Who May Kansas State Football Face In The Bowl Game This Year?

It's a bit early to predict postseason matchups for college football.

But that's not stopping anyone from doing so anyway. CBS Sports published its bowl projections on Thursday morning, pitting Kansas State against Memphis in the Armed Forces Bowl.

The Wildcats have been bowl-eligible every season since 2020, so it's safe to expect they'll clinch another appearance this upcoming year. Kansas State is surprisingly projected to be a top-5 team in the conference again, despite some roster setbacks. They lost some major pieces on both sides of the field, making it difficult for any coach taking over the team in Year 1.

Thankfully, the man they brought in to lead isn't new to the program. Collin Klein has won two championships with the team, once as a quarterback in 2012 and again ten years later as the offensive coordinator. He's also held several other positions on the sideline and even succeeded as Texas A&M's offensive coordinator this past season, highlighting his versatility and experience in CFB.

But throughout Klein's decorated tenure with the Wildcats, there's one thing everyone's banking on: rejuvenating quarterback Avery Johnson. Johnson had an electric freshman season under Klein's system, setting him up for star seasons to come.

Unfortunately, that never quite came to fruition. Johnson had a decent but underwhelming sophomore season, throwing for 2,712 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, while rushing for 605 yards and seven touchdowns. He started strong but unraveled toward the end, losing three of his last four, and the Wildcats' conference championship hopes dwindled.

Last year wasn't any better, as Johnson took another step back in a year when he was projected to take the program to new heights. He dipped in nearly every statistical category, with rushing touchdowns and interceptions being the only areas of improvement.

And those are mirages compared to what was displayed on the field. The signal-caller failed to unleash his dual-threat play style, unable to push the ball downfield or get out on the run. His interceptions, while few, were back-breaking and arguably put the nail in the coffin in some of their losses.

Good news for him, though, is that he has Klein back. The Wildcats legend is expected to tailor a game plan to suit Johnson's strengths, returning him to the elite production he had in 2023.

As for Kansas State, another bowl victory would restore the program to its winning ways. They've won five of their last seven over the past decade, with the only losses being to Navy (2019) and Alabama (2022).

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Jayden Armant is a contributor to KStateRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected].