Here’s where K-State, KU and Mizzou landed in final top 25 college football rankings
The college football season has come to an end and all three of our “local” teams finished in the top 25 rankings.
That means Kansas, K-State and Missouri will all head into 2024 with high expectations after they each posted winning records and earned bowl trophies.
Missouri was the highest-rated team of the bunch. The Tigers ended the year at No. 8 in the Associated Press poll after they won 11 games and then defeated Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.
It was a special season for Eli Drinkwitz and his roster. Behind quarterback Brady Cook, the Tigers won six games in SEC play and qualified for their first major bowl since the Gary Pinkel era.
They closed out the year as a top 10 team.
K-State finished at No. 18 after it ended the year with a victory over North Carolina State at the Pop-Tarts Bowl. The Wildcats went 9-4 with quarterback Will Howard starting every game of the regular season. But he decided to transfer to Ohio State, which allowed freshman Avery Johnson to take over for the bowl game.
The Wildcats will expect to once again be a ranked team with him leading the offense next season.
This is the second straight year that K-State has finished in the top 25 under head coach Chris Klieman.
Kansas also ended up in the final rankings at No. 23 following a victory over UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. The Jayhawks went 9-4 under Lance Leipold this season.
It was their best showing since the Mark Mangino era. This is the first time the Jayhawks have ended a year ranked since 2007.
Michigan finished the year ranked No. 1 after it defeated Washington in the national championship game. Texas was ranked No. 3, followed by Georgia and Alabama.
This story was originally published January 9, 2024 at 7:51 AM.