Kansas State has been the staple of consistency in the conference for a long time.
One major news outlet highlights how much they've contended with their competition. CBS Sports created a list of the winningest teams in the FBS since 2014, with Kansas State placing at No. 38 with a 91-61 record in that span. Its 59.5 percent winning percentage placed it around the likes of Houston and Oklahoma State.
The Wildcats have been a relatively competitive team in the Big 12, regularly contending for bowl games. Nine bowl appearances since 2014 between coaches Bill Snyder and Chris Klieman, with only three losing records (2015, 2018, 2020*). While never quite a playoff contender, Kansas State has held its own within the conference.
So that's why it was a shock when Kansas State went off the rails in 2025. A disastrous season start had it in the gutter from the jump. It was a season poised for possible postseason ambitions, just for the team to completely unravel. Lackluster defense, no run game, and underperformances from players projected to rise. The Wildcats found their footing midway through the year, but the preseason ambitions were way gone by that time.
Wildcats coach Collin Klein is hoping to get them back on pace as one of the conference's juggernauts. Because of his success as both an offensive coordinator and a signal-caller in Manhattan, KS, the program expects him to replicate that as the man in charge. Klein says that everything starts with quarterback Avery Johnson.
"I think being able to come in and have a foundation to work from, so he’s not learning from complete scratch," Klein said in a Big 12 interview. "We’re able to build off of a large part of the foundation that was here before. I’m really excited about our ability to package things for him, get on the same page, and think the same way. Then allow him to cut it loose, play fast, and use that competitive nature. I've watched him from a distance the last couple of years. I'm proud of how he’s handled things, and I'm really excited to be back on the same sideline."
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