MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) -- - It probably wasn't the most happy of Thanksgivings for seventh-ranked Kansas State.

The Wildcats had climbed ever so slowly to No. 1 in the BCS standings before losing two weeks ago at Baylor, ending their perfect season along with their national championship dreams.

And due to a quirk in the schedule, they had last week off, giving them some extra time to stew over what will undoubtedly go down as one of the biggest disappointments in school history.

It also gave Kansas State time to prepare for its final exam, though.

The Wildcats return to the field for their home finale Saturday against No. 23 Texas. They can wrap up the Big 12 title and earn the league's automatic BCS bowl berth with a win, or if No. 12 Oklahoma loses to TCU earlier in the day.

"We definitely need to get back on track. There's definitely that mentality," said quarterback Collin Klein, whose Heisman Trophy hopes took a hit that Saturday night in Waco.

"I don't know if I'd necessarily call it anger, but there's a lot of motivation and buildup of we just need to get back on track. Our last two performances haven't been stellar. There's a lot of motivation there. I don't know if it's anger, but there's some motivation, no doubt."

The Wildcats (10-1, 7-1) had become one of the nation's trendiest teams behind the stoic play of Klein, the unwavering leadership of 73-year-old coach Bill Snyder and a defense that had managed to ground some of the most potent offenses in the entire country.

Klein made the cover of Sports Illustrated. National programs were doing segments on the Wildcats. The stretch of Interstate 70 from Kansas City to tiny Manhattan, Kan., became just a little bit busier as Kansas State kept piling up victory upon victory.

But then the Wildcats headed to Baylor, and everything unraveled.

Klein threw three interceptions in arguably his worst game as a starter, and was held to just 39 yards on the ground. Running back John Hubert managed only 43 yards rushing, while that stone-wall defense was shredded by quarterback Nick Florence and the Bears' running backs.

Lache Seastrunk ran for 185 yards and a touchdown. Glasco Martin had 113 yards and three more scores. Florence accounted for nearly 300 yards and three more touchdowns.

The result wasn't just a loss, but a 52-24 humiliation.

Snyder admitted he was angry with the result, not merely disappointed. And he said that attitude was embraced by the rest of the team - the Wildcats let the biggest opportunity in school history slip through their fingers, countless hours of grueling work sullied by one poor night.

"If that attitude does persist, I would hope it would be throughout our team, and not be exclusive to one particular group," Snyder said. "We've won collectively and our loss is a collective loss, and our preparation needs to be collective and our attitude just the same."

Senior kicker Anthony Cantele was the first to acknowledge feeling the same raw emotion that Snyder experienced in the hours after the game, but said things have started to change.

"At first there was some anger that set in," Cantele said, "but once we started to practice, we realized, especially the seniors, this is our last chance to play at home."

The senior class has Kansas State poised to capture only the third conference championship in school history with a win over a Texas team turning from banged-up starter David Ash to Case McCoy at quarterback.

Ash had three first-half turnovers in a 20-13 loss to TCU on Thanksgiving Day and was twice pulled from the game. McCoy, who hasn't started since the 2011 regular-season finale, relieved Ash and was 11 of 17 for 110 yards with an interception.

Although coach Mack Brown called the passing game "inept" against the Horned Frogs, an unspecified rib injury to Ash also seems to be a factor in the change.

"He's not (healthy). We don't get into 'ifs' and 'whats,'" Brown said. "We're trying to figure out what to do with what we've got."

While the offense has its questions, one of the biggest concerns for the Longhorns (8-3, 5-3) is finding a way to slow down a high-powered offense - something they've had no luck accomplishing.

Kansas State ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 40.5 points per game, and Texas has allowed the conference's top three scoring offenses - Oklahoma State, Baylor and Oklahoma - to put up an average of 49.7 points.

Texas hasn't beaten the Wildcats since 2003, losing four straight meetings - the last two with Klein under center for Kansas State.

"Coach Snyder always talks about finishing," Klein said. "As a senior, for all of us as seniors, being able to finish strong is what we want, no doubt."

© 2012 STATS LLC

No. 7 Kansas State wins Big 12 title, beats Texas

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) -- Just as Collin Klein was preparing to trot onto the field for the biggest home game in Kansas State history, coach Bill Snyder put his arm around his senior quarterback and whispered something in his ear.

"He just told me how much he appreciated me, and that he loved me," Klein said. "It was a great moment. And I know he said that to every single one of us, and I wouldn't have it any other way. And that's pretty special."

Everything about this night was special for the Wildcats and their fans. With Klein passing for one touchdown and running for two, Kansas State beat Texas 42-24 to wrap up its third conference championship in 117 years, prompting thousands of people to rush onto the field as the sound system blared, "We are the champions."

The Wildcats (12-1, 8-1) had never played for a conference championship in their last game at home, and had never had a player end the regular season in such close contention for the Heisman Trophy as Klein.

With his main competitors, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel nor Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o, off, Klein had the stage all to himself. He had one last chance to burnish his credentials for what would be Kansas State's first Heisman, and he made it count.

John Hubert scored three touchdowns on short runs for Kansas State, and Klein threw every Heisman question right back at the questioner.

"Tonight's all about our team and what we were able to accomplish tonight," he said. "And Texas didn't give it to us easily. Tonight's about K-State family. That's the most important thing."

After a slow start, Klein wound up hitting 8 of 14 passes for 184 yards and added 108 yards rushing on 23 carries.

In front of their sixth sellout in seven home games, the Wildcats also tied their team record for victories in a season and matched Oklahoma's Big 12 record.

It was Kansas State's fifth straight victory over Texas (8-4, 5-4), which led 10-7 at halftime, and capped and gave Kansas State coach Bill Snyder the conference title just four years after he came out of a brief retirement.

"Bill is unbelievable," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "I have said many times that I think what he has done here is the best in the country, from start to finish."

Oklahoma beat TCU earlier Saturday and immediately donned caps and T-shirts declaring themselves Big 12 champs. But Kansas State's 24-19 win at Oklahoma on Sept. 22 gives them the tiebreaker and sends them to the Fiesta Bowl.

"I think (the title) means an awful lot to all of us," Snyder said. "A great deal to the young people in our program. They were excited about it. Obviously I speak for everybody in our football family. I think it's significant and important for each and every one of us. I'm pleased for a lot of different people, the people that genuinely support this program."

Texas, which may be headed for the Cotton Bowl, lost its lead on Kansas State's first possession of the second half. Klein hit a 29-yard pass and Hubert broke free for 28 yards as Kansas State soared 75 yards in seven plays, with Hubert scoring from the 2.

Hubert also had a 2-yard TD run with 47 seconds left in the third quarter and scored on a 1-yard run for a 35-17 lead with a little more than 3 minutes to go after Drew Liddle recovered Texas' muffed punt.

A few minutes later, Allen Chapman intercepted Case McCoy's pass and ran it back 35 yards, setting up Klein's 9-yard TD run for a 42-17 lead with 1:53 left. The back-beaker may have been Klein's long pass to a wide-open Tyler Lockett that went for a 55-yard scoring play.

"Basically, they just out-executed us," said Texas safety Adrian Phillips. "They did what they were supposed to do and we did not come out to do our job after halftime."

McCoy threw a 14-yard TD pass to Jaxon Shipley in the second quarter and a 9-yard scoring pass to Malcom Brown less than 1 minute left in the game. Brown also scored on a 2-yard run in the second quarter.

McCoy hit 26-of-34 passes for 314 yards, with two interceptions. He was sacked four times by a swarming Kansas State defense.

The Wildcats' lone touchdown of the first half came on a 1-yard run by Klein and after an embarrassing lapse by defensive back Nigel Malone.

With perfect timing, Malone jumped in front of McCoy's intended receiver on Texas' second possession, made the interception and sped 30 yards into the end zone. But the ball only traveled the 29. The play was initially ruled a touchdown, but upon review, it was determined Malone had let go of the ball and allowed it drop to the ground just as he was about to step across the goal line.

So it was placed on the 1 and Klein plowed into the end zone for his 21st rushing TD of the season and No. 54 for his career.

Klein was 0 for 4 in Kansas State's scoreless second quarter while McCoy was going 17 for 20 in the first half for 204 yards.

McCoy's longest pass play went for 70 yards, but almost all of that was the running of Daje Johnson right after Adrian Phillips intercepted Klein's pass in the end zone and gave the Longhorns the ball on the 20, setting up a field goal.

© 2012 STATS LLC