Why Chris Klieman thinks KU, K-State should always be a late-season football rivalry
Chris Klieman has an idea.
He thinks it will make the Sunflower Showdown a better football rivalry for both Kansas and K-State. It has been done before and it could easily be done again. Why not try it every single year?
Here it is: Always schedule the Jayhawks and the Wildcats for the final week of the regular season.
“I think rivalry games should be played later in the season, whether it’s Week 11 or Week 12,” Klieman said. “I think it is great for both teams no matter what the records are. There is a lot at stake when you have your rivalry game at the end. That is what makes this one really unique.”
Indeed, fans on both sides of the Sunflower Showdown will experience an end-of-the-year rivalry game on Saturday when K-State hosts KU at 7 p.m. at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. It figures to be one of the most meaningful games between the two neighbors in quite some time.
K-State (8-3, 6-2 Big 12) can clinch a spot in the Big 12 championship game with a victory. KU (6-5, 3-5 Big 12) is bowl eligible for the first time since 2008 and now gets an opportunity to play spoiler while also trying to improve its postseason stock with a win.
Those are all good ingredients for a fun rivalry game. Playing it at the end of the regular season, like you see across the country with games such as Florida/Florida State, Clemson/South Carolina, Ohio State/Michigan and Alabama/Auburn could make it even better.
“Whenever we saw KU was the last game on our schedule,” K-State running back Deuce Vaughn said, “it was one of those things where you could tell implications were bigger. We’re at home and it’s sold out. We really want to win for the people in this community. That is what has been burning fuel for us going into this game.”
It has been done before. K-State closed out its season with a road game against Kansas in both 2006 and 2013.
The Jayhawks used to play the Missouri Tigers quite often on senior day, and the Wildcats have experience ending the season against Farmageddon partner Iowa State.
Perhaps it is time to make the Sunflower Showdown a late-season staple.
Regardless of when the game is played, the Wildcats seem fired up about the rivalry this year.
“It’s KU, our rivalry game,” K-State cornerback Julius Brents said. “We have got a lot of guys on our team that are from the Lawrence area, and they definitely have a chip on their shoulder for this game and throughout the whole season. This game does mean a little bit more. We’re going to get our best shot from them and we are going to give them our best shot.”
The Sunflower Showdown has been a rather dull rivalry over the years. K-State and KU have only met once when both teams were ranked. It’s rare for both teams to enter the game with winning records. K-State has won the past 13 meetings going back to 2009.
But things could be different on Saturday. This is the first time that both teams have been bowl eligible at the same time since 2003. The game will also be televised nationally on FOX instead of streamed on ESPN+.
Klieman is expecting a good game, one that deserves to played in late November more often.
“They’re playing hard and they’re believing and they do have talented players, without question,” Klieman said of KU. “They’re playing inspired. Them getting to a bowl game, I know was huge for the program. This is kind of the potential cherry on top for them with this game ... It’s going to be a big challenge.”
This story was originally published November 23, 2022 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Why Chris Klieman thinks KU, K-State should always be a late-season football rivalry."