Episode 42: Bring on the Podcast with Derek Smith

Junction City Daily Union sports editor Derek Smith makes his triumphant return to Bring on the Cats to join us in this week's podcast, but to be honest, you guys, he doesn't seem that sad to be covering K-State for real instead of just blogging about them from his mom's basement. Weird, right? Anyway, Derek and BracketCat offer some solid insights as to why you should appreciate this team — and especially Jake Waters — more than you probably do, and just what went wrong to prevent them from winning another Big 12 title.

We also take a look around the Big 12 and discuss the possible beginnings of a dynasty at Baylor, how TCU got so far ahead of schedule, how long it might take Charlie Strong to get Texas back to being Texas, what Tyreek Hill's huge punt return means in Norman and Stillwater, why Paul Rhoads still has a job, and LOLKU. There's also a bit of an Alamo Bowl Preview in there somewhere, but come back later for a much more in-depth look, ideally with someone who has UCLA expertise.

In case you're new here, don't forget to follow Derek Smith on Twitter at @dereksmith and you can also read his work (subscription required) at the Junction City Daily Union's website.

Note: This podcast was required Wednesday night, which is relevant to some of the discussions regarding All-Big 12 teams, some college basketball scores and probably a few other things.

Episode 41: Bring on the Podcast with Matt Wilson of Bears Illustrated

Even though he abandoned the good folks at Our Daily Bears, we still invited Matt Wilson (formerly MattisBear, now of Bears Illustrated on the Scout network) back on the podcast to join KSUEMAW! and I to preview this Saturday's Top 10 showdown between Kansas State and Baylor. Anyone who has ever heard our shows with Matt before won't be surprised we took some time to talk about McLane Stadium and Twitter (sorry, Mrs. Wilson) before finally getting to important things such as Bryce Petty's status and what the Bears' offense might look like without their star quarterback.

Matt confirms we should expect a high-scoring game unless Kansas State's safeties can step up in a big way or Baylor improves enough to stop Jake Waters running the football and throwing the ball to Tyler Lockett. Finally, we circle back to Baylor Twitter to air our grievances about the Baylor-TCU College Football Playoff ranking debate, one that should change drastically this weekend, no matter the result in this game or others across the country.

Be sure to follow Matt on Twitter at @mattisbear and check out his stuff on Bears Illustrated if you're looking for info on the latest high school kids headed to Waco. We're still hoping to one day put together a pickup basketball game between Bring on the Cats and Our Daily Bears, so please feel free to choose among the staffers and leave your lineup ideas in the comments. One rule: Matt and I must be starting point guards, which is obviously a battle I would dominate with my 5-inch height advantage.

Episode 40: Bring on the Podcast with David Ubben of Fox Sports Southwest

As Kansas State's game against Kansas approaches, Fox Sports Southwest Big 12 reporter David Ubben returns to the podcast to try to convince BracketCat and I the Jayhawks actually have an interesting team since Charlie Weis left. Does that mean they're going to actually make this a competitive rivalry this year? Ubben answers that question well, I think.

He also discussed Kansas State's bowl chances, which are a little more complicated with the College Football Playoff and the unlikely but real possibility that the Big 12 could even get two teams. Speaking of which, of course we had to ask Ubben for his take on the great TCU-Baylor debate. Needless to say, it's complicated.

Don't forget to check out Ubben's great work at Fox Sports Southwest and if you're somehow not already one of the 28.2K, be sure to follow him on Twitter at @davidubben. Beware of sarcasm.

Episode 39: Bring on the Podcast with David Smith of The Smoking Musket

Those of you who have listened to our podcasts with David Smith (Smithfire13 in the blogging world) of West Virginia blog The Smoking Musketmusket.com/ already know that this week's episode goes well beyond our typical 30 minutes, but it's also well worth your time. In his typical informative and entertaining fashion, David tell BracketCat and I about all facets of the WVU football program heading into Thursday's showdown in Morgantown, and he even tackles the oft-maligned subject of couch burning, specifically after the team's big upset of Baylor.

We also delve into the fans' impressions of Holgo in year three in the Big 12, and how he seems to be establishing a program capable of contending for years to come. We also discussed the Baylor-TCU debate from the perspective of the only team to beat the Bears this season, and finally, since basketball is upon us, we discussed Big 12 Player of the Year and the ragtag group of other kids Bob Huggins has found to put on the court. As a sidenote, here's the link to the posterization of Willie Cauley-Stein, which is something you're going to want to watch over and over, especially once you fall into the trap of watching Kentucky student reactions.

Be sure to check out the great work of David and others over at The Smoking Musket, and you can follow him on Twitter at @smithfire13. I'd highly recommend it.

Episode 38: Bring on the Podcast with Joel Jellison

It's a good week to not talk about football, so we invited The Manhattan Mercury's Joel Jellison back on the podcast to join KSUEMAW! and I in previewing the upcoming college basketball season. It starts Friday vs. Southern Utah, so this is your chance to find out if Joel predicts a loss like he did a year ago before the 'Cats failed to handle Northern Colorado. We also break down the rest of the schedule, as well as Kansas State's postseason chances.

Joel tells us why Wesley Iwundu, Malik Harris and Nino Williams all sat out for Sunday's exhibition, and we talk lineups, from who will start at point guard now that Will Spradling has moved on and whether K-State will actually play with two post men on a regular basis or continue to use a stretch 4. Finally, we touch on who else might be tough in the Big 12, as well as important things like which Wildcat will be leading the tunnel dance.

Don't forget to read Joel's work at The Mercury's website, and you should also follow him on Twitter at @Joel_Jellison.

Episode 37: Bring on the Podcast with Kyle Porter of Pistols Firing Blog

In this week's podcast, Kyle Porter tells us why Daxx Garman and Desmond Roland aren't the answers for an OSU offense that has scored just 19 points in the past two weeks. He says they need a lot more Tyreek Hill and connecting on deep passes may be the Cowboys' only chance for success in Manhattan this Saturday.

But Kyle says not all is lost for Oklahoma State thanks in part to a strong defensive line an plenty of promise for a remarkably young team. We also learn why OSU is suing New Mexico State and Texas offensive coordinator Joe Wickline.

Be sure to check out Kyle's work on his blog, which is featured on the Tulsa World's website, and you should also follow him on Twitter at @pistolsguy.

Episode 36: Bring on the Podcast with SB Nation's Ian Boyd

SB Nation college football and Inside Texas writer Ian Boyd rejoins the podcast and seems pleasantly surprised by the progress of Tyrone Swoopes in his second season with the Longhorns. Kansas State' soft coverage could play right into the strengths of the Texas offense, but that doesn't mean Ian expects them to avoid all the pitfalls associated with a trip to Manhattan.

You can also find out why BracketCat believes this could be a breakout game for the Wildcat running game and what Ian thinks of the work Charlie Strong has done so far in remolding the Texas program. There's still a long way to go, but so far, the results look good, and even a bowl game in year one no longer seems completely out of reach.

Be sure to check out Ian's great work at SB Nation as well as Inside Texas. You can also follow him on Twitter at @Ian_A_Boyd.

Episode 35: Breaking down OU with Jordan Esco

For the second straight year, Jordan Esco of The Football Brainiacs joins the podcast in advance of K-State's showdown with Oklahoma in Norman Saturday morning. Like most of us, Jordan isn't especially excited about that start time, but his biggest concerns are the playcalling of offensive coordinator Josh Heupel and the threat of Tyler Lockett, who you might remember went for more than 200 yards and caught three touchdowns against the Sooners last year — in the first half.

We also spoke about the two best coaches in the Big 12 (that's not even up for debate) and went off on a long tangent about how some media condescend unfairly to fans audacious enough to voice their opinions on complicated football matters. This was a slightly awkward conversation for me with a foot in both realms, but we got through it and finally ended with a prediction from Jordan on how Saturday's game will end, as well as how many games it will take the Royals to win the World Series. For some reason, he doesn't expect them to go undefeated.

Be sure to check out Jordan's excellent work on the site linked above, and you can also follow him on Twitter at @Jordan_Esco.

Episode 34: Breaking Down the Red Raiders with Mike TTU

We've got another new guest on the podcast this week with Mike TTU, the recruiting writer for SB Nation's Viva the Matadors. He told us a little bit about why Texas Tech fans are willing to show a little more patience with Kliff Kingsbury, who has already landed a couple of the biggest names for next year's class and appears to be solidifying a bright future for the Red Raiders.

But most of our time was spent discussing the short-term future, which isn't so bright for Texas Tech with its run defense issues and turnover troubles on offense to go along with way too many penalties. All of that is a recipe for disaster in Manhattan, which is probably why Mike wasn't exactly optimistic about the prospects of an upset. Still, we found some common ground in analyzing the top of the Big 12, and of course laughing at that team stuck at the bottom.

You can read Mike's work at Viva The Matadors and feel free to give him a follow on Twitter at @Michael_LaB.

Episode 33: "First hand experiences from Collegian Sports Editor Adam Suderman"

For the first time in podcast history, we were joined this week by an actual Kansas State student, Adam Suderman. He's the sports editor at the K-State Collegian and provided plenty of insights into the current state of Wildcat football, most of which was good news.

A 9-3 season still seems well within reach after last week's disappointing loss to Auburn, and Adam isn't even ruling out 10-2. He's understandably impressed with Kansas State's run defense and expects Charles Jones to lead a formidable ground attack. We also discussed some of K-State's biggest threats in the Big 12 and if you stick around to the end, you'll get to hear who Adam thinks are the best Wildcat interviews from a journalist and fan perspective.

Be sure to follow the coverage of Adam and his staff on the Collegian's website and they've also got a weekly Powercat Roundtable on YouTube, which last week included guest appearances by Wyatt Thompson and BotC's favorite KSU beat writer, Kellis Robinett. You can also follow Adam on Twitter at @adamsuderman.

Note: Despite his best efforts, some technological difficulties kept KSUEMAW from joining us for this podcast. I think he's still alive, but please keep him and his Internet issues in your thoughts and prayers.

Episode 32: Bracket Cat's debut

This was supposed to be a great podcast with our new friend from Auburn, but for the third time in the last four weeks, technical difficulties killed our plans. But since Thursday's game is so big and Bracket Cat was long overdue to make his co-host debut anyway, we went ahead and recorded for about 21 minutes. After all, we're kinda smart and entertaining, right? Guys?

Please listen and learn about how important the intangibles like crowd noise and turnovers could be in a game K-State probably should lose....on paper. But we know that has never stopped a Bill Snyder team before, and doesn't it seem like Tyler Locket is due for a huge game against a somewhat questionable secondary? Then again, Auburn has a very scary offense, so we talked about that, too.

Episode 31: "Farmageddon"-with KnowDan of WRNL

Farmageddon's coming early this year, so what better way to celebrate than with the triumphant return of Bring on the Podcast? Wide Right Natty Lite's Dan Becker, better known as KnowDan joins us as KSUEMAW makes his debut as co-host. It won't surprise anyone to learn Dan's a little down after watching the Cyclones get crushed by North Dakota State, but there are still some glimmers of hope left in Ames.

The seat's getting a little warm for Paul Rhoads, since he hasn't had a team to be proud of in quite some time. We delved into the root of the problem — namely, recruiting — and Dan tells us what the Cyclones need to do to salvage this season. He agrees with Jon that a 12-point spread is probably not big enough, but then again, this is Farmageddon. Either way, it's pretty clear to all of us a trophy needs to happen. Anybody want to make something in paint for the blogs to use?

Be sure to follow Dan on Twitter and head over to WRNL for some informative, witty, and often hilarious insights leading up to this Saturday's game. We'll even have a Q&A featuring some other blog members a little later this week.

Episode 30: "Derek Smith's final Podcast" with special guest Luke Thompson

It's a bittersweet time for Bring on the Cats with Derek Smith moving on to a full-time sportswriting position in Junction City as the site continues to grow and expand, due in no small part to his hard work and irreplaceable contributions. But we've also got a long list of up-and-coming young writers eager to provide you with the best Kansas State coverage possible. We discuss all of that and more — we still can't tell you some of our most exciting news just yet — with Luke Thompson, the newest reporter for Fox Sports Midwest.

Luke grew up in Kansas as a huge fan of the Wildcats and figured he'd follow the rest of his family to Kansas State until the chance to go to one of the nation's best journalism schools at Mizzou became too good to pass up. It worked out well for him and his career, from an internship at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch until now, but you'll want to hear how he's kept his passion for Kansas State athletics alive and well.

If you're interested in coverage of the Rams, Blues and Mizzou, be sure to follow Luke on Twitter and read his work on Fox Sports Midwest's website. More importantly, everyone should subscribe to the Junction City Daily Union for just $5/month to read Derek's coverage of Kansas State and other area sports.

Episode 29: "Bringing back the unholy alliance" with Bill Connelly

SB Nation College Football Study Hall's Bill Connelly (perhaps better known as simply "Bill C) has had a bit of a rocky relationship with some K-State fans since his statistical analysis claimed Kansas State "got lucky" in 2011. But did you know the models say the 'Cats were just about equally unlucky in 2013? This is part of the reason Bill tells Derek and Ahearn Alley K-State could easily be a 9-3 team in this week's podcast.

We also talk about the value of Kansas State bringing back solid returners in nearly every position group, and why Bill believes replacing John Hubert shouldn't really be a big concern. The same goes for Ty Zimmerman defensively — now that the 'Cats have some nine months to prepare for his absence.

Finally, we had to ask Bill how he felt about DGB potentially getting to play at Oklahoma this year, and why the Sooners should probably be Big 12 favorites regardless.

I'd highly recommend reading Bill's big preview of Kansas State before listening if for some reason you haven't already, and you can check out all of his other great work on the Study Hall site. If you're not following SBN_BillC, you're not doing college football Twitter right, and for even more of his outstanding analysis you can check out his books.

Episode 28: "World Cup Talk" with SKC Communication manager Kurt Austin

While most of the team was stuck at the airport in New York City, Sporting Kansas City Communications/Digital Manager Kurt Austin joined us from the comfort of his hotel in Columbus, where SKC takes on the Crew Wednesday night. Much like US national team contributors Matt Besler and Graham Zusi, Kurt just recently rejoined the team after spending some time in Brasil, where he was part of the big American crowds at matches against Ghana and Germany. He tells us what those atmospheres were like and confirms that Brasilian hospitality and the World Cup experience up north was just as good as it was for me in Rio and Brasilia.

Naturally, we also took advantage of the opportunity to have Kurt tell us more about Sporting Kansas City's recent successes and why the future is even brighter for the team currently just two points out of first place in the Western Conference. Notably, SKC will be hosting reigning English Premier League champions Manchester City next Tuesday, July 23, at beautiful Sporting Park. If you live in the Kansas City area, I recommend clicking this link to get tickets while you still can.

For updates on Sporting KC and other MLS news, be sure to follow Kurt on Twitter at @kaustin01.

Episode 27 "Mascot Mania" with David Smith

In this week's podcast, Derek Smith and Ahearn Alley do their best to help The Smoking Musket's David Smith feel more welcome in the Big 12 with a series of questions addressing the quirks and failures of Dana Holgorsen, moonshine, couch-burning, and of course, The Mountaineer.

But understandably, David says WVU still feels little bit left out in the Big 12 thanks to its geography, and he misses the old rivalries with teams like Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and Maryland. Maybe if the Mountaineers ever start winning in the Big 12, it would help.

We even spent the last 25 minutes discussing the World Cup, which starts Tomorrow, you guys! Finally, a big reason we got to 80 minutes this episode was the picking of a Capture the Flag mascot team, and we need your help deciding who would win in a no-holds-barred game. Here are the teams (apologies for not naming some of these correctly, but I don't want to look them up):

TEAM WVU - The Mountaineer, Pistol Pete, Cy Hawk, Big Jay, The Sooner    vs.
TEAM KSU - Willie the Wildcat, The Red Raider, The Baylor Bear, Bevo, The Horned Frog

Be sure to give David a follow on Twitter at @SmithFire13 for some entertaining and interesting WVU insights. If you don't like soccer, though, you might want to wait a month.

Episode 26: "Religious Buddies" OR Summer Randomness with Mattisbear

We began with the simple goal of a totally random, wide-ranging podcast to try to fill the vast emptiness of the offseason between now and the end of college football. Many of you helped us with your questions, and we couldn't have asked for a better guest to indulge us in our quest for sort of but not really relevant nonsense than friend of the blog, MattisBear, from Baylor's excellent SB Nation blog, Our Daily Bears.

If you're actually listening to this podcast for serious, substantive football talk, fear not. We spent about 11 minutes discussing the merits of David Ubben post-spring power rankings and Top 15 Big 12 Players, two lists on which K-State and Baylor did quite well, as it turns out.

From there, we went straight into the Q&A section with a potential zombie apocalypse and ended up at a shirtless Bill Snyder postgame celebration. In between, we covered some of the darkest times for our respective programs (see: Ron Prince, Baylor-UCF, KSU's last trip to Waco) and recalled the hilarious history Taco Bell has with Big 12 football players.

Hopefully you've have even half as much fun listening as we did recording, though I wouldn't recommend trying to take it in all at once, especially if you're trying to get some work done. Remember, it's a long offseason and podcasts will likely be rare. Pace yourself.

You should definitely give Matt a follow on Twitter at @mattisbear, as he's quite entertaining when not obsessing over Baylor compression sleeves, the dismal failures of the Houston Rockets and Astros, or ignorantly mocking soccer.

Episode 25: David Ubben on the Spring Game post-mortem

Friend of BotC and veteran Big 12 football blogger David Ubben of Fox Sports Southwest returns to the podcast and provides his insight on what's ahead for next season. AA and Derek spend some time rehashing the spring game to try to find any hint of meaning, whether it comes from Jake Waters' awful interception or Zach Trujillo's expanded role in the passing game.

Ubben helped us stay focused on more important things, like how K-State will replace John Hubert and what a more pass-heavy offense might look like with Waters at the helm and his main man Tyler Lockett out wide. There' s plenty of reason for optimism and a long list of potentially underrated players, though Ubben isn't sure Daniel Sams the wide receiver belongs in that category.

We also touched on why Auburn will present such a monumental challenge and Ubben's reasons for ranking Oklahoma ahead of Baylor in his final power rankings of the spring. If you're somehow not doing it already, don't forget to follow Ubben on Twitter at @davidubben and read his stories on K-Sate and the Big 12 on Fox Sports Southwest's website.

Episode 24: Ian Boyd previews K-State's Spring Game

The spring game is nearly upon us, so Derek Smith is back on the podcast to join me and guest Ian Boyd, one of the many quality football writers you should check out on sbnation's main NCAA football page. He's very optimistic about the prospects of Daniel Sams at wide receiver, and perhaps even more so after seeing some practice clips Sams posted to his instagram account.

Ian says Jake Waters will likely still be called upon to run the ball a fair amount, and we also address the question of how capably DaMarcus Robinson might be able to fit in at running back for the 'Cats. Offensive line play may be improved but remains a question mark, and as usual, K-State's defense will rely on some unknown juco transfers. Luckily, as Ian points out, that's been a winning formula in the past.

We also took a look around the Big 12, from the Oklahoma and Texas spring games to the possibility of TCU and West Virginia stepping up as dark horses next fall. Be sure to give Ian a follow at @Ian_A_Boyd, and you can also see what he had to say about K-State's 2014 recruiting class at insidetexas.com.

Episode 23: Joel Jellison wraps up basketball

Kansas State men's basketball beat writer Joel Jellison of The Manhattan Mercury made his first appearance on the podcast back in November, when he warned of a possible loss to Northern Colorado and cautioned against setting expectations higher than a middle-of-the-pack Big 12 finish or NCAA tournament appearance. He also told us about a freshman named Marcus Foster who looked like he just might have the potential to be the top scorer for a offensively challenged team.

This week, Joel returned to evaluate those prescient predictions, as well as some other storylines from the season he didn't see coming. That included Jevon Thomas' struggles to become anything other than a liability on offense, and the impressive growth of D.J. Johnson as K-State generally covered up its weakness of not having enough size. Of course, we took a final look back at the careers of fiercely competitive seniors Will Spradling and Shane Southwell, plus the sometimes pleasant surprise of KU-killer Omari Lawrence.

Naturally, the future came up in our discussion as well, and Joel said the pieces seem to be there for significant improvement, even if it's not yet clear where they all fit. Stick around to the end to hear Joel's take on whether the BatCats will turn things around in time to save a frustrating season.

Be sure to follow Joel on Twitter at @Joel_Jellison and check out his full coverage, along with sports editor Josh Kinder, at The Mercury's website.

Episode 22: Nicole Auerbach returns to talk Kentucky

USA Today college baskeball reporter Nicole Auerbach joins Ahearn Alley to discuss why Kentucky might be vulnerable if Kansas State comes to play, as well as the outlook for the rest of the Big 12 teams in the tournament. Stick around to the end to hear the excellent story of how Nicole's Twitter avi with the Cameron Crazies came to be.

Episode 21: Chris Dobbertean of SB Nation on the NCAA Tourney

Selection Sunday is only five days away, but Chris Dobbertean of SB Nation's Blogging the Bracket was kind enough to make time in his busy schedule to join Ahearn Alley and Derek Smith for this week's Bring on the Podcast. We talked about the upcoming Big 12 conference tournament before moving on to the more prominent one featuring 68 teams from across the nation next week.

Chris isn't any more optimistic than us about K-State's chances to get up to a 6 seed, but he had some nice things to say about the Wildcats as well. He believes Marcus Foster is still underrated nationally and expects KSU's reliance on defense to be a positive as we get deeper into March.

Also, I forgot to ask during the podcast, so I sent Chris an email afterwards to see if he thought the committee would take Thomas Gipson's injury into consideration when looking at the loss to Northern Colorado. This was his response:

I've found that while the Committee says it takes injuries into account, its track record is actually mixed. However, that loss was so early in the season that it likely won't matter anyway, especially given K-State's position on the seed list.

If you're not doing it already, you'll definitely want to be following Chris on Twitter this week at @chrisdobbertean for all the latest insights on bracket action around the country. You can also check out his latest daily bracket update, which has Kansas State as a 9 seed vs. Iowa in San Diego.

Episode 20: Mattisbear returns to talk Baylor again

Mattisbear from Our Daily Bears returns with a much more optimistic attitude after his last Bring on the Podcast appearance sparked Baylor's four-game winning streak. He tells Derek and Ahearn Alley what Baylor needs to do to make the tournament, why the Bears are once again playing well down the stretch, and how Isaiah Austin is becoming an intimidating player despite wearing goggles and making facial expressions like this.

We also touched on why Will Spradling got too much blame in the loss at Baylor and Derek offered a brief explanation of Fake Patty's Day to our enthralled guest. If you're not doing it yet, be sure to follow Matt on Twitter at @mattisbear.

Episode 19: Ken Corbitt of the Topeka Capitol Journal

Longtime sportswriter and relatively new Kansas State beat writer Ken Corbitt was kind enough to join the podcast by phone from Lubbock, where the 'Cats will look to finally get a non-TCU road win tonight. We talked about that game, as well as Saturday's matchup vs. Iowa State in Bramlage, and tried to pinpoint why K-State always seems to come up short in opponent's gyms.

Other topics included some good insights on how the coaches and freshmen feel about their play this season, where the 'Cats might end up in the NCAA tourney in some different scenarios, and if you stick around until the end, why the Corbitt Curse might actually be the reason for Jevon Thomas' unfortunate slump. To stay up to date for the latest on K-State hoops and everything else purple, be sure to check out Ken's coverage on the TCJ's website and follow him on Twitter at @KenCorbitt.

Episode 18: Jordan Esco talks Sooner basketball

Kansas State plays Oklahoma this week, so really it only makes sense that we'd get a guest who primarily writes about football at OU's "The Football Brainiacs" website. Don't worry, though, Jordan Esco knows plenty about the Sooner basketball team as well, and he helps break the team down, player-by-player. You can follow him on Twitter at @Jordan_Esco.

We also discussed Lon Kruger's relationship with Kansas State and the many parallels between the coaches and team for Oklahoma and Kansas State this year. I apologize this podcast is getting to you a little late, but it's not like you had anything better to do with your Friday afternoon.

Episode 17: mattisbear of Our Daily Bears

If K-State fans are playing with house money based on preseason and November expectations, Baylor fans mostly find themselves deep in the red with only eight Big 12 games remaining. OurDailyBears contributor mattisbear comes on the podcast this week to talk with Ahearn Alley and Derek Smith about how he hasn't given up all hope just yet heading into Saturday's game against Kansas State in Waco, but he seems to be getting pretty close.

Listen in as we learn more about Baylor's moderately effective (3rd Big 12 scoring defense, 5th FG% defense) 1-3-1 zone and why preseason All-Big 12 selections and NBA prospects Cory Jefferson and Isaiah Austin haven't been performing up to par this season. Matt also told us why he believes it's ridiculous to put Scott Drew on any kind of hot seat and what it would take to reach that point, even if some impatient message board posters don't agree. Stick around to the end and you'll hear Matt's take on which is the best campus tradition: Live bears or Call Hall ice cream?

We also recommend following Matt on Twitter and if you're into podcasts, check out the good stuff they do over at Our Daily Bears from time to time. They're quality people.

Episode 16: Jonathan Tjarks of Barking Carnival

Barking Carnival writer Jon Tjarks (tjarks) joins this week's podcast, which sadly does not include BotC's Derek Smith due to some internet issues. Nonetheless, we spent some time talking about Texas' advantage in the interior and Jon's concerns about playing in Bramlage this Saturday as the Longhorns look to extend their winning streak to eight games.

Even though Jon's still understandably skeptical about UT's chances to win in Lawrence, it's clear the Longhorns put themselves into the title race by handling KU 81-69 on Saturday. Jon and I spent some time talking about the rest of the Big 12, including the reasons Jon believes co-preseason favorites Oklahoma State may be in big trouble.

Episode 15: Joel Jellison of the Manhattan Mercury

The last time men's basketball beat writer Joel Jellison of The Manhttan Mercury joined Derek and Ahearn Alley on the podcast was early November, when he proved a little too prescient by suggesting Kansas State could lose to Northern Colorado without Thomas Gipson. That ability to see the future could be good news, since he provided us with a lot more optimism this time around as we talked briefly about Saturday's game at West Virginia before evaluating Kansas State's key games and the outlook for the rest of the season. Even beyond that, Joel likes what he's seen from the Wildcat recruits, including 6-11 Georgetown transfer Brandon Bolden, who is already practicing with the team.

We also got Joel's thoughts on where Marcus Foster fits into the highly competitive battle for All-Conference spots, though you can't help but wonder how much of a blow the freshman guard's stock took with last night's miserable 2-point performance against Texas Tech.

Episode 14: cylentbutdeadly of Wide Right Natty Lite

This week's podcast guest is Gabe, better known as the excellent cylentbutdeadly on beloved Iowa State blog Wide Right Natty Lite. He was kind enough to commiserate a bit with Derek and I on the all-too-fresh last-second loss at Texas before sharing some of his own thoughts and concerns on Iowa State's 3-game losing streak.

Gabe tells us that just like everyone else (except maybe Kansas lately) the Cyclones have some noticeable weaknesses — including one that might surprise you — and matchup problems, but they've also got some serious strengths, most notably Marshall transfer DeAndre Kane. We also touched on Hilton Magic and learned what Gabe thinks about ISU football bringing on Mark Mangino.

Episode 13: David Smith of the Smoking Musket

West Virginia may not have a senior or a quality win this season, but that doesn't mean the Mountaineers don't have some dangerous young talent capable of pulling off an upset this Saturday at Kansas State. At least, that's what this week's podcast guest, David Smith of The Smoking Musket, would have you believe. Don't worry, though, just because he thinks it could happen, doesn't mean he'e expecting it.

Times are hard for West Virginia basketball in a rebuilding year for Bob Huggins, so maybe it's no surprise this podcast strayed into some off-topic conversation about football, the Mountaineers' potential Big 12 rivals, and finally, the abomination that is Clark the Cub. Yeah, we don't really know, either, but we think you'll enjoy it.

Episode 12: Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star

Kansas State and Kansas are going at it again Saturday in Lawrence, so we brought on someone who writes about both of them to talk about it in this week's podcast. KC Star columnist Sam Mellinger has been just as impressed as we have with K-State's improvement and the big win over OSU, but he also reminds us why the 'Cats will face a monumental challenge against the young talent Bill Self has assembled this season. Stick around to the end and you'll be rewarded with a little football talk.