Can Stoops Make Kentucky Wildcats Competitive in SEC?

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With the First Pick

Young talent and good recruiting classes make the Kentucky Wildcats’ future brighter than ever under Mark Stoops. There are so many returning starters to this team, and many of them should be back next year as well, along with three years of good recruiting classes by that point.

There is no reason that Wildcat fans shouldn’t expect their team to be much better than its 2-10 record from last year, especially with their schedule. Getting to play a rebuilding Louisville team along with UT Martin, Louisiana Monroe, and Ohio allows for what should be a guaranteed 3 wins and possible 4 wins out of conference alone. But it won’t matter.

Aug 31, 2013; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops on the sideline against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers during the first half at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

The SEC schedule is too rough. Tennessee and Florida will both be back this year, Georgia and South Carolina have national championship talent, and road games against LSU and Missouri all but assures 6 conference losses. Missouri is a possible major upset, but that’s all I can see among those six teams. This makes the only two winnable games a home game against Vanderbilt and another possible upset against Mississippi State, but that game is on the road, the Bulldogs also have great coaching, and they have recruited just as well as if not better than Kentucky over the past few years.

The Wildcats will see some major improvement this year, but 4 or 5 wins is all they can count on. There will be no bowl game for them.