crazy Texas Tech. Now name the three Big 12 South teams missing from KU’s schedule. Answer: No. 1-ranked Oklahoma, high-flying Texas and wild and crazy Texas Tech.
- Missouri isn’t the only place where a post went down last season following a win over Kansas. Last October, Baylor’s students stormed the field and toppled the tubes to celebrate a 35-32 come-from-behind victory that snapped the school’s 29-game conference losing streak.
With Baylor coming to town for homecoming in a couple of weeks, should KU fans retaliate if the Jayhawks knock off the Bears? No way. What Baylor’s students did was legitimate, and KU players had no reason to complain. The Missouri situation was different because several MU players not only urged the fans to come out of the stands, some of the Tigers actually joined in the razing. …
- With tickets still available for the Big 12 championship game the night of — brrrrr — Dec. 6 at Arrowhead Stadium, I’ll bet they’re selling like Lil’ Red key chains up in Nebraska, where the wheels that went flat on the bandwagon last season have been re-inflated by a competent offense and perhaps the north division’s most stringent defense. …
- Does Kansas have any chance of ending its 34-game losing streak against Nebraska? KU might, just might, have a mental advantage in that Nebraska has to play at Texas the week before. If Texas topples Oklahoma Saturday, that Nebraska-Texas game Nov. 1 likely will draw more national attention than the California recall election. …
- In this week’s Sagarin college football ratings, Kansas is ranked ahead of Texas A&M, Missouri, Iowa State and Baylor. OK, the ratings don’t mean squat, but when you consider Kansas didn’t win a single Big 12 game last season, it’s something. …
- This year’s Kansas football slogan is, “Chains measure distance. Heart measures destination.” It’s too late to change, but in deference to coach Mark Mangino’s favorite expression, “We’re going to keep sawing wood,” perhaps next year’s slogan could be: “Chain saws measure wood. Sawdust measures destination.”