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Ranking the Big 12 2024 football schedule by difficulty: Can the Wildcats win a title?

Kansas State looks like one of the top teams in the Big 12 in 2024, will their strength of schedule help them make their first playoff appearance?

By Ericka Brockish

Dec 28, 2023; Orlando, FL, USA; Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson (2) waits for a play call in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against the NC State Wolfpack.
Dec 28, 2023; Orlando, FL, USA; Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson (2) waits for a play call in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against the NC State Wolfpack. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
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The Big 12 went through a change in 2023 going from 10 to 14 with the addition of UCF, Cincinnati, BYU, and Houston. The conference is about to go through another big change by going from 14 teams to 16 with the loss of Oklahoma and Texas, but the addition of Arizona, Utah, Arizona State, and Colorado.

Kansas State is going through a change in the offseason with the departure of several key players including Ben Sinnott and Cooper Beebe to the NFL Draft and Will Howard and Jobe Savage to the transfer portal.

The Wildcats are also facing technically three of the newcomers in 2024, but only two of them will be actual conference games. Due to a series that was already set up before Arizona announced they were joining the Big 12, the game against Arizona will count as a non-conference game.

So looking at the Big 12 as a whole, here is a ranking of each team's schedule by strength of schedule:

16. Kansas Jayhawks
15. Arizona Wildcats
14. Cincinnati Bearcats
13. Iowa State Cyclones
12. Oklahoma State Cowboys
11. UCF Knights
10. Utah Utes
9. Texas Tech Red Raiders
8. Baylor Bears
7. BYU Cougars
6. TCU Horned Frogs
5. Kansas State Wildcats
4. West Virginia Mountaineers
3. Arizona State Sun Devils
2. Colorado Buffaloes
1. Houston Cougars

Kansas State is in the top five of the toughest schedules in the Big 12. That is no surprise as they face a lot of the top teams in the Big 12 this upcoming season.

Here is the Wildcats upcoming 2024 football schedule:

  • Kansas State vs. UT Martin: Saturday, August 31
  • Kansas State at Tulane: Saturday, September 7
  • Kansas State vs. Arizona: Friday, September 13
  • Kansas State at BYU: Saturday, September 21
  • Kansas State vs. Oklahoma State: Saturday, September 28
  • Kansas State at Colorado: Saturday, October 12
  • Kansas State at West Virginia: Saturday, October 19
  • Kansas State vs. Kansas: Saturday, October 26
  • Kansas State at Houston: Saturday, November 2
  • Kansas State vs. Arizona State: Saturday, November 16
  • Kansas State vs. Cincinnati: Saturday, November 23
  • Kansas State at Iowa State: Saturday, November 30

Kansas State will have a tough non-conference schedule facing Tulane and Arizona. However, both teams went through a coaching change this offseason, so that might be good for the Wildcats.

Look at Kansas State's Big 12 schedule, they have games against Oklahoma State and Kansas at home which helps, but those are probably going to be the toughest games for the Wildcats. The games at Colorado, Iowa State, and West Virginia will probably be their toughest away games.

Kansas State is looking like one of the top teams in the conference, but they also have a tough schedule ahead of them with a new quarterback behind center. How many wins will the Wildcats get in 2024?

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