K-State Q&A: Alex Delton vs. Skylar Thompson, Farmageddon and rivalry trophies

My wife already put up the Christmas tree. My neighbor already covered his house with Christmas lights. My kids already have Christmas lists. I already have Christmas beer in the fridge.

It’s hard to stay focused on Thanksgiving with the grand daddy of all holidays approaching, but I would like to remind everyone reading this special Wednesday edition of K-State Q&A to enjoy Thanksgiving first.

For my money, it’s is the best holiday of them all. Food, family, football ... And no pressure.

As long as I don’t burn the house down trying to fry a turkey for the first time (wish me luck!) it’s going to be a great time. I hope everyone enjoys it.

Now let’s dive into your questions. As always, your participation in this blog is among the many things I am thankful for this time of year.

I expect Alex Delton and Skylar Thompson to compete for the starting QB job throughout the summer and fall leading up to next season. I doubt Bill Snyder will promise the job to either passer.

But Thompson has done enough to be considered the favorite.

He has helped K-State go 3-1 since playing his first meaningful snap and is coming off one heck of a game against Oklahoma State (297 total yards and four touchdowns). I have always thought he was the most talented quarterback on the roster, he just lacked experience. The more he plays, the less that becomes a factor. He should enter next season with more live-game action than Delton.

If he can lead the Wildcats past the Cylcones and then win a bowl game, the job will presumably be his to lose. Delton played well this season before he got hurt, and if the past few years have taught us anything it’s that K-State will need Delton and Thompson to be ready at any given moment.

Thompson looks like the QB of the future, but I doubt Snyder will just hand him the job.

It sure did look like K-State was going to have to roll with Hunter Hall the rest of the season when Thompson fell to the ground clutching his left knee late against Oklahoma State ... But he was back out there after missing one series.

It also looked like Daniel Larusso would be unable to fight Johnny Lawerence in the final bout for the All Valley Tournament championship in Karate Kid ... But he got back out there and won a trophy.

Clearly, Mr. Miyagi is a member of K-State’s training staff.

Biggest win since 2012, at least.

You could argue this was bigger. Beating then No. 6 Oklahoma 24-19 in 2012 was obviously more meaningful, as it paved the way for K-State to win a conference championship and climb to No. 1 in the BCS rankings, but the Wildcats were not 21-point underdogs that day.

According to the folks at Bovada Sports, Saturday’s win over Oklahoma State was the biggest upset in K-State history (if you go by point spread). Never before had they been that large of an underdog and come out on top. That it ended a 14-game losing streak to ranked teams and made the Wildcats bowl eligible made it even better.

It’s a big confidence booster. Skylar Thompson played great, Byron Pringle went OFF, the offensive line looked good on running plays and the defense was nails for the first 40 minutes and then in the clutch.

We will see if that carries over to the Iowa State game. It should. The Wildcats have won three of their last four, and were close to beating West Virginia in their lone loss. They seem to be riding a wave of momentum.

A golden tractor.

I would actually prefer a full-size tractor that players could drive around after every win, but that would be hard to display on a trophy case and difficult to transport between Ames and Manhattan. Also, Iowa State probably wouldn’t like a full-size tractor on the grass field at Jack Trice Stadium. Best to stay with a smaller trophy.

So let’s get a golden tractor or a bronze ear of corn or an assortment of farming tools and start handing something out after #Farmageddon -- the most underrated rivalry in college football.

Good question.

I think the Chiefs losing to the Giants was worse, but both were pretty bad.

K-State’s loss to Vanderbilt has certainly not aged well. The Commodores have lost seven of their last eight, with the only win coming against Western Kentucky. They might go winless in the SEC.

For K-State to lose that game with a crowd advantage and a healthy Jesse Ertz was truly bad. You could argue it should rank among Bill Snyder’s worst losses.

I will say two things in defense of the loss, though: K-State lost a questionable review and the timing of the game couldn’t have been worse. Vanderbilt was 2-0 at the time, healthy and overflowing with confidence. It might have been difficult, or at least harder than it now is, for a number of teams to win in Nashville that day.

Alabama did a number on Vanderbilt (winning 59-0) the next week, and the Commodores haven’t looked the same since. They were a different team before Alabama came to town and exposed them.

1. Pecan Pie -- The best there is. The GOAT. Throw some ice cream on top and you’ve got an unbeatable dessert.

2. Pumpkin Pie -- It’s not Thanksgiving without at least a small slice of pumpkin pie. You have to eat it! Though not as satisfying as it’s pecan brother, pumpkin pie is still really good. And it’s not nearly as filling. You won’t feel horrible about yourself for eating a slice. I plan on eating a slice of both pumpkin and pecan pie tomorrow.

3. Coconut Cream Pie -- My father in-law once loaded up his Thanksgiving dessert plate with slices of pecan, pumpkin and coconut cream pie. A baller move if there ever was one.

4. Apple Pie -- Can’t say I’ve actually consumed apple pie on Thanksgiving, but if it was in the house I would consider eating it.

5. Cherry Pie -- Read above.

6. Banana Cream Pie -- A poor man’s coconut cream pie, but still good.

7. Key Lime Pie -- Nothing about it says Thanksgiving, but I do like me some key lime pie.

Yes, Jesse Ertz played way too much this season to request a medical redshirt. Not that it matters. His five-year clock is almost up and he needs the NCAA to grant him an extra year of eligibility to keep playing. And that’s not going to happen.

The original plan was for Ertz and K-State to submit a Hail Mary request for an extra year, but I will be surprised if they end up pursuing that option now. Ertz is a great quarterback, but he can’t stay healthy. The injury bug hates him. I would love to see the alternate time line in which Ertz plays four healthy seasons at K-State. At this point, though, it’s probably best for him to leave college football behind.

No, you are not the only one.

Will Geary has played well enough this season to get a NFL look, but his size (6-0, 306 pounds) is far from prototypical for a pro defensive tackle. He’s probably more of an undrafted free agent than a draft pick, but you never know.

Matthew McCrane has had a good season. I suppose it’s possible he could be a late-rounder, but teams don’t usually use picks on kickers.

I doubt ayone else in K-State’s senior class gets drafted. The Wildcats might need someone from the junior ranks to leave early to keep the draft streak alive. D.J. Reed and Dalton Risner both seem like future draft picks. Risner said Tuesday that he intends to return for another year of college, but that could change if he gets a stellar draft projection. I don’t know what Reed thinks about the possibility of leaving early. But he is good enough to get drafted.

It will be Byron Pringle or Allen Lazard. Pringle is coming off a Godzilla game at Oklahoma State (280 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns) but Lazard is one of the nation’s best receivers. His size is crazy difficult to defend. He will be an impact receiver in the NFL.

Is this one of Snyder’s best coaching jobs? I suppose if the team finishes 8-5 with a redshirt freshman QB taking over after the starter and backup went down it would be an impressive feat. But that wouldn’t erase frustrating losses to Vanderbilt, Texas or West Virginia.

This story was originally published November 22, 2017 at 10:35 AM with the headline "K-State Q&A: Alex Delton vs. Skylar Thompson, Farmageddon and rivalry trophies."