TCU vs. Kansas: Prediction, Picks Preview, Betting Odds
Week 5 of the college football season is here. TCU football plays Kansas, and Heartland College Sports has your game prediction, preview, and betting odds ahead of the matchup.
GAME INFO
Saturday, Sept. 28; 2:30 p.m. (CT); GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium; Kansas City, Mo.
TV: ESPN+
Records: TCU (2-2, 0-1 in Big 12); Kansas (1-3, 0-1 in Big 12)
Last Week: TCU lost to SMU, 66-42; Kansas lost to West Virginia, 32-28.
Series History: TCU leads series, 26-9-4.
Last Meeting: TCU 38, Kansas 31 (2022).
Fun Fact: This is the first time that Kansas and TCU have met in Kansas City. In fact, it’s the fifth time. But it’s been a while. The two schools met four years in a row in KC from 1944-47, with TCU going 2-0-2.
TCU vs. Kansas Betting Lines and Odds
Opening Line: Kansas (-2)
Over/Under: 59.5
Key Players
TCU
QB Josh Hoover
TCU’s coaching staff and players felt assured that Josh Hoover was the right guy going into the season. through four games he’s piled up some impressive numbers. He is third in FBS in passing yards (1.418), third in completions per game (27.8), fourth in passing yards per game (354.5) and tied for seventh in passing touchdowns (11). It just hasn’t translated into the record TCU was hoping for four games into the season.
LB Namdi Obiazor
Obiazor, who has more tackles among active Horned Frogs aside from Johnny Hodges, is off to another fine start this year, as he has 26 tackles, four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and an interception. He had 84 tackles and four sacks a season ago. He has started every game since the start of last season and he’s made the transition to defensive coordinator Andy Avalos’s new formation look pretty smooth.
Kansas
RB Devin Neal
Amid quarterback Jalon Daniels‘ inconsistencies, Neal has been a rock. The long-time starter is the active career rusher among power four conference backs with 3,520 yards entering Saturday’s game. He’s only a few hundred yards behind June Henley (3,841 yards) in an effort to become Kansas’ all-time leading rusher. So far this season he’s rushed for 443 yards and three touchdowns. He just gets the job done every week.
CB Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson
Entering the season both were named All-Big 12 preseason and their body of work speaks for itself. The duo has 19 interceptions combined, the most of any cornerback duo in the country. Each had four interceptions last season. The pair have also returned a combined five interceptions for touchdowns in their careers. The Jayhawks have three interceptions this season. Naturally, Doston (2) and Bryant (1) have them all.
KEY STORYLINES
TCU
The Horned Frogs’ run to the College Football Playoff national championship game seems like ages ago. Since that loss to Georgia, TCU is 7-9. What happened? Coach Sonny Dykes inherited a special team and it had a special season. The transition has been bouncy. The Horned Frogs aren’t closing either. TCU should have won the UCF game at home. Then the Horned Frogs were absolutely trucked by SMU and Dykes was ejected from the game. This could be a pivot point game for this team, especially after the emotions of their Iron Skillet loss to the Mustangs.
Kansas
All of the promise of this season seems to have fallen to the wayside, so much so that coach Lance Leipold posted what amounts to a “don’t give up on us” tweet earlier this week. Kansas hasn’t won a game since its opener against Lindenwood. Daniels is still trying to figure things out behind center and the defense is not as effective as it was a year ago. Like TCU, this is a pivot point game for the Jayhawks. If they win, they still have a chance to make a run in the Big 12. If not, then it could be time start thinking about what 2025 looks like.
PREDICTION: Kansas 27, TCU 26
I have to believe this is going to be an “In Devin Neal we trust” kind of game for Kansas. He’s the Jayhawks’ best weapon. Give him the ball and let him roll. The Jayhawks take it late.
