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》 COLUMN SWAP
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2007
PAGE1B
TAKE A HIKE
K-State shorted in top polling
Last week, Kansas State did not receive one vote in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. This week, the Wildcats carry a No.24 ranking, and some reporters had Kansas State as high as No. 14.
So what gives?
The pro-Wildcat swing was helped along by the overwhelming coverage that dominated TV and the Internet. Everywhere you looked, it was hard not to notice all the publicity Kansas State was receiving.
When you flipped on ESPN Saturday night, all the talking heads were arguing about how Kansas State was able to knock off a top-10 opponent. Later on, SportsCenter's "Top Plays" featured two clips from the Wildcats' 41-21 dismantling of then-No. 7 Texas. Even on the Internet, coach Ron Prince's "dance moves" were stealing the show.
The day-long barrage of Kansas State taking down one of the nation's elite teams, coupled with the complete insanity of the day in general, had to have had an effect on America's sports reporters. It showed, when Kansas State suddenly appeared in several writers' polls Sunday.
Subsequently, the Wildcats only received a few votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The reason could have something to do with the fact that the coaches don't have as much time to watch Lou Holtz breakdown highlights or log onto YouTube. They're too entrenched into their own team to notice up-and-comers like Kansas State.
Despite the fact that few people would debate writers more than coaches, they're probably actually more qualified to fill out a Top-25 Poll. While coaches are dissecting game film for the next week's opponent, sports reporters are finishing up their game wraps and catching up on what happened during all the other games that day.
It doesn't even make sense for coaches to have a vote. Many of them probably don't really like doing it anyway. They have a team of 85 players to take care of first.
Tom Keegan, sports columnist for the Lawrence Journal-World and vote holder in the AP's Top 25 poll, takes his time to fill out his poll every Saturday night or Sunday morning. He said he visits ESPN.com to see how each team in his Top 25 fared that week.
Even though the writers have a much better feel for what happened that weekend, it's still not a perfect system. Keegan said there were a few peculiarities in this week's poll.
"How Texas can be ranked ahead of K-State is beyond me," Keegan said in an e-mail interview. "A 20-point victory on the road and the home team is ranked ahead of the team that came to town and spanked it? Can't figure that one out. I voted K-State 19 and dropped Texas from my Top 25."
However, the discrepancy was even greater in the other poll. The coaches have Texas ranked No. 16 while Kansas State is only receiving votes.
One thing Kansas State should have learned from last week is that perceptions can change in an instant. The Wildcats' sudden rise could be reversed this weekend.
They face an undefeated Kansas team that's trying to crack the polls and make a statement. Despite their 4-0 record, the Jayhawks have played a non-conference schedule that would make Bill Snyder blush. So knocking off a ranked Kansas State team would be very impressive.
Kansas State Collegiate sports columnist can be contacted at sports@spub.ksu.edu.
"I can pretty much guarantee this about the ballot I fill out after this weekend's games: The winner of the K-State-KU game will be in my Top 25, probably somewhere close to No.19, and the loser won't be." Keagan said.
Challenged by road, crowd
Kansas last defeated KSU on road in '89
BY ASHER FUSCO afusco@kansan.com
Bill Snyder Family Stadium sits just 87 miles west of the University of Kansas and the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium. But that quick jaunt down Interstate-70 has not been kind to the Kansas Jayhawks in recent years.
Kansas has not defeated Kansas State in Manhattan since 1989, a span of eight games in which the Jayhawks have been outscored 257-68. On top of that, coach Mark Mangino has accumulated a 4-21 road record during his tenure at Kansas and a 2-18 Big 12 Conference road record. Despite the numbers favoring No. 24 Kansas State, Kansas players said the team's recent road struggles would not come into play tomorrow.
"It's a new year and all the past years are gone," tight tight end Derek Fine said. "But nothing's ever given to you, so we've got to go out and play just like we have the past four weeks when we won."
Fine and his Jayhawk teammates will have to squint their eyes awfully hard and plug their ears extra tight to ignore the proKansas State crowd. The last tickets were snatched up several weeks ago, ensuring the power towel-waving sea of purple will number at least 50,000.
During Mangino's time at Kansas, the Jayhawks have not been discriminatory. They have lost in front of raging throngs of fans — 84,520 in Oklahoma in 2004 — and
in front of much smaller clusters — 24,817 at Northwestern earlier that season. On some occasions Kansas has simply been the less-talented team, but losses at Baylor and Toledo last season give rise to this question: Why can't Kansas win on the road?
numbers aren't looking good for Kansas
"The main thing is, it is always going to be a little bit more hostile environment," sophomore quarterback Todd Reesing said. "With the noise and the fans getting behind their own team, it is a factor."
its preparation in any major way this week, Mangino said. On Wednesday the team practiced on the quiet fields south of Allen Fieldhouse instead practicing in Memorial Stadium with artificial crowd noise.
0-8 since 1989 at Kansas State
4-21 on the road under Mangino
2-18 in Big 12 Conference road games under Mangino
23-137-2 against Top 25 opponents Kansas State is No.24
0-7 all-time against ranked Kansas State teams
So what can the layhawks do about it?
"You can't get too caught up in the noise or the fact that you're not playing at home or that people are booing you." Reesing said. "If you go out there focused and saying, 'I'm just going to play football, do my assignment every play and hope my teammates do the same thing,' you should be alright."
2-6 against Kansas State in televised games
No matter how much Kansas prepares, the team will undoubtedly be greeted by a not-so-friendly bunch of fans in Manhattan. And that's something the Jayhawks are looking forward to.
Reeing said Kansas' unimpressive track record on the road would have no effect on the 2007 layhawks, who have not yet played outside of Lawrence. The team did not alter
"It's going to be a tough environment and I'm excited to play there," Fine said. "It's a huge game and their crowd's going to be riled up so it's exciting. It's the kind of thing you come to play in the Big 12 for."
Edited by Rachael Gray
》 CLUB SPORTS
Jeff Baldinger, Egen Minn. junior, defends Ryan Bigley, San Antonio, Texas senior during practice Tuesday evening at the Robinson Center practice fields.
Jon Goerina/KANSAN
Frisbee flying in face of ordinary
BY EMILY MUSKIN emuskin@kansan.com
What sport has about 350 teams nationwide, does not include a ball and allows players to wear Halloween costumes during games? That would be ultimate Frisbee.
Kansas boasts one of the longest-running traditions of club ultimate Frisbee in the nation with its top-caliber team, the HorrorZontals. The club began in 1979, and today the team has about 50 participants.
This sport definitely has some interesting perks including a tournament in New
Orleans during Mardi Gras, the Harvest Moon tournament, which requires teams to wear opposing Halloween costumes, and an annual Fool's Fest tournament right here in Lawrence on April Fool's Day.
When asked what sets the sport apart from others, senior Jack McFarland said, "When you go to a tournament, you are as much there to meet other kids and watch games as you are to play"
Ultimate Frisbee provides a competitive atmosphere while maintaining a superb social scene.
SEE ULTIMATE ON PAGE 8B
FOOTBALL
Hawks' record lacking in televised matchups
BY THOR NYSTROM
tnystrom@kansan.com
Kansas fans will have to get up a little earlier to watch the Jayhawks on Saturday — but this time they can do it from the comfort of their living rooms instead of travelling to Manhattan, Kan. A 4-0 start to the season made tomorrow's game against Kansas State (4-1) a marquee matchup, prompting Fox Sports Net, Sunflower channel 36, to pick it up. Coverage begins at 11 a.m.
Associate Athletics Director Jim Marchiony said national television coverage meant two things to the football program: exposure and money.
"There are schools that get on TV just because of the name recognition they have," Marchiony said. "That is what we have to overcome. We need to keep getting better so the networks can't avoid putting us on."
This will be Kansas' first national-television appearance of 2007. Decisions aren't required from cable outlets until 12 days before game day, so the University currently does not know how many more appearances they will make. Next Saturday's home contest against Baylor will be aired on Fox College Sports.
Football games are shown on ABC, an ESPN partner, and FOX Sports Network. Conference schools then divvy up the money using a partial revenue share, which means a majority of the money is evenly distributed but an extra portion is allocated to teams that appear on the air.
Senior Associate Athletics Director Larry Keating said Big 12 schools receive about $4 million annually from television contracts within revenue sharing. He said football teams like Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska and basketball teams like Kansas received more than the average. He estimated the Jayhawks bring in about $1 million extra in revenue based on television appearances.
The Jayhawks have steadily improved their exposure on national television during the Mark Mangino era. In 2002, Mangino's first in Lawrence, the team made only one appearance, the season opener at Iowa State, a 41-3
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Mangino's four TV victories:
» 2003 vs. Missouri, 35-14
» 2005 vs. Iowa State, 24-21
» 2005 vs. Houston in the Fort Worth Bowl, 42-13
» 2006 vs. Kansas State, 39-20
Kansas is 7-33 in its last 40 televised games.
Mark Mangino is 4-13 in his KU career on TV.
loss. But in 2005 and 2006, the jayhawks played on TV five times each season.
Mangino is 4-13 in TV games under Mangino, but the victories have all been signature: a 35-14 upset against Missouri in 2003, last year's 39-20 win against Kansas State, a 2005 overtime 24-21 win against Iowa State, which propelled Kansas into a bowl game, and the Fort Worth Bowl a month later, where the Jayhawks beat Houston 42-13.
Kansas is 7-33 in its last 40 nationally televised games, dating to the middle of 1996.
While the Jayhawks had no nonconference games on television this year, Keating said he tried to schedule games that might be attractive to networks. Last year's contest against South Florida aired on Fox Sports Net, and the Jayhawks played a Friday evening game against Toledo on ESPN. Keating said he expected next year's game against South Florida to be televised.
Keating said the added exposure helped recruiting. Last week, a Big 12 televised game helped in scouting. Kansas had a bye as Kansas State trounced Texas 41-21 on ABC. Senior tight end Derek Were watching.
"Almost all of it," Fine said. "I was actually glad that they won. It says a lot more about our part of the conference. It makes this game huge, and that much more fun to play in."
- Edited by Ashlee Kieler