SportsLine's model revealed its college football picks for Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Kansas State Wildcats in the Rate Bowl 2024 on Thursday

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — As Chris Klieman bounced around the midwest, going up and down the coaching ladder from a Division III DC to a national champion head coach at the FCS level before becoming Kansas State’s head coach, the Rutgers football program occasionally came onto his radar.

An offense that was humming along under first-year coordinator Conor Riley ran out of gas. That is a big reason why K-State fell out of playoff contention and is now preparing to play Rutgers in the Rate Bowl at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday at Chase Field in Phoenix.

Big Ten college football postseason matchup. It's between Kansas State and Rutgers at Chase Field on Thursday.

A win in the Rate Bowl would give the Wildcats at least nine wins in each of the last three seasons and join Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oregon in that regard. The Wildcats are looking to bounce back from a 1-3 mark in November after beginning the year at 7-1 and ranking as high as No.

Most of Kansas State football's frontline players stuck around, and they are all in for their Rate Bowl matchup on Thursday against Rutgers.

The Rate Bowl in Phoenix will, therefore, feature one of the Big 12’s most talented teams against one of the Big Ten’s most middling. If those adjectives don’t make it clear, my Rutgers vs. Kansas State predictions will side with the touchdown favorite before kickoff at 5:30 ET on Thursday, December 26.