Kansas State QB Collin Klein is a special single threat quarterback. Sorry, I know everyone throws that term “dual threat” around like crazy, but when your team is 108th in the nation in passing, you’re not a dual threat QB, you’re a signal caller that can run.
Klein did lead the team to a 10-3 season last year, but that doesn’t mean he knows how to really pass. He has a long way to go to improve as a passer, and doing so would go a long way towards helping the Cats repeat double digit wins in 2012.
2011 was: a really solid year, with a Cotton Bowl appearance. The offense was good, the run defense great, but the secondary was a train wreck at times. They started 7-0 but had a two game hiccup versus the Oklahomas. The Wildcats went 7-2 in conference somehow being outgained by an average of more than 100 yards per game.
2012 will go smoothly if: RB John Hubert had almost a 1,000 yard season last year. The WRs have some experience, but not a ton. Incoming juco recruit Marquez Clark will help, as will the depth and talent at TE. There’s a lot of returning starters in the front seven, linebackers Tre Walker and Arthur Brown are studs.
2012 will be rough if: there’s not much experience or talent in the OL, and the secondary leaves something to be desired. It would be good if they continue to not commit turnovers too. Both the passing game and the stop the opponents passing game need to improve their numbers from last year. It is expected they will, but the O line needs to come together for that to happen.
BMOC: all the guys I’ve mentioned thus far
All Name team: DT Chaquil Reed, LG Tomasi Mariner, WR/PR Tramaine Thompson
Bottom Line: They should be better than .500 as 7-9 wins could happen, but is not guaranteed. They will likely straddle between the upper and lower divisions of the league, but they still have a very tough schedule .
Rankings:
Lindy’s- 22, Athlon-27 , Phil Steele- 29
All the 77s
#36 UCF
#40 Penn State
#45 Mississippi State
#47 Northwestern
#67 Southern Miss
#73 Kansas
#76 Minnesota
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site generating millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Chicago Tribune.com, Fox Sports, MSN, Walter Football and Yardbarker
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