The Kansas football team is 2-0, but writers who cover Big 12 football haven’t been impressed. Evidently, easy wins against Fresno State of the Mountain West and Wagner, an FCS school, weren’t enough to grab the attention of the writers who voted.
Because of their Week Zero wins, Kansas and Iowa State are the only Big 12 schools with two victories so far in the young 2025 season.
Where is Kansas football in the Big 12 power rankings?
According to the rankings published on KUSports.com (subscription required), Kansas is lodged in sixth place, behind Arizona State, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Utah, and TCU. Of the teams in front of KU, Iowa State beat Kansas State in Dublin, Utah drubbed UCLA, 43-10, and TCU beat pummeled North Carolina, 48-14. These are the most impressive wins for the schools in front of the Jayhawks.
The good news is KU is one spot ahead of K-State, which lost to Iowa State, then needed all 40 minutes to squeak by North Dakota.
Baylor is two spots down from K-State, but they are an interesting team, playing two challenging non-conference games. They lost to Auburn last week, and they face a ranked SMU team this week.
The Jayhawks haven’t earned much respect from their wins so far, but that could change drastically if they can pull off a massive upset on Saturday against their loathed rival, the Missouri Tigers. It will be a tough task as KU will have to win on the road.
The Kansas defense has been stalwart in its first two outings, but Mizzou will offer a much higher level of competition. Likewise, the KU offensive line did a great job of protecting the quarterbacks, but Missouri’s pass rush will certainly be more athletic than anyone the Jayhawks have seen so far.
For the Jayhawks to have a chance in this game, they will have to hold their own in the trenches. Both the offensive and defensive lines will need to make plays. Jalon Daniels is good enough at his best to beat the Tigers, but he will need some time to make decisions.
KU’s running game will play a significant role, too. If Kansas runs the ball effectively, it will keep the pass rush at bay.
Missouri has a high-powered offense. They put up 61 points and 560 yards of offense against Central Arkansas. The defense will be tested both through the air and on the ground, and will have to play as well on Saturday as they did in their previous games.
If Kansas beats Missouri on Saturday, the Jayhawks should move up in the Big 12 power rankings.