What is the relationship like now with K State fans and Colin Klein? How do you think it could potentially change if you end up being right?

Well, I think, um, ma- vast majority of fans will...

Th- they might be upset with the loss, but they understand the process that, um, sometimes when you go into the transfer portal it works, and sometimes you don't get all the pieces you need, and I think that's what's going on here.

Um, yeah, there'll be some fans.

You know, there's always fans that when your team loses a game they're never watching again, and then next week they're back.

Um, so yeah, there'll be a reaction.

It would be a huge reaction.

Has there been a time here in recent memory where you're sitting there and you thought eventually or you thought, "Hey, this is the Saturday KU's gonna win this game"?

What is the relationship like now with K State fans and Collin Klein? How do you think it could potentially change if you end up being right?

Well, I think, um, ma- vast majority of fans will...

Th- they might be upset with the loss, but they understand the process that, um, sometimes when you go into the transfer portal it works, and sometimes you don't get all the pieces you need, and I think that's what's going on here.

Um, yeah, there'll be some fans, you know, there's always fans that when your team loses a game they're never watching again, and then next week they're back.

Um, so yeah, there'll be a reaction.

There would be a huge reaction.

Uh, and I'm taking some flak for this pick, but, uh, I just, uh, I, I said after the Cincinnati game I'm gonna have problems picking them until they prove They can really stop the run at this level, and they didn't do it last week.

Has there been a time here in recent memory where you're sitting there and you thought eventually, or you thought, "Hey, this is the Saturday KU's gonna win this game"?

What is the relationship like now with K State fans and Colin Klein? How do you think it could potentially change if you end up being right?

Well, I think, um, ma- vast majority of fans will-- T- they might be upset with the loss, but they understand the process that, um, sometimes when you go into the transfer portal, it works, and sometimes you don't get all the pieces you need, and I think that's what's going on here.

Um, yeah, there'll be some fans.

You know, there's always fans that when your team loses a game, they're never watching again, and then next week they're back.

Um, so yeah, there'll be a reaction.

It would be a huge reaction.

Uh, and I'm taking some flak for this pick, but, uh, I just-- Uh, I, I said after the Cincinnati game, "I'm gonna have problems picking them until they prove they can really stop the run at this level," and they didn't do it last week.

Is gonna win this game?

I mean, Jalen Daniels was out there looking like the best quarterback on the field last night, and he couldn't push KU into a bowl game either of the last two years.

Yeah.

You know, I, I actually, I love Jalen Daniels as a quarterback, and I think he was just pushing, trying to make that extra play at KU.

Um, now he doesn't need to do that now.

Well, maybe at Tampa he does.

But, uh, look, A- Avery's better than Reed at A&M.

He just is.

Well, didn't Louisville bo- borrow, like, 30 million last year?

Mm-hmm.

Matt Miller rolled to the left, looking like he was going to try to find the open guy amongst the group of three or just throw it up for catch so you could get it.

He wheeled around and threw it all the way across the field.

Matt didn't have a huge arm.

He had a good arm, not a huge arm, to the corner of the end zone.

He threw it towards the pylon.

That was his instruction.

Just let the chips fall where they may, but still it's different when the bullets start to fly.

How do you think this offense is gonna look? You know, like if, if Kansas State fans have been watching Texas A&M, is it gonna look, look like how they ran it there or how, how do you think it looks different?

Yeah, I don't know.

I mean, um, I think there will be some nuances there.

Uh, you don't know-- I know Mike Elko is a defensive guy but you don't know what he wanted.

You know, defensive coaches have thoughts on offense and what they need them to do for better defensive play.

And you don't know the same thing when he was under Chris Klieman at Kansas State, also a defensive coach.

So was he really running what he wanted to run I guess is what I'm saying, uh, the complete package, and he will.

[laughs]

What do you remember about VJ Payne coming in? What do you remember about the recruiting process and how he made his way from Georgia all the way to Kansas?

You know, actually, I don't remember a whole lot about his recruitment, 'cause he was just a guy in the class, you know what I mean? He, he, as you said, he was a three-star, a linebacker that was projected as a safety.

You didn't expect him to contribute.

You know, kinda like the Jets picking him and having his best football in his future, it was the same thing.

He, he hadn't quite shown who he was and, uh-But then when he got here, the athleticism was undeniable.

Uh, the ability to run and hit was, was there, and so it translated to safety.

And, uh, he played as a true freshman.

[laughs]