Game 1 vs. Missouri State Bears
This should be a cakewalk game for Kansas football to start the 2023 season. The Bears are a respectable FCS football program but should prove to be no match for the Jayhawks. The Bears went 5-6 last year in the Missouri Valley Conference but did give a scare to the Arkansas Razorbacks, who beat Kansas football in the Liberty Bowl last year.
These are games that Kansas football would struggle with or even lose in the Weis-Gill-Beaty-Miles era, but Leipold is clearly superior to those coaches. The talent level difference is very noticeable when a Power-5 program matches up with an FCS program — as it should be. This game should not be close at all, and I predict the Jayhawks start the season off with a blowout victory over the Bears.
My Prediction:
Kansas wins 52-14 over Missouri State
Kansas Football Record: 1-0