UK Fans of the Day want to know where Kentucky
Kentucky was not consisted of in the preseason Coaches Top 25 previously this week, not even among the 51 teams to receive a vote; nevertheless, we do have some hint of where the Cats stand amongst their peers thanks to another survey.
CBS Sports’ college football staff launched its first ranking of all 136 teams in the FBS today. Kentucky can be found in at No. 57, above only one group in the SEC, Mississippi State. The Bulldogs rank No. 70, one area behind Toledo (No. 69), Kentucky’s first opponent. Aside from Eastern Michigan (No. 107) and Tennessee Tech, which competes in the FCS, all of the Cats’ opponents rank ahead of them in the poll, which will be upgraded weekly.
As with the Coaches Survey, Texas is No. 1 in CBS Sports’ rankings. Georgia, No. 4 in the Coaches Poll, is No. 5. From there, there are some considerable distinctions. In CBS Sports’ rankings, Florida is the next highest-ranked team Kentucky will face this fall at No. 13, followed by South Carolina (No. 16), Tennessee (No. 20), and Ole Miss (No. 22). The coaches had the Rebels, who come to Kroger Field in week two, 7 spots greater.
When you take a look at the schedule chronologically with CBS Sports’ rankings, the six-game midseason stretch beginning with South Carolina in Columbia and ending with Florida at Kroger Field might be ruthless. That makes functioning in the games you’re supposed to win two times as crucial. Toledo only being 12 areas lower than Kentucky tells you everything you need to know about the season opener. The Cats much better be prepared to roll on August 30.
- Aug. 30 (Home): Toledo– No. 69
- Sep. 6 (Home): Ole Miss– No. 22
- Sep. 13 (Home): Eastern Michigan– No. 107
- Sep. 27 (Away): South Carolina– No. 16
- Oct. 4 (Away): Georgia– No. 5
- Oct. 18 (Home): Texas– No. 1
- Oct. 25 (Home): Tennessee– No. 20
- Nov. 1 (Away): Auburn– No. 32
- Nov. 8 (Home): Florida– No. 13
- Nov. 15 (Home): Tennessee Tech– N/A
- Nov. 22 (Away): Vanderbilt– No. 47
- Nov. 29 (Away): Louisville– No. 27
This is, obviously, only one outlet’s opinion. As the sluggish march to kickoff continues, we’ll get a growing number of rankings. Earlier this summertime, Phil Steele put Kentucky No. 50 in his ranking of the 136 groups in FBS. We’ll get the Preseason AP Poll on Monday, although I doubt the Cats will receive any votes.
Where Zach Calzada stands in the QB Rankings
In years past, The Athletic has likewise launched 136-team rankings. This year’s list isn’t out yet, but last month, Sam Khan Jr. and Antonio Morales ranked all 136 quarterbacks in the FBS. Kentucky’s Zach Calzada is No. 63, which remains in Tier 5, which Khan and Morales define as seasoned signal callers who have played well in college before but haven’t put it together regularly yet.
In the writeup, the 2 discussed Calzada leading Texas A&M to the upset over Alabama in 2021, but also his shoulder surgery after moving to Auburn in 2022. This quote from an anonymous SEC assistant coach could get you delighted about Calzada’s prospective as a Cat.
“He has one of the strongest arms in the nation,” an SEC assistant stated. “He’ll have to clean up some things from a touch and precision standpoint, however he can definitely rip the ball.”
We’ll learn for sure enough.
Get KSR+ for $1 your very first week. As a perk, your membership consists of a complimentary year of The Athletic.