College Football Rankings 2020: Projected AP Top 25 for Week 8

Kansas State locked down its position in the AP Top 25 after Week, when they won their third straight Big 12 showdown of the season at TCU. That followed victories over Oklahoma and Texas Tech, putting the Wildcats in a tie atop the conference standings even despite their season-opening loss against Sun Belt middleweight Arkansas State. Pollsters gave Chris Klieman’s team the benefit of the doubt heading into a bye week.

Moving forward, though, the Wildcats will have to try to maintain their position in the polls and in the conference race without Skylar Thompson. In the midst of his best season through three games, Thompson was forced to undergo surgery for an upper-body injury sustained in the win against the Red Raiders and will not be able to return again in 2020.

With the Big 12 field more wide-open than it has been in years, Kansas State now turns to true freshman Will Howard, who went 8-of-19 with an interception against TCU in his first career start. Howard and the Wildcats next face state rival Kansas at home in Week 8 play as they try to maintain momentum in the polls and in the league battle.