No team in college football outperforms expectations at home like Kansas State.
According to the latest KFord Ratings released Friday, the Wildcats rank No. 1 in the nation when it comes to exceeding the Vegas spread at home—making them the top home-field advantage team across the Power 4.
K-State leads a top 10 that includes LSU (No. 2), Louisville (No. 3), SMU (No. 4), and Alabama (No. 5). Ohio State, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Washington, and Syracuse round out the list.
The Cats were the lone representative from the Big 12 in the rankings.
And the numbers back it up. Kansas State went 5–1 in Manhattan last season, knocking off UT Martin and Arizona in nonconference play, and posting conference wins over No. 20 Oklahoma State, in-state rival Kansas, and Cincinnati.
Their lone home loss came against eventual Big 12 champ Arizona State, which upset the Wildcats 24–14 as 7.5-point underdogs.
Looking ahead, the Wildcats have another favorable home slate in 2025.
After opening the season in Ireland against Iowa State in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic on Aug. 23, K-State returns home for a Sept. 6 matchup with Army and a nonconference game vs. North Dakota.
Big 12 home games include UCF, TCU, Texas Tech, and Colorado. The home opener at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Aug. 30 will feature a “Stripe Out.” Other featured events include Fort Riley Day (vs. Army, Sept. 6), Celebrate Ag Day (vs. UCF, Sept. 27), Homecoming (vs. TCU, Oct. 11), Harley Day (vs. Texas Tech, Nov. 1), and Senior Day (vs. Colorado, Nov. 9).
Kansas State enters the fall with momentum—and expectations.
Junior quarterback Avery Johnson is back after a breakout season, joined by playmakers Dylan Edwards, Joe Jackson, and Jayce Brown. Defensively, veterans Austin Romaine and V.J. Payne return to lead a group bringing back significant experience.
In the trenches, the Wildcats added transfer help in offensive linemen Terrence Enos (Pitt) and J.B. Nelson (Penn State), both expected to play key roles immediately.
K-State is already showing up in national preseason rankings. The Wildcats come in at No. 12 in USA Today’s Top 25 and No. 16 in Joel Klatt’s post-spring rankings on FOX Sports. ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) has Kansas State at No. 21, the highest-ranked Big 12 team in the model.
The Wildcats finished 2024 at 9–4, including a 5–4 Big 12 record, and capped the year with a 44–41 win over Rutgers in the Dec. 26 bowl game.