A lot of people, myself included, thought Kansas had a fat chance to win the Orange Bowl. You see, what we meant was ... Mark Mangino gives them a chance to win any game.
The Jayhawks still aren't any more deserving of a BCS bid over Missouri, but they proved their worth among this year's elite with a convincing three-point win over the third-ranked Hokies.
Besides the fact Kansas ALWAYS wins the turnover battle, here's what I love about Mangino. With 2:55 to play, Kansas recovered an onside kick around the VT 45-yard line. 95% of coaches would have conservatively run up the middle and settled for a 3 and out putting their opponent deep in their own territory. The trouble their, is that they have the ball. On second down, Kansas called a rollout pass. Risky with the potential to stop the clock, but I love coaches who play to win at all times. The Jayhawks drove all the way down to the 1-yard line and could have pounded it in.
The most amazing stat following this game is that the ACC has lost 8 straight BCS games (1-9 overall). That's awful. The conference's
Sorry Kansas, for doubting you so.
Jayhawks 24, Hokies 21
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