Kansas football is back from its final bye of the regular season, and the timing could hardly be better. Lance Leipold’s team enters the week trying to shake off consecutive losses to Missouri and Arizona State, and the Jayhawks now get a home date with Middle Tennessee State in their last nonconference game of the year.
With kickoff one day away, all three Kansas On SI experts have put their predictions on the record - and the common thread is pretty clear: Kansas is expected to win, but not in a runaway.
One outlook warns Jayhawk fans not to take this matchup lightly, even with Middle Tennessee coming to town. That prediction points out that this may be the final home victory Kansas secures in 2026, but it also notes this game should look nothing like the Long Island contest, when KU moved the ball almost at will.
Instead, Andy Kotelnicki’s offense could hit some rough patches as it works through bye-week rust. The Blue Raiders bring a balanced attack, but the Kansas defense has been the team’s strength lately.
The biggest swing factor, according to that view, is how the offense and special teams respond. It also says, “I’d love to see Isaiah Marshall continue to grow, but we really won’t know whether this group has made meaningful adjustments until conference play is in full swing.
You expect near-perfection against an opponent like this, and anything short of that will feel like a disappointment.”
Another prediction sees the bye week leading to a much-needed reset and a Kansas win over Middle Tennessee State. That take expects Kotelnicki to make enough adjustments to help the young Isaiah Marshall settle in and find a rhythm. Even so, it doesn’t forecast a blowout, saying it’s hard to imagine this KU team putting anyone away comfortably right now, no matter the opponent.
The third forecast also has Kansas bouncing back at home after a 1-2 start. That one says the offense is the key storyline, with questions about whether Isaiah Marshall can calm down early and what the run game will look like.
Defensively, it highlights the first three games as evidence that Kansas has leaned on that side of the ball, while also noting Bam Crouch as a player to watch after his injury. That prediction wants to see the defensive line control the Blue Raiders and flags Middle Tennessee’s turnover numbers - the team is top 10 in the country in turnover margin - as a possible path to an upset.
Still, the pick is Kansas, with the expectation that the Jayhawks will head into the heart of conference play feeling better about where they stand.
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