Kansas football making its case as a dark-horse Big 12 contender

Strong performances in the first couple of weeks have put Kansas football in an excellent position to be a sleeper in the Big 12 this season.

Three years ago, the Kansas Jayhawks football program had no direction. Fast forward to today, and we are talking about Lance Leipold’s team as a potential sleeper in one of the country’s most powerful conferences.

There have been plenty of surprises through the first two weeks of Big 12 football. TCU, last season’s national championship runner-up, lost their debut to Deion Sanders and Colorado on their home turf. Meanwhile, Texas Tech and Baylor have lost their first two outings despite being expected to finish in the top half of the conference.

But amidst all the drama, Kansas football has outperformed expectations.

They opened the season with a blowout victory over Missouri State. It was not an impressive showing, as they once trailed in the second quarter to their FCS opponent. However, adjustments were made in time for Week 2 against Illinois. They jumped out to a quick 21-0 lead and eventually beat the school that finished third in the Big Ten West a year ago.

Led by Jalon Daniels and Devin Neal, the Kansas football offense is one of the most explosive in the country. Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has established a scary good run game in Lawrence with his RPO and option-style play calls.

The defense has long been considered a weak spot, but it has gotten by in the first two weeks. They have recorded two interceptions in both played games and several sacks.

Next up on the schedule is Nevada, who just fell to an FCS school 33-6 at home. We can write that off as a free win. Then, they’re entering Big 12 play 3-0 and begin against BYU at home. All of a sudden, Kansas could begin the year 4-0 heading into a crucial outing in Austin, Texas.

I’m not saying I expect Kansas to win the Big 12 title this season. That is simply unrealistic. But what they can do is wreak havoc in league play and steal a few games from the conference’s top teams.

It will still take time for Kansas to obtain national respect. An emphatic start for the team last season ended in a 1-7 finish. However, with all of the returning talent they have and one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, the Jayhawks have an opportunity to shock the college football universe in 2023.

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