KSR's 2023 Kentucky Football Season Predictions

The 2023 Kentucky Football season kicks off on Saturday vs. Ball State. Although the schedule contains some heavyweights, the KSR crew is optimistic about the Cats’ chances in Mark Stoops’ eleventh season in Lexington.

All 14 members of our panel have Kentucky starting the season 5-0 then losing to the defending champion Georgia Bulldogs in Athens. From there, the 11 Personnel duo of Nick Roush and Adam Luckett believe the Cats will lose to Missouri at home but have Kentucky upsetting Tennessee the next week. We were torn on whether Kentucky will lose to Mississippi State or South Carolina on the road, but all agreed the Cats will end the season with a victory over Louisville. Drew Franklin is already preparing to storm the field after Kentucky’s upset of Alabama.

Not surprisingly, BTI is the most pessimistic of the bunch, calling for a 7-5 season. Videographer Steven Peake is the most optimistic, envisioning a 10-2 campaign. Check out our picks below in visual and written form.

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KSR’s 2023 Kentucky Football Season Predictions

Comments from the panel…

Tyler Thompson: 8-4

As much as my heart wants to go there, my head won’t let me predict upsets vs. Georgia or Alabama. On the flip side, my wounded heart is what’s holding me back from picking Kentucky to beat the Vols on October 28. On paper, Kentucky’s got a good shot and the better quarterback in Devin Leary, but I’ve seen too many losses to the Vols in my life to get my hopes up. That said, I kind of love the matchup vs. Alabama. The Cats have absolutely nothing to lose and could be looking to finish the season strong after a tough four-game stretch (at Georgia, vs. Missouri, vs. Tennessee, at Missouri). If this season goes how we hope, I’m sure I’ll talk myself into running it back to 1997.

The keys to the season are the road games at Mississippi State and South Carolina. Kentucky hasn’t won in Starkville in the Mark Stoops era, and, as we all remember, Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks got the best of the Cats in Kroger Field last year. Kentucky has to win one of those two. Because the Mississippi State game comes in between Tennessee and Alabama, I’m going with history and calling for the Cats to lose in Starkville, but rebound in Columbia two weeks later to defeat Shane Beamer and his stupid sunglasses.

Zack Geoghegan: 8-4

Kentucky will get off to a hot start, but the schedule doesn’t provide many easy opportunities once we hit October. Kentucky will start the season undefeated at 5-0 with a pair of SEC wins, but then the ranked schools jump in. Georgia and Alabama are predictable losses, and the same could be said about Tennessee. Mississippi State and South Carolina on the road will be rough, although I could see the ‘Cats stealing one of those (likely MSU), which could ultimately tell the story of the whole season — a 4-game losing streak would be difficult to swallow. Missouri at home should be the easiest SEC game of the season (yes, easier than Vanderbilt) and Louisville isn’t improved enough to end their current losing streak against the ‘Cats. I’m more likely to lean toward seven wins than nine, so I went in the middle with eight. 

Ryan Lemond: 8-4

• Ball State – WIN: Dane Key scores 3 TDs
• Florida – WIN: Another storm-the-field game
• Louisville – WIN: Game comes down to the final play, and Dane Key scores the winning TD

BTI: 7-5

I’m not sure there has ever been an easier schedule to predict in the KSR era. The first three games are a given. And I think Kentucky will be out for blood against Vandy after last year’s debacle. Florida might be considered a toss-up but they seem to have figured out the Gator curse now. No chance against Georgia. Missouri could be a trap game but they’re terrible. Sorry, until I see UK play better against UT than we’ve seen the last two years then it’s hard for me to believe in them. We never win in Starkville. No chance against Bama. South Carolina the week after Bama dooms the Cats. Then we throttle Louisville like always.  

Here’s what scares me all along this season: Devin Leary’s health. Not only has he had a significant injury in his past but UK doesn’t seem to really have a serviceable option behind him. So I just picture the South Carolina game or bowl game last year if Leary gets hurt. The margin of error is slim on the QB front and with a backloaded schedule, I worry this season could go off the rails on one sack.

Jack Pilgrim: 9-3

Kentucky is 5-8 outright and 3-10 against the spread coming out of the bye week under Mark Stoops — most recently the 44-6 disaster in Knoxville last fall. Just can’t predict that Tennessee win on Oct. 28. A frustrating performance there leads to a big follow-up week in Starkville.

The Cats beat who they’re supposed to beat, lose the games they’re not supposed to win to finish 9-3. 

Nick Roush: 8-4

I can’t get a good read on how this season will go. It doesn’t feel that far-fetched to predict Kentucky wins over Tennessee and Alabama, but I can also see a scenario where they lose to Mississippi State and Missouri. Maybe I’m just scarred by last season. Maybe I can’t look past the heavy back end. These Wildcats are capable enough to beat all 12 opponents, but how will they show up and who will be available? My head wants to say this is a 10-2 team, but my heart is too timid and is sticking with 8-4, the floor for this squad if Devin Leary is firing on all cylinders this fall.        

Adam Luckett: 8-4

Kentucky gets off to another fast start under Mark Stoops with a 5-0 record in September. Unfortunately, Georgia is Georgia and Missouri gets UK at home in a letdown spot. The Cats bounce back strong with a win against Tennessee and finally win in Starkville before a loss to Alabama leads to another letdown performance. But things get corrected against Louisville to extend the rivalry win streak. 

Cats head to Tampa for the bowl season.

Drew Franklin: 9-3

On November 11, the University of Kentucky will shock Nick Saban and his Crimson Tide with an upset at Kroger Field in Lexington. The program-elevating victory will get the ‘Cats back on track to finish the year strong, following three losses in four games before Bama goes down in Lexington. Wins at USCJr. and Louisville will wrap up a great season at 9-3.

Big Blue Nation will keep the party going at the Citrus Bowl.

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