Kansas State Just Wins and Nobody Cares and That’s Fine
Kansas State is the team that just wins.
They don’t make headlines. They don’t generate hot takes. They don’t have a Heisman candidate or a celebrity coach or a Netflix documentary following them around. They just… win football games. Quietly. Consistently. Year after year.
Chris Klieman took over for a literal legend — Bill Snyder built that program from nothing — and hasn’t missed a beat. K-State has been to multiple conference championship games under Klieman. They’ve won eight or more games in basically every full season he’s coached. They’re always in the conversation without ever being THE conversation.
And I kind of love that about them?
Like, in an era where every program is trying to go viral, where coaches are doing TikTok dances and players are building personal brands, Kansas State is just playing football. Old-school, physical, run-the-damn-ball football.
The offensive identity is clear: run DJ Giddens until the defense breaks, then hit a play-action shot over the top. It’s not complicated. Everyone knows it’s coming. They do it anyway. And it works because they execute it better than you can stop it.
The defense is the same way. Sound fundamentals. Good tackling. No blown assignments. They’re not going to wow you with exotic blitzes or crazy coverage schemes. They’re going to line up, play their technique, and make you beat them with execution.
8-4 this year was a fine season. Not great, not terrible. They lost to the four best teams they played — Tech, BYU, Iowa State, and Colorado. Beat everyone else. That’s about right for where their roster is.
Avery Johnson at quarterback is the future. The kid is only a sophomore and he’s already dangerous with his legs. Give him another year of development and K-State could be a dark horse Big 12 contender in 2026.
Jake’s note: K-State games are the hardest to bet because they’re always within one score either way. I swear every game ends 24-21 or 27-24. It’s like they’re programmed for close finishes.
Here’s what I respect about Kansas State: they know who they are. They’re not trying to be someone else. They’re not chasing trends. They have an identity and they stick to it.
In a conference full of chaos, that consistency is kind of refreshing.
— Mike