I agree with the assessment of the Wildcats play (hard, but stupid), but not the assertion that hard play coupled with stupidity is characteristic of Ron Prince.  I've met and talked with Ron Prince, and one thing he is not is stupid.

K-State fans are and should still be somewhat skeptical of Prince. In his first year, quarterbacks Allan Evridge, Kevin Lopina and Allen Webb transferred from the program.  After his first year, several assistant coaches left for jobs that should not be considered superior to assistant coaching at K-State. There were also wild Internet rumors last year concerning severe mistreatment of Matt Boss, an offensive lineman who quit mid-season. And then there was the preseason "Stepgate," in which media members observed the offensive assistant coaches running steps after an open practice.  Fans of rival programs - chiefly Nebraska - have pointed to all this as evidence Prince is a man out-of-control, and one who will run K-State's program into the ground.

The funny thing is, he hasn't.  It's too early to make any definitive statement, but I have to wonder about the veracity of some of the rumors of Prince's tyranny.  If everyone hated him so much, his assistants would have no interest in doing their jobs well, and I doubt many players would play hard for a coach they don't respect.  As the commenter in the roundtable put it, you can't deny K-State plays hard.

So far, K-State fans have little to complain about as far as the results Prince has produced.  He took a team that was 9-13 the previous two years and went 7-5 in the regular season and got the Cats back into the postseason.  As Longhorn fans know all too well, he also managed to knock off a top five team in the process, and the team showed steady improvement throughout the season.  That's not to say everything is purple roses. The loss to KU was unacceptable and cannot be replicated. The effort has to become more consistent, as well. But based on what I've seen so far, I'm more than willing to wait for that to come.

To the criticism at hand: there is no doubt K-State - especially the defense - has played stupid this year. The Cats lead the nation in penalties, and had 16 penalties for 162 yards against Missouri State. That is absolutely unacceptable. Prince has addressed this in the media, but it's a difficult problem to fix. You don't want the defenders to stop playing aggressively, but you also don't want them extending opponent's drives with late hits and pass interference penalties. Some of that is positioning, some of that is thinking.

I also happen to agree that the way to play K-State is to force the offense to build long, sustained drives, but that's also the way to stop any team. The more plays a team has to run, the more likely it is to make a mistake. If we can force Texas to try and score on drives longer than 10 plays, we'll have more options to make a stop or force a turnover. The most encouraging thing Wildcat fans have seen this season is the maturation of Josh Freeman. While he's still a work in progress and forces the ball occasionally, he has shown great signs in terms of improving his patience.

Henry James made a point that is worth discussing: If Texas tries to cover Jordy Nelson (usually K-State's slot receiver) with Scott Derry, Nelson is going to have a field day. Nelson goes about 6'3", 220, and is far too fast for a linebacker. Especially a slow one like Derry.

I'm not stupid - K-State is not the favorite in this game by any stretch. I would say the Cats have, at best, a 30 percent chance to win this game. But I also believe the game will go at least into the third quarter, and quite possibly the fourth, with the outcome still in doubt.  If K-State can slow down Jamaal Charles and get some pressure on Colt McCoy, and protect the ball and sustain a few drives with their own offense, they will put themselves in position to win.  We know what we're going to see from Texas, and that's great athletes who can and will make great plays.  It's on the Wildcats to play within themselves and execute the game plan. Whether or not they will, and if they do, whether or not they'll finish remains to be seen. But that, of course, is why we love watching the games.

Every uncharacteristic Longhorn low coincided with an equally unlikely KSU high.