Big 12 Championship Preview 2022: Kansas State vs. TCU
Championship Saturday in college football is upon us with Kansas State facing TCU in the Big 12 Championship game. The game will be played at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas with kickoff set for noon ET.
TCU is currently No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rnkings sitting at 12-0 on the season. The Horned Frogs have been led by their elite quarterback Max Duggan who has allowed their offense to be one of the best in the sport.
Duggan has thrown for 3,070 passing yards and has 29 touchdowns with only three interceptions on the season. He has an elite wide receiver that he throws to named Quentin Johnston who is a likely first round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
TCU’s offense is ranked 19th in total yards per game but most importantly it ranks fourth overall in points per game, which is a big reason why the Horned Frogs are undefeated. Their defense is certainly the weakness of the team but has been much better in the past month allowing 30 points or less in the past four games.
If TCU wants to make the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history, it needs to beat Kansas State on Saturday.
As for the Wildcasts, they come into this game at 9-3 on the season sitting at No. 10 in the college football playoff rankings.
They are also fueled by a great offense but are down to their backup quarterback Will Howard, who has been very good since becoming the starter on Oct. 22. Howard has thrown for 1,224 yards and has 13 touchdowns with only two interceptions in his short season.
Kansas State’s offense ranks 71st total yards per game, but is very good at rushing the ball with running back Deuce Vaughn who has run for over 1,000 yards this season. They rank 34th in points per game so this game has the potential to be an offensive shootout.
Kansas State’s defense, similar to TCU, is also the weakness of its team but is ranked higher than TCU in most defensive rankings. For example, Kansas State is ranked 105th in total yards allowed per game and 144th in points allowed per game, while TCU is ranked 150th and 183rd in those same categories.
Even though Kansas State cannot make the playoffs, a Big 12 championship victory is still a big accomplishment for their program. One of Kansas State’s losses was to TCU in Week 8, so the Wildcats are seeking vengeance.
Last year's Big 12 championship came down to the wire, with Baylor spoiling Oklahoma State’s playoff hopes. This year could be very similar, with Kansas State shocking the world and destroying TCU’s playoff aspirations in a very high scoring game.
Prediction: Kansas State 38, TCU 35
Ben Wasserman is a third-year telecommunications and media industries major. To contact him email, bnw5231@psu.edu.
