Making a bad season worse, South Carolina has a chance to have the season Kentucky football had hoped for

Kentucky football’s 2024 season has been a major disappointment, highlighted by a 31-6 loss to South Carolina in week 2 that foreshadowed a long season.

Fans had hoped the Cats could make an outside run at the playoffs. A 1-7 SEC record and winless at home in the SEC, the Cats are not even going to make a bowl.

To make matters worse for Kentucky fans, the Wildcats now watch South Carolina take the position Kentucky hoped to claim. The Gamecocks, ranked No. 15 in the College Football Playoff rankings, are preparing for a high-stakes rivalry game against No. 12 Clemson with playoff implications on the line.

For Kentucky, the season’s issues were glaring, particularly in offensive inconsistency and missed opportunities. Key moments, such as the Georgia game, where conservative play-calling drew ire, and the loss to South Carolina, highlighted areas needing improvement.

Bright spots, like the upset win in Oxford, couldn’t offset the broader struggles though. Kentucky lost 4 straight after that upset. Even Kirk Herbstreit called it, as he said no one follows up a big win with a loss like Kentucky. Ouch.

Turnovers and defensive lapses compounded the issues, leaving fans and analysts questioning the program’s trajectory. Stoops has vowed to get back to work and fix the roster.

Conversely, South Carolina has emerged as an SEC contender under strong coaching and stellar performances from key players. Their success highlights what Kentucky hoped to achieve: resilience, execution, and a clear upward trajectory missing. Their matchup with Clemson now holds major playoff implications, cementing South Carolina’s rise this season.

For the Wildcats, the focus shifts to rebuilding under Mark Stoops, who has a buyout of 44 million, much too high to do outright, and Stoops is likely unwilling to take a pay cut to leave. With waning fan support, Kentucky aims to address its shortcomings and recapture momentum in 2025.

Meanwhile, all fans can do is watch as South Carolina has the season the Cats had hoped for.

Kentucky plays Louisville Saturday in the Governor's Cup.