Kansas football fans had been waiting for the team to put things together all year long, and they finally did that last week in an upset win over Iowa State. While the timing is not ideal for the 3-6 Jayhawks, Lance Leipold’s group is undoubtedly playing its best football of the 2024 campaign.
Most of the Jayhawk faithful consider this a disappointing season, and rightfully so. They headed into the year with College Football Playoff and Big 12 title hopes and probably won’t even make a bowl game. But KU has also proven it can compete with any team in the country on any given day, and they certainly won’t go down without a fight. That is why ESPN analyst Greg McElroy projects Kansas to defeat No. 7 BYU on its home field tonight.
ESPN's Greg McElroy predicts massive Kansas football upset
"I'm taking Kansas. I think it's just one of those spots that is terrible for BYU. I think they've been playing with fire. I think this is the type of offense that could burn them as long as Kansas doesn't turn it over. So, if Kansas has zero turnovers, they win the game. But that's a huge if given how many mistakes Kansas has made this season."Greg McElroy
McElroy didn’t exactly sound convincing in his reasoning, stating Kansas will win the game if it does not turn the ball over. Jayhawk fans have seen first-hand how mistake-prone the offense has been under offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes. Regardless, he believes Kansas will pull off the upset tonight.
Most college football enthusiasts can agree Kansas is the best 3-6 team in the country. With a +52 point differential and near-wins against Illinois, UNLV, West Virginia, Arizona State, and K-State, the Jayhawks could be playing for a spot in the conference championship if a few plays swung in their favor. It makes the struggles even more frustrating.
Not to discredit what a fantastic job BYU has done this year, but the Cougars have had some close calls. They almost gave the game to a lowly Baylor squad, needed a go-ahead touchdown with 10 seconds to go against a struggling Oklahoma State, and kicked a game-winning field goal last week vs. Utah in an inspiring comeback. Their season has gone completely the opposite of KU's.
It won't be an easy task coming into one of the toughest environments in sports against the undefeated Cougars. There is no question this is the hardest game Leipold and Co. will play all year. However, the Jayhawks can salvage what is left of the season with an unexpected upset in Provo.