The initial AP poll of the 2024 season is out, and the Kansas State Wildcats begin the year ranked #18, receiving 526 points in the opening ballot.Four other Big 12 schools are ranked, with Utah at #12 (887), Oklahoma State a spot above K-State at #17 with 538 points, Arizona at #21 (237), and Kansas at #22 (231). Iowa State, with 33 points, would be #30; West Virginia is 33rd with 17 points, and down at #42, with a mere one point, is Colorado.61 of the 62 voters had K-State ranked, and 11 had K-State 15th or higher. Our hero this week is Brett McMurphy of Action Sports Network, who had K-State 11th on his ballot. The villain? Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who didn't rank the Wildcats at all https://www.tigerssportsshop.com — nor did he rank Arizona or Kansas. Greg Madia, who is normally higher on K-State than the average, had the Cats at #24; he also gave Iowa State their highest ranking, at 15th.Utah's spread was anywhere from 5th to 21st, Oklahoma State's from 9th to unranked (61 of 62 ranked), Arizona was ranked as high as 8th, while 11 voters did not rank them, and Kansas received a vote at 14th from Rece Davis, but no votes at all from 15 writers. Only six writers other than Madia ranked the Cyclones, six voters had West Virginia ranked (highest 21st), and College Football Poll Tracker's lowest-ranked ballot of the week went to Mike Hill of FOX Sports Los Angeles, who gave Colorado their lone 25th-place vote.Georgia is the consensus #1 to open the season, receiving 46 of 62 first place votes.