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Big 12 Football Week 9: Kansas' Jalon Daniels on List of Key Players to Watch

A packed Week 9 schedule in the Big 12 includes the annual Sunflower Showdown between Kansas and Kansas State.

Rich Cirminiello

Oct 19, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels (6) passes the ball against the Houston Cougars during the first quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images
Oct 19, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels (6) passes the ball against the Houston Cougars during the first quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images / William Purnell-Imagn Images
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Kansas has dropped 15 straight meetings to instate rival Kansas State, a maddening degree of futility for the program and its fan base.

If the Jayhawks are to snap that losing streak Saturday night in Manhattan, they'll need a monster performance from QB Jalon Daniels.

Daniels is coming off his best game of the year, but that was against downtrodden Houston and this is 6-1 K-State.

Daniels will have to be at his absolute dual-threat best to not only take some heat off RB Devin Neal, but to also keep pace with KSU QB Avery Johnson.

In the Wildcats' only loss this season, at BYU, the team had no takeaways. Daniels needs to have that kind of a clean effort for the Jayhawks to have a chance.

Daniels is one of the Big 12's spotlight players to watch in Week 9. Here are five others:

TCU QB Josh Hoover

A visit from Texas Tech figures to be the right antidote for a TCU offense that's produced just 32 points the last two weeks. While Hoover has it a wall recently, he should get back on track against a Red Raider D that ranks last in the league at defending the pass.

DE Tre Smith, Arizona

It's getting lost in a disappointing Arizona season, but Smith has flourished since transferring from San Jose State. The 6-5, 270-pound Arizonan has attracted the attention of NFL scouts for his ability to win at the point of attack. The Cats will need a big defensive showing versus West Virginia, because the offense has inexplicably tanked.

Baylor QB Sawyer Robertson

A Dequan Finn injury forced Robertson into the lineup. Now he's one of the hottest Big 12 quarterbacks entering this week's game with Oklahoma State. Robertson has thrown 13 TD passes over the last four games, including five in last week's upset of Texas Tech.

Colorado ED B.J. Green

If the Buffs play D the way they did last week in Tucson, look out. Colorado had as many sacks as points allowed (7) in a comfortable road win. Green is somewhat situational, but his speed and get-off will allow teammates, like Samuel Okunlola, to get cleaner shots at Cincinnati QB Brendan Sorsby.

UCF RB RJ Harvey

BYU allowed a season-high 255 yards and three TDs on the ground to Oklahoma State last week. The Cougars could face an even bigger challenge this week against Harvey and spoiler-minded UCF. Harvey leads the Big 12 in both rushing yards (890) and total touchdowns (13).

Kansas on Sports Illustrated

Key Storylines for Big 12 Football Week 9: Can Kansas Break the Streak?

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Rich Cirminiello
RICH CIRMINIELLO

I've been the VP of College Awards for the Maxwell Football Club since 2008. I oversee and manage all aspects of the Maxwell Award (CFB Player of the Year), Bednarik Award (Defensive POY) and Munger Award (CFB Coach of the Year), including creating watch lists, steering the selection committee and choosing players of the week. I appear weekly on SportsGrid TV to discuss college football, both as a guest and a co-host of various live shows. I oversee and manage two additional college awards, outside the purview of the Maxwell Football Club - former Seattle Seahawk RB Shaun Alexander's Freshman of the Year Award & the Buddy Teevens Award, which was created by Peyton Manning, Archie Manning and Omaha Productions in honor of the late Dartmouth coach. I'm contracted out each May by Phil Steele to help edit the magazine and write select articles leading up to the publication of his annual College Football Preview in June.

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