Based on Mark Mangino&rsquo;s logic, Lew Perkins can consider firing the Kansas football coach at the end of the season.</p><p>Mangino&rsquo;s decision to bench Todd Reesing late in the Jayhawks&rsquo; loss to Texas Tech signals that the 12-1 season of 2007 and the Orange Bowl victory mean nothing in 2009. Not to Mangino, the Janet &ldquo;What Have You Done For Me Lately?&rdquo; Jackson of college football coaches.</p><p>Who cares that Reesing saved Mangino&rsquo;s job and reputation and earned his coach additional millions by leading Kansas to a magical 12-1 season and top-10 ranking? Who cares that Reesing is the best Kansas quarterback since John Hadl?</p><p>And who really cares that the only way Kansas was going to erase Tech&rsquo;s 14-point advantage was Reesing catching fire in the final seven minutes?</p><p>According to Mangino, Reesing is owed no more loyalty than an offensive lineman. Reesing was a bit inaccurate and involved in two costly fumbles at Texas Tech, and he wasn&rsquo;t all that sharp against Colorado or Oklahoma. Bench him. Pretend that Reesing&rsquo;s sweat and performance equity are irrelevant.</p><p>If that&rsquo;s the case, then perhaps we should reevaluate Mangino&rsquo;s tenure at Kansas. Let&rsquo;s pretend that 2007 never happened.</p><p>Now we&rsquo;re looking at a seven-year head coach without one winning season in Big 12 play and an overall conference record of 15-33. If we eliminated 2007, Mangino&rsquo;s job would likely be on the line the last month of this season. He&rsquo;d likely need to split two of his last four games against Kansas State, Nebraska, Texas and Missouri.</p><p>If he lost all four and finished 5-7, 1-7, Perkins would have all the justification necessary to begin a coaching search.</p><p>Solely because of the 2007 season, it would be foolish for anyone to speak of firing Mangino.</p><p>The same standard should apply to Reesing. He&rsquo;s earned the right to fail. Beyond that, Mangino doesn&rsquo;t have a better option. Kale Pick isn&rsquo;t ready. And Kerry Meier is too valuable a receiver to move back to QB.</p><p>Mangino threw a childish tantrum in Lubbock. Benching Reesing was an emotional decision made entirely out of frustration. There was no logic.</p><p>If a quarterback is no different from an offensive lineman, then how about a receiver?</p><p>Are Mangino&rsquo;s eyes closed when Dezmon Briscoe drops passes? Did Mangino overlook Briscoe&rsquo;s drops in the Colorado end zone or the critical skinny-post drop when the Hawks were still in the game against Oklahoma?</p><p>Reesing isn&rsquo;t the only Kansas offensive star struggling. It&rsquo;s a group effort.</p><p>Mangino has spent so much time focusing on fixing his defense that his offense slipped. It was foolish to lash out at Reesing on Saturday.</p><p>Maybe it will work out and Reesing will play like a Heisman Trophy candidate at Kansas State. What if he doesn&rsquo;t? What if he falls into a deeper funk?</p><p>Then it will be time to question Mangino. This was supposed to be a historic season at Kansas. The Hawks were supposed to challenge for the Big 12 North title. They were supposed to be competitive against Oklahoma and stay within three touchdowns of Texas.</p><p>A one-win conference season was unfathomable.</p><p>A week ago, I thought for sure the Jayhawks would win the North. I never considered the possibility that Mangino would rock the foundation of his team by toying with Reesing&rsquo;s swagger.</p><p>I&rsquo;m not changing my prediction. I&rsquo;m simply admitting that the North is too chaotic for me to predict anything with confidence or credibility.</p><p>I have no clue what&rsquo;s going to happen in Manhattan on Saturday morning. I watched the last three quarters of the K-State-Oklahoma game with my mouth wide open, marveling at Bill Snyder&rsquo;s genius.</p><p>There&rsquo;s only one indisputable truth about the Big 12 North: Snyder is the best coach.</p><p>Is that enough? I don&rsquo;t think so.</p><p>But I&rsquo;m the same guy who left the Missouri-Illinois game convinced that the Tigers and Jayhawks would both be ranked in the top 25 on Thanksgiving weekend when they met at Arrowhead Stadium.</p><p>Good thing Mark Mangino isn&rsquo;t my boss. I&rsquo;d be unemployed.