Does the Texas Win help or hurt our chances vs. ku?

[michigancat]

The prevailing theory is that this will be a "classic letdown game" for KSU.

Personally, I'm not too worried about the mental makeup of the team...

[Saulbadguy]

I'd say neither.  Prepare for this game like we are 0-0.

[pissclams]

I think it helps.
From a player perspective they now know that they can play with anyone, confidence is a beautiful thing for an athlete to have.
Also, if they didn't believe in what their coaches were doing before Texas, they do now.

We need to avoid coming out and expecting to win vs ku and we should be fine.

 

[ksu_FAN]

I think the effects are fairly neutral. 

The "hurt" factor if any is that ku got a week to heal up while we might have lost another key player (Figurs).  That could be the only ill-effect of the game.  I think we'll be ready for this one, the only thing IMO that could give us trouble is the mounting injuries.

[Wildcat Jack]

Winning NEVER.........EVER, EVER, EVER (get the point?)....hurts.

It's all talking-head-media-low-self esteem-psycho-babble if you think losing helps and winning hurts.  IT DOESN'T.  Winners don't think that way.  Winning is always a good thing, as long as you look at the winning as a result of what it took to produce the win and not the end of the process..... We played far from a perfect game on Saturday and I don't think anybody's gonna be satisfied.

[WILDCAT NATION]

I think if anything, the last three games have given them the confidence to go in unphased.

I have little fear of a "letdown"...these guys are full of confidence now...and that's never a bad thing.  The overall attitude of the team has been VERY impressive..a quiet, calm confidence.

[ksu_FAN]

Also, ku will be trying for their first 3 game win streak in conference play under Mangino.  We accomplished that last week and are going for 4.  I agree that winning never hurts, but there is something to be said about teams having difficulting maintaining emotion/intensity over the course of a 12 game schedule.  However, I don't think this one will be a problem b/c its ku and what is on the line.  ku is the team with the pressure on, not us, that has to factor in as well.  I think it will either be really close and come down to the end either way OR we may get on them and run away a little bit.  

[kougar24]

Helps, because the offense's confidence right now has to be off the charts.

[Saulbadguy]

It will help that ku has a basketball game the next day. Alot of the KC area folks won't make the trip for the football AND basketball game.  I wonder which one they will choose.

[ksu_FAN]

Yeah, and now after ku had a week to look at us, they have to add empty sets, shifting to tight trips, a little vertical passing game, and a shovel pass to the mix to prepare for against our offense.  Plus another wrinkle in special teams even if it was a failed wrinkle.

I'm sure their staff was watching the game saturday night and thinking "where the heck did this come from?"

[cireksu]

The tight trips suprised me, we hadn't run it much since showing it against Louisville, we did against CU but mostly ran the toss out of it.  It is a great formation because you can run a million different routes out of it.  The shift is great as well.

Also whoever decided to use Pooschke as a FB needs a raise.  He has been great.

[catzacker]

I still don't like the match up of ku's offense vs. our defense.  We have still been unable to stop the run.  If I was ku I'd run that QB zone/option read at us all day long, although maybe we could knock out two QB's in two straight weeks.  But, I'd like to think we'll be able to score with ku. 

[AzCat]

The Texas win can't do anything but help.  So much of any game is confidence and right now the team knows that they can line up and play with anyone in the country.  The squawks are in for a long afternoon.