Kentucky Wildcats look to gain advantage in standings on Florida, Vanderbilt

As we approach the halfway point of the SEC schedule, Kentucky remains in the driver’s seat in first place at 8-0. Trailing the Cats in the standings are the Florida Gators (6-1) and the Vanderbilt Commodores (5-2), both of whom are an annual threat to not only beat Kentucky but challenge them for first place in the SEC. Saturday’s game against the Gamecocks is key for Kentucky, because if they are able to escape with a win, they will have a two game advantage on the Gators.

Even better for Kentucky, if the Gators drop their matchup with the Commodores on Saturday, they will be tied for second with Vanderbilt at 6-2 and both teams will be three games behind UK. The challenge of running the table in the SEC is something that has only been accomplished twice in league history, but the odds of doing so favor the Cats. They ran the table in 1996, but lost in the SEC Championship game. In 2003, Tubby Smith & Co. was able to pull off the perfect season with a 16-0 record and the SEC title.

Pulling off the perfect season for Kentucky starts with winning road games, which is never an easy task, much less at South Carolina. Kentucky lost 68-62 last time they went into Columbia with a No. 1 ranking. Road games in the SEC have been the achilles heel for UK; they have either lost close games on the road or have played down to the level of their competition, pulling out very close wins. Kentucky has been clicking recently, however, winning their past three games by an average margin of 17 points.

This upcoming week is one of the biggest weeks of the season in the SEC. The Cats can solidify their spot as the sole contender for the SEC title if they can get past the Gators and the Commodores. As we know from past seasons, these two foes have caused UK some heartbreak with some tough games. This year, it is UK’s turn to return the favor and deny them the top spot in the SEC.

Tags: featured, popular, SEC