K-State's Avery Johnson Making Zero Apologies For Big 12 Title Ambitions

Kansas State has made a lot of noise during the preseason, with many projecting it to place atop the Big 12 and possibly even sneak into the playoff picture.

Quarterback Avery Johnson is making no mistake about the team's expectations next season. It's all or nothing for the Wildcats' signal-caller, who says the Big 12 championship is the standard.

“I can’t wait for the season to begin,” Johnson said Tuesday at Big 12 Media Day. “We’re shooting for a Big 12 championship. Anything else would be a letdown.”

Johnson accumulated 2,712 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, while rushing for 605 yards and seven touchdowns. He's been gunning for a conference title ever since the Rate Bowl loss, but the ambitions don't stop there. Johnson wants to play meaningful football past November, a feat that has never been accomplished in program history. However, to achieve this, Johnson emphasized group effort in reaching the same goal.

“If there's anybody on our team that isn't striving for that, then we have a problem,” Johnson said. “Right now, just focusing on Iowa State in the Ireland game, but still having the Big 12 championship in the back of our mind. Those are goals that we’ve set as a team that we’ll shoot for. But if we don’t take it one day at a time, then it could end up being a problem for us.”