Which team has more to look forward to: Kansas or Nebraska?

By Staff Oct 11, 2009

Which college football fan has more reason to be optimistic: the one in Lawrence or the one in Lincoln, Neb.?

Check out the latest edition of ConferenceChatterTV to continue to think about it:

A glance at some of the basic pros and cons of Kansas and Nebraska will illustrate the opposing paths each team took to start the Big 12 season 1-0.

Kansas pros

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Quarterback (Todd Reesing) with bowl-game experience
3rd in country in total offense (519.4 yards per game)
4th in country in scoring offense (40.6 points scored per game)

Kansas cons

57th in country in total defense (351 yards given up per game)
Unable to prevent a rather mediocre Iowa State offense from moving the ball (Cyclones racked up 512 total yards and hurt Kansas on the ground and in the air)

Nebraska pros

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One of the best defensive lines in the country, led by Ndamukong Suh, who gave Blaine Gabbert fits last Thursday (pictured above).
2nd in nation in scoring defense (8 points given up per game)
Have faced better opponents (at Virginia Tech, at Missouri)

Nebraska cons

Relatively unproven quarterback (Zac Lee) without bowl-game experience
Uncertain status of starting RB Roy Helu, who favored his shoulder after scoring the final touchdown against Missouri

Update: Helu reportedly will practice Monday, as it appears the shoulder injury isn’t too serious.

Going forward, would you rather have a team that featured Nebraska’s top-two defense, or KU’s top-three offense?

There’s a good chance one of these two teams will win the North this season. It’s just a question of which brand of football, from opposite ends of the spectrum, prevails.

Moving on to the week 6 awards for Big 12 players who have outdone themselves this past weekend:

Player of the week: Steven Sheffield, Texas Tech

The Kansas State defense slipped from being somewhat respectable to No. 66 in the country in scoring defense after a trip to Lubbock, which saw Sheffield torch the Wildcats for 490 passing yards and seven touchdowns. Texas Tech won, 66-14.

Biggest surprise of the week: Kansas nearly losing to Iowa State

I thought the Jayhawks, at home, would win by at least 20 in a battle between the top of the Big 12 North vs. the bottom of the North. KU needs a bounce back game from its defense next week against Colorado and newly-named starting quarterback Tyler Hansen.

Sleeper alert: Keith Toston, Oklahoma State

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The senior running back filled in nicely for an injured Kendall Hunter and produced 204 total yards (130 rushing, 74 receiving) in OSU’s 36-31 victory at Texas A&M.

It seems the Cowboys always have solid to exceptional running backs, dating back to the days of Terry Miller (1976-77), Barry Sanders, Thurman Thomas, and more recently Tatum Bell, Vernand Morency and Hunter.

Here’s the latest Sorrentino Scale to close this entry. The number in parentheses is what the team was ranked last week.

1 (1). Texas (5-0, 1-0): Red River next weekend.
2 (2). Oklahoma State (4-1, 1-0): Cowboys need Hunter, Dez Bryant back ASAP.
3 (6). Nebraska (4-1, 1-0): Most complete team in Big 12 North at the moment. Been tested more than anyone else, offense is effective and defensive line is exceptional.
4 (3). Kansas (5-0, 1-0): Still undefeated, but defense must show more (much more) against Colorado.
5 (4). Oklahoma (3-2, 1-0): Unlike last year, defense carrying Sooners.
6 (5). Missouri (4-1, 0-1): Tough test next weekend at Oklahoma St.
7 (7). Texas Tech (4-2, 1-1): Even when Taylor Potts is healthy, will it be Potts or Steven Sheffield?
8 (8). Baylor (3-2, 0-1): Offense needs boost; shut down vs. Oklahoma.
9 (9). Texas A&M (3-2, 0-1): At Kansas State next week; could really use a win if Aggies want to go bowling.
10 (10). Kansas State (3-3, 1-1): I’m tempted to put KSU lower after its dreadful Lubbock performance, but it beat ISU straight up. Can’t do it yet.
11 (11). Iowa State (3-3, 0-2): Would have been biggest upset in Big 12 since BYU-Oklahoma earlier this year.
12 (12). Colorado (1-4, 0-1): Hung in there for a half against UT, but that was it.