Kansas fans are still reeling from Saturday’s difficult 42-31 loss to the Missouri Tigers in what was the first matchup between the two since 2011, and eventually the biggest comeback win the SEC side has seen since 2016, with that 15-point comeback effort.
Now is no time to throw all the toys out of the pram. Despite what the scoreline may suggest of a double-digit loss, the game reads much closer, as it was ultimately one sustained Mizzou stint that pushed Eliah Drinkwitz’s team past the Jayhawks.
The Jayhawks still look well-rounded on both sides, and quarterback Jalon Daniels has been able to work with a revamped core of receivers that has seen him already amass 679 yards in three games. Thus far, three Jayhawk transfers have led the way in yards, with Alabama transfer Emmanuel Henderson Jr. leading the way with 183 yards, followed by Ball State transfer Cam Pickett, who has compiled 124 yards, and third in that bunch comes the Albany transfer Levi Wentz, who has 103 yards. The trio has combined for five touchdowns.
While it is obvious to point out that Kansas’ defense allowed 42 points to the Tigers, improvements must be made on that front. Credit must also be given to Missouri, which compiled an effective game plan to slice apart the Jayhawk defense.
Earlier today, Cody Nagel of CBS Sports published a piece titled “College Football Playoff Traffic Report: Where each Power Four team sits on road to CFP ahead of Week 3.” Ultimately, Kansas was not given a very good chance of moving into the playoff positions.
Under the label “Sitting on the shoulder” is the subheading “Technically alive, but path is long, risky, or dependent entirely on outside chaos.” Kansas is among the pack of 30 teams. The other Big 12 teams involved are Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, and UCF.
For those who were wondering, Missouri is labeled among “Bumper-to-bumper” with this subheading: “Alive, but their path is crowded, narrow, or highly dependent on others.” Now, if Kansas had taken down the Tigers on Saturday, would the places have been flipped? Possibly, but the most important thing for the Jayhawks to do is prepare for a grinding Big 12 schedule, which begins on September 20th against the West Virginia Mountaineers.