Big 12 Power Rankings: Conference Charges Towards Wild Finish

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

6. Kansas State Wildcats

Record: 2-4 (0-3)

Previous Ranking: 7

Last Week: Bye

This Week: vs West Virginia

K-State has four losses and are winless in the Big 12, but sleeping on them would be a bad decision. Four of their final six games are at home, including their toughest remaining opponent, Oklahoma. It is not unreasonable to think, given the style of play of their remaining opponents, K-State could run the table.

For starters, K-State should be able to beat West Virginia, Iowa State, and TCU at home, and beat Kansas on the road. The two more difficult games, at Texas Tech and home to Oklahoma, each favor K-State’s style of play.

Tech has games against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State leading up to the K-State game, which should give us a better idea of Tech’s strengths and weaknesses than KU, ISU, and WVU were able to expose. Tech’s defense allowed 62 points to ISU and WVU the last two weeks and have become increasingly more vulnerable to the run.

Oklahoma struggles to score. Blake Bell is a terrible quarterback and was exposed mightily by Texas in the Red River Rivalry. Manhattan will be crazy that weekend and should give the Wildcats the kind of push that kept them in the game against Baylor.

No, it is not a lock for K-State to finish 6-0, but anything less than 5-1 would be a surprise. Seven or eight wins this season after the way K-State got started should be considered a success.