Gridiron Girl Game Preview: Kansas State
Hello, ’Horns fans! Here we are, heading into the final game of the regular season. It feels like we just got started! And now, sadly it’s time to say so long to football for a while. It’s like the end of The Carol Burnett Show. Are you too young to remember that show? Then get off my lawn!
So how was your Thanksgiving? Better than the Longhorns’, I bet! Their Thanksgiving was really awful and full of purple monsters who crashed in and ate their dignity. This week, they face another set of purple monsters—this time in the form of the Kansas State Wildcats.
I’ve been both looking forward to and dreading this game all season. Texas has played so unpredictably, it’s anyone’s guess who will show up in the “Little Apple” this weekend. What’s at stake? For K State, the BCS Championship is no longer an option. Although—and this is definitely a subject for another post—it remains a mystery to me why the ONLY one-loss teams in the running now are from the SEC. K State and Oregon are both perfectly valid contenders.
The TCU game was a total debacle. The Horned Frogs dominated on offense and defense. Texas looked anemic and ineffective. The offense never got into a rhythm, and David Ash left the game. As I watched the game, I was like, LOLWUT is going on? What team is this? Surely not the one that beat Texas Tech on the road. Sigh.
Texas and K State both have a lot riding on this game. K State is no longer in the national championship hunt, but they still stand to win the Big 12 and have an automatic berth in a BCS bowl game. They also suffered a humiliating loss to Baylor, and Texas is the first team they’ll face after that loss. So the ’Horns will suffer the full brunt of their rage.
Texas is still bowl-eligible, though at this point they’re playing for dignity and respect. This season has been full of very high highs and very low lows. Coaching and playing have been all over the place. Any time a team gets manhandled the way Texas was pushed around by TCU, that’s a strength and training issue. I have questions upon questions about the quality of the Texas coaching staff. We’ll see if the offseason brings any changes.
In the meantime, there’s one regular season game left. Here’s hoping that Texas brings their best to the last game. It’s like a Donna Summer song or something: “Last game, last chance for credibility! Last chance for a bowl game and recruits!” Call Phil Spector! We have a hit on our hands.
On paper, Texas and K State match up pretty equally in most categories. But we’ve all seen the way K State steamrolls over opponents. (Except for Baylor, that is! Rimshot.) If Texas gets to QB Collin Kline, they’ll have a chance to disrupt the offense and put up a good fight. K State is playing at home, where they have a very good record.
Texas has a pretty good record on the road, but Texas has suffered so many injuries on defense. David Ash is also sidelined with a rib injury. We shall see if Case McCoy can lead the offense effectively.
Friends, I don’t have high hopes for this weekend. Maybe I’ll be surprised. I’m stocking up on Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris just in case.
The oddsmakers have Kansas State winning by 11.5 points. I hope that’s all it is. Sigh. The over/under is 63.5, so someone is expecting a high-scoring game. Bet wisely, children.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. Eastern; adjust accordingly. The game will be broadcast on ABC, which is again a normal station that regular humans receive.
Hook ’em! Let’s go ’Horns!
Rebecca May is a Texas ex-pat living in Oregon while rooting for the Longhorns. An attorney by day, she blogs about college football by night. This story was first published by GridironGirl on http://gridirongirl.org.
Photo courtesy UT Athletics.
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