KU Football: Jayhawks Take Aim at Winning Some Games
By Joel Wagler
The KU football program is about as low as it can be. Is it possible to turn things around this season?
The Kansas Jayhawks have won just 12 games over the last six seasons, paired with an unsightly 60 losses. In the preceding six seasons under Mark Mangino, the school went 42-31, including a 12-win season in 2007 that culminated in an Orange Bowl win.
For a school without a long history of success in football, it is easy to fall off quickly, and hard to make it back to respectability, especially in a conference like the Big 12.
More from KC Kingdom
- Win $650 GUARANTEED Plus $100 Off NFL Sunday Ticket With Caesars, FanDuel and DraftKings Kansas Promos!
- This Plus-Money Bobby Witt Jr. Prop Bet is on Fire (Hit in 15/21 Games)!
- How to Bet on the Chiefs vs. Cardinals in NFL Preseason Week 2
- The Royals Need to Extend Bobby Witt Jr. Immediately
- The 3 Most Intriguing Games on the Chiefs’ Schedule
The Jayhawks hit rock bottom in 2016, going the whole season without a win. Hopefully, they can .
Tom Keegan of KUSports.com gave seven good reasons as to why he still has concerns about this team.
Can the Jayhawks win a game in 2017? Sure, they can. They open with the Rhode Island Rams, who went 1-10 last season in the Football Championship Subdivision. Kansas lost to South Dakota State at home in 2016, but that FCS school had enough talent to win eight games.
The Jayhawks cannot lose against Rhode Island. If they do, whatever small enthusiasm that has been mustered will be dashed. It is bad enough for a school from a Power Five conference to lose to an FCS school; it would be a disaster to lose to an FCS team that won just one game in 2016
Related Story: Games KU Could Win
The Jayhawks also host the Ohio Bobcats. While the Bobcats won eight games in 2016, a Power Five school should win this game against a Mid-American Conference school if they want to show improvement.
Winning this game might be asking too much, too soon, but Ohio went just 3-3 and the road last season, so KU could surprise here.
Kansas plays Memphis on the road in week three but were trounced by the Tigers 55-23 a year ago. Don’t hold your breath hoping for a road win here.
In conference play, it is tough to see any wins for the Jayhawks. Maybe Iowa State at home. Maybe they catch someone else napping or on a bad day. That is two too many maybes.
In all reality, the Kansas Jayhawks should beat Rhode Island. If they have improved mightily since last season, they might squeeze out another win over Ohio or Iowa State.
Fans should look for two wins, and if Coach Beaty pulls off a miracle, maybe three. Any more than that and Beaty would deserve Coach of the Year!
It will not be easy for the Kansas Jayhawks to pull themselves out of the hole in which they find themselves. Recruiting is tough when the last time Kansas was relevant, high school seniors were nine or ten years old.
Next: Top Rushers in KU History
Expectations can’t be high for the KU football program right now. There is a fine line between fans showing patience and being apathetic. This team needs to show progress by winning a couple of contests and being more competitive in the rest of the games.