You don't often see Heisman Trophy candidates benched in college football. Especially after their coach was lauding them to be in the talk for the famed trophy just three weeks earlier.

But that's exactly what Kansas coach Mark Mangino did last Saturday in the Jayhawks' 42-21 loss at Texas Tech. He benched Todd Reesing, his senior quarterback, who had led the Jayhawks to 20 wins in the previous two seasons and an Orange Bowl victory in 2007.

Now, following seven turnovers in his last three games, questions have arisen as to whether or not he will start this week. He will. But what Mangino did proves that in sports, it's always going to be "what have you done for me lately?" Alex Rodriguez, who has been continually shredded by the media and fans for his lack of success in the postseason, is now loved in New York after the Yankees won the World Series Wednesday night.

That's what sports are about. It doesn't matter what you've done in the past. What matters is what you do in the present. The same holds true for Reesing.

Never mind the fact that Mangino may be without a job had it not been for his star quarterback. The KU coach was 25-35 overall and 11-29 in the Big 12 Conference in the five seasons before Reesing became the full-time starter in 2007. He had never finished higher than fourth in the North, and had yet to finish with a .500 record in conference play.

Reesing became the spark plug the Jayhawks needed. He eluded sacks, frustrated defensive coordinators and made plays when most thought he was dead in the water. He had a swagger about him.

But there he sat, with 7:05 remaining in the game at Tech, on the sideline as a hapless spectator. He was forced to watch Kale Pick -- a freshman quarterback -- try and bring his team back from a two-touchdown deficit. Pick had no chance to bring his team back.
Mangino basically threw in the towel.

I have no problem with the concept of no player being untouchable. Every athlete should be held accountable no matter if they are the star of the team or merely a walk-on.

But Mangino now looks foolish after praising Reesing and throwing him into the Heisman talk. He threw the quarterback, who has made him millions of dollars, under the bus for a couple of bad games. I would think he's earned the right to remain the quarterback, especially when there are clearly no better options right now.

If Mangino is going to use the "what have you done for me lately" mantra, then he probably wouldn't have survived his first five years as the KU coach. If KU athletic director Lew P er kins we nt b y that theo ry , then Mangino would likely be elsewhere.

But Perkins was patient, and a 5foot-11, 205-pound quarterback, who many considered undersized, came to save the day, and Mangino's job for that matter.

Now, this week, instead of answering questions about the upcoming game against Kansas State, Mangino is spending his time deflecting blame from the KU quarterback -- blame that he exposed his star player to by benching him. The move didn't make sense. Then again, neither does this season.

This was supposed to be Mangino's best squad. The Jayhawks entered the year with two of the league's best receivers and one of the best quarterbacks. Yet here they sit at 5-3 and 1-3 in the Big 12, needing a win this weekend at Kansas State to have any hope of salvaging what was supposed to be a historic season in Lawrence.

It would be in Mangino's best interests not to lose to his former boss Bill Snyder. If the K-State coach can beat KU this season, then the in-state dominance Snyder enjoyed over KU from 1993-2003 will likely once again set in.

Who knows what the affect of the benching will have. Maybe Reesing will use it as motivation and KU will come out against the Wildcats and play lights out. We will know by Saturday afternoon. But there was nothing to gain from Mangino benching his star player. That was simply a mistake.