After a long 11 years, fans on either side of the Missouri-Kansas border will be able to see the Kansas Jayhawks take on the Missouri Tigers.
The hype around this fixture has been building all week. On Monday, Kansas head coach spoke at length about the matchup but provided one funny quip from former Kansas running back Devin Neal.
“Devin did ask if he could come back and play this game. He said it to me, walking off the field Friday night, he goes, ‘I'll even come back as a walk-on.’ So, I appreciated that.”
I’m sure Neal is a part of a corps of Kansas alumni who would have been itching to play against Missouri in a matchup that holds massive weight.
Analysts from across the nation have been back and forth over this matchup. This morning, ESPN’s “College Gameday” found mixed projections.
CBS Sports slightly favored the Tigers, and fans of both sides are quick to think their school will reign supreme.
BetMGM gives Kansas a spread of +5.5 with the over/under at 49.5, leaving the moneyline at +165 for the Jayhawks and at -220 for Missouri.
The Tigers are coming off a dominant 61-6 win over Central Arkansas, which saw Missouri QB Beau Pribula tally 283 yards and two touchdowns, along with 65 yards on the ground and a further two touchdowns. Combine that with a strong debut from Louisiana-Monroe running back Ahmad Hardy, who compiled 100 yards on just 10 carries with a touchdown of his own on the ground,
Kansas set to face its most difficult challenge in the early season after two efficient wins in a 31-7 week zero game against Fresno State, and a 46-7 week one win against Wagner, which flexed the muscles of star quarterback Jalon Daniels.
Both teams have long had this matchup marked on their calendars, with intensity growing by the second.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 PM CT on ESPN2