Almost done
Health problems continue to interfere with my ability to write. But this is a convenient time to look back at what I wrote earlier in the season, after Kansas had a surprisingly close game with Texas Tech. The Jayhawks usually follow such promising games with clunkers. Stunningly, Kansas lost to TCU, in Fort Worth, by only six. They looked capable. Saturday, Kansas looked as if football had been introduced the day before, losing at home to West virginia 49-0.
"Much too easy" is an obvious description. The symptom is a common refrain from this season. Kansas had absolutely no strength on the lines. You won't win if you can't hold back the defense, and you won't win if your defenders lose at the point of attack. The type of offense doesn't matter. Why is Baylor winning? They dominate the lines, allowing other players to operate for more than a second. The same is true of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and any other successful team. I saw another flash of inexperience in the West Virginia game. The Jayhawk receivers looked timid and weak against the WVU defenders. On multiple occasions, Kansas lost the fight for a ball in the air. Don't let the ball come to you. Go to the ball, or the defender will beat you to it.
Kansas State, again winning by luck or persistence or Iowa State's ineptitude, however you want to describe it, needs to beat Kansas to secure bowl eligiblity. Bill Snyder treats this game as a Super Bowl each year, to assert his dominance among Kansas high school football players and t-shirt fans. I don't expect anything different this year. Kansas State plays with strength and wears opponents down. They run about four plays: push the quarterback forward, Extremely-delayed QB option, WR pick-crossing pattern, QB run-and-pop pass. I expect all will go for big gains, because the Jayhawks never seem prepared for Snyder.
Prediction: Kansas State 56, Kansas 3