With the second week of college football wrapping up, K-State is off to an electric start that is going seemingly unnoticed in the eyes of national voters.

The history of K-State and the AP Top 25 Poll

Looking back to the preseason poll, the Wildcats were left unranked for the first time since 2022 — the year they went on to win the Big 12 title under former head coach Chris Klieman. That championship roster sent 11 players to the NFL draft, led by national champion Will Howard and two-time consensus All-American rusher Deuce Vaughn.

Is 2022 different from 2026?

The short answer is no; today’s team faces a remarkably similar dynamic. In 2022, the central question was how to handle a dual-quarterback dynamic between veteran Will Howard and transfer Adrian Martinez.

Fast forward to 2026, and the situation feels eerily similar with veteran Joe Jackson and Oklahoma State transfer Rodney Fields Jr. Once again, the newcomer won the starting nod out of camp.

“I feel great with all three of those guys in the ballgame,” head coach Collin Klein said during a press conference after K-State’s victory against Nicholls on Sept. 5. “When we went live in camp, Rodney separated himself by a fraction of how he was able to make people miss, find extra yards and how hard he ran with the football.”

In Manhattan, this isn’t a controversy — it’s a luxury. The 2022 dual-QB system proved depth wins championships, especially when Howard stepped up following Martinez’s injury to bring home a Big 12 trophy. The Wildcats thrive on a “next man up” mentality, and this three-headed backfield is built on that exact foundation.

How can K-State make it to the Top 25 Poll this season?

UTSA’s Greg Luca is the lone AP voter who ranked K-State (25th) after their 2-0 start. For context, the Wildcats sit at 39th overall in the Week 3 consensus poll.

While most AP voters play it safe early in the season by leaning on brand names and returning continuity, Luca isn’t afraid to go against the grain. His decision to rank K-State relies on underlying efficiency rather than brand reputation.

“I’m big into the efficiency ratings,” Luca said, citing advanced metrics that place the Wildcats 24th in SP+ and 19th in FEI — well ahead of conference rivals like Texas Tech.

Before committing to K-State on his ballot, Luca harbored the same questions buzzing around Manhattan: Could the new staff unlock quarterback Avery Johnson? Would a revamped offensive line hold up? Could the defensive line generate a pass rush?

According to Luca, the early tape has answered every question. He pointed to Johnson’s 67% accuracy rate, an offensive line that hasn’t allowed a single sack and a defense that has logged five sacks as proof that the Wildcats’ potential is becoming reality.

“I would rather take a shot on a team with a lot of change, a lot of newness; maybe they end up being a really special team this year,” Luca said.

When it comes to K-State’s College Football Playoff path, Luca believes the road is narrow due to a soft non-conference slate that leaves little margin for error.

“I imagine they would have to do it as a conference champion,” Luca said. 

However, he offered a simple formula for overcoming national skepticism.

“If you just keep stacking up wins, eventually the zero in the loss column does a lot of heavy lifting, and you get ranked because of that.”

The verdict

A slip-up against Tulane this Saturday could derail K-State’s playoff ambitions before Big 12 play even begins. Without a high-profile non-conference schedule to lean on, the Wildcats can’t afford an early stumble. But if they handle business in New Orleans, the zero in the loss column will become impossible for AP voters to ignore.