The Expectations Game Week 1

[Kat Kid]

"First games are weird."


Those were Collin Klein's words after the Wildcat's uncomfortable first half against Terry Allen's
Mo. State Bears.

"This ____ again?" Could probably sum up most fan's response, with the middle word being filled with a range of four letter words or their euphemistic cousins.  The Wildcat offense again waited until the fourth quarter to come alive, but this year it was a 35 point explosion instead of a last gasp go ahead touchdown.

So what does it all mean?  Well focusing on the positives, the special teams looked like a potential top 5 unit in the country, Nigel Malone played like an All-American again and Hubert picked up right were he left off last year.  Collin Klein had a typical, albeit abbreviated night: running 13 times for 54 yards and tossing 2 TDs for 169 yards on 13/28 attempts. 

Tremaine Thompson was the player of the game for me.  5 Receptions, 142 All Purpose yards and 2 Touchdowns.

So with week 1 in the books let's play The Expectations Game

Key
Win
Won
HOME
Away
Loss

9-3-12 Expectations
9 WINS
3 LOSSES
MO STATE
MIAMI (FL)
N TEXAS
Ou
KANSAS
Iowa State
W Virginia
T TECH
O STATE
Texas Christian
Baylor
TEXAS

[Kat Kid]

anyone else?   

[MadCat]

anyone else?   

I would but the formatting might take all night on this iPad.

[420seriouscat69]

I've got 9-3 as well KK. For sure losses: OU, WV. We'll lose another one that we shouldn't lose. Probably Baylor away.

[Rage Against the McKee]

I think we will go 11-1, the only loss being @OU.

[puniraptor]

expect 11 

[nicname]

Count me as unconcerned with the offense.  I don't even think the offense was that bad in the first half.  It was basically passing practice.  The defense looked pretty crappy though, especially the front four. 

[DQ12]

Good stuff, KK!  I was always hoping you'd do some pp's nn's for football, and although this isn't as in depth or extensive, it's something!  Good for everyone.

Don't let that OSU score from this weekend fool you.  I know OSU looked terrifyingly good, but Savannah State is probably the worst team any FBS team will play this season.  They're something like 4-72 against their last 76 fcs opponents.  They are b-a-d bad. 

To put it simply: OSU is worse than they were last year.  We're better.  We have them at home. We're going to win.

Also, I know it's week 1 and they were on the road, but that OU game coudln't have turned out any better for this KSU Wildcat fan.  They didn't lose (which is good), but all of a sudden, that "definite loss" i had pegged for Norman isn't so definite anymore. 

For the first time in a decade, I think we have a shot to win every game on our schedule.


But let's not get ahead of ourselves.  For now, I'm sticking with:

9-3-12 Expectations
10 WINS
2 LOSSES
MO STATE
MIAMI (FL)
N TEXAS
Ou
KANSAS
Iowa State
W Virginia
T TECH
O STATE
Texas Christian
Baylor
TEXAS

[Rage Against the McKee]

I think @ Baylor will be tougher than @ West Virginia.

[Winters]

I'll give mine after next week. 

[wetwillie]

Anyone who puts TCU down as a loss can just GTFO.  No way do we lose at home this year, I think NK is right though about Baylor.

[Kat Kid]

I do NOT think @Baylor will be tougher than @W. Virginia.

I also think that the oSu loss is really a floating loss.  There are a few other games that we could lose, that is the one I feel we will lose.  Remember when Mike Leach or Gary Barnett would absolutely whip our ass even when he should not have?  Well, I believe that we have a new bugaboo for Head Coach LHC Bill Snyder's Wildcats.  His name is Mike Gundy.  He coaches the Cowboys.

The problem.  Again, not that we are unfamiliar with what we've seen, but the evidence bears repeating.

Source: cfbstats.com

2011
INT rank- 12
Sacks rank- 75
cfbstats Rating rank- 76
yards/gm rank- 102

2010
INT rank- 49
yards/gm rank- 52
cfbstats Rating rank- 55
Sacks rank- 85

Until our defensive line improves and our secondary proves that they are more than Nigel Malone, we are in for beatdowns against teams that run high pace, multiple receiver, quick throw, spread schemes.  We don't tackle well, we don't cover well, we can't get pressure on the QB and if run correctly, they are relatively low risk considering the amount of attempts.

[slobber]

LOL at you people who think the Wild Wildcats will lose any games this year.
We will win every effing one of them.

[OK_Cat]

8-4

losses to ou, wvu, osu, and baylor.

[DOOM_Catz]

I believe that we will win in Norman; I really do.

I've already sold my soul to see this happen. And I will be there to burn that city down as I get the eff outta there following the 'cats win.

We're the best we've been in a while and when we click, we really click. It's almost scary to see what we can do when we cause a team to hemorrhage like Mo State did in the 4th. It's as if someone all of a sudden decided to quit effing around and then all of a sudden everyone got on their horses.

I firmly subscribe to the thought that we will get better every game and by game four down in Norman, we will have figured out how to play football in the other three quarters.

9-3-12 Expectations
11 WINS
1 LOSS
MO STATE
MIAMI (FL)
N TEXAS
Ou
KANSAS
Iowa State
W Virginia
T TECH
O STATE
Texas Christian
Baylor
TEXAS