KSR Today: Kentucky WBB at LSU and CFP Quarterfinals on New Year's Day

Good morning, friends. I haven’t seen you since last year! I know that got a chuckle out of Nick Roush, at the very least. And, to be fair, it’s been a few days since I’ve written on this here website. My husband and I took advantage of the long break between games to head to the North Carolina mountains for some rest and relaxation. It was wonderful, but it’s time to get back to business. Even on New Year’s Day, a lot is happening.

A few hours from now, Kentucky’s new football coach Will Stein will be coaching Oregon’s offense vs. Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl, the first of three College Football Playoff quarterfinal games today. The No. 5 seed Ducks are the favorite vs. the No. 4 seed Red Raiders. If they win, they’ll advance to the Peach Bowl on January 9, making it another week-plus of Stein juggling his Oregon duties and his Kentucky duties. With the transfer portal opening tomorrow, that’s about to go from very crazy to absolutely chaotic.

That’s at noon. No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 9 Alabama in the Rose Bowl follows around 4 p.m. ET on ESPN, with No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl as the CFP nightcap. At 8 p.m. ET, your University of Kentucky Women’s Basketball team plays its first SEC game of the season at No. 5 LSU. That’s a big one.

So, lots to get to, and probably for some of you, some hangovers to deal with. Grab some coffee or a mimosa, and we’ll get through it together.

No. 11 Kentucky WBB at No. 5 LSU

Kentucky breezed through the non-conference portion of the schedule, losing only one game, to Maryland in Puerto Rico. After feasting on some cupcakes, Kenny Brooks’ Cats take their 13-1 record to Baton Rouge to face the No. 5 LSU Tigers. Kim Mulkey’s squad is 14-0 and averaging 108 points and 51.2 rebounds per game.

LSU leads the series 38-18, 17-5 in Baton Rouge. Last season, Kentucky had a 12-point lead over the Tigers at halftime in Lexington before LSU stormed back, outscoring Kentucky 23-6 in the third quarter en route to a 65-58 win. It’s time for Kenny Brooks’ second team to get some revenge and make a statement to start SEC play.

Because of the College Football Playoff quarterfinals and all of the megacasts that go with them, Kentucky WBB vs. LSU will be on SEC Network+, aka “on the computer.” That’s a shame, but Phoenix Stevens will have you covered with live updates on KSBoard. He’ll also have a preview of the game here shortly.

Take advantage of our KSR+ TRANSFER PORTAL SALE to get bonus coverage of the Cats, including game threads, in-depth scouting reports, the latest recruiting and roster intel, and a year of access to The Athletic. Annual subscriptions are 50% off for a limited time.

CFP Quarterfinals continue, starting with Will Stein and Oregon

The College Football Playoff quarterfinals got off to a wild start last night when No. 10 Miami knocked off No. 2 Ohio State 24-14 in the Cotton Bowl. The Hurricanes were 9.5-point underdogs, but were the aggressors from the start, holding Ohio State scoreless in the first quarter, scoring their first touchdown minutes into the second, and getting a pick-six a few minutes later to go up 14-0. Ohio State rallied to cut the lead to three, 17-14, at the start of the fourth quarter, but Miami held the Buckeyes off, sealing the win with a touchdown with 55 seconds to go. The Canes will face the winner of No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia in the Fiesta Bowl on January 8.

The fun continues today. At noon, No. 5 Oregon takes on No. 4 Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl for a spot in the Peach Bowl, where they’ll face the winner of No. 1 Indiana and No. 9 Alabama. Will Stein will juggle his duties with Oregon and Kentucky until the Ducks are out. Today, they’re a 2.5-point favorite against the Red Raiders.

On one hand, every minute that Oregon is still in the CFP means free publicity for Stein and Kentucky, especially if the Ducks’ offense looks good. On the other, every minute Oregon is still in the CFP is a minute Stein is not in Lexington during a critical time. I’m sure the 36-year-old is doing the best he can to handle both jobs, but with the transfer portal opening tomorrow, things are about to go into overdrive.

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So, which scenario do you cheer for? Maybe a 55-54 Texas Tech win that shows off Stein’s offense? A dominant Oregon win and a teleporter for Stein to quickly move between Lexington and Eugene? Either way, we’ll be watching, maybe with a Sissycakes orange juice cake and a mimosa.

Here is the entire CFP Quarterfinal schedule for the day. It’s a good one.

Time (ET)	Matchup	Bowl Name	Location	TV	BetMGM Odds
12:00 PM	No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech	Orange Bowl (CFP Quarterfinal)	Hard Rock Stadium — Miami Gardens, FL	ESPN	Oregon −2.5
4:00 PM	No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 9 Alabama	Rose Bowl (CFP Quarterfinal)	Rose Bowl — Pasadena, CA	ESPN	Indiana -7
8:00 PM	No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 Ole Miss	Sugar Bowl (CFP Quarterfinal)	Caesars Superdome — New Orleans, LA	ESPN	Georgia -6.5

Transfer Portal opens TOMORROW

Again, one reason it’d be nice to have Will Stein back in Lexington is that tomorrow, the transfer portal officially opens. Starting cornerback DJ Waller became the tenth Wildcat to announce his plans to enter the portal on Wednesday. There will be more today, probably, and definitely tomorrow.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

However, Stein and his staff have plenty of irons in the fire to fill those spots. The Cats are in the hunt for several wide receivers, including Missouri transfer Marquis Johnson and Syracuse transfer Darrell Gill. Matt Jones took a break from his vacation to share another fun nugget about who may join Stein in Lexington, further reason to take advantage of our 50% off Transfer Portal sale. With the portal about to open and news continuing to break about Stein’s staff, there really is no better time to get on board.

One day closer to Kentucky MBB vs. Alabama

We’re nearing the end of the morning post and only now getting to men’s basketball. The Cats are hard at work at the Joe Craft Center, taking advantage of the 10-day break before SEC play to hold a mini-training camp, complete with two-a-days. Tomorrow, they’ll head to Tuscaloosa for Saturday’s SEC opener vs. No. 14 Alabama.

The Crimson Tide is 10-3, more recently beating up on Yale 102-78. We’ve yet to get a line for the game, but Alabama will surely be favored at home. KenPom projects an 88-83 Crimson Tide win, giving the Cats a 31% chance of victory. It’s been hard to get a read on this Kentucky team for a variety of reasons this season; Saturday should give us an idea of what SEC play could look like.

One day closer to an @SEC game day. pic.twitter.com/bbHp9cJGrD
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) December 30, 2025

KSR will be a “Best of” show today

Ryan Lemond and Drew Franklin get a break from radio duties today for the holiday, so today’s show will be a “Best of.” However, they’ll be back tomorrow to get you ready for Saturday’s game vs. Alabama. Matt Jones returns from his vacation on Saturday for the pregame show, which will start at 9:30 a.m. ahead of the 12 p.m. tipoff.

Have a great New Year’s Day, folks. Let’s enjoy some football and beat the Tigers.