Baylor will host Kansas in Big 12 action this week and while both of these teams are likely out of the running in the conference and certainly the national picture the game still holds plenty of intrigue. Baylor is favored by 10 with a total of 58.
The story of this game and the reason for the line move is that Baylor gets QB Blake Shapen back this week while Kansas will again be without QB Jalon Daniels. More on that below but first let’s take a look at the head to head.
Head to Head
9/18/2021 Baylor 45 -17.0 at Kansas 7 9/26/2020 Kansas 14 +17.5 at Baylor 47 11/30/2019 Baylor 61 -14.0 at Kansas 6 9/22/2018 Kansas 7 + 7.5 at Baylor 26 11/ 4/2017 Baylor 38 - 7.5 at Kansas 9 10/15/2016 Kansas 7 +34.5 at Baylor 49 10/10/2015 Baylor 66 -45.0 at Kansas 7 11/ 1/2014 Kansas 14 +35.5 at Baylor 60 10/26/2013 Baylor 59 -35.0 at Kansas 14 11/ 3/2012 Kansas 14 +17.0 at Baylor 41 11/12/2011 Baylor 31 -20.0 at Kansas 30 10/ 2/2010 Kansas 7 + 9.5 at Baylor 55 10/13/2007 Baylor 10 +23.5 at Kansas 58 10/21/2006 Kansas 35 + 3.0 at Baylor 36 10/18/2003 Baylor 21 +18.5 at Kansas 28 10/ 5/2002 Kansas 32 + 3.5 at Baylor 35 11/ 6/1999 Baylor 10 +14.0 at Kansas 45 10/10/1998 Kansas 24 + 6.0 at Baylor 31
Every year in college football there’s a team or two we latch onto that starts the year somewhat under the radar. A team that historically has not won but this year has a combination of the ball bouncing their way along with better than usual talent and or coaching. Such is the case with Kansas this year.
If you gave me the stats we like to use to evaluate a team for Kansas and didn’t tell me who the team was, I’d say hey, this is a pretty good football team. If you then gave me the stats for their opponent, again, without mentioning the team and then told me that team was favored by 10 over the other, I’d take the +10 in a heartbeat.
Last week Kansas was in a bad spot against an Oklahoma team desperate for a win. But unlike Kansas teams of the past, this one hung around and competed for the full game.
Yes, there’s a QB issue here. Kansas without theirs and Baylor getting theirs back. But so often the markets overreact to QB situations. In college football, with a few exceptions, the QB position is the most overrated on the field.
But in this case Kansas QB Jason Bean was once the starter. He played last week as well as against TCU. Kansas won’t lose this game because of the guy behind center. There’s 11 guys on each side of the ball and this is a pretty good team that has no quit in them.
Baylor lost to West Virginia last week. Enough said.
Lastly, as we mentioned last week as well, when a team is beaten like a drum year after year by another team and they finally have a team that can compete, they have to take advantage of that because you just don’t know when that opportunity will arise again. Such is the case here. There are several veteran players on Kansas eager to turn the table on Baylor.