Kansas makes for lively debate

The Big 12 may not be the best football conference but this year it has provided double-barrel blasts of chaos and Kansas.

The Big 12 has a commissioner, when maybe it really needs a marshal.

You probably know the television show “Gunsmoke” was set in the heart of Big 12 territory, and for this season, at least, league headquarters should get out of Dallas and get back to Dodge.

Kansas is 10-0 for the first time since 1899 and that might mean big Bowl Championship Series trouble again for those of us who remember Kansas State in 1998.

Ohio State’s loss Saturday moved Louisiana State back to No. 1 in the BCS, followed by Oregon and then your mighty rock-(solid)-chalk Jayhawks.

Let’s work our way back to Lawrence, though, by trying to get a rope around the oddest consortium of coaches we can ever remember under the same logo.

Mike Leach of Texas Tech was the latest to drift off ranch when he all but accused Big 12 officials of conspiring to throw Saturday’s loss to Texas in Austin.

Leach, whose name has been bandied by some UCLA fans as a possible replacement for Karl Dorrell, was asked after the 59-43 loss whether he was condemning the Big 12 crew. “Hell yeah, I’m condemning the crew,” he said.

Leach had a problem with one of the officials, Randy Christal, living near the home team’s stadium and said, “I think it’s disturbing that Austin residents are involved in this.”

The next memo issued by the Big 12 office should involve a condemnation, fine, suspension or all three.

What is it with all these Big 12 chiefs?

Last winter, Colorado Coach Dan Hawkins chastised those in the program who complained about the off-season workout regimen.

“It’s Division I football!” Hawkins famously fumed. “It’s the Big 12! It ain’t intramurals!”

Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy used his entire postgame news conference Sept. 22 to rail on a local female reporter who had criticized the team’s quarterback.

“Come after me, I’m a man!” Gundy screamed. “I’m 40!”

Kansas Coach Mark Mangino made you-have-to-see-this YouTube news when he was caught dropping expletives on a Jayhawks player who had been penalized for celebrating a kick return for a touchdown.

Dennis Franchione, the bookish-looking Texas A&M; coach, who a century ago might have served as a Wild West town accountant, is probably going to get fired, in part for peddling information on the side to a select group of boosters.

Lincoln, home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, has all but formed the posse that is going to buy Bill Callahan out of town, while even the usually even-tempered Texas coach, Mack Brown, has been lashing out at the media.

It strangely appears Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops, who strained his vocal chords last year after Pacific 10 Conference officials botched a finish at Oregon, is now the voice of reason.

One thing the Big 12 has not been this year is dull and Kansas may soon contribute to this sharp-tongued discussion.

Ohio State’s loss to Illinois on Saturday put the BCS back in spin cycle.

Louisiana State and Oregon are 1-2 for now, but neither should start studying the other’s tendencies just yet.

If Kansas wins its final three games, against Iowa State, Missouri and probably Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game, the Jayhawks might jump Louisiana State and Oregon in the final BCS standings Dec. 2.

This would leave Kansas in a whirlwind, a second team, possibly Louisiana State but more likely Oregon, running for BCS appeals court.

The question about Kansas would be the same one many asked in 1998 about Kansas State: Should a team be able to schedule its way to a national title?

In 1998, Kansas State reached No. 1 in the coaches’ poll with help from a nonconference appetizer tray of Indiana State, Northern Illinois and Louisiana Monroe.

Bill Snyder’s team did beat Texas that year, and scored a crowning home triumph over a Nebraska team that was no longer coached by Tom Osborne.

Kansas State was clock ticks away from earning a bid to the first BCS title game in Tempe, Ariz., when destiny died with a crushing overtime loss to Texas A&M; in the Big 12 title game in St. Louis.

This year’s Big 12 title game might have the same kind of national impact.

And the question might be, is a 13-0 team from the Big 12 more deserving of a title bid than a one-loss champion from the Southeastern or Pac-10 conferences, arguably the two best leagues this season?

Kansas would have gotten to 13-0 with a nonconference schedule that included Central Michigan, Southeastern Louisiana, Toledo and Florida International.

Kansas also bypassed Texas and Oklahoma on this year’s Big 12 schedule.

The Jayhawks are, no doubt, wildly talented and entertaining. Mangino should be selected national coach of the year.

But dare we ask: Is Kansas even better than Boise State was last year and, if so, how would we know?

Boise State finished the regular season 12-0 and ended up No. 8 in the final BCS standings. Boise State beat Oregon State, which beat USC. The Beavers finished with 10 victories in a season that ended with a comeback victory against Missouri (Big 12) in the Sun Bowl.

Boise State finished 13-0 after defeating Oklahoma, the Big 12 champion, in the Fiesta Bowl. For this, the Broncos earned a final Associated Press poll ranking of No. 5.

This year, a win over Oklahoma might put Kansas in the national title game.

So is Kansas getting a free pass because it plays in a BCS conference?

Is it the same pass Kansas State got in 1998?

Does anyone believe that Kansas would be undefeated this season playing in the SEC or Pac-10?

Does anyone think Kansas would be undefeated now if it had to play Texas in Austin or Oklahoma in Norman?

Without a ruler, how do you measure?

Are there vagaries and inequities in the BCS system that continue to confound and confuse even as they amuse, entertain and garner killer television ratings?

Well, of course, but that’s my Dec. 3 column.

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chris.dufresne@latimes.com

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Play it forward

Five things to watch this week in college football:

1 The city of Eugene, Ore., needs to issue a warning for Oregon’s trip to Arizona on Thursday night. Oregon’s national title hopes could be dashed before the weekend starts if the Ducks don’t pay attention to the fact they’re playing the team that routed them last year at Autzen Stadium.

2 One-loss Ohio State at three-loss Michigan may still be the best rivalry in the sport but this year’s matchup in Ann Arbor pales in comparison to last year’s epic showdown of No. 1 vs. No. 2 in Columbus. A Rose Bowl bid is at stake, however, and it could be the last regular-season game for Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr.

3 Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan got knocked out of Saturday’s win over Fresno State with a concussion but he says he will be back for Friday’s game at Nevada. Brennan needs one touchdown pass to break the all-time NCAA record of 121 he shares with former Brigham Young quarterback Ty Detmer.

4 What do you call a matchup of 1-9 teams desperate for something to go right this season? This week’s it’s called Duke at Notre Dame. Duke’s lone win came at Northwestern while Notre Dame needed seven UCLA turnovers to churn out a 20-6 win over the Bruins.

5 Boise State has all but been forgotten in discussions about making a return trip to a Bowl Championship Series game. But a win at home against Idaho this week coupled with a victory at Hawaii on Nov. 23 might give Boise State an outside shot of clinching a major bowl bid with a top-12 BCS finish.

-- Chris Dufresne