Somewhere behind the shock of Kansas State’s win over Texas hid a small fact largely overlooked on a crazy Big 12 Conference weekend.
The North fought back.
Two weeks ago, this space was used to scold the Big 12 North for failing to win when it counted, when an impact could be felt conference-wide. Saturday, however, the North rose up, with Kansas State stunning Texas and Nebraska winning at Texas A&M.
Coaches in the conference have long insisted that any reign of dominance is cyclical. If that’s true, perhaps the victories by Kansas State and Nebraska mark a subtle shift.
One thing is certain: Kansas State’s win had to alter how the Big 12 championship game is viewed. It can no longer be dismissed as a foregone conclusion of a South Division rout. If the season ended today, Nebraska would face Texas. We know the Cornhuskers played Texas to the wire before losing on a last-second field goal in Lincoln on Oct. 21.
Texas may not have had quarterback Colt McCoy after his injury early at Kansas State, but the Longhorns still scored 42 points, and last I checked McCoy has nothing to do with a defense that gave up 45 points.
The showing was at least an encouraging sign for the North led by the two coaches – Nebraska’s Bill Callahan and Kansas State’s Ron Prince – who have to be considered front-runners for Big 12 coach of the year. Prince’s ability to get a talent-depleted team seven wins in his first season, with a chance to get as many as nine, which would equal Kansas State’s win total of the past two years combined, has been remarkable.
Keep Nov. 11, 2006, in the back of your minds. In a year or two, if the North rises and fills out the strength of the conference, this will be the date that started it all.
Old man Mack
Texas coach Mack Brown officially becomes the new “dean” of the Big 12 coaches after Iowa State’s Dan McCarney trots off the Jack Trice Stadium field for the last time as the Cyclones’ coach Saturday afternoon. Brown, in his eighth season in Austin, will be the longest-tenured Big 12 coach. He’s followed by Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops (seven years), Texas Tech’s Mike Leach (six years) and Missouri’s Gary Pinkel (five years).
How does Brown feel about it?
“Well, No. 1, I feel old,” he quipped on the coaches’ teleconference Monday.
Set up for success?
Not that Baylor coach Guy Morriss is complaining, he’s just saying a lighter nonconference schedule might not be a bad idea.
“I’d like to see a schedule for success, yeah,” Morriss said. “I think it’s important when you’re trying to turn a program around. Just ask Bill Snyder.”
Snyder, the former Kansas State coach, was notorious for having feathery-light nonconference schedules. Morriss, however, can hardly complain. Baylor started with TCU, Northwestern State, Washington State and Army this season, teams that have a combined record of 20-20.
Footnotes
Pinkel said he exchanged e-mails with McCarney last week, the tone of which McCarney described as “mutual respect” letters between good friends. … Colorado’s Mason Crosby was honored with his record ninth career Big 12 special-teams player of the week award Monday. He shared this one with Kansas State punt returner Yamon Figurs.
Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com.
