Kansas Jayhawks vs Arkansas Razorbacks: Liberty Bowl Predictions

The crew gets together to tell you what they expect to see in today's game.

The Kansas Jayhawks are in a bowl game for the first time since the 2008 season, and the excitement around the program right now is palpable. But even though there are plenty of reasons to be excited going into this game, the history for this team might lend a fan to dial back some expectations. 

So with that in mind, our crew got together to give their honest assessment of today's game. Should you be preparing for a bowl victory celebration? Or will Kansas fans have to wait for another season to celebrate that postseason success?

Do you disagree with our assessment? Make sure you read them all and then hop over to the Discord or on Twitter to share your own thoughts.

Kyle Davis

Check out our Arkansas Preview for Kyle's full breakdown and prediction.

Derek Noll

I don’t really know how this game is going to go, but I’m riding the feel good wave of KU football to a win. Why not? Arkansas has far more dudes sitting this game out for one reason or another, and that just might tip the scales in favor of KU. It’s also probably pretty obvious that Kansas is more interested in this game having not been to a bowl game since the first year of the Obama administration, and the Jayhawks likely have the most dynamic player in the game in Jalon Daniels. I’m taking KU in a close one.

Kansas 42, Arkansas 37.

Lucas Murphy

The Jayhawks are taking on a good Razorbacks football team led by a well-rounded quarterback and a very athletic running back. I expect the Kansas defense to have their hands full trying to contain K.J. Jefferson and slow down Raheim Sanders. One thing is the Razorbacks will not have their full arsenal due to the transfer portal or preparing for the NFL draft. Now on the offensive side I look forward to an explosive onslaught it is the last game of the season and a game this football program hasn’t been in since I was in high school and that has been a long time. Jalon Daniels along with many others has had time to heal and prepare for this game. The overall expectation is two offenses going head to head and whichever defense can bend but not break will win. Coach Leipold will have the team ready to play.

Kansas 42, Arkansas 35

Brendan Dzwierzynski

To be brutally honest, it’s been far too long since KU has reached a bowl game for me to not come up with some justification for picking the Jayhawks. A shootout is likely the best possible outcome for KU, and I’m banking on Derek’s point about being more turned up for the game being a difference maker. With Daniels even healthier than the last two games of the season and with plenty of time for Andy Kotelnicki to draw up a masterpiece of a game plan, I’ll take the Jayhawks.

Kansas 45, Arkansas 42.

Andy Mitts

The guys have done a great job of maintaining the guarded optimism that has been the hallmark of this season. But I'm going to completely shatter any sense of restraint. To put it simply, this game has all the hallmarks of being essentially a Kansas home game. I've yet to be able to go anywhere in the Memphis area without seeing at least 3 groups of Kansas fans. And those fans are fired up and ready for this game, whereas the Arkansas fans I've seen have been much less enthusiastic.

If you watched the press conferences yesterday, it was easy to tell which coach was excited about the team and the way they were preparing for the game. Add in the impression I got from Andy Hodges on the preview episode of the podcast, and it is very straightforward to see a setup where Kansas comes out fired up and ready to go.

The main worry is that Kansas will come out TOO hyped up and make silly mistakes that will allow the more physically talented Arkansas athletes to take advantage. They cannot afford a start like the one to the Kansas State game. But ultimately, the extra motivation and the coaching advantage that the Jayhawks have should be enough to put them over the top. And once they get up, it's hard to imagine Arkansas having the fight necessary to come back in this one. Give me a tight game early as Kansas gets warmed up, but the second half should be all Jayhawks.

Kansas 49, Arkansas 28.

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