Kansas football is staring at a bye week with the mood around the program as low as it has been in some time, and that’s a tough place to be after all the preseason buzz that surrounded this team. The optimism has evaporated quickly since the Jayhawks dropped back-to-back games to Missouri and Arizona State, and the early returns have done little to calm anyone down.
The biggest issue is that the offense still hasn’t found its footing through three games. Add in special teams breakdowns and coaching mistakes, and the picture gets even messier.
Kansas fans who were encouraged when Isaiah Marshall was named the starting quarterback haven’t gotten the payoff they were hoping for, and plenty of them are now openly frustrated with Lance Leipold as the program looks more and more like the Kansas teams of the 2010s. The hard truth is that KU has made just one bowl game in the last 17 seasons and appears headed for a third straight losing year.
That’s the backdrop as the Jayhawks try to salvage something from this season. The question isn’t just whether Kansas can become bowl eligible. It’s whether Leipold and his staff can give people enough reason to care again.
A lot of that hinges on the rivalry game with Kansas State. Kansas fans have gotten used to disappointment, but 17 straight losses to the in-state rival is a different kind of burden. A win in Manhattan would go a long way toward giving the fanbase something to hold onto, even if nothing from the first three games suggests KU will have much of a chance when Oct. 17 arrives.
For now, the next step is Middle Tennessee State, and the Jayhawks should be heavily favored there. After that, the road gets much tougher. Every game beyond it is either a toss-up or projects as a Kansas loss, which leaves the margin for error razor thin.
Still, there is a path - however narrow - for Kansas to pull some of this season back from the edge. It could come through a streak-breaking victory over K-State, or by putting together a late-season run similar to the one the Jayhawks managed at the end of the 2024 campaign. If that doesn’t happen, it’s hard to imagine the school asking Lawrence to show up in force for the new and improved Booth.
In Other News...
Kansas Has A Backcourt Decision That Could Define Bill Selfs Season
Bill Self is heading into his 24th season with the roster still in flux, and that uncertainty is especially noticeable in the backcourt. Recent transfers and incoming recruits have left Kansas with a handful of moving pieces, while CBS Sports analyst Isaac Trotter has already started sketching out possible roles and a projected lineup that reflects just how open things still are.
The guard rotation is where the real decision sits, with Kansas weighing fit, creation and defense as it waits on NCAA eligibility calls and settles on its final mix. Kohl Rosario and Leroy Blyden Jr. are among the names in the mix for minutes, and how Self sorts through that competition could end up shaping not just the opening lineup, but the way this team functions once the season begins. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Suddenly Has A Running Back Problem It Cant Ignore
Kansas footballs backfield is suddenly looking thinner than the staff would like, with head coach Lance Leipold openly acknowledging concerns about running back depth after injuries have piled up. Justin Thurman and Jalen Dupree have both been on the list of players the Jayhawks are trying to manage, and the problem grew more pressing when Yasin Willis went down in the most recent game.
With a bye week now offering a little breathing room, Kansas gets a chance to sort through the damage before the next kickoff. In the meantime, the workload has started to shift toward Micah Johnson, a walk-on whose role is expanding at exactly the wrong time for a position group that already needs help getting healthy. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Frontcourt Picture Just Changed As NCAA Faces New Fight
A fresh legal ruling has added another layer to the college basketball offseason, with Judge Kara Krothe granting a preliminary injunction to nearly 90 athletes and opening the door for a fifth year of eligibility. The decision immediately rippled through the Big Ten and beyond, with notable names such as Tamin Lipsey and Malik Reneau among the players expected to benefit as rosters keep shifting well after the transfer market usually settles.
For Kansas fans, the most relevant wrinkle is the one in Lawrence, where Tre White is expected to be back for another season if the ruling holds. The NCAA is expected to appeal, so the broader picture is still unsettled, but the case has already created more uncertainty for teams trying to finalize their frontcourt plans and more reason for coaches to keep a close eye on how the legal fight plays out. [Read more 🡒]