Kentucky HC Mark Pope ribs ESPN analyst for nonsensical take

On Tuesday, Ravech befuddled viewers with a dubious claim about the SEC.

"Since January 4 ... SEC teams are 82-82," Ravech said during an Alabama-Texas broadcast. (h/t Awful Announcing)

"There's been no ability to pull away. There's no dominant group of teams," he continued, putting his foot further in his mouth.

Considering SEC teams have only played each other since Jan. 4, it would be strange (and even impossible, some might argue) for the conference to have more wins than losses.

The following afternoon, Ravech offered a weak explanation for the blunder, saying it was done "Tongue in cheek ... to illustrate any night either team can win and one will."

In ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi's most recent 2025 men's NCAA Tournament projection, 13 SEC teams are expected to make the field, two more than the Big East's previous record (11) set in 2011.

On Saturday, Auburn and Alabama will play the first SEC game between the Associated Press No. 1 and 2 teams in conference history. According to Stathead, it will be the first regular-season conference game between the country's top two teams since 2016 and only the 10th all-time.

In the most recent AP poll, the SEC had four top-five teams and nine overall in the top 25. 

Pope's Kentucky squad (No. 15) is one of those programs. In his first season as Wildcats head coach, Pope, who previously coached at BYU, is 17-7, including 6-5 in SEC.

Times are good in Lexington and the entire SEC — well, according to Ravech, at least for the half that is winning.