Can KU Hang with Oklahoma?

Sam Bradford will not show up on the field for Oklahoma Saturday in Lawrence. The question is: Will the KU defense?

Ever since the remarkable 2007 Orange Bowl season the KU defense has been questioned. It was the easy scapegoat for the 8-5 campaing last year, and again this season after the Jayhawks gave up 70 points in the first two Big XII contests.

The 'Hawks defense has yielded 26.3 points per contest since defeating Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl. That number isn't terrible until you hold it up under the microscope and do some comparing. If you throw out non-conference games through that stretch, the KU defense is allowing another 10 points per game. Also, during its Orange Bowl run the Jayhawks only gave up a stingy 16.1 points per game.

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KU Football, Hoops Battle Again

First it was fisticuffs, now it's The Phog.

They aren't actually fighting, but the Kansas football team is once again in direct competition with the basketball squad.

With the official start to the NCAA basketball season underway at midnight Saturday morning, the KU football team is now fighting for the spotlight with the basketball squad.

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Still Searching for Missing KU Defense

Todd Reesing was there. Dez Briscoe showed up as well. Kerry Meier? Oh yeah.

Even the offensive line made an appearance in a 41-36 victory Saturday against Iowa St. as Reesing only had to make two or three acrobatic plays to elude would-be tacklers. True freshman Toben Opurum was in and out, but he showed up for the most part.

The defense, however, was no where to be found.

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KU Needs Big Win for Respect

How about a little less drama this year?

A year ago Todd Reesing and the Jayhawks put up 35 points on Iowa St. in the second half. That should have been enough for an easy blowout. Instead, KU escaped with a 35-33 victory after trailing 20-0 at halftime.

This weekend, save the drama for playoff baseball.

If the 'Hawks do anything but blowout the Cyclones from the start, KU fans will be nervous heading to Boulder next weekend. It doesn't matter that Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins might not reach his goal of 10 wins this year -- or next. Nevermind the fact KU has gone 14-4 in its last 18 games against Big XII North opponents. If the Jayhawks struggle against a team that lost to Kansas State, the restlessness will begin to show with the KU faithful.

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Tough Times in Lawrence

At least in the media, it's not fun to be a Jayhawk right now.

The Kansas football and basketball teams have been involved in three public skirmishes in the past few weeks, allowing many in the media to joke that there is a KU Fight Club.

Now the latest involves junior basketball player Brady Morningstar. The sharp-shooter was arrested this past week after driving while intoxicated and booked into Douglas County Jail.

He has since been suspended by head coach Bill Self for the first semester.

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KU Fight Club: Bad Press or No Press?

By now most sports fans have heard how the KU football and basketball teams did their best Brad Pitt and Edward Norton impressions.

It's easy to say how the fights will be a black eye to the University -- and to some point they will. But will the old saying "bad press is better than no press" ring true with these two teams?

Of course everyone knows the Jayhawk basketball team is good, but does anyone on the east coast think they are better than Kentucky? For some reason, they are still viewed as choke artists on messages boards, despite defeating a one-loss team (one that supposedly even cheated) in the NCAA championship just two years ago.

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Respect for KU ... Wait 'Till October

Fair or not, no one outside of Kansas will give the Jayhawk football team any respect.

Look at these numbers:

• Outscored opponents 127-26 en route to a 3-0 start.


• One of only four teams in the Big XII still undefeated.


• Top two running backs Jake Sharp and Toben Opurum averaging more than five yards per carry and have eight touchdowns between them.


• Quarterback Todd Reesing averaging 267 yards passing and two touchdowns per game.


• Defense is only allowing 8.7 points per game.

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Why KU Will Win the Big 12 North

Just because David Letterman doesn't do his show in Kansas is no reason there can't be a top-10 list for the Jayhawks. KU and Nebraska were picked by most to finish atop the Big XII North standings. If the 'Hawks were to do so, it would be the first championship since the league formed in 1996. Below are ten reasons why they will.

10. Five-foot, nine inch Todd Reesing, who proves everything isn't really bigger in Texas, uses revenge as a factor and beats two Texas teams from his home state that passed on giving him a scholarship.

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Kansas vs. Duke ... Not Basketball

Coach K. versus Bill Self would be fun to watch. Two ring-wearing, veteran coaches battling it out on the court for 40 minutes would be enjoyed by an college basketball fan.

However, there aren't many KU fans that care about Coach K vs. Coach Self this weekend. Instead, they are worried about Coach Mangino vs. Coach Cutcliffe - or more importantly KU vs. Duke football.

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KU Ready to Do Texas UTEP

The Kansas Jayhawks play their first road game of the season Saturday when they take on the UTEP Miners in El Paso, Texas.

To say the Jayhawks struggle on the road is like saying Kansas fans don't like Missouri. In fact, the 'Hawks have not won a road non-conference game in the regular season since defeating Wyoming 42-35 Sept. 13, 2003.

Last year the only road victory for the Jayhawks came at Iowa St., a game they trailed 21-0 at one point. Winning at UTEP, despite the Miners falling against Buffalo last week, would be a small step in the right direction for the Jayhawks.

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Sharp, Reesing: A Good Day for KU

KU fans for the most part should be happy with a 49-3 victory on opening day no matter who was on the schedule. Yes, there were some bone-headed plays (see Anthony Davis' three pass interference calls in the first half), but quarterback Todd Reesing adjusted well to a defense that forced him to run the ball, and the 'Hawks came out winners by 46.

Both Reesing and senior tailback Jake Sharp proved once again they are keys to a successful season by accounting for 77 percent of the team's total yards. So the question is: Who had a better day?

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