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SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
7A
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2001
Commentary
Brent Wasko Columnist sportsokansan.com
BCS is best for college football
The Bowl Championship Series, which determines the teams that play for the college football national title, is under a microscope again this season from fans, reporters, players and coaches.
Those who are critical of the BCS think it is not a perfect formula to determine who should be crowned national champion, but those cynics fail to see that the formula is better than any possible alternative. It helps teams that play difficult schedules. Big 12 Conference schools benefit in this way because of the BCS, and even though it seems remote, Kansas may also some day benefit because of the formula
Last Saturday, BCS No. 2 Nebraska beat No. 1 Oklahoma, 20-10. No. 3 UCLA also lost. No. 4 Miami, meanwhile, remained the only unbeaten team besides Nebraska, which would logically mean that it should jump up to No. 2 in the standings — right?
Wrong. The Sooners only dropped one spot despite their loss, and Miami only moved up to No. 3—still out of the national championship picture. The Hurricanes have become victims of the BCS formula, which is too difficult to explain to the typical sports fan without the help of a rocket scientist. If you want to get technical, go to http://espn.go.com/abcsports/bcs for an extensive explanation.
Miami fans might be upset by the rankings, but the reality is that their team doesn't deserve to be in position to win a national title at this point in the season. Oklahoma and Nebraska play in the Big 12—the best football conference in the country this season. Miami plays in the Big East Conference—one of the weakest in the nation.
Oklahoma should be rewarded for playing one of the top 10 most difficult schedules in the country, and it has been by the BCS. Miami's schedule strength is the 76th most difficult among Division I-A teams. The Hurricanes can do very little about the strength of their conference, but the team's weak schedule makes its unbeaten record less credible.
Miami might be getting the shaft because of the BCS and the importance the formula places on schedule strength, but the formula is still far better any alternative.
The only suggestion in recent years to replace the BCS has been to implement a playoff system. Fans have to look no further than college basketball for evidence that a playoff system wouldn't be better than the BCS. The NCAA basketball tournament is truly unfair and rarely does the best team leave it as a national champion
In 1997, Kansas lost only two games the entire season by a total of four points but didn't even make it out of the Sweet Sixteen. Arizona, on the other hand, lost nine games during the regular season but rolled through the tournament, winning the title. Sure, Arizona did beat Jayhawks in the tournament, but that one regional semifinal game should not have determined the champion. Kansas was the country's best team and it deserved to go to the Final Four.
This season, the Kansas football team has the most difficult schedule in the country. If it were any good, which its 2-5 record shows that it is obviously not, the team would benefit from the BCS formula. Assuming the teams within the conference remain strong, and they should, Big 12 schools should hope the BCS is around for a long time.
■ Wasko is a Salina senior in journalism
K-State stomps Jayhawks
Wildcats out-play Kansas in volleyball match-up on court. in statistics
By Steve Laurenzo Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas State volleyball team dominated Kansas last night, sweeping the Jayhawks 30-18, 30-21 and 30-23.
The Wildcats destroyed the Jayhawks in game one, out-blocking them five to one and hitting 50 percent to Kansas' -17.2 percent. Kansas' 12 service errors contributed to the negative percentage
AARON SHOWALTER/KANSAN
Senior outside hitter Lisa Mimick led the Wildcats with six kills in game one. She had 15 kills and 13 digs on the match.
The volleyball team's record is now 13-12 (3-11 in the Big 12 Conference).
The Jahawks' inferior offensive numbers in game one were accentuated by the low totals of the two leading scorers. Sophomore outside hitters Sarah Rome and Abbie Jacobson tied with three each.
Game two saw much of the same poor play by the Jayhawks, as junior middle blocker Molly Scavuzzo contributed
Junior hitter Kylie Thomas, left, and sophomore Danielle McHenry are unable to block a spike from Kansas state. KU lost 3-0 to the Wildcats last night at Horejsi Family Athletics Center.
four of her seven total kills. Scavuzzo's mark of seven lead the team.
Kansas started game three strong,
leading 6-1 to start. But Kansas State got
right back into the game with a 5-0 run and tied the game at seven, which allowed the Wildcats to pull away
The Wildcats dominated the Jayhawks
in all key statistical areas. They had 51 kills, 55 digs and 11 blocks to the Jayhawks' 25 kills, 45 digs and eight blocks
Kansas coach Ray Bechard said he was disappointed and surprised at how poorly his team played.
"We played well Sunday and we practiced well leading up to this," Bechard said. "We thought we were poised to give a good effort and we didn't.
"We did start game three well, but we didn't sustain," Bechard said. "We talked a lot about what they were going to do, but we didn't take care of our side of the net and what we needed to do to be successful."
Bechard wasn't surprised by the dominant performance of a Kansas State team that was both taller and older.
"They played really well," Bechard said. "They played clean and they looked very comfortable. We didn't do much to take them out of what they wanted to do."
Rome sat out the entire third game.
Scavuzzo said the real Kansas team simply didn't show up.
Visions of ESPN dance in their heads
"We just didn't do it tonight," Scavuzo said. "We just didn't compete."
Contact Laurenzo at 864-4858
By Brent Briggeman Kansan sportswriter
A home win against Nebraska: that would be Kyle Grady's SportsCenter highlight.
You remember the ESPN commercials, don't you? Athletes daydreaming about their ideal moments, their time in the sun, and, ultimately, their time on the cable sports station.
That's the fantasy for Kansas players this week. For a team that's thirsty for motivation, the dream of an upset has become a driving force in preparing for the Cornhuskers, who are No.2 in the Associated Press poll and No.1 in the Bowl Championship Series rankings.
"Beating the No. 1 team in the country and we'd be the highlight of SportsCenter," said Grady, a senior offensive lineman.
More than the publicity that would come with beating the 'Huskers, Grady said the team needed a positive turn in what has been a frustrating season.
"I think the team needs it really bad," he said. "We need something in the season that's going to uplift you."
Even Terry Allen joined the talk about SportsCenter
"When you're 19-, 20-, 21 years old, you love to have that opportunity for that SportsCenter moment," Allen said. "Hey, you beat Nebraska and you're going to be the opening for SportsCenter for 24 hours."
you are going to be the opening for oppenions the odds are weighed heavily against them. Despite Kansas' optimism, they know the odds are weighed heavily against them. The Jayhawks have won two times in 19 tries against teams ranked either No.1 or No.2. They've lost 10 consecutive games against ranked teams and have dropped 32 straight to Nebraska.
The players are aware of the situation, and so is Allen, which was evident by his sarcasm yesterday.
Junior center Nick Smith cracked a smile when he said the Jayhawks were still mathematically alive for a bowl (they'd have to win their last five games to become eligible). And Allen started yesterday's press conference joking about forgetting his wife's Halloween birthday.
"I'm in enough trouble as it is," Allen said, referring to the job pressure he's faced as his team appears to be spiraling toward its fifth losing season in his five years.
in his five years. The sarcasm masked a frustration that's been building through the 2-5 season. But all the frustration would be forgotten with a miracle win on Saturday.
son. But all the frustration would be forgotten "If you did beat Nebraska you'd be the head story on ESPN," said Termaine Fulton, senior wide receiver. "And nobody would care about what your record was."
Contact Briggeman at 864-4858
LAURIE SISK/KANSAN
Freshman redshirt running back Austine Nwabuisi battles Kansas State senior defensive back Derrick Yates for a short gain Saturday in Manhattan.
Media picks Jayhawks to win the Big 12 title
By Ryan Malashock
Kansan sports writer
The Big 12 Conference media agreed with Big 12 coaches by voting Kansas first in its preseason basketball poll.
Missouri was voted second in the rankings followed by Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Texas and Iowa State.
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Senior guard Jeff Boschae said he was pleased with the Jayhawks' ranking.
Boschlee said. "The experience we do have is good.The four starters we do have coming back are really the only top experience
with Brett (Ballard) and Jeff (Carey). After that we are pretty
young. The freshmen have to step up and be ready to play big time."
"I think we earned it,"
The media also were in agreement with the coaches' preseason rankings in regards to individual players. Junior forwards Drew Gooden and Nick Collison were chosen for the Big 12 firstteam.
Colorado, Baylor, Texas Tech, Kansas State, Nebraska and Texas A&M rounded out the preseason media rankings.
Missouri forward Kareem Rush, Texas forward Chris Owens and Oklahoma State guard Maurice Baker were also
first-team media selections.
Gooden was a first-team selection by the mediafollowing last season, and Collison was a first-team selection by the coaches.
Contact Malashock at 864-4858
Preseason Big 12 media rankings:
1. Kansas
2. Missouri
3. Oklahoma State
4. Oklahoma
5. Texas
6. Iowa St.
7. Colorado
8. Baylor
9. Texas Tech
10. Kansas State
11. Nebraska
12. Texas A&M
MLB
NBA
Derek Jeter hit a home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Yankees the win. The World Series is tied at two games a piece.
Portland 92
Golden State 87
MLB
Charlotte 100
Cleveland 94