Tag: kansas state wildcats football

Where do Oklahoma Sooners land in USA TODAY Sports’ latest bowl projections?

The Oklahoma Sooners face an old foe in USA TODAY Sports latest bowl projections.

The 2024 regular season for the Oklahoma Sooners has come to a close. After a 37-17 loss against LSU in the finale, OU awaits its bowl destination.

After a shocking win over Alabama two weeks ago, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his team will be playing in a bowl game for the 26th straight season. A 6-6 record isn’t acceptable in Norman, but the reality is it could have been far worse this year.

USA TODAY Sports staff writer Erick Smith released his latest bowl projections after Week 14 of the college football season. With just days until bowl bids are announced, there remains much to be decided.

Smith has the Sooners facing an old conference foe in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, which will be played on Dec. 27 in Memphis, Tennessee. Their projected opponent is the Kansas State Wildcats out of the Big 12. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach also has the Sooners in the Liberty Bowl.

Of course, the Sooners and the Wildcats have a rich history. They played in the same conference for decades. Oklahoma holds a 77-22-4 advantage in the series, but Kansas State has won three of the last four meetings.

Bob Stoops and Brent Venables both cut their teeth as assistant coaches under legendary Kansas State coach Bill Snyder in the 1990s before both eventually landed in Norman.

A Liberty Bowl berth isn’t what anyone was hoping for when this season started. However, it would be nice to see the Wildcats again and possibly get some revenge for losses in 2019, 2020 and 2022.

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K-State head coach explains unusual string of Wildcat injuries during Colorado game

Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman was asked about the unusual string of injuries his defense suffered against Colorado

Injuries were a story all night long on Saturday as the Colorado Buffaloes fell to the Kansas State Wildcats, 31-28. However, that did not stop a raucous Folsom Field crowd from expressing displeasure with a strange sequence of injured Wildcats midway through the third quarter.

While trailing by two touchdowns, the Buffs were driving in high-tempo fashion when not one, not two, but three significant gains in a row ended in injury timeouts for Kansas State defenders.

Boos then came raining down from the Boulder faithful under the assumption that these injuries were feigned to allow for Wildcat rest and to sedate the black and gold’s momentum. After the game, KSU head coach Chris Klieman came to the defense of his squad.

“It’s our best players, we want them to stay healthy, and they’re not,” Klieman stated. “I get it, that’s human nature to think that guys are faking injuries. It’s our best players, we want them to stay in the game. They were legit. Jacob (Parrish)’s was really legit. (Marquise Sigle’s) was really legit and Keenan Garber, he cramped up.”

The Buffs ultimately scored on that drive via a 7-yard pass from quarterback Shedeur Sanders to wide receiver Will Sheppard to trim the deficit to 21-14.

Whether the injuries from Kansas State were strategic or legit as Klieman proclaimed, it didn’t make a massive difference in the end. The Buffaloes made a 10-point comeback later in the fourth quarter to take the lead, but a quick touchdown strike from the Wildcats shortly after was the deciding factor in Colorado’s first Big 12 loss.

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Shilo Sanders’ rough game garners criticism from Coach Prime: ‘I thought he played horrible’

Coach Prime gave a brutally honest assessment of Shilo’s performance on Saturday night

Following a tight 31-28 loss to the Kansas State Wildcats (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) late Saturday night, Colorado head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders didn’t mince words when discussing the performance of his son Shilo Sanders.

“I thought he played horrible,” Coach Prime said of the safety during his postgame press conference. “I thought he was rusty. I thought he didn’t have his footing.”

Shilo returned to action after missing three games due to a forearm injury suffered in Week 2’s loss to Nebraska. The Buffs went 3-0 in the graduate safety’s absence, raising questions on how the defensive back’s hard-hitting, aggressive playstyle affects CU’s overall defense.

When adjusting for sacks, the black and gold surrendered 221 yards on the ground to the Wildcats, led by tailback DJ Giddens. The junior logged 25 carries for 182 yards and averaged 7.3 yards per carry, including a rush in which he faked Shilo so well that the safety dropped to his knees attempting a tackle.

“He’s (Shilo) coming up trying to make the play, but open field, one-on-one tackle with that kind of back, that ain’t an easy task,” Coach Prime continued. “But he’s going to do better. I know what he has in him.”

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Tony’s Take: Predicting the final score of Kansas State at Colorado

Who do you have winning tonight?

While some of us have had Colorado as a Big 12 contender for months, the rest of the college football world is coming to the idea that the Buffs are a good football team. CU can make another statement against Kansas State at home.

The Wildcats were picked as an early favorite, ranking second in the Big 12 football preseason poll. Still, with an unexpected loss to the BYU Cougars, Kansas State is in a dangerous position heading into its Saturday night (8:15 p.m. MT, ESPN) matchup with the Buffs.

Due to injuries and upsets, CU (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) is among the Big 12’s five undefeated teams in conference play, joining Iowa State, Texas Tech, BYU and West Virginia. Of those four others, Texas Tech is the only team Colorado will face on its remaining schedule.

The Buffs have a far better offense than BYU, so I believe they will play better than the Cougars did against Kansas State, but the Wildcats will likely protect the ball better than they did in Provo. I’m optimistic that the Buffs will stop KSU’s rushing attack while finding holes in the Wildcats’ defense.

Final score prediction: CU wins this “Big 12 After Dark” matchup, 34-24.

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Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman not overlooking Colorado’s rushing attack

Kansas State’s head coach shared his respect for Colorado’s improved ground game

Everyone knows the Colorado Buffaloes possess an explosive passing attack that ranks among the best in the country, but their improved rushing attack is starting to get some attention.

The Buffs are fresh off their best rushing performance of the season against UCF, finishing with 128 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. When CU leaned heavily on the passing game earlier this season, opposing teams backed off the run and sent extra bodies into the backfield. But with the Buffs now able to bully teams in the running game, opposing coaches can’t focus solely on the passing game and are sometimes forced to leave their defensive backs in man coverage against CU’s deadly receiving threats.

Ahead of Kansas State’s weekend trip to Boulder, Wildcats head coach Chris Klieman spoke with the media on Monday and touched on Colorado’s offensive approach.

“I think they’re really balanced, honestly,” Klieman said. “They’ve rushed the football well, too.”

Klieman also praised a talented Buffs receiver who has made some big plays this season.

“I think the (Jimmy) Horn kid is a phenomenal football player.”

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How to buy Colorado Buffaloes vs. Kansas State Wildcats tickets

Want to watch the Colorado Buffaloes vs. Kansas State Wildcats in person on Saturday, Oct. 12? Tickets still remain for as little as $214.

The Colorado Buffaloes and Kansas State Wildcats are set to face off this Saturday in a battle between a pair of Big 12 college football programs in Boulder, and if you are looking for ticket information, we have all the details you need right here.

The Buffs are coming off a bye week following a road win over the UCF Knights in Orlando, which gave them a 4-1 overall record and a 2-0 mark in conference play. Deion Sanders and Co. received 16 votes in this week’s edition of the US LBM Coaches Poll.

The Cats bring the same overall tally into play this weekend after a bye but have split their two Big Ten games so far, falling to BYU in Provo in Week 4. Nonetheless, KSU sits at No. 19 in the latest Coaches Poll after moving up a spot.

The Colorado Buffaloes will host the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 10:15 p.m. ET.

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How to buy Colorado vs Kansas State football tickets

Nothing escapes the hype machine that hovers over Sanders’ program and this particular matchup is a major test for a program that is still trying to prove itself.

At the time of publication, the cheapest available tickets for the Colorado Buffaloes vs Kansas State Wildcats are $214.

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How to buy Colorado Buffaloes vs. Kansas State Wildcats tickets

Want to watch the Colorado Buffaloes vs. Kansas State Wildcats in person on Saturday, Oct. 12? Tickets still remain for as little as $214.

The Colorado Buffaloes and Kansas State Wildcats are set to face off this Saturday in a battle between a pair of Big 12 college football programs in Boulder, and if you are looking for ticket information, we have all the details you need right here.

The Buffs are coming off a bye week following a road win over the UCF Knights in Orlando, which gave them a 4-1 overall record and a 2-0 mark in conference play. Deion Sanders and Co. received 16 votes in this week’s edition of the US LBM Coaches Poll.

The Cats bring the same overall tally into play this weekend after a bye but have split their two Big Ten games so far, falling to BYU in Provo in Week 4. Nonetheless, KSU sits at No. 19 in the latest Coaches Poll after moving up a spot.

The Colorado Buffaloes will host the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 10:15 p.m. ET.

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How to buy Colorado vs Kansas State football tickets

Nothing escapes the hype machine that hovers over Sanders’ program and this particular matchup is a major test for a program that is still trying to prove itself.

At the time of publication, the cheapest available tickets for the Colorado Buffaloes vs Kansas State Wildcats are $214.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Colorado vs. Kansas State tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/click/camref:1101l3wQsP/pubref:SMGNCAAColoradoVSKansasState100624/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stubhub.com%2Fcolorado-buffaloes-football-boulder-tickets-10-12-2024%2Fevent%2F152771525%2F”]

Colorado-Kansas State receives late kickoff time on national television

Colorado’s Week 7 game against Kansas State received a late kickoff time

As announced Monday, the Colorado Buffaloes and Kansas State Wildcats’ Week 7 matchup in Boulder will kick off at 8:15 p.m. MT on ESPN.

With ESPN taking the Oct. 12 battle, Colorado will extend its national television streak to six straight games to begin the 2024 season. The Buffs had four games start at 8 p.m. MT or later last season, including three on ESPN, but have yet to kick off past 6 p.m. MT through five games this year.

Colorado (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) and Kansas State (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) each have a Week 6 bye prior to their Week 7 meeting at Folsom Field.

Four other Big 12 matchups are scheduled for Week 7, including a Friday night game between Utah and Arizona State on ESPN (Oct. 11 at 8:30 p.m. MT). Cincinnati-UCF (1:30 p.m. MT, ESPN2), Arizona-BYU (2 p.m. MT, Fox) and Iowa State-West Virginia (6 p.m. MT, Fox) are all scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 12.

Colorado’s regular season finale against Oklahoma State on Nov. 29 (10 a.m. MT, ABC) marks the Buffs’ only other upcoming game with an announced time/television.

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Big 12 Bowl Projections: Sooners to face incoming and ascending Big 12 squad in Bowl Season

The Oklahoma Sooners will play a future Big 12 member in the latest Bowl Projections from USA TODAY Sports.

The regular season is over, and all that awaits before knowing OU’s bowl destination is championship weekend. The Oklahoma Sooners just missed out on the Big 12 title game. It’s the third season in a row that the Sooners won’t play for the conference title.

Things are improving at Oklahoma, but after running the Big 12 to the tune of 14 conference championships, it stings a bit not to be able to play for one more.

Still, 10-2 is better than 6-6. The Sooners are showing they’re a program on the right track as they get ready for the SEC. Recruiting is better on both sides of the ball and in 2023, we began to see glimpses of Brent Venables’ recruiting classes impacting the game.

In Oklahoma’s bowl game, we’ll likely get to see more of the youth the Sooners have added since Brent Venables’ arrival. Who will they play? Let’s take a look at the latest Big 12 Bowl Projections via USA TODAY Sports.

How did Big 12 teams finish relative to preseason expectations in USA TODAY Sports 1-133 re-rank?

With the regular season over, how did the Big 12 land in USA TODAY Sports latest 1-133 re-rank of every college football team in the nation?

It’s championship week in college football. But for some teams, it’s the beginning of the offseason, while others wait on their bowl destinations.

It was a unique season in the Big 12. A number of teams met or exceeded expectations in 2023. And several were incredibly disappointing based on preseason expectations.

Let’s take a look at how each of the Big 12 teams ranked in the USA TODAY Sports 1-133 rankings in the preseason compared to how they now rank after the regular season.