Will Stein will have a massive opportunity in week 2 against Alabama

Could the Kentucky Wildcats upset the Alabama Crimson Tide?

New Kentucky Wildcat head coach Will Stein makes remarks as he is introduced at Kentucky on Wednesday, December 3, 2025 | Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Summer is here, and that means that college football is right around the corner. It is a very exciting time for the Kentucky football program as Mark Stoops is out as the Wildcats head coach and Will Stein is in. Stein has been at Oregon the last few years as the offensive coordinator, where his Ducks put up a ton of points game after game.

It was finally time for Stein to get the nod as a head coach, and his first head coaching job will be at the school he grew up a fan of and where his father played. Stein is bringing an elite, high-powered offense to the SEC, and it should be a very fun time to be a Kentucky football fan.

The Wildcats are getting the Stein era kicked off with a boom because in week 2 of the season, they will welcome the Alabama Crimson Tide. This will be the first SEC game of the Stein era, and one guarantee is that Kroger Field is going to be really loud, trying to will the Wildcats to victory.

New Kentucky Wildcat head coach Will Stein makes remarks as he is introduced at Kentucky on Wednesday, December 3, 2025 | Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The best coach to ever do it, Nick Saban, is gone, and now Kalen DeBoer is the head coach of the Crimson Tide. He has done some good during his few years in Tuscaloosa so far, but he definitely needs a deep run in the College Football Playoff this season.

Teams aren’t quite as afraid of this Alabama team with Saban gone, so this would be an opportunity for Coach Stein and the Wildcats to get a massive marquee victory early into his time in Lexington.

If the Wildcats are going to pull off the upset over Alabama, this will have to be the coming-out game for Notre Dame quarterback Kenny Minchey. Obviously, the Wildcats will be playing a week one game against Youngstown State to get Minchey going, but the week two game against the Crimson Tide will be his first true test.  

Nov 29, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Kenny Minchey (8) runs with the football during the fourth quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

If Minchey plays well against what should be a good defense of Alabama, and the Wildcats are able to win this game, then there might be some belief in this football team for the rest of the season. Obviously, Alabama will be a heavy favorite in this game, but it wouldn’t be the craziest thing in the world for Kentucky to pull off the upset.

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