Kansas v. Texas Preview

Week 5 of the college football season is filled with a bunch of matchups that could be described as David taking on Goliath. Saturday is headlined with college football’s Cinderella, Colorado, taking on USC and the surprise No. 17 Duke taking on No. 11 Notre Dame.

However, the biggest underdog vs. blue blood matchup of the weekend is taking place in Austin, Texas. The Longhorns have always been considered a premiere program in college football. However, for the last decade, Texas has lost relevancy. With the hire of Steve Sarkisian, the Longhorns are seemingly back.

In Week 2 of the college football season, Texas dethroned Alabama. The Longhorns now sit in the driver's seat for the Big 12 with Oklahoma seemingly being the only tough test left on their schedule.

However, Texas can not look ahead to the Red River Showdown, in Week 5 they face a team that has had their number in the past. The Kansas Jayhawks led by Lance Leipold have had an astonishing turnaround and are suddenly a top 25 team.

No.24 Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas has always been known and will always be known as a basketball school. The Jayhawks’ football program has been considered an afterthought and consistently at the bottom of the Big 12 for the last decade. However, this year is different for Kansas.

Leipold has changed the narrative around this football program. Leipold went 2-10 in his first season in Lawrence, Kansas. In his second season as head coach in 2022, the team had a dramatic improvement and went 6-7 before falling in the Liberty Bowl.

After gaining bowl eligibility for the first time since 2008, the Jayhawks return most of their stars from a year ago. Quarterback, Jalon Daniels, returns for his fourth season with Kansas. Daniels is the engine that makes this team run and took a huge jump in year two with Leipold.

The start of this Jayhawks turnaround came in Leipold’s first year at the helm in 2021. One of their two wins came against this Texas team. Kansas defeated the Longhorns in a dramatic 57-56 victory on November 31, 2021.

No.3 Texas Longhorns

Folks, Texas is officially back. The Longhorns’ Week 2 victory over Alabama told the rest of the college football world that this team is legit. This is the first time Texas has been ranked top five in the AP and Coaches’ poll since 2010.

Quinn Ewers, the former five-star and number-one player nationally out of high school, is finally playing up to his potential. Wide receiver, Xavier Worthy, will be the best skilled position player on the field on Saturday and has built a special relationship with his quarterback.

On Saturday when these two 4-0 teams square off expect a ton of points and a good old-fashioned Big 12 shootout.

With a weak schedule, Kansas is one of the very few tests left for Texas. While the Jayhawks hope to thrust themselves into Big 12 contention and make it known they are not just a cute story.

Aidan Torok is a fourth-year majoring in telecommunications and minoring in broadcast journalism and political science. To contact him, email ajt6051@psu.edu.