ESPN's renowned Gameday crew will be there, a national television audience will tune in, and the stadium will be decorated in more purple than even the craziest art experts could imagine when Oklahoma visits Kansas State Saturday. You will not see much red because the K-State faculty and staff does not sell their home tickets to anyone. Nor do the students anymore, with the newly implemented identification program to limit outsiders from infesting the fertile farm land of Manhattan. What is growing? A legitimate national championship field of dreams.

Enter the Mighty Red Machine from Norman, Oklahoma, fresh off a complete destruction of the once highly ranked Texas Longhorns. And guess who else is coming home for a reunion? About half of the OU coaching staff!! Don't expect a get-together Friday night where all can socialize and tell old stories around the bonfire. No matter what the temperature, ex-Wildcat coaches are going to get a cool reception. Nevertheless, Bob Stoops and others who coached at KSU served Bill Snyder exceedingly well and deserved their opportunities for advancement.

	Bill Snyder and the Wildcats have a chance to get to a BCS bowl.

Speaking of Snyder, he did a masterful job of coaching last year after the departure of Michael Bishop. He should have been coach of the year for his accomplishments. But this year he has assembled a powerhouse team that is crushing their opponents like tanks rolling over building blocks. Yes, the schedule was soft at the start of the season, but watch what they do now with the Big 12 teams in front of them. Stoops possesses a quiet maturity beyond his years; he has learned his lessons well, and it carries over to his staff and players. Their practices are well organized, and everyone is working in unison. There is no lost time. Snyder can appreciate how well Stoops learned from him.

Both offenses are so explosive this game should be scheduled for the fourth of July. Don't be late getting into your seat or risk missing something as this will be nonstop action for all sixty minutes. Kansas State averages 51.2 ppg and OU averages 44.0 ppg. One cannot score that much without the big plays and both teams spend countless hours looking for the right matchups in man coverage. Play action passing is at a premium, because it is easier to get someone isolated on a particular defender. The running game has to spark the offenses. Kansas State has the advantage in this department by about 100 yards a game, and their rush defense is also ahead of the Sooners. Look for the running game to establish some tempo for each team if they struggle early with the passing.

The Sooners have moved the ball easily this season averaging 479.4 yards per game while the Wildcats are only a step behind with their average of 473.0 yards per game. Whoever comes closer to this average will likely win the game because both defenses are able to control the game. Always near the top of the defensive standings in the country, KSU is downright stingy with its 228.0 total defense average. OU has a respectable 314.0 average which ranks 6th in the Big 12, telling you something about the role of defense in that conference.

Since Bob Stoops and Mike Stoops both coordinated defenses at Kansas State, there should not be many secrets for either side. It is 4-3 fronts, with tight man coverage all the time. The linebackers are free to blitz and they come often. Expect the total tackles for linebackers counting both teams to be 30 or more in this game. Watch these players to get a read of how well the defenses are playing.

Both teams have nine interceptions so far this year, and neither team punts very often. The Sooners average just 4.0 punts per game with a 46.4 average while the Wildcats punt even less often averaging just 3.2 punts with a 41.0 average. Who punts when you are scoring all the time? David Allen is still questionable for the Wildcats, but Aaron Lockett has filled in and made a name for himself as a return specialist.

Turnovers could be the key. OU is +8 for the year and KSU is +3, not much to pick from but a slight advantage to the Sooners. The real key is that the Sooners have taken the ball away more often than Kansas State. The weather is always a factor this time of year, so turnovers and field position from the kicking game might determine which team can unload with its arsenal of weapons when it wishes. The winds in Manhattan can reduce a team to one dimension; watch for how the Wildcats use the wind to their advantage. Of course, Stoops knows from experience how trick the situation can be and the opening coin toss will show strategy by both sides.

No. 8 Oklahoma

Game Plan: No. 8 Oklahoma

Offense: Protect Heupel and let him get off to good start. Recognize delayed linebacker blitzes and get them. Trap hard charging interior linemen. Defense: One linebacker follow Beasley on roll outs and scrambles. Keep safety in middle to help on deep passes. Must contain their running game on first down. Kicking: Catch all punts on artificial turf, no extra bounces. Directional kick when wind is at back. Move up kick off returners when wind is against KSU. Players: Set tempo with your defense, come after them hard. Understand strategy of playing in the wind. Backups watch your position, may have to go in. Coaches: Don't talk about how tough KSU is, players know it. Maintain even emotional level on Friday/Saturday. Win or lose, next week you have Nebraska.

Last week tasted soooo good, now the question is can they keep it going? This OU team has the look of a real winner. There is a swagger without a condescending attitude. It is the look of confidence. The Sooners have come so far in two years under Stoops.

With the departure of offensive coordinator Mike Leach to Texas Tech, some feared the offense would not be the same. Not to worry. They are playing even better this year showing the advancement of the system and the players. The running game against Texas showed real promise, and it will be necessary to keep the Kansas State defenders from ganging up on Josh Heupel. Diminutive Quenton Griffin scored six touchdowns in the big game in Dallas; he and Reynaldo Works are tough runners who also protect the passer when called upon. It is possible to get pressure on Heupel against the offensive line, but this group is much better than last year.

Overlooked in the offensive fireworks against Texas was the magnificent effort by the defensive unit, which held the Longhorns to 154 total yards and completely humiliated them. Texas' big wide receiver Roy Williams was cut down to size OU's aggressive secondary, but everyone was talking about LB Rocky Calmus' interception return for a touchdown as the breaking point in the game. Big time players step up in big time games.

No. 3 Kansas State

Game Plan: No. 3 Kansas State

Offense: Must score when wind is at your back. Shake receivers loose by moving them around. Beasley stay with the game plan. Defense: Play to your strength, no changes necessary. Take away the sure gains on short passes. Play your right side pass defense tight, left side loose. Kicking: Extra effort on hold up for punt returns. Possible squib kick into wind on kick off. Directional kick with the wind at your back. Players: Attack your man on the first play, let him know You may only get one chance to put OU away -- do it. Forget about any polls, just play this game. Coaches: Snyder: Show 'em you did not tell them everything. Prepare the players, the coaches aren't playing. Do not overuse Beasley on goal line situations.

Where does Snyder keep finding players to replace the All-Americans who leave? Never mind, he just does. And those who come with less than the highest credentials are taught a work ethic that culminates in top-flight achievement. This is your classic blue collar football program that rarely gets the glamorous recruits but has its niche in several locations around the country. Players come because they know what to expect and they are not disappointed. They work hard and they win.

Life without Michael Bishop has been just fine, thank you. Not only do the Wildcats ring up big scores, they are a picture of execution on offense. Fundamentally they are exceptional blockers up front in the line; you just do not see defenders crashing through untouched. Every ball carrier knows the value of the extra yard gained, even Beasley, who has a flair for the dramatic at times. They average 236.0 yards per game rushing, which is important to balance their quick strike passing attack.

Even though defensive coordinators have come and gone, the Wildcats continue to be one of the fiercest defenses in the country. Rarely does any one back gain 100 yards rushing against them, and passers are always looking over their shoulders to see when a linebacker is about to clock them. Movement is the key for this unit and if you are not ready to move with them -- look out! They are the toughest defensive front in the country to block for both run and pass. Forget the schedule; their stats do not lie about their proficiency.