photo by: Nick Krug

Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes (5) is hit by Kansas defensive back Derrick Neal (7) as he slides for a first down with less than a minute remaining during the fourth quarter on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015 at Memorial Stadium.

A pessimist might suggest that Thursday night’s game in Lubbock against Texas Tech squad is the worst possible time for Kansas football to receive rare national exposure.

After all, the announcers can’t help but mention that the Jayhawks’ official road losing streak has swelled to 36 games and the unofficial one, which includes three losses to Missouri at Arrowhead Stadium, has reached 39. Fox Sports 1 might even list in a graphic the 13 states visited during the official slide: Texas (0-14), Oklahoma (0-5), Iowa (0-4), Kansas (0-3), West Virginia (0-2), Colorado (0-1), Mississippi (0-1), Nebraska (0-1), Georgia (0-1), Illinois (0-1), North Carolina (0-1), New Jersey (0-1), Tennessee (0-1).

It’s possible, though not likely, the network might even show the records of head coaches during the official road streak: Mark Mangino (0-4), Turner Gill (0-9), Charlie Weis (0-12), Clint Bowen (0-5) and David Beaty (0-6).

Even less likely would be a chart listing, in order of the player’s first loss, the records of the nine starting quarterbacks: Todd Reesing (0-4), Jordan Webb (0-7), Quinn Mecham (0-2), Dayne Crist (0-3), Michael Cummings (0-7), Jake Heaps (0-4), Montell Cozart (0-5), Deondre Ford (0-1) and Ryan Willis (0-3).

More likely, the longest road losing streaks in college football history will appear: Western State (1926-36) 44, Wichita State (1964-71) 37, Sewanee (1933-39) and Kansas (2009-present) 36.

If Fox Sports 1 were to share all that data, it would make viewers at home, especially those in Las Vegas holding tickets that show KU leading by 28 points before kickoff, root passionately for the Jayhawks, maybe even adopt a new favorite college football team. Everybody loves an underdog.

And if KU’s pass defense, ranked fifth in the nation, outplays Texas Tech’s passing offense, ranked first, and Kansas somehow pulls off an upset, KU football could lead SportsCenter for the first time since the days of Reesing and Mangino.