After opening the season 4-0, and most recently beating BYU 38-27 Saturday, the Kansas football team has been rewarded Sunday with the No. 24 spot in the Associated Press’ Top 25 rankings.
This is the second year in a row that KU has been ranked after a hiatus of nearly 13 years between appearances.
The Jayhawks earned their previous ranking in 2022 just before hosting ESPN’s “College GameDay” ahead of a game against ranked TCU, a game in which they ultimately suffered a narrow loss and lost quarterback Jalon Daniels to a shoulder injury.
They then dropped out of the Top 25 when they lost to Oklahoma the following week in Jason Bean’s first start of the year.
KU’s ranking this time around sets up a matchup of two ranked teams in Austin, Texas, next Saturday, when the Jayhawks travel to face the Longhorns. Texas, which is leaving the Big 12 Conference after the season, is currently ranked No. 3 overall and already has a win over Alabama on its resume.
This year’s Longhorns have generated plenty of hype, but KU does have a history of strong performances against Texas, most recently in 2021. That season, KU stunned the Longhorns in Austin on a game-winning two-point conversion from Jalon Daniels to Jared Casey, a victory that helped to kickstart the Lance Leipold era, as well as Daniels’ career and snapped a 13-year losing streak in conference road games.
Many of the players who played key roles in that game have been crucial to the Jayhawks’ rebuild and will have a chance at another stunning upset this week — this time, though, entering, with a number next to their team’s name.
The game takes place Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and will air on ABC.
Mike Gunnoe/Journal-World photo
