Kentucky's OT upset of LSU puts Wildcats in national CFP conversation

Kentucky's 35-34 overtime win over No. 10 LSU at Kroger Field on Saturday has changed how the rest of the country talks about the Wildcats. A week ago they were outside the top 25. Now they are ranked in both major polls and are being discussed as a College Football Playoff team.

On3's Kentucky Sports Radio collected the national reaction to the upset. Much of it centered on first-year coach Will Stein. Brad Crawford of CBS Sports, reacting to Kentucky's jump to No. 15 in the AP Poll, said he believes Kentucky "is a legitimate CFP contender." He pointed to a coach riding a wave of momentum, a locker room that has bought in, and a quarterback who sat for three years at Notre Dame and now looks like an All-American-caliber player. Kentucky also climbed to No. 17 in the Coaches Poll after starting the weekend at No. 25.

That quarterback is Kenny Minchey. The Notre Dame transfer also drew praise from ESPN's Dick Vitale, who noted that Kentucky now owns wins over both LSU and Texas A&M. Crawford pointed out that those were back-to-back 35-34 overtime wins over SEC opponents. In both games Stein went for two to end it, and that aggressive streak is a big part of why analysts are taking notice. ESPN's Scott Van Pelt praised the call, singled out a quarterback draw straight up the middle on the deciding play, and said Kentucky felt like the better team. On3's J.D. PicKell said Stein had already changed how people see Kentucky football by Week 6. Barstool's Brandon Walker said the school clearly hired the right man.

There was a price for the celebration. Fans stormed the field, and the SEC fined the school $500,000. On3's Andy and Ari framed the win as a sign that a program long defined by basketball is ready to become a football school, and compared Kentucky's rise to Indiana's in recent seasons.

The next test comes quickly. The 5-1 Wildcats go to Oklahoma on Oct. 17 as clear underdogs. The Sooners are favored at -245 on Novig, one of the venues pricing the game, with a 6.5-point spread and a total of 43.5. The best sportsbook price on Oklahoma is -240 at theScore Bet. A win in Norman would back up the playoff talk. A loss would raise the question of whether two straight one-point overtime wins point to a contender or a team living on the edge.

For LSU, the loss is a second blemish at 4-2 under Lane Kiffin, and it hurts the Tigers' playoff hopes. Some commentators were quick to note that. SEC Mike joked that Stein may have saved everyone from seeing Kiffin in the playoff. LSU returns home to face Mississippi State on Oct. 17 and is favored at -355 on Novig, with an 11.5-point spread and a total of 59.5. The best sportsbook price on the Tigers is -400 at theScore Bet. With little room left for another loss, that game now carries more weight for LSU than it looked like it would a week ago.