New Year’s Eve 2008 marked the end of an exciting Kansas football season as the Jayhawks wrapped up their first ever back to back bowl wins in school history.  Already fans, media and players alike are looking toward 2009, but I thought I would take one last opportunity to look back at the 2008 Insight Bowl and discuss 2009 sometime next week.

Full story after the jump…

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A look at news and notes about Jayhawks and upcoming opponents...

• KU athletics game recap
• Game Notes
• Press Conference Quotes
• Kansas Senior Linebacker Corps wraps up a home career
• KUSports recap
• KC Star recap
• Whitlock Column talks about keeping things in perspective.
• KC Star Game Report
• Great Article on some of the Seniors

My Thoughts...The unthinkable happened yesterday, Kansas lost a football game because its offense was inept.  Todd Reesing appeared flustered and incapable of making the plays that we all know him for.  The pass protection was more than acceptable in many cases and there has been a clear improvement over the year with Jeremiah Hatch and Jeff Spikes, yet Reesing couldn’t seem to pull the trigger and couldn’t seem to keep the ball out of the dirt.  I say it again, the Kansas offense lost this game and it’s been awhile since I’ve had to say that.

A Senior day inspired defense came out and did everything they could in the first half forcing several punts by the potent offense of the Texas longhorns.  The unit forced a turnover, the defensive backs seemed to continue to get more comfortable in their new positions, and even the defensive line put some token pressure on Colt McCoy.  The problem this week was we couldn’t capitalize from an offensive standpoint.  The longer the game went without us turning the stops into our momentum the more hopeless the cause and eventually it all broke down. 

This was a frustrating game yet again for Kansas fans and it’s clear we still have work to do in the talent department before we take the next step and beat these big time opponents at home.  I talked about it a little yesterday but it’s worth mentioning again, Kansas needs some more time to improve recruiting and development based on the recent success.  This senior class committed to Mangino on the heels of a 4-7 year so while one of the greatest senior classes in terms of on field success ever at the University they probably weren’t the most talented to ever walk through the door.  Hopefully that class is yet to come and when they do on a more consistent basis we’ll begin to turn the next corner.  Nonetheless, we will see a 2^nd straight bowl, we are bowl eligible for the fourth straight year and I believe we’ve got a good shot at Missouri in Arrowhead.

A couple of guys on this team do deserve special mention after yesterday.  Kerry Meier, this guy is a warrior and all hear, we need a few more healthy versions of him on the field.  Dez Briscoe, amazing catch, another great game, and he continues to develop into a star.   Jeremiah Hatch and Jeff Spikes, no they aren’t there yet and no they didn’t have the greatest game, but they have shown marked improvement and if we could play South Florida with this current version of these two I think we win the game.  The defensive line, the unit that has been frustrating all year got some pressure and didn’t get pushed around against a usually dominate Texas O-line.  Thornton and Patterson both seem to be developing and getting more comfortable at their new spots and while I hope we get Patterson back on offense, he looks like a serviceable corner. 

Those are a few of my thoughts for positives looking ahead now it’s an extended Missouri week and maybe this team can put together their first full complete game in this one and make us all feel a little better.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk

A look at news and notes about Jayhawks and upcoming opponents...

The Good Guys...

• Daymond Patterson continues to adapt to his new responsibilities.
• KU Notebook
• A look back at last years incredible game against NU. 
• KU Prepares for a new look Husker team.
• Jeff Spikes learning from last years All American Kansas tackle.
• Tyler Lawrence and brother Blake will be on opposite sidelines this weekend.
• Jacob Branstetter shows off tackling skills.
• Kansas' offensive line is beginning to gel.
• Game Preview.

The Bad Guys...

• Huskers doing their best to block out last year.
• Some concerns this week over Coach Pelini's temper.
• Husker view of five keys to beating Kansas.

My thoughts...Coach Mangino has this team coming off its strongest performances of the year.  The Kansas State game saw an offensive line dominate from the outset and help to put up some huge numbers on the ground.  Defensively Kansas had by far it's most effective scheme of the year disrupting Josh Freeman and the Kansas State offense and forcing turnovers. 

This weekend the Jayhawks head to Lincoln and play a tougher opponent overall and certainly will be in a far more hostile environment.  There is a lot of history on the line and pressure for both sides.  If Kansas comes out again establishes a ground game and a balanced offensive attack I don't expect the Huskers will be able to stop them consitently.  If they can do this and again exceed expectations defensively look for Kansas to come out of Lincoln with the win.

The most important thing the Jayhawks can do is come out strong like they did last week and keep the Husker faithful out of the game.  While both teams will be playing strength against weakness the whole game I think Kansas' strengths are more of a mismatch for the Huskers weaknesses than vice versa. 

Final Score:  Kansas 37  Nebraska 31

Also here is your friendly reminder to join fellow Hawks in the open thread if you don't already have plans...I will be sporting blue in a sea of red as I per tradition will be watching the game at a Husker bar with a friend.  It's his home game so I have to go to his turf...sucks.

Full list of supplemental notes...and highlights after the jump...

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Highlights from today's press conference w/Coach Mangino and KU Players...

Head Coach Mark Mangino

Opening remarks:

“We had a great effort from both the offense and the defense (last week vs. Kansas State). We played well. We played sound, fundamental football. I was pleased overall with the performance. There are still things to build off of, but certainly it was a good springboard as we head into the home stretch of the season.”

“This week we travel to Lincoln to play Nebraska. They are a good football team and they are much improved from a year ago. Defensively, they are much improved. They have a different system. They are teaching their kids good, fundamental football. On offense they have been very effective. Joe Ganz is a quality quarterback. He is sometimes forgotten in this league, but I haven’t forgotten about him. I think he has passed for about 2,500 yards this year. They have quality receivers to throw the ball to in Todd Peterson and Nate Swift. To put things into perspective, Nate Swift passed Johnny Rogers on the all-time reception list at Nebraska. He is moving in here to take over as the all-time leader in career receiving yardage at Nebraska. You are talking about a quality football player when you mention somebody in the same breath as Johnny Rogers.

“They are running the ball pretty well. They have a couple of really good running backs. (Marlon) Lucky is a talented kid and so is (Roy) Helu. We are preparing hard and hopefully we will continue to have a good week.”

New This Week...After the Jump get player quotes, notes and quick look at some team statistics.

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A look at news and notes about Jayhawks and upcoming opponents...

• Jake Sharp runs wild behind the Kansas offense.
• Russel Brorson turns in a memorable performance.
• Notes including news on season ending injury to Justin Springer.
• KU Athletics game recap.
• Final Stats.
• Game Notes.

My Thoughts...The morning after and the win feels just as satisfying as the day of.  While it seems like our true football rivalry is Missouri this game was a big win for the Jayhawks and their fans.  My only question is why the hell are there empty seats after halftime when we are handing our instate rival who we clearly have on the ropes an absolute beat down.  Enjoy the journey and don't get so wrapped up in the destination Jayhawk fans. 

Enough of that tangent how about a look at the game.  There has been recent mention of Ed Warriner changing his offensive blocking scheme from a zone block to man.  Clearly that is the right move.  Yesterday, I saw our offensive line dominating man on man throughout the game.  K-State players found their faces buried in the grass and I can count more than a few times where Jeff Spikes and Jeremiah Hatch our two newbie’s were on top.  Jake Sharp used this to his advantage in a big way.  Many of his big runs were off the right side behind Spikes and Sharp made the right reads hit the holes aggressively, got to the next level and then made guys miss.  Not to mention his touchdown where he outran the Kansas State safety.  Fact of the matter is Sharp proved a lot yesterday, and with consistent blocking he can be a very effective back for us.  The shovel pass that he broke for long yardage was probably his best example of reading and cutting off blocks all year.  Overall, kudos to the running game for being the focal point and not an afterthought this week.

Defensively it was hard not to be very happy with the scheme and effort.  Josh Freeman is a very good quarterback with a pocket and with time.  Under pressure he sometimes tries to do too much.  Clint Bowen's zone blitzing along with the decision to utilize James Holt as an end was huge in applying pressure and allowing our secondary to provide solid coverage.  The scheme also allowed Russel Brorson to pick off his 2nd and 3rd Josh Freeman passes adding to his one from last year’s game against Kansas State.  In the backfield Justin Thornton and Daymond Patterson both looked much more comfortable in their positions this week, which might have something to do with not playing Texas Tech, but nonetheless both looked improved.  Another crew that made a difference was our defensive tackles.  Caleb Blakesly was a warrior in the middle, while Jamal Greene and Darius Parish did an excellent job filling in for Richard Johnson and tied up blockers allowing our linebackers to run free.  Finally the leaders of this defense Joe Mortenson, Mike Rivera and Darrell Stuckey used their freedom to roam and stifle the running game holding Kansas State to a minimal 91 yards rushing. 

Even the special teams were improved.  Daymond Patterson had room to work on returns, Herford and Crawford looked more decisive on kickoff returns, Branstetter put a few in the end zone, knocked through a FG and made some great tackles.  The only low point was the blocked field goal, but then again Kansas State doesn't lead the nation in that statistic for nothing. 

From a mental standpoint Kansas definitely recovered from the haymaker that Tech threw their way a week ago.  The players showed they aren't done yet and next week against Nebraska, the Jayhawks have a chance to break a streak, lock up a seventh win and probably creep back into the Top 25 before facing a tough Texas Longhorn team in Lawrence.  Big win this week, another huge and difficult game next week but fans can rest easy as Kansas for the third year in a row defeated rival K-State in the sunflower showdown.

Press conference highlights after the Jump...some good stuff this week...

                                                                   Image Source: KUSports.com

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Highlights from today's press conference w/Coach Mangino...

Head Coach Mark Mangino

On the KU-KSU rivalry:

“This game has been played at times when both teams have had zero wins or one win a piece. The people in the state of Kansas still got excited about it because it was two Big 12 or Big 8 teams playing against each other. It is state pride. It is bragging rights. This game will always be fun for the fans. I look back over the years and it doesn’t matter what the records are, the fans look forward to this game. More importantly, the players look forward to this game. I know our players are looking forward to this game.”

Player quotes after the jump....

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First off, before I delve into my sure-to-be-shoddy analysis, I want to provide an excuse for it not being my best. Blame my DVR. For some reason, it decided it didn't want me to actually see the game. Through some awfully nifty pausing, I was able to see everything following Todd Reesing's fateful inside-the-10 fumble, which did, of course, include a bevy of action. And we'll get to all of that a little later.

But, just so we're clear, all of the following opinions and analysis and commentary and stuff is based off of the last 10-or-so minutes of the 4th quarter I was actually able to see, the limited highlights shown by College Football Live, accounts of the game via other people and the box score. Not the greatest of sources, but it'll have to do. Hopefully the DVR works next week for the KU vs. CU game.

But anyway, here are some of my thoughts on the game.

• It would appear the Daymond Patterson Showcase has taken a steep, steep downturn. Not quite as violent as the stock market, but dramatic nonetheless. With Dexton Fields back, it is obvious that he has been completely relegated to #5 in the WR Depth Chart, and with his freshmanity poppig out all over the place, he seems to be entrenched there. He didn't catch a pass all game. His last chance to make a particularly impactful imprint on this season is through the punt return game; so, he promptly muffed a punt on Saturday, and returning the 2 punts he was able to corrall for a combined 9 yards. That's it. It was fun while it lasted, and I still think he has a bright future in front of him, but it would appear that Daylight won't be a key player the rest of the way.
• Speaking of Back From the Dead, what about Jake Sharp's Kansas career. Just two weeks ago against Sam Houston State, it seemed that Sharp's days were done as a contributor to the running game, as he did not appear until garbage time. Besides a couple of special teams tackles, it was like he wasn't even there. But, after another awful first half running the football, involving mostly the two-headed "monster" of Angus Quigley and Jocques Crawford, Sharp was inserted in a desperate attempt to comeback. And, led by the momentum-changer that Sharp's wide open catch-and-run provided, we were able to come back. Whether he deserves it or not, basing it off of all five games' worth of evidence, it would apper that Jake Sharp will be our starting RB for the near future.
  
• Going back to the passing game, though. Damn, is Kerry Meier good. A legitimate NFL prospect in the slot, if you ask me. Maybe a Brandon Stokely type. But right now, he is the primary playmaker on this offense, and easily the second best (and most important) player on this offense after Todd Reesing. Of the limited action I saw, it was obvious that whenever Todd Reesing had a place he needed to go with the football, he looked Kerry Meier's way first. If he was covered then, and only then, would he set his sights somewhere else. With how deep our WR core still is, it could be a dangerous strategy, but don't be surprised to see defenses start keying in on him. And I don't care what you say; who would have thought that his transition from QB-since-pee-wee to WR would have been this successful?
  
• Moving on to the defense, I have to say that I was impressed (again, in limited action) with what I saw from the two pass-rush specialists; Maxwell Onyegbule and Jake Laptad. Obviously, Onyegbule had the huge play that put us up 8, but he looked impressive even moving beyond that. Both he and Laptad, particularly Jake, got to the QB with some semblance of consistency, which makes them look like Dwight Freeney compared to the usual suspects. I know that Mangino tends to favor the run-stuffing DEs, but hopefully he has realized that this defense is a lot more successful when getting pressure on the QB, as all defenses are, and is willing to sacrifice the run defense a little for a huge upgrade in the pass defense. I think Laptad should start this week and, unless he proves he can't handle it, the rest of the year, with Onyegbule seeing more snaps than he did in the non-conference.
  
• It was nice to have Kendrick Harper back, sure, but he certainly didn't appear to be 100% from what I saw. I wouldn't be all that surprised to hear that we hurriedly allowed him to play, considering how shoddily the trio of freshman (redshirts Ryan Murphy and Isiah Barfield and true Corrigan Powell) played in his absence. He was burnt a couple of times, including on the 4th down desperation heave with a minute-or-so left to go in the game, but still managed to look like an improvement over the bevy of inexperienced options. We could probably get by without an 100% Harper at home against the Buffaloes, but if we are to have a prayer at beating any of the Big 12's Big 4, he will have to be 100% and rearing to go. Oh, and we'll need at least one of the trio of freshman to miraculously become better. They have about 12 days for such a miracle, so get a move on.
• And finally, that onsides kick was a thing of beauty. Not really too much we could have gone there. With how high the ball was, there was no possibility of going out and grabbing the ball, and the ISU player jumped up and snatched it before Kerry Meier or Raimond Pendleton even had a chance to make a play. Plus, they had blockers sprinting towards them at full speed, making a jump into the air, well, not the smartest thing in the world. We should probably study that tape, so we can perform such a beautiful thing when we are coming from behind in the waning moments in Norman.
  

More thoughts on the the upcoming slate of Big 12 games in our future tomorrow. Plus, other analysis regarding positions battles (parituclarly DE) and some preliminary discussion on the Buffaloes.

Despite the smaller margin of victory, I think that we played much better this week. Of course, I did get to see this in moving pictures, while the last game was simply conveyed to me through words over the internets, but it just feeled a lot better. The first quarter wasn't so hot, and our D benefitted from an INT and missed field goal inside the 10, but our passing game could do whatever the hell they wanted, and our running game gave me an inkling of hope late, when Angus Quigley trotted in. There were certainly some things to like, but there were also, most notably the running game, some things that are still up-in-the-air.

THE POSITIVELY POSITIVE

• Yet again, we have to start off the positive with a short, overlooked true freshman. Daymond Patterson, Daylight, DP, Lightning, whatever you want to call him, he is a tremendous player. Just unreal. Whether it be in the punt return game, where he did something super-human to be able to escape a Louisiana Tech gunner who HIT HIM BEFORE HE RECEIVED THE PUNT and squirt his way between a couple of Bulldog defenders for a measly one-yard gain (the best one-yard gain in the history of punt returns, without a doubt), or whether it be in the passing game, where his slot play is incredibly advanced for a second-game freshman, he is explosive. Say it with me: "Ex-plos-ive". I can't stress it enough just how special this player is. I wanted to make the following comparison before the season, when it would have been completely unfounded, then again after last week, when it would have seemed like jumping the gun. But now, I want to make the comparison before anyone else does, and reap the benefits later: Daymond Patterson reminds me of Jeremy Maclin more than anyone else. Maclin is a national name now, has a sick nickname (Cheat Code, for those who don't visit Rock M Nation) and is the best, IMO, all-around returner/WR in the country. Well, I don't know. Maybe Percy Harvin is better. In any case, he is certainly quite the name to be compared to, even if it is a Jayhawk blogger making the comparison. I'm telling you, he is that kind of all-around stud. Just to make things clear, because I can already see the comment section filling up with angry Mizzou fans, I in no way am comparing the two players currently. Maclin, with his redshirt year and entire season of (mostly) dominance last season, is clearly the better player right now. In another 12 months, though, it could be a different story. Oh, and he is also very fast. In case you need evidence, please see Example 1 underneath this, where he grabs a pass while running a crossing route and simply sprints away from the defense, making them look like they are treading water on their way to tackle him.

• Speaking of positives, QBs don't play much better than completing 32-38 for 412 yards and 3 TDs compared to zero INTs. I mean, seriously. As poor as our running game looks, Todd Reesing's out-of-this-world play has lessened the worry substantially. It is obvious that we could have done anything we desired through the air; it didn't matter if they dropped 8 and brought minimal pressure of they instead decided to blitz the hell out of Reesing (which they rarely, if ever, did) forcing him to make a quick decision. It is simply a case of picking your poison. Either you let him dink-and-dunk you to death down the field, or you try and force him to make plays downfield, which he will subsequently do. Now, don't me wrong, he certainly doesn't have the throw-fifty-yards-from-your-knees ability like some physical freaks, like JaMarcus Russell, have, but he has enough arm strength to keep from you scotting everyone forward. And no one is better in the entire college game at simply taking what the defense gives him and methodically moving the ball down the field. No one. Honestly, I don't think a single team on our schedule will be able to stop our passing game. Now, I think plenty can make us one-dimensional enough to scare the hell out of me, at least with the current performance of the running game, but even then I think that Reesing's methodical approach is such a well-oiled machine that no one, no matter what they do, will have a chance of slowing it down enough to keep us out of the game.
  
• Continuing with the theme of the passing game, you have to mention Dezmon Briscoe. His 48-yard TD catch was absolutely incredible (YouTube below), where he broke six-or-seven tackles, depending on your defintion of "tackle". In any case, he is clearly the #1 receiver on this team and has done more-than-enough to fill Marcus Henry's role on this team. In fact, he could be better than Henry right now, although that is certainly debatable. In any case, he is a beast, and another part of what may be one of the country's best (and certainly the most overlooked) receiving cores in the country. I suppose I might as well bring up Kerry Meier as well, who has clearly emerged as the safety option for Hot Toddy, filling Derek Fine's role on last year's team. He hasn't seemed to be as explosive of a threat sprinting down the hasmarks, but he catches everything thrown his way, and has a tremendous knack for getting open. He is on pace to catch 108 passes in the regular season alone, and has a pretty good shot at reaching 100 catches if we continue to pass this often.

• I can't believe I took this long, and he probably should have been the first name out here but I wanted to do all offense first. In any case, there is really only one candidate for Player of the Game on Saturday, and that would have to go to Mr. Darrell Stuckey.Honestly, his two-play swing of chasing down one of the fastest players in college football, Phillip Livas, when he started out on the opposite side of the field and then breaking through the offensive line to stuff RB Patrick Jackson for a fourd-yard loss is the best two back-to-back plays I've ever seen a defensive player make. Like, ever. It borders on superhuman. Most normal football players would want a break or a rest or an oxygen tank or something after that play (of course, most normal football players don't come close to catching up with Livas, but that is besides the point). But no, Stuckey had to go all Superman on us and make two consecutive fantastic plays in a row. Dayum. Oh, and I would just like to admit I was wrong. In my season preview of the safetie, I said that I wasn't sure how Stuckey would fit in at SS. As a matter of fact, he is a better SS than FS, making the switch of him and Justin Thornton all the more beneficial. At SS, he is able to do more freelancing and play a bigger role in the running game, where he has shined thus far. And I didn't even get to mention his tremendous hit on the La Tech WR in the endzone during their first redzone trip, forcing the ball out of the WRs hands up into the air, where Chris Harris was able to snag the ball out of the air. So, while it could have easily been at least 29-6, you could certainly make the argument that Darrell Stuckey single-handedly made sure that the game stayed a shutout.
  
• As bad as it sucks that Kendrick Harper was carted off the field in a stretcher (which we'll get to soon), there was certainly a silver lining to the injury; Isiah Barfield's play. Barfield is still pretty raw, but he has an incredible amount of physical ability and talent, and on first look he seemed to play really well. Not just passable enough to keep the defense from collapsing, but great. Like, I wouldn't be all that pissed if he were forced to start. And while the sooner Kendrick Harper gets back the better, both for him and the team, it is nice to know that we seem to have already found our replacement for him next year in Barfield, who figures to only develop further.
• Before we move on to the less-positive points, I want to give a shout-out to every other player on the defense. Whenever you shut out a team, even when there are some breaks along the way, a defense played pretty damn well. That is definitely the case here, and while it could have easily been at least 29-6, a shutout is a shutout is a shutout. And this isn't against some team like Chatanooga or some other meddling 1-AA program; Louisiana Tech is a legitimate team from the WAC, the conference that has brought us BCS Bowl-Busters in Boise State and Hawaii. Certainly a legitimate team. 

THE NEGATIVELY NEGATIVE

• Concerns #1, #2 and #3 involve the running game in some way. The actual, physical running game should be concern #1, as we will have to, at some point, actually be able to force the D to respect the RBs darting through the offensive line. Like, as soon as this Friday. Jake Sharp is hitting the holes too hard, it seems, running too aggressively and not allowing the blocks to take shape. Jocques Crawford has yet to show that burst that made him the JUCO Offensive Player of the Year last season, and appears sluggish and, honestly, average. Angus Quigley has brought an entirely different look to the running game; showing patience when that is needed, but he also isn't afraid to burst through a hole and take on the LB head-on. Honestly, I think he is the best RB on the team, at least right now. No one has ever really doubted his talent before, it's just his consistency and ability to hold on to the ball that has kept him off the field. But now, when we are struggling more with the running game than we ever have before and with him playing better than ever, seems to be the opportune time to work him into the regular rotation and see how he does. Last week, he received double the carries anyone else did (15 by him compared to 7 from both Sharp and Crawford), showing that Mangino may just be turning the corner as far as Quigley is concerned. I want to put up a full-length post concerning only Quigley and the running game, so everything else regarding the issue will go there.
• Issue #2, of course, would be the interior offensive line. Now, on tape they didn't appear to be all that bad, and maybe I am just being way too critical. However, it just can't be the RBs fault that they have been this much worse than they were last season (Sharp at least), and it certainly isn't the offensive tackles, who have barely appeared in running games. We are attempting to run almost exclusively up the middle, particularly behind Chet Hartley at RG, and that just isn't working unless Quigley is in there, and often he has to break a tackle before he can continue on his merry way. The offensive line probably deserves more time to gel, and Mayes and Hartley both played well enough last season to get longer than a two-game stint at starter this year, but if we struggle again in the running game against South Florida, it should definitely be something to be considered.
• Issue #3 is, well, I don't really know. If we were to have another weakness, it would probably be making the chip-shots known as extra points. Honestly, I don't really care if we have a different guy for XPs than we do for FGs, as long as they all find their way through the yellow uprights. If we miss one Friday night, it might be the reason we lose. But on a happier note, Jacob Branstetter had an otherwise fantastic debut and figures to be a pretty solid kicker for the next couple of years.
  
• The final negative has to go to the injuries. We were fortunate last season in avoiding the big, crippling injury (although Harper did miss a load of time and by the time the Missouri game rolled around McAnderson and Collins were severely nicked up, along with other players), but we were bit twice by the injury bug in a matter of minutes Saturday afternoon/night/twilight. We could live without both for awhile, probably up until Oklahoma before we actually must have them. Blakesley was playing really well, probably the best football of his career at Kansas, but we still have a deadly trio in Darius Parish, Jamaal Greene and Richard Johnson Jr. And while I was much more worried about Harper in the game thread, Barfield played well enough to appease my worries for awhile, at least. Still, we need both back at some point, and certainly the sooner the better.

All-in-all, like I said in the opening paragraph, the game was a success. We played MUCH better than we did against FIU (again, I didn't get to see the FIU game, but that is based off of the sound of the game and the opinions of others), and that is always a positive. Of course, our running game could use a helluva lot of work, but our D appears to be in mid-season form already and Todd Reesing simply can't be stopped. Oh, and we have two damn fine returners in kickoff returner Macrus Herford and Daylight at punt returner. As long as we aren't required to run the ball, like ever, we could compete for a Big 12 Title. And hell, maybe Crawford or Sharp will wake up, or Quigley will emerge as an awesome RB, and we can still compete. But we absolutely must work that out before we can start to think of even a Big 12 North Title. It is a must.

More to come later...

Editor's Note: Not really sure what happened, but somehow, with the site upgrades last night and everything, my Big 12 Roundtable went ka-poof, never to be heard from again. So, here is a re-do of sorts, with me trying my best to give similar, if not identical, answers.

The questions in bold, the answers in normal text.

1) There has been lots of talk this pre-season about scheduling. Colorado has arguably the strongest schedule but who do you think has the weakest and which cream puff on your team’s schedule do you wish wasn’t there?

Last season, I don't know if you know or not, but we had a pretty bad schedule. I know nobody ever really talked about it or anything, just kind of gave us a pass while they continually hammered tOSU for their schedule, but it still happened.

In any case, this season the weakest schedule is obviously Texas Tech. They are trying to be "this year's Kansas", only just about every single person sees them coming. So, not quite. Try again later. However, they do have the schedule of last year's Kansas, as they face Eastern Washington (as opposed to LSU), @ Nevada, SMU and UMass. I mean, last year, at least we had the defending and future MAC champion in Central Michigan come in to Lawrence; the best the Red Raiders will face is the always dreaded Nevada Wolfpack. Scary.

As far as our schedule is, I'm fine with every team. I mean, sure, I would love for there to be no FCS teams on the slate, especially Sam Houston State with their QB Rhett Bomar, but it serves a purpose of getting some experience for younger kids. Honestly, I don't see the harm.

2. 2) As a whole the Big 12 has the best quarterbacks in the country. Make a case for your quarterback being one of the conference’s top signal callers and tell us which other conference quarterback you would pick to replace him if you had to.

Todd Reesing is a beast. He is a man among boys. He is this school's greatest QB, hands down. And he does all of that 5'10".

Yet, given all of that completely factual knowledge, it's hard to make a case for him to be any higher than 4th. Harrell, Daniel and Bradford sit comfortably atop the upper echelon of Big 12 QBs. That is obvious. The order is debatable, sure, but those three are the top tier of Big 12 QBs. However, there is one more member to their tier, and that is Todd Reesing. So, a better way to look at it is there are four dominating QBs at the top of the rankings, then there are a couple more 'good' ones (McCoy, Ganz, Robinson, Freeman) and then a pile of decent ones. But Reesing's stats and record clearly prove that he belongs at #4 at the lowest, and a mild contender for one of the top three spots.

As far as trading him out, that has to go to Chase Daniel (yuck!). I don't really like Booger all that much, but he is the best (or second best) QB in the Big 12, and he would be a near-perfect fit for our system, which is quite similar to the one he is currently running. As tough as it is for me to pick a Mizzou player, he is clearly the best option. Well, him or Graham Harrell...

3. 3) Going into the season which unit for your team are you most confident in, offense or defense?

Tough question. You have the starpower on offense, with Todd Reesing and Jocques Crawford and Dez Briscoe and Kerry Meier, but they lost their leading rusher (Brandon McAnderson), Todd Reesing's favorite dumpoff guy (Derek Fine) and leading receiver yardage-wise (Marcus Henry) along with the two starting offensive tackles. On defense you have the nine returning starters and the best LBer crew in the Big 12 (Joe Mortensen, Mike Rivera, James Holt), but they lost their two best players, hands down, in Aqib Talib and James McClinton.

With all of that said, I've got to go offense. Sure, the LBer crew is the best unit on the entire team, but there are major questions about the defensive line, particularly the pass rush and the D-Ends. On offense, you have adequate replacements for every position, and while the offensive tackles still scare me, I feel more confident in them than I do Brorsen and whoever else starts across him (Jeff Wheeler or John Larson).

4. 4) Who is the new guy on you squad that will be a household name among your fan base before the season ends.

Jocques Crawford is the obvious answer, but I would say he is already well-known enough, both by the MSM and our casual fanbase, to be disqualified from selection. And so, I'll go with Daymond Patterson, I guy I absolutely love. He is really short, only 5'9", but he is dynamite out of the slot and, as a true freshman, figures to see plenty of action. He is also the starting punt returner, and figures to be a large improvement over the guys we threw out there last year.

He is turning more heads in practice than anyone else, and has solidified his status, even as a true freshman with only a couple weeks worth of practice. I can't wait to see him out there.

5. 5) Prediction time! Tell us how the north and south divisions will wind up.

NORTH

Missouri (11-1, 7-1)

Kansas (10-2, 6-2)

Colorado (8-4, 5-3)

Nebraska (6-6, 3-5)

Kansas State (5-7, 2-6)

Iowa State (4-8, 1-7)

SOUTH

Oklahoma (12-0, 8-0)

Texas Tech (10-2, 6-2)

Texas (8-4, 4-4)

Oklahoma State (7-5, 3-5)

Texas A&M (6-6, 3-5)

Baylor (1-11, 0-8)

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ROCK CHALK!

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