Kansas State Wildcats

Four down, eight to go. I am back yet again with the Kansas State Wildcats.

The Kansas State University Wildcats have been around since 1896 and have accumulated an overall record of 459–604–41. At every home and bowl game, the Pride of Wildcat Land Marching band perform for the hundreds of adoring football fans.

The Kansas State Wildcats’ first official game was held on November 28, 1896. They began their history with a loss against Fort Riley, but that didn’t discourage this team. For the first decade, the Wildcats had a different coach every year, which was usually a recent football player that had graduated and wanted to stick around for a bit. It wasn’t odd to see the coach PLAYING alongside the team during games. I don’t think that would go over so smoothly nowadays.

The Wildcats actually had some really great coaches over those few years, including one who went on to be an Olympic medalist in sprinting and another who became a justice on the Illinois Supreme Court. Finally, in 1905, Mike Ahearn took on the coaching position and stuck around for six seasons, where he lead them to winning records each year. After Ahearn, there have been many coaches, and many ups and downs.

Over the years, the Kansas State University Wildcats have accumulated a few rivalries, including Nebraska and University of Kansas. The Wildcats have also participated in thirteen bowl games with eleven back to back.

That's all for now! Happy Friday!

Kansas Jayhawks

I am back this week with the Kansas Jayhawks!

The University of Kansas Jayhawks are extremely competitive and have big time Big 12 rivalries, which include the Missouri Tigers and the Kansas State Wildcats. The rivalry with the Missouri Tigers is known as the Border War, and it is the longest rivalry in the Midwest. The Jayhawks and the Tigers have been battling it out on the field since 1891!

The Jayhawks football team has had an impressive list of alumni over the years, including Gale Sayers (two time All-American, Hall of Famer, Chicago Bears player) and John Riggins (Hall of Famer and Super Bowl XVII MVP with the Washington Redskins), along with many others. Since they began their powerhouse football program, the Jayhawks have appeared in three Orange Bowls and the most recent was in 2008.

Mark Mangino had been the Jayhawk’s head coach since 2002, until he was subject to an internal investigation and resigned under pressure in 2009. Turner Gill is now the head coach for the Jayhawks and the team is anxious to see what he will bring to the table. The Kansas Jayhawks currently hold an over record of 568–550–58 (.508) and have been recently approved to expand their stadium.

This next season should be a real treat to the University of Kansas students, fans and alumni alike. With a new coach, an expanded stadium and a whole love of adoration for the game of football, I wouldn’t want to miss out on a game!

Check back next time for more college football history!

Iowa State Cyclones

I am back this week with the third team in the Big 12 - the Iowa State Cyclones

The Iowa State Cyclones began their long, successful history in 1892, but football did not become an official sport until two years later. That first year, the Cyclones finished with a 6-1 record including a defeat over their current big time rival, the University of Iowa. Over the decades, Iowa State has done less than average with a 476–556–46 overall record but still have high hopes for the seasons to come.

The name of the Cyclone’s stadium has a sorrowful history. In 1923, Jack Trice became Iowa State’s first African-American athlete and was also the only athlete ever to die from injuries during a sporting event. Earlier on in the game versus the University of Minnesota, Jack Trice had broken his collarbone and continued to play until he was trampled by a few Minnesota football players on the field. Trice died three days later and it was highly disputed to whether the players had intentionally hurt him. The stadium was named Jack Trice Stadium to commemorate him, along with a statue in front. The Jack Trice Stadium is still the only NCAA Division I stadium named after an African-American.

The Iowa State Cyclones fans are always in bright red at home games in the Jack Trice Stadium to show the other teams they mean business. The Cyclones fans go overboard on their school spirit, especially when their big time rival, the Iowa Hawkeyes, come to town. With only three conference title banners hanging in the stadium, the Iowa State Cyclone football team is hungry for more.

I wouldn’t want to miss an Iowa State Cyclones game solely to experience Cyclones fans!

Colorado Buffaloes

I am back today to tell you a little about the Colorado Buffaloes.

The University of Colorado Buffaloes football team have been coached by Dan Hawkins since the 2006 season. Since 1923, the Colorado Buffaloes have played on the Folsom Field and have an all-time record of 658-419-36 (.608 winning percentage). The Colorado Buffaloes football program is ranked 16th on the all-time win list and 22nd in the all-time winning percentage. They are also the all-time NCAA leader in fourth down, as well as fifth down conversions.

Since their establishment in 1890, the Colorado Buffaloes have enjoyed a prosperous history. Colorado have won numerous bowl games, 8 Colorado Football Association Championships, Colorado Faculty Athletic Conference, 7 RFMAC Championships, 4 Mountain States Conference Championships, 5 Big Eight conference championships, 1 Big 12 conference championship, 4 Big 12 North Division Championships, and an Associated Press National Championship.

Let's hope they can continue the amount of success in the next season! I'll be back next week with the Iowa State Cyclones.

Baylor Bears

The Big 12 football season is over, but I am not quite ready to quit blogging about it! So, I have decided to do a little research about each team each week just for you.

This week is all about the Baylor Bears.

Baylor is actually the only private school to participate in the Big 12 Conference. Before the Big 12, Baylor played for the Southwest Conference from its beginning until 1996 when it was ended. Joy and Lady (the two black bear mascots) have been around since the beginning, as well. The Baylor Bears have been playing at the Floyd Casey Stadium since it was built in 1950 and fills every single one of its 50,000+ seats almost every game with their screaming fans.

Although the Baylor Bears have the worst record in the Big 12 south, they keep their spirits high. In November of 2007, the Baylor Bears dismissed their head coach, Guy Moriss, and hired Art Briles to brighten up the team's spirits. The team has had its fair share of ups and downs, but they are hopeful Coach Briles will lead them to the win this next season.

Random facst:
-Baylor Bears won their first Big 12 road game in school history at Iowa State
-Baylor has 5 conference championships.

Check back next week for the scoop on the Colorado Buffaloes!

A Big 12 Football History

Now that the season is over, I thought I could enlighten you folks with a little bit of background on the Big 12. Even though this conference is only about 12 years old, it is rich with history. The Big 12 was founded when four schools, who had split up from the Southwest Conference, joined forces with the Big Eight. These four schools were Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor and Texas Tech. This conference set out to differentiate itself from the beginning, which includes its current conference logo of the roman numerals "XII".

The annual Big 12 Tournament is the conference championships, and the winner automatically goes to the NCAA tournament at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City.

Have a good day!

2010 Manning Award to Texas' Colt McVoy

If you have been living under a rock and don't know what the Manning Award is, it is presented annually to the college American football quarterback. The judging is done by the Sugar Bowl Committee and the winner is to be the best quarterback in the United States. The Manning Award has only been presented annually since 2004, with a Texas quarterback already on the list.

The Manning Award is named in honor of the prominent Manning family who have all been quarterbacks in the NFL. This includes Archie, a former University of Mississippi and New Orleans Saints quarterback, along with his two sons, Peyton (graduate from University of Tennessee and now plays for NFL Indianapolis Colts) and Eli (graduate from Ole Miss and now plays for the NFL New York Giants).

This year the award goes to Colt McVoy, a former University of Texas player. Colt McVoy also won the 2008 Walter Camp Award and was the 2008 Heisman Trophy runner-up. Passing up the 2009 NFL Draft Pick to finish his four years at Texas, Colt McVoy will definitely go as a #1 draf pick. My vote: Seattle Seahawks. What do you think?

Go Colt!

Texas vs. Alabama in the BCS Championship

The 2009-10 College Bowl season came to an end yesterday when the BCS National Championship game came to the Rose Bowl. The Alabama Crimson Tide battled it out with the Texas Longhorns coming away with a 37-21 win.

Head Coach Nick Saben walked away from that game with a national championship under his belt only three years after he began, as well as the promise of a statue in his honor at the Bryant-Denny Stadium in Alabama.

His statue will join just four previous coaches to take home a national championship for Alabama. Saben had a lot of work on his hands when he joined the Crimson Tide in 2007, after leaving the Miami Dolphins for a $32 million deal with Alabama. I'd say his hard work has paid off.

Texas takes on Alabama Thursday

To rally up his troops Sergio Kelly, the senior defensive end for the Texas Longhorns, came up with "Texas Swagger" dog tags. This is to counterattack shirts made by Alabama that said "So Good We'll Make You Cry" after they brought the Gator's quarterback to tears in the Southeastern Conference Championship game. Texas and Alabama will be battling it out on Thursday in the BCS National Championship game.

With a couple of Heisman award winners on their team, Alabama is hoping to have the same effect on the Longhorns as they did on the Gators. Little do they know, Texas is cooking up a few strategies to run Alabama right into the ground. With the Texas Longhorns are No. 1 nationally against the run and Alabama in close second, this is sure to be one heck of a game.