K-State hosts Texas in Longhorns' first of consecutive games in Sunflower State

MANHATTAN, Kan. — The end of Charlie Strong’s tenure at Texas was probably sealed with a late-season loss to lowly Kansas. Four years later, Tom Herman’s tenure could likewise be decided in the Sunflower State.

The Longhorns begin a two-game finishing stretch against Kansas State and the Jayhawks with a trip to Manhattan on Saturday, and the dominant story line this week is whether Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte is counting down the days on Herman’s time in Austin.

Recruiting is down. Rumblings about Urban Meyer taking over the Longhorns are pervasive. Players have continued to opt out, leaving Herman with a depleted roster for the finishing stretch. And perhaps most important, Texas likely will sit out the Big 12 title game again, regardless of what happens against the Wildcats and Kansas.

“If you truly love the game of football and you love your teammates and you love this program, and you’re doing it for the right reasons, every game matters,” Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger said. “It’s another opportunity to play the game you love. I think every game matters, regardless of what you’re playing for. Obviously, it adds a little extra motivation when you have a championship within sight, but it will really show who loves the game of football for the game of football.”

Many of the same thoughts are probably running through the Kansas State program.

While the Longhorns (5-3, 4-3 Big 12) have lost all their games by a touchdown or less, the Wildcats (4-5, 4-4) will be trying to rebound from a last-second loss to Baylor in which they controlled the game almost the entire way. It was Kansas State’s fourth consecutive loss, a stinging slide in which the team’s youth and inexperience have been put on full display.

“It always wears on you, without question,” Wildcats coach Chris Klieman said. “If you’re a competitor or a winner like all those kids are and hate losing, it ticks you off. We have had opportunities. All that being said, you can’t let it linger.”

Especially when the Wildcats still have an opportunity to end the season in a bowl game.

“Absolutely. We need time and we need practice time. We need development time,” Klieman said. “We are a developmental program, and when we lose the time that we did with these guys, we have to find ways to get that back. If a bowl game allows us to get that extra time back, we definitely want to be a part of it.”

MISSING PIECES

Texas had two key players opt out of the final two games when left tackle Sam Cosmi and safety Caden Sterns, both team captains, announced this week they would enter the NFL draft. That could leave freshman Andrej Karic to protect Ehlinger’s backside and Montrell Estell to fill in the gaps in the deep secondary.

Ehling said he would “never do that” when asked about opting out with games left to play, and defensive lineman Ta’Quan Graham said: “I’m kind of disappointed (Sterns) won’t be with us to finish the ride, but I’m happy for him.”