Individually, Kansas University’s football team had a player on each unit shine a little brighter than most this year. Not surprisingly, both are getting their props with postseason honors.

As expected, running back Jon Cornish and cornerback Aqib Talib were named first-team All-Big 12 by the Associated Press on Thursday. Both also were named All-Big 12 in a coaches’ vote, which was released by the conference office earlier this week.

Both were no-brainers for the AP honor, statistically without peer in the Big 12. Cornish, one of two unanimous selections, rushed for 1,457 yards – 500 yards more than anyone else – and eight touchdowns, easily being the Jayhawks’ best source of offense throughout the season.

Cornish had seven 100-yard rushing performances in 12 games, including a 201-yard game against Kansas State and a 196-yard effort at Baylor.

Once Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson went down with an injury, Cornish was all but certain to win the Big 12 rushing title. He also broke KU’s single-season school record of 1,442 yards, set in 1991 by Tony Sands.

Talib, meanwhile, leads the Big 12 and NCAA Division I-A with 23 passes defended (five interceptions, 18 pass breakups). Even more remarkable, Talib shot to the top of the list despite not playing in KU’s first two games.

Center David Ochoa and defensive tackle James McClinton were named to the second team. Offensive linemen Anthony Collins and Bob Whitaker, linebacker Mike Rivera and safety Jerome Kemp where honorable mentions.

Kansas had two first-teamers last season – linebacker Nick Reid and defensive end Charlton Keith – and two in 2004, Reid and cornerback Charles Gordon.

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Bowl chances: KU athletic director Lew Perkins admitted Thursday that KU is a long shot for being invited to a bowl game.

“Obviously sitting here at 6-6,” Perkins said, “I don’t like our chances.”

With a rule requiring 7-5 teams to be taken care of first, the Jayhawks’ best bet is for both Troy and Louisiana-Lafayette to lose this weekend so that the Motor City Bowl is free to pick any 6-6 team it wants. Motor City Bowl director Ken Hoffman said earlier this week that Kansas would be strongly considered if he’s allowed to take a 6-6 team.

But Troy, playing 0-11 Florida International, is a two-touchdown favorite to win and improve to 7-5, thus shutting KU out.

“We have done everything humanly possible to position ourselves to get in a bowl,” Perkins said. “At the end of the day, 7-5 is the number. Oklahoma State … geography helps them more than us.

“Our reputation is very, very good. We made it hard on some people; our program is enticing to them. We’ll stay in the dogfight until the last decision is made.”

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Mangino’s secure: USA Today ran a list of the salaries of Division I-A’s 119 head coaches Thursday.

Mangino’s $1.5 million package makes him the 21st-highest paid coach, comparing him with the likes of Michigan’s Lloyd Carr, Florida’s Urban Meyer and LSU’s Les Miles.

Perkins defended the contract, which was signed before the ’06 season, when meeting with reporters Thursday.

“In my four years here he’s been to two bowls, qualified three of four years,” Perkins said. “It shows consistency. If we were going to a bowl right now and we were 7-5 with the possibility of being 8-5, everybody would be really excited about that. Do I think we have a better football team today than three years ago? Absolutely.”

Perkins cited KU’s recent success against Kansas State and Missouri when stating, “I’m very comfortable with what we’ve done with Mark.”

“I look at the history of KU football, there’s never been a lot of consistency,” Perkins said. “Two to three years and out. You don’t build football in two, three, four years. You build in four, five years.

“It doesn’t mean I’ll accept mediocrity in football. That is a tougher sport to get where you want to go. It takes a long time. You’ve got to be patient. I definitely think we have a better football program than my first year here and we went to a bowl game (in 2003).”