Lexington, Kentucky:

Head Coach Mark Stoops and his Kentucky Wildcats have warmed up to the idea of being the underdog for yet another season after preseason polls show Kentucky no respect. It’s year ten of the Mark Stoops era at Kentucky, and the Wildcat faithful are beyond ready to take that next step in the process and compete for an SEC Championship in Atlanta.

Good news for Kentucky fans? This year’s Kentucky football team has the potential to be the best team in school history. Sure, they don’t have Lynn Bowden, Benny Snell, or Josh Allen walking through the door, but Mark Stoops and Vince Marrow have quietly built a stellar roster with players who could play at any other program across the country. Not to mention, Kentucky has one of the most favorable schedules in the Southeastern Conference, with games like Florida, Missouri, LSU, and Tennessee all at home.

So what exactly is the bad news for Kentucky? Georiga, that’s it. Georiga has been a thorn in the side of the Wildcats with no apparent end in sight. For Mark Stoops and Kentucky, they will have to travel to Athens to take on the Bulldogs in a mid-October matchup that could provide clarity in a highly contested East race.

On Sunday, Head Coach Mark Stoops announced that the Penn State transfer, Will Levis, would be the starting QB on September 4th when the Wildcats welcome Lousiana Monroe to Kroger Field. Levis will be surrounded by the ” Big Blue Wall” on the offensive line and Chris Rodriguez in the backfield. Not to mention, Mark Stoops went out this offseason and hired one of the best offensive-minded guys in Liam Coen. Coen spent several years in the NFL and is expected to jumpstart this Kentucky football offensive unit into the 21st century.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Wildcats have one of the strongest fronts in the entire country. Led by senior Josh Paschal, Kentucky is expected to make a lot of noise for opposing offensives this season.

Overall, Kentucky should be in the thick of it to win the SEC East this season, with the five-game stretch between September 25th at South Carolina to October 30th in Starkville as the most important stretch of football in the history of the program. If Kentucky could go 4-1, then the Wildcats would comfortably be sitting at second place in the SEC East within striking distance of first.