Reminder from Will Stein: Kentucky has More Top 25 Wins in the CFP Era than Louisville

The Kentucky football program has received a much-needed shot in the arm from its new head coach, Will Stein. Even when players aren’t on campus in the month of May, he’s finding ways to keep BBN engaged with the program, thanks to a series of interviews. During one conversation, he took a subtle shot at his alma mater that did not go unnoticed.

Earlier this month, The Next Round published a graphic that got people talking: Power 4 School Records vs. Ranked Opponents in the CFP Era.

As you might expect, there were plenty of usual suspects, like Alabama and Ohio State, near the top of the list. What some Kentucky football fans might not realize is that the Wildcats are 14-29 against Top 25 teams since 2014. Kentucky has a better winning percentage against Top 25 teams than Tennessee.

So what did Will Stein make of this? During a conversation with Connor O’Gara, who hosts The OG Podcast for The Next Round, the Kentucky head coach was asked how his program compares to Indiana. While he understands the reasoning behind it, Curt Cignetti took over a program that was in a much different place than what Stein inherited in Lexington.

“If you look at Kentucky, even over the Stoops era, they were Top 10 in the country five years ago. So it’s even different than IU,” said Stein.

That’s when the Kentucky head coach brought up the Wildcats’ wins over Top 25 teams.

“I don’t know what Kentucky’s record was, but I see some teams on the list that are ‘high-profile’ teams that were 7-25 over the last 12 years, and Kentucky’s record was better than that. Two years ago, they went to Ole Miss and beat Ole Miss. They played Georgia tight every year. They should’ve beat Texas last year in overtime. There is a comparison, but it’s really just because it’s a basketball school. Indiana was the losingest program in college football, turned National Championship.”

Take a closer look at that graphic. Do you notice who has half as many Top 25 wins as Kentucky? The Louisville Cardinals.

Power 4 School Records vs. Ranked Opponents In CFP Era pic.twitter.com/ssh5uM9KX3

— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) May 4, 2026

UK’s Top 25 Record vs. Common Foes

You can see everyone’s record above, but it’s worth highlighting where the Wildcats stack up against familiar foes who often get significantly more name-brand recognition.

• Alabama 62-17
• Georgia 46-22
• Oklahoma 35-20
• LSU 30-29
• Texas 30-34
• Ole Miss 22-30
• Texas A&M 22-31
• Kentucky 14-29
• Tennessee 18-38
• Miss. State 15-38
• Florida 15-39
• Auburn 18-48
• Louisville 7-25
• South Carolina 11-44
• Arkansas 13-53
• Vanderbilt 8-40

Kentucky is Close

There are many reasons why Will Stein was eager to return to his home state, and it’s not just because he grew up cheering for the Wildcats. Even though the last few years featured more losses than wins, Kentucky has been close. He believes he’s the right man to put all of the pieces back together and get Kentucky back to playing winning football.

“Kentucky has had a lot of ups, and what Coach Stoops did here for Kentucky is incredible. I got so much respect for Coach Stoops and what they were able to do. It’s not that far off. Kentucky couldn’t score a point. If Kentucky scored points last year, I wouldn’t be here, just to be real. I’m serious,” he said.

“Liam (Coen) goes back to the Bucs, and now he’s the head coach of the Jags. When Liam was here, and they had Will Levis, they were pretty freaking good. I don’t know if anybody remembers that. It’s not like we’re this doormat of the SEC for the last 25 years. This program has had 10-win seasons recently. It’s not that far off, it’s just about getting this thing going again and doing it in today’s modern college football with NIL, rev-share, transfer portal, and taking it all in and going and attack it. Sometimes there’s just a change that has to happen. I think that’s what was happening here towards the end, and I’m thankful that they chose me to take this program and do some really cool things.”