Are Kansas State overpriced to claim success in the Big 12 Championship game?
The Big 12 conference has been associated with the dominance of the Oklahoma Sooners for many years, but that could all be about to change.
The Sooners failed to reach the Big 12 Championship game last season for the first time since 2009 and there has been a switch in philosophies at the Norman-based university, with former Clemson assistant head coach Brent Venables taking the reins in Oklahoma.
While the Sooners are a talented side, their full focus may not be on the Big 12 conference. Oklahoma will be joining the SEC soon with the college pushing for their entry into the conference as early as next year.
Venables may need a year to fully settle in his new role as well and while he does know what he’s doing, it there could be a few hiccups this year while he adjusts to the new position.
The Sooners are the current favourites to win the Big 12 Championship, currently holding odds of +180, but is there better value to be found in the conference after the first two weeks?
Step forward the Kansas State Wildcats.
Chris Klieman has put in three solid seasons as head coach, putting up two winning campaigns of 8-5 in 2019 and 2021 as well as leading the Wildcats to success over a weaking LSU side in the Texas Bowl.
There are areas that Kansas State need to improve in their game, but if there is a year to cause an upset in the Big 12 conference, it’s this year.
The Sooners are in a rebuilding year as earlier mentioned and their focuses could be elsewhere this year, while Texas are inconsistent at the best of times.
The Wildcats may have lost five conference games last year, but they were relatively close games and if they can overturn those tight losses into successes this year, they stand a chance of reaching the Championship game.
They have recruited smartly over the offseason, bringing in the experienced dual-threat QB Adrian Martinez. He might not hold the throwing capabilities that previous starter Skylar Thompson had (Martinez had only registered 154 passing yards to two starts so far), but his rushing game is strong and he has averaged around 2,000 passing yards a season for his former school, Nebraska.
The Wildcats hold a price of +1200 to win the Big 12 Championship and while they will need a few things to go their way, they could well be in the hunt if they can overcome Oklahoma on the road in Week 4.
