Paul Finebaum Names SEC Program That's 'Very Average'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Jun 21, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The 2024 college football season was marked by regression for several teams, including the Kentucky Wildcats.

Kentucky finished the season with a record of 4-8, following back-to-back 7-6 seasons. These 7-6 seasons came after a successful 10-3 campaign in 2021.

One of the primary issues for Kentucky was its offense, which ranked 114th in total offense, 112th in passing offense, and 81st in rushing offense. This offensive struggle significantly contributed to the Wildcats' worst season since 2013, which was also head coach Mark Stoops' first year in charge.

On "The Paul Finebaum Show," an SEC Network analyst expressed skepticism about Kentucky's chances for a bounce-back season this year.

"Very average," Finebaum said. "I'm not saying he can't have a winning season, but I'll just go through it in my head right now: one, two, three, four, five, I think right now 6-6 would be a pretty good season. It wouldn't be a pretty good season if you've had two bad seasons in a row, I'm just thinking I don't see a lot better than 6-6 or at the absolute best 7-5, which is pretty mediocre."

ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) is a metric designed to gauge a team's strength and predict its performance for the remainder of the season. For the Wildcats, the FPI is not optimistic about their prospects. It forecasts that Kentucky will finish the season with a record of 5-7, placing them near the bottom of the SEC standings.

One positive for the Wildcats is that they return 60% of their production this season, which ranks 52nd in the country. This continuity could potentially lead to better results on the field in the upcoming season. However, the schedule poses a significant challenge for Kentucky.

In the first half of the season, the Wildcats will host Ole Miss, Texas and Tennessee, and they will play road games against South Carolina and Georgia. The second half of the schedule includes road trips to Auburn, Vanderbilt and a season finale at Louisville. Additionally, Florida will visit Lexington in November.

Given the difficulty of their schedule, it appears that Kentucky is in for another tough season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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