The Athletic’s Chris Vannini unveiled his eighth annual ranking of all 134 FBS college football teams ($) with less than a week remaining until the start of the 2024 season in “Week 0.”
Dubbed The Athletic 134, Vannini ranks Kentucky at No. 44 entering the season — 11th among the 16 SEC teams entering 2024. The Wildcats placed behind Auburn (No. 34) and Florida (No. 35) in the rankings and were 12 spots below in-state rival Louisville at No. 32.
Also among SEC teams, Mark Stoops’ program was ranked one spot ahead of South Carolina at No. 45 and eight spots ahead of Arkansas at No. 52.
Ohio State topped The Athletic 134‘s Week 0 rankings, which will be updated each week throughout the season. Georgia was No. 2 with Oregon at No. 3. Texas (No. 4) and Alabama (No. 5) rounded out the top five.
Kentucky opens the season in less than two weeks, Aug. 31 against Southern Miss at Kroger Field (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network). Georgia is ranked No. 1 in both the AP and US LBM coaches polls entering the season. The Bulldogs head to Lexington in the third week of the season on Sept. 14 for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff.
Kentucky was unranked in the AP and coaches polls but garnered 12 votes for consideration in the coaches poll and three votes for consideration in the AP poll.
Florida State faces Georgia Tech at noon ET in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday in the first game of the 2024 season.
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