Even the most optimistic Kentucky Football fan likely found themself pleasantly surprised by the result of Saturday afternoon’s game in College Station.
Had we not seen it with our own eyes, it might have taken some convincing to believe the 31-21 beatdown of the No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies on their home field was real life, not fiction.
However, UK head coach Will Stein never wavered in his belief that his team could pull off the improbable victory as whopping 16.5‑point underdogs. After the historic road
win, Stein exclaimed, “I’m not shocked!” live on national television while enthusiastically selling his program as the real deal.
The national media has now taken notice of Will Stein’s Kentucky team, which sits at 2–1 on the season and proudly owns one of the best wins of any program in college football this year.
Now everyone is asking the same question: Just how good is Kentucky?
Knocking off Texas A&M has opened the floodgates for optimistic projections regarding Kentucky’s postseason credentials. Heck, even the Pop‑Tarts Bowl named the Cats their “Crazy Good Team of the Week.”
Even better, ESPN’s College Football Power Index bumped Kentucky’s chances of making a bowl appearance up to 53.3%. And while it’s low, that same metric gives Kentucky a 3.2% chance of making the College Football Playoff.
So far, a few specific postseason predictions have surfaced.
Brett McMurphy of On3 projects that UK will face Cincinnati in the Birmingham Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 29.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura predicts Kentucky will travel to Tampa, Florida, for a matchup with South Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday, Dec. 18.
Sports Illustrated’s Bryan Fischer has Kentucky facing Nebraska in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30.
Oliver Hodgkinson of Pro Football Network has Kentucky taking on Memphis in the Birmingham Bowl.
While the Cats are riding high, several projections still do not have Will Stein’s team bowling, including CBS Sports and Athlon Sports. Not everyone is completely sold on the Cats just yet, though part of that is likely due to there being such a tough remaining schedule.
Looking ahead, Kentucky could be an underdog in all but two remaining games — this week vs. South Alabama and Week 8 vs. Vanderbilt. Five teams on the remaining schedule are ranked, while winning at South Carolina and Oklahoma will be easier said than done.
Hopefully, these conversations are just beginning. UK will have additional opportunities to prove that Saturday’s big win over Texas A&M was no fluke and that they can play with anyone in the country every week. If Stein and team can score another win as an underdog, then things could really get crazy from a bowl projection standpoint.
For now, let’s all just enjoy the big win and hope the Cats take care of business this week by dismantling South Alabama in Lexington this weekend.
