The Kansas State Wildcats have announced they will play both Mississippi State and Vanderbilt in a home-and-home series starting in 2017.
The Wildcats will face off against Vanderbilt in 2017 and 2020 and against Mississippi State in 2018 and 2019.
After the Big 12 was shunned from the inaugural College Football Playoff, the Wildcats are wise to schedule tough non-conference opponents for future schedules.
In 2014, Kansas State got a taste of the action against an SEC opponent but lost a tough game against No. No. 5 Auburn, 20-14. The Wildcats finished off the year with a 9-3 record.
Mississippi State is coming off one of the best seasons in school history. The Bulldogs capped off the 2014 campaign with a 10-3 record and started out the season with a 9-0 record. They were ranked No. 1 in the country for the first time in school history.
However, after a close loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide, Mississippi State stumbled down the stretch and failed to reach the SEC championship. They lost to their rivals, Ole Miss, in the Egg Bowl and were defeated by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the Orange Bowl.
In his first year as head coach, Derek Mason had a tough first season as Vanderbilt’s head coach. The Commodores won only three games and finished with a 3-9 record. They failed to win an SEC game and their only wins came against Massachusetts, Old Dominion, and Charleston Southern.
Nevertheless, Kansas State will have their hands full in a couple of seasons with then face off against these SEC foes. If they can come away with victories, it will help boost their resume if they are up against the selection committee to enter the College Football Playoff.
*Section Photo credit to Jamie Squire, Getty Images; Featured Photo (above) credit to Kirby Lee, USA Today Sports.
