One of the surprise teams of the 2026 college football season (unless you listened to me back in August) has to be the Kentucky Wildcats.
The boys of Big Blue Nation have already matched their SEC win total from a season ago, and are doing so with a high-powered offense that was a bit of a rarity under the previous regime.
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All the credit for that goes to first-year head coach Will Stein, who brought his innovative attack over from Oregon after three seasons as the offensive coordinator.
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Head coach Will Stein of the Kentucky Wildcats speaks at SEC Football Media Day at the Tampa Marriott Water Street in Tampa, Fla., on July 20, 2026. (Parker S. Freedman/Getty Images)
The Wildcats are now 4-1 and host a top-ten LSU team in a game that looks a lot trickier for the Bayou Bengals than it did a month ago.
Stein has players and fans alike in Lexington ready to believe in what he’s building, and if they don’t, the 37-year-old head coach has a message for them.
“If you don’t believe in what we’re doing, man, you are high,” Stein said.
I’m going to be real with you guys.
You all know where my allegiances lie, and if you don’t, you can go read my bio page.
I’m an unabashed Florida Gators fan and I wear it on my sleeve.
That being said, I love what Stein is doing in Lexington right now.
Kentucky Wildcats tight end Henry Boyer (87) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, Sept. 19, 2026. (Maria Lysaker/Imagn Images)
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Every part of me is supposed to hate the Wildcats, but I can’t deny that Stein has them trending in a direction I haven’t seen since I’ve been alive.
Am I frightened that Kentucky will become a thorn in Florida’s side as well as the rest of the SEC?
Absolutely.
Hell, they’ve already owned us for the better part of a decade now, but Stein has this program on a rocket ship trajectory that should scare every other SEC fanbase straight.
Of course, it’s early, and their remaining schedule isn’t exactly a cakewalk.
After LSU, the Wildcats have to go on the road to play Oklahoma, and their November stretch in particular looks a little dicey (at Tennessee, home against Florida, at Missouri, home against Louisville).
Kentucky could easily finish the year 6-6, but that still wouldn’t deter me from saying Stein is the right guy for the job.
The days of the Wildcats being a doormat for the power programs of the SEC to step on are long gone.
Kentucky Wildcats tight end Henry Boyer (87) scores a touchdown in the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, Sept. 12, 2026. (Joe Buvid/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Mark Stoops dug them out of the gutter, and now Will Stein has them shooting for the moon.
So, I’ll echo what Stein had to say in the locker room after their overtime win against South Carolina.
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If you don’t believe in what Kentucky is doing, chances are you’re high.