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The college football offseason is almost over as we are into July. The season will get going in about a month and a half, and college football fans everywhere are eager for the new beginning. College football fever is rampant across the country as we get closer to the season, but also because of the new EA Sports NCAA 25 video game that will be coming out in mid July. All in all, it's an exciting time to be a college football fan, and one fan base that is excited for the season is Kansas State football fans. The Wildcats have a big season ahead of them.
This college football season is going to be a big one for a number of reasons. The sport is going through big changes, and some of those changes are going to be seen for the first time this season. Let's take a look at what some of them are.
First off, there are going to be some new rules seen this year in college football, and some fans aren't really in favor of them. Perhaps the biggest change is the addition of the two-minute warning. Fans have already started getting sick at all of the commercials that are happening in today's era of college football, and the two-minute warning is another way for tv networks to get more commercial times in.
The bigger changes, however, come with conference realignment and the expanded College Football Playoff. College football is going to look completely different next year because of those two things. California schools playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference? Yeah, things are changing.
Conference realignment has shaken things up big time in college football. The power five is no longer a thing as the Pac-12 is essentially dead. Every team left for a new conference except for Oregon State and Washington State. Those two teams have scheduling alliances with the Mountain West.
Every other Pac-12 school found a new home. Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State are now in the Big 12. Oregon, Oregon State, USC and UCLA joined the Big Ten. Lastly, Cal and Stanford joined the ACC (makes a ton of sense, right?).
The other big change with conferences comes in the SEC. Oklahoma and Texas are both leaving the Big 12 and they will join the SEC. The Big Ten and the SEC are loaded with good teams and seem on the verge of forming two super conferences.
This season, we will also see 12 teams make the College Football Playoff. For about a month, the College Football Playoff will be happening. Some people aren't in favor of the big expansion, but there will be more marquee college football games, and it's hard to be too upset about that.
All in all, this is going to be one of the biggest college football seasons of all time. The game is changing, and this is the start of a new era.
Kansas State football is a contender in the Big 12
The Kansas State football team had a solid season in 2023 as they ended up finishing 9-4. The Wildcats finished with an 8-4 record in the regular season and then went on to defeat NC State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl to get win number nine. Kansas State was close to making it into the Big 12 championship game last season as Oklahoma State got in with a 7-2 conference record, and the Wildcats finished with a 6-3 conference record. They had a solid year, but this season, they are hoping to take the next step and find a way into the conference championship game.
The Big 12 is pretty open this season now that Texas and Oklahoma are out of the conference, and Kansas State is expected to be one of the best teams. The competition isn't going to be very stiff as the favorite in the conference is Utah and there could very well be no preseason top-10 teams from the Big 12. This season is a good opportunity for a team like Kansas State to make a run at the Big 12 title.
Kansas State does have to replace their quarterback as Will Howard has transferred over to Ohio State, but other than that, the Wildcats are returning a good amount from last season. They are expected to have a good year in the Big 12. Here are two returning players that will be crucial for the team's success.
DJ Giddens, RB
Running back DJ Giddens might just be the most important player on this Kansas State football team. Giddens had a massive 2023 season as he exploded for over 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he seems poised for another big year this season. Last year, the Wildcats had an experienced quarterback in Will Howard who was a good passing QB. This year, they are breaking in a first-time starter, and there's a chance that there are some growing pains at first. This offense might need to rely on the run game a lot, and Giddens is a good guy to have if that does end up being the case.
Avery Johnson, QB
Speaking of that first-time starter… Avery Johnson has looked good in limited time for Kansas State football, and he was a top-100 recruit. All signs point to him being a capable QB this year, but who knows. Most QBs have some struggles when they start for a power five college football team for the first time. Still, Avery Johnson is the QB, so he is obviously one of the most important players on this team. Having DJ Giddens alongside him should take some weight off his shoulders, and hopefully for Wildcats fans, Johnson should be able to get acclimated quickly.
They're a lot of other returning players for Kansas State football that have actually played in starting roles, but because of the importance of the QB position, Johnson is a critical returner this year. While he hasn't been the starter yet, he has shown a lot of upside. Even if things don't get off to a perfect start, he should go on to have a successful college football career.
