Kansas State football to get Alabama's best shot in the Sugar Bowl
It looks like Kansas State will get Alabama's best shot after all.
Nobody lobbied harder for a College Football Playoff invitation than Alabama coach Nick Saban, but apparently, the Crimson Tide are over their disappointment and all-in for their Sugar Bowl matchup with the Wildcats on Dec. 31 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
ESPN college football writer Pete Thamel first reported on Friday that star quarterback Bryce Young and All-Americian linebacker Will Anderson both were expected to play despite their projections as top-five 2023 NFL Draft prospects. Saban later told reporters that he doesn't expect any of the Crimson Tide's key players to opt-out.
"I was really impressed with the attitude that the players came back with today, and everybody seems to be taking a serious approach to what they have to do to be positive, prepare for the game, have fun preparing for the game and creating value for their future," Saban said during a news conference following the team's first bowl prep practice. "This is not something that is not important to us.
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"We have a lot that we can prove in this game."
Alabama (10-2) just missed out on the Playoff as the No. 5 pick by the CFP selection committee after failing to qualify for the SEC championship game. No. 9 K-State (10-3) is coming off a 30-27 Big 12 championship victory over playoff participant No. 3 TCU.
Unlike last year, when K-State beat a watered-down LSU team 42-20 in the Texas Bowl, the Wildcats will face an Alabama team with star power to spare.
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Anderson was an Associated Press first-team All-American and the first player since Notre Dame's Manti Te'o in 2012 to sweep the Bronco Nagurski Award, Lombardi Award and Lott Trophy in the same year. He led the SEC in sacks with 10 and tackles for loss with 17.
Young won the 2021 Heisman Trophy as a sophomore, throwing for a school-record 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns. He was slowed by injuries this season but still passed for 3,007 yards and 27 scores in 11 games.
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"I think that Will and Bryce coming back to play in the game speaks volumes of the kind of culture that we have in the program and guys like that wanting to try to improve themselves and have respect for their teammates to come back," Saban said. "They're the leaders on the team, they're the most inspirational players, so that's something I think is very special as well."
The Crimson Tide also had a second-team AP All-American in defensive back Brian Branch and three third-team selections — safety Jordan Battle, all-purpose back Jahmyr Gibbs and cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.
K-State, which also is expected to have all its top players available, counters with first-team all-purpose back Deuce Vaughn, second-team offensive lineman Cooper Beebe and third-team defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah.
Also, K-State coach Chris Klieman was named one of five finalists Friday for the Bobby Dodd Trophy, presented to the nation's top head coach.
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State football to face Alabama's best players in Sugar Bowl
