CBS Sports analyst explains why Kentucky is ‘legitimate CFP contender’
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
After a thrilling 35-34 overtime win over LSU, Kentucky is 5-1 in Will Stein‘s first season as head coach and one of the most talked-about programs in the country.
The Wildcats’ win over the Tigers paid off in the rankings, too. They are No. 15 in the latest AP Top 25 after heading into Week 6 unranked. The only question is how long they can continue their winning ways.
To CBS Sports college football analyst Brad Crawford, there’s a good chance Kentucky can find itself in the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history when it’s all said and done.
“I think Kentucky is a legitimate CFP contender for two reasons. You’ve got a coach who is coaching his tail off right now, riding this wave of momentum in a locker room that is buying into what he’s selling,” Crawford said. “And you’ve got a quarterback who sat the bench for three years at Notre Dame and looks like an all-American caliber player for the Wildcats.”
Indeed, Kenny Minchey has emerged as a star for Kentucky. Through six games, he’s thrown for 1,394 yards and 11 touchdowns vs. just one interception. He didn’t light up the scoreboard against the Tigers, but didn’t turn the ball over, either.
Minchey’s play shouldn’t be surprising, Crawford said, considering Stein’s previous track record with QBs as offensive coordinator at Oregon — namely Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and Dante Moore.
“We know what Will Stein did with the quarterback position at Oregon, promoted several Heisman finalists there and developed those guys. He’s doing the same with Kenny Minchey,” he said.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
