Will Stein isn’t about to get caught up in the College Football Playoff rankings show, even if Kentucky’s name is about to show up in a place that still feels a little surreal.
The Wildcats are expected to land firmly in the mix when the first CFP rankings are unveiled tonight, with projections as high as a No. 4 seed. Stein said he’ll check where the committee places Kentucky, but he has no interest in sitting through ESPN’s hour-long reveal. His message is simple: none of it matters if the Cats don’t handle Tennessee on Saturday.
“Yeah, I mean, the only thing that matters is winning, so I’m not going to watch the show, but I’ll see where they have us at. But again, it has nothing to do with anything.
You know, as easily as you can get into those rankings, you can get out of them quickly too. So it’s really just about our approach, our mindset, and going out and playing a really good team, and ultimately working to get a win on the road again.”
That kind of restraint has fit Kentucky all season. The Cats have kept their footing after big moments, starting with the win at No.
9 Texas A&M and following it with a home win over South Alabama and a road victory at South Carolina. Then came the overtime stunner against No.
10 LSU, and instead of letting that turn into a hangover, Kentucky went to Norman and beat Oklahoma. Even the Vanderbilt game, which could have gone sideways after the Commodores jumped out to a 10-0 lead, ended with the Cats pulling away 34-17.
That win pushed Kentucky to 7-1 overall and 5-1 in the SEC, the program’s best league start since 1977. The Cats are tied with Georgia for first place in the SEC standings.
The resume is already strong enough to draw national attention. ESPN’s Football Power Index has Kentucky second in the country, behind only Miami.
And the path ahead could make things even more interesting. Kentucky’s remaining schedule - at Tennessee, Florida, at Missouri, Louisville - ranks 12th toughest in the country, and Saturday’s trip to Knoxville is the hardest test left.
That’s where Stein wants everyone locked in. Tennessee is still chasing its own CFP spot, Neyland Stadium is sold out, and “Dark Mode” is on.
The Vols would love nothing more than to knock Kentucky off course and wreck the Cats’ playoff hopes. Stein said that kind of pressure is exactly why his team needs to stay grounded.
“We haven’t talked about that,” Stein said when asked about the significance of the next month. “Not that we shy away from the reality of where we are in terms of our conference rank and our conference record, but if you don’t handle your business this week, then nothing really matters.
“Every game is important. Our first game of the year was important.
Our second game, we learned a lot against Alabama. We’ve learned a lot each and every step.
And so, I think if you really focus on the future, it - and I know it’s cliché coach talk, but it’s so true - that you can’t be great in the present. You really can’t.”
Stein may skip the show, but the rankings still matter to plenty of people around Kentucky. The first CFP Top 25 reveal begins at 7 p.m.
ET on ESPN and will be hosted by Rece Davis, with Heather Dinich, Joey Galloway, Greg McElroy, and Booger McFarland on the panel. They’ll unveil the rankings and talk with CFP Selection Committee chair and Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yuracheck.
It’s the first of five rankings reveals before the committee announces the final bracket on Sunday, Dec. 6. And while there’s still a month of football to play, seeing Kentucky’s logo among the sport’s biggest names would be a moment worth watching for anyone who’s been waiting on this kind of stage.
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Kentuckys Big Portal Bet Is About To Face Its Most Personal Test
Kentuckys offensive line makeover got a major boost when Lance Heard arrived through the transfer portal after stops at LSU and Tennessee, and the move has paid off in a big way. Heard quickly settled in as one of the Wildcats most important pieces up front, drawing midseason All-American recognition and building the kind of NFL draft buzz that follows top tackles when they start looking the part.
What makes his rise even more notable is how seamlessly he has fit into a Kentucky season that has leaned on the front five to keep everything moving. Coaches have pointed to his athleticism and intelligence as reasons he has become so valuable so fast, and now his impact is no longer just about potential or projection. It is about how he handles the next stretch, when the spotlight gets brighter and the expectations around him only keep growing. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Playoff Push Faces Its Toughest Test Yet At Tennessee
Kentuckys rise in the AP Top 25 kept rolling even without a game last weekend, as the Wildcats climbed to No. 8 while sitting at 7-1 overall and 5-1 in SEC play under first-year coach Will Stein. The timing of the bye week gave Kentucky a chance to catch its breath, but it also set up a much bigger measuring stick: a trip to Tennessee, where the stakes get higher and the margin for error gets thinner.
The Volunteers bring a defense that has earned plenty of respect, along with a running game led by DeSean Bishop, and both teams will enter the matchup rested after a week off. For Kentucky, the challenge is as much about proving the playoff push is real as it is about handling a familiar SEC road test, especially with Tennessees quarterback situation adding another layer to a game that already feels like one of the seasons defining moments. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Heads Into Tennessee With Stakes This Rivalry Rarely Sees
For a rivalry that has spent so much of its history trying to spoil the other sides season, Kentucky and Tennessee are finally meeting with something bigger than pride on the line. Saturdays game in Knoxville pairs No. 8 Kentucky with No. 16 Tennessee in a matchup that carries real College Football Playoff weight under the new 12-team format, turning a familiar SEC grudge into one of the most consequential games either program has played in the series.
The setting only adds to the intrigue. Both teams still have realistic postseason paths, and the stakes are high enough that the result could shape the rest of their schedules as much as the standings. It also gives Kentucky a fresh coaching wrinkle to watch in the 122nd meeting between these schools, with Will Stein and Josh Heupel set to guide the next chapter of a rivalry that rarely has this much national relevance attached to it. [Read more 🡒]