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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2004
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Big 12 South shows North how to play ball
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
OMAHA, Neb. — The Big 12 North has gone south.
If there were any questions about the conference's balance of power the last couple of years, this season clearly shows it has shifted.
Nebraska and Kansas State were the class of the Big 12 when it formed in 1996 with the merger of the Big Eight and old Southwest Conference.
Though K-State is the defending champion after upsetting Oklahoma in the conference championship game last season, the Sooners and Longhorns are rightfully regarded as the standard-bearers for the league.
This is the fourth-straight week that the North Division hasn't been represented in The Associated Press Top 25. Before this season, it had been since November 1967 that not one team from the current North was ranked.
Oklahoma and Texas, meanwhile, are Nos. 2 and 5, respectively, and Oklahoma State is No. 22.
The South is 3-0 against the North in early conference play. That follows an embarrassing nonconference portion of the season that saw five of the six North teams lose to teams from mid-major conferences.
Most notable: Missouri losing 24-14 at Troy, Kansas State losing 45-21 at home to Fresno State and Nebraska's losing 21-17 at home to Southern Mississippi.
"Everything goes in cycles, conferences and even divisions," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. "I have no idea why it is the way it is. It's just the way it has happened. Obviously it's exciting for everybody in our division because of the opportunities that are there."
To be sure, the North is not being surrendered to Nebraska or Kansas State, which have combined to represent the division in six of the eight confer-
"I know why I'm here.I can see that as I work
through our day-to-day routines. I can honestly see that we have a long ways to go in terms of wehre we want to be."
Bill Callahan
Nebraska coach
ence championship games.
The North coaches say each team will improve and that one could emerge as a legitimate threat to whichever team comes out of the South.
"I know there are a lot of good coaches and players in the North, and don't count any teams out from being a very big factor in the national picture," Iowa State's Dan McCarney said.
Why has the North floundered? The reasons are varied.
Division favorite Kansas State (2-2, 0-1 Big 12) is breaking in a new quarterback in Dylan Meier, leaving little room for star tailback Darren Sproles. Also, the Wildcats defense has been uncharacteristically leaky — they are 11th in the league in points allowed at 30 a game, 14 more than a year ago.
The Wildcats hit a key stretch this week. After visiting Kansas, Kansas State is at home against Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas Tech.
At Nebraska (3-1, 1-0), first-year coach Bill Callahan is trying to rebuild a program that Frank Solich had let slide. When Nebraska athletic director Steve Pederson fired Solich last November, he said he would not allow the program to "gravitate into mediocrity."
Closer-than-expected victories against Pittsburgh and Kansas indicate that maybe the program has reached that point.
"I know why I'm here. I can see that as I work through our day-to-day routines," Callahan said. "I can honestly see that we have a long ways to go in terms of where we want to be."
The Huskers have struggled in the transition from the triple option to the West Coast offense, with Joe Dailey having thrown one interception for every 11 pass attempts.
Saturday's game at Texas Tech could be an indicator of which direction the Huskers will go.
Missouri (3-1, 1-0) was perhaps the most hyped team in the division entering the season. The Tigers have an improving defense, and Brad Smith is one of the top run-pass quarterbacks in the nation.
But the loss to Troy shook the Tigers' confidence, which has been made fragile through two decades of mostly losing.
Colorado (3-1, 0-1), fresh off a sex and recruiting scandal in the spring, was the surprise of the North after rattling off three nonconference wins.
But the Buffaloes lost 17-9 to Missouri last week and will be underdogs at home to Oklahoma State.
Kansas (2-3, 0-2), which went to a bowl last year, already is in a must-win situation against Kansas State at home this week.
Iowa State (2-2, 0-1) was winless in the conference last season and could be heading down that road again.
The Big 12 coaches say it's too early to write off the North.
After all, Kansas State lost three games in a row last season and ended up winning the conference championship.
Colorado coach Gary Barnett, for one, dismisses talk of the North slipping.
"On Dec. 4, somebody from the North is going to be playing in Kansas City against somebody from the South," he said. "National perception isn't going to help you or hurt you getting to that position."
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