Avery Johnson is blurring the line between hype and belief. ESPN has Kansas State on the “clear path” list for the postseason,
and they are the second best Big 12 Playoff underdog at +450, only if their quarterback delivers. But the problem is there’s no room for ifs starting right from Week 0. Because Farmageddon is packing its bags for Dublin. The first Big 12 game ever played in Ireland is more than just a novelty. Kansas State hasn’t played outside U.S. borders since Tokyo 1992. For Iowa State, it’s the first time ever. And the stakes are high. This rivalry has run uninterrupted since 1917. The wildcats dominated it for decades, but the Cyclones flipped the script with wins in the last two. This matchup’s got heritage, bad blood, and a lot of jet lag. And now, Matt Wells is stirring the pot. 

Kansas State OC Matt Wells is making sure Iowa State knows the QB they’ll see in Dublin isn’t the same one from last year. On August 12 on Kansas State Wildcats on K-StateOnline, he delivered what could double as a scouting report and a warning shot. “I think he’s probably more comfortable in his own skin, in his own ability… I’m good when I run. I’m good when I throw it. I think he is further along in coverage recognition,” he said. Avery Johnson is dissecting defenses with precision. “That takes time. That takes live reps and that takes a lot of looks,” he added. “But it’s a good look knowing who our first opponent is.” Yeah, the last thing K-State would want to feel is being complacent for Week 0. 

Farmageddon is no walkover. Iowa State’s coming off an 11–3 campaign, their best since the 1930s. They started 7–0 for the first time since 1938, blanked Houston on the road, and capped it with a 42–41 Pop-Tarts Bowl win over Miami. QB Rocco Becht, once a surprise starter, now sits on a career stat line of 48 TDs, 18 INTs, and 6,690 yards due to a betting scandal. K-State had a 9–4 season with a Gasparilla Bowl comeback over Rutgers. It doesn’t sound historic until you remember they erased a 17-point second-half deficit. Dylan Edwards ran for 196 yards and three scores, while Avery Johnson tossed three TD passes to break the school’s single-season passing TD record.

Avery Johnson’s 2024 stat sheet boasts 2,712 passing yards, 25 TDs, 10 INTs, plus 605 rushing yards and seven rushing scores. His open-field speed and improvisational creativity make him uncontainable on a good day. But it comes with a cost. Ask Colorado. Early in that game, the QB hit Jayce Brown on a 33-yard strike, only to crumple holding his right side. The injury lingered, muting his explosiveness for weeks. It’s why HC Chris Klieman isn’t gambling on just one quarterback in 2025. So, he’s cooking up depth, although we still have to deal with mystery. 

Avery Johnson’s backup is still a mystery

Matt Wells admits the competition that comes at the backup QB position. “You got to battle for whoever that second quarterback is. That’s something I see is ongoing,” he said. “Not close to naming a guy… Being a backup quarterback’s not easy. I mean, we may not play a backup quarterback here for two years and it may be, I tell them, it may be two days.” Backup QB life is uncertainty, and the OC is engineering that pressure in practice.

Jacob Knuth, a steady hand with system familiarity, proved capable in limited 2024 snaps with his short completions, chain-moving scrambles, and calm game management. He’s the “break glass in case of emergency” option. But Blake Barnett is the high-upside freshman with a Colorado state record 159 total touchdowns. He’s Rivals’ top in-state ranking, and ESPN’s top-20 dual-threat QB label. Tim Fitzgerald says Barnett held the edge after spring, but starting a freshman in Dublin is a poker move Chris Klieman may keep in his back pocket.

So, here we are. Farmageddon’s crossing the Atlantic, Avery Johnson’s arm and legs are the X-factor, and the No. 2 QB job is still in a cage match. ESPN’s optimistic projection hinges on the QB1’s health, his leap in processing, and whether QB2, whoever he is, can survive the moment if called upon. If Kansas State wants to stay in the playoff hunt until December, August 23 could be the day they set the tone or lose it.