FanHouse Spring Football

Every Monday during college football's endless offseason, The FanHouse Walk will put last week's stories to bed and deliver the essentials to bridge that agonizing space between now and September.

The Obvious -- The 2009 NFL Draft is now in the books and what's emerged from countless hours of coverage is a recurring theme of late: USC and SEC dominance. The Trojans had 11 players chosen in this year's draft, including a kicker and eight total defensive players from one of the better collegiate defenses of this era.

Meanwhile, 37 SEC players were chosen, topping last year's 35 and besting the second-place ACC's 33. USC also tied a draft record with four linebackers selected in a single draft. Their 11 overall selections bested last year's 10-player performance and again paced all colleges in the draft.

Many people look upon Alabama's NCAA-record 92,000 attendance at last year's spring game in horror. Me? I beam with pride.

College football fans are rabid, their taste for the game insatiable. Meaningless spring exhibitions can be cause for 2% of the state population to show up and watch red-on-red violence.

Anyway, the school is going all-in this year, extending the festivities another day with an Alan Jackson warm-up concert and pep rally the night before. Here's guessing 'Tide coach Nick Saban's had more than his share of "5-o-clock somewhere" moments the past year (mostly self-inflicted). Should be a hell of a two-day party, all the more meaningful so many months before the season begins in earnest and well before the recruits have even hit campus.

College football, gotta love it.

(H/T: The Wizard of Odds)

Last Year: 7-6 (4-4), Unranked

Fans Are: Overly optimistic. After several declining years that hastened the departure of legendary coach Bill Snyder, Kansas State had a tough rebuilding road ahead for new coach Ron Prince. Thanks to a softer than normal Big 12 and an epic win over a Colt McCoy-less Texas, the Wildcats soared to a seven win season in Prince's first go-round.

There is still a long rebuilding road ahead as Prince attempts to recast the program in his image. The program lacks much star talent beyond the quarterback, tailback and star defensive end, has little depth, plays in a major conference and has suffered tremendous coaching and roster turnover. That means the Prince regime must fight uphill against some bad feelings in the background and the inescapability of returning a once moribund program to lofty heights in just his second season.

Expectations: Compete for the Big 12 North Division crown, make a bowl game, avoid humiliating losses.

Questions:

1. Will the run defense improve?

It's doubtful there will be significant improvement this year. The Wildcats surrendered 149 ground yards a game last year, good for 78th in the NCAA. In an increasingly pass-happy Big 12, that output was particularly pathetic. The team's best defensive lineman Ian Campbell happens to be a pass-rushing terror but is suspect against the run. And now the Wildcats may switch to a 3-4 depending on the whims of new defensive coordinator Tim Tibesar.

Tibesar's background is light, mostly specializing as a linebackers coach. Can his ingenuity trump personal inexperience and the overall inexperience of a fairly young defensive line? My money's on no, at least for this year.

2. Can hotshot quarterback Josh Freeman avoid a sophomore slump?

Probably. Most of the offense returns, although both of his tackles and downfield receiver Yamon Figurs have all graduated. A veteran line and the return of receiver Jordy Nelson should be a security blanket for Freeman to continue to develop as a quarterback and ignite the Kansas State offense.

3. What else should we be on the lookout for this spring?

How the new set of assistant coaches mesh with the team and coach Ron Prince's vision for the program.

The defensive players must potentially learn a new scheme, the 3-4. That puts a squeeze on certain defensive linemen and there may be a transfer or two just because. New receivers and defensive backs coaches are also certain to shake things up as they get used to the available personnel and sort out the players from the guys who can't cut it.