Hey, it's me again. You know, Mr. 6-6. Mr. Buzz Kill.
Got your e-mail. You're right, that 6-6 projection looks awfully flimsy right now. Kansas State is 4-0, creeping toward the top 25, and the Wildcats get Nebraska at home Thursday night in an atmosphere that should resemble something between a Metallica concert and a bullfight.
If the Wildcats win Thursday ? and that's a huge if ? it re-orients K-State's entire season. Instead of talking about a dot-com bowl game and a winning record, people are talking about division titles, top 15 rankings and other, better dot-com bowl games.
Are these things realistic? Hard to say, but you can bet they'll be discussed if K-State beats the Huskers. Wins against top 10 teams inspire that kind of unchecked optimism, and in K-State's case, it may not be totally unfounded.
It's worth pausing to consider how we reached this point. Two years ago, K-State was in football crisis. The defense was terrible, the stadium was empty and the coach was on the hot seat.
Then Bill Snyder returned, a move that was met with a general tone of caution. Most fans believed Snyder could improve the program, but few expected quick or dramatic results.
The Wildcats made progress last year, winning six games and extending the North race until the final week of the season. Expectations were heightened this season, with an All-America running back returning and a manageable schedule ahead.
Still, eight-win predictions just seemed like too much, largely because there were no discernible differences between this team and the one that finished 6-6 last year. Same tough running game, same quarterback limitations, same nondescript defense. It was like trying to tell one Olsen twin from the other.
Now, four games into the 2010 season, we finally can point to a separating factor.
This team knows how to win.
The critical juncture of any turnaround comes when a team sheds its losing mentality. The Wildcats took positive steps last year, but the final evidence was inconclusive.
This year, the Wildcats have won three games after trailing in the fourth quarter. The opponents ? UCLA, UCF and Iowa State ? weren't world-beaters, but that's not the point. Losing teams find ways to lose, and winning teams find ways to win.
In two years, K-State has morphed from the former into the latter.
"I think part of it is that we probably have had some good fortune fall our way," Snyder said. "Secondly, I think our youngsters pay attention to their ability to finish ball games. They've made that important to them. They've been admonished over the years about not having the ability to do that."
Doesn't mean the Wildcats will beat Nebraska, but it means they have a chance. And they'll have more chances, too, against middle-of-the-road teams like Oklahoma State, Missouri and Baylor and side-of-the-road teams like Colorado and Kansas.
It's worth noting that K-State reached the cusp of legitimacy several times in the 1990s, only to be smacked down by the Huskers in big games. That breakthrough win in 1998 came after years of disappointment, represented by scores like 56-26, 39-3 and 49-25.
So if K-State isn't quite ready to upset Nebraska and ascend to previous heights, don't worry. The Wildcats have learned how to win, and that's the hardest part.
Got your e-mail. You're right, that 6-6 projection looks awfully flimsy right now. Kansas State is 4-0, creeping toward the top 25, and the Wildcats get Nebraska at home Thursday night in an atmosphere that should resemble something between a Metallica concert and a bullfight.
If the Wildcats win Thursday ? and that's a huge if ? it re-orients K-State's entire season. Instead of talking about a dot-com bowl game and a winning record, people are talking about division titles, top 15 rankings and other, better dot-com bowl games.
Are these things realistic? Hard to say, but you can bet they'll be discussed if K-State beats the Huskers. Wins against top 10 teams inspire that kind of unchecked optimism, and in K-State's case, it may not be totally unfounded.
It's worth pausing to consider how we reached this point. Two years ago, K-State was in football crisis. The defense was terrible, the stadium was empty and the coach was on the hot seat.
Then Bill Snyder returned, a move that was met with a general tone of caution. Most fans believed Snyder could improve the program, but few expected quick or dramatic results.
The Wildcats made progress last year, winning six games and extending the North race until the final week of the season. Expectations were heightened this season, with an All-America running back returning and a manageable schedule ahead.
Still, eight-win predictions just seemed like too much, largely because there were no discernible differences between this team and the one that finished 6-6 last year. Same tough running game, same quarterback limitations, same nondescript defense. It was like trying to tell one Olsen twin from the other.
Now, four games into the 2010 season, we finally can point to a separating factor.
This team knows how to win.
The critical juncture of any turnaround comes when a team sheds its losing mentality. The Wildcats took positive steps last year, but the final evidence was inconclusive.
This year, the Wildcats have won three games after trailing in the fourth quarter. The opponents ? UCLA, UCF and Iowa State ? weren't world-beaters, but that's not the point. Losing teams find ways to lose, and winning teams find ways to win.
In two years, K-State has morphed from the former into the latter.
"I think part of it is that we probably have had some good fortune fall our way," Snyder said. "Secondly, I think our youngsters pay attention to their ability to finish ball games. They've made that important to them. They've been admonished over the years about not having the ability to do that."
Doesn't mean the Wildcats will beat Nebraska, but it means they have a chance. And they'll have more chances, too, against middle-of-the-road teams like Oklahoma State, Missouri and Baylor and side-of-the-road teams like Colorado and Kansas.
It's worth noting that K-State reached the cusp of legitimacy several times in the 1990s, only to be smacked down by the Huskers in big games. That breakthrough win in 1998 came after years of disappointment, represented by scores like 56-26, 39-3 and 49-25.
So if K-State isn't quite ready to upset Nebraska and ascend to previous heights, don't worry. The Wildcats have learned how to win, and that's the hardest part.
