http://kansasstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=6794491. Nebraska
2. Texas A&M
3. Iowa State
4. Colorado
5. Oklahoma
6. Kansas State
Why: Bowl game winners Auburn and San Jose State will force the Wildcats to prove themselves before Big 12 competition starts. The South Division opponents include Texas and Oklahoma State on the road. They also go to Nebraska.
Toughest game: The Wildcats' 45-42 upset of Texas knocked the Longhorns out of the national championship race last year. The Longhorns will be looking for revenge when the Wildcats come to Austin on Sept. 29.
Cakewalk: Missouri State finished 2-9 last year and was tied with Indiana State for last place in the Gateway Conference standings. Just for the record, Missouri State lost to Indiana State. Look for the Wildcats to break some long runs, and they won't break a sweat.
Trap game: A week after opening the season on the road at Auburn, Kansas State comes home for an apparent victory over San Jose State. But (let's all do our Lee Corso impressions), not so fast my friend. The Spartans went 9-4 last year and return the majority of their starters. This could be an upset if the Wildcats aren't focused.
Changes from last season: Despite setting up a stoning of Missouri State, the Wildcats have clearly changed their scheduling philosophy since the days of Bill Snyder. The Wildcats drop Louisville. However, they add Auburn. San Jose State and Fresno State are bona fide Division I-A programs. This year Kansas State goes on the road to Texas and Oklahoma State, which the Wildcats beat in Manhattan last season.
7. Oklahoma State
8. Texas
9. Texas Tech
10. Missouri
11. Baylor
12. Kansas
You gotta give the Big XII credit for going out and scheduling people in the non conference. Nebraska plays USC, Wake Forest, Nevada (bowl teams) and Ball State (who scared the daylights out of Michigan last year), Colorado has a real shot to start 0-3 (with their usual tough non conference schedule to make people there care about college football) and they play Oklahoma and Texas Tech, A&M also has road games at Texas Tech, Nebraska, Oklahoma and (usual Big XII underachiever) Missouri, Iowa State has to play Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech and have to go to Nebraska and (usual Big XII underachiever) Missouri, Oklahoma gets Miami in Norman and Oklahoma State plays at Georgia.
It should be a fun non conference football season in the Big XII and it gets going right away. September 1 you've got Colorado vs. Colorado State, K-State at Auburn and Oklahoma State at Georgia.
