Kansas has reached the point where every snap feels loaded, and Saturday’s matchup with UCF may be the cleanest path left to keep bowl hopes alive.
The Jayhawks enter the Big 12 showdown at 3-5, with four games left and no margin for another stumble beyond one more loss if they want to stay in the postseason picture. After the high of a walk-off win over Baylor two weeks ago, last week’s second-half collapse against TCU knocked the momentum right out of the season. Now, with UCF in Lawrence, Kansas has a chance to reset the tone.
This is also the first time in Big 12 play that the Jayhawks have been favored, a sign that oddsmakers see them as the better side in this one. That matters, especially with quarterback Isaiah Marshall expected back after missing one game with a lower-leg injury. His return should give the offense a major lift, and the matchup lines up well against a UCF team that just managed nine points in a rough outing against Baylor.
Kansas QB Isaiah Marshall is expected to return and start for the Jayhawks against UCF tomorrow, sources tell @On3. He missed last week's game at TCU. https://t.co/9WdmiXv3G7 https://t.co/NCdxjXNKf2 pic.twitter.com/eJBEPQAgQk
If the Jayhawks handle business today, the bowl path is still there. They would need to go 2-1 over their final three league games, and on paper that’s not an impossible climb.
The next stretch starts with a road game at West Virginia, a team with one of the nation’s worst defenses, then comes the home finale against BYU, a program Kansas has beaten in the last two meetings. After that, Oklahoma State awaits, and the Cowboys are coming off a loss to Iowa State.
None of that guarantees anything, and Kansas has already shown how quickly things can go sideways. But the remaining schedule is at least workable if the Jayhawks stop beating themselves.
Missing a bowl for a third straight season would sting, especially after the program’s nine-win run in 2023. Leipold and his staff still have plenty to prove, and a late push like the one Kansas pulled off in 2024 would do a lot to steady things in Lawrence.
In Other News...
UCF Faces A Huge Recruiting Moment For Its Future Frontcourt
Johnny Dawkins has already given UCF a strong early foundation in the 2027 class, landing commitments from two four-star prospects in Deuce McDuffie and Jacoby Briscoe. Now the Knights are trying to keep that momentum rolling in a part of the roster that matters most for the future, with the frontcourt set to need fresh talent after this season.
Jeremy Jenkins Jr. is the next name to watch, and the Miami forward is set to make his college choice Friday night. UCF remains in the mix with three other programs, and the timing makes this one especially important for the Knights as they look to line up their next wave of size and length before three senior bigs move on. [Read more 🡒]
UCF May Get A Needed Defensive Boost At The Perfect Time
UCFs defense could use a lift, and Lewis Carter might be close to providing it. The senior linebacker has been sidelined since Week 3, leaving a noticeable void in the middle of the Knights defense, where he had already established himself as a steady presence and one of the units leaders before the injury.
Scott Frost has been clear about what Carter means to the group, praising his leadership and expecting him to make significant plays once he is back in the lineup. With Kansas next on the schedule and bowl eligibility still in view, UCF could hardly ask for a better moment to get a veteran defender back into the mix, even if his status remains up in the air for now. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Faces A Road Test That Could Expose Its Offense
The weekend slate carries real weight for teams jockeying for postseason positioning, and one of the more interesting matchups for Central Florida fans is the Knights trip to Kansas. It is the kind of Big 12 road game that can tell you plenty about where a team stands, especially when conference standings are still taking shape and every possession starts to matter a little more.
For UCF, the offensive conversation has centered on the balance and playmaking it gets from Keyone Jenkins and Duke Watson, two pieces that help define how dangerous the Knights can be when the game opens up. Lawrence is not the easiest place to sort out those questions, and this matchup offers a chance to see whether UCF can carry its identity away from home against a conference opponent that will be eager to make a statement of its own. [Read more 🡒]