One major bowl game is coming into focus for K-State while many options remain for KU

Kansas State’s football victory over Baylor last week did more than just put the Wildcats in position to reach the Big 12 championship game later this season.

It also gave the Wildcats a realistic shot at earning an invitation to a major bowl game.

K-State hasn’t played in one of the so-called New Year’s Six Bowls (Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose, Sugar) since it won 11 games during the 2012 season. But that decade-long drought could end if the Wildcats finish strong.

There are many new bowl possibilities for both the Wildcats (7-3, 5-2 Big 12) and the Kansas Jayhawks (6-4, 3-4) this week. Here is a look at the latest projections:

K-State Wildcats bowl outlook

Remaining schedule: at West Virginia, Kansas.

Current Big 12 rank: 2

Bowl possibilities: Sugar Bowl vs. LSU via The Action Network and Sporting News and CBS Sports and ESPN, Sugar Bowl vs. Tennessee via ESPN, Alamo Bowl vs. UCLA via Yahoo! Sports.

Analysis: The Wildcats can earn a berth in the Big 12 championship game by closing out the regular season with two more wins. A 2-0 finish could also potentially lock up a postseason trip to the Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31 in New Orleans.

Nearly every sports writer who projects bowl matchups currently has K-State bound for the Sugar Bowl, and it’s easy to understand why.

The Sugar Bowl is contractually obligated to invite the highest rated teams from the Big 12 and the SEC that don’t participate in the playoff this season. All signs currently point to K-State holding that honor at the end of the regular season.

Here’s why: TCU is on track to reach the playoff if it remains undefeated or (maybe) suffers only one loss on its way to a Big 12 championship. If the Horned Frogs finish in the top four and K-State finishes in second place of the Big 12 standings, the Wildcats will be celebrating New Year’s in Louisiana. But they are also likely to end up in the Sugar Bowl if they win their final two games and then upset TCU in the Big 12 title game.

K-State is not in the playoff picture. So a Big 12 championship would also result in a Sugar Bowl invitation for Chris Klieman’s team. TCU would likely miss the playoff in that scenario and end up playing in another major bowl, likely the Cotton Bowl.

If the Wildcats end up in the Sugar Bowl, they will likely play Alabama, LSU or Tennessee. The most likely opponent at the moment feels like LSU, which would create a rematch of last season’s Texas Bowl. K-State won that game in blowout fashion, but LSU sent its JV roster to Houston for the game. A rematch in New Orleans would feel very different.

Of course, K-State needs to finish strong to end up in the Sugar Bowl. If TCU wins the Big 12 and misses out on a playoff berth or the Wildcats stumble down the stretch, they will suddenly be looking at the Alamo Bowl and the Cheez-It Bowl as consolation prizes.

Kansas Jayhawks bowl outlook

Remaining schedule: Texas, at K-State.

Current Big 12 rank: T6

Bowl possibilities: Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs. Maryland via The Action Network, First Responder Bowl vs. Memphis via Yahoo! Sports, Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs. Wisconsin via Sporting News, Armed Forces Bowl vs. Tulane via ESPN, Liberty Bowl vs. Missouri via ESPN.

Analysis: Kansas fans will have to wait a little longer to make travel plans for the Jayhawks’ first bowl game since 2008.

There are still plenty of options on the table for Lance Leipold’s football team.

The Jayhawks could end up in one of the Big 12’s best bowls if they win their final two games. But they could also get selected near the bottom of the bowl order if they finish with two more losses.

For now, the most likely postseason destinations are the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Dec. 27 in Phoenix, the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 28 in Memphis, the First Responder Bowl on Dec. 27 in Dallas and the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 22 in Fort Worth.

Bowl directors could give Kansas an intriguing matchup if the Jayhawks win another game or two. The Liberty Bowl selects fourth in the Big 12 bowl order and would pit KU against a SEC opponent, potentially Missouri. The Guaranteed Rate Bowl picks next and would match KU up with a Big Ten team such as Maryland or Wisconsin.