Showdown vs. Kansas State Is a Statement Game for Charlie Strong, Texas

Texas' Week 8 game against Kansas State won't decide the Big 12 Championship or playoff positioning. In fact, it won't have any national relevance at all. Most people outside the respective fanbases will do little more than check the score at the bottom of their television screen or on their phone.

However, the K-State game could be the biggest statement Charlie Strong's team makes this season. For what it's worth, the Longhorns have beaten the Wildcats once in the last seven meetings (2013).

LM Otero/Associated Press

This isn't meant to diminish the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma. Rivalry games are always important metrics by which head coaches are judged, and if Texas did one thing right in 2015, it was beat the Sooners 24-17.

And it was a necessary win at that. With Texas at 1-4 and coming off a 50-7 loss to TCU, several outlets were wondering whether Strong was actually the guy to turn things around for the Longhorns. There were off-field distractions and a report of a divided locker room.

Beating Oklahoma was derived from a team coming together to overcome all of those obstacles and concentrating on a single goal.

But if the Oklahoma game was really a turning point for Strong and the Longhorns program, it can't be the only time Texas plays to the best of its ability. That's why Saturday's game against the Wildcats is crucial.

First and foremost, Texas will be the healthiest it's been in a few weeks, and it has to take advantage of that.

Among the players returning will be offensive lineman Kent Perkins, per Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman. Perkins had been dealing with a knee issue since the Oklahoma State game, and the Horns offense suffered against the Cowboys as a result.

Secondly, against Oklahoma, Texas showed it can limit mistakes and play smart, fast and physical football. The Horns committed no turnovers, had just five penalties and went 9-of-16 on third down while allowing just three of 12 third-down conversions.

It was the best Texas has played in a single game from start to finish since Strong took over the program. Now, can it do it again?

Self-inflicted wounds have been one of Texas' myriad issues under Strong. In the two losses where Texas did have a chance to win (Cal and Oklahoma State), the Horns combined for three turnovers and 26 penalties—though officiating in the Oklahoma State game was noticeably horrible.

Special teams blunders also played a huge role. Nick Rose missed the would-be tying extra point against the Golden Bears, and a mishandled punt gave Oklahoma State the opportunity to kick the game-winning field goal.

By comparison, Kansas State ranks No. 1 in the Big 12 in fewest penalty yards per game, though the Wildcats haven't done as well at holding on to the ball in the past two games against TCU and Oklahoma.

However, Strong doesn't expect to see that same undisciplined K-State team this Saturday, per CBS Austin's Bob Ballou:

There are also areas Texas has to show continued improvement in that don't necessarily show up on the stat sheet.

Missed tackles led to poor third-down defensive numbers up to the Oklahoma game, but Texas' defense made tremendous strides on that front against the Sooners. Quarterback Jerrod Heard also showed moments of greater awareness and decision-making.

In short, Texas has to replicate the same edge, intensity and focus everyone saw in the Oklahoma game. That's the only way to know whether the Longhorns have actually turned a corner or they just got amped for a rivalry game.

It'll be the same story in the following games against Iowa State, Kansas, West Virginia and so on.

As defensive coordinator Vance Bedford told reporters on Wednesday, it's about finding the confidence to keep playing well:

If 2015 is going to go any differently than Strong's first season in 2014, Texas needs to build off its momentum.

The only time Texas won more than one game at a time last year was in November, when it beat Texas Tech, West Virginia and Oklahoma State in consecutive weeks. However, Texas followed that up by losing to TCU 48-10 and Arkansas in the Texas Bowl 30-7.

The bottom line for Strong is he needs to get Texas to a bowl game. When you have a young team and you're building for the future, those extra bowl practices can go a long way in propelling things forward.

Date	Opponent	Opponent's Current Record
10/24	Kansas State	3-3
10/31	at Iowa State	2-4
11/7	Kansas	0-6
11/14	at West Virginia	3-3
11/26	Texas Tech	5-2
12/5	at Baylor	6-0

To accomplish that, the Longhorns need to win four of their next six games. With all due respect to Iowa State and Kansas—though Ames, Iowa is a known stumbling ground for Big 12 opponents—Texas should be able to grab a pair of victories there.

Provided it takes care of business, Texas would have four more games in which it needs to find two more wins.

But like the Cal and Oklahoma State games before, Texas will probably end up on the wrong side of the win-loss column if it can't get out of its own way again. The K-State game will go a long way in determining whether the Longhorns really have started the turnaround under Strong or this is just the same old Texas.

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.