Big 12 Power Rankings: Texas Beats Oklahoma, Big 12 Up In The Air
By Ben Nielsen
Oct 12, 2013; Manhattan, KS, USA; A Powercat flag waves following a touchdown by the Kansas State Wildcats during a game against the Baylor Bears at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Kansas State lost the game, 35-25. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
7. Kansas State Wildcats
Record: 2-4 (0-3)
Previous Ranking: 7
Last Week: Baylor 35, KSU 25
This Week: Bye
Next Week: vs West Virginia
K-State may be 2-4, but as Baylor found out the Wildcats are not an easy team to beat. Especially in Manhattan.
There is a pretty good argument to be made that K-State should be 4-1 right now. They were a play away from winning the North Dakota State game, a play away from beating Oklahoma State, and another play or two away from pulling off the upset over Baylor. Those plays didn’t happen, obviously, and Kansas State finds themselves in a terrifying 2-4 hole.
However, there is hope for the Wildcats resurrecting their season.
K-State has to fix their turnover problem. Their 15 turnovers leads the conference and their six takeaways are the fewest in the Big 12. Giving up big plays and not making big plays has been the difference in these close games. Why the ‘Cats are not forcing turnovers is a more complicated problem, but their offensive issues are directly related to quarterback play. Fix the quarterback problem and K-State has solved a massive issue.
Third downs have been a nightmare for K-State on defense. Nearly half of all third downs have been converted by the opposition, 41-of-95. The last two weeks have seen improvement in those situations, holding Oklahoma State and Baylor to a combined 8-for-27. Continuing that progress has to be a priority.
Finally, the schedule plays out better for the Wildcats in the second half of the season. Four of their final six games are at home, including the toughest remaining game on their schedule, Oklahoma. They also have games against Kansas, Iowa State and West Virginia on tap. Winning four of the final six games is not out of the question, especially if they improve the quality of their quarterback play.