Can K-State Beat Top Five Alabama?
K-State will battle Alabama in the Sugar Bowl a little over two weeks from now, and the K-State fans I have talked to are pretty confident going into the game. Me? Well, you know me. I am always a skeptic. I am worried that this season could end badly for the Wildcats. Why? K-State doesn’t necessarily have a great track record in these big-time bowl games. In fact, looked back and found that K-State has never beaten a top-10 team in a bowl game. Why is that relevant to this game? Alabama is currently ranked number five in all the major polls and ratings. Can the 2022 Wildcats become the first K-State team to accomplish this feat? It will not be easy, that is for sure.
K-State has had some great teams in the past. There have been a couple that were national championship contenders. The fact that they haven’t beaten a top-10 team in a bowl game is a bit odd. The 1998 team led by Michael Bishop might have had the best shot at the national title, but after losing to Texas A&M in the Big 12 championship game, they got knocked down in the bowl pecking order and ended up losing to Purdue in the Alamo Bowl. The best bowl game victory for K-State (rankings-wise) was a victory over number 14 Syracuse in the 1997 Fiesta Bowl.
Here is a brief look at the bowl games in which K-State has played a top-10 team…
1997 Cotton Bowl
Number 14 K-State played number 5 BYU and lost 19 to 15. K-State led 15 to 5 in the game until BYU’s Steve Sarkisian led the Cougars on two touchdown drives to take a 19 to 15 lead. K-State had an opportunity to win the game with time running out, but K-State quarterback Brian Kavanaugh threw an interception in the end zone, ending the game.
2004 Fiesta Bowl
Number eight K-State played number seven Ohio State and lost 35 to 28. K-State had just whipped Oklahoma, “the greatest team in the history of college football,” 35 to 7 in the Big 12 championship game, so K-State was confident going into this matchup. Ohio State won the national championship the year before and still had a great team. K-State quarterback Ell Roberson was accused of sexual assault the night before the game, and there were questions whether he would play. Ultimately, no charges were filed, and Roberson started the game. The distraction still proved a problem, as Ohio State got built a 21-0 lead and held on for the victory.
2012 Cotton Bowl
Number 11 K-State played number seven Arkansas and lost 29 to 16. Arkansas got out to a 19-0 lead. By the third quarter, K-State cut the lead to 19 to 16, but Arkansas scored the final 10 points of the game to win.
2013 Fiesta Bowl
Number seven K-State played number five Oregon and lost 35-17. This is the only one of these games I did not attend in person, and I am glad I didn’t go. Oregon got out to a 15 to 0 lead, but K-State cut the lead to 15 to 10 in the second quarter. Oregon responded with a touchdown, and K-State never got within 12 points. In the end, K-State didn’t have enough firepower on offense to get it done against the Ducks.
Can this K-State team buck the trend and get it done against a top-five Alabama team? If so, it would give them bragging rights as the only K-State team to beat a top-10 team in a bowl game. What do you think? Can they do it?
2 thoughts on “Can K-State Beat Top Five Alabama?”
CAN they do it? Absolutely.
WILL they do it is the question.
I think K State is probably a lot more “into” this game than Bama is. So the Cats may have the edge on that one. I can see Bama not being totally bought into this game, and K State really wanting to prove itself and make a statement.
However, if this is an angry, focused Bama team, it could be perilous for the Cats. If Bama comes out firing on all cylinders, watch out.
The one thing I’m more curious about than anything else is fan participation.
It’s in New Orleans, a +/- 5 hrs drive from Alabama, and a +/- 14 hrs drive from Kansas. Still, I feel like there’s a chance that K State may have the edge as far as fan attendance goes. I can see the KSU fanbase “wanting” to be in this game more than the “successfully spoiled” Bama fanbase.
If I were forced to bet on this game, I would take Bama. And hope that I was wrong.
If K State wins, especially if they win big, it will be interesting to see the national media response, and where they wind up ranked at the end of the season.
Go Cats!
Good stuff, Monty! I agree!