These are the most likely bowl destinations for K-State Wildcats and KU Jayhawks
At least eight teams from the Big 12 will play in a bowl game this postseason. Both Kansas and Kansas State will be among them.
The Wildcats (8-3, 6-2 Big 12) can make a case for one of the top bowl destinations in the conference by closing out the regular season with a victory over Iowa State on Saturday. The Jayhawks (7-4, 4-4 Big 12) can boost their bowl stock by defeating Cincinnati on the road.
Here is a look at the latest projections:
K-State Wildcats bowl outlook
Remaining schedule: Iowa State.
Current Big 12 rank: T2
Bowl projections: Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. North Carolina State via The Action Network and The Athletic, Texas Bowl vs. Auburn via CBS Sports and Yahoo! Sports, Liberty Bowl vs. Kentucky via Sporting News.
Analysis: The Wildcats are understandably holding out hope that they can earn a berth in the Big 12 championship game next week, which would give them an opportunity to play in a New Year’s Six bowl for the second consecutive year.
But if that doesn’t work out, the Wildcats will still be left with a pair of appealing bowl destinations.
The Alamo Bowl in San Antonio and the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando will both be very interested in the Wildcats if they are available. Each game is scheduled for Dec. 28.
It’s a good bet that K-State will end up in one of those bowls if it wins its final game of the regular season against Iowa State but falls short of a conference title.
The Alamo Bowl gets first pick among Big 12 teams after the NY6 bowls make their selections. So K-State’s candidacy for this game could boil down to how many Big 12 teams end up in the Fiesta Bowl or the Cotton Bowl. Let’s say Texas and Oklahoma both get invited to major bowls, then that would leave the door open for K-State to play in San Antonio.
Texas, which is currently ranked at No. 7, finishing in top four of the College Football Rankings would pave the way for two Big 12 teams to play in a major bowl.
But if only the Big 12 champion gets that honor, then it’s hard to see the Alamo Bowl passing on Oklahoma. This is the last time it gets to invite the Sooners before they leave for the SEC. That makes Oklahoma more appealing than K-State, at least on the surface. Most projections currently have OU and Arizona ending up in San Antonio.
The next best option is the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando. Don’t let the name fool you, this is one of the best bowls in the Big 12. K-State would happily accept an invitation for two reasons. For starters, this is usually a game involving a pair of ranked teams from the ACC and the Big 12. Second, the Wildcats have never before played a bowl game in Florida.
This could be a first.
Iowa State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have all played in this game in recent years. It feels like this might finally be K-State’s turn.
The Texas Bowl could also become a possibility for K-State if it loses to Iowa State or something unexpected happens in the conference standings.
Kansas Jayhawks bowl outlook
Remaining schedule: at Cincinnati
Current Big 12 rank: 8
Bowl possibilities: Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs. Northwestern via The Action Network and The Athletic, Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs. Maryland via CBS Sports, Texas Bowl vs. Texas A&M via Yahoo! Sports, Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. North Carolina via Sporting News.
Analysis: The Jayhawks have been mathematically eliminated from the Big 12 championship race, but there will be life after death for Lance Leipold’s team in the form of a bowl game.
Kansas can strengthen its case for a fun postseason destination by closing out its Big 12 slate with a road victory over Cincinnati on Saturday.
At the moment, its most likely destination appears to be the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Dec. 26 in Phoenix. The opponent in that game will come from the Big Ten. Projections have Northwestern and Maryland as possibilities.
Many have the Jayhawks headed to Phoenix, which makes sense because it gets fifth pick in the Big 12 bowl order and KU currently has the fifth best overall record in the conference at 7-4.
The Jayhawks last played in this bowl when it was called the Insight Bowl in 2008. They beat Minnesota 42-21.
It is possible that the Texas Bowl or the Liberty Bowl could also emerge as options for KU. The Texas Bowl in Houston seems more likely, simply because the Jayhawks have never played there before. The Liberty Bowl invited KU to Memphis last season, and bowls try to avoid repeat teams whenever possible.
One projection has KU heading to the Pop-Tarts Bowl. The Jayhawks will need some chaotic results this weekend for that to happen.
If Kansas stumbles against Cincinnati and teams like Iowa State and West Virginia win this weekend then it is possible for KU to stumble down the standings and become an option for the First Responder Bowl in Dallas, The Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth or the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana.
