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Kansas State Football Gains More Preseason Hype From Major Outlet

The Wildcats cracked the preseason Top 25 for the second year in a row, coming in at No. 18.
Seth Kunz|
Dec 26, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson (2) against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Dec 26, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson (2) against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Kansas State kicks off the college football season Aug. 23, with a number next to its name when it does so.

The Wildcats enter the season ranked No. 17 in the AP poll, marking the second year in a row making the preseason poll.

Kansas State is no stranger to the AP poll since Chris Klieman took the reins in 2019, gracing the list every season of his tenure. The program has made the AP Top 25 poll 39 times under Klieman, with 32 of those appearances coming since 2022. While Klieman has enjoyed the media acclaim, he still says he ignores outside expectations.

"I try to ignore it as best I can," Klieman said at Big 12 Media Days. "In 2022, when we won the Big 12, the best thing those kids did was block out the outside noise. I think that's the key in today's day and age of college football. 'Which team can block out some of that outside noise, and come together as a football team? And that's the challenge for us as a coaching staff."

Kansas State is joined by Big 12 rivals Arizona State (No. 12), Iowa State (No. 22), and Texas Tech (No. 23) on the list. While making the preseason poll is a step in the right direction, it does not guarantee team success. Last season, only 12 featured teams finished the season ranked.

And it was especially weirder for Big 12 teams. The conference had five teams make the preseason Top 25 and four teams make the final rankings, but none of them were the same. The two teams to make the Big 12 championship game, Arizona State and Iowa State, were not ranked in the last season's preseason poll.

Kansas State has seen the highs and lows of the preseason expectations. The Wildcats did not appear in the AP poll until week 5 when they won the Big 12 in 2022, and they finished last season unranked after being slotted at No. 18 to start the year.

The Wildcats will try to back up their preseason hype and make program history with a college football playoff berth. They start off their 2025 campaign against Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland.

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Seth Kunz
SETH KUNZ

Seth is a journalism student at the University of Missouri. He is a big follower of Big 12 athletics, especially football and basketball. He is also part of the student-run radio station, KCOU 88.1 FM. He is a native of Williamsville, Ill.

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