K-State No. 70 in Times preseason poll

A college football writer at The New York Times sees the Kansas State Wildcats posting a 6-6 record in Bill Snyder’s return to the sidelines.

The Times‘ Quad blog is counting down the top 120 football programs. KSU checks in at No. 70. The Times likes the talent and coaching on the defensive side of the ball but is skeptical the Cats have the firepower to compete for a Big 12 North title.

The 3,000-plus-word post is full of interesting analysis and trivia, such as that during the Civil War, all but five KSU students were conscripted.

Star-depleted Missouri checks in at No. 53. Kansas will appear somewhere between choices No. 42 and No. 1. At this writing, The Times‘ top 120 stops at No. 43, Colorado.