Your favorite annual series is back -- yes, it's that time of year when we devise dream and nightmare scenarios for every Big 12 team. Reality will fall somewhere in the middle. But imagine a season in which every single domino fell into place. And likewise, what if all that could go wrong, well, did?
Kansas State, you're up:
Dream scenario
Remember last year, when Stanford coach David Shaw took his eventual Rose Bowl-champion team to Northwestern in Week 1, and the Cardinal played like it was an exhibition game? Stanford couldn't start like that again. Oh, yes, it could -- and does, as K-State corrals Christian McCaffrey, holding the star back to 99 all-purpose yards in a 38-14 KSU rout. Led by defensive end Jordan Willis, the Wildcats expose Stanford's remade offensive line and confuse QB Keller Chryst in his debut start. Half the stadium leaves at halftime of the Friday-night opener and doesn't return, and the Stanford band switches its mid-game routine to taunt the home team.
The Wildcats roll through the rest of September as junior QB Jesse Ertz stays healthy and quietly leads the Big 12 in QBR at midseason. Joe Hubener, who started 11 games last year, finds a role, too, as coach Bill Snyder digs into his old bag of tricks and revolutionizes the Wildcat offense -- often playing two QBs at once in league play.
Snyder, one day after KSU celebrates his 77th birthday with the presentation of a new StairMaster for his office, and co-offensive coordinator Del Miller, 65, are hailed nationally as whiz kids after KSU tops fellow unbeaten Texas Tech 75-74 on a two-point conversion at the end of regulation.
Oklahoma delivers a dose of reality a week later with a 63-49 victory, but Kansas State rebounds with a drubbing of Texas -- the Wildcats' sixth straight home win over UT.
K-State wins out, finishing the regular season with an especially satisfying final three games, Sandwiched between wins at Baylor and TCU is a Senior Day defeat of Kansas, Synder's ninth straight win in the series.
Oklahoma returns to the College Football Playoff, leaving K-State to face SEC runner-up Tennessee in a rematch of the 2001 Cotton Bowl. The Wildcats win again as sophomore cornerback Duke Shelley earns MVP honors his two second-half interceptions of Joshua Dobbs.
The 12-1 finish energizes Snyder, who announces that he plans to coach into his 80s. No one thinks it's a bad idea.
Nightmare scenario
Ertz, who suffered a season-ending knee injury on the first play from scrimmage last season, goes down again -- on the second play -- in the Wildcats' opener at Stanford. Defensively, KSU has no answer for McCaffrey, who returns a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns, while rushing for 180 yards. He also catches and throws touchdowns and calls plays in the fourth quarter from the press box.
Hubener struggles this time in replacing Ertz. Four days after a loss at West Virginia to open Big 12 play, Snyder announces his retirement, effective immediately. Then hours before a Friday night birthday gala for the coach on the eve of the Wildcats' league home opener at the stadium named for Snyder's family, his son, Sean Snyder, is named interim coach.
The move goes off the rails quickly.
Patrick Mahomes shreds the KSU defense. Baker Mayfield does the same a week later. Texas earns its first win in Manhattan since 2002. The Wildcats' disjointed play in a four-loss November harkens to the Ron Prince era.
Recruiting falters as K-State limps to a 3-9 finish, its work mark since Bill Snyder's first season in 1989. Kansas' victory over KSU provides a sixth win for the Jayhawks, who receive their first bowl invite since 2008.
The Wildcats' search for Snyder's replacement drags into January. The elder Snyder contemplates another return.
Kansas State, you're up:
Dream scenario
The Wildcats roll through the rest of September as junior QB Jesse Ertz stays healthy and quietly leads the Big 12 in QBR at midseason. Joe Hubener, who started 11 games last year, finds a role, too, as coach Bill Snyder digs into his old bag of tricks and revolutionizes the Wildcat offense -- often playing two QBs at once in league play.
Snyder, one day after KSU celebrates his 77th birthday with the presentation of a new StairMaster for his office, and co-offensive coordinator Del Miller, 65, are hailed nationally as whiz kids after KSU tops fellow unbeaten Texas Tech 75-74 on a two-point conversion at the end of regulation.
Oklahoma delivers a dose of reality a week later with a 63-49 victory, but Kansas State rebounds with a drubbing of Texas -- the Wildcats' sixth straight home win over UT.
K-State wins out, finishing the regular season with an especially satisfying final three games, Sandwiched between wins at Baylor and TCU is a Senior Day defeat of Kansas, Synder's ninth straight win in the series.
Oklahoma returns to the College Football Playoff, leaving K-State to face SEC runner-up Tennessee in a rematch of the 2001 Cotton Bowl. The Wildcats win again as sophomore cornerback Duke Shelley earns MVP honors his two second-half interceptions of Joshua Dobbs.
The 12-1 finish energizes Snyder, who announces that he plans to coach into his 80s. No one thinks it's a bad idea.
Nightmare scenario
Ertz, who suffered a season-ending knee injury on the first play from scrimmage last season, goes down again -- on the second play -- in the Wildcats' opener at Stanford. Defensively, KSU has no answer for McCaffrey, who returns a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns, while rushing for 180 yards. He also catches and throws touchdowns and calls plays in the fourth quarter from the press box.
Hubener struggles this time in replacing Ertz. Four days after a loss at West Virginia to open Big 12 play, Snyder announces his retirement, effective immediately. Then hours before a Friday night birthday gala for the coach on the eve of the Wildcats' league home opener at the stadium named for Snyder's family, his son, Sean Snyder, is named interim coach.
The move goes off the rails quickly.
Patrick Mahomes shreds the KSU defense. Baker Mayfield does the same a week later. Texas earns its first win in Manhattan since 2002. The Wildcats' disjointed play in a four-loss November harkens to the Ron Prince era.
Recruiting falters as K-State limps to a 3-9 finish, its work mark since Bill Snyder's first season in 1989. Kansas' victory over KSU provides a sixth win for the Jayhawks, who receive their first bowl invite since 2008.
The Wildcats' search for Snyder's replacement drags into January. The elder Snyder contemplates another return.
