Texas heads to K-State with Herman’s future in spotlight

MANHATTAN, Kan. — The end of Charlie Strong’s tenure at Texas was probably sealed with a late-season loss to lowly Kansas.

Four years later, Tom Herman’s tenure could likewise be decided in the Sunflower State.

The Longhorns begin a two-game finishing stretch against Kansas State and the Jayhawks with a trip to Manhattan today, and the dominant storyline this week is whether Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte is counting down the days on Herman’s time in Austin, Texas.

Recruiting is down. Rumblings about Urban Meyer taking over the Longhorns are pervasive. Players have continued to opt out, leaving Herman with a depleted roster for the finishing stretch. And perhaps most importantly, Texas likely will sitting out the Big 12 title game again,

regardless of what happens against the Wildcats and Kansas.

“If you truly love the game of football and you love your teammates and you love this program, and you’re doing it for the right reasons, every game matters,” Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger said. “It’s another opportunity to play the game you love. I think every games matter, regardless of what you’re playing for. Obviously it adds a little extra motivation when you have a championship within sight, but it will really show who loves the game of football for the game of football.”

Many of the same thoughts are probably running through the Kansas State program.

While the Longhorns (5-3, 4-3 Big 12) have lost all their games by a touchdown or less, the Wildcats (4-5, 4-4) will be trying to rebound from a last-second loss to Baylor in which they controlled the game almost the entire way. It was Kansas State’s fourth consecutive loss, a stinging slide in which the team’s youth and inexperience has been put on full display.

“It always wears on you, without question,” Wildcats coach Chris Klieman said. “If you’re a competitor or a winner like all those kids are and hate losing, it ticks you off. We have had opportunities. All that being said, you can’t let it linger.”