Mark Stoops is facing the same task that literally every Kentucky coach has faced since Paul “Bear” Bryant left for Texas A&M long ago: rebuilding.

Were it not for Bryant’s success at Kentucky, one could argue that the current UK staff is actually building, not rebuilding. Kentucky hasn’t been a legitimate threat in the SEC since that time. There were some isolated bright spots over the years – Hal Mumme’s early seasons, Jerry Claiborne’s 9-3 campaign in 1984, the fundamentally sound and overachieving teams of Rich Brooks – but for the most part, Kentucky has played the role of Washington Generals to the Harlem Globetrotters of Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.

Time will tell if Stoops is the coach to finally buck this trend. His initial season started poorly with a loss to the Sun Belt’s Western Kentucky, itself a team in transition under a new head coach. But Kentucky has been competitive in its last three games against better teams – Louisville, Florida and South Carolina. All, however, have ended in losses.

Alabama doesn’t come into this game at 100-percent strength. The Crimson Tide is without its starting center and strong safety, and other key players have been nicked up or otherwise ineffective. But Alabama would have to completely overlook this game to be in any danger.