Part III: 7 Days

A week from now, the 42nd Annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will have just crowned a champion.

KSU will have either pulled the epic upset, or the Ducks will have done what everyone has expected them to do: blister the Cats without breaking a sweat.

The 2013 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, scheduled for University of Phoenix Stadium on January 3, is the only BCS bowl pitting two of the nation’s top 10 offenses. 

Combining to average 91.5 points (50.8 Oregon, 40.7 Kansas State) and 960.5 yards (550.1 Ducks, 410.4 Wildcats) per game, this could be the year the two-team Tostitos Fiesta Bowl single-game records for points (86 in 1996) and total yardage (1129 in 1972) is threatened 

Both schools arrive in the desert on the heels of national title-contending seasons. The Ducks ranked in the top four slots of the BCS every week, climbing as high as no. 2 in early November, the same week the Big 12 Conference champion Wildcats reached no. 1.  

In the final BCS rankings, the Ducks and Wildcats finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Oregon used merciless offensive precision to score 40 or more points in 11 of 12 games. 

In 80 scoring drives, 44 lasted less than two minutes and 22 were 60 seconds or less. The Ducks extended their school-record winning streak to 13 games by prevailing in the first 10 outings of the season. Besides scoring and total offense, the Ducks also led the Pac-12 Conference in pass efficiency (159.8), punt-return average (14.2), passes intercepted (24), third-down conversions (47.3 pct.), fourth-down conversions (70.4 pct.) and turnover margin (+19). In fact, Oregon was the national leader in passes intercepted and tied for the lead in total turnovers (38). 

Kansas State enjoyed its highest final BCS ranking in school history and reached no. 1 in the BCS for the first time. K-State ranked 10th nationally in scoring offense while also leading the country in turnover margin (+21). 

The Wildcats’ defense held seven opponents (Missouri State, Miami, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas) to less than 100 yards rushing, finishing 16th nationally in rushing defense (119.2 yards per game). 

Quarterback Collin Klein, a leading Heisman Trophy candidate, became the first signal-caller from a BCS automatic-qualifying school in the BCS era to record 20 rushing touchdowns and 10 passing touchdown in two seasons and he is one of only four quarterbacks to accomplish the feat.

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It appears the Cats hold a clear advantage in Kickoff Returns.  In fact, one could say that Kansas State is the nation's best at KR's, and Oregon is statistically ... the very worst.  And that should sound like a VERY clear advantage.

The only problem?  The difference is only 12 yards:  KSU's leading 29.23 yards per return to Oregon's 17.26.

The Cats also hold slight statistical advantages in Rushing Defense, Net Punting, Sacks Allowed, and Total Sacks.  Obviously the two teams play in widely different conferences, so comparing these stats in an apples to apples format without factoring in the strength of the opponents is probably a bit misleading.

However, it's interesting to note defensively these two are almost dead even (except for Pass Defense), and while Scoring Offense looks comparable nationally, the difference is dramatic: ORE averaged 50.83 points per game ... KSU drops to 40.67.  Ten point differential in scoring ... with only 8 other teams between them in that range.

Both teams average out in all categories to around a national ranking of approx. 33rd in all statistics, so a pretty even matchup ... on paper.  

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Did you know there was a Fiesta Bowl Queen?  No?  NO?

Well, now you do.  

I've posted this to add to your "Fiesta Bowl Experience."

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The Bleacher Report isn't the most in-depth reporting around. 

It's the fast food of sports coverage. 

There's a lot of it, it always sounds like a good idea in the beginning, and it's popular because everyone reads it.  Unfortunately, its quantity over quality, about 3 minutes in you realize what a mistake you've made reading (eating) it, and anything that's popular isn't necessarily, you know, good for you.

But, be that as it may, I like a good fast food hamburger and fries now and then, and thus, I'll link you the Bleacher Report Breakdown and Prediction of the game (slideshow).  

Not unexpectedly, they predict Oregon in blowout (should of just ordered a salad, maybe).

They also gave me a reason to post this pic (you're welcome).

Kansas State Will Win IF ...

...the Ducks can't put any pressure on Collin Klein. K-State's quarterback is capable of winning this game almost by himself. 

Oregon has faced some excellent QBs this season, but most have been one-dimensional. There was almost no chance, for example, that USC's Matt Barkley was going to take off running. Klein is a different animal, and it's essential that the Ducks get up in his face regularly. 

The other wild card that might factor in the Wildcats winning this game is if Oregon head coach Chip Kelly should announce in December that he is leaving for the NFL. 

While Duck fans and players understand that Kelly is the single hottest NFL prospect, the reality of his departure might result in the Ducks coming out flat. 

Prediction: 

The Ducks have too many weapons and too much to prove for Kansas State to win this game. 

Oregon is one missed field goal away from being in the BCS National Championship Game. K-State's lone slip-up against Baylor was also traumatic, but the solid pounding (24-52) it took was in some ways easier to digest than Oregon's very close call against Stanford. 

Both these teams and their fans are asking why a one-loss Alabama team is better and will be out to prove that they should have been in the big one. The Fiesta Bowl will be the most entertaining game of the bowl season. 

OREGON 49 — KANSAS STATE 28

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I believe KSU has what, two combinations? Home aaaand ... away?

Confirmed.

Under coach Bill Snyder, the Wildcats have worn the same uniforms — silver pants, silver helmet featuring purple and white stripes, and solid white or purple jerseys — without any major modifications since he redesigned them in 1989. 

He wanted a look that resembled the Dallas Cowboys, and still does.

"I'll tell you what, Brad, those Wildcats sure look good in that deep purple."

"You know, Todd, I agree.  The traditional look is such a classic look for them.  It's certainly served them well over the years."

:: laugh::

"Yes it has. Legend has it, Bill Snyder actually developed that hue of color himself.  Right there on campus ...  in one of the old chem labs, he spent several days working to develop that hue to just the right color.  It's stuck ever since."

"And they've been WINNING ever since as well."

:: laughter ::

"Holly, what can you tell us about Oregon's newest uniform?  They look shiny even from up here!"

"Well, Todd, you're right. I spoke with equipment managers from Oregon and they told me these special iridescent uniforms cost $1357 per jersey.  The feathers are actually made out of small sheets of titanium, honed for hundreds of hours until they give off this reflective, almost magical hue. They are quite stunning and with the ever changing colors, it's almost like looking into a rainbow! "

"Well, let's hope there's a pot of gold at the end of that rainbow for the Ducks as we are set to kickoff.  It's old school Cats vs the new school Ducks, coming at you ... now!"

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Kellis Robinett is a jayhawk. I know he writes ABOUT the Wildcats for the Wichita Eagle, but he's still a KU fan at heart.

Nonetheless, he has a Kansas State blog so I read it from time to time.  He's got a whole stream of posts over the course of the last few weeks leading up to the game you might like to read.

Since K-State football coach Bill Snyder re-joined the Wildcats four years ago, the Wildcats have been dominant against opponents that use birds as their mascots. 

They are 4-0 (with three extremely lopsided victories) against the Kansas Jayhawks, they are 4-0 against the Iowa State Cyclones (their mascot is half bird, half tornado), they are 2-0 against the North Texas Mean Green (aka Eagles) and they have victories over Tennessee Tech and Kent State (both Golden Eagles). That’s a 12-0 record.

Throw in two more wins over the Miami Hurricanes (their mascot, Sebastian, is an American White Ibis) and the record improves to 14-0.

During the last four years, nobody has beaten up on bird mascots like Snyder. So I guess that means the Oregon Ducks need to be on high alert heading into the Fiesta Bowl.

This post has a cool video discussing the stadium and the roll out field.
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Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/kstated/#story_________________________________________________________________________________

Does it make anyone feel better Baylor crushed UCLA 49-26 in the Holiday Bowl?

Nah, me either.

But, it should make all of us BigXII fans feel globally better knowing many (44%) expected the Pac-12 to sweep the BigXII in our three contests this bowl season:

Let's hope the nation's most improved team the last half of the season (yes, I see you Aggie fans jumping up and down) winning over the Pac-12 is a good omen for the Cats for next week.  

I'd post a photo of Baylor celebrating their win if I was over that loss yet but as it is, I've seen all the celebrating from Baylor I care to see for a while.

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With family coming to town tomorrow for five days it's unlikely I'll be able to fire off another one of these prior to the game.  

I just wanted to wish everyone a very exciting and safe New Years and I am looking forward to picking this back up after the game on the 3rd.  For all of you traveling to the game I hope you have a great time and I look forward to hearing the stories when you return.

The Cats are in for a dog fight, no doubt.  

But, in the end, KSU's blue collar toughness will be be too much for the Ducks and the Cats superior offensive line will wear Oregon down by the end of the 3rd.  Special Teams and a few timely turnovers (with hopefully a ball hawking Zimmerman back on the field leading the way for the Cats) will play major roles in the Cat storyline. Chris Harper will be dialed in for a monster game against his former team, and a fully rested Klein will limit the Oregon offense to fewer snaps, fewer possessions, and fewer points, allowing the Cats to secure a monumental bowl win and cap a 12-1 season record, cementing the best season in Kansas State history.

Thanks for a great 2012.

Let's get ready to roll in 2013.

Part II: The Oregon Offense

Happy early Christmas everyone.  

Before we dive into the Oregon offense and how it compares to Kansas State, perhaps a reminder of the kind of defense that got us here and what Oregon will be facing come January 3rd.

In case you've forgotten.

(Here's the one he did for the Championship Game.  It's 10 minutes long.  And awesome.)

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Oregon brings a lot of offensive firepower to the table.  Ice is cold, water is wet, and fire is ... warm.  

Let's look at their Top 3 and we'll start with the man who makes it happen:

I . #8 MARCUS MARIOTA (QB)

He's 6'-4", can run a 4.5, and was a redshirt freshman in 2012.  

After arriving in Eugene in 2011 as the #12 Rated QB overall from Rivals and #6 rated athlete from Hawaii, Mariota made a huge splash in the Oregon offense in 2012.  

He threw only 6 interceptions all season, passed for 2511 yards on 312 attempts, had a 69.9% completion percentage, and had 8.05 yards/attempt.  He threw for 30 TD's and had a 165.4 Passer Rating.

How does that compare to Klein?  He had 40 more attempts ... but only 21 more yards.  His completion percentage was 3 points higher, his yards per attempt ... 1 fewer.  He doubled up Klein on TD's, threw one less pick, and had a Passer Rating that was slightly higher by 9 points.

Mariota had 98 carries and at 7.0 ypc, racked up 680 yards and 4 TD's.  

Klein had 194 carries and at 4.6 ypc, racked up 890 yards and 22 TD's.  

Mariota finished with 34 total TD's and 3191 total yards, Klein finished with 37 total TD's and 3380 total yards.  

Very very comparable to Klein from a QB standpoint ... the main difference being Mariota throws for his TD's, Klein offers far more balance in both passing and rushing.

The Take Away:  The Kid is really really good and not prone to making mistakes.  Though Mariota is a freshman playing in his first BCS Bowl Game, he was on the roster against Wisconsin in last year's Rose Bowl.  

USC packed the Coliseum with 93,607 fans, which is about 40,000 more fans than the Ducks' own Autzen Stadium can hold. While the Trojans kept the Ducks sweating through three quarters, it became increasingly clear that although USC was keeping the game close, USC also had no answer for the Ducks' offense.

Every time Mariota and his offense took the field, the noisy partisan crowd would eventually be silenced. Oregon didn't even attempt a punt until the fourth quarter. Under a lot of pressure and a lot of noise, Mariota didn't flinch. In fact, Mariota thrived, going 20-of-23 for 304 yards, four touchdowns and 96 yards on the ground for good measure.

Critics will argue that USC's porous defense was the reason for the Ducks' 730 total yards. But any team that produces those kinds of numbers on the road can have the last laugh, including the freshman quarterback who became a seasoned veteran after that masterful performance.

Mariota's coming of age isn't complete. But if we go down the checklist of what constitutes being tested, Mariota passes most of the milestones.

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II . #24 KENJON BARNER (RB)

He's 5'-11", 195 lbs., and just named First Team All-American. And he runs a 4.39.

He was also named the CBSSports Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and was 9th in the Heisman race.

Barner is the first Oregon Duck since 1965 who has scored touchdowns rushing, receiving, and from punt and kickoff returns.  He set a Ducks team record for kickoff return yardage in 2009.   

In November 2012, Barner set a rushing record for Oregon and for USC Trojans football opponents, with 321 rushing yards; he also scored five touchdowns in the game, which is believed to significantly improve his chances to win the Heisman Trophy.   

As of November 11, 2012, the ESPN experts poll ranks Barner as the #2 Heisman candidate, behind Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein.

Here's Gus Johnson calling his 5-TD game vs. USC earlier this year.  Not sure if it's the bad angles by the USC defense or what, but he appears to be in #beastmode against the Trojans.

He finished the year with 248 carries, 150 more than Mariota and 158 more than Thomas. For the season, he totaled 1624 yards, (6.5 ypc), and 21 rushing TD's. 

This was a considerable workload in comparison to KSU's backfield -- Barner's rushing yards were comparable to Klein and Hubert ... combined.  As you can see from Oregon's totals, they ran the ball 151 more times than KSU.  They racked up 1500 more yards, achieved a little over 1 yards more a carry, and finished the year with 6 more rushing TD's.  

The Take Away:  Barner is the main cog in the Oregon machine.  He's big, fast, and has incredible vision.  Slowing him will be Arthur Brown's first, and only, priority.

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III . #6 DE'ANTHONY THOMAS (RB)

Rated a 5-star out of HS, he was rated as the #1 Athlete by rivals in 2011.

Thomas had a standout 2011 season as a true freshman for Oregon. He amassed a staggering 2,235 all-purpose yards, while his season haul of 18 touchdowns set the school record for number of touchdowns by a true freshman. 

On January 2, 2012, Thomas turned in a stellar two touchdown, 314 all-purpose yard performance in the Rose Bowl that helped propel Oregon to a 45-38 victory over Wisconsin. 

In that game, his 91-yard touchdown run broke the previous Rose Bowl record for the longest run from scrimmage. His only other carry in that game resulted in a 64-yard score, giving him a 77.5 yard average for the day.

Interestingly, with all that speed, Thomas only had two 100 yard rushing games this season.  Only two games in which he scored multiple TD's.  He catches a lot of balls out of the backfield as well, going for over 100 yards receiving against Cal on 8 receptions.  He averages 7.6 yards a carry.

ESPN puts the loss against Stanford squarely on Thomas' shoulders.  In their Pac-12 North Division Christmas gifts, they give Oregon A Block From #6:

If Thomas had just turned around and gotten in Stanford safety Devon Carrington's way on Nov. 17, Ducks QB Marcus Mariota's 77-yard, first-quarter run would have turned into a 92-yard touchdown against the Cardinal. 

And the Ducks might be getting ready to play Notre Dame for their first national title, a game in which they'd be significantly favored.

Would one play have made the difference?  I was too focused on KSU losing to say for sure, but in a game that was decided by 3-points, perhaps it would of turned the tide for the Ducks.

The Take Away:  Thomas is lighting in a bottle.  KSU will have their hands full keeping Thomas from sneaking out of the backfield and getting chunks of yardage if the WR's are covered.  

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IV.  THE RECEIVING CORP

Mariota had 17 different WR's to throw to this season, and other than TD machine Josh Huff, no particular WR stands out among the rest.  This is a fleet footed group that does most of their damage downfield blocking for the three-headed monster in the Oregon backfield.

Collectively, this group caught 238 balls for 2722 yards (11.4 ypc) and 33 total TD's from Mariota. Mariota himself even caught a TD on his only catch of the season. Huff and Lyerla both went for 7 and 6 TD's respectively, two and three more than any KSU WR.

In comparison, KSU's 10 total WR's caught 186 balls for 2545 yards, (13.7 yard per catch average), and 15 TD's.  Not surprisingly, KSU favored Harper, Lockett and Thompson.  Each had more yards than the top 3 Oregon WR's.

The Take Away:  KSU will hope single coverage will be enough in order to devote their safeties to run support.  Not having one or two elite WR's to try and take out of the game also poses a problem:  they're all dangerous which creates equally difficult pressure on the KSU secondary to gameplan for.

The Bottom Line:  This isn't rocket science.  Slowing Barner and disrupting the timing of the Oregon offense and Mariota's delivery and playcalling is the name of the game.  Knocking down balls at the line of scrimmage, controlling the running lanes, and creating a timely turnover or two will help keep the Duck offense off balance.  

Like any other high powered offense KSU has faced this season, KSU best defense will be clock chewing, grind it out offense.  Other than Baylor, KSU showed the ability to bend but not break against most teams in the BigXII, allowing offenses to put up large numbers without surrounding a lot of points by forcing FG's and turnovers at critical points in the game.

Clearly, no one in college football has the offense of Oregon's and few teams can win in a shootout, so the next six weeks it's likely Snyder and Co. will be devising ways to keep them off the field for as long as possible, dictating the clock, the pace, and the score.

Luckily for us, Oregon doesn't have the horses to slow Klein or the KSU offense.  

But that's ... another story.

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Merry Christmas from Kansas State!

I finally changed the comments section so now anyone can leave a comment. You should try it sometime.

Christmas Comes Early

And just like that, KSU's life after Collin Klein just got a whole lot better.

Tonight, Kansas State received a verbal commitment from the nation's JUCO Offensive Player of the Year, QB Jake Waters.

Waters is a junior college All-American who led Iowa Western to a national title this season. He completed 73.3 percent of his passes along the way and rushed for nearly 300 yards. He is also a smart player, and threw three interceptions. On Thursday, he was chosen NJCAA player of the year. 

During a news conference, he said he was leaning toward choosing Penn State earlier this week but an in-home visit from K-State quarterbacks coach Del Miller changed his mind. 

It also didn’t hurt that Klein called from New York last week in between Heisman Trophy obligations.

As late as last night, Waters was 50% leaning towards Penn State.  He said he had a long discussion with his parents and his coaches, and with all things considered, went with his "gut," and chose the Cats.

Waters set an NJCAA record by completing 73.3 percent of his passes, going 244 of 333 for 3,501 yards with 39 touchdowns and only three interceptions. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Waters, who rushed 52 times for 256 yards and six TDs, chose K-State over Penn State.

Here's the story from the school website on his selection as the POY.

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The Wichita Eagle has also reported Waters' teammate, Devon Nash, also an All-American, was going to follow in his footsteps.

Devon Nash, a 6-foot-5, 260 pound defensive end, announced Thursday that he has orally committing to play at K-State. Iowa Western safety Travis Green is also committed to the Wildcats. 

Waters described Nash, who chose K-State over Oklahoma State, as “a stud.” 

Nash said he picked the Wildcats because Bill Snyder’s reputation, the family atmosphere and the program’s track record for winning with junior college players. 

“Historically, they have done the best with junior college kids,” Nash said via phone. “That was a huge factor. I come off the ball hard and I can either speed rush or strength rush. I switch it up and keep tackles guessing. 

I think I will fit in well with the rest of the defensive line.”

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/12/13/2602712/kansas-state-football-lands-junior.html#storylink=cpy

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Kansas State also landed LB Travis Green from the 2012 JUCO National Champions.

Thank you Iowa Western Community College!

(ku got this amish guy).

"The recruiting process for me wasn't as crazy as it was for some of these other guys. It was down to Illinois and Kansas.  Illinois called and said they had run out of scholarships.
  

So it made my decision easy to go to Kansas."

If I had made that quote up it wouldn't have been as funny as him actually saying that.  

(Which he did.)

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The Cats also locked up a verbal tonight from 4-start LB from Missouri,  Nick Ramirez.  Dropping his commitment to Missouri in November, Ramirez opened up his recruiting and chose KSU over Nebraska, Iowa, and Purdue.

This is huge pick up for the Cats.  Here's a great read on Ramirez from ESPN from earlier this year.

Boehm's respect for Ramirez's versatility is sky high. In addition to his power, Ramirez brings speed to the team, as his fastest 40-yard dash time is 4.57 seconds. Boehm has an appreciation for Ramirez being good, but it's Ramirez' desire to be better that makes him a favorite. 

"He caught one of the fastest running backs [in Missouri] from the opposite side," Boehm said, referring to a touchdown-saving play as a freshman on current Missouri Tiger E.J. Gaines. "In the Staley game, he switched back and forth from positions. He's a great kid with a great attitude and will lead the team next year. He will be a good role model for hard-nosed kids. 

"Most importantly, he's a hard worker and a freak in the weight room." 

In addition to his offers, Ramirez has interest from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas, Texas A&M, Tennessee and a host of other schools. Royce Boehm is expecting some of those interests to turn to offers very soon. 

"He just has a passion for the game, and you can't teach that," Boehm said. "He understands the game. Whenever you're able to step on the field as a freshman, you've got a true understanding of what it takes to play. That's what he brings, and I think the next level will be huge for him."

Taken in April when no one knew how bad Missouri was.

Forever is a long time.  

In this case, it was about 7-months, or about the amount of time it took Pinkel and Missouri to become one of the worst teams in the SEC.

Welcome to the Kansas State family, Nick!

ESPN Wins 2012 Heisman

Well, they got what they wanted.

It was clear to anyone paying attention:  the creation of the national storyline of "Freshman vs. Defense" was a theme they were just itching to finally promote.

It was clear every time they put KSU on "upset alert" for every game of the season.  It was clear in their television promo ads that intentionally left out Klein in the highlights leading up to the big night in New York.

It was clear by the near complete drop-off in coverage for Klein after the Baylor loss.  It was clear the moment Texas A&M defeated Alabama in Tuscaloosa they needed a story to sell in a bigger state, a bigger market, and a bigger conference.

It was clear ESPN was going to declare the winner and 2nd place finish with two weeks left in the season and from that point, carefully script the next 2 weeks of advertising, promotional pieces, marketing, and coverage they wanted for a Texas A&M freshman to win the Heisman ... and that's exactly what they got.

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One Fan's Take:

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Klein and Snyder were the story as long as KSU was undefeated and defied every probable odd imaginable.  That's a story ESPN could run with.  That's an angle they could sell.  Sure, KSU was in Kansas and yes, most of media has historically gone out of their way to disparage the blue collar tactics of Snyder and his relentless ... consistency.

But this season was different.

This team had something no other KSU team since 1998 had, and that's a player that could be marketed as a possible Heisman. They had huge road wins over conference favorites OU and West Virigina.

As long as KSU stayed undefeated, Klein was expected to win in a Heisman landslide.  At one point, as you probably recall, he had 15 of a possible 15 1st place votes at HeismanPundit.com.

There was no one to challenge him.  No one that could catch his meteoric rise to national prominence.  Even Notre's Dames LB, a fine player in all aspects, was still a defensive player and no one considered him much of a threat to dethrone Klein's and the 2012 Heisman trophy.

Amazing what one bad game will do ... at the wrong time.

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Here's another great fan read:

Look through the lens of those in positions to influence public thought. This is what you see: Middle of the country. Little Apple. Small town. Heartland. 

How quaint. 

The fact that it's true doesn't make it any less of a story. 

When it became clear that national public opinion was trending away from Collin Klein (Jackie got here much sooner than me, btw) I thought maybe the story alone would be enough. That Heisman voters would come to believe Collin's 'boyish good looks-aw shucks-I didn't kiss my wife until our wedding night' story would carry the day. 

That Collin's story happened to be true and not contrived was just gravy. 

Look at it this way. 

The mere fact that Manhattan, Kansas even has a national identity is due wholly to the success of Bill Snyder and Frank Martin. Bottom line: If we do not win ballgames, there's no reason for anyone outside the K-State family (read: national opinion molders) to care.

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Being an undefeated team was sportscasting gold.

It's a story that takes almost no real research.  No hype.  No special recognition.  You can easily market to fans in all corners of the college football universe the glorious magic of an undefeated season.

Now it's down to six.  Now five.

Now four undefeated teams remain.

Now ... there's only one .. and it's Notre Dame.

Even better.  (We were tired of talking about Kansas State anyway.)

Each and every year, college football is simply about finding the storyline for ESPN, and most other media outlets, in general.

Will it be someone trying to repeat?
Will it be a non-BCS conference school running the table and crashing the BCS party?
Will it be a historically rich team rising from the ashes to win another championship?
Will it be an improbable rematch?
Will it be a player so dynamic NFL teams are losing ...  just to have shot of drafting him?

This year was no different.

Once the Cats took the loss, it was now about focusing on what the storyline of the season was going to be, and that's Notre Dame in the title game against a team in the SEC trying to repeat and a freshman from Texas winning the Heisman in historic fashion.

Check aaaand ... check.

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Listen, don't just take MY word for it.  Take Heisman Pundit's.  Are they talking about THIS year, or next? So hard to tell ... this could just as easily been written about Klein.

The dominance of social media has shortened the news cycle from days to hours, sometimes minutes. Every interception or fumble or bonehead play is touted as "evidence" of general ineptitude. 

Players are chewed up and spit out on a daily basis by the snark merchants. Who can survive that environment? 

The mainstream media won't be able to help itself. It will tout Manziel as next fall's Heisman front-runner. When fans complain about Manziel being foisted upon them, they'll do an about face. That's how it always happens. 

In the meantime, fresh faces are sure to appear on the scene with their own narratives and nicknames, their own statistically superior seasons for voters to latch onto. As new and exciting as Johnny Football is now, he'll be old hat by next fall.

And if that wasn't enough ... a final reality:

All the things that had to go right for Manziel to win the Heisman this year -- the general collapse of the various front-runners, the perfect set-up in Tuscaloosa, the record-setting production and Kansas State's late-season collapse against Baylor -- will be tough to duplicate. Can lightning strike in the same spot twice? And remember that Johnny Football isn't exactly a big guy. He led a charmed existence in 2012, but his fearless style will continue to put him at risk of injury.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/12/08/3956506/klein-didnt-win-heisman-but-hes.html#storylink=cpy

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Here's a Bleacher Report look at why Klein won't (didn't win):

For you to earn my consideration for the Heisman Trophy, you, the candidate, have to do two of three things. 

First, your team has to finish as the best or second-best team in the nation. That means that your team will play for the BCS National Championship Game. 

Second, you have to record great numbers. 

Last, you have to be considered the most exciting and most dominant football player in the country. 

Does Kansas State's Collin Klein stack up against Johnny Manziel and Manti Te'o in these three categories?

No.

The thing is, this is subjective criteria.  Ultimately, that's the problem. Whatever stats you want to look at, you will.  Whatever way you want to spin it, you can. How ever you define "exciting" and "dominate", is up to you.

No, the Wildcats didn't finish 1 or 2.  How does that make Te'o a better overall player?

No, Klein's numbers weren't as flashy as ESPN's candidate, but his offense, style of play, pace, etc. were far different.  Did any voters watch the actual games?

The most exciting and the most dominant?  That's certainly up for debate.

Which is why the Wildcat Nation feels so slighted.

Klein was in fact the most exciting player in the BigXII this season.  He won the BigXII Offensive Player of the Year.  He won the conference championship.  He is the first player in college football history to rush for 20 and throw for 10 in back to back years.  He consistently overwhelmed BigXII defenses with his saavy play calling, adjustments, patience, and toughness.  He rarely made mistakes.

Sadly, all of that was brushed aside the second Bama fell to Manziel and Klein took a loss (late in the year).  And while I certainly won't take that feat away from Manziel, it's not enough in my opinion to give him the trophy.  His two losses to Florida and LSU were early, and the luck of the schedule allowed the hype to build over the last month of the season.

If Klein and the Cats had lost to Baylor early, say around the time Texas A&M was losing to LSU (Oct. 20th), this might of all gone down a lot differently.

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I ran the stats on JM since there is a prevailing notion he padded his numbers against weaker competition.  Basically, I divided the OOC into one category, the SEC teams ranked #38 or less in the BCS in another category, and the top 3 in the BCS from the SEC in the final category.

The numbers speak for themselves as they should.  Against the weakest teams on the schedule, he averaged 5.5 total TD's per game and 404 total yards.

Against the mid-level SEC teams, he drops to 3.6 TD's per game but his yards go up slightly.

Against the best in the SEC, he drops to 1 TD / 294 yards per game.  And he takes 2 losses in the process.

The average BCS rank of the Texas A&M schedule was 54.7.  KSU's was 53.5.  It can't be said that Manziel's had a tougher road, and he played four COMPLETE cupcakes in the OOC (Klein only had 2 gimmes and also had to face Miami.)  

He also avoided playing Georgia, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt (ranked 1st, 3rd, and 4th in the East) in that schedule.

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The Kansas City Star does their best to help us feel better about this CFB tragedy:

Collin Klein is, by nature and nurture, the perfect Kansas State football player. Humble and tough, the star who always points out he wears the Powercat like all his teammates, so everything he does, they do. He is the kind of player whose Heisman promotion kit features a purple bandage. 

He doesn’t fit the NFL’s mold for potential star but is among the most efficient at what he does in college. Most comfortable out of the spotlight, or in pads knocking into someone. 

Better than anyone expected, a classic dual-threat quarterback in the system that highlights those talents as well as any place in the country.

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The Alabama game was a big one, but it was near the end of the season.  

Had the roles been reversed ... Had KSU defeated OU in the last few weeks of the year ... Had JM taken his loss to LSU at the end of season ... I think we can all agree Klein would of walked off that stage with the trophy in hand.  It was unfortunately just a simple matter of timing.  Really really bad timing.  

That Alabama Heisman "moment" was no bigger than Klein essentially defeating OU with a devestating time consuming 4th quarter drive in Norman. Just because he didn't have to play from behind in the last seconds to win doesn't make it any less of a monumental win. 

We can all agree the Heisman should not be considered a "career" award (even though in the past it has gone that way) we should also agree it should not be for just a single game, or moment, either.  Klein's numbers over the course of two season, with incredible TD numbers to go with an obvious disparity of talent between KSU and some of the other teams in the conference, should also help his case. 

But it didn't.  

And now that this blog is written and over with, I'm moving on myself.  (Don't even get me started on Te'O and whether or not he deserved to be 2nd -- that's a blog post for another day.)  

Time to refocus on the task at hand ... slowing Oregon.

Or maybe they should be worried about slowing ... us?

Part I: Oregon 101

Tonight is the first in a four-part series regarding what you need to know about the biggest bowl opponent in Kansas State history.  We'll be tackling a number of different issues the Cats face with the Ducks and breakdown both teams over the course of the next month and how each compares to the other.  

We'll also be diving into more statistical information, looking at the the Fiesta Bowl itself, and of course get into all the hype surrounding the game as the date nears.  

• Part II:  The KSU Defense vs. The Oregon Offense
• Part III:  The KSU Offense vs. The Oregon Defense
• Part IV:  Stats Overload III
• The Fiesta Bowl
• The National Hype

I'll also continue to post BigXII Championship items as I find them.

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PART I:  OREGON HISTORY 101

Just as Kansas State hasn't always been the Wildcats, Oregon hasn't always been the Ducks.  

Oregon teams were originally known as Webfoots, possibly as early as the 1890s.  

The Webfoots name originally applied to a group of fishermen from the coast of Massachusetts who had been heroes during the American Revolutionary War; their descendants had settled in Oregon's Willamette Valley in the 19th century and the name stayed with them. 

A naming contest in 1926 won by Oregonian sports editor L. H. Gregory made the Webfoots name official, and a subsequent student vote in 1932 affirmed the nickname, chosen over other suggested nicknames such as Pioneers, Trappers, Lumberjacks, Wolves, and Yellow Jackets. 

Ducks, with their webbed feet, began to be associated with the team in the 1920s, and live duck mascots were adopted to represent the team. Journalists, especially headline writers, also adopted the shorter Duck nickname.   

Beginning in 1940, cartoon drawings of Puddles in student publications began to resemble Donald Duck, and by 1947, Walt Disney was aware of the issue. Capitalizing on his friendship with a Disney cartoonist, Oregon athletic director Leo Harris met Disney and reached an informal handshake agreement that granted the University of Oregon permission to use Donald as its sports mascot.

When Disney lawyers later questioned the agreement in the 1970s, the University produced a photo showing Harris and Disney wearing matching jackets with an Oregon Donald logo:

Relying on the photo as evidence of Disney's wishes, in 1973, both parties signed a formal agreement granting the university the right to use Donald's likeness as a symbol for (and restricted to) Oregon sports. The agreement gave Disney control over where the mascot could perform and ensured that the performer inside the costume would "properly represent the Donald Duck character." 

In 2010, Disney and the University reached an agreement that removed the costumed Oregon Duck mascot from its association with the Donald trademark, and allowed The Duck to make more public appearances, such as at college mascot competitions. The mascot in graphic art, which is more similar to Donald Duck than the rounder head and body of the costume, is still covered by the trademark agreement. 

Here is an even more comprehensive article outlining the fact that, yes, Donald Duck is actually the University of Oregon's mascot.

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As we all know, Oregon is known as Nike University for a reason:  Phil Knight.  

Knight's influence on Oregon is so great that calling him a booster is like calling the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff a concerned citizen. 

Without Knight, Oregon would be thrilled to go to the Holiday Bowl. Without Knight, Oregon would be asking for money instead of printing it. 

Without Knight, Oregon would be ... (gasp!) Oregon State. 

Knight holds the key to Oregon athletics in his wallet, and everybody there knows it. The new basketball gym -- Matthew Knight Arena, named after Phil's late son -- is his project. The school's uniforms, more than any other team's, are a billboard for his company, Nike. There is a sense that every new building and every important hire needs Knight's stamp of approval. 

Knight graduated from Oregon, but so much of his spending in Eugene is not about education. It isn't even really about athletics, because let's face it: After you spend your first $100 million or so, you probably have all the jockstraps and barbells you need. 

No, most of Knight's spending is about recruiting. He spends to excess in order to impress high school kids. Knight has poured tens of millions of dollars into what amounts to makeup and jewelry for the athletic department.

And after reading this article, it's a little sickening.  Maybe because it's seems like such a conflict of interest:  a company as visible as Nike, a SPORTS CLOTHING company, just miles from the campus, with a co-founder and chairman the alumni of the local university, just blatantly pouring money to fund, what else ... the athletics program, to the tune of $330 million.  

In 2000, Knight was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame for his Special Contribution to Sports in Oregon. 

He is believed to have contributed approximately $230 million to the University of Oregon, the majority of which was for athletics. 

On August 18, 2007, Knight announced that he and his wife, Penny, would be donating an additional $100 million to the University of Oregon Athletics Legacy Fund. This donation is reportedly the largest in the University's history.

His significant contributions have granted him influence and access atypical of an athletic booster. In addition to having the best seats in the stadium for all University of Oregon athletic events, he has his own locker in the football team's locker room. 

An athletic building is named for him, the library for his mother, the law school for his father, and the basketball teams' home, Matthew Knight Arena, is named for his late son, who died in a scuba diving accident.

Doesn't there seem something unethical about it all?  Or is it just good American capitalism at its best and this is just the jealous KSU fan in me?  I mean, we certainly have our fair share (no we don't) of rich alumni (not that rich) contributing to the university (not very often), so maybe it shouldn't be that big of a deal? (It is).

Well, I don't like it.  It completely unbalances of the scales of power in college football and has taken a program that shouldn't be that good and made them a national power.  Almost overnight.

Sure, Mike Belotti, U of O coach from 1995-2008, had a big part in putting them on the national scene and getting them bowling consistently, and Chip Kelly has taken them another step forward since taking over in 2009 in competing for league (and national) championships, but the financial excess makes me dislike them the more the I read about them. (especially as I stare grimly at my $50 Telefund donation this year.)

      + =

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It's no secret Nike loves to showcase it's creativity and advertises it weekly with a seemingly new uniform combination for Oregon every few weeks.  

Which uniform can we expect to see January 4th?  Who knows.  Who cares?  Nike now does it nearly every week and they get a lot of attention for it.  While I understand the hype and the excitement of a new uniform (and the designs are impressive), this showcases a glaring difference (one of many, a topic for another post perhaps) between the two programs:  Snyder's complete adherence to tradition and doing the same things over and over again to achieve perfection, against Oregon's flash of doing nothing the same to create excitement and the aura of unpredictability. 

The stark contrast in style are why this game is so intriguing, making it perhaps the best game of the bowl season.  

So get ready ... there's lots more to come!

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VERSUS