BIG 12 PREVIEW - #10 KANSAS JAYHAWKS

 

KANSAS JAYHAWKS

Projected 2013 Conference Finish: 10^th

KANSAS JAYHAWKS @ A GLANCE:

Head Coach:    Charlie Weiss (2^nd Year/ Overall record 1-11)

Stadium:         Memorial Stadium (50,071) / Lawrence, KS

2012 Record:  1-11 (10^th place in conference)

     2012 Home           1-5

     2012 Away            0-6

     vs. conference       0-9

Returning Starters 9

    Offense                         3

    Defense                         6

Players to watch:    Unless John Riggins, John Hadl or Gale Sayers has some eligibility left….then you would be better served waiting till freshman Andrew Wiggins hits the hardwood.

 

2013 vs. OU:   Saturday, October 18^th (Lawrence, KS)

Did You Know?  That the Kansas/Missouri game, known as the ‘Border War’, was first played in 1891 and is the second oldest rivalry in major college football? Please stop yawning

Have you looked at that pile of crap out there? So if you don’t think you can play here, where do you think you can play?"  -Charlie Weiss, Kansas Head Football Coach to a prospective recruit
  

Remember when the Jayhawks went 12-1 in 2007 and beat Virginia Tech in the BCS Fed Ex Orange Bowl?  Yeah, me neither.  For Kansas Jayhawk fans, that Orange Bowl season must seem like it was 4 or 5…hundred pounds ago.  Yes pounds, as in former KU head coach Mark Mangino.  The porcine Mangino may have been a biscuit shy of 500 and tough to look at on the sidelines, but he could coach.  Prior to his hiring in 2002, Kansas had just completed its six straight losing season and hadn’t been to a bowl game since Forrest Gump was #1 at the box office. I guess you could say that life for the Kansas football program at that time wasn’t exactly a box of chocolates…but Mangino took the job anyway.

Fortunes changed pretty quickly for the Jayhawks after the big guy took over. During Mark Mangino’s 9 year run in Lawrence, the Jayhawks were a very respectable 50-48, including a 3-1 record in bowl games. The 2003 Tangerine Bowl appearance by KU not only ended an 8 year bowl drought for the program…but it was also instrumental as to why for the first time, the words Mark Mangino and any reference of fruit, were uttered together in the same sentence.

Former KU Head Coach Mark Mangino

KU Head Coach Charlie Weiss

 

But winning isn’t everything, even at a perennial football doormat like Kansas.  The accusations of chronic and abusive treatment of students and players by Mangino became difficult to digest for all involved. Amidst growing public pressure, university officials finally became fed-up with the situation, agreeing to a settlement in exchange for the big man’s resignation following the 2009 season.  Just goes to show you that… you can be fat, or you can be a jerk…but you can’t be a fat jerk.

Since Mangino’s ‘resignation’…three donut shops, an IHOP, a Men’s Big and Tall store and Turner Gil’s career as head football coach have all gone ‘belly’ up in Lawrence.  Last year, the first of the Charlie Weiss era, was especially tough to ‘stomach.’

The Jayhawks finished the 2012 season with a 1-11 record, with their lone victory coming over Division I South Dakota State.  While I am sure that kicking the Jackrabbits ass was rewarding, the Jayhawks might want to occasionally mix in a victory over someone who doesn’t have Bugs Bunny as their mascot. 

How bad were the 2012 Jayhawks you didn’t ask?  Five of the six schools that Kansas played on the road last season, made KU their homecoming game.  Ouch. 

Usually with a new season comes some level of renewed hope or optimism, even if only until the first whistle blows…but frankly, I’m not even sure that Zig Ziglar could find something encouraging about what lays ahead.  Judging from the quote above, Charlie Weiss certainly couldn’t….and maybe here is why:

●KU enters into the 2013 season having lost 21 straight games to FBS opponents (FBS = teams you have actually heard of). 

●You would have to go all the way back to November of 2010, when KU beat Colorado, to find the last time Kansas won a Big 12 Conference game… also a streak of 21 straight. To be honest, I’m not sure that even counts anymore since Colorado isn’t even in the Big 12 anymore

●With road games in Austin, Fort Worth and Stillwater on the schedule for the Jayhawks this season…it is hard to project anything more than another one or two win season. In fact…two might be more optimistic than realistic.  

Hang in there KU faithful…there is one thing to be excited about with the start of the football season…Midnight Madness is only a 48 days away!

Just the opinion of one mildly interested guy

The Overweight Armchair Sooner (The OAS)

Buddy Putty