Kansas Coach Offers Great Perspective On The State Of The Program

Kansas football coach Lance Leipold knows people are coming to expect a lot out of the team.

The Jayhawks are having their best season since 2009 after starting 5-0, but dropped three in a row to fall to 5-3 as Jalon Daniels sits with a shoulder injury.

After starting so hot, fans are a bit disappointed with how the last few weeks have shaken out, but Leipold doesn't see rising expectations as a bad thing.

He thinks it's a sign of the team advancing.

Lance Leipold reflects on the state of Kansas football. (Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)

"A year ago we lost by 12 to Oklahoma and everybody stood up and clapped. So this program has come a long way and we’re proud of that. Now when people are frustrated with 12-point losses, we’re probably where we need to be. Now, we gotta get it fixed," Leipold explained to the media when talking about how the attitude and perception has changed around Kansas.

Kansas has greatly improved under Lance Leipold's leadership.

It's pretty hard to disagree with Leipold's assessment of the situation. Yes, Jalon Daniels not playing has really hurt the team. However, fans are still expecting the Jayhawks to be competitive and win.

Just last year, fans would have been happy with simply keeping games close. Now, fans expect to win. That's a sign that the program has taken a huge step in the right direction.

The Kansas Jayhawks are 5-3. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

Again, the last time Kansas won five games in a season, Barack Obama was early into his presidency. In 2022, Lance Leipold and the Jayhawks came out firing.

After dropping three in a row with Daniels banged up, fans want to notch another win and get bowl eligible. Leipold views that attitude as a positive, and it 100% is.

Jalon Daniels remains out with a shoulder injury. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

The only problem for Kansas is the team's final four games won't be easy. The Jayhawks have matchups against Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Texas and Kansas State left. They just need one more win, but it won't come easy. Hopefully, Jalon Daniels returns and Lance Leipold and company can make some noise in the last third of the season.