Bring On The Cats - KSU Football Week 13: OklahomaA Kansas State Wildcats Blog -- Carrying the Banner Highhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47995/bringoncats_fave.png2013-11-25T09:00:14-06:00http://www.bringonthecats.com/rss/stream/48855432013-11-25T09:00:14-06:002013-11-25T09:00:14-06:00Postgame Report: Oklahoma
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<figcaption>Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Let's hope we're done having this same silly nightmare.</p> <p>It's the reoccurring nightmare of this 2013 season. Late in the game, the Wildcats are fighting. All they need is one well executed drive and they'll walk away with a win. Instead, they turn the ball over in spectacularly horrible fashion and the game ends. We've had this nightmare five times now.</p>
<p>It's never all about the turnovers. In this version of the nightmare, the overachieving K-State defense forgot to overachieve. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/115324/brennan-clay">Brennan Clay</a> averaged 6.5 yards per carry and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/160990/trevor-knight">Trevor Knight</a> completed 70 percent of his passes. The Wildcat offense couldn't establish the run and at times it appeared the play calls were being drawn out of a hat.</p>
<p>While K-State averaged nearly a full yard more than the Sooners per play, Oklahoma's average field position and yards per possession were each over seven yards better than the Wildcats. Thirteen of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/76559/john-hubert">John Hubert</a>'s 17 yards on the day were gained on the first play of the game. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/87305/tramaine-thompson">Tramaine Thompson</a> matched Hubert's rushing total in just two carries.</p>
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<div style="font-family:'Knockout 28 A','Knockout 28 B',Arial,sans-serif;text-transform:uppercase;background-color:#54447f;color:#f0f1e1;font-size:2.5em;display:block;float:right;max-width:400px;padding:10px;position:absolute;bottom:0;right:0;font-weight:600;line-height:1">They challenged us to throw the ball and our receivers stepped up.
<div style="display: block;font-family: 'Gotham SSm A', 'Gotham SSm B', Arial, sans-serif;font-size: .3em;font-weight: 100;padding-top: 10px;">—Jake Waters</div>
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<p>With Ty Zimmerman on crutches and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/202637/travis-green">Travis Green</a> apparently injured as well, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/160900/dylan-schellenberg">Dylan Schellenberg</a> stepped in at safety to mixed results. He wasn't as much of a liability as some anticipated, but at times he seemed confused and lacked speed. The defensive line lost battle after battle as Clay found gaping holes and Knight was almost completely untouched in the pocket.</p>
<p>The Wildcats finished the game with only one forced turnover, despite having at least four other chances. Two passes hit K-State defenders in the hands before being dropped and the Sooners put the ball on the turf twice, recovering it both times. Another missed opportunity came when the Sooners went for it on fourth down in the third quarter. With only one yard to go, Trevor Knight scrambled to the far side of the field and was chased out of bounds by <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/127985/ryan-mueller">Ryan Mueller</a> and Tre Walker. The officials called it a first down, but through purple lenses, it looked as though Knight was out of bounds before the marker. The refs deemed it inconclusive and the call stood.</p>
<p>Oklahoma didn't score on the drive but Jed Barnett's punt was downed at the KSU three yard line. A quick three and out brought out <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/160897/mark-krause">Mark Krause</a>, whose punt only traveled thirty yards and netted zero as Jalen Saunders returned it back to the three. The Sooners scored on the next play. Krause finished the day with just over 26 net yards per punt.</p>
<p>It wasn't all bad for the Wildcats. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/202641/jake-waters">Jake Waters</a> completed nearly 60 percent of his passes and averaged over 11 yards per attempt. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134225/tyler-lockett">Tyler Lockett</a> reset his school record for receiving yards with 278. He finished the day with three scores, all of them for 30 or more yards. He repeatedly clowned members of the Sooner secondary, none worse than <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/160994/zack-sanchez">Zack Sanchez</a> whom he beat with a quick double move to score from 90 yards out.</p>
<p>And then there was this:</p>
<img src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/assets/3625909/crazy-pass.gif"><p>Waters continues to deliver in the deep passing game but still can't seem to put the ball in the end zone once K-State gets inside the opponent's 25 yard line. For some strange reason, the coaches don't see this. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134219/daniel-sams">Daniel Sams</a> is by far a more effective weapon inside the 20, but Sams only took three snaps on the day, none of which made situational sense.</p>
<p>Waters' two interceptions on the day were both ugly, but <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134222/curry-sexton">Curry Sexton</a> has to shoulder some of the blame for the first one as he had a clear shot to at least play defense and knock the ball down. He didn't, and Sanchez made up for getting burned by Lockett earlier, returning the pick 74 yards for a score.</p>
<p>The most cliché of all nightmares is the one where you find yourself in a high pressure situation when you realize you've somehow lost your clothes. The Wildcat offense has had essentially the same nightmare against North Dakota State, Texas, Oklahoma State, Baylor and now Oklahoma, only instead of losing clothing, they lose the football. Fortunately, Charlie Weis' Jayhawks looked just as inept as ever in Ames. Hopefully K-State can wake up and wipe out their rival as a nice little tune up before bowl season.</p>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/2013/11/25/5141606/postgame-report-college-football-kansas-state-wildcats-vs-oklahoma-sooners-2013Derek Moeller-Smith2013-11-23T14:29:55-06:002013-11-23T14:29:55-06:00There's a Hole in My Bucket: OU 41, K-State 31
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<figcaption>440 all-purpose yards. We lost the game, but we'll win a helmet sticker, right? | Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>"Bucket", of course, being "the secondary".</p> <p><b>There's</b> really just so much nothing to say about this game. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/202641/jake-waters">Jake Waters</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134225/tyler-lockett">Tyler Lockett</a> hooked up for 278 yards and three touchdowns; Lockett re-set his own school record for receiving yards, and racked up a ridiculous 440 yards of total offense. And without all that, the Wildcats wouldn't even have been in this game at all. As it was, they fell to the Sooners 41-31, and Bob Stoops is now the winningest coach in Oklahoma history.</p>
<p><b>The Sooners</b>, whose run defense had been suspect (while the secondary was supposed to be a strong point), held K-State to 24 yards on the ground, including sacks. Here's how bad it was; <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/87305/tramaine-thompson">Tramaine Thompson</a> shared the team's rushing lead on the day, at 17 yards, with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/76559/john-hubert">John Hubert</a>.</p>
<p><b>The other</b> issue: K-State's defense couldn't stop the run, at all. The Sooners piled up 295 yards, with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/115324/brennan-clay">Brennan Clay</a> running for exactly 200 while <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/160990/trevor-knight">Trevor Knight</a> added 82. Knight was also effective throwing, hitting 14 of 20 attempts for 171 yards.</p>
<p><b>The Sooners</b> pointedly attacked the gaping hole left by <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/115040/ty-zimmerman">Ty Zimmerman</a>'s injury. At no point did the coaching staff switch things up; perhaps throwing someone like Carl Miles in there -- regardless of the fact that he's actually a cornerback -- might have had some effect. The problem with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/160900/dylan-schellenberg">Dylan Schellenberg</a> is not that he doesn't know what he's doing. He's just slow. Too slow.</p>
<p><b>There</b> was other disaster. Mark Krause's horrible punt which was fielded by Jalen Saunders at the K-State 25 -- yes, you read that right -- and nearly run back for a score. Two Waters picks which were... kinda ugly. Bad luck, in the form of two Sooner passes which could have been picked off but weren't and two Sooner fumbles which were recovered by Oklahoma. And then that fourth-down play which on replay showed Trevor Knight probably stepped out before the marker, but he was given a first-down anyway.</p>
<p><b>Whatever</b>. Ultimately, it will now have been 19 years since the Wildcats last beat Oklahoma in Manhattan before they get another chance.</p>
<p><b>More</b> from Derek and TB later in the week, and I'm sure they'll break down the defensive failures in great detail. Of course, I wouldn't blame them for deciding instead to break down all the times Tyler Lockett was so wide open that even I could have completed passes to him...</p>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/2013/11/23/5137602/theres-a-hole-in-my-bucket-ou-41-k-state-31Jon Morse2013-11-23T10:00:05-06:002013-11-23T10:00:05-06:00Open Game Thread: K-State vs. Oklahoma
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<figcaption>Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>K-State looks to continue its four-game winning streak on a cold day in Manhattan. It will be the first time in a long time, possibly ever, that K-State is favored against the Oklahoma Sooners.</p> <p> </p>
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<p><strong>Who:</strong> K-State vs. Oklahoma</p>
<p><strong>When:</strong> November 23, 2013 | 11:00 a.m.</p>
<p><strong>Where:</strong> Manhattan, Kan. | Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,000)</p>
<p><strong>Media:</strong> <a href="http://www.1350kman.com">1350 KMAN</a> | FS1</p>
<p>Despite last week's close call against Texas Christian, K-State enters its final home game on a four-game winning streak and, more importantly, bowl eligible. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/oklahoma-sooners">Oklahoma Sooners</a> will be the visitor and, while there are no national or even conference implications in this game, anytime Bill Snyder and Bob Stoops get together, you know there's plenty of pride on the line. Check out <a href="http://www.bringonthecats.com/2013/11/19/5121502/ksu-football-week-13-oklahoma-college-football-2013" target="_blank">BOTC's game-week coverage here</a>. And if you somehow missed the longform post on the 2003 Big 12 championship game, <a href="http://www.bringonthecats.com/35to7/2013/11/22/5126026/ambushed-the-night-the-greatest-turnaround-trumped-the-greatest-team" target="_blank">go read it now</a>.</p>
<p>Go Cats!</p>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/2013/11/23/5136476/open-game-thread-k-state-vs-oklahomaTB2013-11-21T11:00:13-06:002013-11-21T11:00:13-06:00K-State Q&A: Oklahoma
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<p>Settle in for a little cross-border dialogue between Wildcat and Sooner.</p> <p><i>This week, Jon tangled with Jordan Esco of SB Nation's Sooner community <a target="_blank" href="http://www.crimsonandcreammachine.com">Crimson and Cream Machine</a> and discussed the dank cesspool of Oklahoma sports talk radio, the coaching situation in Norman, and of course all the skinny on Saturday's game in Manhattan. And as you'll see, there was a lot of it. Enjoy!</i></p>
<p><b>Jon</b>: <i>This is a bit of a somber question to start out with, but in the grand scheme of things it hasn't been that long at all since the Moore tornado. How are things going for folks in the area now? Any major relief efforts still going on that we might want to be aware of?</i></p>
<p><b>Jordan</b>: Well as you can obviously imagine, it's a continued work in progress. They are continuing to recover and rebuild, but it's understandably going to take quite some time. As far as relief efforts, I'd direct anyone interested to the city's <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cityofmoore.com/tornado">official website</a>. Appreciate you asking.</p>
<p><b>Jon</b>: <i>I already know the answer to this question because I live near Tulsa and spend too much time in my car shaking my head while listening to the Sports Animal. But with a few exceptions our readers don't get to enjoy that experience, so: How angry are you guys at this point?</i></p>
<p><b>Jordan</b>: Sigh, the Sports Animal. Yeah, it's hard to describe to those not from the area or those who haven't spent time in the area to take in all that is the Sports Animal.</p>
<p>However, to your point I'd say people are, in my opinion, much more frustrated than they are angry. Like pretty much any media outlet, be it print or sports talk radio, those with the pen or mics like to represent fans as slobbering morons who are just constantly screaming for someone to get fired. What I've particularly enjoyed is how those in the OKC market have continually ridiculed OU fans for being frustrated with offensive coordinator, then they watch the offense struggle significantly this year and all of a sudden they're on board with the criticism.</p>
<p>Part of the frustration with the offense and Josh Heupel this year certainly stems from OU fans being somewhat spoiled after having been privy to some of the more explosive offenses in the country in years past. We knew going in after the loss of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/37262/landry-jones">Landry Jones</a> there were going to be some speed bumps, but it's like those in charge only had one foot in the water with respect to the changes that had to be made scheme wise rather than simply jumping into the deep end.</p>
<p>It doesn't make fans of any program look good to be complaining about having lost two games, but at least for me it's not that they lost so much as the manner in which they lost those two games.</p>
<p><b>Jon</b>: <i>As a complete aside, related to the lead-in to that last question... does the average Sooner fan really feel like the season's a failure if OU's not at least making an argument for the national championship, or is that just the Animal stirring up the hornet's nest?</i></p>
<p><b>Jordan</b>: I'd like to believe most OU fans are not that irrational, but we, like every fan base, certainly have a fair share of those who live in a place other than the real world. I'd put it more like this. I think the expectation of those of us that are rational OU fans is that this program should at least have the chance to compete for a national championship pretty much every year. The expectation isn't that they should win it, obviously that would be ridiculous, but that they have a team legitimately capable of competing for it.</p>
<p>The problem of late is that hasn't been the case. And to be perfectly frank, even being level-headed fan I'd like to consider myself to be, I don't ever want that expectation to change. Because the minute you lower that bar or accept that lesser standard, I feel like that's the day you start to remove yourself from that group of college football's elite.</p>
<p>I guess what it boils down to for me is maintaining that national championship standard without being a complete moron about it and not actually expecting them to win it all every year (unless you're a fan of a program with Satan himself, a.k.a Nick Saban, as your coach).</p>
<p><b>Jon</b>: <i>Is Josh Heupel toast? Is Stoops if he won't get rid of him? And is Stoops in trouble regardless if the Sooners drop games this weekend and Bedlam?</i></p>
<p><b>Jordan</b>: I doubt it (which makes my physically ill). No chance in hell. Even less of a chance in a lesser hell.</p>
<p>Right or wrong, Stoops isn't going anywhere barring some kind of major NCAA violation/s. Now don't take that to mean I, or a vast majority of OU fans, want him gone or anything. Sure, we get frustrated at times as he's been there for 15 years now and at times the same ol' schtick can wear on you. But the downside of him leaving and OU replacing him with someone who cannot replicate his success is not a risk worth taking, at least not for now.</p>
<p>As for Heupel, your guess is honestly as good as mine. In my opinion, the guy has proved to be a below average offensive coordinator/play-caller and someone that has always struck me as a guy learning on the job. Which I realize to actually say seems ridiculous, but those of us who have watched him these last three years remain convinced he's not the guy for the job. However, Stoops, much like Bill Snyder, has almost always been loyal to a fault with those on his staff. Obviously this past offseason when Stoops fired three members of his staff, two that had been with him for quite some time and the other being the best man at his wedding, would contradict that standing and is the flickering ray of hope many of us are clinging to with respect to him doing the same with Heupel. Well actually, we don't necessarily want Heupel fired. We'd be fine if he went back to being the quaterbacks coach. I'd even be fine with him keeping his 'co-offensive coordinator' title, but he simply cannot be allowed to call plays again next year.</p>
<p>All that said, I'm not optimistic Stoops changes anything unless things just completely come off the rails in these last two games and their bowl game.</p>
<p><b>Jon</b>: <i>The dual quarterback situation in Manhattan has, obviously, been the engine behind most K-State fan discussion all season. But lately, we've sort of noticed it's like a disease, spreading across the entire conference -- or at least the parts that aren't wearing green. How's the situation playing out in Norman with Bell and Knight, and looking forward to 2014 where do you see things headed?</i></p>
<p><b>Jordan</b>: Well I definitely wouldn't call OU's a dual quarterback situation. There were a number of people who were surprised when <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/160990/trevor-knight">Trevor Knight</a> was initially named the starter, but those of us close to the program had heard the rumbling of that possibility for a while before it become official. With that decision, it looked like the coaches clearly knew they had to significantly change the type of offense they were running no longer having a 'spread-type' quarterback on campus.</p>
<p>However, like I mentioned above, they didn't seem comfortable with the transition, especially after both Knight and the offense struggled in their first two games.</p>
<p>Then Knight hurt his knee midway thru their second game of the season and it seemed like the coaches were provided with a convenient excuse to go back to an offense more familiar to the one they'd been used to running rather than the read-option offense they'd started the season running. The only problem with that decision being Blake Bell's inability to really excel in either style of offense.</p>
<p>So now, again after the offense struggling but for whatever reason their insistence Bell "gave them the best chance to win games", they've been provided with another convenient excuse to make a change due to an injury after Bell suffered an apparent concussion in the second quarter last week against Iowa State.</p>
<p>Both in terms of the remainder of this season and looking ahead to 2014, I think a commitment to this read-option offense is absolutely necessary. It became apparent that a finesse (my words), spread type offense like the one they ran under <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/8315/sam-bradford">Sam Bradford</a> and Landry Jones was never going to bring Oklahoma another national championship. To the coaches credit, they seemed to recognize this and made the necessary change in naming Knight the starter. But they were much too quick to go away from that style of offense after Knight got hurt and even more hesitant to go back to it once he was 100%. This latest injury to Bell forced their hand and I think they'd be incredibly foolish to try and go back to what they were doing AND what wasn't working.</p>
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<p><b>Jon</b>: <i>What exactly is it Heupel's trying to accomplish with the offense? Any tendencies to watch for? Similarly, what's little brother Stoops doing on the other side of the ball these days?</i></p>
<p><b>Jordan</b>: What is Josh Heupel trying to accomplish with this offense? Man, talk about a loaded question. I could probably have a lot of fun with that, but instead I'll make to try and answer it seriously.</p>
<div class="pullquote">What is Josh Heupel trying to accomplish with this offense? Man, talk about a loaded question. <span>-Jordan Esco</span><b> </b>
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<p>I have a theory I've shared on our site about Heupel and what he's done with the offense this year. That theory being I don't believe he wanted any part of changing the offense in the first place. I don't think he's comfortable calling plays for a quarterback like Trevor Knight (or <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/115341/kendal-thompson">Kendal Thompson</a> who you might also see on Saturday), a guy who you can't just put in the shotgun and let him throw it 50 times a game. I feel vindicated in said theory with how quickly they tried to go back to what they'd done in the past and their refusal to go back to Knight, the guy they initially named their starting quarterback mind you, and the offense they opened the season running.</p>
<p>To be perfectly honest, I couldn't tell you what he's trying to do with the offense because I legitimately don't believe he knows what he wants to do with it right now. And I'm not sure how anyone could argue that point if they watched this offense in the weeks prior to their most recent game against Iowa State. This offense has been without an identity for almost the entire season and the results of that fact have been on clear display for all to see.</p>
<p>As for Mike Stoops, I firmly believe he's done one of the better coaching jobs in the country. Especially when you consider the injuries this defense has suffered, the guys they've played the better part of this season without, and their current standing nationally from a defensive perspective (No. 10 in passing defense, No. 13 in total defense & No. 19 in scoring defense). Somewhat similar to the offense, this OU defense went thru a significant overhaul prior to the season, though unlike the offense they've stuck with said changes.</p>
<p>Gone went the traditional 4-2-5 formation the Stoops brothers had run for the last decade plus and in came a 3-3-5 formation that can morph into a modified 3-4 depending on the situation. It seemed to manifest from a concern with respect to what they returned in their front seven (or six as it were), specifically up front along the defensive line. But it has worked out much better than I think even the coaches could have anticipated and has been an incredibly positive sign for a defensive that ended last year in utter shambles after repeated embarrassing performances. The most exciting part about it honestly is the youth. They should return 9 of 11 starters from this defense next year and if these guys are this young and already playing this well, there is plenty for OU fans to be excited about heading into 2014.</p>
<p><b>Jon</b>: <i>Other than Jalen Saunders and the obvious guys in the offensive skill positions, who should we keep a close eye on Saturday? Anyone particularly under-appreciated?</i></p>
<p><b>Jordan</b>: Well, on offense it's all going to start with Trevor Knight. Now that's obviously assuming he starts which Stoops refused to confirm in his Monday presser and said he won't announce his starter until Saturday, though I tend to think we could hear something by the end of the week. It will be his first ever road start and really only the second time of his young career that he'll have ever played away from home (he got in briefly during OU's game at Notre Dame).</p>
<p>Other than that Captain Obvious selection, on offense I'd say keep an eye out for guys like <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/115325/roy-finch">Roy Finch</a>, Lacoltan Bester, and/or <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/160989/sterling-shepard">Sterling Shepard</a>. Finch is arguably OU's most explosive play-maker on offense, but his playing time has been off-and-on at times this year. However, he did start against Iowa State and has been used in the offense more as of late. Bester is a talented receiver and a guy OU has used on a number of trick plays this year. Shepard missed last week after suffering a concussion against Baylor, but a guy OU uses in the slot which could play a key role on those short to intermediate routes for a guy like Knight who isn't a polished thrower at this stage of his career. <i>[Ed. Note: after this Q&A session took place, word came out that Bester, along with Damian Williams, will be suspended for Saturday's game.]</i></p>
<p>On defense, I'd say just about everything they do up front revolves around the play of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/161016/charles-tapper">Charles Tapper</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/161001/eric-striker">Eric Striker</a>. The latter of whom is an undersized guy they play essentially as a rush end, though they did use him in coverage more this past week, who they move around a lot and will rush the quarterback on most downs. Tapper is just a freak of an athlete, and former basketball player, who, along with Striker, is easily OU's most dynamic pass rusher. He creates a lot of havoc up front and leads the team in sacks. I would also add that <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/115347/geneo-grissom">Geneo Grissom</a> (another KS kid OU took out of state, sorry) has started to come on in recent weeks. There's a bunch of guys in the secondary, but the obvious headliner is <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/115321/aaron-colvin">Aaron Colvin</a> who also is coming off an injury after having to sit out last week.</p>
<p><b>Jon</b>: <i>Finally, how do you see this one playing out?</i></p>
<p><b>Jordan</b>: This is a tough one. There are a number of scenarios in which I can envision Oklahoma winning this game, but there are equally just as many in which I can see Kansas State winning.</p>
<p>The two (well, there's more than two but I've already rambled on long enough) things that worry me the most in this game are (1) Knight starting his first ever road game and (2) this OU defense's ability to defend <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134219/daniel-sams">Daniel Sams</a>.</p>
<p>Not sure No. 1 needs much explanation. Knight was incredibly amped up in OU's first two games, at home, which caused his passing to be incredibly erratic. And there is no way I can see OU winning this game if they cannot have some form of success throwing the football. And while Knight looked much, much more comfortable against Iowa State it was at home and, more importantly, it was against Iowa State.</p>
<p>In terms of defending Sams, I'm not exactly sure how to phrase it but you guys have watched him enough I assume you'll know what I'm talking about. He, and Waters as well, runs this play where he looks like he's going to run but doesn't quite take off then a receiver, or I feel like I've seen it go more to the tight end, will take off up the seam and get behind the defense as Sams quickly pulls up and finds them over the top. It's not always on target and of the times I've seen it his inaccuracy has arguably cost you a touchdown or at the very least a bigger gain, but it's borderline impossible to defend because he sells it so well. So basically OU's secondary cheating up, getting caught with their eyes in the backfield, and then getting burned deep and/or over-the-top really worries me in this game. Especially with OU's safeties who have shown a tendency to do exactly what I described and lose sight of their assignment.</p>
<p>If you're wanting a prediction, I'm not big on predicting the final score so I'll simply put it this way. As much as it pains me, if I'm being objective I feel like K-State wins a really close, hard-fought game. I think you take the approach a lot of teams have and should take against this offense, be it with Bell or Knight under center, and that's one of putting extra defenders in the box to stop the run and daring OU to beat you throwing the football. And in his first ever start on the road, I'm just not sure Knight is going to get the job done in this one. Or that with those extra defenders in the box OU will be able to run the ball well enough to overcome that inability to throw the ball.</p>
<p>I sincerely hope I'm wrong and OU is able to find a way to pull this one out on the road, but I'm not make a homer pick just to make a homer pick.</p>
<p>Hope any of your readers (or ours at CCM) who are going to the game have a good time and that both teams play well with whichever the better of the two is on Saturday coming out on top.</p>
<p>Enjoyed it!</p>
<p><b>Jon</b>: <i>Absolutely. Fantastic, enlightening stuff. Huge thanks and appreciation for Jordan taking the time to trade information this week. As always, you'll want to be sure to see <a target="_blank" href="http://www.crimsonandcreammachine.com/2013/11/21/5125696/ou-oklahoma-sooners-football-2013-kansas-state-wildcats-bob-stoops-bill-snyder">my responses to Jordan's questions</a> over at Crimson & Cream Machine.</i></p>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/2013/11/21/5123940/k-state-q-a-oklahoma-college-football-2013Jon Morse2013-11-21T08:00:11-06:002013-11-21T08:00:11-06:00Charting the Waters: K-State vs. Oklahoma (2003)
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nMLdUFT36W24zLj7IWN3_JXzdPQ=/0x119:2670x1899/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/23638067/154843191.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jamie Squire</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After two unsuccessful visits to the Big 12 championship game, K-State got another shot against the Oklahoma Sooners. The Wildcats made the most of the opportunity.</p> <p>A few months ago, BOTC's Derek Smith emailed me about writing a post celebrating the 10th anniversary of K-State's 2003 Big 12 championship. He ran with it, and you'll see the outstanding result of that idea tomorrow.</p>
<p>Earlier this week, Derek suggested that I apply the Charting concept to the 2003 game. So I did. On Tuesday night, I sat down to watch and chart the first half of the game I had attended in person nearly 10 years ago. In doing so, a realization hit me.</p>
<p>I have never watched the replay of this game.</p>
<p>This game was the biggest sporting highlight of my four years at K-State. I stood between my roommate, Dave, and a 65-year-old school superintendent from a small town north of Manhattan and watched K-State destroy the undefeated <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/oklahoma-sooners" class="sbn-auto-link">Oklahoma Sooners</a>. At the time, I was a 20-year-old kid who understood the basics of football and little more. Now, I'm going to take what I've learned from reading and writing about football extensively over the last five years to see if there's anything interesting to learn about the 2003 game.</p>
<p><b>As you might have guessed, the game has changed.</b> Earlier this year, we argued at length over whether <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/202641/jake-waters" class="sbn-auto-link">Jake Waters</a> or <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134219/daniel-sams" class="sbn-auto-link">Daniel Sams</a> should play quarterback. Those supporting Waters pointed to Chad May and Bill Snyder's prior success with a passing quarterback. The opponents pointed out that the game has changed too much since the early 1990s to make a valid comparison.</p>
<p>Oklahoma showed some flashes of the modern offense that is commonplace today. The Sooners lined up with five wide receivers eight times, and with four wide receivers another 28 times. Of course, a good part of that was because the Sooners trailed by at least two touchdowns for almost two-thirds of the game. And late in the game, when <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/116154/paul-thompson" class="sbn-auto-link">Paul Thompson</a> replaced <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/76586/jason-white" class="sbn-auto-link">Jason White</a>, Oklahoma ran a couple zone reads.</p>
<p>For its part, K-State lined up with Ell Roberson under center three-fourths of the time. The Wildcats also ran a play I'd almost forgotten about, which was basically a quarterback trap with Roberson taking the snap under center and then running a sweep around end.</p>
<p>Imagine a zone read play with Roberson and Darren Sproles, running behind that K-State offensive line. That would be just about unstoppable</p>
<p><b>The pace was surprisingly similar to what we see today.</b> K-State ran 61 plays in the game. Oklahoma ran 83. But both teams huddled before every snap.</p>
<p><b>Speaking of similarities...</b>K-State's 2003 defense has a lot more in common with the 2011-13 K-State defenses, at least philosophically, than it does with the late-1990s K-State defenses. In 2003, K-State had a lot of solid athletes that fit perfectly well into its defensive system, but were not future NFL stars like Mark Simoneau or Terence Newman or Darren Howard.</p>
<p>Consequently, K-State ran probably the most aggressive bend-but-don't-break defense ever seen. Linebackers like Ted Sims and Bryan Hickman could take the beating dealt out by teams like Nebraska and Colorado and their punishing rushing attacks, while Josh Buhl had the speed to cover the field against spread teams like Texas Tech. That's not to say that Buhl wasn't one tough hombre. He could play the run, too.</p>
<p>But more on point. Re-watch the game sometime (it's available on YouTube if you don't have a DVD). There are plenty of examples, but we'll just stick with one. In the second quarter, Oklahoma drives to K-State's five-yard line. Jason White has Will Peoples open in the back of the end zone and floats a pass toward him. But K-State linebacker Ted Sims gets a hand on it, deflecting it incomplete. That was huge, because on the next play, James McGill intercepted White in the end zone.</p>
<p>This is what we mean when we talk about windows. It's not just whether there's a defender running stride-for-stride with the receiver. It's about the defenders between the quarterback and the receiver, over whom the quarterback has to throw. It's about the defenders behind the receiver, in front of whom the quarterback must place the throw. And it's about the defenders to the receiver's sides, who can slide in and defend the pass.</p>
<p>By making those windows as small as possible with seven defenders, you force a quarterback to throw very accurate passes repeatedly. Most quarterbacks can't do it, and it leads to drive-killing incompletions and the occasional interception. K-State defensed 11 passes against Oklahoma, and intercepted White twice.</p>
<p><b>To quantify the bend-but-don't-break principle </b>... Oklahoma had two sustained drives in the game. In the second quarter, an 11-play drive covered 85 yards and almost four minutes on the clock. And 21 of those yards were on K-State penalties. That drive ended with McGill's interception.</p>
<p>In the third quarter, it got even worse for Oklahoma. The Sooners started with the ball on their own 10-yard line. The drive covered 14 plays. So it ended in a touchdown, right? Wrong. Those 14 plays covered only 79 yards, and Trey DiCarlo missed a 28-yard field goal attempt. Even worse, with the Sooners already trailing, 21-7, the drive ate up almost exactly seven minutes. While Sims' interception was the metaphorical dagger, this drive and K-State ensuing touchdown drive -- nine plays, 80 yards, almost five minutes, and a touchdown -- sealed the Sooners' fate.</p>
<p>By not giving up big plays and forcing Oklahoma to patiently drive the length of the field, K-State maximized its chance of beating the Sooners.</p>
<p><b>Of course, that defense was flat-out stout against the run.</b> Excluding sack yardage, K-State held Oklahoma to 64 yards on 20 carries. Take out Kejuan Jones' 42-yard touchdown run on the first drive of the game, and that's 22 yards on 19 carries.</p>
<p><b>K-State was almost shockingly inefficient on the night.</b> The Wildcats' Success Rate against Oklahoma was only 27.9 percent. To put it mildly, that's not very good. And yet, K-State won by four touchdowns. How? Big plays and a defensive score. Sproles had four plays go for 55 or more yards, Roberson threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/51502/james-terry" class="sbn-auto-link">James Terry</a>, and Ted Sims intercepted a pass and took it to the house. That will make up for a lot of inefficiency.</p>
<p>The Wildcats were also very conservative. Gary Danielson mentioned on the broadcast how Snyder was not going to take chances on Roberson making a mistake deep in K-State territory. It showed. K-State attempted only 17 passes in the game, with only five thrown when the Wildcats were inside their own 30-yard line. Four of those five passes were thrown within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. The only exception was Roberson's 33-yard strike to Antoine Polite, and that was in the fourth quarter with K-State already ahead 28-7.</p>
<p><b>A stat I had completely forgotten about.</b> Ell Roberson's passing line on the night: 10-17-0, 239 yards, four touchdowns. That's 14.1 yards per attempt. And four of those completions were for less than 10 yards.</p>
<p><b>This isn't (necessarily) statistically based, but</b> ... the next person who compares any incoming K-State recruit to Darren Sproles, even with the "poor-man's" modifier, will be banned immediately. There is nothing like Darren Sproles on this earth. His feet, vision, balance, and burst are not traits you'll find in anyone else. Even if you're a poor-man's version of that, you're not <i>that.</i></p>
<p><b>Take some time in the next few weeks to enjoy that cold December night.</b> Maybe you were lucky enough to be there, like I was. Maybe you were in Aggieville, or at someone's house in Manhattan. Maybe you were with friends in Kansas City, or Wichita, or Smith Center. Or Texas or Florida or California. Whatever the moment was to you, it was the greatest single night in K-State sports history. Watch the game replay. Watch the highlights. Watch any one of the great video tributes to Bill Snyder and K-State's football renaissance under his guidance.</p>
<p>This is one of those moments that will always be special to K-State fans. I got to experience it that night with one of my best friends and an old man who had watched countless K-State losses, and who, for decades, couldn't have dreamed of K-State even playing for a Big 12 championship at Arrowhead Stadium, much less destroying a team like Oklahoma.</p>
<p>For whatever reason, I have never gone back and relived that moment. This being before cell phone cameras and widespread digital cameras, I don't even have a picture from the stadium that night. Yet it's one of the few things in my life that I will always remember with the clarity of something that just happened yesterday. Maybe I just didn't feel the need to relive something like that.</p>
<p>But I can tell you that when I did relive it, I loved it. I got chills all over again. I laughed at what Bill Snyder said in his postgame interview. So whether you've seen it one time or more than 100, go see it again.</p>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/2013/11/21/5128612/charting-the-waters-k-state-vs-oklahoma-2003TB2013-11-17T16:54:54-06:002013-11-17T16:54:54-06:00Week 12 (part deux):
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/s0CHfR3fahM9UbCNNyK_8EeDk7w=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/23400071/20131116_ajw_bv1_608.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Cats assured of an even record at the least. Also bowl eligible.</p> <p>The results of the polls so far:</p>
<table border="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="10" align="center">2013 Regular Season Schedule<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>date</td>
<td>Opponent</td>
<td colspan="2" align="center">Preseason<br>Poll</td>
<td align="center">Result</td>
<td colspan="5" align="center">Weekly Poll</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"></td>
<td>Win</td>
<td>Lose</td>
<td></td>
<td align="center">L > 7</td>
<td align="center">L ≤ 7</td>
<td align="center">Tie</td>
<td align="center">W ≤ 7</td>
<td align="center">W > 7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8/30/13 7:30 p.m. <br>
</td>
<td>North Dakota State</td>
<td align="right">134</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="red">9</font></b></td>
<td cellpadding="5" align="right">L 24-21</td>
<td align="right">4</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="red">6</font></b></td>
<td align="right">1</td>
<td align="right">28</td>
<td align="right">153</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9/7/13 5:30 p.m.</td>
<td>Louisiana-Lafayette</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="green">141</font></b></td>
<td align="right">2</td>
<td align="right">W 27-48</td>
<td align="right">12</td>
<td align="right">16</td>
<td align="right">3</td>
<td align="right">42</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="green">95</font></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9/14/13 6:00 p.m.</td>
<td>Massachusetts</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="green">142</font></b></td>
<td align="right">1</td>
<td align="right">W 7-37</td>
<td align="right">5</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
<td align="right">3</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="green">123</font></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9/21/13</td>
<td>@Texas</td>
<td align="right">69</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="red">19</font></b></td>
<td align="right">L 21-31</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="red">7</font></b></td>
<td align="right">16</td>
<td align="right">7</td>
<td align="right">91</td>
<td align="right">84</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10/5/13</td>
<td>@O-State</td>
<td align="right">26</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="green">62</font></b></td>
<td align="right">L 29-33</td>
<td align="right">47</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="red">18</font></b></td>
<td align="right">3</td>
<td align="right">35</td>
<td align="right">11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10/12/13</td>
<td>Baylor</td>
<td align="right">77</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="red">11</font></b></td>
<td align="right">L 35 - 25</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="green">271</font></b></td>
<td align="right">3</td>
<td align="right">5</td>
<td align="right">9</td>
<td align="right">6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10/19/13</td>
<td>bye</td>
<td align="right"></td>
<td align="right"></td>
<td align="right"></td>
<td align="right"></td>
<td align="right"></td>
<td align="right"></td>
<td align="right"></td>
<td align="right"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10/26/13</td>
<td>West Virginia</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="green">88</font></b></td>
<td align="right">2</td>
<td align="right">W 12 - 35</td>
<td align="right">7</td>
<td align="right">5</td>
<td align="right">7</td>
<td align="right">36</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="green">72</font></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11/2/13</td>
<td>Iowa State</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="green">88</font></b></td>
<td align="right">2</td>
<td align="right">W 7 - 41</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
<td align="right">2</td>
<td align="right">2</td>
<td align="right">23</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="green">86</font></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11/9/13</td>
<td>@Texas Tech</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="green">71</font></b></td>
<td align="right">19</td>
<td align="right">W 49 - 26</td>
<td align="right">32</td>
<td align="right">23</td>
<td align="right">6</td>
<td align="right">94</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="green">28</font></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11/16/13</td>
<td>TCU</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="green">41</font></b></td>
<td align="right">20</td>
<td align="right">W 31 - 33</td>
<td align="right">8</td>
<td align="right">11</td>
<td align="right">5</td>
<td align="right"><b><font color="orange">14</font></b></td>
<td align="right">171</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11/23/13</td>
<td>Oklahoma</td>
<td align="right">34</td>
<td align="right">27</td>
<td align="right"></td>
<td align="right"></td>
<td align="right"></td>
<td align="right"></td>
<td align="right"></td>
<td align="right"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11/30/13</td>
<td>@Kansas</td>
<td align="right">60</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
<td align="right"></td>
<td align="right"></td>
<td align="right"></td>
<td align="right"></td>
<td align="right"></td>
<td align="right"></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>The preseason poll is 7-3 after this week and the weekly polls are 6.5-3.</p>
<p>Continuing the analysis using the Mathletics formulas.</p>
<p>The predicted winning percentage (adjusted for football from baseball) is runs scored / runs scored + runs allowed. The current numbers for the Big XII:</p>
<table border="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td colspan="3" align="center">PW%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Team</td>
<td>All</td>
<td>Conference</td>
<td>Non-Conference</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Baylor</td>
<td align="center">.9515</td>
<td align="center">.9021</td>
<td align="center">.9947</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Iowa State</td>
<td align="center">.1927</td>
<td align="center">.1170</td>
<td align="center">.5229</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Kansas</td>
<td align="center">.1944</td>
<td align="center">.1190</td>
<td align="center">.6221</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Kansas State</td>
<td align="center">.7086</td>
<td align="center">.6634</td>
<td align="center">.8068</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Oklahoma</td>
<td align="center">.7333</td>
<td align="center">.5944</td>
<td align="center">.9272</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Oklahoma State</td>
<td align="center">.8567</td>
<td align="center">.8008</td>
<td align="center">.9449</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Texas</td>
<td align="center">.6258</td>
<td align="center">.6586</td>
<td align="center">.5556</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TCU</td>
<td align="center">.5023</td>
<td align="center">.3606</td>
<td align="center">.7505</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Texas Tech</td>
<td align="center">.6235</td>
<td align="center">.4729</td>
<td align="center">.9377</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>West Virginia</td>
<td align="center">.3580</td>
<td align="center">.3155</td>
<td align="center">.5376</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>As this was calculated using the NFL adjustment, it may or may not be accurate.</p>
<p>This PW% is in fairly accurate range, predicted conference finishing order using conference PW%: Baylor, O-State, K-State, Texas, OU, Tech, TCU, WVU, KU and I-State (sad farmalliance face). Note: K-State won't finish 3rd in the conference since Texas beat us, but it is nice that the Cats are finishing strong in PW%.</p>
<p>In the NFL, passing yards / attempts and defensive passing yards /attempt explain about 70% of a team's performance, while rushing yards / attempt and defensive rushing yards / attempt explain another 6%. Below is how each Big XII team is doing in these two areas:</p>
<table border="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td colspan="4">All games</td>
<td rowspan="12"></td>
<td colspan="4">Conf games</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Team</td>
<td>PY/A</td>
<td>DPY/A</td>
<td>RY/A</td>
<td>DRY/A</td>
<td>PY/A</td>
<td>DPY/A</td>
<td>RY/A</td>
<td>DRY/A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Baylor</td>
<td>12.48</td>
<td>5.68</td>
<td>6.02</td>
<td>3.08</td>
<td>11.31</td>
<td>5.43</td>
<td>5.76</td>
<td>3.54</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Iowa State</td>
<td>5.62</td>
<td>5.15</td>
<td>3.27</td>
<td>3.67</td>
<td>5.11</td>
<td>4.73</td>
<td>3.13</td>
<td>3.50</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Kansas</td>
<td>5.50</td>
<td>6.69</td>
<td>3.82</td>
<td>4.73</td>
<td>5.29</td>
<td>7.45</td>
<td>3.66</td>
<td>4.69</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>K-State</td>
<td>9.08</td>
<td>6.44</td>
<td>4.78</td>
<td>3.85</td>
<td>8.88</td>
<td>6.64</td>
<td>4.74</td>
<td>3.65</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Oklahoma</td>
<td>6.58</td>
<td>5.80</td>
<td>5.41</td>
<td>4.16</td>
<td>5.98</td>
<td>6.28</td>
<td>5.49</td>
<td>4.12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>O-State</td>
<td>7.07</td>
<td>5.76</td>
<td>4.46</td>
<td>3.49</td>
<td>6.51</td>
<td>5.73</td>
<td>4.33</td>
<td>3.50</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Texas</td>
<td>6.98</td>
<td>6.84</td>
<td>4.46</td>
<td>4.37</td>
<td>6.58</td>
<td>7.51</td>
<td>4.18</td>
<td>3.44</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TCU</td>
<td>6.52</td>
<td>6.69</td>
<td>3.53</td>
<td>3.33</td>
<td>6.28</td>
<td>6.70</td>
<td>3.40</td>
<td>3.31</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Texas Tech</td>
<td>7.09</td>
<td>6.45</td>
<td>3.78</td>
<td>4.41</td>
<td>6.79</td>
<td>6.75</td>
<td>3.64</td>
<td>4.85</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>West Virginia</td>
<td>6.53</td>
<td>7.81</td>
<td>3.33</td>
<td>4.39</td>
<td>6.32</td>
<td>8.00</td>
<td>2.87</td>
<td>4.73</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>In conference games Baylor leads the league in passing and rushing per attempt. Best rushing defense per attempt is TCU, while I-State for some reason now has the best pass defense per attempt.</p>
<p>K-State continues as runner up in PY/A and 3rd in RY/A. The Cats are 5th in DPY/A and 6th best DRY/A.</p>
<p>The remaining Big XII schedule (red = top 3 confPW%, orange=2nd 3 confPW%, green=3rd 3 confPW%):</p>
<table border="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td>Team</td>
<td>
<p>Bowl<br>Prediction</p>
</td>
<td>Conf<br>Record</td>
<td><br></td>
<td>11/23</td>
<td>11/30</td>
<td>12/7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Baylor</td>
<td>Fiesta</td>
<td>6-0</td>
<td></td>
<td><font color="red">@OSU</font></td>
<td><font color="green">@TCU</font></td>
<td><font color="orange">TX</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Iowa State</td>
<td>n/a</td>
<td>0-7</td>
<td></td>
<td><font color="green">KU</font></td>
<td><font color="green">@WVU</font></td>
<td><br></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Kansas</td>
<td>n/a<br>
</td>
<td>1-6</td>
<td></td>
<td>ISU</td>
<td><font color="orange"><font color="red">KSU</font></font></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Kansas State</td>
<td>Holiday<br>
</td>
<td>4-3</td>
<td></td>
<td><font color="orange">OU</font></td>
<td><font color="green">@KU</font></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Oklahoma</td>
<td>BWW</td>
<td>5-2</td>
<td></td>
<td><font color="orange"><font color="red">@KSU</font></font></td>
<td></td>
<td><font color="red">@OSU</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Oklahoma State</td>
<td>Cotton</td>
<td>6-1</td>
<td></td>
<td><font color="red">Baylor </font></td>
<td></td>
<td><font color="orange">OU</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Texas</td>
<td>Alamo</td>
<td>6-1</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td><font color="orange">TXT</font></td>
<td><font color="red">@Baylor</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TCU</td>
<td>n/a<br>
</td>
<td>2-6</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td><font color="red">Baylor</font></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Texas Tech</td>
<td>Texas<br>
</td>
<td>4-4</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td><font color="orange">@TX</font></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>West Virginia</td>
<td>n/a<br>
</td>
<td>2-6</td>
<td></td>
<td><br></td>
<td>ISU</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>Using the conference predicted winning percentages rankings, the toughest remaining schedule belongs to TCU (they only play Baylor) followed by O-State, OU, Texas, Tech, Baylor, KU, K-State, I-State and WVU.</p>
<p>What to expect based on the numbers:<br>Conference PW% says K-State should win against OU and Kansas, with OU the pick if all games are used in the PW%. The alumni association needs to offer cardiac insurance for games like this.<br><br>Yds/Attempt says close game against OU while not so close over KU, with wins in both games.</p>
<p>The match ups are better for K-State this week as OU is 7th in defending rushing yards/attempt and 4th in dpy/a in league games. K-State is 3rd in rush yards per attempt and 2 in py/a. When K-State is defending in conference games, they are 6th for defending rushing attempts and 5 for pass defense (per attempt) while OU is 2nd in rushing yards per attempt and 8th in pass yards per attempt.</p>
<p>Expect OU to gain yards on the ground and K-State to run with passes to keep them off balance.</p>
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