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No. 5 Kansas State will aim to finish off a successful season on a big note when they take on No. 4 Oregon in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl on Thursday, in what could have been a national title matchup.
The Wildcats started strong and rolled through the Big 12 with wins over No. 13 West Virginia, No. 14 Texas Tech and No. 24 Oklahoma State. Eventually, the team took the No. 1 ranking in the polls with just two games remaining. It looked as if Kansas State had a clear shot at the BCS Championship, before things fell apart in a disastrous third quarter against Baylor, with the Wildcats losing 52-24 and ending any national title hopes.
Oregon (11-1, 8-1 Pac 12) had a similarly disappointing derailing late in the season, when a 17-14 overtime loss to No. 13 Stanford ended the Ducks' own title aspirations. The Ducks, behind freshman sensation Marcus Mariota, come to the game with the No. 2 offense in the NCAA and have become the favorites in what is expected to be a very high scoring affair.
Oregon currently sits as 8.5-point favorites over Kansas State, with the line set at 75 overall. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT on Jan. 3, with coverage on ESPN.