Make No Mistake, Kansas is the Nation's Best Team

Texas' recent victories over North Carolina and Michigan State have many analysts calling for an upheaval at the top of the college basketball polls. 

The outcries have been their loudest the past two weeks, as Kansas holds onto the top spot in both the media and coaches polls. 

However, it looks like conventional wisdom will remain, as Kansas claimed 52 of the media's 65 votes in college basketball's seventh week. The coaches voted Kansas to the top spot by a tally of 28-3. 

When asked, most of those who favor Texas point to the Longhorn's quality wins over North Carolina and Michigan State in consecutive games. They would also point out that Kansas has played a rather soft schedule, and therefore has done little to impress them. 

While both lines of thought may be true, strength of schedule doesn't mean anything until March, when the selection committee has to make the real decisions. 

At the beginning of the season, you see UNC and Michigan State on Texas's schedule, and think both games may give Texas a real test. 

Conversely, when the records read 0-0, you saw two teams with high expectations, California and Michigan on Kansas's schedule, and that isn't mentioning the fact that an away game to UCLA was also on the schedule. 

Sure UCLA is in a down year, but the pride of a program rich with college basketball tradition wasn't going to be a pushover. Likewise, Kansas had absolutely no control over the disappointing starts to the season's of both Cal and Michigan. 

As I write this, Kansas is 11-0, and has its arguably two toughest non-conference games left to play, with a trip this weekend to Philly to take on Temple, followed a week later by a road game to face Tennessee, who in all likelihood could be in the top 10 by the time that game tips. 

Since it seems to be all about strength of schedule, and quality wins to the people who argue Texas is the true number one, I'm not going to stop talking about the schedules just yet. 

Texas played Michigan State in Austin, and played North Carolina in the new Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, (not exactly a neutral site).  Don't get me wrong, those wins were impressive, but since over 95% of the crowd at both games was wearing burnt orange, I'm not about to say the wins make them the No. 1 team in America. 

When looking at the remainder of the Longhorns' non-conference scheduled, they beat a decent Pittsburgh team at home, but aside from that game, Texas' non-conference schedule isn't that great. 

I know I'm splitting hairs here, but the amount of mid-majors who compete and perennially make the tournament on Kansas' schedule far outweigh the same types of teams on Texas' schedule. 

Let's get off the schedule conversation and move to something that will drive my main point home. 

How do you compare two teams who are more talented, and so much deeper than all the rest of the NCAA, this season?

We may not get to fully comprehend or get to see who really is the best between these two teams until they tango in Austin on Feb. 8. It's rare when two teams are so much better than all of the rest of the competition, but that is exactly what this season brings us. 

As a result, any comparison between the teams while they both are undefeated, or when they both have one loss, or two losses, will always be completely subjective. 

So in accordance, there is just one more piece of subjective information that may solidify the opinions of those 52 media voters, and all the others who continue to place Kansas at the top of the heap. 

Texas has put together many comprehensive performances over their span of 12 wins, and are beating teams by an average of 28 points. 

Most Kansas fans, many in the media, and Kansas Coach Bill Self would argue that the Jayhawks have maybe given two or three comprehensive performances, but for the most part have yet to give one great performance in any game. 

Kansas played horribly against Belmont last night, the game was full of unnecessary turnovers, a lack of patience on offense, and overall just sloppy play. Yet the Jayhawks ended up winning by 30. 

I'm sure Texas fans could give me plenty of examples where they played poorly and still won handily. However, the fact that Texas looks much closer to the well-oiled machine coach Rick Barnes will want it to be come March, while Kansas can't even find the oil in an Autozone, may say a lot about each team's potential. 

While this debate will remain hideously subjective, the fact that Kansas has yet to impress anyone, and is still winning games by an average of 30 points is subjective fodder enough to keep them as the steady number one.