Kansas has Big 12 title goals. This year, that’d mean the College Football Playoff

Kansas football enters the 2024 season with high expectations — from fans, players and coaches alike.

There is an expectation to win a Big 12 title. There’s an inner belief that Kansas will contend for a College Football Playoff spot — the five highest-ranked conference winners automatically qualify in the new 12-team format — and perhaps even a gut feeling within the locker room that KU can win each game on its schedule.

The Jayhawks’ projected win total currently sits around 8 1/2 wins. Media members who cover the league ranked KU fourth in the 2024 Big 12 preseason poll, KU’s highest ranking of the non-divisional format. Divisions went away in 2011.

There is a reason for those expectations: Last season’s Jayhawks (9-4) accomplished many things that haven’t happened in Lawrence in a long time.

The Jayhawks reached a bowl game in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2007 and 2008, culminating in Kansas’ win over UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

“We’ve talked about putting ourselves in a position with the amount of players that we have returning that ... we can be in a conversation to compete for a conference championship,” coach Lance Leipold said after the bowl game. “And I don’t think I ever would have thought I would be saying that this quick into this time here at Kansas.”

Running back Devin Neal, now a senior, has seen many ups and downs in his time at Kansas, including going 0-9 as a freshman.

This offseason, he admits, feels a little different.

“You feel that expectation, you feel that pressure,” Neal said at Big 12 Media Days. “In our mind, we’ve got to be a 10-win-plus team. That’s us. How do you deal with that? The (answer) is staying hungry and determined, because you know when success comes you get complacent.

“It’s been a huge emphasis from leaders like me, JD (Jalon Daniels), and other guys on the team. Coach (Matt) Gildersleeve as well. We don’t have time to be complacent. We don’t have time to mope around and act like we’ve been here before because we haven’t.”

Neal added: “We’ve never been a Big 12 championship team. We’ve never been a playoff team. There’s a lot of room to improve in that aspect.”

The Jayhawks are an older team, with about 30 seniors who could depart the program after next season. Neal admits that complacency has occurred at times during summer practices.

“It’s human nature (to be complacent),” Neal said. “Especially with older guys, vets on the team that are like, ‘I’ve done this a million times. I’ve got it.’ You can never practice something too many times, especially when it comes to this sport.”

When complacency creeps in, Daniels believes it’s important to remember how far Kansas football has come.

“People think about the positive stuff that’s being said about Kansas football; remind them of the negative stuff that’s been said,” Daniels said. “Four years ago, they were saying you might not win 2-3 games.

“Now, they’re saying that you could be a Big 12 championship contender. They didn’t say that this whole entire time. You’ve got to remember where you came from. You gotta remember exactly where you started and not harp on what outside noise is saying.”

As Daniels alluded to, the growth has come quickly. Under Leipold, the Jayhawks have gone:

• 2021 season: 2-10

• 2022 season: 6-7

• 2023 season: 9-4

But higher expectations or not, Leipold’s approach to the season, he says, will not change.

“I think I’ve said it multiple times. I’ll say it again,” Leipold said. “... I want our young men to be confident. I want them to be proud of what they’ve done. I don’t want that to trickle into complacency, though. And that’s my responsibility. It’s my responsibility to our staff that we continue to do the things in the type of manner that help us get where we are.”