Ron Prince

Date	Opponent	Location	2008 CHS Prediction
8/30/08	North Texas	Manhattan, KS	W
9/06/08	Montana State	Manhattan, KS	W
9/17/08	at Louisville	Louisville, KY	L
9/27/08	La. Lafayette	Manhattan, KS	W
10/04/08	Texas Tech	Manhattan, KS	L
10/11/08	at Texas A&M	College Station, TX	L
10/18/08	at Colorado	Boulder, CO	L
10/25/08	Oklahoma	Manhattan, KS	L
11/01/08	at Kansas	Lawrence, KS	L
11/08/08	at Missouri	Columbia, MO	L
11/15/08	Nebraska	Manhattan, KS	L
11/22/08	Iowa State	Manhattan, KS	W

	Coaches Hot Seat Prediction		4-8

Coaches Hot Seat Analysis

The thing that stands out from 2007 for Ron Prince and Kansas State is the season opening last minute loss to Auburn. Kansas State had Auburn on the ropes, but then gave up two late touchdowns to lose 23-13, and that loss helped set a tone for the Wildcats for the rest of the season. Kansas State did bounce back with three straight wins, including a 41-21 win at Texas, but the season ended dreadfully with KSU losing five of their last six games. What happened at Kansas State after Prince led the Wildcats to a 7-6 record and bowl game in 2006? Well, it is impossible to separate Prince's current predicament from the last two years of the Bill Snyder era at KSU. Bill Snyder is a very good football coach and he did a tremendous job in Manhattan, but even he would probably tell you that things got away from him in his last two seasons at Kansas State. Prince took over a team that was coming off 4-7 and 5-6 records in '04 & '05, and to us it also looked like the recruiting had dropped off some as well. The biggest thing that Prince has needed to address is getting enough skill players to compete against other Big 12 teams, and his coaching staff (which has had a bit of turnover) has done a decent, but not great job in getting good players to KSU. Recognizing that Kansas State needs more immediate help, Prince used 19 of his 32 scholarships in 2008 to sign junior college players, but signing players that have already spent two years in college and might be set in their ways on and off the field is a gamble. Yes, junior college players can contribute immediately, but it is impossible to discern how they will react once your throw them into Big 12 play. Therefore, it is just a shot in the dark to try and predict how the 2008 season will turn out, but let's give it a go.

Coaches Hot Seat Bottom Line

We predict that Ron Prince and Kansas State will have a 4-8 record in 2008. The season opens easy enough for Ron Prince and the Wildcats as North Texas visits Manhattan, Kansas. This should be a nice opening win for Kansas State, which will take their record to 1-0. In week 2 Montana State visits KSU, and only two years ago Montana State beat Colorado in Boulder, so this is a game that Kansas State cannot take lightly. If KSU shows up and is focused against MSU, they should be able to get the win. After two games, KSU is 2-0. Week 3 is a trip to play Big East foe Louisville on the road, and we have to think that Steve Kragthorpe's Cardinals will be better in 2008. In a very close game, we see Louisville getting the win in this game, which takes the KSU record to 2-1. In week 4 La. Lafayette travels to Manhattan, and Big 12 teams are supposed to beat Sun Belt teams, so this should be a win for KSU. After four games, KSU is 3-1. Mike Leach and the Red Raiders come calling in Manhattan in week 5, and if Kansas State wants to have a bowl season, this will be a must win at home. Leach should have the Texas Tech offense humming in '08, and we them getting a win over KSU in this game. After five games, KSU is 3-2. Another game that Kansas State has a good opportunity to win is the October 11 trip to play Texas A&M against first year coach Mike Sherman. It is always tough in the first year anywhere, and this will be a good chance for KSU to get a tough win at College Station, but in a close game, we see the Aggies getting the win over KSU. After six games, KSU is 3-3. Week 7 brings a trip to Boulder, Colorado to play the Buffaloes and this is the third straight game where KSU should have the talent to compete. In yet another very close Big 12 game, we see Colorado getting the win at home, which takes the Kansas State record to 3-4. In week 8 the mighty Oklahoma Sooners come calling in Manhattan, and this is one of those games that has been Stoops Achilles Heel in recent seasons. Anytime Bob Stoops and the Sooners play a team they are supposed to beat on the road, Oklahoma seems to struggle, and this is a game that KSU should be able to compete in. Unfortunately, Oklahoma will be loaded in 2008 and they almost certainly will be shooting for a very big season, and they will get a win in this spot over Kansas State. After eight games, KSU is 3-5. After four straight losses the vastly improved Kansas Jayhawks arrive on the schedule, and KSU has to play them in Lawrence. This will be a very tough game for KSU to win, and we see Kansas getting the win, which takes the Kansas State record to 3-6. Just when a trip to Missouri is not needed, Kansas State has to travel to Columbia to play the Tigers. Missouri will be loaded for bare in '08, and they will get the win over KSU in this game. After ten games, KSU is 3-7. If Kansas State does arrive in week 11 with 7 losses, the Nebraska game in Manhattan will be a huge one for Prince and Wildcats to get some momentum for 2009. Bo Pelini should have the Huskers playing some football by this point in the season, and in a very close game, we see Nebraska getting the win over KSU. After eleven games, KSU is 3-8. To finish up the season, Kansas State hosts Iowa State in Manhattan, and this will be another important game to try and get some momentum for 2009. Gene Chizik and the Cyclones will win some games in 2008 that they are not supposed to, but we see Kansas State getting win in this game, to finish the '08 regular season at 4-8.

If Kansas State does finish the 2008 season at 4-8, a tremendous amount of pressure will be on Ron Prince and Kansas State AD Bob Krause. Krause has been at Kansas State for awhile, so he knows the kind of situation that Prince took over, but Prince will be tasked in 2009 with fielding a winning football team. Bill Snyder has showed the fans that Kansas State can consistently field a winning football team in Manhattan, and that is what will be expected from Ron Prince as well.

2008 Coaches Hot Seat Prediction: 4-8

Will Ron Prince be back for the 2009 season? YES