Coaches Show No Preseason Love for Gridiron Jayhawks
KU is a basketball school. I've heard that since the days before I was a student. The 2009-2010 season should be a great season for basketball at KU. Things have changed drastically since the arrival of coach Mark Mangino. Instead of hoping and praying that the Jayhawks will finally beat Nebraska, we wonder if the Jayhawks can compete for conference and even national championships.
Today the USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll was released and KU was at the top of the "others receiving votes". I wasn't expecting to find the Jayhawks in the top 10 or 15 until they have proven themselves on the field, but I was surprised at the lack of the respect shown by the coaches. Then again, did the coaches really do any research and fill out their own ballot? It was only a couple of weeks ago that Steve Spurrier, current coach of South Carolina and ex-coach of Florida, left Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow off of his preseason All-SEC ballot. The blame eventually fell of director of football operations Jamie Speronis who had filled out the ballot for Spurrier to rubber stamp.
In basketball, the polls give us as fans something to boast about during the season. Beyond that, they don't really mean much. Things are much different in football because it is the polls that help determine which teams play in the BCS Championship game as well as in the BCS games. As we saw last season, the polls (via the BCS rankings) are even used to settle tiebreakers in the Big XII. Make note of #5 as it is what allowed Oklahoma to play in the Big XII Championship game last season which led to Oklahoma playing in the BCS Championship game. How would KU fans feel if they were to be tied with Nebraska and Missouri and one of those other teams would advance based on rankings? In the preseason poll: Nebraska is #22, KU is #26 and Missouri is #34. Obviously things will change during the season, but Nebraska would get the nod now. From this perspective, the preseason ranking is a negative.
There is also a positive aspect to the coaches lack of respect in the preseason. There is no doubt that coach Mangino will use the snub as a motivational tactic to fire up the team. Before the 2007 season the Jayhawks got little respect, and probably didn't deserve it. Once they hit the field, they just kept sawing wood and brought home a 12-1 record and the Orange Bowl trophy. The lack of preseason respect for the team and for the program as whole may have kept KU out of the BCS Championship game. If the Jayhawks come out and dominate on the field, I'm sure they will quickly rise in the rankings. Should they play close games or even lose a non-conference game, the preseason snub will be deserving.
If you were voting in the preseason poll, where would you rank the Jayhawks? I think I would put them around #18.
Today the USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll was released and KU was at the top of the "others receiving votes". I wasn't expecting to find the Jayhawks in the top 10 or 15 until they have proven themselves on the field, but I was surprised at the lack of the respect shown by the coaches. Then again, did the coaches really do any research and fill out their own ballot? It was only a couple of weeks ago that Steve Spurrier, current coach of South Carolina and ex-coach of Florida, left Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow off of his preseason All-SEC ballot. The blame eventually fell of director of football operations Jamie Speronis who had filled out the ballot for Spurrier to rubber stamp.
In basketball, the polls give us as fans something to boast about during the season. Beyond that, they don't really mean much. Things are much different in football because it is the polls that help determine which teams play in the BCS Championship game as well as in the BCS games. As we saw last season, the polls (via the BCS rankings) are even used to settle tiebreakers in the Big XII. Make note of #5 as it is what allowed Oklahoma to play in the Big XII Championship game last season which led to Oklahoma playing in the BCS Championship game. How would KU fans feel if they were to be tied with Nebraska and Missouri and one of those other teams would advance based on rankings? In the preseason poll: Nebraska is #22, KU is #26 and Missouri is #34. Obviously things will change during the season, but Nebraska would get the nod now. From this perspective, the preseason ranking is a negative.
There is also a positive aspect to the coaches lack of respect in the preseason. There is no doubt that coach Mangino will use the snub as a motivational tactic to fire up the team. Before the 2007 season the Jayhawks got little respect, and probably didn't deserve it. Once they hit the field, they just kept sawing wood and brought home a 12-1 record and the Orange Bowl trophy. The lack of preseason respect for the team and for the program as whole may have kept KU out of the BCS Championship game. If the Jayhawks come out and dominate on the field, I'm sure they will quickly rise in the rankings. Should they play close games or even lose a non-conference game, the preseason snub will be deserving.
If you were voting in the preseason poll, where would you rank the Jayhawks? I think I would put them around #18.
posted by Foster D. Coburn III at
9:30 AM
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