KU coach Bill Self predicts Chiefs will be galvanized to defeat Ravens in AFC Championship Game
Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball coach Bill Self gave his take on the upcoming AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. Speaking with media members ahead of KU's tilt with the Iowa State Cyclones, Self was asked to give his prediction for the game. Self is a Chiefs fan, so his pick in […]
Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball coach Bill Self gave his take on the upcoming AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.
Speaking with media members ahead of KU's tilt with the Iowa State Cyclones, Self was asked to give his prediction for the game. Self is a Chiefs fan, so his pick in and of itself shouldn't surprise anyone. What he had to say, however, shouldn't be taken with a grain of salt. His background as one of the most decorated coaches in college basketball history gives him some expertise in what can inspire a team ahead of a road trip into a hostile environment.
“I think the Chiefs will prevail," Self said. "I think they will win. I think there’s something about people saying they had an easier path because they haven’t played a road game (in the playoffs). That galvanizes a locker room, (so) when you go to a place, you are more connected than you ever have been. I’ll take Patrick (Mahomes).”
People have been discrediting the Chiefs' postseason success for years and now they're expecting them to fail because they have a more difficult path to reach Super Bowl LVIII. That's a motivating factor heading into the AFC Championship Game and one that shouldn't be so easily dismissed.
Going into a hostile environment in Buffalo during the divisional round galvanized the team to come even closer together and play one of their best games on offense this season. This trip to M&T Bank Stadium presents a similar set of circumstances that can allow the team to rally around each other. Patrick Mahomes even touched a bit on this notion on Thursday.
“It’s different first off," Mahomes said. "We’ve played a lot of home games, a lot of games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, which we love. Getting a new challenge, a new opportunity to go out there and see what we can do. That, as well as when you’re on the road – obviously, Chiefs Kingdom travels – but everyone is against you, you’ve got to go out there and come together as a team and find a way to win. It’s just a whole new opportunity for you to go out there and see what you’re really about.”
There's something about being doubted that makes great teams rise to the occasion, no matter if we're talking NFL or college basketball. They'll have a chance to prove that greatness on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. CT.
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