The Emporia Gazette

February 12, 2012

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KU FOOTBALL fans may still be feeling a little dizzy today. It’s just a touch of oxygen deprivation.

The fans have no problem in the Jayhawks’ usual territory — the rocky and uneven foothills and the occasional swamps the team has become so familiar with over the years. But nothing could prepare folks for the rarified air at the top of the mountain the team has been steadily climbing all season.

Someday, KU fans might get used to breathing at such a lofty altitude and will learn not to giggle like happy children whenever they hear the words “Orange Bowl” — but not this year. This year, success is new and shiny and every victory has been like Christmas morning.

Was coach Mark Mangino the only person who could, in the bad times, see the promise and the possibilities in this team? Did even he think that this would be the season when all of his recruiting, planning and training would come together to produce a team that was smart, disciplined, talented and unified in the way few sports teams are?

The season, which began for fans with crossed fingers and high hopes, has now ended with an Orange Bowl victory and a record of 12-1.

This year’s games will be remembered for decades. It has been the best season in the school’s long history and one of the best in college football.

In years to come, people may begin to refer to this year as the “Miracle Season,” but there was nothing miraculous about it. KU won because the players are smart, creative and well-trained and the coaches are just as smart.

So raise a glass of orange juice in honor of the KU Jayhawks. They have done themselves, their school and their state proud.

Best of all, they have proven that even the wildest dreams can come true.