K-State Almost Certain To Go To Holiday Bowl; Plus Potential Opponents

John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

With K-State’s season finished and its spot in the Big 12 pecking order solidified at fifth in the league, the speculation that a spot in the Holiday Bowl was in the cards has turned into an adopted assumption among most prognosticators.

K-State finishes the season at 5-4 in the Big 12 and 7-5 overall. Texas Tech finishes one notch lower on the pecking order, also at 7-5 overall but 4-5 in league play. With a head-to-head victory over the Red Raiders and a much stronger November to finish the season – combined with K-State’s well-known willingness to travel – there’s no reason Texas Tech would be picked ahead of the Wildcats for a bowl game. Immediately above K-State at fourth is Oklahoma. Oklahoma still has the Bedlam game against Oklahoma State on Saturday, and will finish either 7-2 or 6-3 in the league. The team is currently 9-2 overall. With the better record, head-to-head win, and tradition the Sooners enjoy, there’s no reason to expect K-State to jump the Sooners either.

That leaves K-State fifth, no question. The only question that remains is whether the Big 12 could send two representatives to BCS games. While that scenario is looking unlikely, it’s not out of the question. It would require Oklahoma State to beat Oklahoma on Saturday while Baylor also beats Texas. Both would finish the season 11-1 overall with Oklahoma State taking the conference championship, and voters (as well as the computers) would be asked to let in a Baylor squad it refused to believe in all season.

The following are the Big 12 bowl tie-ins, by order of selection (conference tie-in):

BCS – Tostitos Fiesta (BCS)
AT&T Cotton (SEC)
Valero Alamo (Pac-12)
Buffalo Wild Wings (Big Ten)
National University Holiday (Pac-12)
Texas (Big Ten)
New Era Pinstripe (American)