A pair of ranked Big 12 rivals both coming off losses and 0-1 in conference play look to get back on track this weekend as No. 23 Kansas State welcomes No. 20 Oklahoma State in college football’s Week 5 action on Saturday.
Kansas State had a 71 percent chance of victory heading into BYU, but saw those chances evaporate as it allowed 31 unanswered points on the road and suffered 3 turnovers, coming into this week ranking just 117th nationally in passing production per game.
Oklahoma State is posting almost 310 yards in the air per game, but ranks 115th out of 134 FBS teams in rushing capacity, as reigning Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon failed to rush for 50 yards in each of his last 3 games and is averaging just over 3 yards per carry in that time.
The Cowboys are 2-1 against the spread against FBS opponents this season, while the Wildcats are 1-2 ATS in that category coming into this weekend.
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What can we expect from the matchup? Here’s what you should be watching out for as Kansas State and Oklahoma State square off, along with our updated prediction for the game.
1. Run the ball. Ollie Gordon is college football’s reigning Doak Walker Award winner but has been missing in action this season, with 258 total yards and 4 touchdowns, was held to under 3 yards per carry the last 2 games, and is yet to run for 50 yards against an FBS defense.
He’s yet to adapt as opponents load the box against him, and the Wildcats could present another formidable challenge. They rank 16th in FBS in rush defense allowing just over 83 yards per game and are 17th in surrendering just 2.75 yards per carry from opposing backs.
2. Ditto for K-State. The story is different, albeit mixed, for Kansas State, which boasts a top-15 rushing attack behind D.J. Giddens and Dylan Edwards. As a whole, the team is posting 6.5 yards per attempt, 6th nationally.
One area of relative weakness? They have just 4 total rushing TDs this year, in part because the offense is a middling 62nd in third-down production, moving the chains on 42 percent of attempts.
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3. Pokes can sling it. As the Cowboys’ ground game has stalled, Alan Bowman is picking up the slack, leading an aerial attack that is 15th in passing production, averaging almost 311 yards per game and is hitting nearly 63 percent of his attempts.
But the Wildcats could throw him out of rhythm, boasting a strong front seven alignment that leads the Big 12 with 12 sacks and 31 tackles for loss. K-State’s 7.8 TFLs per game are 14th in FBS, and Brendan Mott is 12th in the country with 4 sacks and 4 QB hurries.
Most analytical models are giving the Cowboys a slight edge over the Wildcats this week.
That includes the College Football Power Index, a computer prediction model that uses data points from both teams to simulate games 20,000 times to pick winners.
Oklahoma State is projected to win the game in the majority 52.9 percent of the computer’s most recent simulations.
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That leaves Kansas State as the expected winner in the remaining 47.1 percent of sims.
The model projects a very close game, as Oklahoma State is expected to be 1 point better than Kansas State on the same field.
More … Cowboys vs. Wildcats: What the analytics say
Kansas State is a 4.5 point favorite against Oklahoma State, according to the lines at FanDuel Sportsbook.
The book lists the total at 57.5 points per game.
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FanDuel set the moneyline odds for Oklahoma State at +164 and for Kansas State at -200 to win outright.
In a game loaded with early Big 12 title implications, it should come down to whichever team runs the ball better and owns the time of possession battle.
Bowman has the arm and the receivers to credibly test the Wildcats’ secondary, but the lack of a rushing threat in the loss to Utah shows that good front sevens can contain Gordon and reduce the Cowboys’ offense to one dimension.
Kansas State’s capacity to limit ground gains up front combined with its potent rushing capacity should be enough to pull this out, but it will be close.
College Football HQ picks …
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More … Oklahoma State vs. Kansas State score prediction by expert model
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Clay County Commissioner Jason Withington said Wednesday that he still loves baseball, but is “done” negotiating with the Royals on a new stadium for the team in the county.
According to Withington, Thursday, Jan. 8, was the deadline for the Royals to appear on the April 2026 ballot in the county.
Withington said the Royals told the county that they were not ready to meet that deadline.
Withington took to Facebook to explain that “the joy has been drained” out of him over the last few years and expressed his dislike towards the business of baseball.
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He called negotiations with the team “a closed chapter” and said that the county is shifting its focus elsewhere.
“It’s time for the Commission to focus fully on priorities we control—either upgrading our existing county jail or building a new one,” Withington wrote.
The Royals’ lease at Kauffman Stadium in the Truman Sports Complex in Jackson County expires in January 2031.
KSHB 41’s political reporter Charlie Keegan reported in May 2025 on efforts by Missouri to keep both the Royals and Chiefs in Missouri.
While the Chiefs announced that they will move to a new stadium site in 2031 in Wyandotte County, the Royals have not announced their next steps to get a new ballpark built.
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A stadium site near 119th Street and Nall Avenue in Overland Park has emerged as a possibility for a stadium site for the ball club.
Some residents in that area are not happy about that possibility.
KSHB 41 News reached out to the Royals for comment, but has not heard back.
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The No. 1 Arizona Wildcats play against the Kansas State Wildcats in a Big 12 basketball game tonight. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. CT on FS1. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can purchase a monthly subscription offered by Fubo TV/Sling.
The Arizona squad has played at a high level this season, as it enters this matchup with a 14-0 record. The team is coming off a 97-78 win against the Utah Utes.
In order to win tonight’s game, Arizona will need to rely on its forward Koa Peat. He leads the team in scoring this season, as he averages more than 14 points per game.
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The Kansas State squad enters this matchup with a 9-5 record, but the team is coming off an 83-73 loss against BYU.
In order to bounce back tonight, Kansas State will need a great performance from its guard P.J. Haggerty. He averages 23 points per game, which leads the team.
Fans can watch this Big 12 basketball game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can purchase a monthly subscription offered by Fubo TV/Sling.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Darryn Peterson scored 32 points, including three crucial free throws in regulation to tie the game, and No. 22 Kansas erased a double-digit deficit to outlast TCU 104-100 in overtime on Tuesday night.
Kansas (11-4, 1-1 Big 12) trailed by 16 points midway through the second half, but cut the TCU lead to three with 34 seconds left in regulation.
The Jayhawks’ next trip down the court was fruitless, leading to a foul and two free throws by TCU’s Liutauras Lelevicius. Kansas’ Flory Bidunga cut the lead back to three on a tip in with just over six seconds remaining.
After a turnover on the ensuing TCU inbounds play, the Jayhawks got the ball to Peterson, who drew a foul beyond the arc and knocked down all three free throws to tie the game at the end of regulation.
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Kansas held the lead throughout overtime and ultimately secured the game at the free-throw line, converting 9 of 11. TCU (11-4, 1-1) went 2 for 4 in the same frame. Kansas guard Melvin Council Jr. scored nine of his 18 points during overtime.
Lelevicius led the Horned Frogs with a career-high 23 points. He shot 7 for 9 and hit five 3-pointers, another career high. He entered the game averaging just 8.5 points per game and shooting 35.8% from 3-point range.
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Lelevicius outscored sophomore David Punch, who recorded his 10th consecutive double-digit performance with 20 points. He also pulled down a team-high nine rebounds.
Tre White and Bidunga also finished in double figures for the Jayhawks, recording 22 and 16, respectively.
Up next
Kansas: Plays at West Virginia on Saturday.
TCU: Hosts Arizona on Saturday.
Find more TCU coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
