Orange Bowl picks KU - The Capital-Journal

[Lzen]

http://cjonline.com/stories/120307/haw_222349859.shtml
Jayhawks will face Hokies in Miami
By Tully Corcoran
The Capital-Journal
Published Monday, December 03, 2007

LAWRENCE — The juices splashed and ran down James McClinton's chin in this, the ultimate celebratory move for a defensive lineman.

Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins walked into KU's meeting room with a bag of oranges, and everybody knew. The Jayhawks were Orange Bowl-bound, and McClinton could think of only one way to celebrate. He caught the orange, jammed it into his mouth and chomped off a bite bigger than Miami.

Kansas has an allotment of 17,000-18,000 tickets, on sale at orangebowl.org.

"I thank the Lord for this game," he said.

And that was the general sentiment. For a program that has never been to a BCS bowl and hasn't been to the Orange Bowl since 1969, Sunday's announcement, coming at the tail end of the winningest season in Kansas history, was hard to take for granted. Especially for tight end Derek Fine, who committed to what once was a moribund program and was on the team in 2003 when the Jayhawks went to another Florida bowl, the Tangerine Bowl.

"I like oranges better," Fine said. "They taste better, they're bigger."

Win or lose, playing in the Orange Bowl means the 2007 Jayhawks will go down as one of the top three teams in Kansas history, alongside the Orange Bowl teams of 1947 and 1968. For a program that five years ago was a conference laughingstock, 2007 has been one giant leap.

"It was just great to stand in that room and watch those kids when they found out," KU coach Mark Mangino said. "It was like when my kids were knee-high and it was Christmas morning."

The selection pairing the No. 8 Jayhawks (11-1) against No. 3 Virginia Tech (11-2), as always, is not without controversy. And it didn't spare any hearts, especially those in Columbia, Mo. Missouri, which beat Kansas and is ranked a spot higher in both major polls, lost to Oklahoma on Saturday night in the Big 12 championship game. Sunday, fell out of the BCS entirely, accepting a bid to the Cotton Bowl.

"Missouri and Kansas were basically back-to-back next to each other," said Orange Bowl CEO Eric Poms. "With the result of the (Big 12 championship) game, having a two-loss team versus a one-loss team was probably the biggest thing we looked at. We knew whatever way we went, you could make a case for the other side."

There were no tears shed in Lawrence, where Joe Mortensen was asked if he felt sorry for the Tigers.

"No," he said.

There also wasn't much suspense in Lawrence, not within the Kansas athletic department, anyway.

Since Saturday, Perkins had been working the phones, literally all day and all night, talking to bowl representatives, ironing details, scenarios and, to a lesser extent, making KU's case. He felt all along KU would wind up in a BCS bowl. He just didn't know which. Heading into Saturday's games, KU was a candidate for the Rose, Orange, Fiesta and Sugar bowls. Once Illinois qualified for BCS play, KU was eliminated from Rose Bowl contention. Once Hawaii qualified, the Sugar Bowl was out. Then game the Orange Bowl, which got to choose its teams ahead of the Fiesta Bowl.

"The Orange Bowl was very strong, really pursuing us," Perkins said. "We were talking quite often, regularly through the whole process.

"The good thing that I was pleased about was everybody was interested in Kansas. That was the most important thing."

If the Orange Bowl hadn't chosen KU, the probability the Fiesta Bowl would have was "very strong," Perkins said. Instead, the Fiesta took West Virginia and Oklahoma. Since the BCS rules allow just two teams from one conference into its bowls, that left out Missouri, which brings up the song that has played all season at KU, a tune about the Jayhawks' schedule, which includes no wins against teams ranked in the final Top 25 and ranks among the softest in the nation.

Perkins said the schedule was never part of the discussion.

"We don't have any argument," Perkins said. "We're in the BCS. So we have no argument. Our schedule didn't bother us. We don't have to be apologetic about anything. What people don't realize is schedules are made a long way out, so you don't realize how things are gonna happen, and we had no problem with our schedule. We're playing in the Orange Bowl."

As it is designed to do, the Orange Bowl will create an intriguing matchup between the nation's No. 4 defense and Kansas' No. 6 offense. But that is a discussion for another day.

Sunday, the Jayhawks were soaking the moment, and the orange juice.

"It's been a great journey here for my five years," senior running back Brandon McAnderson said. "The opportunity that's in front of us is huge."

Tully Corcoran can be reached at (785) 295-5652 or tully.corcoran@cjonline.com.

[KChiefs1]

Why schedule tough OOC games when you can schedule OOC cupcakes like KU did & get chosen for a BCS bowl game?

MU beats Illinois & KU but doesn't get a BCS bowl game....I say schedule Lincoln, SEMO, Emporia State & Washburn...you won't get discounted for it.

I find it funny how everyone is saying what a friggin' joke KU is today though. Gotta love it!

[Tactical Funky]

Originally Posted by petegz28

dude we gave you 140+ yards in penalties, played without one of the best TE's in the game in Coffman and you still lost.


Tony Temple made the KU D his bitch.


KU had their collective jock strap laying all over the field.

Do you really want to play the injury game?

Anthony Collins, our best offensive lineman - and one of the best LTs in the country - was severely hobbled and could barely walk. James McClinton, our best defensive lineman by far, was struggling with a similar injury that limited his mobility. Patrick Resby, one of our starting safeties, was out. Kendrick Harper, one of our starting CB's, was also out. Todd Reesing was only slightly injured (ankle sprain from the OSU game), although it did affect his mobility some.

Despite these injuries, I'll admit that MU was the better team, especially on offense. I wish we could've taken back our first half of the game, but that's how it goes in sports.

If KU gets healed up and keeps focused the next few weeks, I think we'll be a good matchup with VTech. Sure, the Hokies have an awesome defense, but their offense is suspect.

[Tactical Funky]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

Why schedule tough OOC games when you can schedule OOC cupcakes like KU did & get chosen for a BCS bowl game?

MU beats Illinois & KU but doesn't get a BCS bowl game....I say schedule Lincoln, SEMO, Emporia State & Washburn...you won't get discounted for it.

I find it funny how everyone is saying what a friggin' joke KU is today though. Gotta love it!

Feel free to rag on KU all you want, but it's the BCS that is at fault - not KU.

MU got screwed, but what can we do now but focus on our bowl game while MU prepares for theirs? Again, if a team like tOSU is playing in the National Championship and Illinois is in the freakin' Rose Bowl, then I don't see why KU's the lone scapegoat.

Another thing is that I've researched the SOS ratings of the BCS teams and KU is actually one spot ahead of USC (74 versus 75, respectively). Sure, that's not a good SOS by any means, but it is better than the 109 I'm seeing thrown around incorrectly by Fox and other sources.

[Mr. Plow]

Man, there's a lot of angry Tiger fans in here........

[Tactical Funky]

Originally Posted by Mr. Plow

Man, there's a lot of angry Tiger fans in here........

I don't blame 'em for being mad, but they're misdirecting their anger. Every KU fan I know agrees with me that MU got shafted, but what are we going to do? Decline a BCS invite? I honestly believe that both KU and MU deserved BCS bids this year, but playing - and losing - to OU twice effectively screwed MU.

The system sucks and I really, really, really wish it would be changed to a playoff format.

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by Tactical Funky

I don't blame 'em for being mad, but they're misdirecting their anger. Every KU fan I know agrees with me that MU got shafted, but what are we going to do? Decline a BCS invite? I honestly believe that both KU and MU deserved BCS bids this year, but playing - and losing - to OU twice effectively screwed MU.

The system sucks and I really, really, really wish it would be changed to a playoff format.

MU did get screwed. I have no problem saying it. I was prepared for KU to be just out of the BCS.

Honestly, I just think it's funny that they beat KU, got to the Big 12 Championship game, and then lose the bowl they wanted to KU.

I'd like to see a playoff format as well. Let the best team prove it.

[Tactical Funky]

Originally Posted by Mr. Plow

MU did get screwed. I have no problem saying it. I was prepared for KU to be just out of the BCS.

Honestly, I just think it's funny that they beat KU, got to the Big 12 Championship game, and then lose the bowl they wanted to KU.

I'd like to see a playoff format as well. Let the best team prove it.

Damn - did I kill this thread?

I don't like Mizzou at all, but I'm not going to laugh at what happened because it could just have easily been us.

However, I've been taking crap from my Mizzou friends all day and although I'm a reasonable and patient guy, I've about lost it hearing them whine about KU instead of the freakin' BCS committee. I honestly believe that if MU had somehow kept the game with OU close, we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

KU had the fate of their season in their own hands, and they blew it against MU. MU had the fate of their season in their hands, and they blew it against OU (a very good OU team, that is). In the end, it was the BCS that decided the ultimate fates of KU and MU after each teams' respective losses.

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by Tactical Funky

I honestly believe that if MU had somehow kept the game with OU close, we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

Bingo.

[kcpasco]

Originally Posted by Tactical Funky

I honestly believe that if MU had somehow kept the game with OU close, we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

Errrr wrong, feel free to try again though

Orange bowl president said 1 loss vs. 2 was the deciding factor, nevermind that the 1 loss came to Missouri. No where did he ever mention the score of the Big 12 title game.

Kansas was going to the Orange no matter if OU won by 1 or 100