Manhattan ? Kansas State’s players usually don’t let their giddiness show too much.

But as fan buzz increases and the lofty implications of a win continue to be hyped, purple supporters are finding it impossible to not be excited about No. 25 Kansas State’s game today against No. 11 Southern California.

Even their straight-faced coach can’t help but admit there’s more exuberance than usual.

“Everybody is enthused and excited about the ballgame,” Bill Snyder said. “They’re not doing jumping jacks or anything, but the excitement is there. That’s the way it should be.”

Kip Etter, a bartender at Rusty’s Last Chance, a popular student hangout, said fans and patrons are obviously intrigued about the matchup.

“This is the first game that really matters,” Etter said. “People were talking about this game before the season started. A lot of people are coming in to town and old friends are calling to talk about the game.”

Aside from USC’s high ranking, there are plenty of reasons for heightened fan interest. For starters, only one of Kansas State’s first three games was against a Division I-A opponent, Louisiana-Lafayette.

Kansas State, which has received plenty of criticism for scheduling lesser opponents, hasn’t played a ranked non-conference opponent in the regular season since September 28, 1991 when the Wildcats lost 56-3 to No. 4 Washington. The Wildcats haven’t played a ranked non-conference foe at home since No. 17 Iowa won 45-10 in 1988.

“There’s more excitement for me than any other game,” said student Scott Lally, a junior from Olsburg. “This is the first real test for Kansas State and USC is a well-known opponent. There’s lots of talk about how Kansas State never plays anyone. Now someone ranked really high comes to town. So it’s hard not to be ecstatic.”

Fans know that a win would help erase doubts that still loom from last year’s 6-6 record, KSU’s worst since 1992.

“This is a defining moment,” said Will Klusener, a senior from Wichita. “We’ll see if they’re any good or not.”

To add to the ambiance, USC strong safety Troy Polamalu’s late hit on Kansas State punt returner Aaron Lockett in last season’s 10-6 win has caused some animosity toward Polamalu and the Trojans.