KSR Today: Riding the Big Blue Madness high into Texas and Blue-White Game Week
Kentucky Football’s bye week is officially over, but my mind is stuck in basketball mode. Big Blue Madness always marks the unofficial start to basketball season, but given the excitement surrounding Mark Pope’s program and the apathy surrounding Mark Stoops’ program, it felt really nice to flip the page to the hardwood for a weekend.
It feels like most fans won’t flip back to football, barring a big win. Could that come this week vs. Texas? If so, it would be massive.
Mondays with Mark Stoops resume
We’re back in game week, which means we’ll hear from Mark Stoops twice today, first at his weekly press conference at noon ET and again on his radio show at 6 p.m. ET on 630 WLAP and network affiliates. Tune in to hear Stoops’ thoughts on how the team used the bye week to prepare for a brutal four-game stretch that includes Saturday’s game vs. No. 21 Texas, No. 11 Tennessee, Auburn (away), and Florida. Hopefully, Stoops tells us that Seth McGowan and DJ Waller will be good to go; the Cats need them.
The Longhorns are back in the AP Top 25 poll after beating Oklahoma 23-6 in the Red River Shootout. After a rough start to a very hyped sophomore season, Arch Manning finished 21-27 for 166 yards and a touchdown in the big rivalry win. Texas opened as a 12.5-point favorite vs. Kentucky, with the total set at 43.5 points. It will be the Longhorns’ first trip to Lexington, the only previous meetings taking place in Austin, including last year’s 31-14 Kentucky loss, which included a gutsy performance by Cutter Boley in only his third game as a true freshman. The Cats will need that moxy and more to pull off what would be a huge upset at home on Saturday night.
In case you missed it, the game will kick off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. This is also Homecoming and Family Weekend — and Keeneland is running — so Lexington will be very, very busy very soon. Get ready to see a lot of burnt orange around town as the Longhorns embrace their first trip to Lexington during the most picturesque time of the year.
We’ll get the Tennessee game time
This weekend is big, but so is next weekend, which is headlined by the basketball exhibition vs. Purdue and the football game vs. Tennessee. We already know the game vs. the Vols will take place at night, thanks to Keeneland, but we’ll get a specific kickoff time and TV information today around lunch.
Big CFB news: James Franklin out at Penn State
It’s going to be a busy offseason on the coaching carousel, which could complicate matters should Kentucky part ways with Mark Stoops. The latest coach to get the pink slip is James Franklin, whom Penn State fired on Sunday. The Nittany Lions are 3-3, riding a three-game losing streak, capped off by Saturday’s 22-21 loss to Northwestern in Happy Valley.
According to Pete Nakos, Franklin’s buyout is upwards of $48.6 million, so clearly, Penn State isn’t afraid to open up the checkbook in hopes of getting its program back on track. Also fired so far this season: Sam Pittman (Arkansas), Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State), Brent Pry (Virginia Tech), DeShaun Foster (UCLA), and Trent Bray (Oregon State). So, if Kentucky does pay Mark Stoops $38 million to leave after this season, there will be competition for the hottest names in the sport. Yet another variable to consider.
New KSR Football Podcast
Does Kentucky have a chance against Texas? The KSR Football Podcast will convene this afternoon to discuss just that. Tune into the KSR YouTube Channel at 2 p.m. ET to hear Nick Roush, Adam Luckett, Drew Franklin, and Van Hiles talk about the Cats vs. the Longhorns. Believe it or not, there are still seven football games left, a sentence that hits a little differently these days.
Next up for Basketball: Blue-White Game on Friday
On the basketball side of things, we’re still basking in the afterglow of a very fun Big Blue Madness. I couldn’t watch all of it live due to a Tyler Childers concert (I picked his Saturday show specifically to avoid a Friday Madness conflict!), but I stayed in my seat as long as possible to see John Wall’s introduction alongside Mark Pope. I caught up on the rest on Sunday morning and was very entertained. From Kenny Brooks literally breaking records to Wall’s intro, Trent Noah sharpshooting his way to the three-point contest title, and Collin Chandler running it back (full court) to a second straight dunk contest title, the event went off without a hitch.
Over the years, it’s become very easy to be jaded with Madness — it got pretty formulaic — but Pope has injected it with life, as he has everything. The BBN United Fan Fest was a wonderful touch. Seeing fans line up early in the morning for the (free) chance to meet the Cats was exactly what we’ve been asking for, and Kentucky delivered. The same goes for the new intro video, which I’ve watched several times, and it still brings tears to my eyes.
If you’re just catching up on Madness, head on over to the KSR YouTube Channel. From live interviews at Fan Fest (including one with Tubby Smith!) to the Rapid Reaction, we’ve got you covered.
It’s not too long until our next basketball fix. Tomorrow afternoon, Mark Pope, Denzel Aberdeen, Jaland Lowe, and Otega Oweh will appear at SEC Basketball Media Day, along with Kenny Brooks, Teonnie Key, Tonie Morgan, and Clara Strack. The Blue-White Game is Friday night (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network+). We’ve heard how intense Kentucky’s practices have been so far; we’ll get another glimpse of it Friday at Historic Memorial Coliseum. If you’re already trying to predict the lineups, you’re not alone.
Top 10
- 1New
5 Stages of UK FB Grief
It's time to mourn the Stoops era
- 2New
Auburn game time
Cats vs. Tigers at night on Nov. 1
- 3Trending
Another Lowe update
MRI came back negative
- 4New
Ochocinco
Chad Johnson criticizes UK's playcalling
- 5Hot
Lowe watched UL lose
Only needed an L's Down
Get the Daily On3 Newsletter in your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
If you needed a visual of how much BBN is looking forward to this season, Collin Chandler delivered on Saturday night:
Change the game with Rhoback, a proud partner of KSR. Get the best fit and the best feel with their incredibly comfortable activewear. From polos and q-zips to shorts and delta performance pants, you will look good and feel good with Rhoback. Use promo code KSR for 20% off your first purchase at Rhoback.com.
Still no announcement from Tyran Stokes
Despite the rumors, the weekend came and went without a commitment from Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 player in the 2026 class. Kentucky is still considered the frontrunner from Stokes, who celebrated his 18th birthday on Sunday. His mother posted a birthday video for him on Instagram, which finishes with him in a Kentucky jersey. In the image just before it, Kentucky’s jersey is the only home jersey on the floor alongside Louisville, Oregon, USC, and Kansas. Maybe that means good news is coming soon? We’ll keep reading the tea leaves.
It was a big basketball recruiting weekend on campus, with 2026 five-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr. and 2026 four-star center Josh Irving taking official visits for Madness alongside several unofficial visitors, including 2026 five-star shooting guard Caleb Holt. 2027 four-star power forward Dawson Battie was also among that group and earned an offer on his visit. He talked to Jacob Polacheck about it afterward.
“Coach Pope called me into his office and we talked a lot about stuff outside of basketball. That surprised me at first. I like how Coach Pope places value in that,” Battie said. “Towards the end of the conversation, we talked about the offer. It was super exciting and, honestly, surreal. Kentucky is the top of the top when it comes to basketball schools. I’m grateful and blessed to receive it. I’m thankful.”
Over on KSR+, you can also read an interview with Jordan Smith Jr., who admitted he “fanned out” when he met John Wall at Madness. Who can blame him? More interviews and intel are on the way.
Kentucky Volleyball got another W
We can’t finish the morning post without a shoutout to the Kentucky Volleyball team. The No. 3 Cats swept LSU in Baton Rouge on Sunday to move to 12-2 overall, 5-0 in SEC play. Brooklyn DeLeye had 20 kills and 11 digs, one of two Cats in double figures scoring. The other was Eva Hudson, who had 10 kills and four digs. Although it was a sweep, Kentucky overcame a slow start to win the first set 25-22. They built momentum throughout the second set (25-18), and the third was a battle, featuring 11 ties and five lead changes. Back-to-back kills by DeLaye helped the Cats seal the victory.
Kentucky is tied for first in the SEC with Texas (14-0, 6-0). The Cats host Auburn at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday night.
Two MLB Playoff games, MNF doubleheader
Elsewhere in sports, there is plenty to keep you entertained. Today marks Game 2 of the ALCS, with the Seattle Mariners taking on the Toronto Blue Jays in the Great White North (5:03 PM, FOX/FS1). That’ll be followed by Game 1 of the NLCS between the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. the Milwaukee Brewers (8:08 PM, TBS/truTV/HBO Max). As someone who does not follow baseball, I don’t have much to add here other than I know that Jacob Polacheck, the biggest Brewers fan I know, will be tuned in.
On the gridiron, we’ve got another Monday Night Football doubleheader. The Atlanta Hawks host the Buffalo Bills (7:15 PM ET, ESPN), while the Washington Commanders host the Chicago Bears (8:15 PM, ABC). Sounds like a great night to go to KSBar and Grille, if you ask me.
Discuss This Article
Comments have moved.
Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.
KSBoard