K-State flies under the radar

Previously...

BracketCat's 2015 roster countdown is moving into the realm of players with small numbers, at least half of whom we recognize from actual games. Here's a double dose of quarterbacks, with #17 Landon Root, and the much more familiar #17 Jesse Ertz.

Meanwhile, Jon Morse keeps us limber ahead of kickoff with some preseason conditioning. This time, he discusses the staff's picks for Week 1 and previews the Mountain East and MIAA conferences.

Football

Expectations for Kansas State among the national media are low, and understandably so. The Wildcats are flying well under the radar, and arguably, that is the spot the team likes best. Predicted to finish in the bottom half of the conference almost every year since Snyder's return in 2009, Kansas State has now been to five straight bowl games and has finished with at least eight wins in four consecutive seasons. For his part, Snyder is unworried, noting that they discuss everything with the team but kvetching over preseason predictions is not a good use of his time (Associated Press, via FOXSports).

Since we don't care that much about preseason expectations, we're not especially offended to only rate somewhere in the middle of Tier 4 in Bill Connelly's power rankings for all 128 FBS teams.

We've heard a lot about the new Vanier Football Complex already, but here's another cool story. The locker room will be named the Nelson Family Locker Room in honor of former Wildcat great Jordy Nelson and his wife Emily, a graduate of Bethel College where she played on the basketball team.

Volleyball

The volleyball team features a number of new players, and in this Get to Know the Team feature, Katie Brand interviews various new teammates. This time, she sits down with Macy Flowers for the least serious interview, possibly in school history.

Miscellany

If you read nothing else of substance today, please read this longform piece from the mothership, Myths Made Flesh: Last Breaths in a Spanish Bullring. Brin-Jonathan Butler's writing is as lyrically brilliant as the sport he describes is brutal, cruel and oddly mystical.