The Kansas State Wildcats are 3-0, but the real test starts now.
After handling Nicholls, Washington State and Tulane, Kansas State has done what it needed to do through the first three games of the Collin Klein era. The schedule has been manageable, the results have been clean, and the Wildcats have avoided the kind of slip-up that would have changed the conversation before Big 12 play even began.
That conversation gets louder this Saturday, when Kansas State opens conference play on the road against Cincinnati.
A spot in the Top 25 still looks like a stretch for now. Kansas State picked up three votes in the Associated Press poll, but a breakthrough into the rankings probably won’t happen unless the Wildcats get to 5-0, and maybe not even then. Still, a win over the Bearcats would at least put them squarely on voters’ radar.
The surprising part is how little national attention Kansas State brought into the season. The league’s media poll had the Wildcats finishing eighth in the Big 12, and plenty of people expected Klein’s first year as head coach to come with some growing pains. Instead, Kansas State has opened with three wins and a lot of momentum.
It has a familiar feel to it, too. In 2022, the Wildcats were ignored in both preseason polls before turning that slight into a Big 12 championship run. This season is starting to echo that path.
The schedule could help Kansas State keep building. The biggest conference matchups are set to come at home, and the Wildcats do not have to face Utah, Texas Tech or BYU, the three teams generally viewed as the top of the league.
Avery Johnson’s play is another reason the ceiling feels higher than expected. If he keeps operating at this level, the offense could turn into something dangerous. On the other side, the defense allowed its first points of the season against Tulane, but it was steady for most of the game.
"I'm proud of where we're going, and we just have to keep our heads down, Klein said.
For now, Kansas State has earned the right to keep climbing. The next step comes in Cincinnati.
In Other News...
Former Kansas State Standout Turned A Big Chance Into Heartbreak
Former Kansas State players were all over Week 3, and several of them made their new schools better for it. Austin Romaine logged 64 snaps for Texas Tech, finishing with six tackles and a pass breakup in a win over Houston, while other former Wildcats helped push UCLA, LSU, Indiana and Baylor to victories as well.
Dylan Edwards, though, had the kind of day that can swing a game in a heartbeat. The former Kansas State standout handled 22 touches for 105 yards for Kansas in its London matchup with Arizona State, but a crucial fumble ended up becoming the moment that tilted the loss the other way. For a player who did plenty right, the final memory was a painful one. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Offense Has A Big 12 Problem Hiding In Plain Sight
Kansas State has put together an offense that looks dangerous on the surface, scoring more than 30 points in each of its first three games and leading the country in third-down conversion rate at 67.4%. Avery Johnson has been a big part of that success with his rushing ability, and the Wildcats have also stacked up enough explosive run plays to stay among the national leaders in that category.
Still, the way those possessions are unfolding is leaving a familiar problem in plain sight. Too many drives are getting pushed into third-and-long because the Wildcats are not getting consistent production on first and second down, especially on the ground, and that puts a lot more pressure on Johnson and the offense to keep bailing themselves out in obvious passing situations. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State May Have Found A New Goal Line Weapon
Kansas States win over Tulane offered a glimpse of a different kind of backfield option, and Jay Harris made the most of it. The senior running back scored twice on just two carries, both coming in a jumbo package that put his size and physical style to work right at the goal line, where the Wildcats have been looking for reliable answers in tight spaces.
Collin Klein and Harriss teammates came away talking about how effective he can be when the field shrinks and power matters most. For a Kansas State offense that values versatility, Harriss emergence as a short-yardage presence gives the staff another wrinkle to lean on, and it leaves plenty of intrigue about how often theyll keep turning to him in those situations moving forward. [Read more 🡒]