THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2007
SPORTS
3B
BIG 12 FOOTBALL
Who will go where?
BY CASE KEEFER
ckoefer@kemeier.com
ckeefer@kansan.com
MISSOURI
Eight Big 12 Conference teams will accept bowl bids in four days. But waiting around for Sunday's announcement just isn't as fun as taking part in the annual guessing game of which teams will end up where. So here is an idea of where the eight bowl-eligible Big 12 teams will likely wind up.
The scenario couldn't be much simpler for the Tigers. If Missouri beats Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship Saturday, it's headed for New Orleans and the BCS Championship Game on Jan. 7th. If the Tigers lose, things get a little
m u r k y
They could still wind up with a BCS at-large bid from the
Rose, Orange or Sugar Bowl, but if the Big 12 only ends up with one team in the BCS or if Kansas is chosen instead, they would play in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
OKLAHOMA
The Sooners will either descend upon Dallas or Glendale, Ariz. If
they lose to the Tigers in the Big 12 Championship, they are a lock for the Cotton Bowl, where they would likely face Arkansas.
Auburn or Tennessee. If Oklahoma beats top-ranked Missouri, however, it will represent the Big 12 in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2nd.
KANSAS
probably play the Pac 10's second-
Prepare yourself for this Jayhawk fans: You need to root for Missouri to assure Kansas a spot in a BCS bowl. Kansas will go to the Fiesta Bowl and
place team
if Missouri's
bid at vengeance
is success-
ful against
Oklahoma.
If the
Sooners
beat
Tigers, the Jayhawks could conceivably wind up in the Sugar, Rose or Orange Bowl. The Cotton, Gator or Holiday Bowl would be a more realistic destination if Oklahoma wins
TEXAS
Texas fans may have left Kyle Field enraged that their team just lost to
arren Texas A&M.
But the loss probably landed the longhorns in a more attractive bowl local
tion. It looks like it would take a major shakeup to pry the Longhorns away from San Diego in the Holiday Bowl. Texas would play the Pac 10's third or fourth place team, which would be either Arizona State, Oregon, Oregon State or UCLA.
TEXAS TECH
Coach Mike Leach and the Red
TEXAS A&M
Raiders are projected to head south to Jacksonville, Fla. for the Gator Bowl right now. But the Gator Bowl doesn't have to take a 12-ball team; it
has the option to select a Big East squad instead. If the Gator Bowl turns away from Texas Tech, the Red Raiders will stay in Texas for either the Alamo Bowl or the Sun Bowl, in San Antonio and El Paso.
Texas. texas
A&M fans
already travel
well but would
show up in
droves if they
played a short
three hours
away. Texas
The Aggies are an attractive team for the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio,
A&M would likely match up with a tradition-rich Big 10 Conference team. The Alamo Bowls have the fourth selection in the Big 10, which means it could select Michigan, Penn State or Wisconsin.
OKLAHOMA STATE
Oklahoma State has the same record as Colorado so the Insight
Bowl will have to pick between the two teams. The Cowboys are more attractive on a national level because of a high-octane
offense and a recognizable coach in Mike Gundy. But if the Big 12 only gets one team in a BCS Bowl, Oklahoma State could drop to the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La. or the Texas Bowl in Houston.
COLORADO
Coach Dan Hawkins led his new team to bowl-eligibility in his second
year at the helm. But it's uncertain which bowl. The Buffalooes could play in the
Independence Bowl against either Mississippi State, Alabama or South Carolina. But a berth in the Texas Bowl against Houston is also possible.
FOOTBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Edited by Rachael Gray
career touchdown catches rank fifth all-time.
SPECIAL TEAMS RECORDS
Senior tight end Derek Fine became the school's most prolific pass-catching tight end when he secured his 88th reception and passed John Mosier for the most career receptions at the position. Fine, who has 44 catches and four touchdowns this season, needs just three more receptions to break the century mark for his career. Freshman wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe set the school record for touchdown receptions by a freshman (seven) and junior wide receiver Dexton Fields became just the fifth Jayhawk to reel in 10 or more receptions in a game when he caught 11 against Iowa State.
The lajhawks' stable of experienced special teams contributors also worked their way up some of the program's lists this season. Senior kicker Scott Webb has scored a single-season record 110 points and sits 12 points shy of the career points record with one contest remaining. Webb already owns the school's all-time extra point record (156) and consecutive extra points converted (45). Junior kick returner Marcus Herford, an All-Big 12 Second Team selection, broke his own record for single-season kick return yardage (841) and holds the career yards per return
record (28 yards per return).
TEAM RECORDS
As a team, the Jayhawks obliterated many of their previous records. This year's squad has scored more points (532), gained more yards (5,893) and earned more first downs (307) than any previous Kansas team.
Last but certainly not least, Kansas set a school record in the most important statistical category of all: victories. The Kansas Jayhawks have won a single-season high 11 games - and they have the chance to add one more.
Edited by Ashlee Kieler
BOWL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Kansas' most possible BCS destination is the Fiesta Bowl, the Orange Bowl was still considering them.
"There are a lot of schools that we are still considering. KU is in that mix," Wahl said. "They did everything that was asked of them. They won every game that was asked, except for the last one. They are worthy of their standing, there is no question."
"We've done our homework," Fiss said. "We know Kansas fans will travel great, regardless of whether it is basketball or football. They are top-five — that speaks for itself. We know the fans will follow them."
Fiss said the Cotton Bowl, which pays $3 million per institution, had been in contact with the Kansas
Wahl said Kansas' lack of historical success in football would not prevent the Orange Bowl from selecting them — last year the Orange hosted Wake Forest, who does not have a great football history and is a smaller university than Kansas. Wahl said Wake Forest sold out their ticket allotment.
Charlie Fiss, a Cotton Bowl representative, said his game is looking at Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. Fiss said he didn't know what would happen this weekend and didn't know which way his group would vote.
Athletic Department. He declined to specifically address the issue of his bowl possibly taking a three-loss Longhorn squar over the one-loss Jayhawks, and said the group would look at a bevy of factors including record, team strength, fan base, television attractiveness, and more.
Fiss did say Kansas rates high in the fan department：“KU, name the sport, whether is football or basketball, we know they have great fans.”
Kansas has hosted representatives from every BCS Bowl except for the Rose this year. The Cotton and Holiday Bowls also both sent representatives to the KU-MU game on Saturday. The Fiesta Bowl has sent more representatives to Kansas games than any other bowl.
Fiesta Bowl representatives did not immediately return University Daily Kansan phone calls seeking comment for this story.
Marchiony said the Athletics Department was not concerned that a lack of prestige would hurt the football team in bowl selections and said, "we think the process will play out fairly."
CBSsportline is projecting Kansas into the Fiesta against Arizona State: "With our prediction
details
Marchiony said the high rating of the Kansas-Missouri football game on Saturday spoke for itself.
of Missouri in the title game, we think Kansas will still be an at-large pick with only one loss, especially if the Fiesta Bowl loses the Big 12 champion. With the Fiesta Bowl's other selection, it will take the Pac-10 runner up, which will be Arizona State. Illinois could also sneak in here instead of the Sun Devils".
MSNBC projected the same Jayhawk-Sun Devils matchup. "If Missouri goes to the title game, a one-loss Kansas team will be an attractive at-large choice for the Fiesta."
In other words, for possibly the first time ever, layhawks fans on Saturday will become Tiger fans.
- Edited by Amelia Freidline
Group reflection sessions. One more way to complete reflection. In order to fulfill the requirement for Certification, attend two sessions.
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