Will Stein has put together a top 10 transfer class this season (per 247Sports), securing a competitive roster for a 2026-27 Wildcats team facing down one of the nation's most difficult schedules. With kickoff now less than four weeks away, we thought it was the perfect time to take a swing at predicting Kentucky's overall record.
Anything can happen in college football, and while I'll try to account for that, I know that something is going to be wrong somewhere. Kentucky's nine-game SEC slate may be the most treacherous stretch of football this program has ever seen.
Still, here goes nothing:
Youngstown State: W Alabama: L @ Texas A&M: L South Alabama: W @ South Carolina: W LSU: W @ Oklahoma: L Vanderbilt: W @ Tennessee: L Florida: L @ Missouri: L Louisville: W
Breaking Down a Would-Be Bowl Season for Kentucky
If I somehow end up correct, this would slate Will Stein's inaugural Cats at 6-6 (3-6). That's a team going bowling when it's all said and done, which may even be overachieving for Coach Stein for the national standards that have been set for him.
Out of the gate, Kentucky shouldn't have any problems with Youngstown State at home, despite what some analysts may lead you to believe. I don't expect the Cats to secure an SEC upset against either Alabama at home or Texas A&M on the road, but that one comes later. I promise.
South Alabama at home is another expected pitstop win, and it comes right at the start of what would be Kentucky's best stretch of the season. I felt the need to pick a conference road win somewhere, and at South Carolina seemed like the most plausible candidate.
After the Gamecocks blew the Wildcats out last season, 35-13, they'd go on to an abysmal 4-8 (1-7) record. With Shane Beamer retained and running it back with LaNorris Sellers under center, play-caller Jay Bateman's redone defense should have a shot at a similar South Carolina system. That seems like the perfect opportunity for the Cats to pick up some momentum, and it leads us to that huge SEC upset.
Kentucky Turns the Corner by Beating Lane Kiffin and LSU
I've harped on the LSU upset all season; something feels right about this one. Not only did Kiffin struggle with Mark Stoops' Kentucky teams on countless occasions, but Sam Leavitt, the Tigers quarterback, was heavily recruited by Will Stein this offseason.
The stakes are in place, and in front of a (hopefully) packed night crowd at Kroger Field, this mid-October matchup could be the one that gets Kentucky over the hump... even if I have the Cats on a relative skid the rest of the season.
With losses to Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida, and Missouri (that SEC wear and tear kicks in here), the Wildcats would sneak into bowl contention with wins over Vanderbilt and Louisville. Even at just six wins, Stein accomplishing what Stoops didn't in his final game of year one would tie the bow off in the best way.
We don't need a playoff appearance this season, or really even a bowl. But Coach Stein has made it clear that he wants to compete right away, and if a few things fall right for Kentucky, this season is certainly within reason.
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