The Kansas Jayhawks take on the Kansas State Wildcats. Check out our college football odds series for our Kansas Kansas State prediction and pick.
The Kansas State Wildcats have played in the Big 12 Championship Game before, but not since the Big 12 Championship Game was renewed. The Big 12 Championship Game debuted in 1996, when Texas knocked Nebraska out of the BCS National Championship Game, but in 2011, the Big 12 discontinued the practice and did not revive it until 2017. In that 2017 Big 12 Championship Game, TCU — already having secured a spot in the 2022 Big 12 title bout — played Oklahoma. Texas played Oklahoma the next year. Baylor played Oklahoma in 2019, and Iowa State played Oklahoma in 2020. In 2021, Baylor beat Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship Game. Nowhere did Kansas State show up in the five years since the Big 12 resumed staging a conference title game in Arlington. Now, the goal is finally within reach for head coach Chris Klieman, who continues to do more with less in Manhattan, Kan., with his Wildcats.
Kansas State is a story of resourcefulness and resilience. The Wildcats have been dogged by injuries this season, especially at the quarterback spot. Yet, they overcame those limitations and have been a very strong team. They have lost only twice in Big 12 competition this year. Once was to first-place TCU, and that was after grabbing an 18-point lead but then watching both quarterbacks get injured against the Frogs. Imagine if Kansas State didn't have brutally awful injury luck. This team might already have a spot in the Big 12 title game, and it might have had a chance to stack together more wins this season. Even so, KSU still has a path to the Big 12 title game — win and in versus Kansas — and the Sugar Bowl. That would be a phenomenal feat for Klieman and his players in 2022.
Speaking of phenomenal feats, who thought that Kansas would play in a bowl game this season? Lance Leipold has been a magnificent hire for KU, as many people expected. College football analysts who followed Leipold at previous coaching stops have long admired how well he develops players and schemes whole units into positions where they can succeed. Leipold's mastery of the Xs and Os of coaching has dramatically raised Kansas' floor as a program. With the rumor being that Matt Rhule — the former Baylor coach who was just fired by the Carolina Panthers — will soon become Nebraska's head coach, Leipold should be secure at Kansas for the foreseeable future. Wisconsin is expected to retain Jim Leonhard as permanent head coach. If Leipold isn't going to Nebraska or Wisconsin, he is staying at Kansas. That is fantastic news for the Jayhawks, who now have a very bright future.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Kansas-Kansas State College Football odds.
College Football Odds: Kansas-Kansas State Odds
Kansas Jayhawks: +11.5 (-108)
Kansas State Wildcats: -11.5 (-112)
Over: 62.5 (-110)
Under: 62.5 (-110)
Why Kansas Could Cover the Spread
The Jayhawks have Lance Leipold, and that's plenty good reason to think they can find a game plan and a route of attack which will neutralize Kansas State's foremost strengths in this game.
Why Kansas State Could Cover the Spread
If the Wildcats play anywhere near the level of quality they have displayed in recent weeks — particularly in their dominating win over Baylor — they should have no problem with a Kansas team which soared in the first half of the season but has been brought down to earth in recent weeks.
Final Kansas-Kansas State Prediction & Pick
Kansas is a great story, but Kansas State is a clearly better team, playing at home, with more health, and with more momentum. Take K-State.
Final Kansas-Kansas State Prediction & Pick: Kansas State -11.5
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