#College football: Three games for bettors to consider

LAS VEGAS — In his second season at Kansas State, coach Chris Klieman faces a rebuilding job and an uphill climb. This is not his first rodeo, though.

Klieman made a successful leap to the Big 12 after coaching North Dakota State to four FCS national championships. He’s not exactly in the same class with Alabama’s Nick Saban and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, but Klieman compiled a 77-11 record the past six years and proved he can win at both levels by guiding the Wildcats to an 8-5 finish last year.

Now he must prove he can win with a new-look Kansas State team that lost eight offensive starters and five defensive starters. The biggest challenge will be replacing an entire offensive line that totaled 159 career starts.

A chaotic offseason should increase the importance of coaching and quarterback continuity in college football this fall. A team with experienced leadership figures to be better prepared and have an early edge. The Wildcats are still in good hands with Klieman and Skylar Thompson, a senior dual-threat quarterback, running the show.

Klieman is capable of magic tricks. He guided the Wildcats, 24-point underdogs, to a 48-41 victory over Oklahoma last year. Thompson rushed for four touchdowns in the upset.

Kansas State opens its season Saturday against Arkansas State, which could have an advantage of its own by already playing a game. The Red Wolves were 18-point underdogs last week in a 37-24 loss at Memphis. Logan Bonner and Layne Hatcher, a former Alabama walk-on, split playing time and combined to pass for 299 yards while the offense totaled 424 yards.

Still, the Red Wolves are hitting the road for the second straight week and taking another step up in class. The Wildcats did not rank ninth in the nation and first in the Big 12 in time of possession last year by accident. Klieman prefers to win with a ball-control running game, and Kansas State has the horsepower to wear down Arkansas State’s weak defense.

The pick: Kansas State, -12½.

Coastal Carolina ( 6¹/₂) over KANSAS: The Chanticleers were 7-point underdogs in a 12-7 win at Kansas last year. If the Jayhawks get revenge, it’s unlikely to come easily. Coastal Carolina returns eight starters on offense, including a 1,000-yard rusher and a line with more than 100 total starts. The Chanticleers also were the only FBS team to get in all 15 spring practices. Jayhawks coach Les Miles did not get in one spring practice. If playing in the spring means anything, the ’dog should be dangerous.

Duke-NOTRE DAME Under 53¹/₂: This was a mismatch last year, when the Irish rolled to a 38-7 win at Duke. It’s still a mismatch, with Notre Dame favored by 20 points. The Blue Devils are banking on quarterback Chase Brice, a Clemson transfer, to revive their offense but the ND defense is too strong for this to turn into a high-scoring shootout.

2019 Season: 33-33-3.