A look back, a look forward

By now, you’re probably all done with your holiday shopping, and are just settling in for a few days of relaxation (or not!) with your families. That makes this the perfect day for links and things at BotC.

For your purple-themed holiday perusal:

• The rest is history. Three former Wildcats—Michael Smith, Al Jones, and Frank Hernandez—reminisce about Bill Snyder’s first season at Kansas State, and how they knew right away that things were going to change (Justin Toscano, Manhattan Mercury)
• Thanks for the ride. Andre Coleman, most recently the offensive coordinator at Kansas State, formally announced his departure from the program. It’s not clear where his final landing spot will be, but with his resumé, it shouldn’t take long for Coleman to find another gig.
• The press box is giddy. A regime change at Kansas State has also meant increased access for the beat writers, reporters, and others who cover the program. Klieman has been forthcoming with his answers and his assistants have been made available to the media. In addition, Kansas State’s own social media has really ramped up since the announcement of Klieman as the new head coach (Kellis Robinett, Wichita Eagle).
• Lockdown. The genesis of the stifling defense Kansas State played against Vanderbilt was a team meeting in 2015. At that meeting, Barry Brown, Jr. decided to take on the mantle of lockdown defender, and has been just that ever since.
• Rest in peace. Fatima Smith, the mother of former Wildcat Michael Beasley, passed away after a long battle with cancer. We send our thoughts and deepest condolences to Beasley and his family.

From elsewhere in the world of college sports:

• Army Strong. To say that Jeff Monken and the Black Knights beat Houston would be the understatement of the year. Army’s 70-14 woodshed beating of the Cougars was a drubbing for the ages, a beatdown so thorough that Major Applewhite’s future at Houston may be in jeopardy.
• Does an 8-team playoff mean a dud title game? Of course not, and the fact that this is a serious argument against an expanded playoff is pretty much all we need to know about college football in 2018.
• Buffalo lost to Troy in the Dollar General Bowl. That’s not the interesting bit. It’s the fact that Buffalo somehow managed to lead, lose the lead, and regain it back again without snapping the ball once in the third quarter.
• Someone give Neal Brown an FBS job. You know, since he’s a good coach and Kansas State didn’t hire him.
• Winners and losers, post-season edition. The Mountain West is looking good, BYU is looking great, and the Pac-12 is, well, just sad.
• Running the option. Bill Connelly and Matt Brown take a granular look at the historical evolution of the option. This is long, but definitely worth the read.
• And finally, in the spirit of Christmas, here’s RCT’s ode to the holidays. (It’s Christmas, so be nice and just chuckle politely. Save your finger-pointing derision for the fall).

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good afternoon!