Wheeler: Saturday’s game has high stakes

Friday, October 24, 2008

While fans and media have worked themselves into a frenzy over an absurd chant, I would like to take this moment to point out that there still is a football game this Saturday. It’s not just any football game though. ESPN will be televising what may possibly the biggest game to hit Memorial Stadium in over a decade. Oh yeah, let’s not forget it’s Kansas’ homecoming, too.

Kansas is ranked No. 19 in the AP Poll and currently leads the Big 12 North. No. 8 Texas Tech is undefeated and trying to make a statement in the toughest Big 12 South division in years. But for Kansas, the stakes are as high as any game in Mark Mangino’s career, aside from the Orange Bowl.

This is a chance for Mangino to prove that his program can beat a legitimate team. And he knows this. After downing Colorado 30-16 two weeks ago, he said he saw a “great opportunity” in the coming weeks for his team to prove itself against four ranked opponents.

As it stands, Kansas is 5-0 against unranked teams this year. Against ranked opponents, they are 0-2. If Kansas falls to Texas Tech this weekend, pollsters will doubtfully leave it as the only team in the Top 25 with three losses.

Should Kansas win Saturday, its chances of winning the Big 12 North for the first time in school history will be well within reach. A victory would also make the Jayhawks bowl eligible and give them a chance to go back-to-back bowls for the first time ever.

Is a victory likely? The betters think so and that is why the Jayhawks are one-point favorites against a team ranked 11 spots higher than them. Texas Tech is also a team that has struggled this season against three inferior opponents — Eastern Washington, Nebraska and Texas A&M.

But if you turn to the back page of the sports section and look at the countdown to kickoff you will see that Texas Tech has one of the most lethal offenses in the nation.

That doesn’t mean Kansas doesn’t stand a chance though. Todd Reesing has established himself as a big-time college quarterback and he also has his own variety of daggers to throw into the Red Raiders’ secondary.

It has been four years since the Red Raiders rode into Lawrence. The last time out, Kansas was a team struggling to find its identity. Texas Tech was the AP No. 16 team in the nation that went on to beat No. 14 California in the Holiday Bowl. Kansas got out to an early 25-point lead, but lost by a Scott Webb field goal attempt in the last few minutes of the game. The Jayhawks have since established themselves as one of the toughest teams to play at home in the Big 12.

Homecoming or not, the Jayhawks will put up a good fight on their own turf. At the moment, Kansas has a 13-game winning streak at home and is 21-4 in its last 25 games in Memorial Stadium. Couple that with a mild-mannered, yet vocal student section, then Kansas has the edge in this game.

— — Edited by Arthur Hur

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