In the second part of this series, we break down the honorable mentions mentioned in the first installment.
- What if Kansas made a bowl in 2009?
I like to think Mark Mangino would still be the head coach of the Jayhawks. It would’ve marked three straight bowl games and while there’s no guarantee they could’ve kept up their winning ways there is little doubt they’d be better then they are now. Three coaches later and Kansas has become a laughing stock. Even the worse Mangino teams were respectable. Respectable enough to keep him around to this day.
2. What if the Ron Prince era at Kansas State was a success?
To state, the obvious Bill Snyder never comes back. Now that that’s out the way, the boring offense that we’ve seen would be a thing of the past. Say what you will about Prince and his 17-20 record he did do two things well; beat Texas and score points. Josh Freeman became a first-round pick under his watch and I think that his success would’ve brought more highly touted quarterbacks in. Would there be as many wins? Probably not. Fiesta Bowl birth and Big 12 championship? No. Entertaining football? Yes.
3. What if Mike Sherman put it all together at Texas A&M?
Johnny Manziel. Von Miller. Christine Michael. Ryan Tannehill. All players brought in by Sherman. All played in the NFL with various levels of success. One won a Heisman. None saved his job. In four years Sherman amassed a 25-25 record with a best 9-4 season back in 2010. The rest? 4-8, 6-7, 6-6. If Sherman could’ve put his talent to use his high 9-4 mark would’ve only been the beginning. A&M would’ve been a contender in the Big 12 until they bolted for the SEC where they would be in much better shape then they were under Kevin Sumlin. No Jimbo Fisher in Aggieland.
4. What if Texas Tech and Mike Leach never split?
I’ll make this one short and sweet. Tech would still be Tech, Washington State would still have been the same sorry Washington State. And Tommy Tuberville? Never would’ve left the commentators booth.
5. What if Texas Tech never ended OU’s home winning streak?
Saturday, October 22, 2011, a day Sooner fans will never forget. I still remember the shock a felt looking at the score 41-38. The highlight of the Tuberville era. He lost the last seven games that season. I think that if OU never lost they don’t start losing home games. Those embarrassing home losses to Notre Dame and Ohio State don’t happen. The upset Bedlam loss to OSU? Maybe. Still, I don’t think Gaylord-Memorial Stadium has been the same since and to be honest it probably never will be.