National analyst: "Don't be surprised if Kentucky is the most improved team in the SEC"
“SEC Mike” Bratton got Kentucky fans riled up in late June by calling Mark Stoops a C-grade head coach — one that was “good, but not great” with ten years of data to back that up.
“He beats who he is supposed to beat, rarely beats anybody he’s (not) supposed to. And then when he does, he turns around and loses a game he’s supposed to win,” he said on the Paul Finebaum Show. “Very good coach, but I give him a C grade if I was giving him an A-, B-, C- or D-type grade. Good, maybe the best in school history, but that’s not saying much considering it’s Kentucky.”
He later bumped Stoops up to a C+ overall, but still not enough to clear the B range.
Tough grade for a coach who has led the Wildcats to a school-record seven consecutive bowl games and became the program’s all-time winningest coach in 2022, surpassing a legend in Paul “Bear” Bryant. Factor in the empty cupboard he was handed when he took over as head coach, praise and respect are undoubtedly deserved.
Alabama at Kentucky is the SEC’s “biggest trap game”
But SEC Mike isn’t yet another hating talking head. He’s quick to give credit when he feels it’s due, including with Kentucky. At SEC Media Days, he told the KSR crew — among other outlets — that Alabama at Kentucky was the league’s biggest trap game in 2023.
“Alabama at Kentucky, I truly feel like that’s the biggest trap game in the entire SEC. I’m not ready to outright predict a Kentucky win, but if Kentucky is as good as I think they can be,” he said. “If they can shore up that offensive line, Ray Davis, Devin Leary, Liam Coen, all of the pieces are there. Alabama, they’re not the same team on the road. For whatever reason. … That’s going to be the defining game of Mark Stoops’ career.
“… I think Devin Leary is an upgrade over Will Levis. That’s a big part of it. Devin Leary is a great, great quarterback.”
He later added that Kentucky had “all the pieces to win 10 games for the third time in six seasons.”
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SEC Mike hears positive buzz
So he calls it as he sees it, good and bad. And after digging around to open fall camp in the SEC, SEC Mike is hearing more positive buzz regarding the Wildcats and their chances to make a statement in the league in 2023.
It starts with a clear jump from the spring to the summer and into fall camp, specifically up front on the offensive line. Factor in excitement with the team’s playmakers, and the national analyst says there is internal optimism the Wildcats can compete in every game on the schedule.
“Kentucky, just got some buzz on them. Night and day difference, the progression from the spring,” SEC Mike said Monday. “Liam Coen was a little underwhelmed with certain position groups, particularly that offensive line. They’re liking what they’ve got there. And how about this? These are bold comments if you’re a Kentucky fan. Wouldn’t be surprised if they compete with Tennessee and give Georgia a game. They’re raving about this receiving unit. There’s not a game on the schedule they feel like they can’t compete in.
“Take that for what it’s worth, but the buzz is growing there in Lexington.”
Vince Marrow agrees
It aligns with the very public confidence that came from Vince Marrow at Kentucky Football Media Day last week.
“That’s our goal, (the SEC championship) should be our goal every year,” Marrow told KSR. “Putting limitations on us, sometimes you say, ‘We’re going to win 10 games, but as long as we play good against Georgia.’ People and fans used to say that. Now, I believe our belief from our head man on down is, ‘Hey, get ready to try to go down to Atlanta.’
“… Our program now is to a place where we’re not looking to say, ‘OK, we may get a win here or a win there.’ Now, we feel we can beat anybody if we put everything together. Special teams, defense, offense — Mark Stoops is the second-longest tenured coach in the SEC. He’s well-groomed. So yeah, we’re ready.”
National buzz is growing with less than a month until kickoff.
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