Kansas State football bowl game predictions, if Wildcats play in one

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MANHATTAN — Kansas State football has yet to announce whether it will opt out of a bowl game when the games will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 7.

The status of the Wildcats playing in a postseason game has been up in the air since Chris Klieman announced his retirement on Dec. 3, leading to Collin Klein’s hiring two days later.

Kansas State earned bowl eligibility by winning four of its last six games, finishing the season with a 6-6 record after beating Colorado on Nov. 29.

It remains unclear whether Klieman would coach in a bowl game, if there is one.

Here are potential landing spots for the Wildcats if they decide to play a 13th game.

Kansas State football bowl game projections

Here are three bowl game projections for the Wildcats, in no particular order.

Independence Bowl: The Wildcats have long been connected to the Independence Bowl since they began looking like a team capable of reaching six wins. A representative from the bowl was in attendance for the Wildcats’ Nov. 29 win, indicating their interest in bringing the Wildcats to Shreveport, Louisiana, for the Dec. 30 game.

An Independence Bowl game would put the Wildcats against a Conference USA opponent. It’s not the best bowl, but it’s the one they may have earned.

Liberty Bowl: Another game the Wildcats are connected to: they could end up in Memphis to play in the Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2. The opponent tends to be Navy, for whichever Big 12 team is projected to play.

This isn’t the most ideal scenario for the Wildcats, or anyone for that matter, when the transfer portal opens on Jan. 2. However, a different staff would be coaching on the field than the one that would be handling the recruiting. Maybe it’s not as bad for K-State anymore.

Rate Bowl: It seems unlikely that Kansas State will end up in the same bowl game two years in a row, but a few outlets have projected it to the Rate Bowl. Maybe Iowa State’s coaching change could lead to Kansas State playing in a better bowl.

This game will be played on Dec. 26 in Phoenix against a Big Ten opponent, with Minnesota projected to be the team most likely to play there.

Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State football bowl game projections. Where Wildcats could land

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