The 1998 Alamo Bowl featured the Kansas State Wildcats and the Purdue Boilermakers.
With an experienced quarterback, Michael Bishop, the Heisman Trophy runner-up, and one of the best offenses and defenses in the country, the Wildcats were generally expected to have an easy bowl victory.
The unranked Purdue Boilermakers finished fourth in the Big Ten Conference.
The Boilermakers' starting quarterback Drew Brees, a sophomore, was a first-year starter and relatively inexperienced.
After this season, the "Kansas State Rule" was created, making the #3 spot an automatic bid.