Undefeated. First in the Big 12. An explosive offense behind one of the best players in the sport.
These are the Kansas Jayhawks. No, not the Jayhawks who dribble balls and shoot three-pointers. These are the 2022 Kansas Jayhawks who play football.
It's a new breed of Jayhawks, and it's the best story in college football four weeks into the season. Kansas has completely transformed into an offensive juggernaut from an abysmal season a year ago, is trotting out the best-kept secret in the NCAA at quarterback (who would win the Heisman Trophy if voting took place right now) and is ready to own the Big 12.
So, why isn't Kansas getting any respect?
It's Time to Respect the Kansas Jayhawks
Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images
I'm not sure who clicked their heels three times and took us to a different world — one where Kansas isn't ranked — yet here we are.
Kansas is 4-0 yet remains unranked in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll. Kansas is first in the Big 12, yet one-loss Oklahoma, Baylor and Kansas State are ranked. Kansas is scoring nearly 50 points per game, and yet the supposed most knowledgeable people in college football are just sort of...ignoring KU.
Sooner or later, Kansas is going to be too much to ignore.
Quarterback Jalon Daniels is legitimately one of the best players in college football. His 98.0 quarterback rating is the best in the country, ahead of names like Ohio State's CJ Stroud, Tennessee's Hendon Hooker and Alabama's Bryce Young. If you haven't gotten a chance to watch him, he's must-see TV. His throwing accuracy paired with running ability simply isn't fair.
Take, for example, Daniels' game against Duke. He threw for four touchdowns and 324 yards threw the air. He added another 83 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He accounted for more touchdowns than he had incompletions (4). According to ESPN, Daniels has accounted for 15 of his team's 27 touchdowns this season — which is already just five away from the team's total touchdown mark all of last season.
Dime Droppin? ? pic.twitter.com/nSFFLBLyNN
— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) September 24, 2022
Daniels and Co. haven't exactly played cupcake teams, either. Duke was 3-0 entering this matchup. The Jayhawks also beat West Virginia and Houston, who took the same Texas Tech team that beat Texas to overtime.
So, what gives?
Kansas is not ranked in either the coaches or AP poll. Wow.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) September 25, 2022
Do AP voters think Kansas hasn't played anyone of true value? Do they think this is a fluke considering the Jayhawks won just two games combined over the past two seasons? Have they not seen Jalon Daniels play football?
By my count, 44 of the 63 voters put Kansas in their Top 25. They were ranked as high as No. 19 by three voters. Kansas received 125 points, making them the "first team out." But still, I can't quite understand why more people aren't respecting what's going on in Lawrence.
But you know what? That's fine. Keep counting Kansas out. It's only setting up for an even better underdog story. This is the year of the Kansas Jayhawks. Get used to it.
