[onewhippedpuppy]

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.