Paul Finebaum Names Struggling SEC Program With 'Genuine Excitement' For the First Time in a Long Time

The Kentucky Wildcats are one of the worst programs in the history of college football. According to Sports Reference, the Wildcats are 538-593-36 all-time with only two conference titles.

However, the team did have some good years under former head coach Mark Stoops. He spent 13 seasons in Lexington, becoming the winningest coach in Kentucky history. Stoops led Kentucky to two of the four double-digit-win seasons in program history.

Will Stein Brings Excitement to Lexington

However, after back-to-back losing seasons, the Wildcats elected to move on from the long-time head coach, instead replacing him with former Oregon Ducks offensive coordinator Will Stein.

Stein spent three seasons as Oregon's offensive coordinator, leading some of the most high-powered offenses in college football. He was hired to bring change to the Wildcats, and his career started off on a high note. The Wildcats opened the season against Youngstown State and won 45-13. The offense put up 506 yards in the game.

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Will Stein calls his team in for a timeout. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Paul Finebaum Praises Stein for Creating Excitement at Kentucky

Kentucky has a major matchup against the No. 12 Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday. ESPN's Paul Finebaum revealed on "The Paul Finebaum Show" that he isn't picking the Wildcats to upset the Crimson Tide, but he is excited about where things are headed in Lexington.

"Right now, I am not thinking that it's going to be an upset," Finebaum said. "... I'm excited about where Kentucky is, though. I'll say that. I think that Will Stein has done something that hasn't really happened in a long time. Genuine excitement with that program."

Alabama Gives the Wildcats Their First Real Test of the New Era

Saturday will reveal much more about whether the excitement surrounding Kentucky is justified. Alabama enters the matchup after a 48-10 win over East Carolina, and quarterback Keelon Russell will make his first road start.

Kentucky hasn't beaten Alabama since 1997 and has won just twice in 42 meetings with the Crimson Tide. That makes Saturday's game an enormous opportunity for Stein.

Finebaum isn't expecting Kentucky to pull off the upset, but that isn't really the most important takeaway from his comments. The bigger development is that a program searching for a new direction has quickly developed something it desperately needed: belief.

Alabama will provide the first real measurement of Stein's rebuild, and whether Kentucky can turn that excitement into a competitive SEC team will be far more telling than anything that happened against Youngstown State.

Kentucky takes on Alabama at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday on ABC.

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