Kansas State Football: Will Wildcats bounce back in 2019?
By John Scimeca
How will the Wildcats fare in 2019?
- Week 1: Nicholls (Aug. 31)
- Week 2: Bowling Green (Sept. 7)
- Week 3: at Mississippi State (Sept. 14)
- Week 4: BYE
- Week 5: at Oklahoma State (Sept. 28)
- Week 6: Baylor (Oct. 5)
- Week 7: BYE
- Week 8: TCU (Oct. 19)
- Week 9: Oklahoma (Oct. 26)
- Week 10: at Kansas (Nov. 2)
- Week 11: at Texas (Nov. 9)
- Week 12: West Virginia (Nov. 16)
- Week 13: at Texas Tech (Nov. 23)
- Week 14: Iowa State (Nov. 30)
Two easy home games lead the way to a crucial three-game stretch for the Wildcats. The road trip to Starkville, Miss. would be a significant upset for Kansas State, and the next two matchups against the Cowboys and Bears are pivotal ones against fellow middle-of-the-pack conference foes. If Kansas State loses all three of these games before its Week 7 bye, it will be a bleak fall in “the Little Apple.”
A difficult Big 12 stretch takes the Wildcats from October into November, with their in-state rival Jayhawks sandwiched between the league’s top two finishers from a year ago.
Hosting West Virginia and traveling to Texas Tech are winnable games for Kansas State, even if it’s not the favored team. The season finale against Iowa State looks more daunting than it has in recent years, given the Cyclones’ returning talent.
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Prediction: 5-7, 3-6 Big 12
It’s likely that Chris Klieman will find success at Kansas State; his track record at North Dakota State and his attitude seem to make that a near certainty. Finding the right pieces on offense around Thompson and replacing several key defensive starters will be a tall order in 2019. Expect the Wildcats to fall short of the postseason this year — but don’t expect that to become the norm.