Kansas Jayhawks at Kansas State gets a prime time kickoff

Fresh off a 42-14 win over Houston, Kansas football snapped a five-game losing skid and is looking to build momentum heading into its next matchup against Kansas State. Although hopes of postseason play are out of reach, the Jayhawks aim to spoil K-State's playoff hopes and end the season on a high note.

The two rival schools will face off at Bill Snyder Family Stadium this weekend in a highly anticipated matchup. Kansas has not defeated the Wildcats in football since 2008, losing an unreal 15 consecutive contests on the gridiron. Now, we finally know when the game will take place.

Sunflower Showdown receives primetime kickoff slot this week

The 2024 Sunflower Showdown between Kansas and Kansas State has been scheduled for a primetime kickoff this Saturday at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN2. This marks KU's third appearance on ESPN2 this season, giving the Jayhawks another national spotlight for one of the biggest rivalries in the Big 12.

While ESPN usually would not reserve a primetime slot for a 2-5 Kansas squad, the 6-1 Wildcats are on a completely different trajectory this season. They are tied for second place in the Big 12 behind Iowa State and BYU and could easily catapult to the top spot given their relatively light schedule the rest of the way.

Besides a blowout loss to BYU last month, K-State has taken care of every team in its path. Star running back DJ Giddens and quarterback Avery Johnson have led one of the most prolific rushing offenses in the nation thus far, scoring an average of 39.3 points per game over the past three contests. KU's struggling defense must play at a high level to contain them.

The ESPN Football Power Index gives Kansas football a 24.7% chance to win on Saturday, according to ESPN Analytics. It has not happened in the past 15 years and the Jayhawks are not nearly as good as last season, but crazier things have happened in college football before.