From The Couch – Growing Pains or a Big Problem?

October 11, 2026 Joe Mathieu Comments 1 comment

That is the question I keep mulling over in my mind after watching K-State football get dismantled by the Houston Cougars 35 to 16 on Saturday afternoon. Sadly, the game wasn’t as close as the score indicated. I don’t think this can be completely explained away by saying “Collin Klein is a first-year head coach, he doesn’t have his players in the program yet, he is learning as he goes, etc.” I knew there would be growing pains as a first-year head coach and I knew there were deficiencies on this team, but I didn’t expect this team to be obliterated by an above average Houston team. It’s the obliteration part that worries me. How does Collin Klein fix this? He doesn’t have the budget to spend on players that many of the programs in the top 25 do (allegedly), but there is a more important question. How does he, or CAN he, fix it THIS YEAR to salvage the season that could spiral out of control if he doesn’t get a handle on it?

I watched the end of the Oklahoma/Texas game after the K-State game was over and then I watched Alabama/Georgia. The talent disparity between those four teams and K-State and Houston is as wide as the Grand Canyon. Georgia would beat K-State by 50 and they would beat Houston by 30. I don’t know how you close that gap. Honestly, I don’t think it can be done in the current climate of college football. That makes me sad to think about. It was 14 years ago that K-State was ranked number one in the country. In 2026, that is a pipe dream. Bill Snyder was able do it within the rules at the time that everyone was supposed to abide by. He was able to find unique ways to recruit talent, and it helped that he was the best college football coach I have ever seen. This isn’t an indictment of Collin Klein, but I doubt that feat will ever be repeated at K-State. My opinion is always subject to change, but that’s the way I see it at the moment.

Here are a few of the stats from the game yesterday:

-Houston outgained K-State on the ground 233 yards to 117 yards. You’re not going to win many, if any, games giving up that many rushing yards. The defensive line is a huge problem that will not likely be fixed until next season.
-Houston had 242 passing yards to 182 for K-State. That’s 475 total yards for Houston and 299 for K-State.
-Houston tight end Patrick Overmyer had eight catches for 83 yards and four touchdowns. The K-State defense couldn’t cover the guy. For some comic relief, check out his fourth touchdown on the day. The only person near him in his way was the referee….