Even though all the attention has turned to basketball in Lawrence, the football team still has a few weeks left in the season and is fighting for bowl eligibility. Even though the Jayhawks are 3-5 this season, that doesn't mean a bowl game is out of reach with four games left, and Kansas even has the chance to play spoiler for one Big 12 CFP contender.
The final four games for Kansas are against UCF, West Virginia, No. 9 BYU, and Oklahoma State. The big game that should catch the eye of every Kansas fan is against BYU, a team working to reach the College Football Playoff this season and needing every win it can get.
The Cougars came in ranked No. 9 in the first CFP rankings of the season, and while right now they sit comfortably in the bracket with only one loss, they still have to get through the rest of the season.
BREAKING: Initial College Football Playoff Ranking🚨https://t.co/qbML5lQgjb pic.twitter.com/4fr27wLSFh
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BYU lost its first game of the season a few weeks ago to an unranked UCF team, whom Kansas faces next. The Cougars have No. 3 Utah, Baylor, Kansas, and Cincinnati still left on the schedule, and if BYU falls to Utah, they could still have a shot at getting in with two losses, but not three.
That is where Kansas comes in.
Kansas has nothing to gain vs. No. 9 BYU, while the Cougars have everything to lose
By the time Kansas gets to BYU, the Jayhawks could already be out of making it to a bowl game. If Lance Leipold's squad loses the next two games, a bowl game becomes tough unless a lot of bowl-eligible teams drop out.
For BYU, the Cougars are playing for a playoff spot, and with the way college football is going, two losses don't completely take them out of contention. However, if BYU loses to Kansas in the second-to-last regular-season game, the Cougars can kiss a CFP spot goodbye.
Kansas might be able to gain bowl eligibility, or come close to it, with a win over BYU, but ultimately, there isn't much for the Jayhawks to gain with a win over BYU, while the Cougars have everything to lose. So, for Kansas, the Jayhawks could have some fun here and simply play spoiler for BYU.
Hosting what could be a top-10 team at home in Lawrence could create a great atmosphere for the Jayhawks, and Kansas has played some top teams close this season. It isn't out of the realm of possibility that Kansas beat BYU; it won't be easy, but maybe Leipold needs to take a look at what UCF did against the Cougars to find a way to slow down that high-powered offense.
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