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Preseason AP poll suggests this is the best Kansas football team since 2008

The last time that the Jayhawks were ranked this high in the preseason AP poll (No. 22), the season did not go as planned, but perhaps Lance Leipold can do what former coach Mark Mangino was unable to do in 2008.

By Tyler Key

Texas Tech v Kansas
Texas Tech v Kansas / Jamie Squire/GettyImages
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After KU football unexpectedly went 12-1 and won the Orange Bowl in the 2007-08 season, the team got high praise from the national media entering the 2008 regular season, earning an Associate Press (AP) preseason poll ranking of No. 14. Despite the high ranking, the Jayhawks lost their third game of the season in a brutal road matchup against No. 19-ranked UCF by a score of 37-34.

They did improve to a 5-1 record but the wheels eventually fell off the bus and they lost four of their final seven games, ending with an 8-5 record overall. Flash forward to 2024, and these Jayhawks are the most hyped KU football squad since the Mangino team 16 years ago. Kansas has been officially ranked No. 22 in the AP poll and ranked 24th by the US LBM Coaches Poll.

The University of Utah leads the way in the Big 12, ranked No. 12 in the AP Poll. Oklahoma State (No. 17), Kansas State (No. 18), and Arizona (No. 21) are all ranked above KU.

With No. 4-ranked Texas and No. 16-ranked Oklahoma leaving for the SEC, the new-look Big 12 should be incredibly competitive and open for the taking.

The Jayhawks' offense especially should be top three in the conference, assuming that QB Jalon Daniels can stay on the field. Kansas returns all of their offensive weapons in Lawrence Arnold, Quentin Skinner, and Luke Grimm, as well as their top two running backs in Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr. Additionally, their offensive line is beefed up and ready to compete with any team in the nation.

The biggest question marks on if KU can live up to or exceed their AP ranking is their defensive consistency and the health of Daniels. The quarterback position is especially volatile now that coveted backup Jason Bean is no longer at Kansas. If more injuries arise for Daniels, the coaching staff would be putting a lot of faith in redshirt freshman Cole Ballard or true freshman Isaiah Marshall to lead the offense.

With that being said, if the defense plays well and Daniels suits up for every game, Kansas should be in true contention for the Big 12 title game.

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