How to Watch: Oklahoma State at Kansas State

The homestretch is in sight. Six games have been registered in the books for Kansas State, and now the hard part begins as three of the final four games for the good guys have serious implications for the Big 12 title race one way or another.

For K-State, however, the implications are more immediate. A win this afternoon would maintain K-State’s lead in the Big 12 race — and would actually give them the tiebreaker, for the moment, thanks to Iowa State‘s loss to Oklahoma State. A loss would push the Cats down into the middle of the standings. Most important, however, is going to be the eye test. If K-State loses a close one or wins, all options are still on the table going forward. A performance like last week, on the other hand, will probably be a death blow to any aspirations for Arlington.

The Game

K-State (4-2, 4-1 Big 12) hosts the 14th-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-1, 3-1).

Recent history has been rather back-and-forth for these two teams, and it doesn’t seem to matter where they play. We’re not kidding; the last four games have seen Oklahoma State win in Manhattan, K-State win in Stillwater, and then the home team defending its turf twice. So there’s really no past behavior to which one can point as compelling evidence for either team.

Well, except for last year’s game, when Chuba Hubbard ran for approximately 26 miles. Stopping Hubbard will be key, but the secondary will have to recover from a sudden malaise which struck last weekend. And while Oklahoma State’s defense isn’t as dangerous as West Virginia’s, it’s still going to present a major issue for the Wildcats.

The Cowboys lead the all-time series 40-26, but most of that is old news. Over half of K-State’s wins in the series have come since 1990; the Cats are 14-8 over OSU since then, including a 9-game winning streak from 1990-2002. Since then, it’s been a tussle.

Odds

K-State opened at +12.5, and that’s where it sits now. For a couple of days, it edged down to +12, but slid back up again. The total is 47; that would indicate a 30-17 loss for the Cats. Oddsshark projects that the Cowboys will cover and that the over will be surpassed by a full touchdown, but at least they think K-State will get to 20.

Kickoff

Saturday, November 7 at 3:00 CT, Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,000) in Manhattan, Kansas.

Tickets

Reduced capacity and social distancing remain in place. The secondary market is a desert, with only 26 listings for a total of fewer than 75 tickets at Vivid Seats, nearly all of which are in the south end zone. Prices range from $84-$125 with the median rate at $105.

Television

K-State returns to Big FOX after a one-week venture to the Worldwide Leader. Prepare to grind your teeth, as the game will be called by Tim Brando and Spencer Tillman.

Radio

K-State Sports Network, with Wyatt Thompson, Stan Weber, and Matt Walters; also available on Sirius 81/XM 81/Internet 81.

Online

Official video stream through FOX Sports GO. The radio broadcast can also be heard via the TuneIn app, while live stats will be available via KStateSports.com. If you’ve cut the cord and are looking for a full streaming option, fuboTV is now carrying every major cable network which has football in keeping with their sports-centric business model.

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