Kansas State Football: Bowl Predictions Had ‘Cats All Over the Map
By Stan Unruh
Preseason bowl predictions had Kansas State football invited to games all over the country. Unfortunately, the season left a lot to be desired.
Sports anchors, writers and many others make their predictions daily, weekly and more. Most are not worth much but we all enjoy listening to what they might say or write about Kansas State football.
In June, many of the nation’s college football sports periodicals hit the newsstands with a rehash of the 2015 season, 2016 preseason previews and bowl game predictions.
Again this season, the Big 12 has eight bowl slots guaranteed. The Conference is partnered with nine bowls. However the arrangement with the Gator Bowl is for it to select a Big 12 team twice over a four-year period, according to the conference web site. In the two years in which the Gator does not select a Big 12 team, the Sun Bowl will.
Kansas State has played in 19 bowl games and won 7 times. The seven wins were all under the direction of coach Bill Snyder.
Kansas State Wildcats
The Wildcats lost their last two bowl appearances including last year’s Liberty Bowl against Arkansas and the 2014 Alamo Bowl to UCLA.
During the summer, The Sporting News predicted Kansas State would get a trip to the Armed Forces Bowl and a game against Ken Niumatalolo’s triple option offense. Going into the Army game, Midshipmen had 9 wins on the season and scored 75 points in their November 26th game in a win at SMU.
Kansas State won’t win 9 regular season games this season.
Athlon 2016 College Football Preview’s preseason guess thought Kansas State would face Big Ten opponent Indiana on December 26 in Detroit’s Quick Lane Bowl. The Hoosiers wrapped up their regular season on November 26, squeaking by in-state rival Purdue 26-24 for a 6-6 regular season record.
The Phil Steele 2016 College Football Preview magazine is known as the book the experts cannot do without. They predicted a warm weather postseason game for Kansas State. Steele predicted the Wildcats would travel to Phoenix for the Motel 6 Cactus bowl and face Arizona State. The Sun Devils may not play in a bowl game. After giving up 56 points in a regular season ending loss to in-state rival Arizona, the Devils sit with a 5-7 win loss record.
The preseason predictions did not mention the possibility of Kansas State playing in the Texas Bowl, but it has emerged as a strong possibility. Fox Sports reports they believe the Wildcats will face Texas A&M at NRG Stadium in Houston’s Texas Bowl on December 28, while ESPN’s Brett McMurphy predicts the Wildcats will play Auburn in the Texas Bowl that day.
We will know for sure where the Wildcats will go bowling after they wrap up the regular season on Saturday at TCU.