Kentucky’s place in the SEC title race has shifted the weekly conversation in a hurry, and the biggest danger down the stretch may not be the team most people first point to.
With 10 SEC teams still sitting in the mix in league play entering Saturday, Kentucky and Georgia are the only ones with just one conference loss. Georgia is the obvious second contender for an SEC Championship Game spot.
But the team Kentucky fans should be circling most is Alabama, thanks to the Crimson Tide’s 45-17 win over the Wildcats at Kroger Field in Week 2. If Kentucky and Alabama finish tied in the standings, that head-to-head result gives Bama the edge.
That’s why, if Big Blue Nation is tracking both the SEC race and the College Football Playoff picture, Alabama is the team to root against.
Here’s how the league slate looks for the contenders still alive:
Kentucky (5-1) still has to go at Tennessee, host Florida and go at Missouri.
Georgia (4-1) has Florida in Atlanta, then travels to Ole Miss, hosts Missouri and visits South Carolina.
Alabama (4-2) goes at LSU, at Vanderbilt and hosts Auburn.
Florida (3-2) gets Georgia in Atlanta, then Oklahoma, Kentucky and Vanderbilt.
LSU (3-2) has Alabama, Texas, at Tennessee and at Arkansas.
Ole Miss (3-2) hosts Auburn, Georgia, Oklahoma and Mississippi State.
Tennessee (3-2) hosts Kentucky, goes at Texas A&M, gets LSU and finishes at Vanderbilt.
Missouri (2-2) has at Arkansas, Texas, Georgia, Kentucky and Oklahoma.
Oklahoma (2-2) gets South Carolina, goes at Florida, hosts Ole Miss and Texas A&M, then goes at Missouri.
Texas (2-2) hosts Mississippi State, goes at Missouri and LSU, then gets Arkansas and Texas A&M.
A separate question this week focused on what all those sellouts and packed Saturdays might mean financially for Kentucky football. Through five home games in 2026, the Wildcats’ announced average attendance is 61,038. That’s up from 59,516 in 2024 and 57,779 in 2025, though the jump is not as dramatic as it might sound.
The bigger payoff could come later. Before the season, Kentucky said it had sold 39,413 season tickets for 2026, up 1,116 from 2025 but still shy of 2023’s 40,288 and 2024’s 40,931. The expectation is that the Wildcats could climb back above 40,000 season tickets for 2027, and a strong finish this year could also make a ticket-price increase more realistic.
That matters even more with Kentucky in the middle of a $25 million enhancement plan at Kroger Field. The project includes a West End Zone “Field Club” and a new Loge seating area, and a successful season should make those premium offerings easier to sell.
One reader also asked whether the Big Blue Nation would be happy if football finished with a better winning percentage than men’s basketball. The answer was simple: yes, if football ends at 84% and basketball at 82%, that would go over just fine.
Finally, there was a question about the proposed 24-team College Football Playoff and whether it would overwork players. The health concerns are real, especially if teams are asked to play as many as 16 or 17 games.
But a 24-team format would not be some wild new idea in college football. The FCS already uses a 24-team playoff, while NCAA Division II sends 32 teams into its postseason field.
The broader case for a larger playoff is the same one often made for the Kentucky Derby’s 20-horse field: more access keeps more people invested and more money flowing into the sport.
In Other News...
Kentuckys Roster Is Earning Serious SEC Respect Before Opening Night
The preseason chatter around Kentucky is already turning into something more concrete, with the SECs coaches giving the Wildcats a pair of early honors before the season even tips. Milan Momcilovic landed on the second team, while Malachi Moreno was named to the third team, a sign that Kentuckys roster is drawing real respect across the league instead of just buzz inside Lexington.
Momcilovic arrives from Iowa State with the kind of shooting pedigree that can change the shape of an offense, after leading the country in total 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage last season. Moreno, meanwhile, is back for his second year at Kentucky after making the All-SEC Freshman Team a year ago, giving the Wildcats a mix of proven perimeter firepower and a returning young piece that opposing coaches already know well. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Just Got A Big Reason To Worry About Tennessee's Offense
Kentucky is using its bye week to patch up an injury list that already includes several important pieces, and the Wildcats may need the extra time after another setback around the backfield. Starting running back CJ Baxter remains in uncertain shape after his injury, leaving Kentucky with some real questions to sort through before it gets back to game action.
Across the field, Tennessee got a scare when DeSean Bishop went down with a right ankle injury, but coach Josh Heupel said the running back is expected to be in good condition for the upcoming game. That matters for Kentucky because Bishop has become one of the Volunteers most important offensive threats, ranking second nationally in rushing yards and giving Tennessee a backfield weapon the Wildcats will have to account for if hes ready to go. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Alex Afari Jr. Is Still Caught In An Eligibility Fight
Alex Afari Jr. remains in the middle of a legal fight that has quietly become one of the more consequential off-field stories around Kentucky football. Kentucky Court of Appeals Judge Sara Walter Combs denied the NCAAs request for emergency relief, which means Afari and the other athletes named in the lawsuit stay eligible to play while the case works its way through the courts.
For Kentucky, the immediate effect is simple: more than 30 athletes in the lawsuit can remain on the field while the dispute unfolds. The NCAAs next move goes to a three-judge panel seeking interlocutory relief, with responses due by November 6, so the question hanging over Afari is not whether he is cleared right now, but how long that status holds as the litigation continues. [Read more 🡒]