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College football: 3 teams that are trending up heading into bowl season

By Christopher Mangum

MANHATTAN, KS - NOVEMBER 26: The Kansas State Wildcats run onto the field before before a game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium on November 26, 2022 in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)
MANHATTAN, KS - NOVEMBER 26: The Kansas State Wildcats run onto the field before before a game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium on November 26, 2022 in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images) /
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Like most years, the 2022 college football season has been full of surprises. Since the preseason rankings were released over the summer we have seen a plethora of upsets, some huge wins, teams trend up, and teams trend down.

Here are three teams that are trending up as we head into bowl season.

3. Kansas State

The Kansas State Wildcats came into this season unranked, and rightfully so. K-State went 8-5 last year and had not won 10-plus games or a conference title since 2012 under former head coach Bill Snyder.

The Wildcats and their low expectations seemed to stumble through the 2022 college football season. Kansas State was off to a rocky start this year, losing at home to Tulane in Week 3 and starting the year 6-3 through its first nine games.

A second loss to TCU seemed to be inevitable heading into the Big 12 Championship game; after all, TCU had won the first matchup this year, 38-28. The 9-3 Wildcats managed to hang around throughout the duration of the game, though, and eventually took the unbeaten Horned Frogs to overtime.

K-State stopped TCU’s first overtime drive with a thrilling goal line stand — one that will live forever in Wildcat history. K-State’s offense was by no means pretty in overtime, but it got the job done. The Wildcats kicked a short field goal from the middle of the field to win the conference crown, 31-28.

Despite the loss, TCU is now headed to the College Football Playoff. Since Kansas State won the Big 12 Championship, the Wildcats will be going to the Sugar Bowl to take on No. 5 Alabama (10-2) in one of the biggest games in the history of Kansas State football.

A win and the Wildcats improve to 11-3 and secure the program’s first New Year’s Six win since the 2000 Cotton Bowl. A loss and K-State falls to 10-4 on the season — a good year nonetheless.

While Kansas State may not have seemed like a threat before, its gritty win over TCU proves that the Wildcats should be taken seriously. Heading into bowl season, K-State is on the rise.

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