Will Stein has only been the head coach of Kentucky for eight games, but has already managed to rack up seven wins. With this feat, he is now all square with what Bear Bryant was able to achieve during his first season with the Cats.

While the two coaches come from completely different eras of the sport, it shows just how impressive Stein’s start in Lexington has been. With four games still remaining on the 2026 schedule, he has a chance to surpass Bryant’s win total during his first year as a whole.

When Bryant arrived at Kentucky in 1946, he inherited a program coming off a disappointing 2-8 season. However, it didn’t take long for him to turn things around. The Wildcats opened his first season with three straight victories, including a dominant 70-0 win over Xavier.

Kentucky would go on to finish 7-3, with a 2-3 record against SEC opponents. The Wildcats also briefly appeared in the AP Top 20, reaching No. 19. Despite falling to Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee, Bryant’s first year gave Wildcat fans a reason to believe the program was heading in the right direction.

Eighty years later, Stein is off to an impressive start of his own. After suffering a loss to a ranked Alabama team in week two, the Wildcats have bounced back with six consecutive wins, including victories over No. 9 Texas A&M and No. 10 LSU.

Stein has already secured bowl eligibility and surpassed Bryant’s first-season SEC win total, with a 5-1 conference record compared to Bryant’s 2-3 finish in 1946. With the win over Vanderbilt, the Wildcats now have won five consecutive SEC games for the first time since 1977, adding another historic accomplishment to Stein’s debut season.

While the game has changed drastically over the past 80 years, both coaches found success early in the blue and white. For reference, Bryant’s Wildcats scored 233 points in 10 games while allowing just 90. This year’s team has already surpassed that offensive total, scoring 263 points through just eight games.

Obviously it’s too early to compare their overall coaching careers, but Stein has already given BBN plenty to be excited about in the foreseeable future. Now, he needs just one more victory to surpass Bryant’s seven-win debut in Lexington.

The Wildcats moved to 7-1 on Saturday, Oct. 24, taking sole possession of the No. 1 spot in the conference. During this six-game win streak, Kentucky has constantly moved up the ranks in the AP Top 25 Poll, coming in this week as the No. 9 team in the nation.

Will Stein and his team have continued to beat the odds, receiving the team’s highest ranking since week eight of the 2022 season. This is the first time Kentucky has been ranked in the Top 10 in week nine since 1977.

It’s hard to fathom that the blue and white have made it this far, with the program transforming into a powerhouse rather quickly. After becoming the No. 15 ranked team with a win over Lane Kiffin and LSU at home, the Cats have steadily moved up the polls, jumping three spots in back-to-back weeks. In fact, every team but No. 1 Miami moved spots this week.

Kentucky is one of nine SEC teams ranked this time around, joined by the second place No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs, No. 10 Alabama, No. 11 Texas, No. 12 Ole Miss, No. 15 LSU, No. 16 Tennessee, No. 17 Florida and No. 23 Missouri.

A full list of the rankings can be found below:

1. Miami Hurricanes (7-0)
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1)
3. Georgia Bulldogs (6-1)
4. Indiana Hoosiers (7-1)
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-1)
6. Utah Utes (7-0)
7. UCLA Bruins (7-0)
8. BYU Cougars (6-1)
9. Kentucky Wildcats (7-1)
10. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-2)
11. Texas Longhorns (5-2)
12. Ole Miss Rebels (5-2)
13. Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-1)
14. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6-1)
15. LSU Tigers (6-2)
16. Tennessee Volunteers (6-2)
17. Florida Gators (5-2)
18. Houston Cougars (6-2)
19. SMU Mustangs (6-1)
20. Boise State Broncos (6-1)
21. Northwestern Wildcats (6-1)
22. Arizona Wildcats (6-1)
23. Missouri Tigers (5-2)
24. Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-2)
25. Wisconsin Badgers (5-2)

Receiving votes: Iowa (76), New Mexico (41), Cincinnati (11), Oregon State (10), South Carolina (8), Minnesota (7), USC (7), UTSA (1), Virginia Tech (1).

Game in and game out, it seems like the entire nation is always overlooking the Wildcats. In all honesty, it’s because they always are. The underdog mantra has followed the blue and white all season, with the team soaking in every negative comment and turning them into checks in the win column. Nothing combats hate better than undeniable results.

How often have the Wildcats been the non-favorite though? How many times have they “just played a bad team?” When will the rest of the country learn? At this point, if you have an ounce of doubt in this Kentucky team, standing at 7-1 on the season, you might as well move to Louisville, KY and invest in some bright red clothing.

Will Stein, in year one of his tenure mind you, is entering the upcoming bye week on top of the SEC. Not tied with another team, not barely scrapping by, but ON TOP of the conference. Not a single member of the Big Blue Nation had any idea that this season would be so successful, so it’s understandable if the outsiders are just now hopping on the bandwagon.

Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey sounded off after his team handled the Vanderbilt Commodores at home, telling the media how it feels to be doubted over and over.

“Throughout the entire season, every week, and we know it’s true, but our coach tells us that nobody respects us, because they don’t,” Minchey said. “Every time we do something, people have something to say.”

Stein and Joe Sloan have voiced this to Minchey and the entire team like a motivational tick. Ignore the social media posts, focus on getting better and be the best version of yourself.

Does the acronym F.E.B.U. ring a bell? It stands for something unpleasant, but Minchey and the other Wildcats thrive off of this saying, like it’s some sort of lifestyle.

“I’ve mentioned F.E.B.U. a few times, *blank* everybody but us, and that’s something that we embody every single day,” Minchey continued. “That’s something we believe so we don’t necessarily look at the outside noise…all we care about is us.”

You heard the man. Screw the rest of the SEC. Screw Vegas and the odds they produce. Check the “all above” section on the sheet. It’s the Wildcats or nobody in that locker room.

What’s the significance of this? It’s a theme that Minchey, Stein, Sloan and the entire fanbase know will happen again. Another team will be the favorite, another negative comment will pop up, another “professional” College Gameday host will pick against them – that’s how it goes.

The Wildcats have a bye week coming up, and while they rest and fix their mistakes, people will talk, forgetting how successful this program has been. Minchey guaranteed that nobody respects Kentucky, so the only goal from this point on is to make them respect you.