Okay, perhaps salute is too strong a word. But the Big 12 North this year reminds me of a wild card baseball race involving three or four mediocre clubs all playing hard at season's end to earn a playoff spot. They are all still alive in the race, which is funny enough, and it can get even tighter after this Saturday if Kansas (1-3, 5-3) beats Kansas State (3-2, 5-4) as the Wildcats are the only division member with a conference record above .500. And Nebraska (2-2, 5-3) and Iowa State (2-3, 5-4), the only other North programs with at least two Big 12 victories, each have a tough opponent Saturday with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State respectively. The race can get even tighter if Missouri (1-3, 5-3) and Colorado (1-3, 2-6) win home games over Baylor, for the Tigers, and Texas A&M for the Buffs. It is possible to have all six schools within either a half game or full game of each other come Sunday.
Ridiculous you say? Well it is a far cry from the glory days of the Big 12 North when Nebraska, Kansas State and sometimes Colorado fielded powerhouse teams in the 1990s. Missouri and Kansas have been rebuilt of late and Iowa State has shown great progress this season. There is hope for the future for almost all of these programs. But before you decry the play of these six, remember professional sports teams, like the Phoenix Cardinals last season, that defy odds with a successful playoff run. The Big 12 North may be down now, but as long as they are playing the conference championship game in Arlington, Texas on December 5 the North representative has a shot. After all, the very first Big 12 title game featured the stunning upset by an unranked Texas squad over no. 3 Nebraska on December 7, 1996. So, dream big all you Wildcats, Tigers, Cyclones, Buffaloes, Cornhuskers and Jayhawks.
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