What each potential record in 2022 would mean for Mark Stoops

There are 12 different records that Mark Stoops and Kentucky can achieve with this upcoming football season. Twelve different records that would lead to 12 different reactions from this fanbase. I went and tried to predict what the outcome and feedback from UK fans would be with each and every one of the 12 options:

DISASTERS

0-12: Do we think Mark Stoops would be fired before the end of the season if the Cats were on pace for 0-12? Obviously, this isn’t going to happen but to even imagine it happening, it would likely have to require a team mutiny or the most injury-prone team in college football history. I don’t think Mark Stoops would survive an 0-12 season.

1-11: Most likely this would be losing all 11 FBS games, which also means the season would be toast 3 or 4 games into the year. Much like 0-12, something would have to go tragically wrong for this record to ever come into play. Hell, Joker Phillips was able to find a way to win 2 games in a season.

2-10: This would almost certainly mean an 0-8 SEC record plus losses to Louisville and Northern Illinois. Obviously, something has gone terribly wrong but does this record get Mark Stoops fired? Unless there was a player revolt for some reason, I would say Stoops would keep his job. But, he would immediately be on the hot seat in 2023 and all program momentum would be gone.

3-9: An 0-8 SEC record and losing to Louisville. That would be a seriously difficult offseason for Stoops and Co. Will Levis’ draft stock will have certainly tanked. The fans would be in an awkward spot because we’d be furious but also doubting what we saw the previous 5-6 years under Stoops. How would the program have fallen so quickly?

REALISTIC BUT AWFUL SEASONS

4-8: Realistically, this is probably the worst-case scenario. Hard to imagine Kentucky not winning at least 4 games when you have 3 gimmies and Louisville/Vanderbilt/Missouri as well. So let’s say they go 4-8. Well, any talk of Stoops leaving for a better job probably disappears. So if you are a big Stoops fan and worried he might leave Kentucky, then that could be the silver lining of this record.

5-7: Much like a 4-8 season, this would be seen as a massive disappointment. No bowl. Maybe you still get a win against Louisville. You will have won 1 or 2 SEC games, so if those are Tennessee or Florida or Georgia, maybe you find bright spots. But a losing season would be unacceptable at this point in the Stoops tenure.

6-6: Yes, you would be bowling again. But going to Birmingham or Shreveport in mid-December will not likely spark the massive UK following. Unlike a losing season, where I think unexpected injuries or unforeseen bad luck, could play a role, I think a 6-6 record could be the result of the team not being as good as we thought. Will Levis is still turnover prone. Late game management is still a problem for Stoops. Chris Rodriguez doesn’t play much. The defense has holes. This would be all of our concerns about the roster coming into the season coming true.

IS THIS A GOOD SEASON?

7-5: I think this record would be the most interesting to see fan reaction. You’re going to a bowl. You probably beat Louisville again. You’ve got at least 3 SEC wins. Personally, this would still feel like a step back. You’ve got as good a quarterback as you’ve had in 20 years. If Rodriguez plays, you’ve got the likely school rushing leader. You have some pieces at most positions to compete. I think this would put a serious red mark on claiming Kentucky was nipping at the heels of Georgia. It would cement Kentucky as a solid but not spectacular SEC program.

8-4: It’s hard to question whether this is a good season considering we’ve had so few 8-win seasons over the last 50 years. But at some point, you either take the next step or you don’t. Coming off a 10-win season and returning most major offensive pieces, only winning 8 games would not be considered a great season for most. Maybe if beating Georgia was included in those 8 wins that would be a different story, but if not, just a decent season.

THE NEXT STEP TAKEN

9-3: Considering the schedule, this would be a great season. Let’s say Kentucky loses its 3 toughest games: at Georgia, at Tennessee, at Florida. You still would get wins at Ole Miss, at Missouri, and continue dominance over South Carolina, Vandy, and Louisville. Now, we’d still be considered a notch below Georgia and an elite SEC football program, but another New Year’s Bowl would likely be in line and you can’t even call that a bad season.

10-2: It’s would be Kentucky’s first 10-win pre-bowl season since 1977. A New Year’s Six game would probably be on the table, especially if a win over Georgia was on the books. And if the Bulldogs aren’t as good as we think, winning the East is possible with this record. If this record occurs, you can unequivocally say that Kentucky has taken the next step into an elite football program.

BUILD A STOOPS STATUE

11-1: I guess this could only be a minor downer if the only loss was to Georgia and it kept Kentucky out of the SEC title game. But even still, a New Year’s Six game would be a certainty. This would be the best modern UK team by a landslide. Will Levis is probably in Heisman consideration. All of the dreams would be on the table at 11-1. Kentucky would likely need to open the checkbook even more or the top jobs in the country would become available for Stoops.

12-0: Headed to the SEC Title game and almost certainly the Playoff too, even if you lose that game. It’s all gravy at that point and John Calipari can probably see himself out as Kentucky becomes a football school for a while. I think the passion and excitement if this kind of season occurred would top any basketball passion we’ve seen.