This article from Tim Griffin's blog at espn.com has some great points about why the Big XII North standings may flip-flop from the way most pundits expected in August, or September for that matter. While most writers picked Nebraska or Kansas to win the North, a few pointed out before the season even started that Colorado had the best home schedule for ending up at the top of the North. And we all have seen that Kansas State coach Bill Snyder knows how to turn a team around quickly. With Missouri and Nebraska exposing their shortcomings this past Saturday, Kansas stumbling before they even begin the most arduous part of their schedule(their slate against the South is brutal - OU & T.Tech are their next 2 games, with Texas waiting for them in November), and Iowa State getting better every week, the Big XII North is canyon-wide open. The more quickly teams can start placing themselves at the top, the better their chances are to make it to the championship game.
How important is this weekend's CU-KSU game now? The winner, whether alone or not, will sit atop the Big XII North.