Who has Dominated UT more... OU or KSU

Only two teams in the Big 12 have winning records against the Longhorns since the Mack Brown joined the Horns. Let's take a look at who has been the most dominant over the Horns in these series.

Overall Record:
KSU vs. UT - 4-2 66.67%
OU vs. UT - 5-4 55.55%

With a win this weekend, OU's win percentage would rise to 60% against UT, but still below KSU's winning percentage over UT. Edge goes to KSU

Avg Score:
UT vs. KSU UT 21.3 - KSU 33.8
UT vs. OU UT 22.1 - OU 26.9

KSU has held the Horns to fewer points and averaged over 6 points more per contest. Edge goes to KSU

Average Margain of Victory:
KSU - 20.5
OU - 27

OU has several very lopsided wins against the Longhorns. Advantage OU

Average Margain in Losses:
KSU - 3.5
OU - 23

KSU has only lost to UT twice by a total of 7 points. Advantage KSU

So there you have it... the team that has dominated the Longhorns the most since Mack Brown took over is the Kansas State Wildcats.

Book 'em Horns

Kansas State vs. UT: Previous Opponents

Kansas States Opponents:
at Auburn: # 17
San jose State: # 89
Missouri State: NR

Texas Opponents:
Arkansas State: # 84
TCU: # 13
at Central Florida: # 60
Rice: # 107

Tale of the Tape: KSU at UT

Rushing Offense: Advantage Texas
Texas: # 36, 187.25 per game
Kansas State: #75, 133.67 per game

Passing Offense: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 33, 263.5 per game
Kansas State: # 21, 295.33 per game

Total Offense: Advantage Texas
Texas: # 27, 450.75 per game
Kansas State: # 44, 429 per game


Total Offense Scoring: Slight Advantage Texas
Texas: # 23, 37 points per game
Kansas State: #27, 36 points per game

Rushing Defense: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 21, 87.25 yards allowed per game
Kansas State: # 9, 68 yards per game allowed

Pass Defense: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 59, 223.25 yards per game
Kansas State: # 37, 190.33 yards per game

Pass Efficiency Defense: Advantage Texas
Texas: # 33, 109.09
Kansas State: # 48, 117.9

Total Defense: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 31, 310.5 yards per game allowed
Kansas State: # 13, 258.33 yards per game allowed

Scoring Defense: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 24, 18 points allowed per game
Kansas State: # 16, 15.67 points allowed per game

Net Punting: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 97, 32.2 per punt
Kansas State: # 43, 36.07 per punt

Punt Returns: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 28, 13.57 yards per return
Kansas State: # 3, 23.58 yards per return

Kickoff Returns: Advantage Texas
Texas: # 46, 22.82 yards per return
Kansas State: # 77, 20.67 yards per return

Turnover Margin: Advantage Texas
Texas: # 41, 0.5 turnovers per game
Kansas State: # 97, turnovers per game -1

Sacks: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 14, 3.25 sacks per game
Kansas State: # 4, 4.33 sacks per game

Tackles for Loss: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # 10, 8.5 per game
Kansas State: # 7, 9.67 per game

Sacks Allowed: Advantage Kansas State
Texas: # T-16, 1 sacks allowed per game
Kansas State: # 8, 0.67 sacks allowed per game

Another Great Video

Let's Start getting ready for an Upset in Austin

KSU Depth Chart - Week One

Two positions that were under scrutiny at Kansas State have been resolved -- at least for the moment.

Brock Unruh will play left guard and Brooks Rossman will handle placekicking duties, according to the first Wildcats’ football depth chart that was released Monday morning by the sports information office.

Coach Ron Prince, whose team opens at 6:45 p.m. Saturday at No. 18 Auburn on ESPN, was unsure last time he met with the media Aug. 18 about those two spots in particular, and wasn’t happy at all that they had not been cemented. They now have been addressed.

Junior college transfer Deon Murphy has won a spot at wide receiver and will be in on kickoff and punt returns.

Here’s a look at the other first team spots:

OFFENSE
LT: Alesana Alesana
LG Brock Unruh
C Jordan Bedore
RG Gerard Spexarth
RT Nick Stringer
TE Jeron Mastrud
WR Jordy Nelson
WR Daniel Gonzalez
WR Deon Murphy
QB Josh Freeman
RB James Johnson

DEFENSE
LE Michael Abana
NT Steven Cline
RE Rob Jackson
SLB Ian Campbell
MLB Justin Roland
MLB Reggie Walker
WLB Eric Childs
CB Justin McKinney
CB Ray Cheatham
FS Marcus Watts
SS Gary Chandler

Specialists
PK Brooks Rossman
P Tim Reyer
KR Deon Murphy, Justin McKinney, Leon Patton
PR: Deon Murphy, Jordy Nelson

Campbell Named to Hendricks Watch List

For the second straight season, Kansas State’s Ian Campbell is listed among the top defensive ends in the nation as the junior is among 27 players named to the 2007 Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award Watch List, the Ted Hendricks Foundation announced Monday.

Campbell, a 2006 semi-finalist for the award and one of just three Big 12 ends on the list, is coming off an incredible sophomore campaign and is one of just four returning players nationally to record at least 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for losses in 2006.

Last season, Campbell was among the nation’s top pass rushers and earned All-Big 12 and All-American honors after totaling 67 tackles, 17.5 for losses, with 11.5 sacks. His 11.5 sacks tied the Kansas State single-season record and ranked second in the Big 12 Conference and 10th nationally. Campbell collected at least one sack in nine of 13 total games last season.

The 2006 Houston Chronicle Defensive Player of the Year, Campbell was the league’s leading tackler among defensive linemen, led the Big 12 in tackles for losses and ranked third in the league in fumble recoveries during league play with three.

The Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award is named in honor of college football’s first three-time first team All American. It is in the spirit of Ted Hendricks’ aggressive style of play, winning attitude and determination that the Defensive End of the Year Award for college football’s premier defensive end is presented. On field performance, exceptional winning attitude, leadership abilities and contributions to school and community and academic preparedness are some of the criteria used to determine the award’s winner.
The honor marks the third time this month that Campbell has been named to a preseason watch list. He is also a candidate for the Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski Awards.
Campbell and Kansas State open the 2007 season with a nationally-televised game at Auburn on Sept. 1. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. CDT at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Wildcats to Practice in Kansas City

The Kansas State football program and head coach Ron Prince announced Friday that the Wildcats will hold an open practice in the Kansas City metropolitan area on Saturday, August 11, at the College Boulevard Activity Center (CBAC) in Olathe, Kan.
The practice was approved by the Olathe Board of Education on Wednesday night and will include a two-hour workout followed by a 60-minute autograph session for the fans.
“We are always looking for creative ways to reach out and connect with our fans and supporters,” said Prince. “The open practice in Olathe is a terrific way for our fans in the eastern part of the state and in the Kansas City metropolitan area to come out and support the Wildcats. The cooperation we have received from the people of Olathe has been fantastic and we are grateful that the Board of Education has voted to approve this proposal. We could not be more excited that the idea to bring a K-State practice to Kansas City has become a reality.”
The practice will be held in the football stadium at CBAC (11031 S. Valley Road, Olathe, KS 66061) and is scheduled to get underway at 2 p.m. The fan appreciation autograph session will follow from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. There is no charge to attend the workout and parking is free.
“We’re very pleased to be taking what we believe is one of the first of many steps in further cultivating our District’s relationship with Kansas State University as we look forward with anticipation to the opening of their satellite campus and the biosciences park in the future,” said Olathe Board of Education president Kevin Gilmore. “This is also a cooperative effort with the City of Olathe and we believe this event will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase what makes our community such a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family.”
The idea for K-State to hold an open practice at CBAC grew out of the University’s partnership with the City of Olathe to build a bioscience research center just west of the sports complex. Kansas State University president Dr. Jon Wefald said he was thrilled with the continuing evolution of the partnership between K-State and the City of Olathe.
“We are excited about our relationship with the City of Olathe and are looking forward to a long-term partnership with the establishment of the K-State Olathe Innovative Campus,” Wefald said. “Having this open practice and fan appreciation day is another great step toward strengthening the link between K-State and the City of Olathe.”
Olathe mayor Michael Copeland echoed Wefald’s sentiments regarding the Wildcats’ practice at CBAC as well as the connection that has developed between the city and K-State.
“When we were in discussions with Kansas State, we both recognized the learning potential for our students and we included a partnership with the Olathe District Schools in our agreement,” Copeland said. “With thousands of visitors coming to our community for the event, this is a wonderful first step in that new partnership.”
Kansas State’s practice in Olathe is one of two open workouts the Wildcats will host during their fall 2007 training camp. K-State’s practice in Manhattan on Saturday, August 18, at Bill Snyder Family Stadium will also be open to the public and is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Big 12, college football could seek extra year of eligibility

Big 12 Conference officials will consider a significant player-eligibility change in college football when they convene this week for their annual spring meetings in Colorado Springs, Colo.

A top Nebraska official is helping push for the major change.

Husker athletic director Steve Pederson is chairman of the NCAA football issues committee, which is advocating a proposal that would give athletes five seasons of playing eligibility. As it stands, players are allowed to play four seasons in a five-year window.

“We’ve asked that it be put on the agenda of every conference in the country at their spring meetings so it can be discussed,” Pederson said of the proposal. “As a committee, we believe it has validity. And now we want to find out if other people believe like we do.”

The Big 12 meetings begin today and last through Friday. Among other agenda items for discussion will be an examination of future football and basketball championship sites. Omaha is among five cities that have forwarded formal bids to play host to future Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.

Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg said the conference’s goal is to select future championship sites by the end of summer.

As for the player-eligibility proposal, Pederson said he hasn’t heard any convincing arguments against allowing players to play for five years.

“Some people might wonder about the costs,” he said. “Well, you have 85 players on scholarship, so the cost isn’t going to be any more if you have 85 scholarships spread over five years. The reality is a high percentage of players are here (at Nebraska) for five years anyway. That’s the situation at most schools.

“So why not let the players play the whole time?”

Current NCAA football eligibility rules state that if a player plays up to 30 percent of the games in a particular season, he exhausts that year of eligibility — pending an appeal to the conference and NCAA in certain cases (such as injury).

“What we end up with is a bunch of paperwork and coaches calculating whether or not a freshman should get in a game or not get in a game,” Pederson said. “If you have this (five-year eligibility), you would simply say, ‘When you start college, you have five years to play,’ and we wouldn’t worry about all this other stuff.

“If you would happen to get hurt and not be able to play two of those years, that’s the way it goes.”

The NCAA football issues committee eventually will review feedback from conferences and decide if there’s enough support to proceed with legislation.

Meanwhile, Pederson obviously would like to see Omaha land the Big 12 basketball tournaments. That would be great for the state and for the Husker program, he said.

The other four cities that have bid to play host to future basketball tournaments starting in 2008-09 are Dallas, Kansas City, Mo., Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla.

Cities that have bid for the football championship are Arlington, Texas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio.

Future championship sites have been set only for the coming 2007-08 season — football in San Antonio and basketball in Kansas City.

There has been discussion of anchoring championship games at sites for extended periods, a scenario to which Pederson is opposed.

“By rotating them, we’ve given a lot of people a chance to see a lot of different events,” he said. “There would have to be some compelling reason to go away from that.”

Perhaps most important, he said, is having conference championships in venues that are full and in cities that show excitement for the event.

“We tried that in St. Louis, and it didn’t do very well other than Nebraska fans,” Pederson said.

K-State Baseball Opens Big 12 Tourney against #1 Seed Texas

Kansas State Baseball will open the Big 12 Tournament against #1 seed Texas Wednesday at 1:00pm. They will follow up that game with a 7:30pm game against #4 Nebraska and play again on Saturday against #5 seed Texas A&M on Saturday.

The complete bracket can be found here.

Great Video on K-State Football

Great video on K-State Football

Rivals Early 2007 Football Predictions

NORTH
1. Nebraska (9-5, 6-2): The Cornhuskers must overhaul their defensive front four, but they got a big break with quarterback Sam Keller transferring in from Arizona State. That should make the loss of All-Big 12 quarterback Zac Taylor relatively painless.
2. Missouri (8-5, 4-4): Chase Daniel emerged as one of the conference's best quarterbacks last season, and he has a cadre of capable receivers at his disposal - led by tight end Martin Rucker. The defense needs some repair, though.
3. Kansas State (7-6, 4-4): The Wildcats showed promise with a freshman-infested starting lineup last year. Those guys figure to be better in their second seasons. Also, Ian Campbell gives the Wildcats the conference's best pass rusher.
4. Kansas (6-6, 3-5): Losing Big 12 leading rusher Jon Cornish will hurt, but the Jayhawks have a couple of good, young quarterbacks. If they can avoid fourth quarter collapses they could be a factor in the North race.
5. Iowa State (4-8, 1-7): Talented players like quarterback Bret Meyer, receiver Todd Blythe, linebacker Alvin Bowen and incoming four-star junior college transfer Jamicah Bass give the Cyclones reason for optimism. Last year's disaster is hard to forget, though.
6. Colorado (2-10, 2-6): Ohio State's Jim Tressel, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Florida's Urban Meyer won national championships in their second seasons on the job. Colorado's Dan Hawkins would settle for a bowl game.

SOUTH
1. Texas (10-3, 6-2): When healthy, Colt McCoy was the Big 12's best quarterback a year ago. He has a good running back and upper-level receivers for support, but the middle of the offensive line is gone. The pass defense needs a serious upgrade, too.
2. Oklahoma (11-3, 7-1): The Sooners defense will be superb as usual. The loss of tailback Adrian Peterson is obviously significant, but the big question mark is at quarterback where a freshman - Sam Bradford or Keith Nichol - may emerge as the starter. Although that could be cause for concern, uncertainty at that position never seems to be a liability for Bob Stoops' team. 3. Texas A&M (9-4, 5-3): With several returning starters and a strong finish to the regular season last year, some might have thought A&M would be one of the favorites in the conference. However, that was before the Holiday Bowl disaster - which makes us unsure of what to expect from the Aggies in 2007.
4. Oklahoma State (7-6, 3-5): The Cowboys made tremendous progress in their second season under coach Mike Gundy, and they should continue to improve if quarterback Bobby Reid can avoid injuries.
5. Texas Tech (8-5, 4-4): Productive quarterback Graham Harrell and running back Shannon Woods are returning. However, the Raiders must replace three receivers and four offensive linemen. Expect the defense to have issues - as usual.
6. Baylor (4-8, 3-5): The postseason drought has stretched to 12 seasons and looks like it's getting longer. The Bears must rebuild their secondary, find a new quarterback and establish some kind of running game.

Bob Huggins Becomes Second Coach to Win 20 Games in his First Season

David Hoskins scored 21 and Bob Huggins became the second coach at Kansas State to win 20 games in his first season in the Wildcats' 87-71 win over the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday.

Cartier Martin came off the bench to score 19, Clent Stewart added 16 and Blake Young had 13.
Huggins joins Lon Kruger as the only coaches for the Wildcats to record 20 wins in their inaugural seasons. Kruger went 20-11 in 1986-87.

It's also the first time the Wildcats (20-9, 9-5 Big 12) have won 20 games in the regular season since 1987-88. They won 20 in 1998-99 but didn't record No. 20 until the Big 12 Tournament.

The Wildcats have two games left in the regular season, at Oklahoma State and home for Oklahoma. The Cats should finish forth in the Big 12 and should recieve a 1st round bye for the Big 12 Tournament.

Foundation Snyder Built Beginning to Crumble

Mark Janssen Senior Sports Writer - The Manhattan Mercury
2/16/2007 12:16:27 PM


Bill Snyder spent 17 years constructing a football mansion based on loyalty and commitment to a singular purpose.

In less than 15 months, that granite foundation is crumbling into fine sand. By ones and twos, members of Ron Prince's first football staff, and support program, are making a mass exodus.

* Raheem Morris, defensive coordinator, is returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

* Running backs coach Tim Horton left to be offensive coordinator at the Air Force Academy.

* Pat Washington, wide receivers coach, is making a move to Mississippi State.

* Tight ends coach James Jones' contract was "not renewed."

* Strength and conditioning coach Rod Cole left K-State after 14 years of service to take a similar position at Texas A&M.

* Equipment manager Jim "Shorty" Kleinau, while not officially announced, has not been invited back after 28 years of service to the program dating back through coaches Jim Dickey, Stan Parrish and Snyder.

* Abby Boustead, director of football administration, left after one year to work on a graduate-degree at Florida.

* Graduate assistant Scott Frost has accepted a coaching position at Northern Iowa.

* And Wesley McGriff said "so long" to the Wildcat program for Miami of Florida — just a month after being hired.
There may be others.

Athletics is known for being a profession of change, but this degree after one year is reason to wonder what the heck is going on. To a large degree, Kansas State is starting over ... again.

Some movement could be spun as career advancement; others lateral, at best.
The coaches were just individuals coming through Kansas State University. Their position on the Wildcat staff was just a job — for the time being.

But with Kleinau, Kansas State loses an absolute rock in its foundation. No individual cared more, and put more into the Wildcats winning football games, than "Shorty."

Kleinau did jobs no one else wanted with pride and excellence. Washing socks to jocks, to maintaining a store of football gear wasn't a job. It was "Shorty's" profession at "his" school.

Kleinau has elected not to talk of his dismissal, but others within the program said there wasn't a "mesh" with the new leadership. One said "Shorty" wasn't "hi-tech enough."

Kleinau was the perfect "mesh" for K-State for 28 years. Significant wins meant enough to him that he would scoop up a handful of dirt, blades of grass from the sideline, and place them in a baggy as a personal souvenir.

Kleinau didn't watch hours of tape like position coaches, but in his way he made sure the Wildcats were equipped for victory.

Prince should be commended for putting seven victories on the scoreboard in 2006 and returning the Wildcats to the bowl scene.

But one wonders how the upset win over Texas distorted the true performance of the year, just as how the last two blow out losses to Kansas and Rutgers mangled what truly was accomplished.

In this space two days before the official announcement of Prince's hiring, the question was raised whether he would have enough connections to form a quality staff at the Big 12 level.

Most were young, most were without big-time collegiate experience, at least one was without a job ... and now they're gone. We don't know, but perhaps gone without a hint of a thank you to Kansas State, which gave each of them a mega opportunity.

In a teleconference after the first set of leavings and hirings, Prince said he was excited to bring "... star power to our roster of coaches."

This is nothing against the latest cast of replacements, but the second try of "star power" coaches has backgrounds from such locales as Richmond, Connecticut, Western Connecticut, Cornell, Central Connecticut State, Holy Cross, Pittsburgh, Kentucky, Temple, Salisbury State, Kentucky State, Eastern Kentucky, Appalachian State, and Maynard Evans High School (Orlando, Fla.).

It's the hope here that their collective talents will be of Big 12 standards, and their loyalty will be to their school and not just a job — for now.

Loyalty?

Look under Kleinau — "Shorty" Kleinau — in the Wildcat dictionary.

K-State's 2007 recruiting class

,Corey Adams
OL
6-4
235
Monument, Colo.

Alesana Alesana
OL
6-6
318
San Francisco City College

Clyde Aufner
OL
6-7
260
Raymore-Peculiar

Demetrius Bell
RB
5-8
158
Olathe East

LaMark Brown
ATH
6-3
215
Hazelwood West

Gary Chandler
DB
5-11
186
Coffeyville CC

Josh Cherry
K
6-1
170
McCook, Neb.

Jayson Cuba
ATH
6-2
216
Newton, Kan.

Kaleb Drinkgern
OL
6-7
260
Marysville, Kan.

Colton Freeze
OL
6-6
270
Liberty

Raphael Guidry
DE
6-4
245
LaMarque, Texas

Brian Harris
LB
6-4
220
East St. Louis, Ill.

Danny Hogan
WR
6-2
190
Dallas

Tysyn Hartman
ATH
6-3
191
Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel

Payton Kirk
DE
6-5
250
Liberty

Ben Liu
OL
6-6
325
Sacramento City CC

Jeremy Mack
TE
6-4
210
Blue Springs South

Kendrick Matthews
DB
5-11
180
Fresno, Texas

Deon Murphy
ATH
5-10
165
Coffeyville, Kan.

Chris Patterson
LB
6-3
220
Joliet, Ill., CC

Ernie Pierce
WR
6-4
215
Santa Barbara City College

Dante Pinchback
TE
6-5
255
Irving, Texas

Jeremy Reed
RB
5-11
205
Great Bend, Kan.

Jake Roepke
OL
6-7
298
Hoyt, Kan.

Kevin Rohleder
LB
6-1
205
Wichita Carroll

Eldridge Sims
OL
6-6
288
Compton College

Xzavier Stewart
DT
6-1
260
Chicago

Adonis Thomas
RB
5-10
175
Newark, N.J.

Dahrnaz Tigner
DB
6-3
210
Pompano Beach, Fla.

Brandon Walls
LB
6-0
205
Irving, Texas

Justin Woods
DB
5-10
180
Mill Valley

2006 National Championship Semi-Final Matchups

December 23rd

The Sugar Bowl
2:30pm, ABC
#1 Ohio State vs.
#5 USC

The Rose Bowl
7:00pm, ABC
#3 Michigan vs.
#4 Florida

2006 National Championship Round One Results

Round One Results: There were no major upsets in the first week of the 2006 NCAA Division 1 National Championship tournament.

December 16th, 2006.

The Capital One Bowl
45 Michigan
37 Louisville
Two offenses slugged it out for most of the game, but it was Michigan's defense that won it for Michigan. Louisville drove the ball deep into Michigan territory late in the game, but on 4th and 3, Michigan stopped Brian Brohm as he scrambled for the first down. Michigan moves on the face Florida in the Rose Bowl.

The Hoilday Bowl
24 LSU
31 USC
USC Quarterback John David Booty engineered an 84 yard scoring drive late in the 4th quarter that turned out to be the difference in a hard fought game. USC moves on the play #1 seeded Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl.

The Orange Bowl
13 Wisconsin
24 Florida
In front a crowd dominated by Florida fans, the Gators dominated both sides on the football. Leading 24-6 until Wisconsin scored a late touchdown. The University of Florida moves on to face Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

The Cotton Bowl
38 Ohio State
27 Boise State
Boise State proves that they deserved to be in the picture by taking a 14-10 lead over Ohio State mid-way through the second quarter. However, Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith turned it on in the second half and Ohio State pulls away and will face USC in the Sugar Bowl.

Ron Prince on Houston sports talk radio talking about the Texas bowl

Listen to it here...

Kansas State vs. Rutgers in the Texas Bowl

I have my tickets... do you have yours?

Athletics director Tim Weiser announced Sunday that the Wildcats (7-5) have accepted an invitation to play Rutgers (10-2) in the inaugural Texas Bowl on Dec. 28 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. (CST) and will be televised nationally by NFL Network.
The Texas Bowl marks K-State’s 12th bowl berth in the last 14 years – a feat shared by just nine other programs in the country – and the Wildcats’ fourth trip to the state of Texas for a bowl game. The Wildcats, who are making their first trip to Houston for the postseason, have previously played in the 1997 Cotton Bowl, the 1998 Alamo Bowl and the 2001 Cotton Bowl.
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase our football program in the inaugural Texas Bowl and I am pleased to accept the invitation on behalf of Kansas State University," Weiser said. "The state of Texas has always been an outstanding bowl destination for our football program and our fans. The hospitality extended to our program and our supports has always been outstanding and we are honored to be part of an exceptional matchup between two of the nation’s top conferences.”
Kansas State won three of its final four games of the season to finish tied for second in the Big 12’s North Division under first-year head coach Ron Prince to earn its first postseason bowl berth since the 2004 Fiesta Bowl.
“We are excited to be selected as the Big 12’s representative in the Texas Bowl and we are looking forward to playing one of the nation’s best teams in Rutgers on Dec. 28 in Reliant Stadium,” Prince said. “I could not be more proud of what our team has accomplished this season and I am pleased that all their hard work is being rewarded with an opportunity to play in a first-class event like the Texas Bowl.”
Under the direction of Home Depot Coach of the Year Greg Schiano, Rutgers has been one of the most notable turnaround stories in college football during the past two seasons.
Schiano guided the Scarlet Knights to just their second 10-win season in school history in 2006, including a thrilling, come-from-behind 28-25 victory over then third-ranked Louisville on Nov. 9. The win propelled the Scarlet Knights to their first top-10 ranking in school history. Overall this season, Rutgers has been ranked for 11 consecutive weeks, the longest stretch ever for the Scarlet Knights.
The 2006 Texas Bowl will be the first meeting between K-State and Rutgers on the gridiron and the second time the Wildcats have squared off with a current member of the Big East Conference this season. K-State fell to then-No.8 Louisville on Sept. 23 and is 4-7 all time vs. current members of the league.
The Wildcats have faced Big East teams in three bowls, splitting games with Syracuse in the 1997 Fiesta Bowl (W, 35-18) and 2001 Insight.com Bowl (L, 26-3) and falling to Boston College – now a member of the ACC – in the 1994 Aloha Bowl (L, 12-7).
Kansas State will begin accepting ticket orders for the Texas Bowl beginning at 9 a.m., Monday after the Wildcats accepted an invitation Sunday to play in the December 28 game in Houston against Rutgers of the Big East Conference.
K-State has been allocated approximately 10,500 tickets for the game, which will be played in Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Houston Texans. Tickets are available through K-State in the stadium’s lower level at $35, $50 and $75, and in the Club level for $50 or $75.
The easiest method to order tickets is online at www.k-statesports.com, clicking on the bowl information tab and selecting “Buy Bowl Tickets.” Donors to the Ahearn Scholarship Fund and season ticket holders placing online orders should click on the “Donor/Season Ticket Holder” button for tickets. Fans may also order in person at the K-State Athletic Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum or by calling 1-800-221-CATS.
Ahearn Fund members and season ticket holders will receive seating preference for bowl orders placed by 5 p.m., Wednesday, December 6. Donors at the $3,000 level and above will be given seating priority up to 10 tickets. Donors below the $3,000 level and all other fans placing orders will receive seating priority up to six tickets. Assignment of all seating allocated to K-State will be based on the K-State Priority Points system. All orders will include a $15 handling fee and tickets will be distributed through a priority delivery service.
Fans interested in travel packages are encouraged to call the K-State Alumni Association’s bowl hotline at 866-373-7379. Travel options include air transportation and hotel, as well as land-only packages. For additional information on the travel packages, Alumni Association pre-game party and the all-University pep rally visit the Association’s web site at www.k-state.com.

2006 National Championship Bracket

The final BCS standings are out and the top 8 teams remain the same as last week, but with some obvious movement at the top.

Once again, there are teams out there that could make a case for playing for the National Championship but will not have a chance. If and when the powers that be decide we should move to a playoff, here is what it would look like this year:

Round One:
December 16th, 2006.

The Capital One Bowl
11:ooam Kickoff ESPN
#3 Michigan vs. #6 Louisville

The Hoilday Bowl
2:30pm Kickoff ESPN
#4 LSU vs. #5 USC

The Orange Bowl
2:30pm Kickoff ABC
#7 Wisconsin vs. #2Florida

The Cotton Bowl
7:00pm Kickoff ABC
#1 Ohio State vs. #8 Boise State

Results from the first round will be posted tomorrow with seating for the second round.

Another BCS Joke

UCLA beat USC on Saturday and threw the BCS upside down. USC was a lock to play Ohio State for the Mythical National Championship game until they got shut down by UCLA. Now we have at least two teams, Michigan and Florida who both deserve to be in the Championship game, but only one will have a shot.

Michgans only loss came against the #1 ranked Buckeyes in Columbus, by 3 points. It was a great game and on a neuteral field, it could turn out differently.

Florida played the toughest schedule in the country and lost only to Auburn.

Both are very deserving. Then there are teams like Boise State who is undefeated. Oklahoma who should be 12-1, except that the referees robbed them of a win at Oregon State.

Later today the BCS rankings will come out and at least one team that deserves a shot at the National Championship will be left to play for money.

Yet another year has gone by when the BCS failed to deliver what it was designed to do. Guarantee a #1 vs. #2 championship game.

Early Kansas State Bowl Projections

The projections are all over the board right now. Here is a sample of the destinations and possible opponents:

The Texas Bowl, Houston, TX
December 28th

Kansas State vs. Rutgers

This would be a great game for Kansas State if they got matched up against Rutgers. It would give Kansas State an opportunity to play a team that is currently ranked #13 in the nation.

The Insight.com Bowl, Tempe, AZ
December 29th

Kansas State vs. Minnesota

Not a great matchup for Kansas State but a better bowl then the Texas Bowl. A chance for Ron Prince to have his first bowl appearance in the same location as Bill Snyder's first bowl.

The Alamo Bowl, San Antonio, TX
December 30th

Kansas State vs. Iowa

Opprotunity for a win over a Big Ten school with a solid program on a down year. The Alamo bowl is a great destination for fans.

Independence Bowl Shreveport, LA
December 27

Kansas State vs. South Carolina

Great chance for rookie Head Coach to go against coaching ledgend Steve Spurrier. Not a great bowl destination, but the location of the first ever KSU bowl appearance vs. Wisconsin.

NCAA Football Playoff

It is that time of year... teams are being slotted for bowl games and the final BCS rankings will be out next week to determine who will play for the Mythical National Championship. The NCAA Division 1 Football is the only sport on any level that does not decide its championship on the field. Instead it is turned over to computers and voters to determine who will get to play in one game to determine the eventual champion.

The system has been flawed from the beginning. It is setup to fail. We have had a split national championship under this system and almost every year the controversy surrounding the two team selected overshadows the actual game.

A playoff is the only way we are going to have a true national champion. All other divisions of NCAA football have a playoff.... why not in the only division that really matters. NCAA football is the greatest sport with the worst post season.

There are no legitimate arguments against an 8 team playoff. The NCAA cries about student athletes missing too much time, then they add a 12th game to the schedule. They are not concerned about the NCAA Basketball tournament with requires their student athletes to miss considerably more time then a football playoff would.

There are concerns about the Bowl system and what it would do to the minor bowls. This is also complete B.S. All the existing bowls would remain in place and be a reward for those teams that qualified. There would also be seven bowls involved in the playoff and they would all have a shot at hosting the eventual national champions.

Here is my proposal in a nutshell. We leave the BCS formula in place as it is. We take the top 8 teams in the BCS at the end of the year. These 8 teams would then play a tournament over 3 weeks to determine the National Champion.

You say what about #9, they won't have a shot. True, but if your team is ranked #9 or higher, you didn't take care of business throughout the year. Eight teams will include any unbeaten teams and usually all the one loss teams.

The teams would be given a week off after the end of the season and the first game would be on Dec. 16th and the Championship game would be two weeks later on the 30th. If you wanted to give the teams an extra week to prepare for the championship game, it could be held on Jan. 6th.

Below I have listed the first round games as they stand today. This is of course, subject to change after the final week of games this saturday.

Round One - December 16th

The Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX

VS.

The Orange Bowl, Miami, FL

VS.

The Capital One Bowl, Orlando, FL

VS.

The Hoilday Bowl, San Diego, CA

VS.