Week 5 of the college football season is here. Kansas State football plays Oklahoma State, and Heartland College Sports has your game prediction, preview, and betting odds ahead of the matchup.
GAME INFO
Saturday, Sept. 28; 11:00 a.m. (CT); Bill Snyder Family Stadium; Manhattan, KS
TV: ESPN
Records: Kansas State (3-1); Oklahoma State (3-1)
Last Week: BYU 38, Kansas State 9; Utah 22, Oklahoma State 19
Series History: Oklahoma State leads, 43-27
Last Meeting: Oklahoma State 29, Kansas State 21 (2023)
Fun Fact: Both Kansas State and Oklahoma State are coming off limited offensive showings in Week 4, which has allowed fans of both teams to bond on social media over their limited game plans to this point in the season.
Kansas State vs. Oklahoma State Betting Lines and Odds
Opening Line: Kansas State (-5)
Over/Under: 55.5
Key Players
Kansas State Wildcats
QB Avery Johnson
Sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson had his worst performance to date in Kansas State’s Week 4 blowout loss to BYU, throwing his second and third career interceptions. K-State’s offense was shaky and unable to score in the red zone despite reaching the area on three separate occasions. He will need to bounce back in a big way if Kansas State plans to get back into the win column.
LB Austin Romaine
The leading tackler for Kansas State’s defense comes as a bit of surprise. Sophomore linebacker Austin Romaine has been sensational for the Wildcats this fall after being thrown into action as a true freshman due to injuries at the position. In 2024, Romaine looks like a drastically different player, flying sideline to sideline when the Wildcat defense lines up.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
QB Alan Bowman
One of the most interesting moments of the Week 4 slate came in Saturday’s matchup between Utah and Oklahoma State when veteran quarterback Alan Bowman was benched for Garrett Rangel. Bowman struggled mightily in the first half before coming back late to nearly even up the score. With multiple quarterbacks seeing the field in Week 4, will that be the case again on the road in Manhattan?
S Trey Rucker
Oklahoma State safety Trey Rucker is not only one of the best safeties in the Big 12 Conference this year; he is one of the nation’s premier players at the position. Rucker leads the Pokes with 53 total tackles, which ranks second in the nation overall. He has also recorded two interceptions and has been the heartbeat of OSU’s defense.
KEY STORYLINES
Kansas State Wildcats
Is Avery Johnson ready? Understandably, the young quarterback has struggled to start the 2024 season. The loss to BYU was the first of Johnson’s career as a starter and was just his fifth career start overall. With yet another Top 20 team on the schedule for Week 5, the road ahead doesn’t get any easier for the Kansas native. Will Avery Johnson be ready to answer the call?
Arizona State Sun Devils
Where is Ollie Gordon? Largely in part to some of the issues on the offensive line, Ollie Gordon has been a shell of himself in 2024. After winning the Doak Walker Award in 2023 with more than 1,700 rushing yards, the Texas native has totaled just 258 yards on 73 carries and is down a total of 2.6 yards per carry from last year’s 6.1. If OSU wants to control the clock against a talented Kansas State offense, Gordon has to come through with the offense in limbo.
PREDICTION: Kansas State 34, Oklahoma State 28
This game is one of the toughest to predict in the Week 5 slate, given that both teams had poor showings in their previous match ups. Still, I trust Kansas State to overcome the adversity and bounce back from a gut-wrenching loss to the Cougars. With the Wildcats back at home for a normal kickoff time of 11:00 a.m., Avery Johnson, DJ Giddens, and Dylan Edwards prove to be more than Oklahoma State can handle on the ground, while the Cats defense keeps Ollie Gordon in check, enough, to hang on for a win.
