No Relief in Sight for Kansas Jayhawks in Big 12 Play

james sims — John Rieger – USA TODAY Sports

Everyone is aware of the struggles of the Kansas Jayhawks in recent years but few stats put that struggle on stark display quite like their current losing streak against Big 12 opponents. Following the blowout at the hands of the Baylor Bears, Kansas has now lost 25 straight conference games and is just 2-36 over the last five seasons in Big 12 play. Is there any chance that the Jayhawks can get off this slide in 2013?

At this point, that would likely make the season a rousing success for Charlie Weis. Since becoming the head coach in 2012, Weis has just one win against an FBS opponent and it certainly didn’t come against a conference opponent. During their five-year tumble, Kansas has been outscored by an average of 23.1 points as they continue to be out-manned and out-classed by the rest of the conference. Weis is just the latest to try his hand at turning things around as the third coach in the last five years in Lawrence.

And things aren’t looking to get much easier for Kansas in the short term. This week, they travel to Austin to play the Texas Longhorns carrying an 0-10 all-time record against Texas since becoming Big 12 foes. Last season’s four-point loss for Kansas remains the closest that Weis has come to winning a conference game so far but don’t expect a repeat performance. On the road against a team that appears to be getting better every week, the Jayhawks are heavy underdogs to say the least.

In fact, the only two times that Kansas has won in Big 12 play over the last five years was when the offense scored over 40 points. So far this season, Kansas has topped 20 points just once (in a season opening win over FCS South Dakota) and are managing a meager 4.24 yards per play in 2013, the fourth-worst total in college football. There just doesn’t seem to be the firepower in the Kansas offense to pull off an upset.

The all-time record for consecutive Big 12 losses belongs to Baylor, who lost 29-straight conference games from 1998-2001. With five games left on the 2013 schedule, Kansas could extend their Big 12 losing streak to 30 games if they lose out and Weis just might have the team to do it.

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