CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford is high on Kentucky, and he’s not hiding it.
After the Wildcats climbed to 6-1 overall and 4-1 in SEC play, Crawford handed Kentucky an A+ in his midseason grades for every conference team. The only other SEC program to earn an A was Tennessee.
Kentucky’s rise has been steady and loud enough to push the Wildcats to No. 12 in the AP Top 25 after Saturday’s 21-13 win at Oklahoma. Crawford, though, thinks that ranking still undersells what Will Stein has done so far.
Here’s what Crawford wrote about the Wildcats:
“The only team I’m comfortable giving a superior grade through Week 7 in the SEC, Will Stein gave off (Indiana coach) Curt Cignetti vibes with a hint of arrogance at SEC Media Days, and he has backed up that talk with superior execution. Not all mid-summer takes age well, but this Kentucky team - on paper - had the ingredients to put together a special season with a couple breaks, and the Wildcats have finished the drill with a top-15 ranking up to this point.
Kentucky leads the SEC in turnover margin and is the least penalized team in the league, two signs of being well-coached. While Georgia’s the only league lock right now for the playoff, Kentucky might be the second-best team in the conference, and that’s no exaggeration.
Grade: A+”
Crawford was just as impressed with No. 11 Tennessee, which sits at 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the SEC after beating Alabama last week.
He credited Josh Heupel’s decision to bring in Jim Knowles, saying the move has paid off on defense even while the passing game works through issues with two quarterbacks. Tennessee’s defense has become the team’s anchor in league play, and Crawford pointed to the numbers that back it up: the SEC’s top scoring defense, the conference lead in sacks and tackles for loss, and only three touchdown passes allowed.
Here is Crawford’s take on the Vols:
“The best defensive staff hiring of the SEC this season, Josh Heupel’s courting of Jim Knowles has paid off big for the Vols. While the passing game works out the kinks with two different quarterbacks, Tennessee’s defense has been its calling card in SEC play.
The league’s top-ranked scoring defense, the Vols also lead the conference in sacks and tackles for loss and have allowed the fewest touchdown passes (3). Tennessee has taken full advantage of its home schedule with wins over Auburn and Alabama and still has dates with Kentucky and LSU.
The Vols’ only loss was a three-point setback at Neyland Stadium to Texas, after the Longhorns tallied 10 sacks against Faizon Brandon. Grade: A”
The Wildcats and Vols won’t meet until Nov. 8 in Knoxville, after both teams have byes on Nov. 1. Before that, Kentucky hosts Vanderbilt on Saturday, while Tennessee travels to South Carolina.
If both teams take care of business this week, they could both be in the top 10 when they square off.
That would be rare company. Kentucky and Tennessee have met only twice before when both teams were ranked in the AP Top 10.
Those games came in 1950 and 1951. Tennessee won 28-0 in 1951, when the Vols were No. 1 and Kentucky was No.
- The year before, No.
9 Tennessee beat No. 3 Kentucky 7-0.
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Will Stein Had The Perfect Response To Kentuckys Viral TV Moment
Kentuckys win over Oklahoma was already a notable one, but the postgame scene that followed quickly became its own talking point. In a clip that spread fast on social media, SEC Networks Tori Petry accidentally framed the Wildcats as the underdog in the matchup, asking Will Stein how it felt to beat a ranked team on the road when Kentucky was the ranked team.
Stein handled it exactly the way a coach would want, responding with grace in the moment and then making it clear he understands the work sideline reporters do. He stressed that everyone makes mistakes, a timely reminder in a sport where those exchanges are often dissected almost as closely as the game itself, and it also set the stage for Kentuckys next broadcast look as the Wildcats move on to their upcoming matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Underwood Just Became A Wild Kentucky QB Storyline
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There is still a long way between speculation and anything concrete, of course, and it is not even confirmed that Underwood will enter the portal. But with programs like LSU, Miami, Texas Tech, Georgia and Kentucky all floating around the discussion, the attention around his next move is only going to intensify, especially given the size of the NIL commitment he is already tied to at Michigan. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Stoops Knows Kentucky Cannot Sleepwalk Through This SEC Spot
Kentuckys recent surge has put Mark Stoops in a familiar spot, with his team riding a five-game winning streak and sitting in a share of first place in the Southeastern Conference. The Wildcats have leaned on a defense that has been generating turnovers, and Stoops has made it clear the groups edge has been a big part of why Kentucky has climbed into the league race.
But the next test carries its own danger, especially against a Vanderbilt team Stoops has been willing to praise in advance of the matchup. He had good things to say about Clark Leas program and the challenge it can present, which is part of why this feels like the kind of SEC week Kentucky cannot afford to treat lightly, even with momentum on its side. [Read more 🡒]