Thud

So much for opportunity and halftime pep talks. KU came with their A game offensively and took it to ISU. When you give 8 yards a play and only muster 3.4 yourself, it is going to be a very long day.

On the bright side, 45 was the lowest point total for KU at home this year, along the 45 the scored on Toledo. At least it wasn't the 76 they hung on the Huskers two weeks ago. KU punted 4 times, so it's not all bad. The Huskers only forced one. (Heavy, heavy sarcasm there.)

From the TV feed, (BTW- I love how Ron Franklin calls a game. He makes watching your team get blown out tolerable.) it sounds as if KU has had the perfect season: no serious injuries, a mathmatically impossible TO ratio, a very, very favorable schedule, a freshman walk-on turning into Johnny Unitas, etc. It's a fun ride when everything works.

KU is a nice team, but I suspect they are 8-4 in any other year. We will find out the next two weeks, as Mizzou and OU are far better than any of the first 10 teams KU has played.

Luck with things like TO margin and injuries has a tendency to even out year-to-year, so '08 could be rocky for KU. Ask the Hawkeyes what its like when the breaks stop going your way for a while.

On the ISU side, I can't help but look at Meyer's stats for his career and marvel: # 3 all-time in the B12 for yards, but #10 in TD's. That sums up the last 3.75 seasons with Meyer under center: lots of movement between the 20s, but too many failures in the Red Zone. How many more wins would ISU have had in that span with another TD per game? Don't answer that, it hurts too much.

But unquestionably the fouundation has been laid for better football. Jamie should move a boatload of season tickets for '08. Given the 5 game stretch in the back half of the season, Gene and crew can take any motley crew of athletes and play B12 caliber football. I am anxious to see what the staff does with their player, what they can teach over the winter and spring, and where this thing could go.

Peterclone