Game 1: Eastern Kentucky

The Colonels come into Manhattan for the first game of the year for a 6p kickoff. Their starting QB options... 2 true freshmen. Good luck with all of that.

A nearly sold out BSFS will be nuts and hungry to see their Cats start the season. In attendance, me and my 7 year old daughter. She'll be yelling along with me when EKU has the ball.

What's going to happen in the game: Collin Klien will look like a damn good QB throwing for 3 TDs and running in 2 more. K-State's RBs (Pease, Brown, Hubert, Rose) will score 4 total TDs (not saying who will get how many b/c who knows how much PT these guys are going to have).

I see a punt return for TD happening as well.

Defense will look nothing like the 2010 defense. Partly b/c of the Colonels, but partly b/c their going to be improved.

FINAL SCORE: Kansas State 55, Easten Kentucky 9

2011 Season Prediction Time (in %)

The % represents the percent chance the Cats have at winning the game.

Eastern Kentucky: 100%
Kent State: 98%
Miami: 50%
Baylor: 60%
Missouri: 45%
Texas Tech: 60%
Kansas: 95%
Oklahoma: 15%
Oklahoma State: 20%
Texas A&M: 65%
Texas: 65%
Iowa State: 90%

So you see, there are 4 gimmees (EK, KSU, KU and ISU). With home games against Baylor, MU, OU, aTm and ISU (already counted as a W), the Cats will win 2 out of 4 of those.

So that gets the Cats to a 6 win mark.

Can they beat OSU down in Stillwater. No. Can they beat UT in Austin. Yes. Can they beat Miami in Florida. Yes. Can they beat Teas Tech down in Lubbock. Yes.

Cats go 8-4 this year.

Quarterbacks 2011

Collin Klein, Sammy Lamur and Justin Tuggle. That's the choices the coaching staff has for the QB's in 2011 (I am counting Daniel Sams to redshirt).

While I saw Collin Klein do fairly well in 2010 (of course there was the Texas win with Klein running all over the Longhorn defense), here's to hoping that he does some good things in 2011. I thought early on in the Colorado game in Boulder he did some nice things throwing the ball (until injury happened).

He has some great size and speed, but I have yet to be really impressed with his passing skills, or more to the point, being able to read a defense whilst under pressure. People can point out that in the spring game he threw the ball nicely, but take in consideration he was facing the 2nd team defense (and that 2nd team defense would be beat by Washburn's offense).

SLamur is never going to be K-State's QB, so let's get this out of the way. That is unless Klein and Tuggle get injured (please no).

While Tuggle had the spring to get a start on the K-State offense, that's really not a whole lot of time to determine what he can or can't do. I'm really hoping that he steps up and pushes Klein to be a better QB, or pushes past Klein.

GRADE: C+

*FINAL: I see Klein as the #1 QB throughout the year. He'll struggle throwing the ball, but run the zone read quite well.