Kentucky hosts Alabama for the SEC opener on Saturday. The Crimson Tide defense will be led by an elite secondary and game wrecking edge defender.

There's two things that can be true at the same time. Alabama doesn't traditionally lose SEC openers, having won 10 straight. But the Crimson Tide also knows what road struggles feel like, and going against a Kentucky team that looks much different than in ...

Top-30 recruit Chase Lumpkin will play elsewhere in the SEC for Nate Oats

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kentucky as The analytics pick the winner between Kentucky and #12 Alabama.

Good morning, folks! We’re halfway to another Kentucky football gameday — and this one will be the first real test of the Will Stein era. No. 12 Alabama comes to Kroger Field on Saturday. SEC Nation will be in Lexington to cover it all.

Kalen DeBoer hasn’t coached against CJ Baxter for three years. The last time was when DeBoer was coaching Washington, and Baxter was playing for Texas. That was 2023 in the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff.

But traveling to Lexington for an SEC road game against Kentucky is a completely different challenge, especially with a young quarterback making his first road start. Alabama is currently favored by around 10 points.