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SB Nation Big 12 Roundtable -- Week Six

Instead of the usual hosts, Rock M Nation, hosting this week, they are passing it on to their opponents in Thursday night's rather large game. Yes. Nebraska blog Corn Nation is hosting all festivities this week, so make sure and pay 'em a visit. Right now.

1.  I'm sure everybody had preseason predictions for their team.  Now that we're a few games in, revise your predictions with your best and worst case scenarios (being reasonable on both sides), and then revising your prediction for the season result.

Trying not to get too technical with Best and Worst (14-0 or 4-8 respectively), I think the expectations basically remain the same. We were expected to go undefeated in the non-conference, with perhaps an almost-slip up somewhere in there. I'd say the Southern Miss game qualifies as an almost-slip up, and we are, in fact, 4-0.

So, in all reality, our Best Case is probably 11-1. That's quite optimistic, yes, but I'm drinking the Kool-Aid. Maybe it's being required to defend Kansas a kabillion times a day because you're surrounded by Big 10/11 ridiculousness and such, but I feel like this team is really good. I don't know. In any case, every game not being played in Austin we have a legitimate chance to win. That would get us into the Big 12 Championship Game, and probably a BCS game regardless of what happens there. I'll take it.

Our Worst Case would most likely be 6-6. We are going to beat Iowa State at home. But what if we play like absolute shit and drop one of the other two "gimmes", @ KSU and @ CU, and lose all of the other games. That isn't a scenario that is impossible by any means, and I just kind of half-freaked myself out typing the thing.

Sheesh.

2.  In 2010, the Big 12 will send it's 7th place team to play in a new bowl game to be played at Yankee Stadium, replacing the Independence Bowl in Shreveport.  What's your take on this move?  Is it a good move for players?  Is it a good move for the conference?  Is it a good move for fans?

I like it. Given the setting, it'll probably be hyped a bunch, which is sweet exposure for the conference. Plus, I think it would be really cool, as a fan, to go and watch your team play in Yankee frickin' Stadium. That would be fantastic. Another positive is the fact that we can never, ever go to Shreveport again -- I've never been, personally, but based on what I heard, that can't be a negative thing.

Another positive -- I'm sick of all of the bowls being in the South. I understand why, and everything, but I think it's cool that they are at least putting one bowl in the northern half of the United States.

For players, I don't see how it's a negative. You get to talk for the rest of your life about how you played a football game in Yankee Stadium. That's just freakin' fantastic.

Star-divide

3.  Oklahoma is now 2-2, with one of those victories coming against a winless 1-AA team.  Will all be well in Soonerland once Sam Bradford returns? 

Nope. The problem runs a lot deeper than Landry Jones, I promise. The real problem was talked about before the season even began, by me and others. The offensive line. 4 starters from last year's nation's-best unit, which gave Sam Bradford hours back there in the pocket, are gone. Bye-bye. That's the real problem.

The defense is good. They held The U's offense in check, for the most part. 21 points is impressive. And Landry Jones isn't bad. They have the runningbacks. They just don't have the O-Line to create holes or give Landry enough time to find his receivers. Of course, the receivers aren't as good as they were last year, either, with only Ryan Broyles presenting a consistent threat, but the vast majority of the blame lies with the big uglies.

4.  This week, Missouri and Nebraska face off on an ESPN Thursday night broadcast at 8 pm.  Last Thursday, Colorado lost to West Virginia.  Missouri and Colorado both have played Friday night road games.  What's your take on non-Saturday games?

As a college football junkie, I couldn't love them anymore. They give me a taste of football before the weekend, plus it's nice to be able to sit down and watch a game with no other games going on at the same time, and simply enjoy every play of a game.

However, I'm not so sure I'm a huge fan of my team playing them. I suppose I'd be fine with it, I guess, but I don't know. It would be nice, as I said, to just focus on your game. However, it would make a potential loss a lot worse to take, with just work to turn to after it's over to drown out your sorrows as opposed to a day of football.

So, basically, I'm split on as a fan. I love 'em as a CFB fan, and if they involved my team, it's fine either way really. It's cool that Nebraska and Missouri are playing Thursday night, because the game should get a bunch of pub for it. If it was a regional game at 3:30 on ABC, it wouldn't get the same type of pub. But there's something about football on Saturday...

5.  It seems everybody is in agreement that the bottom three teams in the North are the bottom three teams in the conference.  Is the gap growing, and which of these teams is going to break out of the cellar first.  Or is it hopeless?

Yeah, I would say the gap is growing. It's to the point where nobody even considers trying to shake things up and switching the order. Now, I don't think it will continue. Eventually, they will catch up. It has to happen.

I'll put money on Colorado to turn the corner first. They seem to have the most talent, and as crazy and pyscho as Dan Hawkins is, I trust him and his successor more than Bill Snyder or Paul Rhoads. Although, if the Wildcats could just get a QB, they could be pretty good.

6.  Rank all of the division 1 football conferences from top to bottom.  Not just the BCS conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big 10/11, Big East, Pac 10, SEC), but the others (MAC, Conference USA, WAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt) as well.  Who's the strongest conference, and who's the pretender?

We're going explanation-less for now.

  1. SEC
  2. Pac 10
  3. Big 12
  4. Big 10/11
  5. ACC
  6. MWC
  7. Big East
  8. CUSA
  9. MAC
  10. WAC
  11. Sun Belt

7.  PowerPoll time.  Rank 'em 1 to 12 based on who you think would be the victor on a neutral field.

  1. Texas
  2. Oklahoma
  3. Kansas
  4. Missouri
  5. Nebraska
  6. Oklahoma State
  7. Texas Tech
  8. Texas A&M
  9. Baylor (no Robert Griffin...)
  10. Colorado
  11. Kansas State
  12. Iowa State

That's all for now.

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Comments

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Good points on...

the Yankee Stadium bowl…I think it’d be a fun one.

also I’m not so sure I wouldn’t put a Griffinless Baylor ahead of A&M, the aggies got throttled against Arkansas.

Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.

by Owen Kemp on Oct 7, 2009 8:23 AM CDT reply actions  

I almost pulled the trigger.

But while Baylor isn’t just Robert Griffin, he was certainly the largest portion of the pie. Yes, A&M got throttled, but Arkansas isn’t bad.

by rockchalk on Oct 7, 2009 4:22 PM CDT up reply actions  

I'd also argue...

K-State has the best upward mobility of the the 3 “cellar dwellers” in the North. Unfortunately for Hawk at CU I think the honeymoon is over. The recruiting boost that a new coach get’s is fading, and he seems like he’s lost some of the players at times. If things finish horribly this year…there could be an exodus on the way. They had one of there starting ends leave the team this week…wtf? The other option would be they get rid of Hawk, which sounds unlikely, and bring in someone else who properly uses the pieces in place.

Either way, I do think that Bill Snyder no matter how old he is…provides more stability to K-State than Hawk does at CU.

Also, I’m a big fan of Dan Hawkins out here so I’m kind of torn on the whole situation. It’s somewhat puzzling that a guy can be so charismatic, recruit so effectively but yet utilize his personnel so poorly and he clearly isn’t developing the talent coming in.

The Ralphie Report had a fanpost on recruiting rankings and performance this past week, interesting stuff. Kansas, Missouri and Tech have overachieved big time since 2006 while Nebraska, A&M and I’d argue Colorado have underperformed to their incoming talent.

Why is this you ask? Well I’d point to a quote from Keeston Terry during my interview with him a couple months back.

"I think other athletes look at big named programs and automatically think they are going to be successful and have everything that no one else has. The thing is that no one is guaranteed success and everyone has facilities. My approach to KU was it was a school that I loved and that I wanted to make a difference there whether it be 1 year from now or 5 years from now. For other recruits, I mean you don’t have to go to a “big named” programs to have success. Your success is determined by how hard you and your teammates work for success."

That statement in bold is where the development comes from, it isn’t given to you when you show up and put a certain name on the front of your jersey. Kansas and Missouri in the North have gotten that extra bit of buy in from their players and the development has shown in a big way.

Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.

by Owen Kemp on Oct 7, 2009 9:14 AM CDT reply actions  

Can CU afford Hawkins buyout?

I’ve heard they cannot. They’re stuck with him.

Sawin' wood

by Rivethead on Oct 7, 2009 11:35 AM CDT up reply actions  

that is the assumption...that's why...

I think some of their fans are concerned that if the wheels continue to fall off and he continues to misuse talent that they will be in for a world of hurt in terms of defections.

Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.

by Owen Kemp on Oct 7, 2009 12:59 PM CDT up reply actions  

on this subject...

rumor out here is starting to pickup that Scott will be transferring very soon…USC fans seem to think he’ll be a trojan.

Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.

by Owen Kemp on Oct 7, 2009 10:31 PM CDT up reply actions  

Good interview rockchalk.

Much as I hate the Yankees and the Steinbrenner family, I think the bowl game in Yankee stadium has great potential. It’s going to be immensely hyped being in the middle of the east coast media, and it’s a great thing for the conference.

Plus, it’ll be great to see Labbadabba & KGRTC storm the field and wave an RCT banner for a national TV audience.(The rest of us will start raising bail money now.)

by hunter s. royal on Oct 7, 2009 9:54 AM CDT reply actions  

Right

So will we be card counting or what?

Or good ol George might give us a few bucks.

Insanity is just a state of mind.

by KTJ on Oct 7, 2009 5:35 PM CDT up reply actions  

We have a banner?

Also, I’m going to start training now, so that if this scenario does come to fruition, I’ll be spry enough to hopefully require at least two policemen on horseback to bring me down.

by KennyGregoryRockThaCradle on Oct 7, 2009 6:04 PM CDT up reply actions  

That was hilarious

My wife is confused as to why I just started laughing randomly, but this is absolutely hilarious.

It's rather ironic that people will actually have to pay money to see Michael Moore's new Anti-Capitalism film, don't you think?

by Bensa on Oct 7, 2009 10:00 PM CDT up reply actions  

I don't mind the NY bowl

I’ve never been to NY and have always wanted to go, so if our season goes down the old tankarooskie, it’d be a small consolation prize.

I’d storm the field with Labba and Ka ka ka Kenny and the Gregs.

by KU Grad 08 on Oct 7, 2009 10:38 PM CDT reply actions  

OU lost a lot more than the OL

They are down to virtually no one to catch the ball. Between the WR’s that left before the year, then Gresham and Broyles during the year, it leaves a converted RB and C/TE.

As for Power Rankings

1.Texas
2.Oklahoma
3.Kansas
4.Nebraska (post 10/8)
5.Missouri
6.Texas Tech (Potts?)
7.OSU (post Bryant, etc?)
8.Texas A&M (sugar crash)
9.Baylor (no Robert Griffin…)
10 – 12 does it matter?

Personally, I look for CU to continue to unravel for as long as Hawins is there. They’ve got way to many defections, and seem far too aimless as a team, “no excuses”.

Finally,
Best Case = 13-1, (OU & TT possibly, UT (twice?) plus a NC/BCS seems unrealistic)
Worst Case = 6-6 (just can’t see us losing to all of the bottom 3, unless there were wholesale season ending injuries/unrealistic).

by dagger108 on Oct 9, 2009 3:46 AM CDT reply actions  

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