Cy the Cyclone
Starter
Looking over the non-conference schedule for the Big 12 North I see another fine season against high-school teams coming up…so, as is my usual annoying habit…I will now analyze the first four weeks of the up-coming season and rank them from most challenging to “Why Bother”
#1 Missouri – Missouri kicks things off with Illinois, a real team from a real school. They finish things off with Nevada who was surprisingly good last year (bet the schedulers didn’t take that into account a few years ago.
Illinois
Furman
Bowling Green
Nevada
#2 Nebraska – Nebraska appears to be ready to make the jump to the Sun Belt Conference since three of the first four games of the year feature Sun Belt members. But, at least they are decent teams. Arkansas State and La Lafayette had some good moments last year. V-Tech is the nail-biter for the Huskers.
Florida Atlantic
Arkansas State
Virginia Tech
UL Lafayette
#3 Iowa State – Sure…a non-conference schedule featuring the likes of Army doesn’t strike fear into the hearts of too many good teams. But, ISU is not a good team yet and needs some walk-overs. There is a good chance they will struggle to win against the cupcakes what with a new coaching staff and new system…again. Plus, there is the annual ISU-Iowa match up. Iowa is a bowl team that is better than what the rest of the Big 12 North is stacked up against
North Dakota State
Iowa
Kent State
Army
#4 Colorado – Not a whole lot of work here in the non-conference but the West Virginia game on the road makes the schedule interesting. Lots of games in the high altitudes for Colorado this year during the non-conference. Wyoming could be a surprise this year
Colorado State
Toledo
Wyoming
West Virginia
#5 Kansas State – KSU is still miffed because nobody told them that UCLA was going to actually be decent again by this time. Actually, they really aren’t…just a name…but, then again, KSU isn’t going to be too decent either so I guess they are even. The rest…typical K-State opponents during non-conference play
Massachusetts
UL Lafayette
UCLA
Tennessee Tech
#6 Kansas – Hurray for the winner of the Biggest Non-Conference Cup Cake Schedule of the Year award for two years running! No wonder Mangino is so huge with all the cup cakes being served up this year. Look for Kansas to start the season with four wins and the schedule maker to win MVP again this year.
Northern Colorado
UTEP
Duke
Southern Miss
Look for the North teams to come out of non-conference play with the following records and remember…you heard it from me first!
Missouri – 2-2
Nebraska – 3-1
Iowa State – 3-1
Colorado – 2-2
Kansas State – 3-1
Kansas 4-0
#1 Missouri – Missouri kicks things off with Illinois, a real team from a real school. They finish things off with Nevada who was surprisingly good last year (bet the schedulers didn’t take that into account a few years ago.
Illinois
Furman
Bowling Green
Nevada
#2 Nebraska – Nebraska appears to be ready to make the jump to the Sun Belt Conference since three of the first four games of the year feature Sun Belt members. But, at least they are decent teams. Arkansas State and La Lafayette had some good moments last year. V-Tech is the nail-biter for the Huskers.
Florida Atlantic
Arkansas State
Virginia Tech
UL Lafayette
#3 Iowa State – Sure…a non-conference schedule featuring the likes of Army doesn’t strike fear into the hearts of too many good teams. But, ISU is not a good team yet and needs some walk-overs. There is a good chance they will struggle to win against the cupcakes what with a new coaching staff and new system…again. Plus, there is the annual ISU-Iowa match up. Iowa is a bowl team that is better than what the rest of the Big 12 North is stacked up against
North Dakota State
Iowa
Kent State
Army
#4 Colorado – Not a whole lot of work here in the non-conference but the West Virginia game on the road makes the schedule interesting. Lots of games in the high altitudes for Colorado this year during the non-conference. Wyoming could be a surprise this year
Colorado State
Toledo
Wyoming
West Virginia
#5 Kansas State – KSU is still miffed because nobody told them that UCLA was going to actually be decent again by this time. Actually, they really aren’t…just a name…but, then again, KSU isn’t going to be too decent either so I guess they are even. The rest…typical K-State opponents during non-conference play
Massachusetts
UL Lafayette
UCLA
Tennessee Tech
#6 Kansas – Hurray for the winner of the Biggest Non-Conference Cup Cake Schedule of the Year award for two years running! No wonder Mangino is so huge with all the cup cakes being served up this year. Look for Kansas to start the season with four wins and the schedule maker to win MVP again this year.
Northern Colorado
UTEP
Duke
Southern Miss
Look for the North teams to come out of non-conference play with the following records and remember…you heard it from me first!
Missouri – 2-2
Nebraska – 3-1
Iowa State – 3-1
Colorado – 2-2
Kansas State – 3-1
Kansas 4-0