Adopt A Team Program - NU Goes Rock Chalk

If you missed today's WSJ article on the deep-rooted hatred between Kansas and Missouri then track a copy down from the dumpster. Here is the LTP synopsis - the 116 year rivalry has venom attached to it stemming from the free state, Kansas trying to rid Missouri of slavery and doing so in violent fashion - literally a border war. During the Civil War era, William Quantrill led a group of anti-abolitionists into Lawrence and burned the town down killing 183. On the flipside, the term Jayhawk derives from the group of Kansas "soldiers" who marched upon Mizzou, but in the process raped the women and pillaged the villages - yet were claiming a higher road based on their quest to abolish slavery . Missouri fans are still unhappy with the team's nickname and a definite grudge is in place -and this is by far the biggest game in the rivalry's history (the WSJ article referenced a Mizzou fan in the bar he was at wearing a Chase Daniel #, but with the name "Quantrill" on the back). And here I was trying to wind up the fans about giving a hoot about the Sweet Sioux. Geesh.

Since the Cats season is history, I figure I've got 6 weeks or so to hop on a bandwagon. Being a sucker for an underdog, I can't help but be magnetically attracted to our similar woebegone football brethren, Kansas. Amazingly, Mark Mangino has taken a team that Northwestern beat in his second season in the opener in Lawrence, Kansas, just 4 years ago, (28-20) to the brink of a national championship. Perhaps I'm trying to rekindle a flame of hope that BCS success is not unrealistic in short order at NU, but I'm lobbying Wildcat Nation to pledge their BCS allegiance to Kansas. The basketball school with a football coach that looks like a basketball makes it a little bit of a stretch for NU comparisons (when you expect to go to the Final Four every year, it is hard to be empathetic to their athletic program).

However, I find myself TIVOing every one of their games as I see a strange kinship to the 1995 Northwestern team. Perhaps it was their last dream season was also 1995, the last season they were ranked. I was shocked to find out the Jayhawks ended the year ranked 9th in the country, as I thought I knew every morsel of the entire CFB landscape that year (truth be told they probably hated us since no one outside of Lawrence knew about their amazing run that year). No name guys continuing to prove critics wrong every week. The bigger the stage, the bigger the win. Kansas' alltime marks against the Nebraskas and Oklahomas of the world are similar to Northwestern's futility against Ohio State and Michigan. The school has won only four conference championships and has not won a conference title since 1968 nor appeared in a January bowl game since 1969 (Orange Bowl - same season).

Have you seen these kids play yet? How the hell is their QB getting no pub for Heisman - 30 TDs, 4 INTs on an offense averaging 500 ypg - plus he is money in clutch situations. His name is Todd Reesing and if you didn't know in the last sentence then you can empathize with the Darnell Autry syndrome. But, even Darnell got the invite to NYC for the Heisman. Reesing of course is tied with Mizzou's Chase Daniel who also has 30 TDs and IS getting Heisman hype. Saturday night's matchup on ABC is THE stage for either QB to step up and get the Heisman Flutie Rocket Booster Circa 1985. This is as close to a national championship quarterfinal as we're going to get - the winner is a game away from the BCS National Championship. Mizzou, who many are comparing to KU as equally resurgent, is a tougher sell. Mizzou had Michigan State-itis for much of the 90s and early 00s as they would continually have one star player, usually at QB (see Brad Smith, Corby Jones), would start quickly and fade like Sparty. Kansas is such a big name, our game with them wasn't even televised!

All too many times I've chosen one team to hop on the BCS bandwagon, and while it will be impossible to top my last year's choice (Boise State), I'm thinking in some way a Kansas national championship will get NU some kindred karma. Rock Chalk Jayhawk. Happy Thanksgiving everyone...load up on football and start counting the days to our new DC and August 30.