The Kansas Jayhawks (1-3) make the 100-or-so-mile trip west to Manhattan this Saturday to take on the No. 7 team in the land, the undefeated Kansas State Wildcats (4-0) at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

Both teams had this past weekend off but entered their bye weeks under completely opposite circumstances.

After taking a 10-point lead on the second play of the fourth quarter against Northern Illinois on September 22, the Jayhawks were helpless to stop the Huskies from scoring 17 unanswered points en route to handing Kansas their third consecutive loss of the 2012 season by a score of 30-23.

Conversely, the Wildcats walked into Norman, Oklahoma on September 22 and beat the then-No. 6 team in the country, the Oklahoma Sooners, 24-19, avenging the 58-17 whooping that the Sooners laid on the Wildcats last season in Manhattan.

Where: Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, Kan.

When: Saturday, October 6 at 12 p.m. ET

Watch:  FX

Live Stream: Big 12 Digital Network

Listen: K-State Radio Network, Jayhawk Radio Network

Betting Line: Kansas State (-24), per Yahoo! Sports

Who Might Not Play for Kansas

*Injury information according to USA Today

S Lubbock Smith (undisclosed), questionable for Saturday

LB Prinz Kande (knee), out for season

Who Might Not Play for Kansas State

*Injury information according to USA Today 

OL Nick Puetz (foot), questionable for Saturday 

Key Storyline

Photo courtesy of dillons.com.

With Kansas not a contender in the Big 12, it's all about bragging rights in the Sunflower Showdown; more specifically, the Governor's Cup, the trophy awarded to the victor between the in-state rivals on the gridiron every year since 1969.

Since the Governor's Cup was introduced, Kansas State leads the series and has won the past three meetings between the two squads, including a 59-21 drubbing last season—the second consecutive year that the Wildcats dropped 59 points on the Jayhawks.

What They're Saying

Photo courtesy of blog.newsok.com.

Kansas State senior linebacker Jarell Childs tells Kellis Robinett of the Kansas City Star that the Wildcats are not going to take the Jayhawks lightly:

It takes us back to North Texas this year. We didn’t play great, and we took them for granted. We are not going to look at the struggles KU has been having. We know they are a good team and can step up and win a game.

Kansas Player to Watch: Dayne Crist, QB

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

It goes without saying that quarterback is the most important position on the field and Kansas has a QB that has struggled mightily thus far in 2012, but one that head coach Charlie Weis isn't going to bench as he told reporters following the Northern Illinois game (h/t USA Today).

Crist ranks 118th out of 123 quarterbacks in passer rating and 120th with a completion percentage of 48.1 percent—big reasons why the Jayhawks offense averages only 21 points per game, a number that makes them the 104th-most potent scoring offense in the country.

While the Jayhawks have a solid running attack with Taylor Cox and Tony Pierson, Crist's inability to stretch the field will result in the duo finding little running room against a Wildcats defense that ranks 14th nationally against the run.

Kansas State Player to Watch: Collin Klein, QB

Brett Deering/Getty Images

A legitimate contender for the Heisman Trophy, Wildcats senior QB Collin Klein helms an offense that averages just over 40 points per game, 19th in the nation. 

Klein ranks 16th in passer rating and 13th in completion percentage, but it's his dual-threat ability as a runner that makes him such a dynamic player.

The Wildcats' second leading rusher after junior tailback John Hubert, Klein has amassed 289 yards and five touchdowns on the ground through his first four games.

Prediction: Kansas State 62, Kansas 14

Kansas State is simply too talented of a team on both sides of the ball for the Jayhawks to handle, and this one figures to get out of hand early. Both Hubert and Klein could be in for monster days before being pulled late in the game to avoid injury.