After tough back-to-back losses to Cincinnati and Missouri, the Kansas Jayhawks are now staring down Joey McGuire’s unbeaten Texas Tech. The Red Raiders’ 5-0 start makes them a serious title contender. And the reason for the Raiders’ success? They are rolling behind a fierce defense and a fireworks-ready offense. A big reason for that is the transfer portal and the NIL era. Because of that, McGuire was able to build a championship-caliber roster within one offseason. Now, beating the Raiders is no walk in the park but their head coach is not shy of pointing out the disparity.

At his September 6th pregame press conference, Kansas HC Lance Leipold didn’t hesitate when asked about his next game. He gave McGuire’s squad their flowers. “They’ve utilized their resources immensely,” said Leipold. “They made a commitment. They’re not shy about talking about it and what they have been able to do.” And the Kansas HC is not wrong. Texas Tech’s NIL push has been loud and effective with an average of $26K per player invested in the roster. And now, those investments are paying off on the scoreboard. But it’s not just NIL. The Red Raiders have also mastered the transfer portal game.

“And you can look at the two-deep, and you could see that they’ve gone everywhere, anywhere, to get players in now.” stated Leipold. Although Texas Tech lost 29 players to the portal, they brought in 21 new ones. These included names like 4-star tight end Terrance Carter, DL Lee Hunter, OT Howard Sampson and Hunter Zambrano. Stanford transfer David Bailey has also been a late-portal gem for them, racking up 6.5 TFLs in 5 games. The advantage in capital investment between teams is clear and Leipold didn’t hold back from making a blunt admission.

“It’s the gaps are still there in this new model we’re working under,” admitted the Kansas HC. “And obviously, I think it’s probably well known that they’re at the top of the league properly, and then there’s the rest of us.” Not only Leipold, but the playbook also confirms Joey McGuire’s advantage. They enter as a 14.5-point favorite in Week 7, as per BetMGM. But Kansas isn’t just rolling over. They have key pieces in place that could make them a serious opponent.

Kansas could have a chance

Kansas looked like a serious contender for the Big 12 crown until a tough Week 5 loss to Cincinnati. But all hope isn’t lost. A hard-fought 27-20 road win over UCF keeps them in the mix. Sitting 2-1 in conference play, the Jayhawks still have a shot. And the Big 12 race is anyone’s game.

Texas Tech, BYU, Cincinnati and Arizona State all start 2-0 in conference play, but many games still lie ahead for every team. Each top contender must face at least two of the others, keeping the door open for Kansas. But even the Jayhawks don’t have any room to rest. Next week, Kansas will face home games against Oklahoma State and Kansas State. And Leipold knows that a win early can add rhythm for the entire roster to carry ahead to the next game.

If Kansas can take two of its next 3 games, it could ride that momentum into critical road matchups at Iowa State and Arizona. The Jayhawks do not have the luxury to keep adding losses if they want to reach the playoffs. It is now time to wait and see what transpires on game day.