Kentucky will enter the 2022 college football season ranked No. 20 in the AP Top 25 Poll. It marks the first time since 1978 that the Cats will open a season as a ranked team. In this edition of the Cats Illustrated Roundtable, we mull that ranking and what it means for Mark Stoops' squad.
JUSTIN ROWLAND:
I think 20 makes sense for Kentucky going into the season. Its a hard team to place because there are currents moving in different directions. Replacing guys like Fortner, Paschal, and Wan'Dale is a lot, and we dont really know Chris Rodriguez's status with the season almost here. But Will Levis is easy to dream on looking ahead to this year and the overall personnel is good. It is interesting to me that Georgia is the only team Kentucky will face that is ranked higher than the Cats. I think Notre Dame is ranked entirely too high. I think they should be toward the bottom of the top 25 rather than No. 5. I may even have the Cats ranked ahead of the Irish.
JEFF DRUMMOND:
Kentucky landed just about where I expected it to be in the first poll of the season. With a top quarterback returning in Will Levis and a potential record-setting running back in Chris Rodriguez, the Cats have two high-profile players who probably helped them earn their first preseason ranking since 1978. Some questions remain, but the vibe over at the JCFTC right now is that Mark Stoops knows he's got a really good team. I see a lot of potential to move up. Like Justin says, Notre Dame at No. 5 strikes me as comical. Now, that's a ranking born on third base. (Rimshot) And I don't think the Cats would be a major underdog (if at all) against any of the teams ranked 4-19. If Kentucky and Ole Miss take care of business early, that matchup on Oct. 1 in Oxford could be really fun. Another potential matchup of intrigue is UK vs. Tennessee on Oct. 29 in Knoxville. The Vols are receiving votes just outside the Top 25, but the national media is really high on Josh Heupel's program right now, so that could be another high-profile matchup if both teams enter that week with a solid record.
DAVID SISK:
Kentucky starts out at a good place at No. 20. Most feel they will fight it out with Tennessee for the second and third spots in the SEC East. The Vols are not ranked, so the Cats should not have a gripe. If they are able to win win games against Ole Miss and UT they will find themselves in the Top 10 when Georgia comes to town. I understand Texas A&M has had monster recruiting classes, but who actually believes they will finish in the top six? I would have slid Tennessee in also in the bottom five. On the national scene I’m not buying six ACC teams in the top 25. If there was one team I would clear out it would be Miami. Mario Cristobal will do a great job, but it’s early for a 13th place ranking. I just do not have the confidence in them not underachieving. That has been the case for the last two decades, and it won’t change this year.