The time has come to stop talking preseason and actually talk the season! We are about 72 hours from the Kentucky/Louisville game and like some of the other writers on the site have done the last couple of days, it’s time for me to dust off the crystal ball and give my game by game prediction for the upcoming football season. Let’s go.
9/4/2010 @ Louisville
It is too easy to say that Louisville will be a tough foe and will give Kentucky all they want in the opening game, but unfortunately for the Cards, I don’t think this will be that close. It is hard to imagine the damage the previous coach did to the Louisville program over the past few years, and it will take more than part of a Charlie Strong recruiting class to rectify that. If you look at a position by position breakdown, Kentucky rules in almost every position and this is a very deep Kentucky team in some positions. Charlie Strong will be a very good coach for Louisville, but for right now, Kentucky has just too much talent.
KENTUCKY 27 LOUISVILLE 14
9/11/2010 vs Western Kentucky
Here we enter the section of the schedule that some UK fans detest: the pay of wins opponents. Nothing against the Hilltoppers. I do realize that Kentucky has had some trouble with some of these “easy” opponents within even the past five years, but the Hilltoppers should not be able to give any SEC school a problem. That said, this type of game is good for the Hilltoppers as they get a nice paycheck and they get to expand their recruiting across the state. Simply put, this is a game that Kentucky should put away in the first half and get their second string some early work.
KENTUCKY 42 WESTERN KENTUCKY 10
9/18/2010 vs AKRON
Cue the gnashing of teeth from the football “purists” who want to see Kentucky schedule USC, Boise State, or some big name school as part of their out of conference scheduling. For some reason, Kentucky traditionally goes to the MAC for their ooc games and the results have been generally uneventful. Face it, UK is still in many ways a young team and need to get these games under their belts to face the rigors of the SEC. And as long as Penn State, Syracuse, and Indiana continually schedule the Zips, I am not going to complain about the easy win. The Zips are coming off a 3-9 season, so I can say it will be an easy win.
KENTUCKY 49 AKRON 13
9/25/2010 @ FLORIDA
Kentucky travels into their every other year pit of horrors — the Swamp in Gainesville — and the absence of Tim Tebow has some Wildcat fans thinking that they have a chance to snap the nefarious streak. Unfortunately, I am not in this camp. True, this could be a “down year” for the Gators but a down year for them is 9-3 or 8-4. Keep in mind they still have a roster of five star prospects to replace the ones that left. Jeff Brantley, while no Tim Tebow, is still a very solid QB and could even be a better pro prospect than Tebow. I know the Gators are breaking in new starters, and if this game was in Commonwealth … I would say maybe. But it’s not. That said, I expect this game to be a bit closer than past ventures to the Swamp and Kentucky shows that the talent gap is starting to shrink some.
FLORIDA 27 KENTUCKY 17
10/2/2010 vs MISSISSIPPI
Sure, the Rebels underperformed last season and still finished with a 9-4 record. But as awful as Jevan Snead was at times last year, the Rebels would love to have him back this year as QB Jeremiah Masoli is unproven and the Rebels have a lot of holes all across the offense. Even though this is widely seen as a rebuilding year for Ole Miss, the defense remains solid, especially the line, and the Rebels are still considered to be the 6-8th best team in the SEC. Kentucky winning this game would be huge for not only the Cat’s confidence but to cement their reputation as last year’s road warriors. This game will be tough, and I want to pick Kentucky to win, but what is Kentucky football without at least one heartbreaking loss?
MISSISSIPPI 24 KENTUCKY 21
10/9/2010 vs AUBURN
Ben Tate is gone from the Tigers and the quarterback position ifs far from settled. Regardless, some of the folks that write for and about the Tigers seem to think that last season’s loss to Kentucky was an anomaly and that their program is on a much higher stature. I guess they forgot their coach is still Gene Chizik and that they stumbled their way to a 3-5 finish (one of the wins was vs Furman) and their high flying offense was grounded the last part of the year. The defense is going to be solid, and they do have a nice recruiting class in, but this game is at Commonwealth and I was going to pick Auburn to win this game. However, the arrogance from the three Auburn sites I visited in preparing this made me mad and I decided UK fans are hungry for a big home win over a “name” program. If Joker needs me to forward him the Auburn sites for locker room material, I will be happy to do so. Just call me.
KENTUCKY 26 AUBURN 21
10/16/2010 vs SOUTH CAROLINA
To be honest, this South Carolina losing streak perplexes me. It’s not like the Gamecocks are a premier team in the SEC East and it’s not like Steve Spurrier has elevated the Gamecocks that much since his arrival. Yet, there is an embarrassing losing streak here. And to be honest, the Gamecocks have been living on borrowed time extending their streak against Kentucky. I know they are all excited about RB Marcus Lattimore, but they still have Stephen Garcia at QB and he is easily the most inconsistent QB in the SEC. It’s time for the streak to end as the Cats have the Cocks in Commonwealth. Kentucky will need a huge game from the DL as the OL looks to be South Carolina’s Achilles heel.
KENTUCKY 24 SOUTH CAROLINA 13
10/23/2010 vs GEORGIA
The Bulldogs are a vulnerable as they have been in several years as they have questions all across the board. The Bulldogs enter the season with an underachieving group of backs, a major QB question and a defense that turned
out being ridiculously soft. However, this is still Georgia and they still have an overall talent level advantage over UK, although it is narrowing. I think that Kentucky has a great shot to win this game, but in the end, you can not underestimate a team who may be playing for a coach under fire. It could be a rough year for Mark Richt and he can not have back to back losses to Kentucky on his resume.
GEORGIA 27 KENTUCKY 24
10/30/2010 @ MISSISSIPPI STATE
No team has been frustrating to Kentucky over the past few years as the Bulldogs. It seems like a loss to the Bulldogs prevents a good season from being great, but if the Wildcats are to take a step up in the SEC this year, the Bulldogs must become a team we can beat consistently. Nothing bad against Dan Mullen, he’s a good coach, but the Bulldogs is one of the teams that Kentucky must develop a killer instinct on. The Bulldogs will be better than last year, but are not considered to be a bowl team. Joker’s Wildcats can take a step on putting on their “big boy pants” with a win on the road.
KENTUCKY 21 MISSISSIPPI STATE 10
11/6/2010 vs CHARLESTON SOUTHERN
More fuel for the fire from fans who want to see Ohio State or another top ten team scheduled here. As long as teams like Florida still schedule Charleston Southern and win NCAA titles, I am not going to complain about the easy win late in the season which can allow some rest of the starters.
KENTUCKY 49 CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 7
11/13/2010 vs VANDERBILT
Yes, Kentucky fans have gotten cocky about seeing the Vanderbilt name on the schedule and pencil in an automatic win and yes, Kentucky has won five of six over the ‘Dores. But you really need to look back to 2008 and the last time Vanderbilt marched into Commonwealth to learn how overlooking this team can put a sinking feeling to a season. Granted, this looks to be an especially tepid group of ‘Dores with their own head coach jumping ship about a month before the season. Kentucky needs to end the drama in this game.
KENTUCKY 35 VANDERBILT 13
11/27/2010 @ TENNESSEE
Sigh. Should I go ahead and pick the streak to end? After last years heartbreaking loss, you get the feeling that this streak is doomed to infamy. Bu cheer up BBN. It’s a new day. These are not the Volunteers of the Rich Brooks era as this season holds the potential of being epically dysfunctional for the puke orange warriors. Of all the games on the season (sans Louisville), Joker will feel the pressure of being head coach more than ever. As Dave Lambert did with Raven, the Wildcats are going to get the poison out of their system. (If you don’t listen to Howard Stern, don’t bother researching the reference):
KENTUCKY 27 TENNESSEE 17
There you have it. A 9-3 season for the Wildcats. With a potential for a ten win season in the bowl game. Is it possible? Yes. Is the schedule favorable? Definitely. And the other great minds at the Wildcat Blue Nation have picked similar success for the Cats. Kyle picked 10-2 and Zach an 8-4 season which leaves us here: at 9-3 and third in the SEC East.
Call us over optimistic, but it’s a lot better from six or seven years ago when we were predicting a 3-9 season.
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