K-State still has much to play for this season, even if a Big 12 title seems unlikely
Some will glance at Kansas State’s football record and label this a disappointing season for the Wildcats because they have already lost three games.
It is also unlikely that K-State (6-3, 4-2 Big 12) will return to the conference championship game in December, seeing as how two of their defeats came against the two teams that are currently tied for first place in the league standings: Oklahoma State (7-2, 5-1) and Texas (8-1, 5-1).
The Wildcats will need to win their remaining three games and hope that the Cowboys or Longhorns lose two of their final three. Otherwise, they won’t be able to sneak past either team.
No matter. K-State football players insist there is still much for them to play for over the next three weeks, even after suffering three difficult losses.
“Absolutely,” K-State quarterback Will Howard said. “You can tell we are down 20 points with 10 minutes left and we come back, there is no quit in this team.
“You never know what is going to happen. Even if there is that little shadow of a chance that we might have a chance we are going to keep fighting regardless of what the outcome could be, should be or what it might be. We aren’t worried about that. We are worried about creating our legacy and creating what we can over the next few weeks and enjoying it because we only have so much time left together as this team.”
Let’s say K-State falls short of the Big 12 championship game. Here are a few other things that the Wildcats can still aim for this season.
- Ten wins: That is always an important benchmark in college football. Prior to last season, K-State hadn’t won 10 games since all the way back in 2012. Reaching that number in back-to-back seasons would be a nice accomplishment.
- Bowl stock: The Wildcats are still very much alive for some of the best bowls in the Big 12, such as the Pop Tarts Bowl in Orlando or the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. But they will need to finish strong to earn an invite.
- Rivalry games: K-State closes out the season against Kansas and Iowa State. Those games are always important.
One other thing that has helped the Wildcats move forward is perspective on how they endured their three losses.
The first came on the final play of the game at Missouri, when the Tigers beat the Wildcats with a 61-yard field goal at the buzzer. Mizzou has gone on to have a stellar year.
Next came a 29-21 loss at Oklahoma State, which now looks much more understandable with the Cowboys on five-game winning streak.
Then K-State lost in overtime against Texas on the road.
Is three close losses to ranked teams really all that disappointing?
“Our program is in pretty good shape right now,” K-State coach Chris Klieman said. “We’re going to be OK, and we’re going to keep battling because we have the right guys in the locker room that believe in what we’re doing. It’s fun to be around those guys because every day ... we have a blast and it’s fun to be around these guys because they are competitors.”
Besides, there is always a chance that Oklahoma State or Texas ends the year on a losing streak.
The Wildcats aren’t about to give up.
“You can look at that game the other day, the guys and how they responded,” K-State center Hayden Gillum said. “I think many teams would have thrown in the towel. That tells you everything you need to know about the fight in the guys and how much they care and how much they want to win.”
This story was originally published November 9, 2023 at 12:14 PM with the headline "K-State still has much to play for this season, even if a Big 12 title seems unlikely."