K-State Q&A: Adrian Martinez, Will Howard’s redshirt, Big 12 title hopes and more
It’s time for another K-State Q&A.
We have tons of great topics to cover this week, so there is no need for an elaborate introduction here. Let’s dive right into your questions. Thanks, as always, for providing them.
I have a few thoughts on the subject of Will Howard, his possible redshirt and how it affects both Adrian Martinez and Avery Johnson.
So hang with me as I share them.
For starters, I would have started Howard instead of Martinez last week against Texas. He had the hot hand and sending him to the bench didn’t make much sense to me at the time. That being said, I think the Wildcats made the right call by going with Martinez in that game.
Not only did he throw for 329 yards against the Longhorns, he kept plays alive by scrambling in and out of the pocket with his feet. K-State’s offensive line was no match for the Texas front seven last week, and it’s possible Howard might have been sacked six times.
Yes, Martinez threw an ugly interception in the second quarter and fumbled twice in the fourth quarter. But both of those fumbles were the result of QB hurries that came without any resistance from K-State up front.
A slower quarterback would have been sacked for huge losses on both plays.
Howard is the quarterback you want when everything is going perfectly and he has a clean pocket to throw from. Martinez is the guy you want when things get ugly and you need someone to make chicken salad out of chicken ... well, you know the expression.
From that perspective, it makes sense to go ahead and let Martinez finish out the season while Howard takes his redshirt, because that is clearly what he wants to do.
But his redshirt doesn’t really benefit K-State in the long term. It is more for him to keep his options open down the road. He also did the Wildcats a solid by volunteering to burn his redshirt late last season against Texas, and they probably owe him one.
Howard seems like the odds-on favorite to start at quarterback next season and maybe even the season after that. But I don’t see K-State delaying the Avery Johnson era any longer than that.
Much like how Martinez wanted a change after spending four seasons at Nebraska, it’s possible Howard could look to transfer somewhere late in his college career after playing four or five years at K-State.
I very much doubt Howard will be K-State’s starting quarterback in 2025. If he is, it’s extremely unlikely both Jake Rubley and Johnson will still be on the roster.
The odds of Kansas State earning a berth in the Big 12 championship game are somewhere in the middle of all those possibilities, kind of like me setting an alarm for 5 a.m. and then getting in a rigorous workout before my wife and kids wake up for the day.
It happens from time to time, but it’s far from automatic.
Here’s what needs to happen: K-State wins out AND Texas loses once or TCU loses thrice. There are probably some scenarios in which the Wildcats can get to Arlington with just two more wins, but it would involve lots of chaos and they absolutely can’t lose to Baylor. So let’s just stick with the simple path.
K-State is an underdog against Baylor. I’m guessing it will be a small favorite against both West Virginia and Kansas. But none of those games will be gimmes. Beating the Bears on Saturday is obviously the most important step. A loss there would leave the Wildcats without tiebreakers over Baylor, TCU or Texas — and their championship dreams are likely over.
But if they beat Baylor the runway is clear for K-State to run the table. Should that happen, the second-favorite team in Manhattan will be anyone playing against Texas. The Wildcats don’t control their own destiny. Even if they win out, they can’t make it to Arlington without help. Somebody has to beat Texas or TCU needs to completely collapse.
K-State fans could find themselves in the awkward position of cheering for Kansas next weekend.
Texas is favored by 7 1/2 against TCU this weekend and the lookahead line has the Longhorns by eight against the Jayhawks. Here’s guessing they will also be favored against Baylor.
That is less than ideal for K-State.
My guess is TCU and Texas will end up playing each other on Dec. 3 at AT&T Stadium. But you don’t have to be Lloyd Christmas to think the Wildcats have a shot.
There is actually a scenario in which it would be equally important.
If Kansas and K-State both win their next two games and Baylor falters against TCU or Texas then the Sunflower Showdown will serve as a play-in game for the Big 12 championship.
It would also most likely be the second time in the history of the rivalry that both teams met as ranked teams.
How amazing would that be?
I sure do!
You don’t forget a game like that.
While we’re talking about Alex Barnes, it’s too bad he didn’t get more of a look from NFL teams. He was an incredible college running back.
I am proud to say that I am a Pac-12 Network subscriber ... at least for the next seven days.
Believe it or not, it’s not that hard to gain streaming access to Pac-12 Network. You just can’t get it on any of the major TV providers. And it’s on the expensive side if you’re looking to watch the channel for more than one week.
Here are some simple ways to get Pac-12 Network before K-State plays at Cal tonight.
Some have suggested that the Longhorn Network could become the Big 12 Network after Texas leaves for the SEC.
I suppose that is a possibility. The channel will already exist and that would be an easy way to replace it on everyone’s guide.
But I doubt it happens. Conference networks aren’t really all that popular. No one likes playing on the Pac-12 Network or the Big Ten Network or the ACC Network.
Former Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby also used to say there aren’t enough people living within the conference footprint to support a network that exists on traditional cable.
It seems more likely that the Big 12 will move forward with ESPN+ serving as its own streaming network.
It’s far too early for any game to be labeled a “must win.”
Well, maybe you could have said that about the opener against Texas-Rio Grande Valley, because losing to one of the worst teams in the country at home would have been very bad. But fans have already embraced Tang. He’s pretty much the opposite of Bruce Weber. People are no longer looking for reasons to dislike the men’s basketball coach. They are looking for reasons to love him.
As long as Cal doesn’t win 150-33 I don’t think that will change.
But I will say K-State’s entire nonconference schedule is starting to look weak. Cal lost to UC-Davis, Rhode Island lost to Quinnipiac, and Butler, Wichita State and Nebraska are average at best. The Wildcats need to enter Big 12 play with 10-plus wins to have a realistic shot at reaching the NCAA Tournament.
This story was originally published November 11, 2022 at 11:56 AM with the headline "K-State Q&A: Adrian Martinez, Will Howard’s redshirt, Big 12 title hopes and more."