Oval in the loss column has Kansas angling for BCS glory

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Three hours before kickoff, and the guy was just standing there all by himself on the corner of Knoblock and McElroy. He had paint on his face and a sign in his hand, one that stuck out among a group of Oklahoma State fans and read simply "Mangino for President."

Mark Mangino's popularity in Kansas is growing by the day. (AP)

And you know what?

Why not?

I mean, perhaps we'll have to redesign the White House -- would an oval coach even fit in the Oval Office? -- but at this point I'm sure there's a Kansas booster somewhere willing to foot the bill. After all, the Jayhawks now have a realistic shot to play for the BCS championship, which is why Mark Mangino could probably poll better in the state than Hillary and Rudy and Barack combined.

If nothing else, he'd get those six electoral college votes.

"I give Kansas a lot of credit," Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said late Saturday after KU beat his Cowboys 43-28. "They did what they've done all year long."

There are only two undefeated teams left in Division I-A.

That's not surprising, really.

But the fact that one of them is Kansas is downright shocking, and it has developed into one of college football's major storylines. Sure, the Jayhawks haven't beaten a lot of great opponents, or even one great opponent, to tell the truth. But they haven't lost to anybody either, and that's something worth celebrating, particularly in this wacky season full of upsets.

See, you can question KU's wins.

But you can't highlight any losses.

And I bet Ohio State wishes it still had that problem, i.e., the constant exercise of trying to justify victories, one after another. As Jim Tressel learned Saturday, it's much more difficult to explain defeats. But Mangino wouldn't know about that this season because he has the Jayhawks charging ahead and off to a 10-0 start for the first time since 1899.

Yep, 1899 -- as in a helluva long time ago. That's the same year K-Mart was founded, the same year the Bronx Zoo opened, the same year voting machines were approved by the U.S. Congress for federal elections, and do you see how this whole "Mangino for President" thing is coming together?