Big Blue Nation is impatiently waiting for the first game of the Will Stein era. We are 103 days away from the Kentucky season opener at Kroger Field against Youngstown State. The contest against the FCS opponent will be one of the few games where the Wildcats are expected to be favorites in 2026.
Stein’s first few months on the job have been filled with good news for the Wildcats. Kentucky signed a top 10 transfer portal class and is seemingly adding a new high school commitment every day. Big Blue Nation is buying into the hype, but it’s not changing the data.
ESPN’s SP+ is a forward-thinking metric that combines returning production with recent history, recruiting, and coaching changes. The formula assigns a power rating for each team. The coaching change did not give the Cats a big enough bump. Kentucky ranks No. 53 in SP+, dead-last in the SEC.
Using SP+ power ratings, we can project possible spreads for matchups this fall, with 2.5 points for home-field advantage. Kentucky is a double-digit underdog in almost every SEC game, with only two projected one-score games against Power Conference foes in 2026.
Week 1: FCS opponent
Week 2: UK (+12) vs. Alabama
Week 3: UK (+19) at Texas A&M
Week 4: UK (-19.5) vs. South Alabama
Week 5: UK (+10.5) at South Carolina
Week 6: UK (+14) vs. LSU
Week 7: UK (+16) at Oklahoma
Week 8: UK (+3.5) vs. Vanderbilt
Week 10: UK (+14.5) at Tennessee
Week 11: UK (+8.5) vs. Florida
Week 12: UK (+13.5) at Missouri
Week 13: UK (+4.5) vs. Louisville
Obviously, these power ratings will alter drastically once games kick off this fall. However, it once again illustrates that Kentucky has one of the most challenging schedules in college football. But as Will Stein said, “If you’re scared, go to church.”
KSR has been delivering UK Sports news in the most ridiculous manner for almost two decades. Now, you can get even more coverage of the Cats with KSR+. Justin Rowland and Jeff Drummond have joined the team to give you the best Kentucky football recruiting coverage on the internet. Will Stein has momentum, and we have all of the intel.
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