As Kansas State tries to rebound from last season, it will be essential that it doesn't fold in big matchups.
ESPN pegs one particular game as the defining moment of the Wildcats' 2026 season: Oct. 10 at home vs Houston. The Cougars were ranked No. 21 last year, one of the most prolific teams in the Big 12.
The article wrote:
"The Wildcats haven't dropped a conference home opener since 2021, and their visit from Houston could be a tone-setter for the program's 2026 Big 12 campaign. Can first-year coach Collin Klein rejuvenate quarterback Avery Johnson after his down year in 2025? Will Kansas State have enough to rebuild its vastly depleted defense? We should get firmer answers to both questions when a talented Houston team visits Manhattan before Kansas State dives into the heart of a tricky league schedule."
The Wildcats must take these games seriously, as evidenced by last year's Week 0 loss that set the tone for the rest of the season. A season with conference championship aspirations quickly dwindled to one of the most disappointing in recent memory. Quarterback Avery Johnson failed to unleash, the run game wasn't what it's been for the past decade, and the defense crumbled instantly.
Kansas State coach Collin Klein has come in with expectations to revamp his alma mater and get back to competing among the nation's best. He has already expressed pride in the effort the new unit has put together.
"I’ve been really proud of them," Klein said in a recent interview. "We’ve asked a lot of them. We’re going to keep turning up the heat, even as we get through this middle phase of the winter program. They haven’t turned it down. They haven’t flinched, and I’m gonna test that. They’ve literally attacked everything we’ve asked him to do, and that identity of how hard we can play will be the calling card. I think they’re embracing that already."
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