The Site Expert from Through the Phog, Connor Mardian, and I talked about the upcoming Big 12 Matchup between the Kansas Jayhawks and Cincinnati Bearcats this Saturday. Betting odds, injury reports, and overall schemes to expect this weekend.
Kansas opened as a 6.5-point favorite, but the line has now shifted to 4.5. What has changed in the outlook of this game?
"I am not sure; this is something that happened in the West Virginia game, I believe. At the time of writing, the first availability report has been released, and there aren’t any major shocks for the players who may be missing," said Mardian.
The spread opened at 6.5 with Kansas favored, later dropping to 4.5. The Injury reports were released after the spread shifted and the only conclusion I can come to is that more people beleive in the Bearcats.
Dontay Corleone, the Bearcats’ star Defensive Lineman, is questionable for this Saturday’s game. How much does that help the Jayhawks’ offense?
"Well, I have had my question marks over this KU offensive line all season. I think Missouri was a borderline “elite” team and that WVU side is a pretty bad team. Combine that with a Fresno State and Wagner team, and I think KU is yet to face much pressure, barring the Border Showdown. I will say Leipold touted Cincinnati as the best team KU has faced all year and and I think you can get at this offensive line, which is still figuring things out," said Mardian.
Corleone is still listed as questionable, with two other Bearcat defensive linemen listed as out. If Corleone is downgraded to out or doubtful, then the Jayhawks might have to wait another week to see how their offensive line looks against real pressure.
The Cincinnati Bearcats’ offensive line has been one of the best in college football this season at stopping pressure. How important is it for Kansas to dominate the line of scrimmage?
"It is going to be huge, especially with Kansas missing safety Devin Dye in the first half. If Kansas is not quick to bring down Sorsby, the Bearcats could have a big game," said Mardian.
If Brendan Sorsby can find himself getting into space often, then all things are looking good for the Bearcats. I expect the Cincinnati offensive line to do good job stopping the Jayhawk defenders.
This being the Bearcats’ first conference game and the Jayhawks’ second, how much of an advantage is it for Kansas?
"That is an interesting question, where I go back and forth. On one hand, Kansas has the advantage with more time on the field with four games already played, so players should be nearing the full rhythm that is important on both sides of the ball. On the other hand, there is now a lot of film against a lot of different styles. I mean, if the Bearcats want to go air raid. Fresno State and EJ Warner already tried that, so there is room for Satterfield to tweak Fresno’s game plan. If the team wants to punish Kansas on the ground, John Roberts and Ahmad Hardy had masterclasses against the Jayhawks with the pair 255 rushing yards."
Mardian makes an interesting point regarding the film that Kansas has put out and that is the route im going to take. The Bearcats have leaned on the run in games against Nebraska, while relying on the pass against Bowling Green and Northwestern State. I don't expect them to go 50/50 on run and pass; they are going to see whatever works better early and go from there.
How Important is it for Jalon Daniels to get on track early?
"You know, I wouldn’t necessarily say it is something for Daniels to get done early, per se, but rather just on track in general. Daniels had some missed throws on the run early against the Mountaineers, but when he needed to level up his game he did it without a hitch. Kansas fans just hope he does not try to take over the game at points where the game needs to be managed."
Daniels has had a good college career but the one thing that has always held him back was decision-making. One thing that Mardian mentioned was trying to take over games when they need to be managed. So often, the last two years we have seen Daniels escape the pocket and make a risky throw when he should really be staying in the pocket and throwing the ball away when needed to.