Longhorns vs. Wildcats Staff Predictions

The Longhorns Country staff predicts the outcome of Saturday's Texas Longhorns-Kansas State Wildcats game.

The Texas Longhorns are coming off a bye week and are preparing to face the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday in Manhattan, Kan.

The Longhorns Country staff predicts the outcome of Saturday's game.

Matt Galatzan, Managing Editor and Publisher: A lot of people are counting out the Horns in this one, and given their past, as well as the way they played in Stillwater before the bye week, it's easy to understand why. However, I've been consistent in saying this team is different than years past. I still believe that. And I think Texas wins in Manhattan. Texas 37 Kansas State 33

Collier Logan, Staff Writer: Kansas State’s offense has proven to be a formidable force, even without quarterback Adrian Martinez at the helm. Wildcats running back Deuce Vaughn may be too difficult for Texas to stop. And if they can’t, the Longhorns may not have enough points up their sleeves to stay in the game. Kansas State 35, Texas 24

Zack Dimmitt, Staff Writer: The Longhorns have been tested on the road this season and have failed to answer the call. Kansas State is their toughest test yet and even a week off to prepare doesn’t give me confidence in a Texas win, though the Horns will find themselves in another close game. Kansas State 41, Texas 37

Matthew Postins, Staff Writer: Right now, K-State controls its own destiny for second place in the Big 12. The Wildcats are by themselves as a one-loss team. If K-State wins its next two games — at home against Texas and on the road against Baylor — then I think it will be in Arlington next month (West Virginia and Kansas remain, with the latter at home). The Wildcats do not want to have to play around with tiebreakers here, especially since they already have a loss to TCU. The race behind them is jumbled, with Oklahoma State, Texas, and Baylor sharing third place. K-State already has one tiebreaker over OSU (and in the event of a three-way tie, the point differential is going to matter). Beating Texas would give it a second one. Texas heads to Manhattan coming off a bye week and the Longhorns are probably the healthiest they’ve been in a month. You have two of the best backs in the game squaring off in Vaughn and Texas' Bijan Robinson. Plus, there's the quarterback intrigue at K-State. It should be a great game. Kansas State 31, Texas 27

Cole Thompson, Staff Writer: K-State quarterback Will Howard handled business last week against an Oklahoma State defense that's taken a step back since the departure of coordinator Jim Knowles for Ohio State. The week prior, the Longhorns allowed Oklahoma State 535 yards of offense and to average 6.8 yards per play. The biggest question will be containing Vaughn, a human joystick who is averaging nearly six yards per run. This feels like a trap game for the Wildcats, however, so give me the Horns to win by three. Texas 34, Kansas State 31

Connor Zimmerlee, Staff Writer: At some point coach Steve Sarkisian and Texas have to figure out the road struggles. Just don’t expect it to be this week against a good Kansas State team, especially one that just smacked Oklahoma State around, while Texas struggled with the Cowboys. Texas may keep it close but won’t be able to pull out the win. Kansas State 35, Texas 31

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