Whether the Kansas Jayhawks will be playing the nation’s easiest football schedule this fall is up for debate.

An ESPN writer by the name of Mark Schlabach recently wrote that the Jayhawks’ schedule is the least difficult in college football and that the nonconference schedule “includes more cream puffs than your favorite bakery.”

As expected, Kansas University officials who put the 2007 schedule together said the ESPN writer is all wrong and there is no need to apologize for the upcoming games facing the Jayhawks. In fact, the KU athletic department’s Larry Keating said playing in the Big 12 Conference negates any criticism Schlabach may have and that the nonconference schedule should not lessen the difficulty of the overall schedule. He added, “I’ll tell you this: It’s not the easiest schedule in the country.”

It’s obvious different coaches and athletic directors have different philosophies about the strength of schedules. Former Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder didn’t hide the fact that he scheduled weak opponents to get KSU players and fans used to the thrill of winning games after years of being looked upon as one of the worst college football teams in the country. He used the wins to boost the spirit of the players, attract more fans to the stadium and eventually help in recruiting top-flight players. He did a superb job in building the KSU football program.

On the other hand, the new football coach at Minnesota, Tim Brewster, has gone on record saying he sees no benefit to playing weak teams. He said his goal is to play a “marquee” nonconference opponent each season, listing Texas, Notre Dame and UCLA as possibilities.

He added, “I see no benefit in playing AA games,” and playing such teams does not gain the attention of top recruits or strengthen the team’s position in the eyes of those who select teams for postseason play.

KU faces the challenge of trying to put together a schedule that will excite ticket buyers despite the fact that the Jayhawks will be playing probably one of their most popular and historical opponents in Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium rather than on the KU campus. Do a couple of weak games in Memorial Stadium make up for losing a great game to Kansas City?

If KU does indeed have the nation’s weakest schedule, at least in the eyes of a national writer, this places an even greater weight on the shoulders of KU coach Mark Mangino and his staff and players.

Wins are what count, and at this stage of Mangino’s career at KU, he and others in the athletic department don’t care that much where the wins come from. Fans, on the other hand, would certainly prefer to see some nationally ranked nonconference teams on the Jayhawks’ home schedule rather than the steady diet of “cream puffs.”

It’s too late to do anything about the upcoming schedule and probably the opponents lined up for the next year or perhaps the next few years. This being the case, let’s hope KU comes up with a powerful winning record this fall regardless of what some may think about the strength of the teams it plays and that the Jayhawks will be headed to a highly ranked bowl game in December or January.