Manhattan ? Kansas State fans don’t have all the answers, but they’re convinced that something has to change.

KSU fans were frustrated with Sunday’s announcement that the Wildcats would play unranked Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl. Kansas State was shut out of the Bowl Championship Series this season, despite being ranked eighth in the BCS.

Instead, Southern California and Iowa were selected as at-large bids and Florida State (8-4) got the Sugar Bowl because of its conference tie-in.

“I definitely think that if you’re sixth in the nation you should get a top bowl,” said Todd Ubben, a 1992 Kansas State graduate. “What the bowl selection committee didn’t look at, is that we beat USC and we have the same record.

“I have a real problem with Florida State having four losses and getting into a BCS bowl,” he said. “I just don’t like the whole system.”

Kansas State’s late-season success makes the bowl selection even harder for fans to swallow. The Wildcats (10-2) have won five straight and beaten their opponents by a margin of 244-30.

“We’re 10-2, and we should be playing at least a ranked team,” said Anthony Kirksey, of Manhattan. “Aside from a couple of mistakes, we’re undefeated.”

Even coach Bill Snyder himself said the Wildcats, who stayed at No. 6 in the final regular-season poll, have played as well as any team he’s had.

“I really think Kansas State can play with any team in the country,” said Charlie Smith, a bartender at Rusty’s Last Chance. “They could give Miami a run for their money. Our defense could shut down anyone.”

But the Wildcats strength of schedule wasn’t strong enough to push them ahead of Southern California. Before the weekend, there was serious talk that Kansas State would have a good shot of getting into the Orange Bowl if Washington State lost to UCLA.

It didn’t happen, and the Wildcats have failed to get a BCS bowl since the system started in 1998.

“It’s bad for school like Texas, Kansas State and even Notre Dame to be ranked in the top ten and then have to got to a mediocre bowl,” Manhattan resident Russ Radi said. “Look at Kansas State. Now they wind up in the Holiday Bowl against an unranked team. Who wants to watch that? Nobody except K-State fans.”