Will Stein’s Kentucky Wildcats ranked No. 3 in CBS Sports‘ SEC power rankings on Saturday after Kentucky improved to 6-1. The AP Top 25 lists the Wildcats at No.
12.
CBS Sports ranked Kentucky behind Georgia and Ole Miss and ahead of LSU, Tennessee and Alabama in its Week 8 evaluation. The Wildcats’ position followed their sixth win at Oklahoma and a season that includes three SEC road victories.
CBS Sports described its rankings as subjective evaluations rather than official SEC standings. The outlet also cited Kentucky’s statistical profile, including a No. 20 national ranking in adjusted EPA per play and a No.
2 ranking in strength of record from ESPN FPI.
Key Takeaways
- CBS Sports ranked Kentucky No. 3 after the Wildcats moved to 6-1 under Will Stein.
- Kentucky has three SEC road wins and is No. 12 in the AP Top 25.
- Alabama has lost consecutive games for the first time since 2013, according to CBS Sports.
Kentucky’s Case in SEC Power Rankings
Kentucky’s sixth win at Oklahoma provided the result tied most directly to its position in the CBS Sports ranking. The Wildcats’ record is 6-1, and their three SEC road victories give the team a notable set of conference results away from home.
CBS Sports used ESPN FPI metrics to support its evaluation of Kentucky. The Wildcats rank 20th nationally in adjusted EPA per play and second in strength of record, numbers that place their results and efficiency among the stronger profiles in the conference.
Louisiana Sports also reported that the Oklahoma victory gave Kentucky its third SEC road win of the season. Those road results, combined with the 6-1 record and No. 12 AP ranking, are the primary statistical facts attached to Kentucky’s No.
3 position.
Georgia and Ole Miss Lead the SEC
Georgia ranked No. 1 in the CBS Sports list after losing to Auburn. Ole Miss ranked No.
2, while LSU ranked No. 4 after a 31-0 victory over Mississippi State.
Tennessee ranked No. 5 after beating Alabama. Louisiana Sports reported that Tennessee pressured Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell on 59% of his dropbacks in that game.
Alabama ranked No. 6 after consecutive losses to Georgia and Tennessee. CBS Sports noted that the Crimson Tide had not lost back-to-back games since 2013, while Bama Hammer’s comparison of four Week 8 rankings placed Alabama between No.
5 and No. 7.
Bama Hammer’s comparison also showed Georgia and Ole Miss splitting No. 1 votes across the four rankings. The same comparison placed Tennessee above Alabama in every ranking.
Week 8 Results Behind the Rankings
| Team | Current rank | Result or context |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | No. 1 | Lost to Auburn |
| Ole Miss | No. 2 | Allowed 142 rushing yards across wins over Vanderbilt and Missouri |
| Kentucky | No. 3 | Defeated Oklahoma on the road; improved to 6-1 |
| LSU | No. 4 | Defeated Mississippi State 31-0 |
| Tennessee | No. 5 | Defeated Alabama |
| Alabama | No. 6 | Lost consecutive games for the first time since 2013 |
| Florida | No. 7 | Defeated Texas on the road |
| Texas | No. 8 | Lost consecutive games |
| Auburn | No. 10 | Defeated No. 1 Georgia |
| Arkansas | No. 15 | Defeated Vanderbilt 31-21 for its first SEC win since 2024 |
Florida ranked No. 7 after defeating Texas on the road, while Texas ranked No. 8 after consecutive losses.
Auburn ranked No. 10 after beating No. 1 Georgia, and Arkansas ranked No.
15 after defeating Vanderbilt 31-21.
CBS Sports also reported that Mississippi State finished with 291 yards in the 31-0 loss to LSU. The Bulldogs played without quarterback Kamario Taylor and running back Fluff Bothwell, and their next game is against Oklahoma.
Kentucky’s next game is against Vanderbilt on Saturday. The Wildcats will enter that matchup at 6-1 and ranked No. 3 by CBS Sports.
