Coach Chris Klieman Has Kansas State Among The Favorites To Win Big 12 Title
According to media members who cover the Big 12, Kansas State is head for a heated battle with newcomer Utah for the conference crown this fall.
K-State was picked second in the poll after receiving 19 first place votes, just behind conference favorite Utah (20).
Oklahoma State was third with14 first place votes while Kansas was fourth (5).
Plenty of reasons exist why K-State should challenge for the crown this season. Coach Chris Klieman has a long history of producing championship-caliber teams. And this season he might have his best all-around team since he arrived at K-State.
Second, K-State has sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson. He’s a dual threat with his legs and arm He should only get better as the season progresses just from an experience standpoint.
And then there is junior running back DJ Giddens, who is one of the best in the country. Giddens rushed for 1226 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.
On defense, senior linebacker Austin Moore is a disruptive playmaker. He provides the energy for the traditionally strong defensive unit.
But the road to the conference title game is far from easy. K-State has tough games at Colorado, West Virginia and Iowa State. Iowa State was picked sixth; West Virginia seventh.
And even though Colorado is picked to finish 11th in the 16-team conference, the atmosphere in Boulder is electric just because the presence of coach Deion Sanders and son Shedeur Sanders, the starting quarterback. Colorado wants to prove it is not among the bottom-feeders in the conference.
David Boyce is a contributing writer to K-State On SI. He can be reached at davidboyce95@gmail.com.
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DAVID BOYCE