Episode 88: TexAgs' Olin Buchanan

Olin Buchanan of TexAgs.com tries to explain why such a talented team ended up in Houston after yet another disappointing second half of the season.

Episode 87: Nick Leckey

The former Kansas State All-American returns to talk with us to evaluate this season, talk about bowl preparation, and look ahead to next year’s Wildcats.

Episode 86: The Lewiston Tribune's Theo Lawson

Wazzu beat writer Theo Lawson tells us how the underdog Cougars might challenge Kansas State in KC on Saturday.

Episode 85: Frogs O'War's Melissa Triebwasser

Our friend from TCU joins the podcast to discuss Saturday’s game and the similarities between the programs and coaches.

Episode 84: KMAN's John Kurtz

John Kurtz, the sports director at KMAN, generously took some time out of his busy schedule to tell Derek and I if we should be extra-worried about Kansas on Saturday (LOL) before discussing whether we can learn anything from K-State basketball's first three games.

Episode 83: Matthew Tennant of Our Daily Bears

Along with an analysis of Saturday's game, we delved deep into all the issues going on at Baylor after their appalling offseason scandal.

Episode 82: Joel Jellison

The football team’s getting a much-needed Saturday off, so Manhattan Mercury beat writer Joel Jellison joined us to talk basketball. He gave us a few reasons why K-State could beat the Big 12 coaches’ projection of 9th place, but also acknowledged that could be about right. Freshman Xavier Sneed and Isaiah Maurice could contribute right away, plus D.J. Johnson should be more helpful now that he’s back to 100%.

Of course, Kamau Stokes, Barry Brown and Dean Wade all bring back significant questions, and the biggest concern of all might be the man on the bench. We talked about Bruce’s future, notably what he needs to do to keep his job at Kansas State. He might want to learn a few things about recruiting from women’s basketball coach Jeff Mittie, who keeps luring top players to Manhattan. Listen to the end and you’ll hear Joel’s quick preview of Mittie’s team this season. Spoiler Alert: They should be good.

Be sure to read Joel’s work at The Mercury’s website and follow him on Twitter at Joel_Jellison.

Episode 81: Kyle Boone of Pistols Firing Blog

Yes, it’s true. Luke is gone this week. But I (clumsily) took over podcast hosting duties for the week and had fun talking with Kyle Boone about the Mason Rudolph to James Washington connection, Cowboy true-freshman phenom Justice Hill, Oklahoma State’s sneaky-good defense and special teams, the new 1945 National Champions and of course, Mike Gundy’s mullet and why he decided to rename the tight end position.

Kyle was a great guest, and if you enjoyed him here, you can catch him on Twitter @k_boonie or @TheOkiePokie or see any of his fine work over at Pistols Firing.

Episode 80: CyHawk

It must take a good sense of humor to be an Iowa State fan, or maybe it’s just a requirement to write for Wide Right Natty Lite. Seriously, check out their story on Bill Snyder’s quest to become the first person alive for all three Cubs World Series titles. Either way, Bracket and I were happy to welcome CyHawk to the podcast to help us break down the Cyclones heading into Saturday’s game.

Of course, we also assessed the early work and future prospects of first-year coach Matt Campbell, who will try to break the odd spell Bill Snyder seems to have put on ISU to let them get so close and yet so far from winning each and every year. Finally, we gave the two schools some great ideas for the trophy Farmageddon so richly deserves.

Be sure to check out the work of CyHawk and others at WRNL and you can follow him on Twitter at @CyHawkWRNL.

Episode 79: Ian Boyd

Excellent college football writer and Longhorns analyst Ian Boyd joined the podcast, and he told Derek and I why Kansas State's rushing game could be in for a big day on Saturday. But he's also expecting the Texas offense to do well with freshman quarterback Shane Buechele and its powerful running backs, led by D'Onta Foreman. Clearly, Jesse Ertz's status should play a huge factor.

Of course, we also took some time to talk about Charlie Strong, why he hasn't found more success, and his future with the program. It's safe to say Ian isn't particularly impressed, but he also acknowledged some of the unique difficulties for any coach at the University of Texas.

Be sure to check out Ian's work at SB Nation, Football Outsiders and Inside Texas, where he'll have a free game preview you'll want to read up later this week. You can also follow Ian on Twitter at @Ian_A_Boyd.

Episode 78: The Oklahoman's Ryan Aber

Kansas State will try to continue its improbable two-game winning streak in Norman Saturday morning, so The Oklahoman’s Ryan Aber graciously joined Bracket Cat and I to discuss the matchup in this week’s podcast. He gave us an honest assessment of all the concerns with this year’s OU team and why it almost certainly already missed its chance to live up to expectations, from an injury-depleted defense and offensive line to a lack of firepower needed to make up for all the great players lost season.

Make no mistake, though, these Sooners are still very good, and Ryan believes they could keep getting better with playmakers like tailback Samaje Perine and Dede Westbrook returning to full health. Looking even further into the future, Ryan thinks OU could be poised for a resurgence thanks to some strong recruiting classes, and we even talked a little about expansion.

So have a listen, and don’t forget you can check out Ryan’s work at The Oklahoman’s website and follow him on Twitter at @ryaber.

Episode 77: Seth Jungman of Staking the Plains

We brought back Derek Smith and turned to the founder of Texas Tech blog Staking the Plains to try and learn more about why the Red Raiders consistently undermine one of the nation’s best offenses with one of its worst defenses. This year is certainly no different, and Seth offers some reasonable theories for the conundrum, but there are no easy solutions. He’s also worried the offense could take a step back without quarterback Pat Mahomes, who looks like a long shot at best to play on Saturday in Manhattan.

Despite the annual frustrations, Seth tells us why Kliff Kingsbury deserves some more time and doesn’t really fit the perception of hip, young coach bursting with swag. It’s not as if he’s on the verge of a breakthrough in his fourth season, but there’s still some evidence to believe it could happen eventually in Lubbock.

Finally, we made some predictions. They were not made with a lot of confidence. Don’t forget to check out Seth’s work at Staking the Plains, as well as this fantastic game poster one of his friends made for the site. You can also follow him on Twitter at @SethC_J.

Episode 76: The Smoking Musket's David Smith

We also talked a little about Holgo’s future and those of you who have listened to our podcasts with David before won’t be surprised to learn we got a bit off topic at times. Other subjects included David’s hatred of all things Virginia Tech, wondering what the hell Baylor is thinking, Bruce Weber, and even a brief mention of hockey. David also promised moonshine to any K-State fans brave enough to visit The Smoking Musket tailgate this Saturday (I can recommend this from experience) so if you want to take him up on that offer, just let us know in the comments. Don’t forget to check out the work of David and others, including their podcast, over at The Smoking Musket. You can also follow them on Twitter at @SmokingMusket or follow David at @smithfire13.

Episode 75: Nick Leckey

Esteemed editor emeritus TB joined the podcast this week for the opportunity to talk with Nick Leckey, one of the most accomplished Kansas State players both at the college level and in the NFL. After a six-year career he's living in Kansas City and keeping close tabs on his alma mater, who he believes could win at least 10 games this season. Sure, Nick has some concerns, largely with the offense and special teams, after the loss at Stanford, but he's optimistic this team could grow into a contender with the Big 12 looking as down as it's been in quite some time.

We also spoke more generally about Bill Snyder's offensive philosophies, and why K-State's refusal to follow everyone else by running an uptempo spread offense pays dividends but also causes some frustration. Be sure to keep listening to hear a couple of stories about Drew Brees chiding Nick and finally, his thoughts on whether a Bill Snyder retirement is looming.

Editor’s note: For the first 7 minutes or so of this podcast you’ll hear some extra feedback while Nick is talking because there was a stack of papers under my laptop. I took them out and it gets better, I promise.

Episode 74: Junction City Daily Union sports editor Derek Smith

If you thought we weren’t going to give you a season preview podcast, well, we’ve got a surprise for you. While everyone is still healthy and before Stanford puts a dent in our hopes and dreams, we talked to our old buddy Derek Smith, the sports editor at the Junction City Daily Union. I’d like to think we took a long, rational look at Kansas State’s team and how this season might play out.

Stick around to the end and you’ll even hear some predictions on how the rest of the Big 12 will shake out this season. But in case you don’t get there, please be aware we are accepting requests for podcast guests over the next 3 weeks when the opponents are either nonexistent or so bad it’s not worth dedicating an entire podcast to them.

Episode 73: Rule of Tree's Jack Blanchat

At long last, we're just three days away from the season opener at Stanford. Most of you probably know explosive running back Christian McCaffrey, but to learn more about the Cardinal we brought on Rule of Tree managing editor Jack Blanchat. He told Bracket Cat and I all about how Ryan Burns won the starting QB job, why Kansas State might be able to run against this front seven led by defensive end Solomon Thomas, and what could happen if the 'Cats don't keep a close eye on senior wide receiver Michael Rector.

We also learned Stanford fans spoke openly of dropping down from Division I football in the not-too-distant past. But Jim Harbaugh came in to save the day and David Shaw has kept it going, providing exactly what the Cardinal needed. Stick around towards the end of this podcast to hear Bracket's take on why Stanford's situation reminds him of Kansas State in some ways and a prediction on Bill Snyder's future. We also spent some time analyzing the 'Cats personnel, although you'll also want to check back for a season preview podcast later this week.

You can read much more about Stanford from Jack and others at Rule of Tree, and be sure to follow him on Twitter at @jackblanchat.

Episode 72: Kansas State soccer coach Mike Dibbini

The podcast is finally back from hiatus, and before we get into football, we wanted to talk about the newest program at Kansas State. Soccer coach Mike Dibbini graciously called in to tell us about his team, which kicked off its season last weekend by scoring its first goal in a 3-1 loss at St. Louis and earning its first point with a 0-0 draw at SIU Edwardsville. My little sister and three-time Big 12 soccer champion at Oklahoma State Ellen Glasgow also joined us to talk about what this means for soccer players in Kansas, and coach Dibbini told us about his plans for growing the program.

K-State plays its home opener Sept. 16 vs. Northern Iowa during "Wildcat Weekend" and standing room only tickets are still available. Football starts its home slate the next day against Florida Atlantic, and tickets to the following Saturday's game against Missouri State will earn you $3 tickets to soccer games against Oral Roberts on Friday and South Dakota on Sunday. If you haven't already, you can get involved now by joining the Founders Club at either the $50, $100 or $1,000 membership level. The 'Cats will head north this weekend to play at Oakland (Mich.) on Friday at 6 p.m. and at Central Michigan on Sunday at noon.

You can keep up with the team on Twitter at @KStateSOC and follow @CoachDibbini for more updates.

Episode 71: The K-State Collegian's Tim Everson (feat. Jon Morse!)

K-State Collegian sports editor recently wrote a column titled "The Death of the K-State family" and if you haven't read it yet, you should do that immediately. We were so impressed with his eloquent summation of how K-State fans feel that we decided him to come back on the podcast and give us some more insight from an insider in Manhattan on the many issues currently facing the athletic administration, notably the Weber situation and Schulz's departure.

The big boss Jon Morse dropped by to offer his insights as well, so this is definitely a podcast you won't want to miss. We even talked a little football, because spring practices start soon, you know.

Be sure to follow Tim on Twitter at @IamTimEverson and check out his work at the Collegian.

Episode 70: The Mercury's Joel Jellison

If you want some help preparing for the tournament, or maybe when you're getting tired of all the commercials, take a listen to our Kansas State basketball post-mortem with The Mercury's Joel Jellison on this week's podcast. We began by taking a look at some progress as well as some negatives -- and we didn't even talk about the 'Cats' awful 3-point shooting.

From there, we went on to analyze Bruce's future, the possibility of K-State (or anyone else) hiring Brad Underwood and what the 2016-17 Wildcats recruiting class might look like. Finally, we offered some thoughts and predictions for the Big 12 in the NCAA tournament. Basically, trust the Jayhawks, Sooners and Bears, but be wary of Cyclones and Mountaineers.

As always, you can read Joel's work at The Mercury's website and follow him on Twitter at @Joel_Jellison.

Episode 69: The Des Moines Register's Danny Lawhon

Kansas State will make another trip to Ames on Saturday, so Eric Rubottom and I spent some time chatting with Danny Lawhon of the Des Moines Register about what he's seen from Iowa State this season. Basically, there are no obvious answers as to why the Cyclones have done things like beat Kansas and Oklahoma at home as well as lose in Ames to Northern Iowa and lose on the road at Texas Tech. But the loss of Naz Long and some troubles with Jameel McKay certainly have contributed.

If you've paid attention to Eric's analysis over the last few weeks you won't be surprised at all to hear how Danny believes Iowa State might attack the Wildcats, but you'll also be pleased to know the Cyclones don't have many guys willing to attack the basket on a regular basis. Naturally, we took a little break from looking at this weekend's matchup to assess Bruce Weber's job so far and his future going forward.

Be sure to check out the great work of Danny and others at the Des Moines Register, especially their Cyclone Insider section. You can also follow Danny on Twitter at @dannylawhon.

Episode 68: The KC Star's Jesse Newell

I don't often enjoy talking about Kansas basketball for extended periods of time, but I found an exception in this week's podcast with KC Star beat writer Jesse Newell (formerly of the Topeka Capital-Journal) our own Gracey Terrill, who did just fine in her Bring on the Podcast debut. It was almost like she's done this before or something.

We discussed the inexplicable hex KU has over the rest of the league to make everything go its way if a Big 12 title ever looks in doubt, and that was before Oklahoma lost in Lubbock. Jesse also talked a little about how K-State could exploit KU's weaknesses on Saturday and possibly extend Bruce Weber's stunning win streak to three games. Finally, we covered KU's "classiness," Brennan Greene's dunk, and other important issues.

Have a listen and be sure to check out Jesse's work at kansascity.com or kansas.com (The Wichita Eagle). You can also follow him on Twitter @JesseNewell.

Episode 67: Jordan Esco of The Football Brainiacs

I'm keeping this intro short because there aren't a whole lot of great things to say about this basketball team right now, other than the fact that they're fighting hard and playing competitively against much more talented teams. They'll face another one Saturday with Oklahoma, so The Football Brainiacs managing editor Jordan Esco returned to the podcast to talk with BracketCat and I about that game, as well as some thoughts on Signing Day for Oklahoma, Kansas State and the Big 12 in general. Have a listen for some valuable insights.

Keep in mind you can read Jordan's work here and you can follow him on Twitter @Jordan_Esco.

Episode 66: Cowboys Ride For Free's Gerald Tracy III

Perhaps the most important thing to know about this podcast is that it was recorded Tuesday morning, before Oklahoma State stunned Kansas in an 86-67 rout at Gallagher-Iba. Needless to say, Cowboys Ride For Free managing editor Gerald Tracy III would probably have been more optimistic had he know that would happen. He did not, though, and as a result we tried to figure out which offense is worse, what weapons OSU might have, and how the Cowboys are struggling to replace Phil Forte.

Naturally, we also discussed Travis Ford and his job status, which is another thing that may have changed considerably after his third straight win over Kansas in Stillwater. Finally, we talked about who might be able to at last knock the Jayhawks off their annoying perch atop the Big 12. Be sure to check out all the great content at CRFF, and you can follow Gerald @GeraldTracyIII.

Episode 65: Arkansas Fight's Doc Harper

Arkansas Fight editor Doc Harper joins me as the podcast returns from a December hiatus to preview K-State's difficult Liberty Bowl matchup against the Razorbacks. I'm not sure whether it was just Southern hospitality or if he's legitimately nervous about the long layover, but Doc was very cautious in his optimism despite the November dominance of Arkansas' offense. We also discussed some ways K-State could exploit the Hogs' defense, but much of it involved accurate passing, so that could be a problem.

Of course, we also talked some about our old friend Bret Bielema, and what he's done well in Fayetteville. The future remains somewhat vague, but it's clear he definitely has a future at Arkansas. Finally, we took a look at the SEC-Big 12 matchups this bowl season, including last night's LSU-Texas Tech game since we recorded this podcast Tuesday morning, as well as a potential OU-Alabama national championship.

You can check out Doc's work at the site listed above, and also give him a follow on Twitter at @Doc_Harper.

Episode 64: The Smoking Musket's David Smith

If you can make your way through random tangents on the sons of rappers, weather and probably some other stuff, David Smith provided KSUEMAW! and I with some valuable insight on what to expect when watching Kansas State host West Virginia on Senior Day this Saturday. Oddly enough, the Mountaineers have relied on defense and a good running game to win 7 of 11 games, including the last four, even those Dana Holgorsen is allegedly still the head coach.

We also talked briefly about basketball, and David told us how West Virginia is adapting to life without Juwan Staten and officials actually calling fouls against the Mountaineers' press. Sadly, Bob Huggins seems to be doing just fine, although we'll really find out when West Virginia comes to town on Dec. 8. As always, you can read work from David at The Smoking Musket and his Twitter handle is SmithFire13. I'd highly recommend a follow.

Episode 63: Tod Palmer of the KC Star

After that football game, you're probably looking for a way to relax and come down off an unexpected high, and you might even still be too drunk from when K-State had lost to read more than a few sentences strung together. We're here to help with a special early basketball podcast to get you ready for the Kansas State-Missouri showdown Monday at the CBE Classic in Kansas City. Feel free to just skip ahead and press play.

Missouri and K-State basketball have a lot in common these days, and much of it is not good. Suspensions, transfers, bad offense, and of course, plenty of losing have marred the last year for both programs, but there's reason for optimism in Columbia and Manhattan. First-time guest host Eric Rubottom (TheBigE) talks about it with me from the K-State perspective, while the KC Star's Tod Palmer discusses the Mizzou side.

He also helped us break down Monday's matchup, discussed Kim Anderson's future and briefly touched on all the madness happening at Mizzou. Finally, we switched to a much happier subject as Tod told us about his experience covering the Royals this fall and what it was like to be at perhaps the largest gathering in Kansas City history. You can read Tod's work on the KC Star's website and follow him on Twitter @TodPalmer.

Episode 62: WRNL's KnowDan

Iowa State and Kansas State have a lot in common this season. Losing records, an inability to hold onto a second-half lead against Oklahoma State, and some nearly inexplicable offensive playcalling, among other things. KnowDan from the great Wide Right Natty Lite heard plenty of familiar complaints in a frustrated rant from our own BracketCat, which even included the suggestion that if the rest of November goes poorly, John Currie might suggest to Bill Snyder the time has come to hand over the reins once again.

The situation is a little different in Ames, where KnowDan says only a ridiculous contract would keep Paul Rhoads at the helm after a third straight dismal season and even that might not be enough. These Cyclones have some talent, including a talented wide receiving corps KnowDan says must be taken seriously. He also noted K-State should be able to run to the outside on the Iowa State defense, which probably means it won't be attempted. You know, because they'll be expecting that.

Really, this podcast just features a lot of mutual commiserating until we get to the basketball section at the end, so be prepared for somewhat of a damper on your day. Sorry. Hopefully you'll still enjoy it in some way, and thanks for listening. Be sure to follow KnowDan on Twitter at @WRNLKnowDan and as a programming note, we might not have a podcast during Thanksgiving week. Stay tuned, and we'll definitely be back to preview the season finale against West Virginia.

Episode 61: Matt Wilson

It's always a blast when we talk with Our Daily Bears part-time contributor Matt Wilson, and this week was no exception. Along with KSUEmaw, we rehashed the loss against Baylor without getting into any fights, then moved on to this Saturday's game at Texas Tech. Matt believes Kansas State can win, though admittedly Lubbock can be a scary place to play. For the record, we did not give Dudebro credit for a victory over TCU in 2013, his only Big 12 win against teams other than Kansas, Iowa State and West Virginia.

While Matt showed he's fully capable of dropping knowledge and sharing valuable insight, the best reason for you to listen to this podcast is probably to enjoy his wit and pure sports hate when it comes to things like TCU and the College Football Playoff committee. You can also learn why he's terrified of Baylor's game at Oklahoma State, what he liked about Duke Shelley, and how we all feel about McDonald's and Taco Bell.

As always, be sure to go read stuff from all the great folks at Our Daily Bears and follow Matt on Twitter @mattisbear.

Episode 60: The Wichita Eagle/KC Star's Kellis Robinett

Doom and gloom is inevitable following an 0-4 start in Big 12 play destined to become 0-5 following a home game against the No. 2 team in the country this Thursday night. But the Wichita Eagle/KC Star's Kellis Robinett reminds us while the way we got here might be surprising and incredibly disappointing, the record really isn't even when you consider the roster Kansas State had at the beginning of the year. In fact, he predicted an 0-5 start, but that doesn't mean the 'Cats can't still finish the season strong and make a bowl game.

Kellis also agreed it's premature to talk about Bill Snyder's potential retirement anytime soon, even if the playcalling this season has been suspect at times. The bigger problem is the personnel, particularly in the passing game, and Kellis believes Alex Delton could be an acceptable answer at quarterback. We also touched on what might keep Baylor from a total rout and had a brief discussion about Kansas State basketball at the end of the podcast.

If you enjoy Kellis's valuable insights into the program, you can find more at the websites of either The Wichita Eagle or The Kansas City Star. You can also follow him on Twitter @kellisrobinett.

Note: Just to clear up any confusion, please be aware this podcast was recorded last Wednesday, which is significantly further in advance than usual. Fortunately, not a lot has changed, but there are some references to news that broke early last week, and Iowa State looks like it may be a more formidable foe than expected.

Episode 59: The Mercury's Joel Jellison

These are dark times for Kansas State football, so rather than spend some more time rehashing all the Wildcats' problems, we brought on our friend Joel Jellison to talk about basketball. He broke down what little we know about all the K-State newcomers and what roles they might play for a team doing everything it can to keep last season in the past.

We also talked about new roles for returners Wesley Iwundu and Justin Edwards, as well as what we can expect from D.J. Johnson when he finally gets back on the court. The exhibition schedule begins Friday against Emporia State at Bramlage Coliseum, and Joel says many obstacles await in a difficult nonconference schedule. Ideally, the 'Cats will stay together and be much better by the time they get to conference play, where Joel says they'll find a Big 12 just as good, if not better than a year ago.

Be sure to check out Joel's work at The Mercury's website and if you're not already following him on Twitter, you can fix that by finding him @joel_jellison.

Episode 58: Barking Carnival's nobis60

After all the hand-wringing and possibly a little crying that went on last weekend, we tried to laugh a little and mostly stay focused on the next Saturday rather than the previous one in this week's podcast. Fortunately, nobis60 from Barking Carnival made it easy, providing Bracket Cat and I with some humor as well as valuable insight on how Texas' offense might attack the 'Cats, why the Longhorns' defense has made such drastic improvements, and much more.

We also compared Ron Prince to Steve Patterson, entertained the idea of putting Collin Klein on the field, and laughed at the special teams ineptitude of Michigan and the Indianapolis Colts this past weekend. Have a listen and don't forget to check out the great work at Barking Carnival, including Scipio Tex's smart preview of Kansas State and the "Hump Day Nooner" with Jon Morse.

Episode 57: The Oklahoman's Jason Kersey

OU beat writer Jason Kersey of The Oklahoman was just as confused as everyone else last Saturday when Texas stunned Oklahoma 24-17 at the Cotton Bowl. Even though the Sooners haven't lost back-to-back regular season games since 1999, Jason tells us Bracket and I on this week's podcast that this team might not have that same resiliency, and even Bob Stoops' power over his former mentor may be waning after two losses in three years, both in Norman.

A struggling offensive line and a shaky defense lacking in individual talent appear to be the biggest weaknesses for OU, who Jason said could be in danger of another 4-5 loss season if things don't change. That's all a little jarring for the folks in Norman, so the calls for Stoops to leave keep getting a little louder. How close he actually is to retirement is up for debate, and Jason offers us some thoughts on Stoops' future.

Be sure to give Jason a friendly hello if you see him in Manhattan this weekend. You can read his work at The Oklahoman and feel free to follow him on Twitter at @jasonkersey. He also has his own podcast, called The Non-Fiction Writers available on iTunes. His most recent guest was noted Kansas State beat writer Kellis Robinett of the KC Star and Wichita Eagle.

Episode 56: CoachMelissa of Frogs O'War

Some TCU bloggers might have just spent a podcast laughing in our faces and boasting about all the reasons why the Horned Frogs' offense is likely to crush the Wildcats for the second straight year. But fortunately, our guest coachmelissa from SB Nation site Frogs O'War took a levelheaded approach and even expressed some concern about going into Manhattan to face the genius of Bill Snyder. Of course, she also acknowledged TCU has an obscene amount of weapons to more than cover for an injury-depleted defense that just might be getting better anyway.

We also talked about Trevone Boykin's Heisman chances, TCU's national championship hopes, and why Melissa and her fellow fans are starting to feel right at home in the Big 12. Hopefully we'll all get to hang out for a while. Just don't put her in the same room with any Baylor fans. Feel free to give her a follow on Twitter at @TheCoachMelissa.