Kentucky football: just taking care of business means little poll movement

It’s safe to say that Kentucky football opened their season doing what it was supposed to do by handling a tough Miami of Ohio team 37-13 after a shaky opening half landed them safely back in their No. 20 poll positions in Week No. 2.

Kentucky was favored by 15 going into the game and managed to cover, while with the over/under at 50 points the two teams again did as expected.

With that, the Wildcats advanced by one spot to No. 20 in the Coaches Poll sitting just behind this week’s opponent Florida. The unranked Gators knocked off No. 7 ranked Utah last week and surged 17 spots into this week’s Coaches poll.

1. Alabama (57 1st place votes)
2. Georgia (6)
3. Ohio State (2)
4. Clemson
5. Michigan
6.Texas A&M
7. Oklahoma
8. Baylor
9. Notre Dame
10. Oklahoma State
11. Michigan State
12. U.S C
13. NC State
14. Pittsburgh
15. Utah
16. Miami
17. Arkansas
18. Wisconsin
19. Florida
20. Kentucky
21.  Wake Forest
22. Texas
23. Ole Miss
24. Oregon
25. BYU

Unfortunately, while they did complete the task at hand and started the season 1-0 Kentucky football simply did what was expected despite playing an excellent RedHawk team expected to win the MAC possibly.

The gauntlet the Wildcats have to face in the Southeastern Conference leaves little room for any blowouts as discussed in our preseason prediction of every game this Kentucky football team needs to step on the gas and impressively beat teams like Miami, Northern Illinois, Youngstown State, Vanderbilt and Louisville and then knock off the more powerful SEC foes when eyes are upon them.

I’m sure coach Mark Stoops will and his coaches are working to polish up some things in preparing for this week everyone knows this is a huge MUST win for Kentucky if it hopes to challenge for the SEC East title. You have to win the games that could come down to deciding tiebreakers at the end of the season as well.

The Associated Press writers were much more impressed with Florida voting the previously unranked Gators in at No. 12 this week.

A loss this week would most likely drop Kentucky out of the top 25 in both polls, but beating a top 20 ranked SEC opponent will move the needle and ranking upward. He is how the AP shapes up this week.

1. Alabama (44 1st place votes)
2. Georgia (17)
3. Ohio State (2)
4. Michigan
5. Clemson
6. Texas A&M
7. Oklahoma
8. Notre Dame
9. Baylor
10. USC
11. Oklahoma State
12. Florida
13. Utah
14. Michigan State
15. Miami
16. Arkansas
17. Pittsburgh
18. NC State
19. Wisconsin
20. Kentucky
21. BYU
22. Ole Miss
23. Wake Forest
24. Tennessee
25. Houston

Will Levis looked solid and found he actually has some very talented receivers like Tavion Robinson. Kentucky’s special teams is a big surprise, especially after Barion Brown’s 100-yard kick return for a touchdown earned him SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

The Wildcat defense played really well after giving up an opening drive touchdown, but Brad White’s defense made the needed adjustments and limited Miami to just a pair of field goals the rest of the game.

With a banged-up running corp of Ramone Jefferson JuThan McClain both suffering injuries in the Miami game and Chris Rodriguez still out suspended for an undisclosed number of games the running back corp got very, very thin.

Senior Kavosiey Smoke has been through the SEC schedule and knows what to expect. He will be called upon to carry the load this week and be backed up by redshirt freshman La’Vell Wright. After that, it’s pretty stark with new and unexpected names moving to the depth chart in junior Michael Drennen, redshirt sophomore transfer Dee Beckwith, and true freshman Sean O’Horo.

A less than reassuring Big Blue Wall will need to suddenly shore ups its holes to try and give these guys and Levis some time to make plays.

There is the picture that is drawn up for the Wildcats this week lets see what Stoops and the boys can do  preparing to enter the Swamp.