Kentucky’s latest AP Poll snub makes even less sense when you line up the resumes.
The Wildcats had already been left out after their road win at No. 9 Texas A&M, then got the bump they deserved a week later after beating South Alabama by four scores. Add in Alabama’s rise as one of the hottest teams in the country - the Crimson Tide beat Mississippi State, another team that entered the week with College Football Playoff buzz, by 33 points in Starkville - and Kentucky’s one-loss case looked plenty sturdy.
Then came Columbia. Kentucky did what it had to do in a tough SEC road spot, surviving a wild one for a 35-34 overtime win at Williams-Brice Stadium to move to 4-1. South Carolina may be struggling, but it was still a road game in the SEC, and the Wildcats got out with a win.
The AP’s answer before Kentucky’s Week 6 showdown with Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers? Out of the rankings entirely. Kentucky now sits at No. 26, first among the teams receiving votes.
That placement is hard to defend when you look at the teams sitting ahead of the Wildcats.
- Mississippi State (4-1)
Wins: LA-Monroe, at Minnesota, at South Carolina, No. 25 Mizzou
Loss: No. 7 Alabama (56-23)
- Oklahoma State (3-1)
Wins: No. 6 Oregon, Murray State, at West Virginia
Loss: at Tulsa (24-10)
- USC (5-1)
Wins: San Jose State, Fresno State, Louisiana, at Rutgers, Washington
Loss: No. 20 Oregon (41-27)
- Iowa (4-1)
Wins: Northern Illinois, Iowa State, Northern Iowa, at No. 18 Michigan
Loss: No. 5 Ohio State (31-14)
- UCLA (4-0)
Wins: at Cal, San Diego State, Purdue, at Maryland
- Houston (4-1)
Wins: Oregon State, Southern, at Georgia Southern, UCF
Loss: at No. 13 Texas Tech (28-26)
- Boise State (4-1)
Wins: Memphis, South Dakota, at Western Michigan, Utah State
Loss: at No. 2 Oregon (34-27)
- SMU (4-1)
Wins: at Florida State, UC Davis, Missouri State, Boston College
Loss: at No. 23 Louisville (41-31)
- Pittsburgh (5-0)
Wins: Miami (OH), UCF, Syracuse, Bucknell, at Virginia Tech
Kentucky’s resume:
Wins: Youngstown State, at No. 9 Texas A&M, South Alabama, at South Carolina
Loss: No. 12 Alabama (45-17)
There’s no easy way to explain how so many of those teams are supposed to be ahead of Kentucky. SMU stands out as especially questionable, especially with how rough Louisville has looked lately and the way the Mustangs’ wins stack up. Boise State also raises the obvious question of who it has actually beaten.
If voters want another target, BYU is sitting at No. 8 after a stretch that included wins over Utah Tech (63-7), Arizona (28-17), Colorado State (41-23) and TCU (17-10). That’s apparently enough for the Cougars to be considered the eighth-best team in the country.
Kentucky’s camp can at least use the slight as fuel. Will Stein should have plenty to work with now.
In Other News...
Will Stein's Late Gamble Put Kentucky Fans On Edge
Kentuckys 35-34 overtime win at South Carolina came with all the chaos youd expect from a road game that turned into the largest comeback in program history. Will Stein spent much of his postgame press conference walking through how it all unfolded, from the defensive strain that made the finish feel so precarious to the way key players helped the Wildcats dig out of a hole and keep the game alive.
Stein also owned the clock-management mistake late in regulation, a rare public slip in a night filled with high-leverage decisions. The biggest one came in overtime, when he chose to go for the win with a two-point conversion instead of extending the game, a gamble he tied to how worn down his defense had become as Kentucky dealt with injuries and a game that kept asking for one more answer. [Read more 🡒]
Kenny Minchey Just Delivered A Kentucky Road Performance Fans Rarely See
Kenny Mincheys night in Columbia started slowly, but it ended with Kentucky leaving South Carolina with a 35-34 overtime win and a quarterback performance the program has not seen often on the road. Minchey settled in as the game went on, completing 28 of 41 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns while helping the Wildcats bounce back from early trouble and stay in the thick of the SEC race.
The bigger significance may be what Minchey just did in a road conference setting. He became the first Kentucky quarterback since 2001 to post those passing numbers in an SEC road game without throwing an interception, a rare blend of volume, efficiency and poise away from home. With the win, Kentucky moved to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in league play, and it now has a quarterback performance worth circling as the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Gutsy Win Left The Wildcats With A Worrying LSU Problem
Kentuckys overtime escape against South Carolina came with the kind of toll that can change a week in a hurry. The Wildcats survived 35-34, but the win was shadowed by a string of injuries, with running back Jason Patterson, linebacker Antwan Smith and defensive back Jaden Smith all leaving the game hurt. Jaden Smiths injury was described as severe, turning what should have been a momentum-building finish into a far more uneasy evaluation of the roster.
Coach Will Stein said several other players were already unavailable before kickoff, adding another layer of concern as Kentucky shifts its focus to LSU. The Wildcats know they earned something valuable by pulling out a gutty overtime victory, but the challenge now is figuring out how much of that lineup will be intact when the next test arrives. [Read more 🡒]