Typically, we expect the Kansas football program to fold against its opponents on a weekly basis, but over these past few seasons, the Jayhawks have merely done it sometimes. The lack of consistency has really come back to bite them this year, as halfway through their 2025 campaign, we know next to nothing in regards to just how good—or bad—they actually are.
It was one thing when their only loss was against Missouri, as that’s a ranked rival from a tougher conference. But a home loss to Cincinnati? A “struggle win” over UCF? What in the world are we supposed to take away from those dips? Sure, those teams (especially Cincy, who today sits frustratingly unranked) could be worse, but them exposing a lower end to KU that we hadn’t yet seen in 2025 is nonetheless a pressing issue.
Consequently, it’s hard to declare the Jayhawks a true threat in the depths of the Big 12—but on the other hand, you can’t blindly write them off as someone who brings nothing to the competitive table, and frankly? I am sick and tired of it.
I understand bumpy starts, and I understand the turbulence that can come with shifting into the meat of a conference schedule, but again, we are halfway through Kansas’s season already. We’ve got to see some solidity from the Jayhawks, and soon.
Luckily, they have their biggest chance to show some this week, as they travel to take on the 9th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders in Lubbock. With blowout road wins over both Utah and Houston, Tech is far and away the most proven power the Big 12 has in its corner.
If Kansas can make it out of that bear trap alive, it will have established itself as one capable of enduring all that follows. But if it can’t, we’re likely going to see it drift away, getting lost in the middle of the Big 12 pack. Either way, the Texas Tech game is going to address questions that the Jayhawks have already taken too long to answer.
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