Whitlock being Whitlock

[kcchiefdav]

I c&p'd this from the Hawk board. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

LAWRENCE | At least on the University of Kansas campus, order has been restored.

The Oklahoma Sooners pretty much ended the festering rivalry between the Kansas football and basketball players. After the Sooners’ 35-13 thumping of the Jayhawks on Saturday, it’s rather clear which high-profile Kansas team gets first dibs with the ladies and can claim rulership of Jayhawker Towers.

Not that there was ever really all that much debate about the issue. But the Sooners did spend Saturday afternoon putting Mark Mangino’s boys in their place.

The 24th-ranked Hawks, losers of two straight, will join the rest of their Big 12 North brethren on the outside of the top 25 poll and fighting for respect.

As you awaken this glorious Sunday morning, the Kansas State Wildcats, 5-3, 3-1, sit atop the North standings followed by the Iowa State Cyclones, 5-3, 2-2.

That’s simply unbelievable. We’re halfway through conference play, and Ron Prince’s recruits lead the Big 12 North. And the truth is, they should probably be tied with or chasing the Cyclones, who lost to K-State thanks to a blocked extra point and fell to the Jayhawks solely because Iowa State’s QB missed a wide-open receiver in the final seconds.

The rest of the country might laugh at the ineptitude of the Big 12 North. I say we enjoy it.

Parity, mediocrity and unpredictability can be fun, especially when they combine to humble arrogant Nebraska football fans.

Remember three weeks ago when a torrential downpour ruined the Nebraska-Missouri showdown, and Huskers fans proclaimed the return of their dynasty after Nebraska’s lucky victory. Nebraska fans jammed my e-mail box with angry messages because I had the audacity to suggest that the Rain Game meant nothing.

When Texas Tech pounded the Huskers a week ago, I didn’t get one letter of apology. I wonder what Cornhuskers fans will say now after Saturday’s nightmare, a 9-7, eight-turnover home loss to the Iowa State Cyclones.

Yeah, Nebraska is back. Back to wishing it had never canned Frank Solich.

OK, I’ve seen every North team play in person except Colorado. I have the North figured out. I know which team is the best and has the best chance to get slaughtered by Texas or Oklahoma State in the Big 12 championship.

It’s not Colorado. The Buffaloes have the worst coach. Dan Hawkins stuck his son back out on the field at QB in Manhattan on Saturday. A week after Tyler Hansen led the Buffs to a season-saving victory over ku, Cody Hawkins re-emerged to throw two horrible interceptions against K-State. Dan Hawkins should be fired. He’s not winning the North.

Well, you know I think Nebraska is a fraud. Bo Pelini’s insistence on chomping his gum like a 5-year-old and passing the football like the Huskers have legitimate skill players annoys me.

Look, if Iowa State wins the North, the Cyclones should decline the Big 12 title berth and let the second-place South team have a rematch with the South champion. Iowa State is a nice little fun story. But it would be embarrassing for the league if the Cyclones won the North.

Kansas State just won its last game of the season. Yes, I said it and I meant it. The Wildcats finish 5-7. I’m not trying to be offensive. I’m not trying to disrespect what Bill Snyder is doing with Ron Prince’s leftovers. It’s just a fact. The Cats are done.

It’s going to come down to Kansas and Missouri. All it’s going to take is a 4-4 record.

I’m picking the Jayhawks. They’ll get to 4-4 with victories over Kansas State, Nebraska and Mizzou. They’ll lose to Texas and Texas Tech. And they’ll look bad in those losses. That’s fine.

Kansas is improving. Mark Mangino’s defense played relatively well on Saturday. The Hawks forced six Oklahoma punts. They’re tackling better.

Quarterback Todd Reesing played terribly in the first half on Saturday. He put ku in a hole with two bad interceptions. He threw a skinny post right into the arms of a Cover 2 safety, setting up Oklahoma’s first TD. And then Reesing tossed a pick-6 when he tossed an out route way too late and an Oklahoma corner jumped the pass and dashed 85 yards for a score.

Reesing will not remain in a funk. He’ll rebound, the Jayhawks will finish 8-4, get shellacked in the Big 12 championship and quickly join the rest of Jayhawk Nation in rooting on the school’s top-ranked basketball team.

To reach Jason Whitlock, call 816-234-4869 or send e-mail to [email protected]. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com.

[GP76]

I hope he is wrong so we can stick this up his nostril in 4 weeks.

[Bookcat]

Its a best guess really.

Reesing does look, surprisingly, like dog crap in his last two outings.

Kstate vs. ku is such an amazingly huge game for us now.

[GP76]

Its a best guess really.

Reesing does look, surprisingly, like dog crap in his last two outings.

Kstate vs. ku is such an amazingly huge game for us now.
[Was that you that got up so early to spew some hate towards Kellis in the K-Stated forum?quote]

[Bookcat]

Its a best guess really.

Reesing does look, surprisingly, like dog crap in his last two outings.

Kstate vs. ku is such an amazingly huge game for us now.
[Was that you that got up so early to spew some hate towards Kellis in the K-Stated forum?quote]

no. I haven't commented on his blog since his terrible interview with Hartman.

[steve dave]

Great writing right there.  Whitlock's the king for a reason.

[Legore]

Hell he may be right ku may win the division at 4-4.  You could make an argument for any of the teams right now.  Don't think any of us are any good.

Pretty obvious Whitlock didn't see our game with CU and just looked at a box score.  Talks about Hawkins but two bad picks but didn't say one was on a deep ball at the end of the half and was meaningless.  The other was on 4th down when he had to try and force it into coverage or they would  have been stopped on downs.  He talks like Hawkins turnovers cost CU the game or something.   

[chum1]

If the North is as mediocre as he says it is, how can he say with any certainty that we'll be going 0-3 against them?  Otherwise, great stuff - especially about the Nebraska fans.

[sonofdaxjones]

Barfaneckalick . . . said the the same thing . . . went on and on about how mediocre to bad the North is, than said K-State won't win another game.

[Guscat]

Yesterday's win set up the ku - KSU game to be a division title spoiler game for ku.  They'd love to ruin our chance for the North title, and think Snyder's reaction to the game yesterday was perfect (angry that the 'Cats did not get better).

Tech's loss to A&M has to give the jayhoax some confidence about their trip to Lubbock, and Whitlock completely overlooked that angle.  We got Tech when they were at the top of their game.

[feralchat]

We'll win another game, at least. Too many bad teams left on the schedule and we have the best coach in the division.

Mangina's defense may or may not be improving -- an so-so OU offensive content just to play it safe and go home with an easy victory is no measuring stick. K-State's certainly is.

[frankencat]

Hell he may be right ku may win the division at 4-4.  You could make an argument for any of the teams right now.  Don't think any of us are any good.

Pretty obvious Whitlock didn't see our game with CU and just looked at a box score.  Talks about Hawkins but two bad picks but didn't say one was on a deep ball at the end of the half and was meaningless.  The other was on 4th down when he had to try and force it into coverage or they would  have been stopped on downs.  He talks like Hawkins turnovers cost CU the game or something.   

Of course he didn't see the game, or any game for that matter, too busy eating nachos and hot dogs

[WildCatzPhreak]

It's possible we don't win another, sure.

It's also possible we go 3-1 in that same timespan.

I think it'll be something in between, especially with two games against wildly inconsistent teams at home.

[steve dave]

It's possible we don't win another, sure.

It's also possible we got 3-1 in that same timespan.

I think it'll be something in between, especially with two games against wildly inconsistent teams at home.

Much better chance of going winless than 3-1 though. 

0-4 40%
1-3 50%
2-2 9%
3-1 1%
4-0 0%

imo

[WildCatzPhreak]

Yeah, definitely.  I don't see us winning any road games.  I see our remaining home games as toss ups.

[Bullfn33]

We will win at least 1 or 2 more games. There is little chance we drop both home games to ku and MU. MU is absolutely terrible on defense, their QB has a club foot and Pinkel is scared to death of Snyder. And if the wheels completely come off of NU, which looks like a possibility right now, we will win in Lincoln.

[chuckthewagon]

Whitlock's the last full-time sports columnist employed by the Star. His sports editor and publisher are both ku Alums, and ku advertises in the Star.

He made a name for himself by being willing to call out anyone. He's now reduced to sucking up to keep his job.

Sad really.

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

Whitlock on October 3, after the Cats beat ISU:

No Wildcat victory from here on will be pretty. But I can see the Cats getting to six victories this season, and that would qualify as a huge success in Bill Snyder’s first season back.

Whitlock on October 24, after the Cats beat the Buffs:

Kansas State just won its last game of the season. Yes, I said it and I meant it. The Wildcats finish 5-7. I’m not trying to be offensive. I’m not trying to disrespect what Bill Snyder is doing with Ron Prince’s leftovers. It’s just a fact. The Cats are done.

So, we've got 3 games left against "mediocre" North opponents - 2 at home - and we've been downgraded from 6-6 to 5-7?  Whitlock doesn't even try for consistency - just controversy.  He is king of the ass clowns.

[Bookcat]

It'll probably happen. With NU falling off the map offensively ku is the favorite to win the Division right now.


Kstate vs. ku in Manhattan is going to decide the North imho. The winner of that one has the clear advantage in their last two conference games.

[cyclist]

   <------  The Whitlock emoticon.

                                 

[97cat]

You would have to be a moron to think Missouri or ku will win the north. Both are dead last right now and both have brutal games coming up

Nebraska is probably still the favorite with KSU right there. NU has the most favorbale schedule left (at baylor, Oklahoma, at Kwho, KSU on sr day, @ Colorado) Depending how they handle defeat at home VS Iowa State I could see them finishing 3-2 or 4-1 (OU being the one loss).

KState could go 1-3, 2-2, or 3-1 the rest of the way (@ OU being the guaranteed loss), then depending how the Cats do with the 3 north teams Missouri (Pinkel has NEVER beat Snyder), Kwho (Mangino had 1 fluke win against KSU under Snyder, and Snyder hasn't lost at home to the dirty birds since 1991? Nebraska will be tough especialy on sr day and will probably decide the north.

ISU & CU are in the mix, but both lost to KSU and need to gain at least 1 more conf win then the Cats. Not sure either can do that

NU, even with a bad coach, is the favorite to get pounded by Texas in the championship game

Kwho? Might not win another game