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Big 12 football wrap-up: North dives, South thrives
BY JONATHAN KEALING AND RYAN COLAIAanni sports@kansan.com KANSAN SPORTSWITTERS
With Saturday's Big 12 Championship completed, the 2004 conference football season has come to an end.
For the North Division, this season was full of disappointments and unfulfilled expectations. The South Division, on the other hand, had five teams excel and qualify for trips to bowl games. The division placed two teams in the Bowl Championship Series as well.
Texas' Sports Information Director, John Bianco, pleaded his team's case for a BCS bid during the last two weeks. He played up the South and derogated the weak North.
"We played in the hardest conference in America: the Big 12 South." he said.
Overall, the Big 12 had a successful season, with seven teams going to bowl games.
NORTH
Colorado (7-4) — EV1.net Houston Bowl
Colorado overcame its off-season recruiting scandals to win the Big 12 North. Despite a 45-3 loss to Oklahoma in the conference championship game Saturday, the Buffaloo's season was still a success.
Coaches projected Colorado to finish fourth in the six-team North division, but the team used key victories down the stretch, including a victory at Nebraska in the final game of the season, to clinch the title. Colorado will face Texas-El Paso in the EV1.net Houston Bowl on Dec. 29.
It is Colorado's 24th bowl appearance and the first since 2002. Coach Gary Barnett received coach of the year honors from The Associated Press. Running back Bobby Purify ran for more than 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns this season.
iowa State (6-5) — Independence Bowl
It was a magical season for the Cyclones, as they nearly earned the right to represent the North division in the Big 12 Championship game despite posting a 2-4 record at one point. Iowa State responded to its sluggish start by winning four straight, but a defeat against Missouri in overtime of the last game of the regular season prevented the Cyclones from making it to the conference title game in Kansas City, Mo. Iowa State, which finished 6-5, must settle for the Independence Bowl, where it will face Miami of Ohio on Dec. 28. It is the Cyclones' fourth bowl appearance in the last five years. Freshman quarterback Bret Meyer, who passed for nearly 2,000 yards and 10 touchdowns, leads the Cyclones' attack. Coach Dan McCarney was named coach of the year by Big 12 coaches.
This season may go down as the worst in the history of Nebraska football, with the
Sophomore quarterback Joe Dailey was unable to be the efficient quarterback that the system needed. Dailey completed less than 50 percent of his passes and threw 19 interceptions. The Husker defense also was not as good as in previous years, allowing more than 27 points per game. Nevertheless, with three games remaining in the season, the Cornhuskers were 5-3 and needed just one more victory to become bowl eligible. But Nebraska lost all those games.
Last season the Cornhuskers won 10 games, yet fired coach Frank Solich.
Kansas State (4-7)
In a year that began with the hype of a Heisman candidate and a National Championship, the Wildcats finished in disappointing fashion with a 4-7 record. Last season, Kansas State took the Big 12 Conference crown on the shoulders of running back Darren Sproles. This season, with Sproles returning, the team was expected to thrive again.
But the Wildcats did not even
his junior campaign when he ran for just under 2,000 yards and averaged a more than 6.5 yards per carry. Sproles hurt his team with fumbles on punt returns. Missouri (5-6)
Like so many teams in the Big 12 North, the Missouri Tigers had high expectations for the season. They expected junior quarterback Brad Smith to lead them with his arm as well as his legs. But after starting the season 4-1, Missouri lost five straight games to end any bowl hopes.
Smith was the team's second-leading rusher with 553 yards, but he was not nearly as productive on the ground this year as he was in 2003 when he rushed for 1,406 yards. Smith has started every game since his freshman season, but this year was by far his least productive running the football, and he was unable to lead the Tigers to back-to-back bowl appearances.
SOUTH
Oklahoma (12-0) FedEx Orange Bowl
Last year, the Sooners rolled into Kansas City, Mo., with the intention of nailing down their trip to the National Championship by defeating K-State. Only problem, they didn't defeat K-State.
The Sooners need an Orange Bowl victory for their second championship in the last five years.
Trophy hopefuls, freshman running back Adrian Peterson and senior quarterback Jason White, last year's winner. Peterson set several single-season freshman rushing records and is second in yards per game in the conference with 153.6.
White passed for 35 touchdowns this season while throwing just six interceptions. He also passed for an average of 246.8 yards per game.
Texas (10-1) — Rose Bowl presented bv Citi
Most Kansas fans will remember the time Texas almost laid an egg against the fifth-in-the-Big 12-North and 10th-overall lavwhacks on Nov. 13.
The BCS system forgot that fact, as did several of the voters in the wire polls. While Texas is still ranked behind California in both The Associated Press and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Polls, Texas made up enough ground that it was propelled to No. 4 in the BCS rankings and a slot in a BCS Bowl.
Texas A&M (7-4) — SBC Cotton Bowl
Texas A&M stumbled out of the gate, found its legs and was gearing up for a showdown with Oklahoma on Nov. 6.
A defeat against Oklahoma the following weekend sealed the Aggies' fate. The team managed to pull together and win its next game, but a visit to Texas turned into an "L" as well.
But a little team from a private Baptist school in Waco, Texas, got in the way on Oct. 30, Baylor knocked off one of the hottest teams in the South and guaranteed that A&M was out of the conference title hunt.
Still, A&M completed a fairly remarkable turnaround. Last year the team finished 4-8, including a 2-6 record in the Big 12. This year, the team went 5-3 in the conference.
Texas Tech (7-4) — Pacific Life Holiday Bowl
Another team from the South that rolled through the North.
Tech handed Nebraska the worst defeat of its history and continues to have the most explosive passing offense in the Big 12.
Just like Texas, though, a lategame rally was the only thing that kept Kansas from defeating Tech. Tech lost three games to South opponents and one to out-of-conference New Mexico.
While Tech's coach, Mike Leech, is a rumored candidate for several job openings, the Red Raiders will have one of the nation's best offenses as long as he's in Lubbock, Texas.
Oklahoma State (7-4) — Master Card Alarm Bank
Oklahoma State (7-4) — Master Card
Alamo Bowl
During the last few years, Oklahoma State has proven to be one of the few teams that can hang with Oklahoma.
Last season, the Cowboys were the Big 12's entrant to the Cotton Bowl. While the Alamo Bowl is a small step down, it should give them an opportunity to improve on their record. They finished 9-4 last season.
Baylor (3.8)
This year, the Cowboys could not quite manage to defeat the Sooners, losing 38-35. They also lost to Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech
Try as they might, the Bears just can't move out of the Big 12 cellar.
In fact, Baylor was the only team in its division to lose to teams from the Big 12 North. Baylor lost to Iowa State, Colorado and Missouri.
If Iowa State had not lost to Baylor, the team would not have become bowl eligible.
The Bears best moment in the season came when they defeated Texas A&M. Baylor's other two victories were against weak, non-conference opponents.
For Baylor, next year cannot come quickly enough.
- Edited by Bill Cross
FREE YOUR MIND FROM FINALS WITH A FREE MEAL!
TRADITION
FREE YOUR MIND FROM FINALS WITH A FREE MEAL!
KEEPERS!
Monday, Dec. 13 | Adams Alumni Center Stop by anytime between 5 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
We'll dish up an awesome gourmet buffet that is sure to cure your finals woes! Relax with a free shoulder massage, make free phone calls on Cingular phones and enjoy many other FREE perks!
cingular
rucingular.com
This event is co-sponsored by Cingular Wireless.
Please RSVP to traditionkeepers@kualumni.org by Dec. 9.
Kansas Alumni Association
Stop by the Adams Alumni Center at 1266 Oread Avenue if you'd like to become a Tradition Keeper member. Finals Dinner is one of the many benefits of student membership in the Kansas Alumni Association. Rock Chalk and good luck on finals!
O