Mark Stoops Doesn't Rank Louisville in Final Coaches Poll

Kentucky beat Louisville in the regular season finale, knocked the Cards out of the New Year’s Six and sent the program spiraling. Three straight losses led to a 10-4 final record. The Cards did still end up finishing in the Top 25 of the Coaches Poll, but one coach left them off his ballot.

The final coaches poll of the 2023 college football season was released earlier this week and Mark Stoops did not include Louisville in his final submission. Louisville did appear on enough ballots to slide into a spot at No. 18. Kentucky did not receive any votes.

Was this another Governor’s Cup jab from Mark Stoops? Maybe, maybe not.

The ballots for the Coaches Poll are typically not completed by the head coach. It’s not some sort of painstaking process where they’re weighing their options all night trying to pick the 25 best teams in the country. Typically, it’s a responsibility that falls on a program’s sports information department.

Stoops may not have anything to do with this decision. After all, does he really need to pick at Jeff Brohm and Louisville? He’s beaten the Cards five times in a row by about 700 points. Is it necessary to continue to poke and prod?

It might not be an indictment on Louisville as much as this ballot reflects his thoughts on the Atlantic Coast Conference. Florida State and Clemson, the team Kentucky lost to in the Gator Bowl, are the only ACC teams in Stoops’ Top 25. In the lead-up to game, he complimented Clemson by saying they’re “built like an SEC team.”

Additionally, he did not give Florida State much credit for going undefeated in the regular season. Only three coaches ranked Florida State lower than Mark Stoops. The ‘Noles finished No. 6 in the final Coaches Poll after losing by 60 points to Georgia in the Orange Bowl. Stoops had his former employer at No. 10. Dana Dimel (UTEP) and Jeff Traylor (UTSA) put Florida State at No. 11, while Ken Wilson (Nevada) slid them all the way to No. 12.

If Mark Stoops is taking a shot at the ACC, good for him. They deserve it. If he’s taking a shot at Louisville, that’s funny too. Laugh it up, Big Blue Nation.

Final Coaches Poll Results