Quarterback Zach Calzada is expected to lead UK's offense in 2025. (UK Athletics Photo)
After Kentucky football went 4-8 last season, it is not surprising that season ticket sales have lagged behind what they were in 2024.
Kentucky has turned over about half its roster after last season’s debacle. One could argue that was needed after the Cats won only four years but one could also argue that putting together so many new players could be a recipe for disaster again.
Las Vegas oddsmakers have no bias for any team and really don’t worry about past results. Instead, they forecast what will be happening and they are not expecting a bounce back for coach Mark Stoops’ team.
FanDuel has projected win/loss totals for Division I college football teams for the 2025 season. This site has Kentucky projected to win only 4.5 games but that might not be a given with the schedule UK faces.
Circa Sports has released its over/under win totals for SEC teams and no surprise that Alabama, Georgia and Texas lead the SEC with a predicted win over/under of 9.5 for the 2025 regular season with LSU, Ole Miss and Tennessee at 8.5. Auburn and Texas A&M are next at 8 with Florida, Missouri and South Carolina at 7.5. Oklahoma is at 7 which would give the Sooners a winning season.
Arkansas and Vanderbilt have an over/under total of 5.5 wins with Kentucky at 4.5. Only Mississippi State at 3.5 is under the Cats.
None of this can surprise anyone. Kentucky went 1-7 in SEC play and has to face all seven teams it lost to in 2024 again. And the one team UK did beat — Mississippi — certainly will be favored to beat the Cats in 2025 just like it was last year.
Kentucky ends the season at Louisville, the same team that buried the Cats 41-14 last year.
Can Kentucky bounce back and have a winning season? Certainly it could but the Las Vegas oddsmakers aren’t counting on it.
6 Responses
Neither is Paul Finebaum as he labeled us and Mississippi State as the 2 worst teams in the SEC for 2025. And we are paying Stoops $9,500,000 for what?
I am an optimist and am hoping (and praying) that Kentucky will have a good season in 2025. Surely it cannot be any worse. We need to support the team as the BBN can really have the guys pull up the proverbial boot straps and win some games. GO CATS!
4.5 wins will be virtually impossible, unless football reinstates the Tie game, which I liked because all of the ridiculous attempts to have a tie-breaker such as starting at the 25 yard line is not a real continuation of the full field football played for 4 quarters.
UK FB peaked with Liam Coen as the OC. The entire clubhouse has a positive mindset. Eventually stubborn ways will result ina collapse – and the stubborn pathetic control Stoops exercised over OC after OC has finally sunk the ship.
Everything built up in about a decade has collapsed over a 3 year period. UK has ruined a lot of QB’s and frustrated a lot of OC’s. I was 100% for Stoops to start his tenure and became frustrated as the OC revolving door starting spinning out of control.
Coen quickly went from a high quality NFL OC to becoming a HC! UK lost a winner, maybe Stoops knew he would become a threat to his job.
The UK AD has cost UK athletics mega-millions with his dumb, secret and sky high contracts. He rewards losers (Calipari, Stoops & hires coaches without a clue about UK history – the women’s HC tossed out a real WldCat for no reason!. Mark Pope is his only winner.
I think Kentucky is a much better team. Not on paper but in the trenches they are a punch you in your mouth offensive line. The defensive line doesn’t have humongous slow guys on the line and the linebackers are much faster this year. Not as big but much faster. Kahlil Saunders is my dark horse on the d line that will have a monster season. I also think David Gusta has a big year and Hayes will be pretty good. Linebackers aren’t as big but also aren’t as slow. Rayner is going to have a big year. Also Alex Afari might be the best player on the defense. Its his time to shine and he has waited his turn. The secondary will be the best unit on the defense for a first time in a long time. JQ Hardaway will be all sec level to go along with all sec level Ty Bryant and all sec level Jordan Lovett. DJ Waller will be the opposite cornerback from Hardaway and he will be much better in year 2 of Brad Whites system. Waller is very long like Hardaway both stand 6’3". They bully smaller receivers and can go toe to toe with the bigger receivers. Our second string defense is much better and more athletic this year. The only problem I see which isn’t really a problem is we are young. That could be Stoops excuse for another season after this one. If he can retain most of his 2024 class that will be the argument. There is no denying the talent from that class and 2025. I can see a 6-6 or 7-5 season this year. Then a 8-4 or 9-3 season in 2026. That would be enough to save Stoops job and put him back at .500 in the win column. Now against all this it is easier than ever to build a team. Especially with the money that Kentucky has to do so. I would love for another school to offer Stoops a job but he’s already messed that all up unless we get back to winning again this year. Every team even the Floridas and Auburns who have much more prestige in college football have there 4-8 or 5-7 year. So why is Kentucky any different? Our offensive line will be much improved they will give Calzada ample time with his very quick release. He has a missle arm that’s why they call him the Cuban missile at Texas a&m. If he could start at Texas am then I know he’s good enough to start at Kentucky. We have a underrated receiver room and a underrated running back room. Our tight ends are exactly what Stoops like blocking tight ends. Our ground game will be incredible and it will make our passing pop. I don’t expect Calzada to pass the ball 30 times a game. I think your looking at it 17-25 passes a game. Just enough to keep the defense honest but also enough not to sleep on the pass. I think Law Stellato Maclin Gilmore Hester Farrier Washington and Miller give you ample targets. Cozart could also have a breakthrough year. Rodriguez will be the best tight end on the team. Kattus should also have a nice year having played a ton of football the last 3 years. Skinner is probably the best tight end we’ve had in the Stoops era and Eli Brown and the Illinois transfer are both excellent blocking tight ends. The running back room might just be the best on the team. I see Dowdell being the starting running back with Wilcox and Patterson splitting time getting reps. Then they went out and got McGowan which is a head scratcher. He could end up having 2 years of eligibility with his case being heard to get a extra year with him taking time off from football but he could lead this team in rushing. I see 4 running backs and any one of them could be your starting running back. We’ve never been this deep with sec capable backs. I was thinking one of them would transfer this spring but im happy to have all these running backs you need fresh legs as the season goes on. We should have plenty of reserves with no falling off. I also believe Wilcox gets the short end of the stick. He could have easily had over 750 yards last year if it weren’t for penalties. That’s with the same amount of carries. He would have averaged about 8.7 ypc. He could have easily ran for 1,000 yards last year if he was used correctly. He only averaged 7.2 carries per game. He should have gotten 12+ carries at the bare minimum. He would make a incredible play then not play for a quarter or 2. I think Stoops doesn’t like the kid or something? I thought he would be the first to transfer but he’s stayed loyal so he should be rewarded if Stoops even has a half of a brain!
I have been a lifelong UK football fan and have seen the good (rare), the bad (often) and downright ugly. This year is sadly probably going to fall into the downright ugly category.
Just the situation that Stoops and the Cats love to be in. I’ll be betting the over on 4.5. Go Stoops Troops!