BOULDER — Where did Kansas come from, and where did Nebraska and Colorado go to?
The Colorado-Nebraska game on Thanksgiving weekend could have major implications and bowl implications.
But not major bowl implications.
In the old-school era, the Buffs and the ‘Husks annually seemed to play for a division or conference championship, a spot in one of the top four postseason games, the torrid interstate title and overweening rights.
In this new-school age, CU and NU are 4-4, are not ranked nationally, are Big 12 stragglers and lost again on Saturday. Woe are they.
However, the Buffaloes’ slogan could be: “We’re better than the Cornhuskers.” Which is not saying a whole lot these days.
At least, the Buffs gave the Kansas Jayhawks all they wanted in a 19-14 defeat.
The Cornhuskers gave Texas A&M everything the Aggies could want, and more, in a 36-14 walloping at home on Saturday.
It was not a day to be a Big Red or a Golden Buff.
And Kansas remains the only unbeaten team in the Big 12. “If you watch the games,” Kansas coach Mark Mangino said, “you will see we are for real.” CU and NU are surreal.
Wasn’t it more when the Buffs and the Huskers were tearing at each other, instead of crying with one another?
Back in the day when Tom Osborne was in charge in Lincoln.
Oh, that’s right. Osborne is back in charge in Lincoln.
Can Bill McCartney be far behind in Boulder?
Maybe, on Nov. 23 in Boulder, Osborne and McCartney can be honored at halftime at midfield in tribute to the teams of 1987-91, when Nebraska won twice and Colorado won twice and the teams tied in 1991, 19-19.
Actually, that game could be somewhat meaningful. The winner might wind up with a 6-6 record and qualify for the Texas Bowl at Houston’s Reliant Stadium. It’s not exactly the Orange Bowl. Nebraska coach Bill Callahan likely (definitely) will be appearing in his last Big 12 Conference game on Nov. 23. CU coach Dan Hawkins will be around for a while.
But Colorado and Nebraska are just also-rans in the North to Kansas, which has seven consecutive victories and a walk to the conference championship game.
The Buffs dropped back-to-back games in October to Kansas State and Kansas (as they did in 2006). The Cornhuskers probably will match that feat of defeat in November.
For a while, though, on a nectar-of-the-gods Saturday afternoon in front of a solid crowd of 51,940, the Buffs were positioning themselves to beat Oklahoma and Kansas at home. Colorado overcame the Sooners 27-24, and moved ahead of Jayhawks 7-3 on a nifty fumble-fake by quarterback Cody Hawkins in the third quarter.
But Kansas actually has the superior 5-foot-11, second-year quarterback. Todd Reesing, a sophomore, didn’t have the passing numbers of Hawkins (287-153), but he had more impressive rushing numbers than four CU tailbacks (84-82).
Reesing and Hawkins will meet again … and again.
In the third quarter, on third-and-1 at the Kansas 27, Hawkins acted as if he had fumbled the snap, pulled the ball up and threw for a wide-open touchdown.
In the fourth quarter, on third-and-2 at the Colorado 4, Reesing rolled left, then threw back across the field for a wide-open touchdown.
These Keebler QB Elves are fun.
Perhaps Colorado could have pulled off another upset over a ranked team if there hadn’t been a fumble in the opening quarter at the Kansas 13, a missed field goal in the second quarter, an interception just before halftime, a second interception in the third quarter and a couple of fourth-down incompletions in the final quarter.
The Buffs just don’t have as many athletes as the Jayhawks, and they’re not quite as skillful yet, and many of Coach Hawkins’ play-calling decisions on fourth downs are dubious. He and his team are a couple of seasons away.
So are the Big Red-faced Cornhuskers and their next coach.
It’s Kansas’ turn to hoot.
But the Colorado-Nebraska game – the Gobble-Gobble Bowl – will have consequences.
Woody Paige: 303-954-1095 or wpaige@denverpost.com
