The K-State Wildcats and head coach Collin Klein are coming off a bye week as they prepare to host the 22nd-ranked Houston Cougars.

The Wildcats will face their first ranked opponent of the year in an important matchup as K-State looks to bounce back from its loss to Cincinnati and avoid a second defeat, which would put a dent in the Wildcats’ College Football Playoff hopes.

Klein says the bye week has its advantages and disadvantages, especially coming off a defeat, but it gave his team time to recover from injuries, as the Wildcats will be hungry to get back on the field and put another win in the record column.

The Cougars are coming off a 10-point win over UCF, with their lone loss coming by two points to No. 11 Texas Tech. Klein says Houston is a great situational football team with a strong run defense and a high third-down conversion rate, all things the Wildcats will have to prepare for.

The Wildcats will look to move to 1-1 in conference play and put themselves back in position to compete for a Big 12 title as the midway point of the season approaches.