FanHouse Big 12 North

Somewhere in the privacy of his own home, 70-year-old Kansas State coach Bill Snyder is enjoying this and laughing at those who quietly thought the energy was gone to resurrect the Wildcats.

But as we've suspected for years, the private Snyder is different from the public guy. So it should be no surprise Snyder seems oblivious to the instant success he and the Wildcats are experiencing after he decided break a three-year retirement to return to Kansas State just under a year ago.

The Wildcats are sitting atop the Big 12 North with two regular-season games remaining after being picked to finish on the bottom half of the division in the preseason media poll.

It's okay if you forgot the Big 12 had two divisions. Ever since Missouri lost to Oklahoma State and Texas on successive weekends, both the Tigers and the division they call home have been nearly invisible.

Since you forgot about the Big 12 North, you probably also thought that Missouri had locked up the division title a couple weeks ago. In fact, the Tigers needed Kansas to lose to Texas today to make it possible for them to clinch. All they had to do was beat Iowa State, who came into the game 2-8 and winless since September 6.

No problem on both counts. Texas made it look easy, beating the Jayhawks 35-7 in a game that wasn't even that close. The Tigers knew this before their game kicked off and knocked the Cyclones all the way from Ames to Keokuk, winning 52-20.

So the Tigers win the division no matter what happens against Kansas in two weeks. They'll face whoever survives the South, but whoever it is, Mizzou will be the underdog, and probably a sizable one. Given the strength of the South, the Tigers could slip all the way to the Holiday Bowl. And as for the rest of the division?