Kansas at Texas Football Preview

The Jayhawks travel to Austin for a matchup of ranked teams when it faces the No. 3 Longhorns.

The Kansas Jayhawks are undefeated, 4-0 in two consecutive years for the first time since 1915, and ranked in the top 25 of both polls. The prize is a road game against the No. 3 Texas Longhorns.

The last time KU went into Austin, Daniels and company left with a win and Jared Casey did for Applebee’s in Kansas what Taylor Swift is doing for Travis Kelce jerseys (OK, maybe that’s extreme). These are two better, tougher l teams than they were two years ago.

Opponent Overview

Team: Texas

Record: 4-0

Line: Texas -16.5

Team Form

Texas has arguably the best win of the year by any team nationally after going into Tuscaloosa and beating Alabama, 34-24. Say what you want about Bama this year, that’s an incredibly difficult place to win. But the Longhorns really haven’t been challenged outside of that.

Texas beat Rice and Wyoming at home in the non-con portion and then opened Big 12 play on the road against Baylor, who, it should be said, is 1-3 and on its second quarterback.

Players to Watch

One of the first things that jumps out about this Texas team is there is NFL talent all over the field. It starts with quarterback Quinn Ewers, who dropped the mullet and has been off to an amazing start, throwing for 1,033 yards, nine touchdowns, and zero interceptions. And he has no shortage of weapons. Xavier Worthy is back and leading the team in receptions (19) with 252 yards and three touchdowns. His three touchdowns are tied with Georgia transfer Adonai Mitchell, who also has 180 yards on 12 receptions. And the leading receiver is Ja’Tavion Sanders, who has recorded 268 yards on 12 catches.

Replacing Bijan Robinson is Jonathan Brooks, who has filled his shoes admirably. Brooks is averaging 5.8 yards per rush and three rushing touchdowns in four games. And the defense is led by another NFL prospect in Jaylan Ford. Ford leads the team with 25 tackles and also has two interceptions from the linebacker position.

Matchups to Watch

BYU came into the Kansas game giving up just 100 yards per game on the ground and then the Jayhawks ran for 221 and six yards per carry. Texas is in a similar position, only allowing opponents to rush for 87 yards per game so far this year, but that is a bit skewed as well. Alabama ran for 107 yards on 31 attempts while Wyoming carved out 155 yards on the ground on 4.1 yards per carry. The Kansas rushing attack is more formidable than most in the country, and if the Longhorns struggle like BYU did, Kansas will be in a good position.

Another area to keep an eye on is the KU secondary against Ewers and the passing game. Ewers has not only been effective through the air, but he has also done a great job of taking care of the ball. The Kansas defense has been opportunistic in forcing and capitalizing on turnovers and will likely need to win the turnover battle again on Saturday to leave Austin with a win.

Prediction

It’s a big line for a matchup of ranked teams, but the line has come back slightly in favor of Kansas, showing some respect for the offense. Another wrinkle to consider is that this is the week before Texas-Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry, so if you believe in teams looking ahead, it’s even more of a reason to take the Hawks.

I don’t really buy into that, though, because I think the ranking in front of KU’s name gives it respect in the eyes of its Texas opponents. If Kansas wins this game, the Jayhawks must be considered a serious contender in the Big 12. And a win isn’t as wild an idea as it was two years ago when KU won. Texas was only 5-7 that year but it was also Kansas’ second and final win of the year. Texas is better this year, but the Jayhawks are significantly better than 2021.

I had Kansas going 8-4 on the season back in August and am still incredibly bullish on this team. But unless you are picking an undefeated season, this is where you circle the loss. It’s by far KU’s hardest game on the schedule, especially being on the road. But I don’t think this is going to be a blowout. I trust Kansas’ offense to move the ball down the field, even against a ton of athleticism on defense. And a competitive game against a team of Texas’ stature is still a good look for the program moving forward.

Texas 38, Kansas 28

Record ATS: 2-2

Record Straight Up: 4-0

(Last week: Kansas 38, BYU 27)