When it comes to the Big 12 preseason poll, and its accompanying all-conference team, I am a lot like the most interesting man in the world.
Anyone else remember that super cool gentleman from those old Dos Equis commercials ?
I don’t always vote for preseason awards, but when I do I prefer to vote perfectly.
OK, so maybe my predictions are no better than your average Joe’s. But that doesn’t change the fact that I did choose to vote this year. And I’m willing to share my ballot before we dive into your questions about the Kansas State Wildcats.
Without further ado:
1. Oklahoma State
2. Kansas State
3. Kansas
4. Utah
5. Iowa State
6. Arizona
7. TCU
8. Texas Tech
9. UCF
10. West Virginia
11. Baylor
12. Houston
13. Colorado
14. BYU
15. Cincinnati
16. Arizona State
My picks were quite a bit different from the actual poll . Allow me to explain some of the biggest differences.
I went with Oklahoma State at No. 1, because the Cowboys won 10 games last season and represented the new Big 12 against Texas in the conference championship game. Most of that team is back, including star running back Ollie Gordon and quarterback Alan Bowman. They also return Mike Gundy and both of their coordinators.
Do I think they are a lock to win the league? Heck no. But they have a ton of returning production and their schedule is very manageable. Utah visits Stillwater in the conference opener. Throw tomatoes at me if you must, but I’m giving the Pokes a slight edge over the rest of the league.
I went with K-State at No. 2. The Wildcats are going to be one of the best teams in the conference if Avery Johnson is as good as everyone expects him to be. But he is only a sophomore and he will be playing for a new offensive coordinator and behind a new offensive line. There could be some growing pains.
Kansas checks in at No. 3. If the Jayhawks can stay healthy at quarterback then they will be good.
I am lower on Utah than most, simply because no team has ever seamlessly made the transition to the Big 12 in Year 1 before. The Utes are probably better equipped for their new league than most, but games at Oklahoma State and UCF aren’t going to be easy. Neither are home games against Iowa State and TCU. Even adding BYU back to the schedule creates the possibility for trap games.
Most seem to think Houston will be horrible this season. And maybe the will. But it won’t surprise me if Willie Fritz leads the Cougars to a few wins.
I have absolutely no confidence in Colorado or Arizona State. That is why they are at the bottom.
As for the all-conference team, well, you can’t blame me for the lack of K-State players on it. I nominated eight Wildcats. Here’s guessing there will be more on the postseason All-Big 12 Team.
Now, let’s get to your questions.
Kansas State recruiting hit it out of the park this week with Linkon Cure announcing his commitment to the Wildcats. What should we expect from him in Manhattan? - Andrew B. via e-mail.
Expectations are always tricky with high school recruits.
Goodland tight end Linkon Cure is a five-star prospect and the highest-rated recruit to ever pledge his services to the Wildcats straight out of high school. But many of the other best recruits that K-State has recruited turned out to be busts.
For example, Jake Rubley was a massive get for K-State a few years ago. But he never did much of anything in a purple uniform. The same can be said for Chris Boggas, Matt Boss, Jerome Janet and Nick Patton. Anyone remember those guys?
Meanwhile, K-State has brought in players like Ben Sinnott, BJ Finney and Jordy Nelson as walk-ons ... and they turned out to be five-star college players.
My point is, you can’t just assume Cure will be amazing in college because he was a five-star recruit in high school.
That being said, I do expect big things from him. He could easily be just as good as Sinnott. I love his highlight tape. His height and athleticism allow him to catch just about every jump ball that comes his way, and he is also comfortable lining up all over the field. Coaches can use him like an NFL tight end.
I am very confident that he will be good with the Wildcats. How good? We will have to wait and see on that one.
Who in the (heck) voted for KU at No. 1? -@PaintitPurple3 via X.
Strange as it may be to see that Kansas received five (!) first-place votes in the Big 12 preseason poll, I think that is a fair number for this team. The Jayhawks won nine games last season and have made it to back-to-back bowls. This isn’t your older brother’s KU team.
There are worse picks for a dark-horse contender.
I’m a little surprised that K-State’s other main rival, Iowa State, didn’t get any first-place votes.
How the Wildcats perform in their Sunflower Showdown and Farmaggedon rivalries may end up deciding how good (or bad) of a season this is for Chris Klieman’s team. A rivalry sweep will almost certainly mean the Wildcats won 10-plus games and earned a trip to the Big 12 championship game. A split could leave them on the fence for Arlington. A pair of losses would not be a good sign at all.
I’m sure K-State fans would much prefer KU and Iowa State be picked at No. 15 and No. 16 every single year, but I think it is much more fun to see all three of these regional rivals in a position to win the Big 12.
Who knows? Maybe someday one of these rivalries can help fill the void left by the Red River Shootout.
With RB depth and new play caller, do you see a 60/40 split on run plays this upcoming season? How’s our O-Line looking? -@RobHud3 via X.
I do expect the Wildcats to lean on the run next season.
It would be silly for them to do anything else. DJ Giddens is one of the best running backs in the country. Dylan Edwards is a home-run threat whenever he touches the ball. Avery Johnson might be the fastest quarterback in all of college football.
Throwing the ball 50 times a game wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense for this team.
And let’s not forget that new offensive coordinator Conor Riley used to coach the offensive line. He is going to want to run the ball in his first season as play-caller.
It would surprise me if K-State runs the ball 75% of the time, because Johnson also has a big arm and the Wildcats have some quality receivers in Keagan Johnson and Jayce Brown. But 60% of the time does feel about right.
The offensive line remains a bit of a mystery. They won’t be as good next season without Cooper Beebe. But Hadley Panzer and Taylor Poitier are back. Easton Kilty looked good during spring practices , and the Wildcats have never really struggled to replace linemen.
Oddly, it’s when they return a bunch of studs that things don’t seem to go as planned in the trenches.
How excited are you to cover Big 12 Media Days in Las Vegas? -@garrettb87 via X.
Spending July in a new location for media days will be a fun experience.
As much as I loved Arlington, Texas, for its convenience (either a short flight from MHK to DFW or a simple drive on I-35) it will be cool to shake things up.
I have never been to Allegiant Stadium or spent any time around Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah. This trip will feel new.
But there is one thing I am not looking forward to: the desert heat.
The high temperatures are going to approach 120 degrees while I’m in Las Vegas. I’m sweating already.
The women’s soccer team started in 2016 and has never come close to even a .500 record. The soccer team has never won more than 3 league games. In 2023, KSU soccer was 3-12-3, winning 1 league game. Is it time for a change? -@BeerMidwest via X.
When it comes to non-revenue sports, I generally feel like a coach should remain on the job for as long as he/she can run a clean program, represent the university in a good way and lead his/her team to a big season every few years.
K-State women’s soccer coach Mike Dibbini has succeeded in the first two areas. But it is probably time for him to deliver a big season.
He certainly deserves a longer runway than most coaches, seeing as how he came in when the Wildcats were starting their soccer team from scratch. But at some point results are expected.
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