Denver — For the latest episode of ConferenceChatterTV, filmed this week in Colorado, check out the video below. Included is my reaction on what took place from week 11 in the Big 12:
The thought of the Kansas University football team at the bottom of the Big 12 seemed outlandish a month ago.
Sure, the Jayhawks were entering a tough stretch of games, but everyone knew about the gauntlet. My thought back then was, so what? In this new era of KU football — this era of Mark Mangino and Todd Reesing — the Jayhawks would surely be better than half the teams in the Big 12. They would surely challenge for their first outright Big 12 North title.
That was at 5-0. KU now sits in last place in a medicore (at best) Big 12 North division at 5-5. It’s for that reason I have to toss this previously unfathomable question out there:
Is Kansas the worst team in the Big 12?
Only Baylor matches the 1-5 mark of KU in conference play. Colorado has a worse overall record at 3-7, but even the lowly Buffs have squeaked out two conference victories.
I’ll move up the Sorrentino Scale in this week’s blog entry so you get my two cents. The number in parentheses is what the team was ranked last week.
Now onto the week 11 awards for Big 12 players who went above and beyond last weekend:
Player of the week: Danario Alexander, Missouri
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Here’s a thought: Alexander is the best receiver in the Big 12.
It might sound out there, but the senior’s numbers back it up. First, he ran all over Kansas State in Manhattan last weekend: 10 catches, 200 yards, three touchdowns.
His 1,238 receiving yards are tops in the Big 12 and third in the country. His 11 touchdowns leads the Big 12.
So why isn’t this guy on more NFL mock drafts? Most mock drafts I’ve seen don’t even have Alexander as a first-day pick. I’m no scout, but what’s wrong with 6-foot-5, 210 pounds and breakaway speed? On his third touchdown against K-State, he sprinted past most of the Wildcats’ secondary for an 80-yard score.
Perhaps his past — three knee surgeries and a wrist surgery — still make some scouts wonder if he’ll be able to handle the wear and tear of the NFL. You sure can’t tell anything’s wrong with him now, though.
Surprise of the week: Iowa State becoming bowl eligible
Iowa State held off Colorado last weekend at home, but that wasn’t the surprise. The Cyclones improved their record to 6-5 and are eligible for their first bowl game since 2005.
I give a huge amount of credit to coach Paul Rhoads, who won more games this season than Gene Chizik did in the previous two (5-19) with the Cyclones.
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At the start of the season, I didn’t think Rhoads could take ISU to a bowl in his first season. It’s one of the better stories in the conference this season.
Sleeper alert: Jermie Calhoun, Oklahoma
The freshman running back carried 18 times for 94 yards (5.2 yards per rush) in OU’s 65-10 thrashing of Texas A&M.
Most people know about Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray in the Sooners’ backfield, but Calhoun could make a major impact next year. He runs a 4.49-second, 40-yard dash and is a five-star Rivals.com recruit out of Ben Wheeler, Texas.
With Brown being a senior, Calhoun could join Murray, a junior, in the backfield next season.
That should be all for now, friends. As always, discuss.
