How The Kansas State Wildcats Earn Bowl Eligibility – The Schedule
By Dave Thoman
Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports
West Virginia: I don’t care if the Mountaineers beat Oklahoma State or not – the defense sucked last year, it appears to have improved a little, but the offense has regressed so much that that game will probably go down as the flukiest Big 12 match of the year. In Manhattan, K-State wins this game 95 times out of 100. Wins: 3.65
Iowa State: Iowa State is still looking for quarterback play, still looking for an identity on defense, and looks incapable of rushing the ball. The 38-21 over Tulsa last Thursday was nice, but this is one of those games Iowa State has a propensity for dropping nine times of out ten. Wins: 4.55
At #20 Texas Tech: Tech’s meteoric rise shouldn’t surprise too many people – I identified the Red Raiders as the team with the greatest difference between ceiling and floor at the beginning of the season. And as good as the team has looked so far, there’s a freshman slump just waiting for its walk-on freshman quarterback. Tech will be a little bruised following back-to-back games against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, making this match up closer then correct records would indicate. Even in Lubbock, I give Bill Snyder’s crew a 40 percent chance. Wins: 4.95
TCU: The Horned Frogs are in the same position as K-State; a 2-2 start to the season and 0-1 in conference play. Granted, TCU entered with higher expectations, but there it is. TCU will be making its first visit to Manhattan as a member of the Big 12, and there’s no quarterback on the team able to exploit K-State’s primary weakness (the secondary). 65 percent chance K-State emerges victorious. Wins: 5.60
#11 Oklahoma: Last year’s win in Norman was the game that truly put K-State on the map as a national championship contender in 2012. As I’ve said before, I’m not that high on the Sooners, but the Wildcats haven’t shown enough to make me believe they have a good shot at a victory here. Slightly better odds than Baylor, 20 percent. Wins: 5.80
At Kansas: I can’t honestly discuss this game without just making jokes. K-State guaranteed victory. Wins: 6.80. Bowl Eligible.
Okay, obviously no one gets partial wins. The magic number is six, although we’d like more. The team is two wins there, and needs four more. KU is the most obvious to count on, followed by Iowa State. I don’t seriously doubt losses in either outcome. West Virginia in Manhattan should be a victory too. That leaves the ‘Cats to pull out a win from either Oklahoma State, Baylor, Texas Tech, TCU, or Oklahoma. A tough schedule, to be sure, but with five opportunities, and three of them at home, K-State should be bowling this year. Now the only question is whether they’re ready to step up and go in January.