Is there anyone in the world more disappointed by Kansas State’s shocking basketball face-plant than ESPN? I mean, when they put their heads together every year to decide where the Game Day crew is going, Allen Field House always comes up as a possibility. But you take a serious risk with a location in the Midwest with so few guaranteed eyeballs glued to the set. Much safer to stick to the Big East or the ACC. But with the WILDCATS being the team expected to compete for all the conference and national hardware this year, putting them on against their biggest rival in one of the game’s greatest venues seemed like a no-brainer for some compelling television. Right now, the game looks like a turd.
I’m not looking at it like that at all. This game is by no means a gimme for the Jayhawks.
Rivalries are kind of funny things. Historically, the Sunflower Showdown hasn’t been competitive. Look no further than the history of the Big 12. In the first 14 years of the conference, the Jayhawks hold a staggering 33-2 record over Kansas State. It defies logic. In terms of wins, it’s the biggest margin that ANY Big 12 school has over another in the Big 12 era. In terms of percentages, it’s the second-most lopsided series in the Big 12 era, trailing only KU’s 97% winning percentage over Colorado.
SIDEBAR—In terms of percentages, Kansas actually has the 5 most lop-sided series in the conference since the league formed in 1996 (could be more than the top 5, I didn’t research further):
Over Colorado: 97%
Over Kansas State: 94%
Over A&M: 94%
Over Nebraska: 91%
Over Baylor: 88%
ALL OF THIS SAID……This game is a bear every time it’s played. Kansas State wants to WIN this game worse than any other, and on the other side, KU fears LOSING this game worse than any other. For the Wildcats to lose it is no big deal—it’s what everyone’s come to expect. Same with KU winning it. But there’s a heckuva lot of pressure for KU to maintain the status quo, and for the Wildcats to break it.
Oddly enough, the Wildcats generally make a better game of it in Allen Field House, for some reason. In the 22 seasons that have been played since the construction of the “Octagon of Doom,” Kansas State has actually performed BETTER (margin-wise) in Lawrence than in Manhattan in 13 of those seasons. That includes three wins in Allen, versus only one in the Bram.
The Cats have even more on the line than ever this season. I know that ESPN’S Bracketology doesn’t reflect this right now (mainly because they expect Martin to right the ship at some point), but if the season were to end TODAY, there is no question in my mind that Kansas State would be on the outside of the Big Dance looking in. At 2-4 in the conference, how can they be anything but out? I still expect them to get in, but at what point do they get so buried that the wheels start to fall off the wagon? This isn’t exactly the most “mentally stable” consortium of human beings in college athletics (from the coach, to the senior “leaders,” all the way down to the McDonald’s All-American forward, often found on campus talking to the squirrels—and expressing disappointment when they don’t respond).
FOR KANSAS…Every game at this point is basically a “must win,” at least until Texas shows that they’re capable of losing to someone in this league. They may not be. KU’s in no danger of missing “The Show,” but their steak of Big 12 titles is already in jeopardy.
STRANGE BEDFELLOWS….(I mean that figuratively. Just because I like KU and all doesn’t mean I endorse….ah, never mind). It’s always a strange feeling having to root for Missouri to win ANYTHING. But that’s exactly what Jayhawk Nation is doing tomorrow, as the Tigers stroll into Austin for a battle of Top 15 teams. As I look at Texas’ schedule, trying to find games that they MIGHT lose, I see Saturday’s game with Mizzou, then Monday in College Station, and then…..well, nothing at all, really. Anything else would take a monumental upset for them to lose.
Kansas State has a knack for pulling wins over Texas out of their hind parts with some frequency. And Texas has been full of NBA talent the past two years, and found a way to fold to 9-7 conference records both times. So anything is possible. I’m not calling for a 16-0 record for the Horns in the league quite yet. But if they get through the weekend and Monday unscathed, it starts to look REALLY possible.
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