Bill Snyder knew the inevitable. The coach who transformed Kansas State from a perennial loser into a national power could see the signs. The Big 12 was changing, the recruiting well he tapped was drying up and Manhattan wasn't becoming any more attractive to young college kids. So he announced his retirement. There was no sense sticking around when the ship was sinking, especially after navigating the Wildcats through uncharted territory in the wake of so many abominable years.

 Got out in time.

Courtesy Kstatefootball.com

The Wildcats, who used to play regularly in late December or early January, have been con####uously absent from the postseason the last two years. And that is not likely to change in the coming seasons. Kansas State, which mined the state's junior colleges for talent during its golden years, has been forced  to compete with other schools for prospects that they once had exclusives on. In recent years, more and more coaches have been dipping into community colleges around Kansas and stealing the junior college players away. Recruiters from Nebraska, Kansas and even schools like Arkansas and Michigan State have been lurking at community colleges in the area, hoping to land prospects who can pay immediate dividends.

The Michael Bishops, Darnell McDonalds and Jeff Kellys, who once served as a foundation for Kansas State's winning squads, no longer are destined to go to Manhattan after apprenticing at local community colleges. The Wildcats, understandably, have suffered. In 2005, the once-powerful ground game Kansas State featured for years accumulated only 279 yards in a span of five games. This time there was no Darren Sproles or Ell Roberson to save them -- a sobering reality that is becoming all too familiar in Manhattan.

At a time when the Big 12 is changing, Kansas State has become stagnant. Nebraska and Texas Tech have junked their running games in favor of spread attacks that make it difficult for teams with strong rushing offenses to compete, especially if their defenses surrender early touchdowns. Even Colorado, which hired former Boise State coach Dan Hawkins, will likely pitch it around the field.  Meanwhile, in-state rival Kansas has emerged as the top football team in the state under head coach Mike Mangino. The Jayhawks just won their first bowl since 1995 and some believe that they will be one of the favorites in the now weakened Big 12 North division. This does not bode well for Kansas State.

It is rare in college football to see such a rapid rise and fall, unless NCAA sanctions precipitate a program's decline. Usually, it takes decades for the whole story to play out. But the school that was mired in a 27-game losing streak when Snyder took over in 1989 has seen the Wildcats both climb their way to the top of the rankings and slide back down in a matter of 15 years. The Fiesta Bowl appearance just two seasons ago seems like such a distant memory. The expanded stadium is now just a reminder of what once was and what seems so hard to hold on to. Now, Ron Prince has been left to pick up the pieces like Snyder once did. But another "Miracle in Manhattan" doesn't seem as likely to happen this time around.