Kansas football: Will the Jayhawks reach their expected win total in 2020?

Kansas football has yet another low win total expectation for the 2020 season. They could exceed it, but it won’t easy against the Big 12.

In his first season as the head coach of Kansas football, Les Miles led the Jayhawks to a three-win season. For a program that hasn’t won more than three games in a season in over a decade, Miles’ first year leading the program wasn’t bad.

In addition to their three wins over Indiana State, Boston College, and Texas Tech, the Jayhawks also took Texas to the wire on the road in a 48-50 loss and played West Virginia close in a 24-29 loss.

For the 2020 season, the Jayhawks’ win total expectation is sitting at three wins according to The Action Network. That’s the lowest win total of the conference, and the next closest team is at 5.5 wins.

Here are the rest of the Big 12’s expected totals for the 2020 season:

• Oklahoma 10.5
• Texas 9.5
• Oklahoma State 8
• Iowa State 7.5
• TCU 7.5
• Baylor 7
• Kansas State 6
• West Virginia 6
• Texas Tech 5.5
• Kansas 3

The lowest expectations in the conference should give Kansas the best chance to exceed them, but Kansas’ schedule isn’t exactly going to be a piece of cake next season. Here’s who the Jayhawks will be facing and where the game will take place:

• vs. New Hampshire
• @ Baylor
• vs. Boston College
• @ Coastal Carolina
• vs. Iowa State
• @ Kansas State
• vs. Oklahoma State
• @ West Virginia
• vs. Texas
• @ Texas Tech
• @ Oklahoma
• vs. TCU

Assuming Kansas football can handle FCS New Hampshire to begin the season, they’ll still have to win three more games to exceed their predicted win total. Boston College is a possible victory with Athlon picking them to finish towards the bottom of the ACC, and Coastal Carolina on the road is another potential victory.

Once Big 12 Conference play begins though, wins could be hard to come by. Many of the Jayhawks’ home games are against teams in the top half of the league, which could be good or bad depending on how you look at it.

On one hand, playing the weaker teams on the road and the better teams at home sounds like a good thing intuitively; however, playing ‘easier’ teams at home could really help Kansas get more than just three wins this season since they’d have an even better chance of winning at home.

I mean, playing Oklahoma either at home or on the road isn’t going to matter, it’ll probably be a loss either way. But playing West Virginia at home could be significant enough to get the Jayhawks a win.

Either way, if Kansas football could just get four or even five wins next season that’d certainly be a step in the right direction for Les Miles and his staff. It won’t be easy, but it’s possible.