Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman joined the Wildcats in 2019, filling the big shoes of legendary college coach Bill Snyder. In his first season, Klieman surprised everyone by going a respectable 8-5 in his first season in the FBS after coming from North Dakota State, an FCS team.
Since his first season, Klieman has continued to impress, minus the 2020 season, where most teams struggled with players opting out and the shortened season. There are certain teams Klieman has excelled against in the Big 12, such as Kansas, a team he has never lost to, and Oklahoma, whom Klieman beat three times and only lost once, among others.
However, there is one team that seems to have Klieman and the Wildcats' numbers.
Oklahoma State leads the all-time series against Kansas State 43-27. Since coming to Kansas State, Klieman is just 1-4 against the Cowboys with the only win coming in 2022, the season the Wildcats won the Big 12 Championship.
Klieman will want to channel the 2022 team this weekend against Oklahoma State because that team put a beat down on the Cowboys, beating them 48-0. That team was led by Will Howard, who is now at Ohio State, Deuce Vaughn, who is now in the NFL, and Ben Sinnott, who is also in the NFL.
Now, this team is led by sophomore Avery Johnson, the two-headed running back group of DJ Giddens and Dylan Edwards, and, a stellar defense.
With both Kansas State and Oklahoma State coming off losses in Week 4, both teams are going to throw everything they have at the other, trying not to take the dagger that could save a second loss on the season. One loss on the season is not a season-ender anymore, but since the Big 12 probably won't have more than two teams or even more than one team, in the College Football Playoff, two losses are a different story.
Klieman is probably hoping to just get a win this week for the team, but getting that second win against Oklahoma State might be getting the monkey off his back too.