Kansas and Kansas State meet in the 124th Sunflower Showdown, and the Kansas football team is trying to end a brutal 17-game losing streak against its in-state rival. The Wildcats come in as a one-touchdown favorite, but the staff at Kansas on SI isn’t reading this one the same way.
One contributor is going with Kansas, and doing it with plenty of conviction. He called the losing streak “far too long” and pointed to Lance Leipold’s shaky track record in rivalry games, while also noting that Leipold knows what this matchup means.
Another loss in a high-profile game, he wrote, could put Leipold’s job on the line beyond this season. He also sees signs of life in the offense after the second half against Utah, and believes Andy Kotelnicki’s group can shake off its slow start and come out aggressively against a Kansas State team he views as struggling.
The other prediction goes the opposite direction, backing K-State to keep things rolling. That pick frames this as a big swing game for both sides: the Wildcats have dropped two straight and need a win to steady their season, while Kansas is trying to stay alive in the bowl picture and give Leipold a stronger case to remain beyond this year.
Still, after watching Kansas get overwhelmed last week by Utah quarterback Devon Dampier, the expectation here is that something similar happens again. Avery Johnson is tabbed for a bounce-back performance, and Collin Klein’s first Sunflower Showdown as head coach adds another layer of motivation.
The Kansas offense is expected to keep pace for stretches, but the K-State offense is projected to finish the job and deliver the victory.
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Bill Self Is Pushing Kansas Deeper Into A Risky New Reality
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What stands out now is how much of that roster exists under court-ordered eligibility, with Trey Kaufman-Renn joining Tre White and Melvin Council Jr. in that category. Each case carries its own legal wrinkle, and together they underscore how Kansas is operating in a reality that would have seemed hard to imagine even a few seasons ago. The talent is there, but so is the uncertainty, and the Jayhawks are finding themselves deeper into that mix as the season begins. [Read more 🡒]