Week 7 was a wild one.
Week 8? Maybe we’ll see a return to normalcy.
You never can tell with college football, though. It is a cruel mistress. The sport that you think you have figured out, only to be proven horribly, stupendously wrong time and time again.
What are the storylines you should pay attention to this week? Let’s dive into some Thursday Thoughts, y’all:
1. How did Will Stein turn Kentucky around so quickly?
Back at SEC Media Days, Will Stein was asked why he thought he could win big at Kentucky. His response?
“Because of me.”
Well, Kentucky is now bowl-eligible after only 7 games.
(I, for the record, foolishly predicted that Kentucky would win 3 games this year. I was high on the Stein hire, to be fair, but thought it would take a year to get his systems in place. Boy, was I wrong.)
So, how did we get here so quickly?
Overtime. Kentucky down 34-27 at South Carolina. QB Kenny Minchey finds TE Henry Boyer for a 6-yard touchdown. It was Boyer’s only catch of the day.
But the play that changed everything was the next one, also involving Minchey connecting with a tight end.
Stein kept his offense on the field and went for 2. Minchey to Willie Rodriguez.
Ballgame.
twitter.com/SEC/status/2106536895920443457That moment showed that Stein believed in his guys. They responded. Then they responded again in the exact same situation at home against LSU the very next Saturday.
Then they responded a third time by going into Norman and beating Oklahoma without the assistance of overtime.
Confidence is a hell of a drug, and Kentucky is brimming with it right now. That’s because of Stein. Any conversation about Coach of the Year awards right now has to start with the man in Lexington.
Prediction Markets How many regular-season games will Kentucky win? Learn more about Prediction Markets Kalshi 4+ wins 99% 5+ wins 99% 6+ wins 99% 7+ wins 90% 8+ wins 82% Predict2. Would Arch Manning be better somewhere else?
Texas is a mess right now. Plenty of fingers have been pointed at Arch Manning, but my question is this: Is Arch to blame, or is Steve Sarkisian failing him?
I’m going to keep this section simple. Imagine Arch Manning in something other than burnt orange.
Imagine he’s in a different shade of orange running Josh Heupel‘s offense on Rocky Top. Imagine he’s in purple and gold, close to his Louisiana home working alongside Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr.
Is he a better quarterback?
I don’t have the answer. Every single one of us would have a different response. It is interesting to think about, though.
3. Wait, can Northwestern make the Playoff?
New stadium, who dis?
(Sorry.)
The Northwestern Wildcats got a new stadium and suddenly decided to become a legitimate football team. Head coach David Braun had himself a heck of an offseason, bringing in Chip Kelly to serve as his offensive coordinator and Jerry Neuheisel as his QB coach. He also landed QB Aidan Chiles out of the portal to lead that new-look offense.
So far? It’s working.
Through 7 weeks of the season, the Wildcats are 5-1 and ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll. That should improve to 6-1 this weekend, as a lackluster Rutgers squad visits Evanston.
The only blemish on the Wildcats’ schedule was a 6-point loss at Indiana. They very nearly pulled off that upset.
So now it must be asked — can this team make the Playoff?
Let’s look at the remaining schedule:
Week 8: vs. Rutgers Week 9: at Oregon Week 10: vs. Iowa Week 11: at Ohio State Week 12: at Minnesota Week 13: vs. IllinoisBeating Rutgers, Minnesota and Illinois is a must for this team if we’re even going to entertain the Playoff conversation. At Oregon would’ve been seen as an automatic loss before the season, but the Ducks seem off without the aforementioned Will Stein running their offense.
Iowa is having a QB back-and-forth and is hardly an offensive juggernaut. Plus, the Hawkeyes have to come to Ryan Field.
Winning at Ohio State will be very tough, even if QB Julian Sayin is still out with an injury. But it’s not as impossible as it once seemed.
If I had to bet, I would not pick Northwestern to make the 12-team Playoff. But the fact that we’re even having the discussion is a testament to Braun and his revamped coaching staff.
4. Who will make the SEC Championship Game?
Week 7 turned the SEC on its head. No. 1 Georgia, No. 6 Alabama and No. 7 Texas all lost. Kentucky and Ole Miss picked up big wins. Florida might be back. Tennessee, even without strong QB play, looks great.
So, who will end up in Atlanta at the end of the season for what might be the last SEC Championship Game ever played?
First things first — I’m not pressing the panic button on Georgia. The Bulldogs were sloppy against Auburn, yes, but also had some bad luck. I trust Kirby Smart to right the ship and punch one of the tickets to Atlanta.
The other? Well, that’s a different question.
In addition to Georgia, 3 SEC teams have 1 loss as we prepare to enter Week 8. Those teams are Kentucky, Tennessee and Ole Miss, just as we all predicted prior to the season.
I’m going with Tennessee to get the second spot in the SEC title game right now. The Vols have shown they’re formidable at home, and their 2 toughest remaining games (LSU, Kentucky) are both on Rocky Top. At South Carolina, at Texas A&M and at Vanderbilt should all be manageable for a team of this caliber.
If George MacIntyre can even develop into a mediocre SEC QB down the stretch, this Vols squad is elite.
Prediction Markets College Football SEC Championship Winner (2026) Learn more about Prediction Markets Kalshi Georgia 43% Ole Miss 17% Alabama 10% LSU 8% Tennessee 7% Texas 5% Kentucky 5% Florida 4% Texas A&M 1% South Carolina 1% Predict5. Ranking the 5 best SEC men’s basketball teams
Basketball season is right around the corner, so I want to take a second to preview the top teams in the SEC. I’ll have my full preseason power rankings coming out sometime next week, but here’s a little teaser:
Florida — This is a no-brainer. If anyone has an SEC team other than Florida in the No. 1 spot heading into the season, they’re doing it for attention. Arkansas — Jordan Smith Jr. will be fun to watch. I love the addition of Jeremiah Wilkinson in the portal. Billy Richmond III is back. If Finnish freshman Miikka Muurinen can step in and contribute right away, this team has Final Four potential. Texas — Losing Dailyn Swain and other veterans will hurt this team more than some think. But getting Matas Vokietaitis back was huge. It all starts with him inside. Tennessee — I love the addition of Juke Harris. I don’t like the rest of the roster the way I have the past couple of years. But I trust Rick Barnes. Don’t read too much into the blowout exhibition loss to Duke. Mizzou — Some might see this as a homer pick, but with Mark Mitchell (seemingly) back in the fold, this team is stacked. Jason Crowe Jr. is going to be an exciting freshman. Bryson Tiller was a solid portal pickup from rival Kansas.I have Alabama as the toughest team to omit from the top 5. I just have some questions about the wings and the front court. The back court should be fine though with the return of Aden Holloway and Amari Allen.
It’s almost hoops season, y’all! Get excited!
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Thursday Thoughts: Will Stein’s quick turnaround, Arch Manning in a different uniform and more Saturday Down South.
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