Chris Kleiman knew there was a standard to be had at Kansas State when hired to replace long-time legend, Bill Snyder. Is this where it finally all comes together for the Wildcats?
K-State enters the season projected to finish fifth in the Big 12 for the impending year. There’s reason to believe that with the addition of veteran quarterback Adrian Martinez, plus a stable offensive line featuring three returning starters, things are on the rise.
Of course, Texas Tech is looking at the same uphill battle. The Red Raiders are projected to finish ninth in the conference, surpassing Kansas while just trailing West Virginia. That would qualify them as a sleeper in the eyes of the voters.
The Red Raiders travel to Manhattan in Week 5 with a legitimate case to pull off the upset. After facing North Carolina State and Texas in back-to-back weeks, Tech will be battle-tested. That should keep things close on paper.
Will it keep things close on the actual field?
This past week, RedRaiderReview.com previewed Texas Tech’s matchup with K-State as a whole, plus its offense and defense entering the season. Now, it’s time for the staff to give their way-too-early predictions for the shootout in the Little Apple.
Timm Hamm – Editor-in-Chief
By Week 5 we should have an idea about what personality the Red Raiders have taken under first-year coach McGuire, and we should know who the starting quarterback is. With what will most likely be a tough loss in Week 4 against the Longhorns in Austin, I expect a bounce-back against K-State on the road in Manhattan.
Texas Tech 31, Kansas State 21
Matthew Galatzan – Editor
Texas Tech will run into another tough opponent in Week 5 in the Kansas State Wildcats, and going to the Little Apple is never easy. I expect Tech to hang tough, but it’s a win for Duece Vaughan and the Wildcats, who eventually run away with it at the end.
Kansas State 34, Texas Tech 24
Cole Thompson – Columnist
Kansas State is viewed as a sleeper to win the Big 12. The question is why? The Wildcats return seven offensive starters, including superstar do-it-all running back Deuce Vaughn. Defensively, K-State has three returning starters in the secondary and the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year coming off the edge.
Last season, Skylar Thompson threw for over 300 yards on the way to a close 25-24 win. Adrian Martinez has a quicker release and overall better pocket awareness. No one said Year 1 was going to be easy, Joey McGuire.
Kansas State 35, Texas Tech 27
Matthew Postins – Staff Writer & Columnist
I’m not sure what to make of Texas Tech yet. I’m not sure how significant an impact Adrian Martinez will have on K-State’s offense under center. That said, I have a bit more faith in K-State than I do in Texas Tech right now, so I’ll take the Wildcats.
Kansas State 31, Texas Tech 27
Zach Dimmitt – Staff Writer
The Wildcats ended the season with two understandable losses to conference champ Baylor and Texas, but K State had a four-game winning streak prior to that, a streak that started with a one-point win over Tech in Lubbock. Kansas State’s defense will be another early-conference test for the Red Raiders, but I think Tech gets revenge on the road this time around
Texas Tech 31, Kansas State 27
Connor Zimmerlee – Staff Writer
Talk about a rough first two conference games for the Red Raiders under new coach Joey McGuire. After taking on Texas, they hit the road to take on a conference championship dark horse. The Red Raiders will keep this game competitive but as will often be the case this season for them, they’ll fall just short in the end.
Kansas State 31, Texas Tech 24
Michael Gresser
Kansas State enters the 2022 season as the most underrated team in the Big 12. The Wildcats have the most preseason All-Big 12 Team selections (6) which include one of the best running backs in the nation in Deuce Vaughn. Texas Tech has to go on the road to Manhattan with Texas the previous week and a game at Oklahoma State on the horizon.
That’s a brutal three-game stretch for the Red Raiders and it’ll be evident at Bill Snyder Stadium. Vaughn will carve up the Tech’s defense, limiting its opportunity to respond on offense.
Kansas State 35, Texas Tech 27
