The 2010 Season: My Predictions

The Wildcats are coming off a 6-6 season and looking to get back to a bowl game after missing out in five of the last six years. Here are my predictions on how K-State will fair this season.

Sept. 3 vs. UCLA
Win – The “K-State Family Reunion” is back for the second straight year and all indications are pointing to this game as being a sell-out, or very close to one. UCLA defeated the Cats 23-9 a year ago in Los Angeles, but the Bruins have been decimated by injuries this offseason. The Wildcats have the upper hand with a strong running game and what should be an improved defense from a year ago. Expect a low-scoring affair with a handful of turnovers, but K-State starts the year off on a good note with a win.

Sept. 11 vs. Missouri State
Win – The Wildcats last faced the Bears during the 2007 season when K-State rolled to a 61-10 victory. The matchup will give the Wildcats a chance to fine-tune any issues from the week before and get the team ready for their conference opener in Week 3.

Sept. 18 vs. Iowa State at Arrowhead
Win – Iowa State is no longer a pushover, especially for a K-State squad that has run into its share of issues the past few years. The Wildcats knocked off the Cyclones a year ago in KC, but it took a blocked extra point in the game’s final minute to seal the victory. Iowa State finished the season 7-6 with a bowl victory in Paul Rhodes first season at the helm. Dual-threat quarterback Austen Arnaud is back for his senior season to lead the offense. This should be another tight battle, but an experienced offensive line and balanced running attack gives K-State the edge against relatively inexperienced Cyclone defense.

Sept. 25 vs. Central Florida
Win – This game could present an interesting challenge for the Wildcats. Central Florida went 8-5 last year, losing to Rutgers in the St. Petersburg Bowl. The Knights last game against a Big 12 opponent came in a 35-3 loss to Texas last year in Austin. UCF is coached by veteran George O’Leary who most notably led Georgia Tech from 1994-2001 and is entering his seventh year at UCF. The Knights have matchups against South Dakota, North Carolina State and Buffalo before coming to Manhattan.

Oct. 7 vs. Nebraska
Loss – There will be a ton of hype around this game, especially if the Wildcats enter the Thursday night nationally televised showdown undefeated. The crowd will be electric but the Cornhuskers defense will be too overpowering for an offense without a solid option at quarterback. A relatively low-scoring Nebraska offense might keep this one close, but don’t expect K-State to pull of the miracle upset in their final Big 12 matchup against the “Children of the Corn.”

Oct. 14 at Kansas
Push – Under a new head coach, a young Kansas squad will likely struggle mightily this season. However, the Wildcats have fallen to their in-state rival four of the last six years and have not won in Lawrence since 2002. The Jayhawks inconsistencies at quarterback this year are even more numerous than K-State’s which may give the Cats the upper hand. KU will once again have a good deal of time to prepare for this game with a bye-week leading into the Thursday night matchup.

Oct. 23 at Baylor
Win – The Bears went just 4-8 last season but return many of their top performers from a year ago including highly-touted quarterback Robert Griffin. Baylor has the advantage of playing at home and may catch the Wildcats sleeping after back-to-back rivalry games against Nebraska and KU. K-State gets the advantage of having a few extra days to get prepared for another road game, and should have a more experienced group than Baylor. Griffin keeps the Bears in this one until the final minutes but K-State’s defense will come up big to give K-State a key road win in the run for bowl eligibility.

Oct. 30 vs. Oklahoma State
Win – The Cowboys graduated a majority of their top talents from a year ago and will be going through a rebuilding phase this year in a division loaded with talent. The Pokes enter the K-State game after matchups with Texas Tech and Nebraska. Kansas State should pull out a comfortable win barring a barrage of mistakes in this Homecoming showdown.

Nov. 6 vs. Texas
Loss – The Longhorns reload after their run to the national title game last year. Garrett Gilbert leads the offense this year and will be much more prepared than he was after being thrown into the title game last season. Yes, the Wildcats defeated Texas in each of the last two meetings but the program no longer has the “bold and daring” Ron Prince leading the charge (insert sarcasm). The Longhorns have been the more talented team in each of the past two games, but the Wildcats had several breaks fall their way. K-State may keep this one close, but Texas breaks the streak and comes out on top.

Nov. 13 at Missouri
Loss – Blaine Gabbert is back for his junior season and will lead a talented squad that will give Nebraska their strongest challenge in the North. This year’s team will be stronger and more experienced than last season’s team that finished 8-5 and defeated K-State in Manhattan. Mizzou has just three true home games, with one being against OU, so the Tigers will be fired up for Senior Day against the Cats.

Nov. 20 at Colorado
Push – Dan Hawkins is on his final straw with the Buffaloes and will need a strong season if he wants to tag along for Colorado’s move to the PAC-10. The Wildcats have split the last eight games with the Buffs with each team going 3-1 at home. K-State last defeated CU in Boulder in 2006 and lost by just a point during the 2008 season at Folsom Field. A win for the Cats would go a long way to assuring a bowl game appearance, but the team will need a strong showing in an often tough environment (both physically and mentally) to play.

Nov. 27 at North Texas
Win – A puzzling way to finish the season for sure, matching up against North Texas on the road in the last game of the regular season. K-State last played against the Mean Green in a 45-6 victory during the 2008 season. The Wildcats also defeated UNT 54-7 in the 2005 season. If things get a little bumpy down the stretch, this game should provide the Wildcats with a confidence boost to close the season and as a worst case scenario, ensure bowl eligibility.


*So according to my expert analysis, I have the Cats going 7-3 with a pair of swing games. If the Wildcats split those two games it means an 8-4 season for K-State and a bowl game.

I still think that 8-4 is a little lofty, but on paper eight wins seems doable especially if the Wildcats can develop a balanced passing attack to complement Daniel Thomas and whatever tricks Bill Snyder has up his sleeve.

Predicted best case scenario: K-State wins both swing games and goes 9-3 on the year with losses to Nebraska, Texas and Missouri and earns a solid bowl game berth.

Predicted worst case scenario: K-State drops both swing games and slips in one other game (UCLA, Iowa State or Baylor) and finishes 6-6. Even at .500, this should be enough to get the program back to a bowl game.