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Shocker, I'm not picking BYU to win the Big 12. We're riding with the Kansas Jayhawks to win the Big 12. Yes, you're reading that correctly. The team that was projected to win 2.5 games last season is my longshot pick to win the Big 12.
In the Big 12, anything can happen, as we saw last season. Last season's Big 12 champion Kansas State, was 25/1 before the season started. They were picked 7th out of 10 teams to win the Big 12. The Jayhawks are currently picked to finish 9th out of 14 this season.
The Kansas Jayhawks have four players on the 2023 Preseason All-Big 12 Team. They have three more preseason All-Big 12 pliers than Oklahoma. This is not a joke.
This team will be one of the most exciting teams in college football this season, with QB Jalon Daniels and RB Devin Neal returning for another year. For people that don't remember, Daniels only played eight full games last season and got hurt versus the eventual runner-up TCU.
He had a near season-ending shoulder injury and still played well when he returned, but he was not 100%. He's had an entire year to get healthy, and there's a reason he's on the preseason All-Big 12 team.
Last season, the Jayhawks finished 6-7. Their current win total is 5.5, and they return seven starters on the defensive side of the ball and bring in many transfers as well. The Jayhawks starting QB threw for over 2,000 yards (over 500 against Arkansas) and ran for over 400 yards in nine games (eight full games). He also threw 18 touchdowns, only 4 INTs, and ran for 7 touchdowns.
They are returning Devin Neal at running back, who also ran for over 1,000 yards. This is a long, round-about way of saying, why wouldn't this team go bowling again? The counter-argument would be a more difficult schedule. So let's go through it.
The schedule is easier this season compared to last season. Kansas's non-conference schedule is easier this year compared to the previous season. Last season they defeated a 9-4 Duke team, a new Big-12 member in Houston, and Tennessee Tech.
This season they are facing Missouri State, Illinois at home, whose win total is 6.5, and the Nevada Wolfpack in Reno, who are projected to finish 10th in the Mountain West. Like last season, the Jayhawks should start 3-0.
Then the Big 12 gauntlet begins, but it starts with one of the most favorable matchups against my BYU Cougars in Kansas. BYU's win total is only 4.5 games, and the Cougars are projected to finish 11th in the Big 12. By that logic, that's four wins already.
Kansas plays at Oklahoma State and at Cincinnati later in the season, and the Jayhawks are projected to finish above them. That is six wins right there, which doesn't include any potential upsets or ridiculous results. The offensive firepower will keep them in every single game this season. Do not be surprised when they pull off a huge upset this season. That's why Kansas's over 5.5 wins is one of my favorite College Football futures.
Now for the longshot, if the Jayhawks want ANY chance at winning the Big 12, they have to start 4-0, and Jalon Daniels cannot get hurt. They have arguably the best quarterback in the conference; that alone will keep them alive in every game. If they can get off to a hot start, that momentum could propel them into a 10-2 finish would more than likely put them in position to play in the Big 12 title game.
Watch out for Week 5, Kansas at Texas. Kansas coil be 4-0 rolling into that matchup, and the Longhorns will most likely be 3-1, and it will be a season-defining game for both teams.
I never thought I would say this, but… ROCK CHALK!
