SEC Football: Five things we learned from Week 4

Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

3. Kentucky is for real

This statement is not meant to imply Kentucky is on its way to winning the SEC, but opposing teams have been put on notice that they need to take Kentucky seriously. This is no longer a guaranteed win for good teams when they play the Wildcats.

Kentucky’s lone blemish so far this season is a close loss to Florida. They already have two conference wins against South Carolina and Missouri. The Wildcats next SEC game is against Auburn at home. Based on how Auburn has looked so far this season, the Wildcats have a chance to beat the Tigers. That’s right, you just read that Kentucky can beat Auburn. Who would have thought we would see this day?

Perhaps, Mark Stoops saw this day as he has quietly been building a football program at a place that has long been considered a basketball school. How has it happened? One key reason is Stoops approach to recruiting. The Wildcats recruit hard in the southern part of Ohio.

This approach has worked because it is an area overlooked by a good number of SEC teams. Kentucky is able to recruit the area with little competition within the conference while benefiting from the appeal of the SEC brand.

Next: Is the SEC East race over?