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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 7
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014
QUOTE OF THE DAY
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THE MORNING BREW
Feyton Manning after losing to the New England Patriots 23-43
FACT OF THE DAY
The Chiefs have faced the Buffalo Bills for seven straight seasons.
ESPN.com
The AFC Playoff spots are still up for grabs
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
A:2007
Q: When's the last time the Cleveland Browns started 5-3?
ESPN.com
There are currently five teams with 5-3 records in the AFC, and the Kansas City Chiefs are one of them.
one of them.
Standing one-half game ahead of the San Diego Chargers and one game back of the division-leading Denver Broncos, the topsy-turvy nature of the NFL has vastly changed the outlook of the season for the Chiefs.
The Chiefs have lost two of their three games on the last possession of the game including a game-ending interception against the San Francisco 49ers. They have done all of this without its best run-stoppers in defensive end Mike DeVito and linebacker Derrick Johnson, who were injured and declared out for the season after Week 1.
San Diego, the other threat to the Broncos in the AFC West, hasn't looked as sharp as was perceived earlier in the year.
Three of the Chargers' five wins have come against the New York Jets, Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars. These teams have a combined record of 2-24 and are living in the basement of the NFL.
Behind the Cincinnati Bengals, who have the hardest schedule the rest of the way, the rest of the Chiefs' opponents records are 34-32 with only two games against teams with a below .500 record (Oakland Raiders).
The Broncos still have five games against teams currently in the playoff race, but it's unlikely that they lose more than three. Whether you believe that the cold weather is suppressing Peyton Manning's prowess, he will have to reinforce that it's just a myth. Denver has to play in Kansas City, in Denver against Buffalo and in Cincinnati in late November and December.
If the Chiefs defeat the Buffalo Bills this weekend, a more concise playoff picture will be presented, but games in Buffalo aren't ever automatic. However, the Chiefs won't have to worry about spiraling into oblivion after a road loss because they alternate home and road the rest of the way.
Looking ahead is always dangerous, but Week 16 could loom large for the playoff race as two AFC West teams face the two favorites to win the AFC North.
The Chiefs will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers, as Denver will travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals.
Before the season, the Chiefs' schedule was seen as a daunting task, but now as everything has progressed, winning the AFC West isn't infeasible. They don't entirely control their own destiny, but in order to ensure another postseason spot, winning five or six of their last eight games would likely do the job.
Last year, it was backup quarterbacks pulling out close games that could've turned the other way that propelled the Chiefs into the playoffs. This year it will have to face the brunt of the AFC wild card teams and two of the best NFC teams. A half-season in the NFL feels like a lifetime, but it can also can force teams to plunge from glory as the Chiefs saw last year.
This week in athletics
— Edited by Miranda Davis
Tuesday No Events
Wednesday
Women's Volleyball
Baylor
6:30 p.m.
Lawrence
Thursday
No Events
Women's Soccer Semifinals All day Kansas City, Mo.
Friday
Football
iowa State
2:30 p.m.
Lawrence
Saturday
Mens Golf
Ka'anapali Collegiate
Classic
All day
Sunday
Monday
No Events
Big 12 Power Rankings: K-State and TCU top Big 12
DAN HARMSEN
@kansansports
1. No. 9 KANSAS STATE 7-1 (5-0 Big 12)
Last time out: Won vs. Oklahoma State 48-14
homa State 48-14
Quarterback Jake Waters continued his extraordinary season on Saturday, completing 68 percent of his passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns. After allowing Oklahoma State a 7-0 lead, Kansas State refocused with surgeon-like precision. The Wildcats held Oklahoma State in a vise grip from halftime onward, holding the Cowboys to just 48 yards of total offense.
This week, Kansas State travels to TCU for the biggest game of the year within the conference, and a win would give them a comfortable spot in the drivers seat.
Trending: Up
Next up: at TCU
2. No. 7 TCU 7-1 (4-1 Big 12)
Last time out: Won at West
Virginia 31-30
TCU didn't play its best game of the year, but no victory this season showed more of this team's championship
build than the come-from-behind road victory against West Virginia. The Horned Frogs' defense held West Virginia to its second lowest total of the season, and as a whole, allow just 22.6 points per game. Trending: Up
Next up: vs. Kansas State
3. No. 13 BAYLOR 7-1 (4-1 Big
Last time out: Won vs. Kan ses 60-14
When Baylor and Oklahoma mack this weekend, both teams will be coming off easy wins. Baylor had no trouble with Kansas at home, and Oklahoma got even less of a struggle from Iowa State in Ames, Iowa. This Saturday, the two collide in Norman, Okla. The winner keeps its name in the hat for the Big 12 Championship — the loser can all but forget about it.
Trending: Same
Next up: at Oklahoma
4. No. 18 OKLAHOMA 6-2 (3-2
Bio 12)
Last time out: Won at Iowa State 59-14
First off, Oklahoma rushed for 751 yards last week and quarterback Trevor Knight
became the first FBS player to rush for three touchdowns and throw for three in the same game this season. He was without his star wide receiver, Sterling Shepard, as well. This game was never in question, though, as the Sooners held claim to a 21-0 lead with 2:42 left in the first quarter.
The win helped remove the sting from the previous week's home loss to K-State, but the real test is this Saturday when the Sooners take on Baylor at home.
Trending: Same
Next up: vs. Baylor
5. No. 20 WEST VIRGINIA 6-3 (4-2 Big 12)
Last time out: Lost vs. TCU 30.31
West Virginia jumped out to a 13-0 lead over TCU, led 27-14 later, and had a 30-21 lead with less than 15 minutes to play, but it still wasn't enough. Even though the Mountaineers kept Heisman-hopeful Trevone Boykin quiet for most of the night, the quarterback made plays down the stretch and set up a 37-yard Jaden Oberkrom field goal that would win it as time expired.
Trending: Up
Next up: at Texas
6. OKLAHOMA STATE 5-4
Bir 12)
Last time out: Lost at Kansas State 14-48
Despite struggling this season after losing 17 starters between offense and defense, the Sooners are one win away from qualifying for postseason play.
After grabbing a 7-0 lead in Manhattan, it would have been nice to see the Cowboys put up more of a fight over the rest of the game, but Kansas State was too much, and the Wildcats rattled off 45-straight points. The first seven of those 45 came on the kickoff following the Tyreek Hill touchdown run.
Trending: Down
Next up: vs. Texas
7. TEXAS 4-5 (3-3 Big 12)
7. TEXAS 4-5 (3-3 Big 12)
Last time out: Won at Texas
Tech 34-13
Quarterback Tyrone Swoopes completed slightly over half of his passes, running back Malcolm Brown carried the ball well and the Longhorns left Lubbock, Texas with a humdrum victory. They host West Virginia this week, travel
to Oklahoma State next week and wrap things up at home against TCU.
Trending: Up
Next up: vs. West Virginia
8. TEXAS TECH 3-6 (1-5 Big 12)
Last time out: Lost vs. Texas
13-34
Following a week in which the team allowed 82 points, Texas Tech backed that beauty up by losing to one of the feeblest teams in Texas history by 21 points and it was at home. The Texas Tech defense is the fifth worst in the country, allowing 41.6 points per game and the program is falling apart at the seams.
Trending: Down
Next up: vs. Oklahoma
9. IOWA STATE 2-6 (0-5)
Last time out: Lost vs. Oklahoma 14-59
Quarterback Sam Richardson had one of the worst performances you'll see out of a Big 12 quarterback in this day and age. Richardson went 15-for-40 through the air. He threw 25 incompletions. That was until offensive coordinator Mark Mangino and coach Paul Rhoads had their fill, and went with backup quarterback
Grant Rohach to bleed it out.
Iowa State has allowed at least 30 points or more in every game but one. They face Kansas in Lawrence and the loser of that game will be eliminated from bowl-contention.
Trending: Down
Trending: Down Next up: at Kansas
10. KANSAS 2-6 (0-5)
Last time out: Lost at Baylor
14-60
The Baylor game was lost well before it was played on Saturday. Kansas was dominated in the trenches on both sides of the football throughout the afternoon due to the fact that the team has been out-recruited and out-developed at the line of scrimmage for well over five years by the Baylor Bears.
Junior quarterback Michael Cummings passed for 10 more yards (288) than Baylor's Bryce Petty, and although the Jayhawk secondary played valiantly against a high-flying passing attack, it wasn't enough to overcome Kansas' shortcomings up front.
Trending: Same
Next up: vs. Iowa State
Edited by Ben Carroll
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