Killing some time while still in amazement of how much of a tool [Anna Farris’][1] boyfriend’s character is on [Entourage][2]…**-This fall, Todd Reesing will start 13 games,** including the Orange Bowl, Jake Sharp will rush for 1,700 yards and Aqib Talib will be the first defensive player since Michigan’s [Charles Woodson][3] in 1997 to win the Heisman……….Hehe, gotcha, didn’t I? OK, now settle back down.Maybe none that far-fetched, but I’ve been reading some message board chatter over the past several weeks to get a grip on what fans think of the 2007 Jayhawk football squad. Some have seemed astronomical, some have seemed underestimated and some have seemed economical.There’s no reason optimism for KU football season shouldn’t be higher this year than it has been in many a year. The Jayhawks have a quarterback (Reesing) who is alleged to fit Ed Warinner’s new offense superbly, plus probably the Big 12’s best and most experienced backup quarterback in Kerry Meier (and knowing how things go around here, he’ll play at some point for whatever reason). There’s a bevy of promising young ballcarriers, spearheaded by Sharp and, overall, there’s just a different swagger with this group as the Sept. 1 opener with Central Michigan approaches.But everyone’s optimistic at this point in the year.Don’t let all of that cover up some questions which still linger for the Trajan Warriors. Here’s some The Greene Room still has.**_1) It’s third-and-three against Central Michigan._** Fourth quarter, 1:40 left. KU leads 24-20, with the ball at its own 17-yard line. If you don’t convert, you put the ball back in [Dan LeFevour’s][4] hands with time and talent in his toolbox. Convert and that’s that. Whose hands do you put the ball in if you’re Mark Mangino?With plenty of potent young backs, what remains to be seen is who fills [Jon Cornish’s][5] graduated Adidas cleats in this facet. Jake Sharp brings the speed, Brandon McAnderson brings the power and blocking, Angus Quigley, Carmon Boyd-Anderson and Donte Bean bring the potential.That was the thing with Cornish – he was a dependable workhorse. In this situation, he could in most cases fall forward and move the chains. The guy with the most potential to fill this role would be McAnderson, but this will be his first year as a guy who gets regular carries (just 31 totes in 2006). While he’s got the body to do it (6-foot, 235 pounds), whether he can be the consistent short-yardage producer is yet to be seen.**_2) Remember Nov. 18 last year_** when Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman was under so much pressure that he hardly had time to think?Subsequently, that was the best game the secondary played all season. A good defense has a pass rush and a pass defense that work hand-in-hand like that. We all know there’s a future Sunday performer on one side in Aqib Talib, and between freshman Chris Harris, sophomore Anthony Webb and injured JUCO transfer Kendrick Harper, there’s sufficient talent on the other side. Couple that with healthy and athletic safety in Darrell Stuckey and the combo between Tang Bacheyie and Patrick Resby. That’s a solid secondary.But who’s getting pressure on the quarterback? Not saying every game needs to see the Freeman treatment, but something close wouldn’t hurt. James McClinton is a disruptive rock in the middle of the line, but whoever starts next to him will be inexperienced, whether it be Todd Haselhorst, Caleb Blakesley or Richard Johnson Jr. The ends – Russell Brorsen and Jeff Wheeler – much like McAnderson need to show consistency. The Greene Room’s sleeper pick in the pressure off the edge department? Sophomore Maxwell Onyegbule.**_3) Fans have driven themselves nuts_** over the games left on the table in the fourth quarter a year ago. Just one more of those the other way, and the Jayhawks were not going to be at home for Christmas.Talent-wise, KU is good enough to be in that position. And given the schedule, there’s no reason the Jayhawks should be blown out in 2007 (the only game they were never truly ‘in’ in 2006 was the season finale at Missouri).But with all of the youth on this team, who fills the role of the closer in the fourth quarter?Yes, the term ‘closer’ is typically reserved for guys with 98-mph fastballs and ridiculously loud and intimidating intro music in pro baseball. But don’t think that role doesn’t exist in football.KU’s best playmaker is Aqib Talib, which is fine and good, but you need someone to fill those shoes on offense to seal the deal and break the game into pieces in the final 15 minutes – someone who consistently gets the ball in his hands, not someone who has to force it into his hands.There’s two guys who stand out with the measurables to do this, to rip off the 50-yard touchdown to take over not only on the scoreboard, but also in the momentum department: Jake Sharp and Marcus Henry.Sharp just two years ago was a record-breaker extraordinaire at Salina Central. He still has that trademarked speed, and he could be brutally dangerous on a screen in the flat late in a ballgame.As for Henry, he has the size (6-4, 210) and speed (teammates say he’s in the 4.3-4.4 range) to dominate corners in the Big 12.These are just a few of KU’s questions heading into the season, but note that they all have something in common: There’s capable, yet raw, pieces in place to answer all of them. If they all click, there could be something special brewin’.**-Big props to former Jayhawk [Nick Collison][6].** Even though it was [speculated in the _Los Angeles Times_][7] early in the weekend that he and Seattle teammate [Kevin Durant][8] are likely first cuts from Team USA, he at least got himself [a nice memory….and photo][9].Saturday, Collison tore a rim down at Team USA practice. LeBron James dropped this quote: “I was hoping practice would be over. I was hoping coach would say, ‘Hey, practice is cancelled.’ That’s the first thing that came to my mind. The second thing is ‘I hope he didn’t shoot a jumper and the basket fell.'”Based on that quote, you’d have thought the scene after the dunk was reminiscent of Benny ‘The Jet’ Rodriguez tearing the cover off a baseball in [The Sandlot][10].**-KU held its Olympic Sports Media Day** on Monday (Volleyball, Soccer, Cross Country). A few nuggets…**_*Soccer coach Mark Francis, when asked to compare_** his young, yet skilled, 2007 team to the 2004 squad which won the Big 12 crown, dubbed this year’s club the more talented of the two.**_*The cross country squad could have the Big 12’s most lethal_** 1-2 punch with returning All-Americans Colby Wissel and Paul Hefferon. KU is one of four teams (alongside traditional powers Colorado, Oregon and Wisconsin) with two returning 2006 All-Americans. It should also be noted that Hefferon is a very pleasant young man to interview.**_*Don’t be surprised if the biggest name_** in KU Olympic sports this season is Natalie Uhart, who will anchor the middle for Ray Bechard’s volleyball squad looking for a fourth NCAA Tournament berth in five years.. The Lansing native who transferred from Long Beach State a year ago Friday played in her first competitive game since being lost for the season in last year’s alumni scrimmage. Her first ‘real’ game will be Friday, when the Jayhawks open at the Oregon Invitational with Cal St. – Bakersfield. **-And now for this week’s delightful video clips…***[This one is dedicated to my old college roommate][11], Bob, one of the most dedicated KU football fans I know. He used to go absolutely bonkers everytime he saw this…even moreso when he was in a non-sober state…which was just about every KU football game.*How could I mention The Sandlot in The Greene Room and not include a clip? [This one][12] had me on the edge of my seat and craving a pair of extinct PF Flyers as an 11-year-old.*I spent plenty of time getting acquainted with my television this weekend. I was reminded that [this][13] is by far my favorite moment in Seinfeld history. It’s followed in a close second by [this legendary scene][14].*And I’ve already used [this Scrubs clip][15], probably about two months back, but after being inspired by Journal-World copy editor/Chiefs whiz Bill Cross’ ringtone, I had to use it again, so here goes.See you guys next week. Hopefully the pretend-Anna Farris has dumped that doof by then.**_KUSports.com editor Ryan Greene can be reached at rgreene@ljworld.com, or by phone at (785) 832-6357._** [1]: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0267506/ [2]: http://imdb.com/title/tt0387199/ [3]: http://www.nfl.com/players/charleswoodson/profile?id=WOO661523 [4]: http://www.cmuchippewas.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10500&ATCLID=344614 [5]: http://www.stampeders.com/index.php?module=roster&func=display&ros_id=655 [6]: http://www.nba.com/playerfile/nick_collison/index.html [7]: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-spw-hoops18aug18,1,6093717.story?ctrack=4&cset=true [8]: http://www.nba.com/draft2007/profiles/KevinDurant.html [9]: http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=300006796 [10]: http://imdb.com/title/tt0108037/ [11]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9He7t50L4yI [12]: http://youtube.com/watch?v=T8T3XtwpwMs [13]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kMkFmKgEFw&mode=related&search= [14]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xi4O1yi6b0 [15]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ3MSCLBpaM