Alabama Crimson Tide Could Be On Upset Watch Against Kentucky In Week 2

The Alabama Crimson Tide could be on upset alert in Week 2.

Alabama is coming off a 48-10 win over East Carolina in Week 1 as redshirt freshman Keelon Russell looked good at quarterback. However, the Crimson Tide will have a much tougher test against the Kentucky Wildcats in Week 2.

The Crimson Tide will have to go on the road to play Kentucky, who aren’t ranked but are a team I’m high on and could pull off some big upsets this season.

The Wildcats overhauled their roster after hiring Will Stein who was the offensive coordinator at Oregon. Stein was active in the transfer portal as Kentucky landed impact starters like quarterback Kenny Minchey, running back CJ Baxter, wide receivers Nic Anderson and Shane Carr, as well as a brand-new offensive line.

In Week 1, Kentucky cruised to a 45-13 win over Youngstown State and will now host the Crimson Tide in one of the biggest games of the week.

Russell is a redshirt freshman, and this will be his first experience going on the road in the SEC. Although Kentucky isn’t the loudest stadium, playing on the road in the SEC is never easy.

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Meanwhile, the Wildcats’ offense looked like the real deal, and Stein is one of the best offensive-minded coaches in the sport. So, that could pose a lot of problems for Alabama’s defense.

Even though the Crimson Tide are a 10.5-point favorite, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see this game be much closer and potentially even see Kentucky pull off a stunning upset.

This is a game where the brand value of Alabama is overvaluing them, as I don’t think the Crimson Tide are an elite team in the SEC, while the Wildcats are a sneaky good team and building something special under Stien.

Alabama DC Believes Kentucky Poses ‘Challenges’ in Week 2

Although Alabama is a double-digit favorite on the road against Kentucky, the Crimson Tide aren’t overlooking the Wildcats.

Instead, Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Kane Wommack knows how good a coach Will Stein is and how unique his offense is. With that, Wommack knows Alabama’s defense will have its hands full on Saturday afternoon.

Related: Lane Kiffin, LSU Send Statement to College Football After Week 1

“Will Stein is a fantastic football coach,” Wommack said. “He’s got great energy, from what it seems, to his team. Those guys seem to be in their first game, they responded with a lot of great energy as a football team. They’re creative in the way they get the ball to their playmakers, and I think they do a really good job of a lot of formations and motions and shifts and things we would call ‘eye candy’ that they give people.

“And at the same time, they can keep the main thing the main thing by getting their playmakers the ball. So they present a number of challenges for us.”

If Alabama loses to Kentucky in Week 2, the Crimson Tide’s playoff hopes likely end, and it could also be the beginning of the end for Kalen DeBoer as the head coach.

This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Sep 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.