Can Kentucky Wildcats Football Win in 2013?

Oct 6, 2012; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Patrick Towles (14) prepares to hand the ball off during the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Commonwealth Stadium. Credit: Mark Zerof-US PRESSWIRE

At 1-6, the 2012 season for the UK football team is hard to call anything but a disappointment, and with head coach Joker Phillips on one of the hottest coaching seats in America right now, it doesn’t hurt to take a gander into what the future may hold for UK football, and how fast the Cats can get back to the postseason. Based on the rotation of the SEC schedule, as well as having three non-conference opponents already locked-in for next year, here is what the 2013 schedule should look like:

August 31 vs. Western Kentucky in Nashville
September 7 Miami of Ohio
Sept. 14 Louisville
Sept. 21 Florida
September 28 FCS Opponent
Oct. 5 at South Carolina
Oct. 12 Arkansas
Oct. 19 Mississippi State
Oct. 26 Potential Bye Week
Nov. 2 at Vanderbilt
Nov. 9 at Georgia
Nov. 16 at Vanderbilt
Nov. 23 Tennessee

Looking at the schedule, the Cats will play a WKU team losing a large senior class(and potentially their coach), an average Miami, OH team, an Arkansas team in transition with a new coach and starting QB, a Vanderbilt team who has yet to prove it can be a consistent winner, and a Tennessee team who may be breaking in a new coach, as well as a new starting QB if Tyler Bray goes to the NFL(currently projected in 2nd-3rd round).

While UK has shown us this season that no game can be considered a win going into a season, you can call a number of games on the 2013 slate “winnable” if UK is able to hire a good head coach this offseason, survive the transfers, recruiting decommitments, and get all of it’s key players back from injury.

Its not hard to project who the core of the 2013 squad will consist of with over 20 true or redshirt freshman getting significant playing time right now. The biggest question is will they be getting the coaching they need this offseason to develop into the best players they’re capable of becoming.