SEC Football: Predicting the 2023 SEC standings and final rankings
By Kevin Miller
2023 SEC Football Standings No. 8 (and 4th in the SEC East):
Kentucky Wildcats
In recent years, the Kentucky Wildcats have been preseason media darlings. It worked out in 2021 as the Wildcats won 10 games for just the 4th time in program history. 2022 was a different story as the ‘Cats won just 3 games in the SEC (and 7 overall).
NC State transfer quarterback Devin Leary is a solid replacement for Will Levis under center, but just like last year, if something were to cause the starter to miss some time, UK could be in some trouble.
The running back room is looking nice for Liam Coen’s return to Lexington as offensive coordinator as twin transfers Ray Davis (Vanderbilt) and Demie Sumo-Karngbaye (NC State) have been dynamic at times in their college careers.
The defense for Kentucky is expected to be solid again in 2023, but they will have to force more turnovers this season than they did in 2022 (just 16 takeaways the entire season) to be good enough to make a real move in the SEC East.
The schedule, as usual, is somewhat favorable for the Wildcats, but they did draw Alabama from the SEC West and have four major swing games on the road (South Carolina, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and Louisville), hurting their chances of improving on last season’s record.
It is a perfectly reasonable expectation to think Kentucky will be virtually the same team in 2023 as they were in 2022: a solid, nothing-special bunch who will be a very average player in the SEC. Honestly, though, in Lexington, that’s a pretty good season that will keep head coach Mark Stoops in the good graces of fans who could be turning on his counterpart on the hardwood John Calipari.
PREDICTION
Overall: 7-5; SEC Football: 3-5
Ball State (W), Eastern Kentucky (W), Akron (W), @Vanderbilt (W), Florida (W), @Georgia (L), Missouri (W), Tennessee (L), @Mississippi State (L), Alabama (L), @South Carolina (L), @Louisville (W)