On paper, the next eight days look easy for the K-State men's basketball team.

Back-to-back home games against the bottom two teams in the league, with a full week to prepare for the first matchup on Saturday. The two opponents combine for just three league wins and 14 league losses, and K-State has beaten them both on the road already this season. Sounds easy right?

Don't be so sure. Colorado and Nebraska may not be among the top teams in the league, but they won't roll over either. Knowing head coach Frank Martin, he isn't overlooking these teams just because they have had limited success this season. He consistently boasts the Big 12 Conference as the toughest in the country, and whether that's true or not, there are no such things as easy games in this league.

Take the Kansas basketball team, for example. They traveled to Boulder, Colo., last week and needed overtime to escape with a win. They then returned to Lawrence three days later and found themselves in a two-point game against Nebraska with 13 minutes to play in the second half. While the Jayhawks won both of these games, they didn't accumulate many style points in the process.

K-State has beaten both of these teams this season, each in a different fashion. The win against Colorado was a hard-fought victory that could have just as easily ended in a loss. The Wildcats led by only four with 1:25 left to play, before sealing the game at the free-throw line. Hardly a convincing victory, but a win nonetheless.

The game in Lincoln, Neb., was a different story. The Wildcats dominated the game in nearly every aspect, humbling the Cornhuskers, 76-57, in a game that was never very close. Can they repeat that performance next week in Bramlage? Probably so, but it's worth noting that after winning 14 straight at home, the Wildcats are currently on a two-game home losing streak.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the Wildcats will lose either of these games. I'm saying it would be foolish to overlook them as automatic wins. There is a reason Colorado and Nebraska are at the bottom of the standings. They have a tendency to play games close and lose their composure in the final minutes. Nebraska's lone win in league play came against a shaky Oklahoma team at home. Colorado got its two league wins against Nebraska and Baylor.

The Wildcats are more talented and athletic at almost every position and on paper, should win easily. They have defended their home court well this season, with both of their losses in Bramlage coming at a narrow margin. But perhaps the biggest advantage K-State has over these two teams is their ability to win on the road. Against Division I opponents, Colorado and Nebraska combine for a dismal 1-13 record in true road games this season. The lone road win came on Nov. 29 when Nebraska barely edged Southern Cal in Los Angeles, 51-48. USC is now 14-9 and in a five-way tie for second in the Pac-10 Conference standings in what could be the worst collective showing by a power conference in decades.

After losing at home to KU, much of the team felt bad for the fans who have supported the team this season. They want to win these home games. It's also proven that these teams struggle on the road, and that the Wildcats can beat them. Now, they just have to go out and do it.