5 Reasons Why Kansas State Football Will Win the Big 12 Title
The Wildcats look to capture their second Big 12 title in three years.
There are no dominant teams like Georgia, Ohio State, or Texas in the Big 12 this year, making the conference wide open for Kansas State to potentially win the title again.
The Big 12 is expected to have a lot of parity this season
Some might be overlooking the Big 12 this year due to Texas and Oklahoma moving to the SEC. The SEC now has more power than ever, with a strong chance to dominate the College Football Playoff. However, the Big 12 promises highly competitive games where teams are closely matched.
Last year, six teams, including the new additions from the Pac-12, won eight or more games. This year, some of those teams, including Kansas State, are expected to improve their win totals.
Close losses last year
In Kansas State’s 8-4 season last year, their four losses were by narrow margins. They lost by three points to both Missouri and Texas, with the Texas game going into overtime. They also lost by seven points to Iowa State and eight to Oklahoma State. All these teams, except Iowa State, won at least nine games.
Kansas State football offense could be even better in 2024
What made the Wildcats such a strong team last season was their prolific offense. They scored at least 30 points in all but two games, those being their 29-21 loss to Oklahoma State and their 30-27 loss to Missouri.
Kansas State had the No. 10 overall scoring offense last season, averaging 37.1 points per game. They will be without quarterback Will Howard, who transferred to Ohio State. However, there’s a lot of excitement around Avery Johnson and his potential. Additionally, they have 1,000-plus yard rusher DJ Giddens and Colorado transfer Dylan Edwards in the backfield.
Don’t Overlook the Defense
While the offense might receive most of the attention, last year’s Kansas State defense was impressive, ranking 26th in scoring defense by allowing an average of 21 points per game. This year, they could have one of the best secondaries in the Big 12, with players like Marques Sigle and VJ Payne standing out. However, they will need to address their pass rush issues from last season.
Great Coaching at Kansas State
Since becoming head coach in 2019, Chris Klieman has had only one losing season at Kansas State, which occurred during the COVID-impacted year when the Wildcats finished 4-6. Every other season under Klieman has resulted in eight or more wins, including a top-10 finish and a conference title in the last two years, and a top-25 finish last year.
Overall, Klieman has a 39-24 record and has proven to be an excellent successor to longtime head coach Bill Snyder. With the addition of Utah’s Kyle Whittingham and Colorado’s Deion Sanders to the conference, great coaching could be the decisive factor in this year’s Big 12.
