This week was not ideal for the Kentucky Wildcats, and not just because they lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes by 20 points. They also saw no other top-15 loss this week, and that only caused them to slip even further than if there was other chaos.
The Wildcats dropped from 4 to 10 in the latest AP Top 25 Poll.
The good news for the Kentucky Wildcats is the loss to the Buckeyes is currently considered a quad 1 loss and, thus, isn't as damaging as many pundits are making it out to be. Kentucky also still has wins over the current #4 Duke and the #14 Gonzaga Bulldogs. These are both still top 5 NET wins as Duke is listed as a net 3 and Gonzaga a net 5. These wins still matter even with a loss to the Buckeyes and why they will be important heading into conference play.
Ohio State also got a bump from Kentucky. They are now receiving votes to be in the Top 25 and have an upcoming matchup against a Top 25 team, Michigan State, on January 3rd. If the Buckeyes can win that game, it will only continue to bolster the reality that maybe the Buckeyes have finally turned all their talent into a respectable product.
The Wildcats have an easy non-conference game against Brown on New Year's Eve, and then they dive head first into the SEC play with a looming conference game against the #6 Florida Gators. The Gators are currently undefeated, and chances are high that they will be 13-0 when they come to Lexington. The Gators have only one game between now and then, and it's also against a weaker non-conference opponent in Stetson.
The SEC looks to be a gauntlet, and while that worries many Kentucky fans, it's also an opportunity for Kentucky to get more top NET and AP wins. They will get another chance at a top-10 win in two games.