Kansas tries to take another step

It’s an area where football players are few and far between and basketball is king.

Kansas wasn’t expected to be contending for a berth in a Bowl Championship Series game, but the Jayhawks are No. 4 in the BCS standings entering today’s game at Oklahoma State.

Players such as Gale Sayers, John Riggins and Nolan Cromwell once wore the Jayhawks’ jersey, but for many years, the team fell on hard times. Kansas needed a big man to resurrect the program, and it got one with the hiring of Mark Mangino in 2002.

Kansas opened the season with a diet of creampuffs: Central Michigan, Southeastern Louisiana, Toledo and Florida International. The championship resume was suspect until last Saturday, when the Jayhawks tattooed Nebraska, 76-39.

Today’s game in Stillwater, Okla., has an over/under of 66, and has all the makings of a shootout. The Jayhawks are No. 2 nationally in scoring and 10th in total offense. Oklahoma State is No. 7 in rushing offense and No. 8 in total offense.

And given the soft Cowboys defense -- 101st nationally -- the Cowboys will likely have to score a lot to keep pace.

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College basketball

Early season upsets are not uncommon in college basketball but Gardner-Webb’s 84-68 victory at Kentucky this week has to be recognized for a remarkable point spread turnaround of 42 points.

The Wildcats took the floor as 26-point favorites and lost by 16. Who said oddsmakers always know what they are doing?

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Boxing

The odds for tonight’s World Boxing Assn. welterweight title fight between Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley changed slightly this week with Cotto moving from a -140 favorite on some boards to -155 at Bodoglife.com.

Here are a couple of proposition bets on the fight listed at Bodoglife.com: Will fight go the distance? Yes -225, No +185; Cotto wins by knockout, technical knockout or disqualification (11-5); Cotto wins by decision (2-1); Mosley wins by KO, TKO or DQ (5-2); Mosley wins by decision (7-2); Draw (17-1).