Putting Up Numbers· college football

Kentucky’s points allowed with CJ Baxter and without CJ Baxter

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Kentucky was 2.0 points over with CJ Baxter and 11.5 points under without CJ Baxter in 2026, 6 games against 1. The plain averages are 26.4 and 13.0, a difference of 13.4. All 5 home games were with CJ Baxter. All 5 day games were with CJ Baxter. All 3 ranked opponents were with CJ Baxter.

CJ Baxter, running back: 487 rushing yards, 88 carries and 8 receptions in 7 games this season.

One game without CJ Baxter is one game, not a sample, but maybe you can find something if you squint.

points allowed a game over expected

The games

with CJ Baxterwithout CJ Baxter
Kentucky’s games, 2026, each marked with CJ Baxter or without CJ Baxter
SideDateGameResultpoints allowedExpected
Sep 5, 2026vsYYoungstown StateW13—
Sep 12, 2026vsAlabamaL4528.8
Sep 19, 2026@Texas A&MW2126.3
Sep 26, 2026vsSouth AlabamaW2122.3
Oct 3, 2026@South CarolinaW3432.7
Oct 10, 2026vsLSUW3431.1
Oct 17, 2026@OklahomaW1324.5
Oct 24, 2026vsVanderbiltW1718.8

Method

Read against .

  • Expected is an offense and a defense a team, fit over every 2026 game between two teams in the table with the game being read left out, minus 1.9 for the home team (the edge the fit finds once strength is in), nothing at a neutral site.
  • Each expected number is then fit to the season’s games: a game bears out about 66% of the difference the model predicts.
  • Youngstown State has no other game in the table, so that game has no expected number and sits out the second figure.
  • Who played is read from the schools’ box scores’ participation lists for 3 of these 8 games; in the other 5 a player is counted as in them when the box score has a stat for him.