All #Optimus

Let's start with CBSSports.com and their recent interview:

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CBS also has a Heisman Pundit poll, where Klein currently sits 2nd:

Heading into its seventh season, the former HeismanPundit.com Heisman Straw Poll has been reborn as theHeismanPundit/CBSSports.com Heisman Straw Poll. It has been the most accurate Heisman poll in the country the last five seasons, with the final 2011 poll correctly picking the top seven finishers. It is made up of 11 Heisman voters from across the country. They vote for three players each week. Tabulations are made on a 3-2-1 basis (just like a real Heisman ballot) with three points awarded for a first-place vote, two points for a second-place vote and one point for a third-place vote.

Who votes each week?

The 11 members of the panel include: Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, Tom Dienhart of The Big Ten Network,Michael Lev of the Orange County Register, Bruce Feldman, Dennis Dodd and Bryan Fischer of CBSSports.com,Dick Weiss of the New York Daily News, Lenn Robbins of the New York Post, Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman andDave Hackenberg of The Toledo Blade. Chris Huston, CBSSports.com Heisman analyst and publisher of HeismanPundit.com, coordinates and also votes in the weekly poll.

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KstateHD is cranking up the Heisman footage as well, releasing this video today toting Klein as college football's Most Valuable Player:

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This is the video I've really been waiting for since #optimus was coined.

A K-State | Transformers mashup video that's incredibly well produced and amped with a great soundtrack?  Sold.  I'm sure I say this a lot, and I am prone to hyberbole, but this is the best Klein highlight video to date.

I mean it this time.

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One last thing, if you like BCS bowls, and I know you do, check out this prediction from ESPN regarding our bowl destination.

What does that tell you?  It means even with a loss to West Virginia, KSU is predicted to run the table the rest of the way, finish 11-1, and get picked by the BCS to play in the Sugar.  And that includes Notre Dame also getting a BCS at-large selection.

New Orleans.  BCS.  Biggest bowl game since 2003.  Tickets are $135 and up.

Who's with me?

Wildcats Move To #1 ...

... in the UPS Efficiency and Team Performance Index Rankings.

I love this UPS ranking system. I love UPS.  And man, do they love KSU.

You can listen to the embedded video where it's explained that Offense + Defense + Special Teams + Miscues + Winning Percentage create a metric to analyze all 120 teams and ranks them accordingly.  A score of 100 would be average, a score of 200 would be perfect.

This will never get old.

Using an advanced proprietary formula featuring offensive yards per play, defensive yards allowed per play, various special teams statistics, and a micro-index of miscues that rewards disciplined teams that don't turn the ball over, UPS has teamed with STATS LLC to normalize those numbers across all 120 FBS schools. From there, balance is measured for all of a team's individual units, with the final index weighted toward excellence in those areas and overall winning percentage.

It's clear to see why we are ranked so high:  we don't turn the ball over (#5 in Turnover Margin), we score a lot of points (11th in scoring offense), we don't give up a lot of points (#16 in Scoring Defense), we love our special teams (#1 in Punt Returns and #12 in Kickoff Returns), we and we don't get penalized.

And if that's not enough, we are #3 in the country in Sacks Allowed at a whopping .4 a game.  Simply amazing.
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#captioncontest

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Here's an article from SI.com regarding the jump to #1, but unfortunately, they merge Bruce Weber and Bill Snyder into "Bruce Snyder" at the beginning, which of course they haven't bothered to fix yet despite six seperate posted comments at the bottom of the article.

Kansas State actually ran 51 plays, but it averaged better than nine yards each snap in racking up 475 total yards, and its season mark of 7.26 yards per play is not only well above the FBS average of 5.78 yards, but nearly one full yard better than No. 2 Alabama (No. 1 in AP poll), which gains 6.34 per play.

By the way, we are in the Top 5 in the conference in every statistical category that's tracked by the NCAA except for Passing Offense (last), Total Offense (#7), and Pass Defense (#8).  But 2nd in the conference in Scoring Defense, which ultimately wins you football games, son.
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Not KSU related, but watch what happens prior to the South Carolina / Georgia game:

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Dry an eye ... it's KState Mask KU Wrap Up Video Time!

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The more I think on this, the more I'm going to be happy if Klein can just get himself to New York. It's going to be tough, and I mean, really tough, to knock Geno off his perch, even if KSU beats them in Morgantown.

It might make the race closer, but I don't know if the voters could ever award a Heisman to a player from Kansas State unless we are in the national title hunt and likely undefeated.  Yes I know Bishop was 2nd.  But he was 2nd BY A MILE.  And sure, Sproles was 5th (but closer to 8th than 4th).

With a 24 TD to 0 INT ratio already this season, AND the fact he probably does stand a chance to get drafted, Smith is going to walk away with this thing unless he suffers mightly at the hands of the KSU or OU defense.

Either way, CBS currently has Klein sitting at #3 and as long as he continues to do what he needs to do and wins, he'll be there the rest of the year.

"An upstart national title contending team..."

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Why aren't you on Twitter yet? 

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I've seen a lot of photos of this kid since Saturday, and thought I'd post two of the better ones here:

Speaking of social media you should also be using Instagram.

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Snyder turned 73 on Saturday and celebrated with a Doritos Loco Taco from the Bell.