What if Robert Griffin III had gone to Kansas?

by illmitch on Jan 31, 2012 1:05 PM CST

Some of you may have seen the recent SBNation "what if?" articles - what if Tim Tebow went to Alabama, or the newer one, what if Robert Griffin III had gone to Texas. That got me started thinking about a very plausible situation - what if he had gone to Kansas instead? We were on his considerations but he dropped because he didn't want to play behind Todd Reesing. So what if?

I think for starters, the 7-game losing streak in 2009 doesn't happen. We'd still probably lose 3 or 4 of those games, but there's a pretty big difference between 5-7 and 8-4 or 9-3. Hell, give us two of those games, and we're sitting at 7-5 with a good shot for a low-tier bowl bid. Mangino, then, would probably have not been fired, and we wouldn't have the disastrous 3-9 Turner Gill first season. If RGIII continues along his path of greatness, we could be pretty respectable in 2010. This could even affect conference realignment - how much better does a Kansas with a consistently strong football program and a consensus top-3 basketball program look over a Kansas with the same basketball program but one of the worst football programs in the country?

Post your thoughts in the comments, I'd be interested to see.

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Woah!

A fanpost!?? Weird.

The name of that song played at KC Comets games in the '80's was Giorgio Moroder's "The Chase." Now you know.

by labbadabba on Jan 31, 2012 1:20 PM CST reply actions

I'm not sure honestly.

Warriner was pretty creative once he got the tools. Long would have just lined him up outside and run Rell Lewis out of the Wildcat.

RGIII moreso than anything may have been that leader we needed post Kerry Meier.

The name of that song played at KC Comets games in the '80's was Giorgio Moroder's "The Chase." Now you know.

by labbadabba on Jan 31, 2012 1:22 PM CST reply actions

but Long

wasn’t hired until Turner Gill was, correct?

by illmitch on Jan 31, 2012 1:36 PM CST up reply actions

Correct -

I was going under the assumption that Mangino would still have been fired.

The name of that song played at KC Comets games in the '80's was Giorgio Moroder's "The Chase." Now you know.

by labbadabba on Jan 31, 2012 3:06 PM CST up reply actions

He would have.

Nothing was going to stop Big Lew$$$$$er

"No time for questions. No time for games. Start kickin' ass and takin' down the names." - Dave Mustaine.

by Rivethead on Jan 31, 2012 3:11 PM CST up reply actions

I'm not sure this changes the seven game losing streak.

I think Mangino was loyal to Todd Reesing and would have been to a fault. Reesing pretty much saved Mangino’s job and I don’t think we would have seen Griffin make any major impact during the 2009 season.

I guess unless we lost to Baylor that year. I can’t remember without checking, but I suppose if you take Griffin away from Baylor we might win that game go 6-6 and then be in a bowl game at which point I’m not sure if Lew could have gone after Mango.

This also makes me wonder about a whole assortment of players that we almost landed after that Orange Bowl season. Almost every game I watch in the Big 12 there is some guy starting for some team that chose that school over us but gave Kansas a very hard look at the time. Probably one of our biggest failures was not capitalizing on that the way we needed to.

Questions, Comments? email me at denverjhawk@hotmail.com

by Owen on Jan 31, 2012 1:52 PM CST reply actions

I see what you mean.

but I do remember Mangino benching Reesing from time to time during that 09 season and starting Kale Pick. Imagine if that had been Griffin instead.

by illmitch on Jan 31, 2012 2:22 PM CST up reply actions

It's possible it could have opened the door.

But if I recall Mangino publicly stated that those benchings, specifically Texas Tech I think, was more due to the game being out of hand and him not wanting to cause injury.

Questions, Comments? email me at denverjhawk@hotmail.com

by Owen on Jan 31, 2012 2:33 PM CST up reply actions

And Reesing was already playing with a bunch of injuries

cracked ribs included, if I recall correctly.

"No time for questions. No time for games. Start kickin' ass and takin' down the names." - Dave Mustaine.

by Rivethead on Jan 31, 2012 3:13 PM CST up reply actions

Pick really only got extended playing time in one game (That I remember), the Tech game Owen mentioned.

And even in that game he was only in there for the final two possessions and a total of 9 plays. I’m imagining that being Griffin and I just can’t see it making much of a difference.

Note: I’m going by the play-by-play, so it’s possible he was in there for more than just those two possessions, but if he was all he did was hand the ball off

by MJR on Jan 31, 2012 3:11 PM CST up reply actions

Wasn't RGIII

Injured in 2009

The name of that song played at KC Comets games in the '80's was Giorgio Moroder's "The Chase." Now you know.

by labbadabba on Jan 31, 2012 3:07 PM CST up reply actions

Problem is even with RGIII, in 2008 and 09 our defense still would have sucked and that is why we dropped off. We put Reesing in the position of having to do too much which also got him injured.

by ranron on Jan 31, 2012 2:30 PM CST reply actions