Kansas State vs. Oklahoma: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More

Another piece of the Big 12 riddle gets a solution Saturday when the No. 14 Kansas State Wildcats encounter the No. 11 Oklahoma Sooners in Norman.

Bob Stoops' team finds itself in a bit of a tailspin two weeks removed from a loss to then-ranked No. 25 TCU and less than a week after hardly holding off unranked and 2-4 Texas. An encounter with the Wildcats, a team with only a single loss, which came against then-ranked No. 5 Auburn, is the last thing the Sooners need at the moment.

Alas, it is what they get, as do fans, who can expect a rather high-scoring affair as long as both offenses hold up their ends of the bargain. One of Saturday's early contests, the showdown figures to be one of the most entertaining with conference and College Football Playoff implications on the line.

The best part? It appears this could swing in either direction.

Finding the Cure

A Sugar Bowl triumph over Alabama in which he threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns seems forever ago for Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight.

Expectations were through the roof for Knight after that contest, although some may concur with a sarcastic opinion on the matter, courtesy of Ralph D. Russo of The Associated Press:

Knight's past three games have left something to be desired, which has staggered the Sooners offense overall:

Opponent	CMP	ATT	YDS	CMP%	TD	INT
at WVU	16	29	205	55.2	0	1
at TCU	14	35	309	40.0	1	2
vs. Texas	12	20	129	60.0	1	0

More concerning is the fact he now must attempt to turn things around against a stout Kansas State defense.

Remember, Bill Snyder's defense ranks among the best in the nation, especially against the run. The unit ranks No. 4 overall against the ground game, surrendering just 81.4 yards per game on a 2.8 per-carry average. Auburn's prolific attack mustered just that average for 128 yards in a narrow six-point win.

Part of what has made Knight great in the past is his ability to move the chains with his feet, but this season, he averages just 4.3 yards per carry. Snyder already has his team prepped and loaded for that element of the contest, too.

"You have to be prepared for the quarterback draw, the zone read aspect of it and just his ability to pull it down and scramble with it," Snyder said, per STATS LLC, via ESPN.com. "If you are successful enough to cover receivers, he has good feet and can pull it out."

If Knight and his number of potent rushers out of the backfield (Samaje Perine leads the way with 568 yards and nine scores) cannot keep drives alive and finish with touchdowns, it puts unnecessary pressure on a shaky defense that has struggled with these Wildcats as of late.

Aerial Chess

Orlin Wagner/Associated Press

Stoops and his staff surely have nightmares over the Wildcats combo of quarterback Jake Waters and star wideout Tyler Lockett.

While the Sooners escaped last year's encounter with a 10-point win thanks to more than 300 rushing yards on the ground, the potent quarterback-wideout duo gave the Sooners a wealth of issues. Let's review the historic damage inflicted:

• Waters threw for 348 yards, a career high.
• Lockett caught 12 passes for 278 yards and three scores, the best receiving performance in school history.
• Lockett also had 162 kickoff return yards, good for a school-record 440 total yards.

All Waters has done in his senior year? Throw for 1,206 yards and seven touchdowns to three interceptions while completing 65.0 percent of his passes. He also has 320 yards and six more scores on the ground.

As D. Scott Fritchen of GoPowerCat.com notes, he is in the hands of some elite company:

Lockett has been a tad quieter in his senior campaign, posting 29 catches for 399 yards and three scores, but it is difficult to complain.

Keep in mind that the Sooners come in at No. 42 overall in terms of total defense, allowing 21.5 points per game.

One week removed from allowing the hapless Longhorns to run up 482 total yards and 26 points, there is certainly cause for concern that Waters and Lockett are set to run roughshod on the Sooners yet again.

When: Saturday, October 18, Noon ET

Where: Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma

Television: ESPN

Betting Lines (via Odds Shark):

• Over/Under: 58

• Spread: Oklahoma (-12)

Team Injury Reports

Kansas State: No significant Injuries.

Player	Pos.	Date	Details	Status	Injury
Matt Dimon	DE	10/12/2014	is questionable for Saturday's game against Kansas State	Questionable	elbow
Keith Ford	RB	10/12/2014	is questionable for Saturday's game against Kansas State	Questionable	fibula
Dorial Green-Beckham	WR	08/25/2014	will miss the entire season	Out	eligibility
Baker Mayfield	QB	08/31/2014	is expected to miss the entire season	Out	eligibility
Joe Mixon	RB	08/02/2014	will miss the entire season	Suspended	disciplinary
Quincy Russell	DT	09/08/2014	was dismissed from the team	Out	disciplinary
Frank Shannon	LB	08/21/2014	will miss the entire season	Suspended	disciplinary
Charles Walker	DE	09/07/2014	will miss at least 4-6 weeks	Out	knee

Injury reports per Sports Network, via USA Today.

Prediction

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

The downward trajectory the Sooners have traveled as of late is quite a concern, whereas the Wildcats have brutalized most of their opponents and stood tall against one of the SEC's best, not to mention a title contender from last season with most critical pieces back in the fold. 

Oklahoma is helped by the fact this is a home encounter, but the stout Kansas State run defense can force the Sooners to the air, where Knight has proven time and again this year to be a liability.

Saturday, look for the Waters-Lockett combo to get hot once again when tasked with keeping the pressure off its defense. At this point, Waters' ability to move the chains with his feet gives the Wildcats a serious edge, hostile environment or not.

Prediction: Wildcats 35, Sooners 30

Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.