Today's take comes from Tye Burger from Bring on the Cats.

What have the Kansas St. Wildcats done this off season to cause excitement for the 2010 season?

A couple transfers at WR and the return of the Big 12's leading rusher are the biggest causes for optimism in Manhattan. Chris Harper and Brodrick Smith transferred from Oregon and Minnesota, respectively, and provide a lot of potential for the K-State passing attack in 2010. Thomas is a known quantity, rushing for 1,265 yards last year, even with a bum shoulder most of the season. If he can improve on his stats from last year and gets a little help, the Wildcats could remain relevant in the Big 12 North into November.

What issues remain a concern from 2009?

Depth is a big issue. Our starters on both sides of the ball look pretty solid, but there isn't much behind them. The front seven on defense is a continuing concern, even more so because of the loss of four starters from last year. Finally, quarterback play is still a question mark. Carson Coffman was ineffective early last year, and was finally benched in favor of fifth-year senior Grant Gregory before the Iowa State game. K-State has the makings of a pretty good offense, but it won't click unless someone can distribute the ball.

Based on the performance the past three years, do you feel a ranking of 74 is fair?

No. I'm not sure which source that ranking is from, although I obviously consider the Sporting News's No. 85 ranking even more egregious. While it's obvious this team is far from the teams Bill Snyder fielded in the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2000s, it should easily be in contention for a bowl game, and could be in the Big 12 North race into November.

4) What do you expect to see in 2010?

My season record prediction is 7-5, +/- 1 game. Our first goal should be to get to a bowl game. Second, I'd like to see us go 4-4 or better in conference, and still be in the mix for the division title going into the last few weeks of the season. Secondary goals would include knocking off KU again to reclaim intra-state superiority, and knocking off one of the three best teams on our schedule, Texas, Nebraska or Missouri.

Boise St. and Utah get much attention for being burned by the BCS. Do you feel that most people have forgotten how KSU was burned the first three years the BCS was in existence?

K-State fans certainly haven't forgotten, but for most everybody else around the country, the 1998 season is a memory long forgotten. Even for K-State fans, the relative snubs of 1999 and 2000 -- how many 11-1 and 11-3 teams from AQ conferences have been denied a BCS bowl? -- have been forgotten somewhat. Some people may remember that some upstart team got really screwed by the bowl selection process in 1998, and that they had to change a rule because of it, but that's about it.

How is KSU's situation different from teams like Utah or Boise St.?

Like it or not, it's different because K-State is supposed to have a place at the table as a member of an AQ conference. It's even more surprising, given that the snubs occurred in the late 1990s and 2000, when "non-BCS" conference teams essentially weren't even considered for BCS games. These days, with the changes the BCS has made to try and include teams from non-AQ conferences, I wouldn't be especially surprised if an 11-1 K-State team were left out in favor of a 12-0 Boise State/TCU/Utah team. Also, the nature of the snubs is somewhat different. As undefeated teams, Boise State, Utah and TCU feel like they should get a shot at a national title. In our case, we felt like we deserved an also-ran BCS bowl after being one of the best teams in one of the best conferences. At least BSU, Utah and TCU still were selected for BCS bowls, even if sometimes they didn't get a shot at one of the "big boys," whereas K-State had to settle for the Holiday or Cotton bowls in some of its better years.

Thank you Tye for taking the time to address these questions! For more on the Kansas State Wildcats at Bring on the Cats.

Now, for why they got ranked so low ...

Head Coach: Bill Snyder (Second Year, plus 1989-2005)
Offensive Coordinator: Dana Dimel/Del Miller (Second Year, plus some for Miller)
Defensive Coordinator: Chris Cosh (Second Year)

BCS numbers:

Ok. When you are in the lower half you end up further from the center than your average ranking. This is part of why Kansas State is ranked #74 here. #60 is average. Examining the last few teams one can see several have a winning record.

There is a reason Kansas State brought back a legend.

Schedule:

A bowl game is certainly reasonable here. I could see eight wins, depending on how well the old ball coach is able to round up his team.