KSU New BCS #1 - ESPN Not Happy
 

As a Kansan that was born and raised in Manhattan, KS (home of KSU) and did a portion of my college there, the situation with the current rankings makes me simultaneously proud and disgusted. Has there ever been a #1 team that has received LESS credit than Kansas State? On the BCS Countdown show last night, KSU probably received the least airtime despite being the new #1. On the last Heisman update clip that I saw, they showed highlight clips of everyone except for Collin Klein. On the ESPN website there is currently one tab (last one) titled "K-State Wins", with the first one of course stating how the SEC will make their way back into the BCS title game. Every ESPN CFB program spends their time covering how (hoping?) Oregon and Notre Dame could jump KSU.

How is this not the feel good story of the year? A team full of 2 and 3 star athletes (most from KS) bound by a value system from their old fashioned coach that preaches attributes like working together and constantly improving. An un-recruited QB that played receiver and special teams that is now the Heisman frontrunner. A team that plays as a team, plays mistake free football, and always finds a way to win. This is, to me at least, the reason why I love college sports. Very few of these guys are playing with the expectation of ending up in the NFL. They are playing for their team, their school, and their love of the game. Isn't that what it's all about?

I can't help but wonder how much this is about ratings. Oregon, Notre Dame, Alabama, etc have large national fan bases that will tune in to watch their team play. KSU not so much, though their fans are known for being some of the best traveling fans in the nation. It occurs to me that since the BCS title game will be shown on ESPN, that they certainly have a vested interest in attempting to boost their ratings by any means necessary. Though with that said, last year's rematch of the "game of the century" was a terrible game that received terrible ratings. I guess I'm just proud of what my hometown team has accomplished, and I'd like to see them get some credit.

The national broadcasters usually spit after saying anything positive about any Big 12 team.

Sometimes when you are a big fish in a little pond you feel like you aren't getting the respect you deserve. I wonder how long some of the undefeated teams would remain undefeated if they played in the SEC?

I will concede that the SEC is the toughest football conference in the country, though that reputation also serves to over-hype mediocre SEC teams. But I also believe that the Big 12 isn't too far behind. Alabama lost to the 4th ranked opponent that they played this year. KSU has beaten five top 25 ranked teams so far this year, and will have to beat #15 Texas their final game of the year. So they have not had an easy road to get to this point.

Pretending a popularity poll is a good way to crown a winner in a sporting contest is dumber than a prius in the fast lane.

Anything other than SEC can't be a good team in their eyes...

Amen to that! A playoff can't come soon enough, though four teams is still far too few.

+ Notre Dame + USC + Oregon. Then we've about covered it.

$$$$

I agree Matt. It's all about popularity, viewership and advertising dollars. And this is coming from a Jayhawk grad! :D

Watched the Ducks game over the weekend...they showed some vulnerability. Hope the Kansas State crew took notes.

Any team that gives up 51 is beatable. Oregon is going to be in trouble when they have to face a good defense.

VERY happy about K State. I'm an Oregon fan, but I think it will be hard for them to run the table. They have Stanford then Oregon State before a Pac-12 Championship game. Three very tough games.

Collin Klein and Marcus Mariota would be GREAT to watch in a BCS Championship game.

They've been saying that all season long...hope Those Kansas State defense guys are in great shape, because they won't be getting much time to rest.

Don't read me wrong tho..I really, really want somebody to beat the Ducks. Chip Kelly's arrogance is a turn off for anybody but the rabid folks who fill Autzen...

If there is a genius in football, it's Chip Kelly. Not just the spread offense and the crazy conditioning. It's the MATH.

How Oregon Coach Chip Kelly Can Spark 'Moneyball' Revolution In NFL | ThePostGame

And he won't hesitate for one second to tell anybody who will listen just what a genius he is. :mad:

The entire starting defensive line is out injured. As is the starting safety. But I agree, they are beatable. I don't expect them to win out. K-State vs. Notre Dame would be a great championship game.

Oregon overcomes injuries to move to No. 1 - Yahoo! Sports

I think KSU/Oregon is an interesting matchup. KSU is used to stopping wide open spread offenses in the Big 12, and their grinding run-heavy offense is much more SEC style. As a KSU fan I honestly am more concerned about playing Oregon than Notre Dame.

this is completely stupid - Chip Kelly is a very unassuming guy - very New Hampshirish

he simply hates to spend time talking

If it ends up KSU/Oregon, I hope you are right, and that it's a good game.

But I don't think it will be. The slow, plodding Big 12 doesn't seem to do well against quick, up tempo teams. And Oregon is crazy quick. This is not a "spread offense" that KSU is used to defending. KSU has not seen anything remotely like what Oregon is doing.

I think Oregon would absolutely eat KSU alive. KSU's defense will be breathing fumes in the second half. If Oregon does make it to the NC game, KSU should be careful of wishing to also be there. IMO it could end up being an embarassment for KSU and the Big 12.

(Again, I hope that's not the case, though!)

Also, from what I've seen, Oregon's run defense is pretty good.

Their pass defense seems a little suspect. But I think they can stop the run just fine.

Solid post and very well said Matt.

If the Gators can't be there....I'm pulling hard for K-State!

:)

I find it hard to describe most Big 12 teams as slow and plodding. Ever watch Texas Tech? Oklahoma State? West Virginia? Baylor last year? The majority of Big 12 teams play a very wide open spread offense that looks similar to Oregon, based on the several Oregon games that I've watched this year. When KSU played OSU this year they were in the top 5 of most national offensive categories, KSU beat them 44-30 and it wasn't as close as the score indicates. But hey, I hope we get to determine who is right!

Wasn't this basically what was said about Alabama/Oregon last year?

You think Kansas gets no respect, imagine how I feel, born and raised in Boise, Idaho. Until this year, that little upstart team, the Broncos, would go unbeaten (but ranked) and get no BCS love at all. I feel your pain, Matt.

Has there ever been a #1 team that has received LESS credit than Kansas State?

Yes, University of Virginia was #1 for three weeks in 1990.

Good point. I'm a big fan of the underdog, so despite my Big 12 bias I enjoyed watching them beat OU in the Fiesta Bowl a few years back. I suspect that Boise State is another team that can't wait for a playoff.

Probably, but what happened between Alabama and Oregon last year? Did they even play each other??

I thought that in the bowl games, Oregon ran all over the place and "outquicked" and defeated a slower Big 10 team (Wisconsen?)

I think Alabama would have had a difficult time beating Oregon last year.

Maybe it wasn't last year (my college football memory isn't the best), but I do know that Alabama faced Oregon's much hyped "blur" and shut it down.

For pretty good reason, IMO.

They'd go unbeaten, but they very rarely play any decent team.

This year is a good example. They've played one ranked team (Top 25). And the Broncos lost that game.

Compare that with, say, Alabama, who has had to play 4 top 15 teams so far.

Or Florida, who plays 5 ranked teams this year.

Or Oregon, who also plays 5 ranked teams this year.

I think the Broncos are a very good team, but you're never going to get much of respect beating a bunch of unranked minor league teams. It's not really their fault they are in a weak conference and have a very weak schedule, but it is what it is.

Maybe you're thinking Auburn the year they won it all?

Maybe I'm on drugs, but I don't recall Alabama ever playing Oregon, much less shutting them down.

Auburn whupped the ducks...I loved it!

they won the game - barely -- but if it helps your mental health to call it a whupping, then by all means Paul

you mean Denver?

IDK what exactly I was thinking. I'm probably mashing up a bunch of different games in my head.

I'll go sit over in the corner silently and watch.

Someone above said it.... ratings, $, ratings, $, ratings, $. ESPN could give a rats ass about sports anymore. As far as I'm concerned they jumped the shark quite a few years ago.
I hope K State does runs the table, along with Oregon. Screw ESPN & the BCS. I think it would be a good game.
Oh and there are reasons the SEC is so good. I won't get into that right now, wouldn't be politically correct.

LOL, don't do that!

My sense is that while there are a lot of experts on a lot of subjects here, there really aren't any huge college football watchers here. Mostly just casual observers, like myself.

I think you were thinking of Auburn, who narrowly beat Oregon last year to win it all.

Auburn wasn't a "3 yards and a cloud of dust" kind of Big 12 team. They were a very athletic SEC team, they had Cam Newton on offense and Nick (?) Fairley on defense, both of who were pretty dominant players (both are already NFL stars).

I think the top SEC teams can generally beat the top PAC 12 teams, for sure. Let's face it, the SEC is the toughest conference in college football. So Auburn edging out Oregon, I don't think, was a big surprise to anyone.

I don't think any Big 12 team matches up well with Oregon, though.

Amen.

I'm pretty certain I was thinking Auburn as well (Auburn is in Alabama, righ? CLOSE ENOUGH). I just remembered the hype surrounding the "unstoppable" Oregon offense and how there weren't any defenses capable of stopping them, not even the mighty SEC teams.

Now, Oregon isn't assured a spot in the title game yet, not with their remaining schedule. And while I do not begrudge that program any success, nothing would make me happier than to see Notre Dame face KSU for the title. No SEC, no PAC-12, no Big Ten. Just a "no-name" school from the Big 12 and a non-conference team. Take that, BCS.

nuthin' else to do down there (except in La.)

Go Ducks!

College needs the playoff system asap...as with any given sunday....a top caliber team can win/lose !
SEC makes me sick.