Kream Keegan: Quarterbacks aside, KU won’t beat Buffs

Someone asked me recently: Are you better off now than you were in 1994?

You tell me after considering these facts: The first time I saw a football game at Arrowhead Stadium, in 1994, the starting quarterbacks were Joe Montana and Steve Young. The second time was last week, and the starting quarterbacks were Brian Luke and Rhett Bomar.

I have been to quarterback heaven, and I have made it through quarterback hell alive, even awake. At this point, I’ll settle for quarterback purgatory.

Before reading this week’s picks, remember they are for recreational purposes only. Don’t assume that just because I’m in last place in the standings you can read every week in Saturday’s GameDay, you can make money by going opposite me.

Besides, who knows more baseball than Pete Rose, and look what gambling did for Charlie Hustle. Who was more popular than Michael Jordan in his prime, and you know where his golf wagers landed him? On the list of welshers to watch. That’s right, Jordan gained a reputation at Chicago country clubs as a guy who didn’t pay off his golf bets, and there were

plenty because he was a 10-handicap who had the confidence of a 2-handicap, and he at times was hoodwinked into playing against 2-handicap golfers who claimed to have a 10 handicap.

This week’s picks:

Colorado 21, Kansas 10: The Jayhawks rank last in the Big 12 Conference with 282.3 yards per game in total offense. They rank second-to-last (Oklahoma State) with 18.7 points per game, 10th with 114.3 rushing yards, 10th with 3.4 rushing yards per carry, and 10th with 168 yards passing a game.

What does it all mean? Their offensive line isn’t any better than it was a year ago, when it wasn’t any good.

Texas 34, Texas Tech 24: Cody Hodges for the Heisman Trophy? Put him in the race USC’s Reggie Bush leads if Hodges passes the Red Raiders to an upset over Heisman candidate Vince Young’s Texas Longhorns. Again, there’s no cooler color than burnt orange and cooler Big 12 helmet than the burnt-orange Horns against a white backdrop. Somehow, college football is a better world when the love-’em-or-hate-’em Horns are a powerhouse. At 13 in a row, Texas has a winning streak bettered only by USC. Playing at home, it ought to grow to 14.

Nebraska 21, Missouri 20: Even though this game is at Faurot Field and the Tigers have won three of their last four, it’s still tough to figure why the Cornhuskers are the two-and-a-half point underdogs. Missouri needed to go to OT to defeat shaky Iowa State last week. Not only that, Nebraska’s only loss has been to undefeated Texas Tech, and that was by three points.

Iowa State 33, Oklahoma State 20: One of these teams will win its first conference game, and it’s not going to be the Cowboys, but for whom KU would be the worst team in the Big 12.

Oklahoma 21, Baylor 17: Adrian Peterson’s ankle hasn’t healed, and the offensive line isn’t as talented or experienced as it was a year ago. Nothing wrong with the Sooners’ defensive line, though. It manhandled the KU line a week ago and should be more than the Baylor blockers can handle this week.

Texas A&M 28, Kansas State 20: Reggie McNeal’s season-low 213 yards of total offense came against K-State a year ago. Still, he’s the best player on the field.