Will Stein will enter his first season at Kentucky as a heavily doubted SEC underdog

I wouldn't say Lexington is an echo chamber for college athletics, only because the Big Blue Nation are some of the harshest fans in the world when they need to be, but it's certainly easy to get lost in the motion when everybody is excited. That's what it feels like with Will Stein and Kentucky Football.

Yet, some Cats fans may be surprised to find out (I was) that said excitement is shared by many of the pen-pushers across the nation. In fact, many people are chalking up Stein's first year steering the ship at Kroger Field as a preemptive misfire.

On3 posted a graphic featuring BetMGM's SEC win lines for every team, slotting Kentucky in a three-way tie at the bottom of the SEC, alongside Mississippi State and Arkansas, at just 4.5. Not only is that not a bowl game, but it's a virtual non-improvement from Stoops' final year.

I don't expect Stein to come out swinging with a College Football Playoff appearance in his first go-around or anything, but I can't be alone in thinking that falling on either side of that 4.5 line, especially under it, would be a disappointment.

Am I just a delusional stud-supporter (we need a trademark there) or has something gone awry here?

Doubted from Kickoff

Much of the attention around Stein's early recruiting successes have hovered around his 2027-28 class, which appears destined to be ranked and is led by the No. 2 overall quarterback in the nation. Kudos are much deserved there, and that team does look better than the one at hand.

Although, with multi-faceted Kenny Minchey under center this season - a quarterback who nearly started for Notre Dame just one year ago - I can't help but believe that Steins' first batch of Wildcats are built to surprise.

According to 247Sports, even if the current Cats class isn' top 25, they still slot in at No. 38. That's a respectable ranking that, at least to my eyes, looks a lot better than four wins.

A Respectable Ranking for Kentucky

In addition to Minchey, four-star freshman wide receiver Kenny Darby and four-star linebacker Elijah Barnes, who transferred in from Texas, are just two of a handful of promising athletes that seem to raise Kentucky's ceiling to the six-win mark, at least.

Now, some of the general pessimism around Stein's first team may come down to their grueling SEC schedule, and that'd be a fair point. With Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU, and Tennessee all on the docket, it'll take an upset or two to get Kentucky over the line.

But I, for one, like Stein's chances, and I have a feeling much of the BBN is with me. The wait now is not long before we see exactly how overblown, or underdone, the hype around Stein's arrival really is.

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