No. 5 Auburn (2-0) @ No. 20 Kansas State
(2-0), Thursday, 7:30pm ET, ESPN/WatchESPN
Line: Auburn -9, O/U: 64.5
This is a
huge game for both teams and raises a lot of questions. Can K State come out
with an upset in the biggest game to come to the Little Apple in 40 years? Can
Auburn avoid a letdown game against an under the radar Kansas State team? It is
tough to decide which game this will go but the first thing I can say is it
will be closer than the nine point spread.
Auburn has looked
good so far this season against lesser opponents. It doesn’t look like it has
missed a beat in the rushing attack ranking 7th in the country
averaging 330 yards per game. Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant have combined
for nearly 500 yards and five scores and keep this offense on balance. Nick
Marshall is the engineer of the offense and looks like he is getting back to
his 2013 form. The Tigers as always are looking to run the ball downhill and
that is going to be what they need to do to be successful in this game. The
Tiger defense has been pretty average so far allowing 323 yards a game, but is
21st in the country allowing just 17 points per contest.
I am not
ready to start calling Jake Waters as good as Colin Kline at quarterback for
Kansas State, but he has the Wildcats looking like a sleeper in the Big 12. On
paper the Wildcats don’t overwhelm anyone, but they play solid on both sides of
the ball. Waters will be the key for KSU in this game as its offense revolves
directly around him and his nearly 700 yards of total offense and six
touchdowns this season. If Waters can make some plays through the air and keep
the Auburn defense on the field he could give the Wildcats a chance in this
one. The KSU defense is what will be wins or loses the Wildcats this game. This
season they have pretty solid allowing 306 total yards per game, while giving
up only 87 per game on the ground that is 20th in the nation. The
Wildcats are going to need to keep that up to stay close to the Tigers.
I think with
the atmosphere in Manhattan on Thursday night and the Wildcats looking like a
Big 12 sleeper this game will be closer than the nine point spread. I still
like Auburn to come away with the win in this game, but expect Kansas State to
be within a touchdown late.
Nick-Auburn 34, Kansas State 31
Jeremy- Auburn 43, Kansas State 27
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