Big 12 Game of the Week: No. 23 Kansas State vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State

Two Big 12 contenders are trying to bounce back from brutal losses.

Sep 21, 2024; Provo, Utah, USA; Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Jacob Knuth (7) drops back to pass against the Brigham Young Cougars during the fourth quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Both Oklahoma State and Kansas State have eyes set on winning the Big 12 conference, but they need to win this game if they want to keep pace toward that goal.

Both the Wildcats and Cowboys are coming off conference losses and sit at 0-1 in Big 12 play. That is not the start that either of these teams envisioned for themselves. As a result, this game seems like a must-win for both sides.

Kansas State's starting quarterback, Avery Johnson, will need to have a bounce-back performance against a Cowboys defense that has looked vulnerable at times this year. Against BYU, Johnson only passed for 130 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. A repeat of anything close to that performance would mean disaster for the Wildcats.

The Cowboys desperately need to get their star running back Ollie Gordon II, going. He only carried the ball 11 times against Utah for 42 rushing yards. One of the preseason favorites for the Heisman Trophy, Gordon has been held to 50 yards or less for three games in a row.

Oklahoma State has had recent success against Kansas State, winning four of the last five matchups. The Wildcats are hoping that the home-field crowd will play a large role after how poorly they played on the road last week. Both of these teams have a lot to prove, given how pedestrian they have looked at times during the season.

Another sub-par performance could spell doom for either team's playoff chances. The committee does not forget.

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