The Kentucky Wildcats received an A+ from CBS Sports through Week 7, when the team was 6-1 overall and 4-1 in SEC play. The Wildcats climbed from unranked to No. 12 in the AP poll.
CBS Sports’ Kentucky football grade reflected the Wildcats’ position near the top of the conference at the season’s midpoint. The outlet highlighted Kentucky’s record, its SEC standing and the statistical profile behind the A+ evaluation.
CBS Sports also pointed to Kentucky’s SEC-leading turnover margin, its status as the conference’s least penalized team and its victory over LSU in Lexington. LSU entered that game as a 10-point favorite.
Key Takeaways
- Kentucky led the SEC in turnover margin through Week 7.
- The Wildcats were the SEC’s least penalized team in CBS Sports’ midseason evaluation.
- Kentucky defeated LSU in Lexington while the Tigers were 10-point favorites.
Kentucky Football Grade Reflects a 6-1 Start
CBS Sports gave Kentucky an A+ after the Wildcats posted a 6-1 overall record and a 4-1 mark in conference play. The grade covered the team’s performance through Week 7.
The Wildcats began the season unranked, according to CBS Sports, before reaching No. 12 in the AP poll after seven weeks. That rise accompanied Kentucky’s strong conference record and placed the program among the SEC teams receiving the most attention in the midseason evaluation.
CBS Sports credited first-year Kentucky coach Will Stein with backing up his confidence from SEC Media Days through the Wildcats’ execution. The outlet connected Stein’s early-season results to the team’s A+ grade.
Why Kentucky Earned an A+ Midseason Grade
Turnover margin was one of the statistical reasons CBS Sports cited for Kentucky’s standing. The Wildcats led the SEC in turnover margin through Week 7.
CBS Sports also identified Kentucky as the SEC’s least penalized team. The turnover and penalty figures were part of the outlet’s explanation for the Wildcats’ strong midseason profile.
Kentucky’s most prominent victory in the evaluation came against LSU in Lexington. CBS Sports noted that LSU was a 10-point favorite entering the matchup, while Kentucky secured the win.
The LSU result carried particular weight in CBS Sports’ assessment because of the pregame odds. Kentucky’s victory was listed alongside the Wildcats’ conference-leading turnover margin, low penalty rate and 6-1 record as part of the case for the A+.
Kentucky’s Midseason Record and National Ranking
CBS Sports listed Kentucky’s overall record, SEC record and AP poll position through Week 7 as the central numbers in its midseason evaluation.
| Category | Kentucky status |
|---|---|
| Overall record | 6-1 |
| SEC record | 4-1 |
| AP poll ranking after Week 7 | No. 12 |
The record represented six victories in Kentucky’s first seven games, including a 4-1 start in SEC play. CBS Sports paired those marks with the Wildcats’ move from unranked to No. 12 in the AP poll.
The statistical details added to that record were also central to the evaluation. CBS Sports identified Kentucky’s SEC-leading turnover margin and conference-low penalty rate as measurable strengths during the first half of the season.
Kentucky’s SEC and Playoff Position
CBS Sports placed Kentucky in the discussion for the top tier of the SEC while identifying Georgia as the conference’s only playoff lock at that point in the season. The outlet described Kentucky as a potential second-best team in the league.
The evaluation also connected Kentucky’s A+ to the Wildcats’ 6-1 record, 4-1 SEC mark, No. 12 AP ranking and victory over a 10-point-favorite LSU team. Those were the specific results and measurements CBS Sports used in its midseason assessment.
CBS Sports summarized Kentucky’s position this way: “While Georgia’s the only league lock right now for the playoff, Kentucky might be the second-best team in the conference, and that’s no exaggeration.”
