The Kansas State Wildcats were exceptionally good in 2012, and they were merely okay in 2013. They want to be really good again this season, but with loaded Baylor and Oklahoma teams in front of them, can they make the big leap all the way to the front of the Big 12 Conference, in which teams have to play all other nine members during the regular season?
Strengths
The Wildcats have a solid returning quarterback, Jake Waters, who can lend cohesion to the offense. Waters is a veteran guy who, as long as he stays healthy, can pilot this team with poise and efficiency from the start of the season to the very end. Waters will be helped immensely by the fact that he has a fantastic receiver, Tyler Lockett, to throw to. Lockett is a speedburner who gets behind cornerbacks and creates big plays on long passes. He’s not a possession receiver. He’s the guy who goes for the long ball and makes the big splash. What’s impressive about Lockett is that he gets the job done so consistently. He’s going to be a terror this season after doing very well last season to begin with. As long as Kansas State can get some production from both its running backs and its opposite-side wide receivers, it can field a very explosive offense that will be able to get a lot of work done in the Big 12, a league where offense rules and passing games call most of the shots.
Weaknesses
The Wildcats’ defense has to be able to take the ball away. This is what head coach Bill Snyder has so often been able to get from his teams at Kansas State over multiple decades. The Wildcats have often been the kind of team that doesn’t outgain opponents, but wins by comfortable scores because it is able to win the turnover battle so constantly and get the kind of field position that translates into victories. If Kansas State cannot get the ball on defense and play passing lanes well in the secondary, there are major concerns about the ability of the defensive line to stand up to Big 12 offensive lines, especially those of Oklahoma and Baylor, and create enough of a pass rush to change the way the Sooners and Bears like to play on offense. This is the raging point of worry for Kansas State coaches and fans in the coming season.
Schedule
The Wildcats’ big non-conference game is a home game against Auburn on a Thursday night. If Kansas State can win that game, it could give the team enough confidence to play at a high level through the rest of the season. Kansas State must visit Baylor and Oklahoma, the two toughest teams in the league. It does get Texas and Oklahoma State at home, however.
Outlook
The Wildcats will be really good, but they’ll probably lose to Auburn, Oklahoma and Baylor. Will they lose a fourth game, however? Probably not. Snyder keeps his players focused. This team won’t suffer post-loss letdowns against inferior teams.
Pick: Over 8 at +135
