The Kansas Jayhawks have officially arrived in London as the team prepares for one of the most unique games in program history.

Kansas landed in London on Wednesday, one day after leaving Topeka, Kansas, for the more than 4,500-mile trip across the Atlantic. The Jayhawks are in England to take on Arizona State in the inaugural Union Jack Classic at Wembley Stadium on Saturday. The game will be the first college football game ever played at Wembley Stadium.

The trip comes just five days after Kansas suffered a 38-21 loss to Missouri in Lawrence. The Jayhawks entered the Missouri game 1-0 but now have to quickly regroup before facing another Big 12 opponent on an international stage.

Kansas coach Lance Leipold and the Jayhawks decided to stay home for several days after the Missouri game before traveling to London. The team practiced Monday and Tuesday before departing Tuesday afternoon and arriving Wednesday morning. Leipold said the program has spoken with people who study international travel to determine the best way to handle the time difference and help the players adjust.

Once the team arrived, Kansas held a light workout at the Grasshoppers rugby club in west London. The Jayhawks are also scheduled to spend some time experiencing the city during the week, including a planned trip to Tower Bridge. Kansas will then have its final walkthrough Friday before Saturday's game.

The international trip gives Kansas an opportunity to experience something most college football players never will. At the same time, the Jayhawks cannot lose focus on the importance of the game. Both Kansas and Arizona State enter the matchup 1-1 after losing to SEC opponents last weekend. Kansas fell to Missouri, while Arizona State lost 48-20 to Texas A&M.

There has also been discussion about which team has an advantage because of its travel schedule. Arizona State traveled to London immediately after its game against Texas A&M, while Kansas waited until Tuesday. Leipold dismissed the idea that Kansas automatically gained an advantage from playing Missouri on Friday instead of Saturday.

“I don’t know if there’s a real advantage in either way,” Leipold said Wednesday.

Now that Kansas is officially in London, the focus can turn completely toward Arizona State. The Jayhawks will have the chance to make history Saturday while also trying to bounce back from their loss to Missouri.

Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT Saturday on FS1 from Wembley Stadium.

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Jimmy Adeniran is a contributor to JayhawksROUNDTABLE. He can be reached at mayor@iw2j.com

Source: Yahoo Sports