For the third straight year, Kansas State football will start the season ranked.
On Monday, the season-opening poll was released and the Wildcats were ranked 17th overall, one of four Big 12 teams to start the year in the top 25.
Arizona State, last season’s Big 12 title winner, came in as the topped ranked team to start the year at 11th, while Iowa State and Texas Tech were 22nd and 23rd overall.
That officially sets up a ranked bout for the Wildcats to start the season when K-State and the Cyclones meet up in Dublin on August 23.
A handful of K-State’s other opponents were unranked but received votes including BYU, Utah and Baylor, who were the first three teams out of top 25 to start the year. TCU (45th), Army (47th) and Colorado (48th) also garnered votes.
The Wildcats will attempt to start and finish the season ranked for the first time since 2014.
Former Big 12 foe Texas opens the season as the No. 1 team in the country, followed by Penn State, Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame, Oregon, Alabama, LSU and Miami.
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