Will Kansas State Football Make a Bowl Game this Season?
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For a Division I FBS team to be able to play in a bowl game, it must have at least six wins. Kansas State has a record of 5-6 overall (4-4 in the Big 12) coming into a must-win game to end the regular season.
This Saturday, they will play their last home game against Colorado, which is Senior Day for the Wildcats. If they beat Colorado, they would finish 6-6, which means they will be able to play in a bowl game. Recent predictions and projections virtually guarantee them a spot in the bowl game if they win their final game against the Buffaloes.
If Kansas State loses to Colorado, they will complete the season with a 5-7 record. A 5-7 team is significantly less likely to secure a bowl spot if there aren't enough 6-win teams. In summary, if they lose to Colorado, their season is likely over.
20 teams at 5-6 needing a win to get bowl eligible. Currently 72 teams bowl eligible for 82 spots:
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 23, 2025
App State
Arkansas St
Army
Auburn
Baylor
Buffalo
Ga Southern
Florida St
Kansas
Kansas St
Kentucky
Louisiana
Marshall
Miss State
Rice
Rutgers
Penn St
Temple
UCF
Wash State
In short, they will almost surely be in a bowl game if they beat Colorado due to the Big 12 Conference's bowl commitments.
If Kansas State wins six games, they might play in one of the bowl games with tie-ins to the Big 12 conference, according to current predictions. Keep in mind that these are merely estimations and that the results of the Big 12 games may change them.
Here are the bowl games with Big 12 Bowl Tie-Ins.
The Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas The Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, Florida.
The Kinder's Texas Bowl, in Houston, Texas
The AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee
The Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana Alternate Affiliations, if available, due to other conferences not being able to fill spots in these bowl games.
SERVPRO First Responders Bowl in Dallas, Texas
The Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl is in Fort Worth, Texas
The Wildcats could go to the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl if they beat Colorado on Saturday.
Some people think that Kansas State will play Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl, but it is all predictions at this point.
In summary, Kansas State needs to defeat Colorado.
The Wildcats are in a must-win situation to secure their sixth victory and earn a spot in a bowl game, as previously noted. Should they succeed, it will mark the 27th occasion in the program's history that they have reached a bowl game. This transforms the game into a significant event for the senior players.
The Wildcats fell short in a tightly contested matchup against 12th-ranked Utah last Saturday, losing the game with a score of 51–47. Their running game showed promise, yet the defense encountered some challenges in the fourth quarter against the Utes.
Colorado has had a difficult season, similar to that of Michigan State and Syracuse. This season, the Buffaloes faced challenges that hindered their performances on the field, yet they have a promising true freshman quarterback in Julian Lewis, who is gearing up for what lies ahead. However, despite these challenges, Coach Deion Sanders' squad has not given up; they aim to defy expectations and secure a significant victory on the road.
With a victory in this game, Kansas State can secure its aspirations for a bowl game and the chance to honor its seniors on their home turf. The current odds, combined with the Wildcats' recent success on the ground, particularly highlighted by Jackson's standout performance, suggest they hold a significant advantage heading into their game with Colorado. This holds particularly true when facing the Buffaloes, a team that has struggled on the road, losing all five of its away games and facing significant challenges on the defensive end. Colorado's young offense faces a significant challenge as they go up against K-State's formidable run game and tough defense, particularly in its passing game.
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Ryan Kay is a journalist who graduated from Michigan State in 2003 and is passionate about covering college sports and enjoys writing features and articles covering various collegiate teams. He has worked as an editor at Go Joe Bruin and has been a contributor for Longhorns Wire and Busting Brackets. He is a contributor for Kansas State On SI.