Could motivated Mark Stoops turn concern into success this season for Kentucky?

There is not a lot of hype around the 2025 football season for the Kentucky Wildcats, as it looks like a bowl game would be hard to achieve for Mark Stoops's team.

Stoops has really turned the Kentucky football program around during his time in Lexington, but fans are beginning to hope for a change as, after a handful of successful seasons, this program has fallen on hard times. Some fans are wanting to see Jon Sumrall to take over as the head coach so this season will make or break the future for Stoops.

Kentucky's schedule is quite daunting, with road trips to South Carolina, Georgia, Auburn, Vanderbilt, and Louisville, so it won't be easy to win on the road. At the same time, the Wildcats will be welcoming the likes of Ole Miss, Texas, Florida, and Tennessee to Kroger Field, so this schedule is an absolute gauntlet.

Kentucky's defense during the struggles of the last couple of seasons has been excellent, but the offense has held the team back. The hope for this year is that Zach Calzada can get the Wildcats over the hump.

Calzada has two previous stops in the SEC at Texas A&M and Auburn, and his final stop at Auburn did not end on a high note. The veteran quarterback has been very clear that he is back in the SEC with a chip on his shoulder.

The scary part about this Kentucky team is that even if the Wildcats overachieve, it is hard to see them making a bowl game. If Stoops gets this team to a bowl game, it will be the best job he has done in a season during his time at Kentucky.