For better or for worse, Lance Leipold and Co. have surprised during his successful tenure as head coach of the Jayhawks. Recently, those surprises have leaned more negative, though, as Kansas has gone 5-7 in back-to-back seasons, with calamitous fourth quarters leading the way in several losses.
Kansas’ 10-14 record over the last two seasons means the 2026 campaign is one that must show progress in order to keep the temperature ice cold on Leipold. The problem is, Kansas’ schedule is anything but a walk in the park.
Of the Jayhawks’ conference matchups against Arizona State, Utah, Kansas State, Baylor, TCU, UCF, West Virginia, BYU and Oklahoma State, only matchups against the Mountaineers and the Golden Knights are against teams ranked below No. 51 KU in Bill Connelly’s SP+ predictions ahead of next season.
DraftKings odds plant Kansas towards bottom of Big 12 contenders
In CBS Sports' latest article titled “College football futures odds: Why Houston, not Texas Tech, offers the best value to win the Big 12 in 2026,” Gene Menez listed contenders’ respective odds according to DraftKings, and Kansas fell all the way to 11th with +4500.
Leading the charge are the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who sit at +100; last on the list is Colorado at +12000, so while Kansas football may feel like it is in a bit of a desert, according to the bookmakers, things could certainly be worse.
Could the Jayhawks realistically make a run for the Big 12?
Having questions about a team can sometimes be phrased completely differently depending on your mood. On the negative side, those questions likely lean towards a low floor and a lower-than-wanted ceiling.
If you want to take a more positive approach, then those questions over a transfer-laden core could mean that Kansas’ ceiling is really high and that you can’t properly put it on paper yet.
While Kansas is reeling in a recruiting class touted as the nation’s 53rd-best, those aforementioned questions likely lean towards the negative.
Since joining KU, Leipold is 16-29 in Big 12 play, finishing at .500 or better just once, in Kansas’ stellar 9-4 2023 record where the Jayhawks notched a 5-4 Big 12 record.
In all honesty, this is not at all a bad record; of course, 13 games under .500 in conference play won’t be at the top of Leipold’s achievement list, but the top-end of the Big 12 is no cupcake. And this season, it doesn’t look like a cupcake either. The Red Raiders, BYU Cougars, or Utah Utes could all realistically make playoff pushes on their own accord, and Kansas has to play two of those three teams.
The only two squads with worse conference odds that the Jayhawks have to play are, unsurprisingly, West Virginia and UCF.
Now, by no means is Kansas locked into 11th out of a possible 16 places. As mentioned in the opener, KU has a knack for surprising and either getting really hot or really cold when least expected; fans will just hope next season is the hot one.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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