Kentucky’s season-opening blowout of Youngstown State was enough to get the conversation moving beyond one game. After Will Stein’s debut, Brett McMurphy has already slid the Wildcats into his Week 2 bowl projections, a sign that the first impression in Lexington landed with real force.
McMurphy’s updated list includes Kentucky among eight new teams, alongside UMass, Colorado, Maryland, Middle Tennessee, Nevada, San Jose State, and Tulsa. The logic is simple: Kentucky was supposed to handle Youngstown State, but the way the Cats played was impressive enough for McMurphy to project them into the postseason mix.
In his projection, Kentucky lands in the Gasparilla Bowl against Maryland. That game is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 18, in Tampa, with a 2:30 p.m.
ET kickoff on ESPN. The College Football Playoff first round also begins that day, but only one game is set for that night, at 8 p.m.
ET, so there’s no direct conflict there.
There is, however, a scheduling wrinkle for fans who like to live in both worlds. Kentucky’s basketball team plays North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic in New York City on Saturday, Dec.
- For plenty of fans, that trip to New York during Christmas season may already be locked in.
If the football team keeps building momentum under Stein, the question becomes whether a bowl trip is enough to throw those plans into chaos.
And there’s a bigger domino waiting down the road. If Kentucky beats Alabama, the national bowl chatter figures to get louder fast. McMurphy may be first, but he probably wouldn’t be the last to put the Wildcats in the postseason picture.
Kentucky’s path is about to get a lot more revealing, and the schedule doesn’t leave much room for easing in. The Wildcats are No. 40 in ESPN’s Football Power Index, and the lineup ahead includes a string of ranked opponents and tough road trips.
Here’s the rest of the slate, along with each opponent’s ESPN FPI ranking:
Sept. 5 - Youngstown State, 45-13 W, N/A, Kroger Field, 1:00 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Sept. 12 - Alabama, No.
9, Kroger Field, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Sept. 19 - Texas A&M, No.
10, Kyle Field, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN/ESPN2)
Sept. 26 - South Alabama, No.
106, Kroger Field, 12:45 p.m. ET (SEC Network)
Oct. 3 - South Carolina, No.
15, Williams-Brice Stadium, Flex (3:30 p.m. ET or later)
Oct. 10 - LSU, No.
7, Kroger Field, Night (6-8 p.m. ET start)
Oct. 17 - Oklahoma, No.
11, Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Flex (3:30 p.m. ET or later)
Oct. 24 - Vanderbilt, No.
36, Kroger Field, Night (6-8 p.m. ET start)
Nov. 7 - Tennessee, No.
18, Neyland Stadium, Night (6-8 p.m. ET start)
Nov. 14 - Florida, No.
17, Kroger Field, Night (6-8 p.m. ET start)
Nov. 21 - Missouri, No.
29, Faurot Field, Night (6-8 p.m. ET start)
Nov. 28 - Louisville, No.
28, Kroger Field, Early (Noon-1 p.m. ET start)
In Other News...
Will Stein Gets An Early Kentucky Test Fans Will Obsess Over
The early part of Will Steins first season at Kentucky is about to meet the kind of barometer fans circle on the calendar. Alabama comes to Lexington in Week 2 as a 10.5-point favorite, with traders giving the Crimson Tide a 78% chance to win and the over/under sitting at 49.5 points, a number that suggests the matchup could still have plenty of movement if Kentucky can make it uncomfortable.
For Stein, the appeal is obvious. This is the sort of SEC test that can shape how a new coach is viewed in a hurry, especially against an Alabama program that has won eight straight in the series dating back to 2003. Kentucky does not need a miracle to make the game matter, but it does need a result that changes the conversation, and that is why this one will have fans watching every snap with a little extra edge. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Is Trusting Its Own Read On Alex Wilkins
Alex Wilkins arrived at Kentucky with the kind of rsum that invites debate. The 6-foot-5 guard showed real production as a freshman at Furman, scoring and creating for others in a way that made him an obvious transfer name, even as some of the broader analytics around his profile remained mixed because of his turnover rate and other red flags. That disconnect is part of what makes his move to Lexington interesting: Kentuckys staff did not simply chase the numbers, they layered them with scouting and their own eyes before deciding he was worth the bet.
For a program that lives under a microscope, trusting that internal read matters. Wilkins has already been the subject of the kind of analytical scrutiny that can follow a player from college to the NBA, with Jaylen Brown-style comparisons surfacing in the discussion, but Kentuckys evaluation leaned on more than spreadsheet debate. The Wildcats believed the fit was there, and now the question is whether that conviction holds up once Wilkins is asked to translate his skill set to a bigger stage. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Backfield Could Be A Real SEC Problem If It Holds Up
Kentuckys offense looked more like a group with answers than one searching for an identity in its win over Youngstown State, leaning on both the passing game and a steady ground attack to keep things moving. The backfield, in particular, stood out as a source of balance, with CJ Baxter and Jason Patterson both making their presence felt and Patterson finishing as the teams top rusher.
The bigger question is whether that kind of production can hold up once the schedule tightens and the physical toll starts to matter more. Will Stein sounded encouraged about the position group after the game, but he also knows the Wildcats need that depth to stay intact if they want the offense to keep looking this versatile against SEC competition. [Read more 🡒]