College football game of the week: No. 17 TCU vs No. 19 Kansas
The Big 12 conference has been one of the most unpredictable conferences so far in the first few weeks of college football.
Oklahoma was again expected to win the conference fairly easily but is now 3-2 after two big upsets. TCU, who upset the Sooners last week, have found themselves at 4-0 and are sitting at 17 in the AP rankings.
Not only did they upset Oklahoma last week, but they did so by 31 points. TCU will look to ride this momentum as they face off against a team that America has gotten behind.
Kansas is 5-0 on the season and is ranked 19th after two big wins on the road against West Virginia and Houston and two closely fought battles at home against Duke and Iowa State.
Before the season began, there was an argument that Kansas wouldn’t win more than one or two games. But this basketball school has shocked the nation and is looking to continue to build its resume.
Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels started the season red hot by leading the Jayhawks offense to three straight games of scoring 45 points or more and followed that up with a 35-point performance.
But last week, the star quarterback was shut down. He threw for under 100 yards and could only rush for nine.
Kansas cannot be this stagnant on offense again, as it's scarce to win games in the Big 12 when you only score 14 points.
Kansas got lucky last weekend as Iowa State’s kicker Jace Gilbert missed three field goals. If he was more accurate, Kansas’s weak offensive performance wouldn’t have been enough to win.
The Jayhawks will have to come out firing to win this game because that’s exactly what TCU has done every game so far. The Horned Frogs have at least 38 points in all four games this season, including last week when they scored 55 against Oklahoma.
Quarterback Max Duggan has been phenomenal this season. He’s had at least three passing touchdowns and a completion percentage over 69% in the last three games.
Kendre Miller also has contributed to this offense, as he has a rushing touchdown in every game this year. But Miller has flipped the switch in the last two games, as he has rushed for over 100 yards in both.
It seems like every week for years, the majority of the Big 12 games are shootouts, and this game should be no different.
Kansas has sold out their stadium for the third week in a row, so they will have a home-field advantage, something they’re not used to having.
But TCU has proven itself against a top school in Oklahoma, even if it is a down year for the Sooners.
Kansas has some solid wins, but not one that sticks out. Between this and their offense being shut down last weekend, Kansas’s undefeated season may come to an end on Saturday.
Score prediction: 42-34 TCU
Jayson O’Connell is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jbo5216@psu.edu.
