12/4/2022 football Edit

Alabama to face Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban waves after the game against the Clemson Tigers in the 2018 Sugar Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Photo | Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

James Benedetto • TideIllustrated

Staff Writer

After missing out on the College Football Playoff for the second time since 2014, No. 5 Alabama is now destined to for New Orleans where it will face No. 10 Kansas State on Dec. 31.

The Crimson Tide wrapped up its first multi-loss regular season since 2019. Coincidentally, Alabama missed the playoffs that season and faced Michigan in the Citrus Bowl.

The Sugar Bowl will be the first time the two programs have ever faced each other. The Wildcats made a surge this season thanks to high scoring offense. Kansas State, led by new starting quarterback Will Howard and running back Duece Vaughn, averaged more than 30 points per game and 420 yards of total offense, good for No. 33 and No. 43 in the nation, respectfully.

Kansas State showed how potent its offense is as it recorded 404 yards of offense against TCU en route to the Big 12 championship. The Wildcats will face a much more formidable foe in Alabama as it's ranked No. 15 in total defense in the nation, yielding 311 yards per game.

Another aspect that rests in Alabama's favor is familiarity. The Crimson Tide has gone to the Sugar Bowl 16 times in its program history, sporting a 9-7 record during that span. This matchup will also serve as the Wildcats' first trip to the Sugar Bowl in program history. Alabama's last trip to New Orleans left fans with happy memories in 2017 as the Crimson Tide trashed Clemson, avenging its loss to the Tigers in the national championship game.

Alabama springboarded to the national championship game

The Sugar Bowl will be played on Dec. 31 at 11 a.m. CT inside the Caesars Superdome. The game will be televised on ESPN.

"We had a season that was a little bit up and down for us," Nick Saban said. "We finished strong and hopefully we can do a great job of embracing the challenge that we have playing in a classic to me, when you talk about the Sugar Bowl and how exciting it is to be a part of it. Hopefully, our players can embrace that and go do a great job of having the opportunity to prove who they are as a team."