Monday, December 20 Snyder's Wildcats favored over Huskies
Associated Press
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Just one year ago, Kansas State was
ranked in the top 10, had only one loss, was about to play an
unranked team in a bowl game and was utterly miserable.
Bill Snyder and Kansas State face a surprising Washington team.
So miserable, the demoralized Wildcats lost 37-34 to Purdue in
the Alamo Bowl.
This year, the Wildcats are ranked in the top 10, have only one
loss, are about to play an unranked team in a bowl and feel -- well,
pretty good.
All things considered, Bill Snyder's team would still prefer to
be playing in one of the major BCS bowls.
But meeting Washington in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 29 in San
Diego is like going to heaven compared with the dark mood the
Wildcats found themselves in last year.
Twelve months ago, they had just frittered away a fourth-quarter
lead to Texas A&M in the Big 12 title game and lost in overtime,
squandering a matchup with Tennessee in the Fiesta Bowl for the
national championship.
"The circumstances are diametrically opposed to what they were
a year ago," Snyder said Sunday night in a teleconference.
After the Alamo Bowl fiasco, Snyder had said publicly that he
learned a lot about how to prepare for a bowl. But because his
team's attitude is so much sunnier than it was a year ago, those
lessons do not apply.
"It had to do with how we got into the position we were a year
ago going into the Alamo Bowl," he said. "It really didn't have
anything to do with the day-to-day routine. It was an emotional
thing. What we went through that time -- it's completely different
than where this team is."
Even the workaholic Snyder is in a holiday mood.
"I feel more comfortable than I did a year ago," he said. "I
assure you, I'm not comfortable in our preparation for Washington.
But the side effects of the loss in the (Big 12 title game) were
indescribable. We're not going through that right now so we feel
much better about ourselves."
Mark Simoneau, the Wildcats' All-America linebacker, said the
entire team feels better than it did last December.
"It' s just the overall attitude is better," he said. "Last
year, it seemed like there was a dark cloud over us through the
bowl game. But we're looking forward to playing this game in San
Diego."
According to odds-makers the No. 7 Wildcats (10-1) have much to look forward to against Washington (7-4). Kansas State is an
11½-point favorite. There's not a bigger spread in any bowl game.
"The fact we wanted to be in a BCS game was obvious," said
Simoneau. "We thought we belonged. We should have an opportunity
to play in it. But after that didn't work out, this was the best
thing for us."
