Armageddon Is Upon Us

I probably should have had something written and ready to go for a day like today. 

A prayerfully considered piece dedicated to and soley reserved for the day when KSU finally crosses over into this mystical, ethereal plane of reality ... an alternate dimension of time and space.  A world where the laws of college football don't apply.  Where the unthinkable is actually possible.  Where an undefeated Notre Dame and half of the SEC watch helplessly as the school with a small athletic budget, a small fan following, an old coach, and lowly recruiting rankings, have ascended to total and absolute power. 

This is what we've been looking for, and now found again, for nearly half a generation.  This is a world that defies conventional rules, conventional styles, and conventional thinking.  A blessedly purple soaked utopia that will undoubtedly be the greatest season in Kansas State history.  

This is a world in which Kansas State is now ranked #1.  

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Snyder: I imagine that right now, you're feeling a bit like Alice. Hmm? Tumbling down the rabbit hole? 

K-State Fan: You could say that. 

Snyder: I see it in your eyes. You have the look of a man who accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up. Ironically, that's not far from the truth. Do you believe in fate, K-State Fan? 

K-State Fan: No. 

Snyder: Why not? 

K-State Fan: Because I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my life. 

Snyder: I know *exactly* what you mean. Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the college football world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me. Do you know what I'm talking about? 

K-State Fan: The BCS. 

Snyder: Do you want to know what it is? 

K-State Fan: Yes. 

Snyder: The BCS is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work... when you go to church... when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. 

K-Stat Fan: What truth?

Snyder: That you are a slave, K-State Fan. Your football team was born into bondage. Into a prison that you cannot taste or see or touch. A prison for your mind. You have to let it all go. Fear, doubt, and disbelief. Free your mind.  

But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it.

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If I'm going to be attending TCU games just a mere 45 minutes from my house in the near future, we need to make a few modifications:

• TCU doesn't have their tailgating system down yet.  

And as the newest member of the Big 12, I am begging them to get it together.  Allow fans to tailgate on campus.  The stadium is right there in the middle of the University.  Can we open up the campus to everyone and let's avoid the huge parking lots left unattended 50 yards from the stadium? This would prevent fans from having to walk 1.8 miles to the game or take a shuttle (which was so overloaded with K-State fans both before and after there was a 30 minute wait.)

It's true if you think about it.  You really CAN do anything on 2nd and Short.  

• Change your school colors.  

Purple and white everywhere makes it difficult to make out KSU fans from TCU fans (except when they are wearing BLACK for their silly blackout only the students participated in).  Except after the game when KSU fans were smiling and TCU fans were glaring.

But seriously, it's not as fun when you're in purple too and  let's be honest, we had it first. Maybe add some red accents or something like your football team does sometimes?

I saw this on the way into the game.  I'm still trying to get my mind around it.

• Improve your half-time show.

'Trek vs. Wars' was a bad idea to begin with. Having half the band set up as the "Death Star" and shoot "lasers" of silk flags at the other half in the shape of the "Enterprise"?  Fail.  On about 100 levels.  The breast cancer awareness song and video was very well done.  Loud, and repetitive, but well done and I am now more aware of breast cancer than ever.

Having the same guy in the video, with the same people dressed in pink in the video, sing a live version on the field literally seconds after the the music video was over?  Umm, no.

Another photon blast might of been more entertaining.

This view from the top was very very sweet.  

I didn't take this and I didn't high five the players.  I was in section 845 at the top so I could only watch. 

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Snyder: This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. 

You take the blue pill - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. 

You take the purple pill - you stay in Wonderland ... and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.

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Alabama lost and since it's frozen over, hell can't quite break loose. It's BCS Armageddon everyone!

Fans are now complaining a 1-loss SEC team will be left out.  Fans are now complaining an undefeated ND will be left out.  Fans are now complaining, and I wish I was making this up, there is media-bias TOWARDS Kansas State. #shotsofpurplekoolaid for the idiots in the corner, please.

But, ultimately, none of it matters and thankfully the voters and computers aren't buying any of it. As expected, nearly everyone voting just bumped all three teams: OR, KSU, and ND ... up a  spot.  There was really no other movement to speak of. There are 115 voters in the Harris, KSU moved up 110 votes.  There are 60 votes in the Coaches, KSU moved up 57 spots.  

In the computers, KSU moved up in the every computer except two.  Oregon moved up one in every poll except one, and moved up two spots in two of them.  ND moved up in all except two, staying the same in one, and actually dropping in another (ha.).

Rece wants to make sure you didn't miss this.

KSU now sits at #1 with a score of .9674, a .0177 lead over OR, and .0278 over ND, a number not likely to change since ND is ahead of us in every computer poll but two.  ND cannot get in unless they have a monumental win to change voters minds ... and a win over a down-trodden BCS #18 USC team isn't likely to be enough ... not with BCS #15 Texas still on K-State's schedule.

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So that means friends:  win out, and we are in the National Title against Oregon.  It's not too early to start making plans ... I need 10 tickets under $500 please.  The cheapest you can find at TicketMaster are over $700 and likely only going higher.

Maybe if I rent an official PK bus and a hotel floor we can save some money.  Who's in?

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Sam Mellinger has written some great articles this year for the Cats.  This one is no different as he explains that Kansas State is in control of it's own destiny:

Fourteen years ago, Texas A&M deleted K-State from the national title picture with a heart-wrenching overtime win in the Big 12 championship. This weekend, A&M paid it back by winning in Tuscaloosa — and how about the irony of the Aggies promptly ending their new league’s six-year streak of national titles and giving their old league a chance?

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/11/10/3911269/mellinger-wildcats-control-destiny.html#storylink=cp

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If you missed Eric Stonestreet and Ty Burrell on College Gameday, you missed a good one.  Pretty much nails ESPN to the wall regarding them constantly putting us on #upsetalert.

There's a pretty good chance Mark May will be all over it next weekend when we play Baylor.  Because they have an "offense that can score points that will give KSU fits."

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I know you're out there. I can feel you now. I know that you're afraid... you're afraid of us. You're afraid of change. I don't know the future. I didn't come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you how it's going to begin. 

I'm going to hang up this phone, and then I'm going to show these people what you don't want them to see. I'm going to show them a world without you. A world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible. Where we go from there is a choice I leave to our football team. 

-- Collin Klein, speaking to members of the media via tele-conference (summer 2012) 

10 Wins: Coming To A Theater Near You

Ok, we're kicking off tonight with this.

Check out this video shot at the OSU game from RockHouse Motion. This year has seen an absolute explosion in impressive video/audio productions from various sources, so I guess being #2 in the country will have that affect.

This one, however, is as good as they get.  When they make the movie someday about Kansas State's 2012 Championship season, this is what the trailer should look and feel like.

And if you're interested, check out this promotional video they also did for KSU Aviation.  

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"The Sky's The Limit" is Joe Posnanski's KSU article from four local sports writers at Sports on Earth regarding all four remaining undefeated teams; Oregon, Bama, and Notre Dame are also highlighted.  A great series -- I'm obviously partial to how well Posnanski did for KSU. 

That Alabama team is extraordinary, and that Oregon team is electrifying and that Notre Dame team has leprechauns protecting it at every turn. 

But Kansas State is what this thing is all about. I know college football has become about imaginary games being played between these undefeated teams and how experts or computer programs or coaches believe they would turn out. That’s a shame, though. Kansas State is not flashy enough, glitzy enough, celebrated enough or historic enough to win those imaginary games.

But they aren’t really much interested in imaginary games in the middle of Kansas anyway. Kansas State football isn’t about imagination. Kansas State football is all about reality ... and bending it.

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Love everything about this FAMILY tradition.  #godspeed to #50 right now.

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Here's a great article on Arthur Brown from the Kansas City Star on his journey to KSU.

From the start, Cosh realized Brown had leadership qualities. Only problem was, no one had ever asked him to lead. 

“At Miami as well as in high school, it was always just go play,” Butler said. “That’s all coaches asked him to do. Arthur is a person who follows directions. So when he was given the direction to become more of a vocal leader, he took that responsibility and did it.”Challenge accepted. The year before he took the field, the Wildcats couldn’t stop a straightforward run. 

Now they have the 36th-ranked defense in the nation.

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Moonlight Requisition (OSU highlight video).

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Just love these images in the KSU emails.

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The Bleacher Report loves Kansas State.  

So much so, they are beginning to lobby for the Cats to be ranked #1. And 89% of the fans agree in their Fan Poll. They have all kinds of other KSU articles as well. None of them highly researched, but all of them full of purple soaked goodness.

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Ivan Maisel kicks off the College Football podcast with David Ubben and they discuss Klein's status for Saturday. ESPN is fueling the internet rumors it's a wrist injury for Klein, but most around Manhattan agree it isn't.

It's pretty clear it was a head injury ... but not a serious one.  I would very surprised if he didn't play on Saturday. I think it's pretty clear ... you don't take a guys helmet away with a wrist injury.   

KSU has a better chance to stay ahead to in the BCS if Notre Dame and Oregon State continue to win.  If ND loses, that's a ton of points Oregon will gain, probably enough to pass K-State.   

It's going to be close, there's no doubt about that. I mentioned this last week, but voters place so much weight on these last 3 or 4 games, and it's very important for K-State to win, and win convincingly.  

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GoEMAW and ksu_FAN are at it again, breaking down the Kansas State offense.

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So, we'll be heading to game this weekend, tailgating live from Amon Carter stadium in sunny Fort-Worth.  We'll be bringing authentic Tex-Mex (Petra) from McKinney all the way west and are looking for a great place to tailgate 5 hours before kickoff.  If you know of any great places (TCU fans -- I'm looking at you), please let me know via email:  pdfreeland@gmail.com.

Should be a great day for college football, and an even better day for the Cats. TCU is a talented, well-coached team that is used to beating quality teams.  They are playing at home, blacking out the stadium, and playing with a bit of chip on their shoulder after knocking of West Virginia on the road last week.  KSU may be of their game a bit to start with Klein's injury being the major theme everyone will be looking out for.  

But, this is just another business trip for the Cats.  Like OSU last week and Tech before that, TCU has players at the skill positions, and has shown the ability to stop the run (BigXII leader in Run Defense), so expect the Cats to throw quite a bit in this game to try and open up the running game early on.

If KSU can avoid an early INT by BigXII leader Jason Verrett and establish the line of scrimmage and time of possession, I like K-State's chances to mercilessly take the lead early and never look back.  This should be a convincing Cat win, 42-24.

BTW, my friend did inform me that the "... OSU game was technically a 50-20 win because if Klein had not been hurt we would of scored another TD (true) and that a more effective offense would of prevented the OSU offense from scoring again (maybe), so 44-30 really should of been more like 51-23.  And I can't be held accountable for injuries in the 50-20 predicition."

So his future blog post is still in play.  At least until Saturday.