We are going to scrap this week's Top 25 and Big 12 review, but if you want a fix of either I have you covered. For the Top 25, go ahead and visit M Go Blog, home of the should-be-nationally-recognized BlogPoll, the one of which I am not allowed to take part in. Hopefully next year I will earn membership, as it is for simply the best of the best college football bloggers and I'm not there yt. Key word in that sentence being "yet". For the Big 12 review, look no farther than the local Kansas State blog Bring on the Cats, a fellow SB Nation blog. I never really gave him a formal shout-out since starting out, but he is fairly new here at SB Nation but has been plugging along at his old site, K State Cat Zone, for awhile now. I encourage you to check him out, it is worth your time. I promise.
Moving on to Jayhawk-related topics, and away from linking to things I promised to do myself, let's really start circling the Nation...
Let's start out with the big NCAA news of the day, much less the Big 12, where Dan Beebe was named the commissioner of the Big 12. I honestly don't know exactly what commissioners do, although this guy has done it before (albeit in the Ohio Valley Conference) so he must have an idea. I have no idea what kind of long-term effect this hire will have on Kansas athletics, but that is to be decided.
Over at Hawk Digest, DJ named Todd Reesing Player of the Week. Hard to argue, I would have done the same, considering the performance he put on Saturday. If I had to give it to someone besides Reesing, I would have chosen BMac. I like Sharp more as a runner, but BMac had a better game in the time when it mattered (1st half) IMO. Also over at HD, he gives an update on all of our non-conference opponents. Let's just say, that after one week of actual football, our non-conference schedule looks just as bad as it did preseason. Yuck. If we don't go 4-0 in the non-con, we have major problems. Or Reesing just plays like crap.
Over at the usually basketball-focused Phog Blog, a couple of football posts have been put up. Namely, in traditional Phog Blog statistical form, they took a look at the most interesting matchups of the week, predicting a winner on each, using the sprad. Going back over to hoops, which is ever-approaching, it appears that Brandon Rush has already begun to sprint. This is tremendous news, and gives hope to the theory that he will be ready for the season opener. The sooner he gets in basketball shape the better, as this could be our best opportunity for awhile to make a true run at the National Championship.
Oh, and after questioning who gave a vote to the Jayhawks yesterday, our question has been answered. Mike DeArmond, who I am sure is a very nice gentleman, decided to give a nod to the 'Hawks at #25, right behind the Florida State Seminoles. We certainly had a much better debut than the 'Noles, but they obviously have more talent. So, Catch-22.
The whole Raimond Pendleton YouTube, a must-see for those of you who haven't (just scroll down here at RCT; it's here), is drawing quite a lot of attention. Now, Ryan Greene is making a point that jumping into the end zone shouldn't be a punishable offense, something I wholeheartedly agree with. However, and here is where I have a problem, is that everyone knows that it is against the rules, so doing it is stupid. I am loving the fact that Pendleton can be a very good returner, and am happy he is finally seeing regular playing time after sitting on the bench the last two seasons, but it was stupid of him to jump into the end zone. Plus, if you listen carefully to big ol' Mark Mangino during the YouTube, he is more worried about him showing up his blockers than the flag. The first thing a punt retunrer has to realize is that the blockers deserve every bit of credit that the returner does, and when Pendleton leaps into the end zone it gives the impression that Pendleton accomplished this all by himself. Mangino is more worried about that, so as long as the blockers are cool with Pendleton I am too. But just run in next time, please?
And lastly, the weekly media day of the Kansas football Jayhawks was today, as I'm sure all of you had marked on your calendars. It is a good recap of the Pendleton situation, which appears to be the driving force behind much of the work done over at KU Sports this week. Honestly...
That is all for now, tomorrow we start working on SELA, at least here at RCT. I am sure the team is already well-prepared, and hopefully we can have another coaster on Saturday. Hopefully.
ROCK CHALK!