With only two games left in the regular season, there are some tight conference races with teams battling for either number one seeds for their tournament or to improve their position to be able to host the opening round or two. The Big 12 conference is no different, as the two teams (both nationally ranked) Texas A&M Aggies and the Kansas Jayhawks (who will probably move up to number two tomorrow) need to come away from Phog Allen Fieldhouse (Wednesday night) with a victory. Kansas (12-2 in the Big 12; 27-2 overall) who defeated the Oklahoma Sooners 82-70 their last time out (Saturday, February 26) caught a break when conference leader Texas Longhorns (12-2 in the Big 12; 24-5 overall) couldn’t hold onto a 22-point lead and fell to Colorado 91-89. Texas holds the tie-breaker (by virtue of winning the only match-up with Kansas this year 74-63) in case of a co-champion situation meaning the Longhorns would be the number one seed in the conference tournament.

Texas plays host to Kansas State on Monday and then travels to Baylor Saturday. In the meantime, Kansas must take care of their business at hand starting with Texas A&M (9-5 in the Big 12;22-6 overall) before worrying about their final game which won’t be a walk in the park as they have to travel to (also nationally ranked in the last poll) Missouri (22-7, 8-6 in the Big 12).

Kansas will probably move up one spot in the polls due to #1 Duke losing to Virginia Tech (64-60, Saturday) comes in Wednesday’s match-up on a three game winning streak and is 9-1 in their last 10 games. Kansas, who averages 83.8 points a game which leads the Big 12 Conference and is the fourth most nationally, is 16-1 at home and 2-1 vs. the AP Top 25. Kansas’ only setbacks this year is at Kansas State (84-68) and against Texas. Kansas State was the preseason conference favorite and though they had their issues early, they are coming on having won four straight while Texas who was ranked fifth in the nation before falling to Colorado is a very good team. Defensively, Kansas is decent allowing slightly less than 65 points a game (64.9) which ranks the Jayhawks fifth in the Big 12.

Kansas who is led by the Morris twins (Marcus Morris 17.9 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 60.9% FG, 35.9% 3-pointers; Markief Morris 13.6 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 60.2 FG, 41.3% 3-pointers) is the top shooting team in the nation (52.3%). Kansas also grabs an average of 38.4 rebounds (11.4 offensively) a game (30th most nationally) and dishes out 18.4 dimes (ranked first nationally). In addition, Kansas launches 19.1 three-pointers a game connecting on 7.5 (39.3%), shoots 67.5% (15.8-23.55) from the free throw stripe, commits 14 turnovers and block four shots.

The Morris twins can do everything well and have been the rock behind the Rock-Sock-Jayhawk slogan. Marcus Morris is 6’9” and is a little more athletic and more of a pure scorer than the inch taller Markief Morris (6’10”). Both Morris twins can either post-up or shoot from the perimeter though Marcus (23-64) likes to shoot the long bombs a little more Markief (19-46). While Marcus Morris is slightly more gifted offensively, Markief Morris (team high 34 blocks) leads the Big 12 conference with 11 double-doubles and is a little bigger body than Marcus. Both Morris twins make a living getting to the charity stripe as Marcus Morris is 108 for162 (66.6% )while Markief Morris is 79 for 118 (66.9%).

Reserve freshman guard Josh Selby is the only other Kansas player to score in double figures (10.4 PPG, 3.0 APG) though senior guard Tyrel Reed (who has attempted the most treys this year with 143 connecting on 39.2%; 9.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 42.9% FG ) and sophomore forward Thomas Robinson (8.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 62.8% FG) have been solid. Kansas has the talent to go nine or ten deep but with the variety of issues Kansas has dealt with this year Bill Self (Kansas coach) hasn’t been able to use his rotation like he probably would like to.

Now with the suspension of point guard and leading distributor Tyshawn Taylor (team rules violation; Taylor has missed the two previous games), Self may not have a full squad available until the conference tournament. Taylor (a junior is averaging 8.8 points a game and 4.7 assists) is extremely quick and talented but has infuriated Self with his inconsistent play.

Texas A&M enters the game Wednesday (currently ranked #21 in the AP top 25 though they might fall a couple of places when the new poll comes out) needs a victory to secure the third seed in the Big 12 Conference tournament and possibly position itself for a six or seven seed in the NCAA tournament. Texas A&M is coming off a 58-51 due to their woeful shooting performance hitting just 19 of their 54 shots (the Aggies who have connected on 44.5% of their shots this season which is 128th best in the nation). Texas A&M has a cushion of one game over Kansas State and Missouri for third place a first round bye in the Big 12 tournament. The Aggies closes the regular season out the Saturday against Texas Tech.

Texas A&M, who is 3-2 vs. the AP Top 25 and 5-3 in road games faces a tough task against the more athletic and taller Jayhawks, has had trouble scoring this season averaging 69.4 points a game (166th nationally; 5th in the Big 12). Texas A&M attempts 15.51 three-pointers a game knocking down 5.24 a game (33.8% which is well below average) however, the Aggies do get to line a decent amount (16.3-23.4) and knocks down 70% of those shots. Texas A&M is a solid defensive team surrendering only 60.5 points a game which is the second fewest in the Big 12 Conference. Also, Texas A&M does a decent job rebounding hauling in 36.8 a game (83rd nationally) but has gone to the offensive glass hard collecting 12.4 rebounds a game. Texas A&M also turns the ball over only 12.2 times a game. Due to their lack of outside shooting, Texas A&M relies on their frontcourt to provide most of their scoring punch. 6’7” sophomore forward Khris Middleton (14.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.0 APG, 45.6% FG and 35.6% 3-3pters) and 6’8” junior forward David Loubeau (11.2 PPG 4.9 RPG and 49.6% FG) are the Aggies only double figure scorers. Though senior guard BJ Holmes (9.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, 42% FG) and 6’7 forward Nathan Walkup (9.7 PPG 5.8 RPG, 50.5% FG and 34.7 3-pointers) have the ability to produce.

Recap of the Last Game

Kansas 82 Oklahoma 70

The Kansas Jayhawks got a huge game from the Morris twins who combined for 42 points and 19 rebounds (Marcus Morris 23 points and 9 rebounds; Markief Morris chipped in with 19 points and 10 rebounds to win their third straight game 82-70 over the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman (Oklahoma) Saturday. Kansas who shot 56.8% (25-44) from the field, which marks the 21st time this season Kansas has connected on over 50% of their shots, defeated Oklahoma for the seventh straight time in the series. Kansas knocked down 6 of their 14 shots from beyond the arc, went to the line an astounding 35 times (making 26) and collected 11 offensive caroms. Kansas did turn the ball over 13 times while forcing just six Oklahoma miscues. Oklahoma connected on just two less field than the Jayhawks (23-50; 46%) and the same number of shots from long distance six (6-19). The main difference in the game was the disparity in free throws. The Sooners who connected on a slightly better percentage (78% to 74) from the line had 12 fewer attempts producing eight less points than Kansas (18-23).

Kansas, without Taylor (as mentioned above), got a scare when Johnson (five points in 16 minutes)left the game with about 12½ minutes left to play with a neck injury. However, according to Kansas Coach Bill Self, Johnson’s x-rays revealed no damage and he could’ve returned to game if needed. Kansas who outrebounded Oklahoma 33 to 14, led 45-33 at halftime. Besides the Morris twins, Reed (11 points) was the only other Jayhawk to reach double-figures in scoring.

Baylor 58 Texas A&M 51

Texas A&M traveled to Waco on Saturday night and came away disappointed falling to the Baylor Bears 58-51. Texas A&M as usual played solid defense but like so many times this year the Aggies had trouble scoring. Texas A&M shot just 35% from the floor which was their third lowest shooting performance of the year. Texas A&M also only knocked down 5 of their 22 (22.7%) shots from beyond the three-point arc and committed 13 turnovers while only dishing out 6 assists.

The Aggies defense held Baylor to 19 of 48 shooting (39.6%) and 4-15 (26.7%) from beyond arc while forcing 14 turnovers. However, Texas A&M committed 21 fouls putting the Baylor at the line 24 times (9 more free-throws then the Aggies attempted which resulted in an 8 point difference; Baylor was 16-24 from the charity stripe while A&M was 8-15).

Baylor who was up 32-28 at halftime, got hot early in the second half and built a 41-32 lead with 10:29 left. The Aggies then went on 7-0 run but Baylor had answer hitting two three-pointers and four foul shots to regain control of the contest 53-43. Middleton put up a double-double (12 points and 10 boards) for the Aggies but was on 4 for 12 from the floor (33%) and connected on just two of his seven three point shots (28.5%). Forward David Loubeau also hit double figures with 14 points on 6-8 shooting.

Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon disappointed with the Aggies offense credited Baylor’s defense, “Their zone was fantastic. It was like they had six guys out there. They were everywhere. And our zone attack wasn’t very good.”

Final Analysis

Kansas is rolling after their misstep against Kansas State and according to Reed are on a mission, “Every year, we go in wanting to win the Big 12 and win the Big 12 Tournament and then have the best opportunity for a number one seed. We’ve got two more games and I guess the balls in our court and we’ve got to take care of business.” In addition, Kansas seldom loses at Phog Allen Fieldhouse, winning 94.8% of their games there under Self (128-7).

Though Kansas is not as good defensively as Texas A&M, the Jayhawks just have too much firepower as either Morris twin (Marcus is the more likely one), Selby, Reed, Taylor (if his suspension is lifted), senior Mario Little or Reed and senior Brady Morningstar (if they get hot) can carry the offensive load. In conference play, Kansas (averaging 81.64) has only been held under 80 points three times. Defensively, Kansas (72.07) has allowed their Big 12 brethren to put up 65 or more points 12 times.

Texas A&M (averaging 64.92 points a game in conference) doesn’t have the shooting ability or firepower to get into a transition game with Kansas, though Holmes who has knocked down 41% of his three-pointers (41-100) and has gotten to the line 104 times (hitting 80 of them) could cause the Jayhawks problems. Otherwise, the Aggies (given up 63.35 points a game in conference play) will have to slow the game down by working the ball inside to Middleton, Loubeau and Walkup and play typical Texas A&M defense.

The Aggies do have a wildcard (Holmes could be considered one but I’m sure the Jayhawks are aware of him) and that is freshman forward Kourtney Robinson (12.9 MPG, 5.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 60% FG). Robinson who is athletic and provides depth for the Aggies frontline could be a difficult match-up for the Jayhawks frontline if the Aggies can get the Morris twins into foul trouble.

The signs were there for us to see, but amid the talk about the travesty of a 7-9 Seattle team making the playoffs, we were blind to the fact that the New Orleans Saints went into the playoffs with some serious flaws.

For one, the Saints were simply not the offensive team that they were a year ago when they began their march toward a Super Bowl title. For whatever reason -- injuries in the running game that led to a less-effective passing game -- the Saints scored almost 8 fewer points per game this season. And as a wild-card team, NO faced the prospect of having to do it on the road, not in front of "WhoDat Nation" in Louisiana.

It all added up to a surprising, if not stunning, loss to the Seahawks last weekend. The Saints were 10.5-point favorites heading in, and while it didn’t quite have the impact of the Giants’ Super Bowl victory over the Patriots a few years back, it still had fans coast-to-coast shaking their heads in disbelief. The Seahawks were supposed to be a one-and-done team, but refused to comply. And Seattle’s victory is now the reason that no one in the off-season will be clamoring for a change in seeding for teams that finish the regular season .500 or below.

In Philadelphia, calls to sign Michael Vick to a long-term deal have lost some volume after Vick’s 20-for-36 losing effort against the Packers. Doubts about Vick will no doubt resurface after throwing an end zone interception on the Eagles’ final offensive play of the season, and for a while anyway the team will spend part of the off-season the way it spent the early part of this one -- with a quarterback controversy.

Late-season injuries to Vick served as a reminder of why it is so difficult in the NFL to win with a running quarterback. Can a team really afford to turn its season over long-term to a player who gets hit as often as Vick has and will? And if Vick is not the answer, will the Eagles once again start the season with Kevin Kolb?

The Kansas City Chiefs, with all their flaws and inexperience, and the Indianapolis Colts, with all their injuries, are no longer part of the NFL playoff landscape. Looking back, each was probably fortunate to get an extra game this season. Indianapolis’ problems were evident all season.

A team which lives and dies with its offense lacked a running game most of the season, and wasn’t effective moving the ball on the ground against a very good Jets defense on Saturday night. And with fewer options available due to the absence of receivers Dallas Clark and Austin Collie, New York took Reggie Wayne out of the game (1 catch for 1 yard).

For once the passing of Peyton Manning was not enough. Last year’s Super Bowl losers lasted only 60 post-season minutes at home against a Jets team that had done its share of bumbling and stumbling down the stretch this season. Manning wasn’t awful (18 for 26, 219 yards, 1 TD pass and a 108.6 QB rating), but neither was he spectacular. He remains a threat to throw a TD on every play from scrimmage, but you wonder if the bloom is off the rose and whether opponents will view him the same way as they have.

In Baltimore, the Ravens showed the Chiefs that winning a weakened AFC West with a 10-6 record is one thing, and beating a quality team like Baltimore in the playoffs is quite another. Fingers will be pointed at quarterback Matt Cassel and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis -- and rightly so. KC payed a price for Cassel’s indecisiveness, and Weis’s announced departure to the University of Florida raised concerns that his mind was on his next job rather than the current one.

But while the Chiefs lament their ineffective offense (Cassel threw three picks and KC fumbled twice), they also have to make some major changes to their defense. Sitting back in zone coverage doesn’t work against veteran receivers and a better-than-average quarterback.

The Vikings and their fans never saw what the rest of us did, did they?

They were willing to take the Brett Favre on his terms, and were willing to overlook the fine print at the bottom of the contract. The part that says that this is all about Favre, not about the team. All about Favre being able to run this team that way he ran the full-of-piss-and-vinegar Packers back in the day. All about winning on Favre’s terms or not winning at all. All about the head coach taking a back seat if he knows what’s good for him. All about one individual standing out even in the ultimate team sport.

The Vikes told Favre to take his time coming back, so he did. Until they begged him to return and get in some kind of rhythm before the real games started. At $1.25 million a game, how could he say no? All right. If you insist.

Now the devil is here to collect his soul, and the 2-4 Vikings trudge into Foxboro on Halloween afternoon desperate to stay relevant in a winnable NFC North. And the big question is: Will Favre continue to call the shots, or will coach Brad Childress finally show some spine and bench the 29th-ranked quarterback in the league?

“It goes back to taking care of the football,” said Childress after Sunday’s loss to Green Bay in which which Favre threw three interceptions. “You can’t throw it to them. You’ve got to play within he confines of our system. Sometimes it’s OK to punt the football.”

The Vikings’ game plan was for Favre to take the snap from center, turn and dutifully hand the ball to one of the top running backs in the league (Adrian Peterson) and wear down the Packer defense with short- and at most intermediate-range passes. That may have been Childress’s plan, but apparently Chilly didn’t pass it by Favre, who figures that possession of the football after each snap gives him veto power over anything the Viking coaches dream up.

The Vikings have this week to repair the damage done to whatever relationship still exists between Chilly and Favre before heading to New England, where the Patriots have not lost a regular-season game since 2008.

Randy Moss’s return to New England will certainly stir the stew a bit in Foxboro, and Moss -- whose motivation last season was questioned on several occasions -- figures to be on his best, stick-it-to-the-team-that-wouldn’t-pay-me behavior. Moss wasn’t having a great year in New England before the trade, but Patriots watchers insist that defenses have already adjusted to dealing with NE sans Moss. Wes Welker has only 11 catches since Moss’s departure, and the Chargers bottled him up (25 yards total) last Sunday.

Tom Brady was very un-Tom Bradylike against the Chargers (19/32 and just 128 yards), but he loves the spotlight that shines in big games, and the light will be brighter than bright when the wounded Vikings limp into town with Brett Favre and his 4 tons of luggage in tow.