Don't look now, but for all the preseason hype heaved at Oklahoma and Baylor, it's Kansas State who's still undefeated in conference play, alone at the top of the Big 12. Jake Waters is playing the role of the Do-Everything QB every bit as well as Collin Klein did, completing 66% of his passes for 1,431 yards and nine touchdowns while leading the team in rushing (79 carries, 371 yards, seven TDs) and providing the steadying influence any offense needs.
How to watch Texas vs. Kansas State: Game time, TV schedule, online streaming and more
KSU puts its undefeated record in conference play on the line against a thin but dangerous Texas crew.
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Meanwhile, Charlie Strong’s first year at Texas has been every bit as much about the off-field headlines as what goes on between the sidelines, and that’s never a good sign. Strong’s Longhorns have been all over the place in terms of quality, physically dominating Oklahoma but still losing the game, then needing a miraculous last-minute drive to avoid being taken to overtime by Iowa State. At home. Yeah.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 12 p.m. ET (11 a.m. local)
TV: ESPN, featuring Dave Pasch, Brian Griese, and Tom Luginbill
Radio: KSU affiliates, Texas affiliates, XM radio
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Our blogs on these teams
The numbers
Rankings and records: No. 11 KSU sits atop the Big 12 at 5-1 (3-0) with its only loss coming to Auburn in September. Texas at 3-4 (2-2) is, well, unranked.
Vegas: KSU opened as a 13-point favorite, and the line has fallen to -10 (and you might be able to get it at -9.5). The over/under has held steady at 48 points, according to Odds Shark.
Weather forecast: It’s unseasonably warm in Kansas, so kickoff temperatures should be in the upper 60s with the mercury climbing past 80 by the end of the game under a bright, clear sky.
Two things at stake
KSU has a heavily backloaded schedule, with three of its last four games on the road against the likes of TCU, West Virginia and Baylor—all currently ranked. In other words, the ‘Cats aren’t going to win the Big 12 in October. They can sure lose it this early, though, and a team like Texas is just talented enough to give KSU fits. The Wildcats needed a heavy dose of luck to escape the OU game with a win; if Texas is close late this week, does that luck run out?
For Texas, we’re getting to the point where bowl eligibility is a pressing question, and while Charlie Strong’s not being evaluated on wins and losses this year (no, he’s really not, not by serious people) this is the kind of team that could desperately use the extra few weeks of practice a bowl bid provides. That would require Texas going 3-2 down the stretch, though, and those last five games are all against ranked foes and/or on the road. 6-6 is still doable even if Texas loses this weekend, but the likelihood climbs dramatically with a win.
One big matchup
Texas front four vs. KSU offensive line. It’s easy to look at Texas giving up 182 rushing yards per game and say “well, no reason for KSU to pass the ball this Saturday,” but that’s largely a function of Texas opponents rushing the ball 47 times per game against UT, which, yeah. To the Longhorns’ credit, they only allow 3.9 yards per carry—by no means elite, but wholly competent—and they’ve got the kind of physical talent up front that could give KSU fits. Waters operates best when he’s got time and space to pick his gaps, and if Texas can get guys like DE Cedric Reed and DT Malcom Brown free, Waters is in for a taxing day.
Further reading
Bring On The Cats is your one-stop shop for the KSU beat, and Barking Carnival and Burnt Orange Nation go hard in the paint for Texas.
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