Big Blue Nation needs to stick with Will Stein and Kentucky football all season

Some early season losses could frustrate BBN, but the wins will come late.

Kentucky head football coach Will Stein speaks during a news conference before the start of fall camp in Lexington, Ky., on Aug. 3, 2026. Stein discussed the Wildcats' offseason preparation and the start of preseason practice. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It is a very exciting time for Kentucky football fans as Will Stein has taken over as the head coach of the program after a very long Mark Stoops tenure. Obviously, Coach Stoops did some excellent things during his time in Lexington, but it was time for a change, and fans are very happy that the change was to bring in Stein, who grew up a Kentucky fan.

While BBN is looking forward to the official start of the Stein era, he is walking into his first head coaching job at a difficult time. Stein’s first season in Lexington, the Wildcats will be playing nine SEC games, and sadly for the Wildcats, five of those will be on the road. This is going to give the Wildcats one of the toughest schedules in college football this season.

Jul 20, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Will Stein speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I have a concern for this season looking at the schedule. The Wildcats have a lot of their tougher games early in the season, and this could lead to some early losses. The first few SEC games are brutal for the Wildcats. Alabama comes to town, then a trip to Texas A&M; next, the Cats go to play South Carolina, Lane Kiffin and LSU come to town, next a trip to Oklahoma awaits Stein. This is obviously a tough stretch.

This means there is a world where, if the Wildcats drop all five of these games, they are 2-5 heading into the final five games of the year. The hope is that fans won’t tune out once basketball rolls around and they see a losing record. The final five games of the season are the most winnable for Stein.

A Kentucky football helmet rests on the turf at Kroger Field before the start of the Wildcats' fall camp in Lexington, Ky., on Aug. 3, 2026. Kentucky opens the season Sept. 5 under first-year head coach Will Stein. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

These games include Vanderbilt at home, a road trip to Tennessee, who might struggle this season, Florida coming to town, a road trip to Missouri, and Louisville coming to Lexington. What’s funny is that while these are the “easier” games, all of these teams are going to be competitive. While that is the case, I do think Stein and the Wildcats will pick up some wins in this stretch.

I don’t want fans to give up on this team if they are 2-5, knowing that a bowl game is very much still on the table if they go on a run to end the season. This is going to be a really tough season, but BBN should have a ton of confidence in Stein.

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