Kansas State @ Baylor preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 1, 2011 ) Baylor 35, Kansas State 36

Expect plenty of offense when No. 2 Kansas State - No. 1 in the BCS standings - travels to Baylor for a Big 12 showdown Saturday night. The Wildcats, who are two wins away from a trip to their first BCS National Championship Game, score on 53 percent of their offensive possessions, best in the nation, and put points on the board on every 1.8 drives. On average, Kansas State starts its march to the end zone on its own 41-yard line, which is also best in the country. Baylor’s pass offense is ranked No. 2 in the nation. The Bears have one of the top wide receivers in Terrance Williams, who averages a nation-leading 159 receiving yards per game.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Kansas State -10

ABOUT KANSAS STATE (10-0, 7-0 Big 12): The Wildcats are led by the two-pronged attack of quarterback Collin Klein. The 6-foot-5, 226-pound senior, a top contender to win the Heisman Trophy, has passed for 2,020 yards and 12 touchdowns while throwing only three interceptions on 208 pass attempts. On the ground, he has rushed for 748 yards and 19 scores. Klein accounts for two out of every three touchdowns and yards gained by the Wildcats. He is just as accurate on bubble screens as he is throwing down field, completing 60 percent of his passes that travel at least 30 yards.

ABOUT BAYLOR (4-5, 1-5): Despite a setback in last week’s loss to Oklahoma, Baylor quarterback Nick Florence is having a stellar senior season as well. Florence has thrown for 3,191 yards and 25 touchdowns, completing 62.1 percent of his passess. He is coming off his worst performance of the season, however, completing 12 of 33 passes for 172 yards and no touchdowns in the 42-34 loss to the Sooners. His yardage total was 117 yards less than his next-lowest passing game this season.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Wildcats are tied with Kent State for the best turnover ratio in the country (plus-20) and opponents have scored only seven points off their turnovers, also tops in the nation.

2. Kansas State is averaging 3.2 penalties per game, fewest in the nation.

3. Baylor’s pass defense is ranked No. 116 in the nation, allowing an average of 367.7 yards.

PREDICTION: Baylor 56, Kansas State 51