Kentucky’s place in the College Football Playoff picture keeps getting harder to ignore.
Seven games into the season, the Wildcats are still being treated as a real contender by some of the biggest voices in college football media. On3, ESPN and CBS Sports all have Kentucky in the mix, with Will Stein’s team showing up inside the top 10 in multiple projections and getting the kind of matchup breakdown usually reserved for teams already deep into the race.
Andy Staples of On3 has Kentucky at No. 9, and he pointed to the way the Wildcats finished off a 21-13 win at Oklahoma. Kentucky didn’t need a third straight walk-off two-point conversion in overtime, but it did need late takeaways to close it out.
As Staples wrote, the Wildcats “did need two interceptions in the final two minutes to seal a 21-13 win at Oklahoma.” He also noted that Stein “kept it conservative and waited for Sooners QB John Mateer to make the crushing mistake,” which arrived in the form of a pick-six with 1:17 left.
Even with Tennessee, Florida and Missouri still on the schedule, Staples said a playoff berth “certainly feels possible.”
ESPN’s Heather Dinich also slotted Kentucky at No. 9, listing the Wildcats at 6-1. Her case centered on a team that keeps stacking results.
Kentucky has now won five in a row, including three road wins against SEC opponents, and Dinich highlighted the defense’s performance in Norman: four takeaways, one touchdown allowed, and its best showing in three games. She also drew a distinction between Kentucky and Tennessee, pointing to the Wildcats’ far stronger schedule profile.
In her words, Kentucky has been “one of the top five teams in the country in ESPN’s strength of record metric and in strength of schedule.”
Dinich also raised the broader SEC question, asking whether the league could land a fifth team in the field. Her view was that the discussion could come down to “a 10-win team from another Power Four vs. a three-loss SEC squad with potentially multiple ranked victories.”
From there, she made the case for Kentucky directly: “Why not Will Stein and Kentucky? This team is rolling right now.
We’re not necessarily projecting three losses for the Wildcats. They’re 6-1 right now and still very much in the SEC Championship conversation.”
Scott Dochterman of The Athletic also had movement in his projections, with SEC teams shaking up the board. Alabama and Texas fell out after suffering their second losses, while Tennessee and Kentucky moved in just ahead of Iowa and USC. He summed up the chaos with a line that fit the moment: “Just as we all predicted two weeks ago.”
Bryan Fischer of Sports Illustrated went even further, putting Kentucky in a full playoff bracket. His top 12 had Notre Dame, Ohio State, Miami, Georgia, Mississippi, UCLA, Indiana, BYU, Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas Tech and Boise State.
In his first-round matchups, Kentucky landed at No. 10 against No. 7 Indiana.
Not a bad spot to be in, huh?
In Other News...
Kentucky Just Ran Into One Big Obstacle With Seneca Driver
Kentuckys road win over Oklahoma gave the Wildcats a little extra juice on the field, but it also came with a reminder that some recruiting battles are going to be harder to flip than others. Seneca Driver, a 5-star tight end prospect already pledged to the Sooners, made it clear he remains firm in that commitment, keeping Kentucky in the chase but not changing the shape of the race.
Drivers loyalty appears tied closely to Oklahoma tight ends coach Jason Witten, and he said his commitment is likely to hold as long as Witten is still on staff. Kentucky will keep working, because that is what elite programs do with a talent like Driver, but the Wildcats are trying to climb a steep hill here with a recruit who has already drawn a line around where he stands. [Read more 🡒]
Ty Bryant Had A Bigger Reason Behind His Huge Night At Oklahoma
Ty Bryants performance against Oklahoma stood out on the field, with the veteran Kentucky safety piling up two interceptions and nine tackles in a game that gave the Wildcats a much-needed spark. But the night carried a meaning beyond the box score, because Bryant also chose to use the moment to honor the memory of Neven Coofer, the 6-year-old child who recently passed away.
Bryant wore eye black reading Neven Forever 6 and stayed in touch with Nevens family before and after the game as a way of showing his support. For Kentucky, it was a reminder that some of the most powerful moments in football come from the reasons players carry onto the field with them, even when the game itself provides plenty of its own drama. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Suddenly Has A CJ Baxter Question It Can't Ignore
Kentuckys win over Oklahoma came with a little extra uncertainty attached, and it had everything to do with the backfield. Jason Patterson handled the load after CJ Baxter was held out because of an injury, giving the Wildcats a steady presence in a 21-13 victory that was sealed by two late John Mateer interceptions in Norman.
Will Stein said Baxter did warm up before the game, but the decision was made to rest him rather than risk making the injury worse. Kentucky now turns to Vanderbilt with the encouraging part being that Baxter is expected back, even if the Wildcats offense showed there is still a contingency plan if he needs it again. [Read more 🡒]