Cy Grades Out The Big 12 North...

[Cy the Cyclone]

Since we’re heading into the last ¼ of the football season it seems like a good time to reflect on the performances of the respective Big-12 teams and see how they have measured up to the high (or low) expectations that I set for them before the season began:

 

Missouri (7-2) – I had high expectations for Missouri this year. I thought maybe they would be one of the few teams that could wade down into the South division and thump a few heads. Unfortunately, the Missouri heads were what got thumped. The offense carried it’s share of the load but the defense has been erratic…sometimes good, sometimes horrible. They have thumped the teams they were supposed to thump but haven’t risen to the occasion against ranked teams like I expected them to.

Grade: Receives Pink PARTICIPANT ribbon and Smiley Face Button – A little less than what I expected but still the best in the North

 

Kansas (6-3) – Everyone said that KU was going to have trouble replicating last year’s success because they actually had to play some real teams this year. They were right. Three ranked opponents…three loses. Again, the story of this team is a good offense and an inconsistent defense. This, combined with a killer end of the season schedule is going to propel KU to my season beginning prediction of 6-6, scraping into a post season bowl by the skin of it’s teeth. Sorry KU, but it was preordained by me months ago.

Grade: Receives Pink PARTICIPANT ribbon and Smiley Face Button – I think this team has under-performed, especially on defense. They are about where I expected them to be. No drop-off of play…just better opponents.

 

Nebraska (5-4)– Didn’t really drink the Kool-Aid before the season began. Thought they would be better this year than last but would not make a big wave in the North in 2008 yet here they are competing for a bowl bid. Can’t say it’s because of stellar play since the offense has been hit and miss and the defense has mainly been miss. Overall, the Huskers look like a below average team playing one of the hardest schedules ever put together in the history of civilization! Harder than David taking on Goliath! Tougher than the Christians getting thrown to the Lions in ancient Rome!. Gaping holes both offensively and defensively still need to be filled and this team needs to develop an identity of some sort. Still, they are putting it together a tad bit faster than I imagined at the beginning of the year.

Grade: Receives Pink PARTICIPANT ribbon and Smiley Face Button - Improving but still a work in progress

 

Colorado (4-5) – What a disappointment Colorado has been. Before this season started I thought all the returning starters on offense and defense would really make the Buffs someone to be reckoned with in the North…yet here they sit fighting to become bowl eligible (the fact that they still ARE bowl eligible says something about the amount of meaningless bowl games out there). Injuries on offense have killed this team, along with the fact that Hawkins, in my opinion, has always been a questionable leader as HC. All offensive production has virtually disappeared and the defense, while not horrible, can’t carry it all.

Grade: Receives Pink PARTICIPANT ribbon and Smiley Face Button – The Buffs look like they are mailing in the rest of the season. I’m totally amazed at how fast they hit the wall and gave up.

 

Kansas State (4-5) – Loading up with a boatload of Juco players has never been what I believed to be a successful strategy when it comes to fielding a successful football team but Kansas State has done it…albeit without a lot of improvement to show for it. But, on the other hand, they haven’t gotten any worse either. The resignation of Prince is pretty classless. I’m pretty sure there are a lot of Juco players wondering why they hell they bothered to leave California or Florida or wherever to play in the artic wastes of Kansas just to have the guy who whispered sweet nothings into their ears bail out on them. What a Prince…As with the majority of North teams…and B-12 teams in general…spotty offense, no defense…capable of beating up average schools but no match for the big boys

Grade: Receives Pink PARTICIPANT ribbon and Smiley Face Button - I expected the Wildcats to totally suck but they have surprised me by just sucking…thus the above average grade.

 

Iowa State (2-7) – All right, I’ll admit I bought into Pollard and Chizik’s hype just a teensie bit. Really, after the decent ending of the 2007 season I expected to see more progress out of the Cyclones than I have. This team just doesn’t seem to be able to put a complete ballgame together. One half here, a quarter there…never a complete game. Look in the dictionary under Sophomore Jinx and you’ll find the Iowa State team photo. Hey, the team starts 11 Freshmen so I suppose my expectations were a little higher than they should have been and a couple of those guys have shown a lot of promise. There might be some hope for the future (I say that every year)

Grade: Receives Pink PARTICIPANT ribbon and Smiley Face Button – Have been bad, are bad and will probably always remain bad. The C is for being Consistently bad...

 

Coming Soon – My take on the South

[junior4949]

I'm confused by your grading. Mizzou has disappointed you because they can't play with teams in the south, yet they receive a B. Nebraska has been on par with your preseason expectations, yet they receive a C+? Unless we lose all the rest of our games, we are better than a year ago.

[Cy the Cyclone]

Probably should have clarified that:

 

A = Playing way above my expectations

B = Playing above my expectations

C = Doing about what I expected them to do

D = Playing below my expectations

F = Playing far below my expectations

 

All based on how I expected them to be playing at this time before the season began.

[melscott62]

favorable schedule? @tech, @ou, mu , ku an v-tech?

 

yes we play some door mats, but our schedule is not lacking either. also those first 3 games of the year are not nearly as bad as people make them out to be.

[junior4949]

But, you gave Missouri a B and then went on to say how they are performing below your expectations. I'd venture to say that they're playing below their team and fan expectations as well. I just am having issues with their B grade, that's all.

[WVhuskerXX]

B = Playing above my expectations

 

Grade: B – A little less than what I expected but still the best in the North...

 

That doesnt make sense...if they are playing less that you expected why would there grade be in the grade category of playing above you expectations?

[junior4949]

Also from your grading system, shouldn't KState have received the best grade? From your assessment of them, they are playing better than you expected.

[Cy the Cyclone]

There! Fixed it for you, you Brainiacs.....

[zoogs]

HAHAHAH this is the first time I read this thread and was wondering why all the grades were the same...aww

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

HAHAHAH this is the first time I read this thread and was wondering why all the grades were the same...aww

ditto

[caveman99]

HAHAHAH this is the first time I read this thread and was wondering why all the grades were the same...aww

ditto

It took me a bit to figure out what they were talking about also....Pretty good stuff Cy!

[JGS30]

KU is not as good as last year. The loss of McClinton from the D-line, Talib from the secondary, McAnderson at tailback, Derek Fine at Tight End, and Anthony Collins and Caesar Rodriguez has killed this team. I disagree with your analysis. KU will finish 8-4.

 

My KU VS NU prediction is coming soon.......

[Cy the Cyclone]

I disagree with your analysis.

 

Your objection is duly noted and disregarded as moot because, frankly, I don't care.

 

My KU VS NU prediction is coming soon.......

 

The results of this game have already been determined by the resident football pronosticating God. Perhaps your time would be better served attempting to locate a suitable bowl willing to forward a bid to your 6-6 team. I have heard the Vanilla Ice One Hit Wonder Bowl was considering Kansas....

[SkullandBones]

Let's use math to grade them: MU .77% solid C. KU .66% D-. NU ..55% an F. CU and KSU .44% a pair of really bad Fs, F-. ISU .22% ummmm H-. (I'da used G but didn't want anyone thinking it meant 'Good' or 'Going somewhere'.)

[typ3kal]

I think your analysis of nebraska is wrong, they have not had a favorable schedule this year. I don't know how you can contest, Oklaholma, TTech, Mizzou, Vtech are exactly favorable teams, the only semi-easy team out of those was Vtech. Nebraska's SoS was the most difficult of any team this year.