Chris Klieman has been a godsend for Kansas State football. After Bill Snyder retired, fans were worried that the program might fade into irrelevance, but Klieman has ensured that wouldn't happen.
Through five seasons as head coach, Klieman is 39-24 and he's fresh off a 9-4 season with a Pop-Tarts Bowl win over NC State. It felt like the team took a slight step back in 2023 from their Big 12 title-winning 2022 season in which it went 10-4, but the Wildcats still looked like they were on the right track under Klieman.
After avoiding the coaching carousel for another year, Klieman is back in Manhattan with Big 12 title aspirations again now that Texas and Oklahoma are gone.
Which three games are most important to reach that goal in 2024?
3. Arizona (Sept. 13)
This might be a surprising pick given all the tricky away games on the schedule, but the first Big 12 game of the season for Kansas State will be against a newcomer who competed for the Pac-12 title in 2023. Although Jedd Fisch is gone, Arizona returns an elite quarterback-receiver combo.
While I see Kansas State taking care of business against Arizona, it's not going to be a walk in the park like fans might think. This game will set the tone for the rest of the Big 12 regular season.
Handle Arizona and gain some confidence heading into a tough upcoming stretch.
2. at Iowa State (Nov. 30)
Another somewhat surprising pick with road battles against West Virginia, Colorado, BYU, and Iowa State all on the schedule, but this one might have the biggest say in who makes the Big 12 title game.
Iowa State is the final roadblock standing between Kansas State and a Big 12 title game berth because, well, it's the last game of the regular season. Let's say Kansas State is sitting somewhere between 2-3 in the conference standings before this one, it must win in order to keep the title hopes alive and potentially stay alive in the playoff race.
Iowa State, too, could be fighting for a Big 12 title and Ames should be rocking on Nov. 30.
1. Kansas (Oct. 26)
This one was an easy choice for me. I think Kansas is going to push for the Big 12 title this season and it's my dark-horse favorite to win the conference.
So that's what makes this rivalry game even more important.
Kansas and Kansas State might end up being the top two teams in the conference by the end of the season and the Wildcats need to win the head-to-head matchup here just in case the Big 12 title game berth comes down to a tiebreaker. Plus, this has bragging rights on the line.
This rivalry game might be the most important in decades between these two teams.