A few weeks ago, Kansas head coach Mark Mangino was touting senior quarterback Todd Reesing as a should-be Heisman Trophy candidate.
The 5-0 Jayhawks, themselves, were looking like the best team in the Big 12 North and maybe as a team that could give the South division a run for the conference championship as they ran roughshod over the likes of Northern Colorado, UTEP, Duke and Southern Miss.
But three weeks later, Kansas is stuck in reverse on a three-game losing streak and Reesing found himself yanked during Saturday's 42-21 loss to Texas Tech.
It's just three weeks into the full-swing of Big 12 play but the North Division is looking like any of the six teams could win the race.
That doesn't necessarily bode well at all for the weaker half of the two-division league.
Nebraska and Kansas came into the season as the presumed favorites to represent the North, but after two weeks of inconsistent play neither seems as powerful. The same can be said for two-time North champion Missouri, which started the season a surprising 4-0, but has dropped its first two games of the Big 12 season.
It's not like Texas and Oklahoma ever needed a reason to make their annual Red River Rivalry game in Dallas any more intense.
The tradition of the two programs, the bordering states and the fight for superiority in fertile recruiting ground of Texas use to be enough. Who knew this early season game would take on so much more meaning when both teams joined the Big 12 in 1996?
This game has become about so much more than school pride and bragging rights, as one of these two teams has won the South each of the last 10 years, and it has sometimes set the stage for the national championship picture.
Maybe it's premature to start trumpeting the return of the Big 12 North, but if the non-conference success of the big-three North teams is any indication this could be an interesting season.
Nebraska and Kansas were expected to dominate the weaker of the league's two divisions, but it appears they will have company. Missouri, which is supposed to be in a rebuilding mode after back-to-back North titles, is off to a surprising 4-0 start that catapulted the program into the Top 25 this week at No. 24.
Kansas' basketball team may have an early-season problem, but Kansas' athletic department may have an even bigger mess on its hands.
The Kansas football and men's basketball teams are at odds, resulting in at least two skirmishes Tuesday and another early Wednesday morning. Sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor suffered a thumb injury in one of the altercations and likely will not be available when the Jayhawks begin practicing next month.
The situation is serious enough that it demanded the attention of the school's administration, as well as basketball coach Bill Self and football coach Mark Mangino, on Wednesday.
Every college football season there seems to be at least one major conference that's projected to be among the best , only to find out it's all just hype.
Could this season be the Big 12's turn?
Projected to be one of the top two conferences in the country, along with the SEC, there is now a small mountain of evidence indicating the Big 12 isn't the conference we thought it would be. The league has already suffered more than it share of stunning upsets in non-conference play, starting at the top.
DALLAS -- The pieces all seem to be in place for Oklahoma State to have a season that will be talked about for years.
An almost certain top-10 preseason ranking. A high-octane offense loaded with talent and experience. A serious contender for the program's first Big 12 South title, and just its second-ever conference title. Expectations that a promising season will end with a BCS game.
For Oklahoma or Texas, those expectations just come with the territory. But for Oklahoma State, the season might suddenly seem like one big pressure cooker.
The maligned league fell to 0-3 in bowl games Wednesday, as the Minnesota Gophers overcame a good start to get blown out by Kansas in the Insight Bowl. Minnesota led 14-7 after their offense got rolling out of the gates, but lost 42-21 thanks in large part to KU junior quarterback Todd Reesing.
He got help from receivers Dezmond Briscoe (14 catches, 201 yards, three scores) and Kerry Meier (10 catches, 113 yards, one score) in making the Gophers look stupid, but Reesing was his usual steady, accurate self. He missed on only eight of 35 passes, throwing for over 300 yards and four touchdowns.
The Gophers just didn't have an answer for Reesing, Briscoe, and Meier. It started on the game's first play, when Reesing hooked up with Briscoe for a 60-yard catch and run.
Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the Insight Bowl (Tempe, Arizona), which pits Kansas against Minnesota.
Overview / Matchup: The Golden Gophers were a tremendous surprise to everyone this year, finishing 7-5. Unfortunately, it was an early season surprise that was the better part, as the Gophs coughed up their last four games of the year, including a season ending 55-0 skunkfest at the hands of Iowa. On the bright side, an easy schedule and a ridiculously weak Big 10 has them bowling. Although they do have to face off against Mark Mangino and the Jayhawks, and that's enough to scare anyone. Much less a gopher.
Hotels:The Arizona Grand Resort is the most luxurious accommodation within easy driving distance of the stadium. Located about 4 miles from the stadium and half a mile from the area's premier shopping mall, you'll find plenty to do in and around the Grand Resort (excellent on-site dining at competitive prices). Although it's usually marketed towards business travelers, the Hilton Phoenix Airport is just three miles from the stadium and has round-the-clock room service. The only downside is some guests complain of noise from airplanes overhead so you should try to book early and get a room on the ground floor. The Fairfield Inn by Marriott is near the Hilton, but offers cheaper rooms (less than US$100 per night) and basic amenities like cable TV and daily maid-service.
And when Mark Mangino gets angry, Mr. Bigglesworth gets upset. And when Mr. Bigglesworth gets upset, the big guy makes a video demanding that you stop quoting Rob Schneider. At the heart of the problem is a chant that has been going on at Kansas home games during kickoffs over the past couple years. The NSFW video below is a demonstration of the quote of Rob Schneider's character in The Waterboy.
No one will argue that this kickoff chant is in bad taste and should probably stop. But like I said earlier, it's been going on for the past couple years. So why the sudden need to stop the chant? Oh, I see. This game against Colorado is the first nationally televised home game for Kansas this year. Since Kansas hasn't been relevant in a really long time, this might be the first nationally televised home game in a long time. Now it really makes sense. Since the country will be watching, we need to clean up the trash. Well played, Kansas. Too bad these fiendish internets got in the way.
A few weeks ago, Kansas head coach Mark Mangino was touting senior quarterback Todd Reesing as a should-be Heisman Trophy candidate.
It's just three weeks into the full-swing of 
It's not like Texas and Oklahoma ever needed a reason to make their annual 
Kansas' basketball team may have an early-season problem, but Kansas' athletic department may have an even bigger mess on its hands.
Every 
DALLAS -- The pieces all seem to be in place for 
FanHouse gathers around the TV to bring you insights from 
Turkey Legs to Go
