A strange feeling overcame me as I watched K-State beat Rutgers 44-41 in the Rate Bowl on Thursday night. I didn’t care whether the team won or lost. I don’t recall ever feeling that numb when watching a K-State game. K-State got behind 34-17 and I thought, “Who cares?” The Wildcats came back to take the lead and I thought, “Who cares?” The final whistle blew and I thought, “Who cares?” Don’t get me wrong, it is great that they won the game, but it was a meaningless game against an average opponent that, in the grand scheme of things, doesn’t mean anything.

That said, there were positive things that happened for K-State. Quarterback Avery Johnson played pretty well, throwing for 195 yards with three touchdowns and an interception and rushing for 57 yards and a touchdown. The running backs looked fantastic. Dylan Edwards set a K-State bowl record with 196 yards rushing with two touchdowns on the ground and one through the air, and Joe Jackson ran for 50 yards, averaging 7.1 yards per carry. The K-State backfield for 2025 looks explosive. That is exciting.

The question going into 2025 is the defense. It was porous most of the first half, allowing Rutgers to gain 319 yards by halftime. The Wildcats were without Jacob Parrish, but almost everyone else on the 2024 defense played in the game. This defense has plenty to work on going into the 2025 season. I hope they can find some help and depth in the transfer portal to get better.

With the win, K-State joined Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, and Oregon as the Power 4 teams to win nine games for the third straight season. That is quite an accomplishment, but in his post-game press conference, Chris Klieman chided those calling this season disappointing, talking about how hard it is to win. Well, based on preseason expectations, the season WAS disappointing. K-State was picked as one of the favorites to win the Big 12, and they finished in eighth place. I think that is why a lot of people would call the season a disappointing one. The Wildcats may be one of the favorites to win the league again in 2025, and Klieman should embrace those expectations instead of scolding K-State fans for having high expectations for the program. Winning nine games is great, but can we not settle for it? I’m getting sick of K-State’s coaches castigating fans for not attending games in enough numbers or for being critical of the players and programs. You make millions of dollars and your starting quarterback drives around campus in a purple Corvette. Get off the fans’ backs.

My “way too early” prediction for the 2025 Wildcats is that they will once again contend for the Big 12. If they can fill in some pieces on defense through the portal and find some quality depth, they have a good shot at winning it. I will have a better feel for what they can do once the roster is complete, but winning nine games should be the minimum expectation for 2025.