Way-Too-Early Predictions: Games 1-4 - 87 Days Until Kansas Football
We still have almost three months to go before the Kansas Jayhawks kick off the season against the Missouri State Bears, which means that there is plenty of time for things to change. But that also means it's the perfect time to make predictions that are likely missing critical information or will be wildly inaccurate long before we actually get to the game.
But of course that's the majority of the fun.
For these predictions, we will be looking at ESPN's FPI Rankings. For reference, the Kansas Jayhawks rank 68th coming into this season, down from their season ending ranking of 58th in 2022.
We've broken the schedule into three parts, with the first four games in part 1. Over the course of the week, we'll run through the entire schedule for Kansas.
vs Missouri State (FCS)
Last year was the first time in a while that Kansas finished the year significantly better than their opening game opponent, and this year should be no different.
The Bears ended last season ranked 139th in the Sagarin Ratings, where Kansas was 56th. But this was a team that almost upset Arkansas early in the year before both teams fell off, so Kansas can't afford to take them lightly.
I would say that I was worried about potentially overlooking this game, but it's hard to see how the team won't be hyped up for this one, on a Thursday night and potentially a full house. I expect to see another offensive explosion, and the defense should be able to hound the Bears enough to remove all doubt early.
Prediction: Kansas 48, Missouri State 14
vs Illinois (45)
The Fighting Illini are coming off of an 8-5 season, including a loss to Mississippi State in the ReliaQuest Bowl. And head coach Brett Bielema has done an impressive job at Illinois in his two years, turning a 2-6 team into a comfortable bowl contender.
But there are some pretty big losses this season, especially on offense. Two All-Big Ten second team lineman, quarterback Tommy DeVito and running back Chase Brown are all gone. They have Ole Miss transfer Luke Altmyer coming in for the quarterback competition, and an offensive lineman will help to plug some of those holes, but this will only be the second game of the season to try and work everything in.
Defensive losses were pretty stark in the secondary, which is something that the Jayhawks should be poised to take advantage of. I expect Jalon Daniels to be able to find holes in what is expected to be a solid defense. Plus, the game being at home should make a huge difference for this team. Give me another 2-0 start for Lance Leipold's Jayhawks.
Prediction: Kansas 38, Illinois 28
at Nevada (117)
This is not the Nevada team that you are used to seeing, the one that dominated in the WAC and made a successful jump to the Mountain West. Jay Norvell left to go to Colorado State, taking a bunch of players with him. Last season, Ken Wilson was unable to keep the momentum going, hobbling to a 2-10 overall record and an 0-8 finish in the Mountain West
The most successful part of the team saw some big losses, with the skill position players losing some top talent, and the offensive line being a consistent issue for Nevada. And while they have some interesting transfers, it's still an open question as to if they can stop a Kansas team that is going to bring a lot of pressure.
But the biggest plus for the Jayhawks is the defense in Nevada. They struggled mightily last year, especially against teams that could throw the ball. The pass rush was decent, but Kansas brings back the core of one of the best offensive lines in the nation at preventing pressure on the quarterback. Daniels will have plenty of time to throw, and the only real question will be if the defense can dominate at the line.
Prediction: Kansas 56, Nevada 24
vs BYU (60)
There are a lot of questions surrounding this BYU squad, as they have to replace a lot of playmakers all while making the transition to the Big 12. Plus, they have to face an Arkansas team in a night road game the week before.
Pitt transfer quarterback Kedon Slovis is trying to bounce back after a poor season last year, and he is hoping that he can do that in a BYU system that has routinely churned out impressive quarterback play. But the playmakers on offense are somewhat trimmed down, and they will be trying to break in a bunch of new players in addition to the quarterback.
But the biggest issue for BYU will be the depth, especially on defense. They started strong last season, but ran into injury issues and took a four-game nosedive that ruined any chances for a January bowl. They will be transitioning to a brand new system under new defensive coordinator Jay Hill, but it's tough to imagine they will be able to shut down the Kansas offense completely. I think Kansas wins this, but it is going to be a close one.
Prediction: Kansas 31, BYU 28
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