K-State football bowl projections: Where are the Wildcats headed this postseason?
It’s time for Kansas State football fans to start thinking about a bowl game.
K-State has spent most of the year focusing on the Big 12 championship race and a berth in the College Football Playoff. But those dreams are no longer in reach for the Wildcats (8-4, 5-4 Big 12) after they ended the regular season by losing three of their final four games.
But a bowl game is in their future.
Which one? It’s more complicated than usual to pinpoint where the Wildcats will end up. Unlike previous years, not all Big 12 teams are eligible for the same bowl trips. The 12 teams that were in the Big 12 last season, like K-State, will play in bowl games that have traditional ties to the conference. The newest four members will play in bowl games with Pac-12 ties.
Odd as it may seem, there is a good chance that the Alamo Bowl will feature two Big 12 teams.
Here is a look at the latest projections:
K-State Wildcats bowl outlook
Regular season record: 8-4, 5-4 Big 12
Big 12 rank: T8
Bowl projections: Liberty Bowl vs. Texas A&M via Action Network, Liberty Bowl vs. Oklahoma via USA Today, Liberty Bowl vs. Vanderbilt via 247Sports, Armed Forces Bowl vs. Army via ESPN, First Responder Bowl vs. Marshall via ESPN, LA Bowl vs. UNLV via Sporting News,
Analysis: A wide range of possibilities exist for K-State this bowl season.
The Wildcats were one of four Big 12 teams that finished with an 8-4 record, which means bowl directors won’t be able to rely exclusively on the conference standings when it comes time to make a selection.
K-State could be the third traditional Big 12 team off the board, behind Iowa State and BYU, or it could be the sixth. It all depends on how the Wildcats fit with certain bowl games.
Big 12 bowls can select any team they desire, regardless of record. There are no rules or even guidelines for them to follow. Over the next week, a beauty pageant of sorts will play out across the conference until bowl games are announced on Sunday afternoon.
A few things to consider before we break down every scenario:
- K-State will move up a spot in the order if Iowa State wins the Big 12 championship and makes the playoff
- Baylor, TCU and Texas Tech (6-3) all have a better conference record than K-State (5-4)
- The Wildcats limped to the finish line in November, which can be a turnoff for some bowls
Let’s eliminate two bowls from consideration. The Alamo Bowl will almost certainly pick between BYU and Iowa State. The Pop-Tarts Bowl also seems out of reach, and K-State played in Orlando last season.
The Texas Bowl, Liberty Bowl, Rate Bowl and Armed Forces Bowl are all much more realistic options for the Wildcats.
Let’s explore those possibilities.
Texas Bowl
The Wildcats could make their fourth trip to Houston for this bowl game because K-State fans traditionally travel well to the Lone Star State. But it’s hard to see the Texas Bowl passing on Baylor, TCU and Texas Tech for any team outside its own footprint.
Liberty Bowl
Several experts are projecting K-State to play an SEC team like Texas A&M or Oklahoma in Memphis at the Liberty Bowl.
The Wildcats could be a good fit for this bowl game, especially if Iowa State makes the playoff and every traditional Big 12 team gets a bump up in the order.
But K-State won’t be lobbying for another trip to the Liberty Bowl. The Wildcats played there, and lost, in 2016 under Bill Snyder and in 2019 under Chris Klieman. Few, if any, raved about their experiences in Memphis. There’s a chance that K-State administrators will make it clear they would prefer to play somewhere else, and the Liberty Bowl will select a different team like TCU of Texas Tech.
Rate Bowl
K-State gets invited to this bowl game every time it gets a new name. The Wildcats have previously traveled to Arizona for this game when it was called the Copper Bowl, the Insight.com Bowl, the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl and the Cactus Bowl.
A trip back to Phoenix could be in the cards, but bowl officials would have to select K-State over at least one team that finished ahead of it in the conference standings. Or Iowa State could make the playoff and slide the Wildcats up a spot.
Armed Forces Bowl
This is where K-State will play if the Big 12 bowl order goes strictly by the conference standings.
The Wildcats have never played in this bowl game before. This year, it is scheduled for Dec. 27 in Fort Worth.
This game typically matches up a team from the Big 12 against one of the service academies. But guest teams fill in on both sides. Missouri played Army here three years ago. A year before that it was Tulsa vs. Mississippi State.
If K-State ends up in Fort Worth there is a good chance it will play Army or Navy. That could be help the Wildcats learn how to defend a triple-option offense before they host Army in a nonconference game next September.
In the unlikely event that K-State gets passed over for all of those bowl destinations, it could also be selected by the First Responder Bowl in Dallas or the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Big 12 bowl order
- College Football Playoff
- Alamo Bowl in San Antonio (6:30 p.m. on Dec. 28)
- Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando (2:30 p.m. on Dec. 28)
- Texas Bowl in Houston (2:30 p.m. on Dec. 31)
- Liberty Bowl in Memphis (6 p.m. on Dec. 27)
- Rate Bowl in Phoenix (5:30 p.m. on Dec. 26)
- Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth (11 a.m. on Dec. 27)
- First Responder Bowl in Dallas (3 p.m. on Jan. 3)
- Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La. (8:15 p.m. on Dec. 28)
This story was originally published December 3, 2024 at 6:00 AM with the headline "K-State football bowl projections: Where are the Wildcats headed this postseason?."