The upstart Wildcats went from being a picked to finish ninth in the conference at the start of the year to shooting up, finishing above .500 in league play and tied for third, in large part due to a shocking upset win over Oklahoma in late October.
If it were to break this way like a couple of the experts think, it’d be the first time Notre Dame and Kansas State ever met on the gridiron.
Remember late in 2012 when Notre Dame shot to No. 1 the second to last week of the season as Oregon and Kansas State lost on the same night? Had Kansas State not lost that game at Baylor it likely would have been them and Notre Dame for the 2012 BCS National Championship and I think retroactively, plenty of Irish fans would have been just fine with not being No. 1 at that point in the season had it meant playing K-State instead of Alabama in South Florida.
This is a game that would be a no-win situation for Notre Dame. Think about it – the Irish win by 30 and it’s “oh, well K-State made great strides in year one of Chris Klieman and were just happy to be there…Notre Dame should do that to Kansas State”
That’s what stinks about a potential match-up with Kansas State, although it being two teams that have never played each other would be interesting in itself.
How bad do we want it? (1-10): 5. Right in the middle because there are a couple of somewhat similar opponent options out there, but Kansas State being in year-one of their overhaul makes me think they’re not as ready for the post-season compared to one of the teams to come, who I think would see Notre Dame as one of the biggest games in the school’s history. About that…
Iowa State