K-State Q&A: Big 12 title odds, hoops and the QB plan for Avery Johnson, Will Howard

It’s time for another K-State Q&A.

We have lots of great questions on deck this week, and, believe it or not, they aren’t all about Will Howard and Avery Johnson. Thanks, as always, for providing them.

Let’s dive right in.

E-MAIL QUESTION: Gun to your head, who gets the start at quarterback on Saturday and how does Chris Klieman utilize both Will Howard and Avery Johnson moving forward? - Andrew B.

My hunch is that Will Howard continues to be the starting quarterback for K-State.

Remember, the Wildcats were in a similar position last season and they kept starting Adrian Martinez until he was physically unable to play and Howard was their only choice.

It makes sense that K-State would stick with the incumbent without first getting a look at the TCU defense. His experience and knowledge make him a better choice at the start of games.

But I won’t be shocked if Johnson ends up playing more than Howard in this game, or any other the rest of the season.

He is crazy fast for a quarterback, and his ability to run the ball can put incredible strain on a defense.

That being said, the secret is out on him. TCU saw what he did against Texas Tech last week. It’s a safe bet that the Horned Frogs will be better prepared to stop designed QB runs when he is in the game.

Johnson is obviously the QB of the future at K-State. But he will need to throw the ball effectively to also became the unquestioned QB of the present.

Is he ready for everything that comes along with being a starting quarterback in the Big 12 as a young freshman? Maybe. But most players his age aren’t.

Fans probably want to see Johnson take every snap the rest of the way. I get that. He is an amazing talent.

But Howard is the more balanced player, and I don’t think K-State is prepared to give up on him. That is why the Wildcats plan on using two quarterbacks.

One thing that could tilt this QB debate one way or the other is the play of K-State receivers. The Wildcats haven’t gotten much of anything from their pass-catchers outside of Ben Sinnott this year. If they’re not capable of getting open, then there is more reason to play Johnson. If they can start finding open space then there will be more reason to play Howard.

There are many factors at play. Not just how each quarterback played last week.

Oh, I think Johnson has already done enough for every remaining team on the K-State schedule to be worried about him.

If the Wildcats really wanted to sneak up on Texas they could go with just one quarterback over the next two weeks and then switch to the other one against the Longhorns.

Or maybe that will be the game that Jake Rubley comes out of nowhere to win.

Now that would surprise some people.

Kidding aside, I think the most important thing right now is for the Wildcats to find balance within their offense regardless of who the quarterback is. They have made their living on the run this season, and they won’t be able to reach their full potential unless they can start passing the ball, too.

As far as taking the opening kickoff or deferring, I see no problem with the Wildcats remaining aggressive. They have started on offense in six of their games. Those drives ended with four touchdowns and a field goal compared to one punt.

What exactly isn’t working there?

Tough call.

Johnson rushed for 90 yards last week, but he also completed eight of nine passes for 77 yards. So it was close.

I’m going to say he passes for more yardage on Saturday. TCU will do everything it can to stop him on the ground, and that should open up a few opportunities for him as a passer.

Offense: B+. The Wildcats are averaging 36.2 points per game. You can’t argue with that, even if Collin Klein’s goal is 50. Lack of a passing attack is hurting them, though.

Defense: B. This unit hasn’t been all that good since it started playing power-conference competition. They have surrendered an average of nearly 28 points over the past four games and they are simply allowing too many yards. But they did show signs of improvement against Texas Tech. Maybe that will continue.

Special teams: C. This unit hasn’t looked as good as it has in recent years, but Jack Blumer and Seth Porter have both made big plays.

Coaching: B. At 4-2, the Wildcats have played exactly to my preseason expectations for them. It will be interesting to see what happens the rest of the way. I had them going 9-3, by the way.

Offensive newcomer of the year: Avery Johnson.

Defensive newcomer of the year: Marques Sigle.

Chances or reaching Big 12 championship game: 20%.

The battle for a Big 12 championship is still a two-team race in my eyes.

Texas reverted back to its roots and choked away a game it absolutely should have won against Oklahoma, but the Longhorns will recover. They are still the best team in the conference and will be favored in all six of their remaining games.

Oklahoma is clearly improved from last season and will continue to benefit from the easiest schedule in Big 12 history. How in the world did they get so blessed in their final year in the league? Texas is the only ranked team it will play all season.

Maybe games at Kansas and Oklahoma State could be tricky for the Sooners, but are those teams really going to keep them out of the Big 12 championship game? They can lose one and still make it to Arlington with ease.

The rest of the Big 12 has been pure carnage.

I tried digging graves for Iowa State and Oklahoma State, now they’re both looking pretty good. I tried believing in West Virginia and Kansas and Texas Tech, but none of them can consistently win. K-State already has two losses.

Those teams will continue to beat each other too much for any of them to seriously challenge Oklahoma or Texas.

Now, I can hear fans at Iowa State, K-State, Oklahoma State and West Virginia screaming “don’t forget about us” as I write this.

I will admit that the Wildcats have the biggest wildcard appeal now that Avery Johnson has entered the picture at quarterback. If they can find a way to pull off an upset at Texas then they can make it a three-team race.

But they will be big underdogs in that game, and there is no path to the Big 12 championship without a win over the Longhorns.

K-State did have a nice fireworks display for the home-opener. So that is already in the fold.

I have my doubts that the Wildcats will ever dim the lights and turn Bill Snyder Family Stadium into a disco the way some other schools across the Big 12 have in recent years. K-State administrators don’t seem to be big fans of that stuff.

But maybe I’m wrong on that. The Wildcats have turned off the lights and let fans light the arena with their cell phones. It could happen.

For now, Harley Day will have to standalone as its own spectacle.

That shouldn’t be an issue.

K-State has been working on its new “five out” offense for several months, and it has been their main focus since preseason practices began.

Remember, former coach Frank Martin decided to radically change the team’s offense midway through Jacob Pullen’s final season and the Wildcats were able to master that with a few days of practice.

Some within the conference used to argue for the Big 12 Tournament to rotate locations so teams in Texas could play in front of fans in Dallas and teams in Oklahoma could play in front of fans in Oklahoma City.

But that talk has dissipated over the years.

Basketball attendance throughout Oklahoma and Texas is average at best. The conference tried hosting the event in Dallas and Oklahoma City a few times each, and things just weren’t as good as when the games were in Kansas City.

So pretty much everyone is good with KC hosting the event most of the time.

It will be interesting to see if the Big 12 Tournament shifts to Las Vegas. With Arizona, Arizona State, BYU and Utah entering the conference it would make sense to play there on occasion.

I would be fine with that.

Some have floated the idea of playing the Big 12 Tournament in Brooklyn or New York. I hate that idea. But I could get behind Kansas City in most years and Las Vegas in others.

It has never bothered me that the Big 12 Tournament is located in Missouri.

Yes, the Tigers are now in the SEC. But Kansas City is still an incredibly important city for the Big 12. You don’t want to stop hosting events there and declare it SEC country with KU, K-State and Iowa State all nearby. Why not remind Mizzou about what they are missing out on every single year?

Besides, what is the alternative?

I suppose you could move the Big 12 Tournament to Wichita or Phoenix or Des Moines. I mean, I’m all for Wichita getting a shot, but I’m guessing most would prefer Kansas City to any of those destinations.