Disrespected? How Kentucky could be a contender in the East
Stop us if you’ve heard this story. Kentucky, winner of 18 games in the past 2 seasons, found itself once again disrespected — outside of the preseason AP Top 25 rankings for the 42nd consecutive season. Several close to the program, including assistant coach Vince Marrow, didn’t hesitate to share their feedback on the rankings …
This is a joke but time will tell very soon. Go Big Blue https://t.co/xjQkt1RLJi
— CoachMarrowUK (@vincemarrow) August 24, 2020
Given that this is not your father’s Kentucky program — or even your grandfather’s, unless he goes back to the Bear Bryant era in Lexington — could Kentucky contend in the East in 2020? Before you say “no,” think it over.
Keep winning the games it should win
Winning the SEC East isn’t some unreachable quest — consider Missouri’s 2013 and 2014 division titles, or South Carolina’s 2010 trip to Atlanta for the SEC title game. That said, Kentucky’s 5-3 SEC mark in 2018 was the first time the Wildcats had posted a winning record in conference play in 40+ years.
In recent seasons under Mark Stoops, Kentucky has shown an uptick in taking care of business against some of the middle and bottom of the pack squads of the SEC. It’s a trend UK has to continue to be a factor in the East race in 2020.
Kentucky had won 5 in a row over South Carolina before laying an egg at Carolina last year (albeit an egg that forced a rejuvenation of the team with Lynn Bowden at QB in their next game). The Wildcats have won 5 in a row over Missouri and 4 in a row over Vanderbilt. Winning those games and holding serve against beatable foes like Mississippi State (won 2 of past 4 in that series) gives UK an opportunity to move up. Combine that with a commitment to a bruising ground attack and a physical defense and you’ve got an intriguing recipe.
Shaking up the Big 3
But any trip into the upper echelon of the SEC East has to go through the division’s Big 3 — Georgia, Florida and Tennessee. Tennessee has particularly been UK’s nemesis — the Vols have won the past 2 games, arguably with an inferior team in each case. Tennessee is no longer a conference power — witness the Vols’ 62-62 overall mark in the 2010s. But UT went 8-2 against UK during the same era, and if Kentucky wants to feast with the big dogs, it has to do better against the Vols.
Florida, meanwhile, won 31 games in a row over the Wildcats before a 2018 loss to UK in Gainesville. Now that Kentucky has beaten the Gators, the Wildcats need to take advantage of a Dan Mullen team still building up before another 3 decades zoom by without a win. Florida doesn’t have the kind of depth and continuity in their program that they hope to build, and Kentucky figures to have a puncher’s chance in this game, as they have several times in the past few meetings of these schools. Florida won by 1 when the Cats forgot to cover a Gators receiver in 2017 and by 8 last year.
That leaves Georgia, which UK last beat in Athens in 2009 (when a guy who happens to share my name was Georgia’s QB). Knocking off Georgia is daunting — even if the Bulldogs don’t seem quite as fearsome this year as the past couple of seasons. Still, as in 2018, getting to the place where the East comes down to UGA vs. UK would be another step forward.
Upset magic
With the new 10-game schedule, Kentucky has to pull off a significant upset against Auburn to have a chance to make things interesting in the East. Partially, the Auburn game matters because it’s Week 1. Partially, it matters because Alabama lurks deeper in Kentucky’s schedule, and given UK’s 2 all-time wins against the Tide, it takes a major optimist to see victory lurking in that spot on the schedule.
No. 11 Auburn looks like a formidable foe, but Kentucky has built its progress on road upsets, like a 4-touchdown upset of Louisville in 2016 and that win at Florida in 2018. They also have Auburn transfer Joey Gatewood (whose status is still unknown, but who gives an obvious counter-intelligence edge to the ‘Cats). Given the massive uncertainties of college football in 2020, Kentucky knocking off Auburn doesn’t seem too much to fathom.
Keeping the chip on the shoulder
Finally, Kentucky will need to master the attitude that Stoops and Co. have willingly grabbed in recent seasons to be a factor in the East. With guys like Benny Snell, Josh Allen and Lynn Bowden, Kentucky feels like a program that keeps an eagle eye out for public slights and disrespect — and then attacks. Stoops has had a squad that almost welcomed the doubters and haters, and used that emotion as fuel for another upset.
Kentucky QB Terry Wilson on not being ranked in the AP preseason poll. “Everybody is going to sleep on us. But we’re out here putting in the work and we want to prove everyone wrong.”
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) August 26, 2020
If Kentucky can take care of business against weaker foes, keep chipping away at the Big 3, and pull an upset over Auburn, don’t bet against the Wildcats at least making it interesting in the SEC East. They did it 2 years ago, and if they can master the motivational aspect of slights (I see you there, Coach Marrow), they could do it again.
Kentucky should be good and I have a lot of respect for Stoops but they aren’t a contender. It’s a two man race in the east. Everyone else is way behind. I do think Kentucky has the best shot at finishing 3rd especially if they can upset Auburn week 1
Wow 5 seconds before I posted lol
TICK-TOCK
Way behind? Did you miss the part of the article where he explains how UK has gone toe to toe with UF for a while now. They match up really well with the Gators. A little work to do to get UGA but way behind is a bit extreme and you lose credibility with that statement.
Uf will beat Kentucky handedly this year. Uf has been down which has allowed Kentucky to compete recently but this years Gators will be much improved so yeah…way behind.
It’s just my opinion. Nothing saying I can’t be wrong.
No they will not, UK is still better in the trenches
We can revisit later but I think Uf will win by at least 2 scores. UK may be better in the trenches but it wouldn’t be by much and Uf has much better skill positions.
The biggest thing going against UK too is they aren’t going to sneak up on anyone. Everyone knows they have a good team.
In order to hold this opinion you must discount our quarterback,our receivers room & our defence. Three strikes _ You’re OUT! Kentucky will be in the game LATE into the 4th quarter, then flip a coin. No “hands” about it.
I was assigned to the UK Army ROTC program for two years. I wish them all the best except vs UGA. Go CATS!
Gotta beat us to contend. I know UK is confident. If our defense holds up and we get the ball to Schwartz, we should be fine. But if they have a scheme that will prevent that, it’s anyone’s game.
A scheme? There is no mystery, UK is looking to line up and physically whip somebody and I am looking forward to this matchup. I highly doubt beating Auburn makes you a contender.
No but losing to them proves you’re not.
dead-on
My point exactly.
I’m looking forward to the game. I respect Auburn; U are correct, YES, we have to beat AU to contend. RE Our scheme: Wilson is 12/3 in SEC play. He is the only current SEC quarterback who has graded at least 70% (passing) in 5 games. Don’t snooze on our defence — The D was #14 overall last year. The D-secondary was #2, & lost 1 safety, 1 linebacker & 2 DL (the reloads are better) . Kentucky’s defense surrendered only seven regular season touchdown passes last year, tied with Ohio State for 2nd in the nation. Opposing quarterbacks had a 112.3 QB rating (13th best nationally) averaging 6.3 yards per pass (19th).
— Opponents averaged 172.2 passing yards per game against Kentucky’s secondary, trailing only Ohio St., Clemson and ND.
Kentucky held opponents to only 18.4 points per game, tied for 13th in the nation. That’s better than Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee and eight other SEC teams.
— Opponents averaged 321.6 total yards per game, ranked 20th nationally.
TICK-TOCK!!!
Until we start beating Tennessee on a regular basis then we shouldn’t be ranked above them in the east,nuff said.
Kentucky is not “chipping away” away Georgia.
*at Georgia
I mean, seven years ago Kentucky won two games. He’s not saying that Georgia is getting worse, but I don’t know how you can deny that Kentucky is closer now then they were 3+ years ago.
Two years ago the de facto SEC title game was UK v UGA. I don’t think he’s saying Kentucky is better, rather just that Kentucky could put itself in a similar situation again. If it can, anything can happen in one game.
Sure we are & U have to come to OUR HOUSE this year. It will be fun. We have a puncher’s chance.
2020 SEC Records –
Kentucky 3-5
Mizzou 3-5
South Carolina 3-5
Care to explain why 8 not 10 games?
South Carolina math?
2019?
Yeah, those are 2019 SEC Records.
From a pure SEC games standpoint, Carolina had the same record as Kentucky.
If Kentucky can “contend” for the East, so can the Gamecocks Or Mizzou based on last years records.
You lucked out and caught the team right after the backup QB was injured but before the playbook was reformed around Bowden. Beating a team without a quarterback isn’t anything I’d be bragging about.
If I remember right, y’all played your backup QB and we played our backup QB.
Sounds like you’re just trying to excuse getting beat.
Carolina finished with the same SEC record at Kentucky. Using your argument, that makes Kentucky a bottom feeder…
Except we were playing a already injured back up QB
Sublem- Our backup QB was injured too. Sounds like an equal playing field to me.
Difference was that ours had an injured throwing arm. So no, it was not equal
What’s your point. South Carolina got the win last year fair & square. But remember, Kentucky was playing with a seriously injured 2nd String QB (Shoulder & wrist) because #1(Wilson) was already OFS). Tennessee got to take advantage too. I say, “Good Luck” to both of you, with with respect to repeating that success, this year.
UK has been dogging Carolina for years. SC caught them without a QB last year or it would be like 10 wins in a row. Can’t wait to see you guys in Lexington!
Not so sure about this statement. USC’s defense shut Kentucky down last year. It was almost a shutout.
Beating a team without a quarterback isn’t anything I’d be bragging about. Then again, as a bottom feeder you take what you can get no?
If I remember right, y’all played your backup QB and we played our backup QB.
Sounds like you’re just trying to excuse getting beat.
Carolina finished with the same SEC record at Kentucky. Using your argument, that makes Kentucky a bottom feeder…
Foolish Jibe — KY didn’t have a healthy QB.
UK is 1-19 in their last 20 against UF and 2-18 in their last 20 against UGA.
UK is a nice story, as they seem to have built a respectable program, but any talk of them as a contender as anything greater than 3rd place is misguided and unfounded.
The over-hype train for UK is pretty full. Expecting a number of people to have jumped off before their open date.
How does 20 years of history relate to the potential of a current team?
Have you missed the last 5 or so matchups between UK and UF? They have been evenly matched, Including a road victory for UK.
Your homerism and hope that UK stays out of contention causes you to lose credibility.
homerism? I stated facts…..and you stated hope concerning the ‘potential’ of the uk football team.
you’re welcome to narrow the prism to just the last 5 years. uf is 4-1 and uga is 5-0. teams that ‘contend’ win the close games. uk isn’t beating the big boys in front of them.
i don’t hope uk stays out of contention. i know they will…unless we’re talking about 3rd or 4th place.
one loses credibility when they start referring to opinion and hope as they’re leading support….of which you’ve done. time to look in the mirror, governor.
I’ll just say this: TICK-TOCK!!!
Stoops is 2-19 against Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. Until that improves, they will not be respected. Having said that, this should be his best team yet. Will that reflect in their record this year, we will have to wait and see.
Agree fully. It’s funny actually. the positive comments thrown to UK over the summer have primarily come from fans of the secw, such as bama and lsu fans. i think they’re more hoping that uk has become a more formidable opponent then actually fear them, as they’d much rather face them then uf or uga in the conf championship.
uk is a great story and have definitely improved, but history (short and long) confirms that there’s still a way to go to rub elbows with uf and uga.
Forget Florida and Georgia – until UK can consistently beat Tennessee I’ll not consider them a contender. It doesn’t matter how awful Tennessee gets, Kentucky finds ways to lose to them.
Y’all have to consistently beat Carolina too. And get out of the cellar that apparently you place us both in.
Pretty sure UK is 5-1 against SC in the last 6 meetings. That’s consistently beating SC
It was a big L last year. And before your 5 game win streak, Kentucky rarely beat Carolina.
UK is 5-2 against Carolina since Stoops came to Lexington. That’s called consistently beating Carolina. Good luck to the Gamecocks this year, but let’s not pretend Muschamp has your program headed in the same direction Stoops has UK headed.
We have beaten the chickens 6 of the last 10.
Despite the fact that the backup QB had an injured throwing arm.
You’re also moving the goal posts. 2018 UK whooped y’all, and 4 seasons before that beat y’all. That is consistency
Looking forward to seeing y’all in Lexington!
YES! I CAN’T WAIT!
That word disrespected is over used in sports. I roll my eyes every time I hear it. Nobody is disrespecting Kentucky. You have to earn respect, not demand it.
I agree with you . When I hear disrespected , or it’s a war , battle or otherwise , it just sounds childish . It is a game , played by young men who are still maturing . Some teams are more talented than others , while others are more experienced , etc.. Nobody knows the outcome of anything until the game is played .Generally speaking , the more talent , the better odds you have of winning and extending streaks over the less talented . It is not disrespectful to believe talent will prevail . That said , GO BIG BLUE !
Disrespect? — Respect Earned? Here is just one example: Last year’s Final CFN College Football pole listed Kentucky #27 while Virgnia tech was #26; After UK beat Va-T 37-30. Meanwhile, the CFB Winning Edge Final 2019 College Football Power Rankings had KY #20 & VT 31. Proof that there is still a LOT of ongoing disrespect aimed at KY. Want another example? Multiple sources/poles show VT ranked ahead of KY in the 2020 pre-season poles, in spite of the fact that VT lost WAY more people representing WAY more offensive & defensive production. WHAT is THAT all about? Can you say DISRESPECT. I predict Y-O-U will “roll your eyes” again when UK beats AU on Sept. 26th!
The idea that today’s Kentucky is disrespected is ridiculous. Kentucky is a very solid, very well coached football team. For better or worse, the 2018 Florida win snapped the streak but it also put everyone on notice that they can’t be taken for granted any longer.
Kentucky is a prime example that coaching and player evaluation and development can make significant gains against the high school recruiting service evaluations of competitors. But that said, Kentucky is a good ways behind Florida and Georgia in both starting talent and quality roster depth. And they’re losing ground to Tennessee, which is about two recruiting classes away from possibly returning to contender status.
They could even fall to fifth in the East this year if South Carolina can get their offensive act together under Bobo and SC’s new S&C coach helps them reduce the high injury rate they had under Jeff Dillman.
Thank you for some kind words, however you are mistaken on several issues here. Just look at the preseason polls, look at the preseason analytics — & by the way,you are also wrong on the recruiting regarding UT vs KY. You say that Tennessee is about two seasons away… KY is here. NOW. Be sure to tune in.
2019 247 Roster talent composite rank and Blue Chip Ratio (4-star and 5-star players divided by 85 scholarship limit)
16th — Tennessee (42.4% BCR)
34th — Kentucky (17.7% BCR)
2020 Recruiting class ranks
10th — Tennessee
25th — Kentucky
2021 Recruiting class ranks
6th — Tennessee
48th — Kentucky
Stoops is great at developing his players but that will only get you so far. KY would have to build a roster deep with 4 and 5 star players, and I just don’t see that happening.
Our losing steak against Kentucky was embarrassing, but we’re seeing that Kentucky was actually a pretty good team. Hopefully Drink can get Mizzou back to the contender category.
We win 5 to 7 games every year but they talk about us like we’re freaking Arkansas or Vandy. Mizzou just needed a better coach to get us to 8 or 9 wins, and I think we have that now. (Probably not this year, but next?)
Good Luck. I wish U well, except when playing KY of Course.
Why would a team with a losing SEC record deserve at Top 25 spot?
Let’s be real y’all, since the SEC expanded in 1992, six teams have won the conference. Each of them multiple times. They are Bama, Auburn and LSU from the West, and Florida, Georgia and Tennessee from the East.
Until one of the rest of us actually wins the SECCG, we won’t be considered contenders.
They just boycotted today’s practice. I doubt they will win one game, because this country is about to go into a hot war as November approaches, and the loser in November is likely to not accept the results.
I spent the day at a local gun range, and it was more crowded than the bathrooms at Fenway Park during the 7th inning stretch. I’ve never seen so many women there, even on Saturdays. I learned something today I cannot believe. A sizable percentage of the millennials involved in the riots believe the Earth is flat and a globe is a conspiracy. UK football prospects mean as much as Slippery Rocks’ season right now.
The protesters aren’t the rioters. We’ve seen over and over again that the people causing problems are outside agitators. They are white conservatives who show up at protests and cause mischief.
Like this 17 year old kid from Chicago who drove to Wisconsin with his assault rifle and shot 3 people…. dude had no business being there.
“They are white conservatives”
you mean in Obammy’s Murica? LOL, you progtard filth are the scum of the earth.
You seem nice
Everything you say is dumb.
Why are you so angry that your crimes aren’t panning out like you wanted them to?
Kenosha got rocked by a 17yr old American hero. He may have saved 10’s of thousands of lives or more.
The Kenosha DA belongs in jail.
The stupidity uttered in the above comment is colossal. Sometimes I think conservatives can’t be dumber, and then they start talking and show they can outdo themselves.
And yet you defend an alleged sexual assailant who tried to pull a knife on the cops after being tased twice. What happened to #MeToo? Oh, yeah, I forgot that doesn’t apply if you’re black. In that case, rape whoever you want, and f*ck the “racist” cops trying to stop you.
You lied repeatedly in your comment. That makes you a repeated liar.
I’ll put the truth to your lies.
Some of the agitators live in the cities where the criminality is occuring.
The agitators are both white AND black.
None of the agitators who are committing crimes have been conservatives.
You are a horrible person who should leave America.
Nah, I’m a patriot. My family came here on the mayflower, I’ve been here longer than you. I’m tired of watching republitards destroy the country my family started. Feel free to get the hell out of my country before you ruin it.
Pretty sure, like you’re family, you’re the same blue collar trash cleaning up toilets for the “republitards.” Low class trash who doesn’t pay anything into the tax base. We get it.
You’re a moron. He’s not from Chicago. He’s from literally right across the border in Antioch. Try looking at a map sometime. I don’t know how you come to this conclusion about “peaceful protesters” when the mob was literally causing mayhem throughout the entire city, lighting car dealerships on fire and if you watch the video you clearly see that a BLACK protester pulled a gun on Rittenhouse, after another “peaceful protester” beat him in the head with a skateboard. Now we can argue that it was stupid to go down to a dangerous area where all the animals were running amok, but this is a textbook case of self-defense, and the fact you think that these protesters are “peaceful” is absolutely laughable.
“The big 3” Cox writes, ha ha ha. 2019 Tennessee’s SEC record was: 5 wins-3 losses, 2018: 2 wins-6 losses, and 2017: 0 wins- 8 losses
You can’t be a sports journalist and a cheerleader at the same time. You forgot your own story subject, “being a contender in 2020”
I disrespect Kentucky. Last week I didn’t. And my sentiment has nothing to do with this article. Just saying.
It is unclear WHAT you are saying.
I am a big Coach Stoops fan. The lack of revenue support in comparison to other SEC teams shows a disparity in perceived expectations at UK. I saw an article from 24/7 that UK has the #15 facilities in college football which is good for only 8th in the SEC. It is an uphill battle but you are the best Coach Stoops since Bear Bryant at UK.
Mark Stoops does a good job with his “1 and 2-stars” , (no insult intended), he gets his men ready, good coaching. Auburn is the determining their point, like Texas was LSU’s in 2019. Not that they will go undefeated, but I think they’ll bust in the top three. Alabama, Georgia, LSU, all go through the “top stars”, it’s good to see the disrespected come through victorious. Good luck BLUE…
Stoops and Co has mainly been getting 4s and 3s, with the occasional 5 stars. They only pick up 1s and 2s if they see something special in them, ala Josh Allen
If I remember right two years ago cats played dawgs winner claimed sec east champs.I’m not saying ky is the team to beat but that seams to me as a contender for east just as article says.not sure what you missing but when it comes down to the one game you playing in then your a contender.south Carolina will fire muschamp after this season and will be back to square one again.UGA been team to beat in east to this point but now Dan has couple years under his belt in swamp and they are going to once again rule the east.all the talk about ky not beating flordia this year them gators going best them dawgs.I do think it’s cats year to beat one of the two I would put my money on them beating UGA.not saying they winning east just going upset the dawgs.
Stars by a kiss name doesn’t mean much to stools as some other coaches.this year he got bunch 4star kids but stoops is better at developing kids into good football players.if he went after all kids with 3stars or more they would of never seen Josh Allen or Benny Snell in the blue.because they were 1and2 star kids.beck they wouldn’t even had Lyn Bowden he wasn’t no 4or5 star so I don’t read much into the star crap I care about how stoops goes after tough blue collar kids that are serious about football and now he is getting lots of kids with size.what lot I people don’t understand is this just beginning of what stoops is building at ky.each year there classes get better and bigger another 4 years at the rate he going YEAH I see them CATS competing for sec championship.not this year but it’s coming stoops is real deal.if he had coached at most other sec schools not named ky,vandy,south carolina,Arkansas he would of done had at least one sec championship ring no doubt about it.he knows defense and puts his trust in his offence coordinator
Snell was a mid-range 3-star. Josh Allen was rated as a 2-star because he was a wide receiver who switched to defensive end during his senior year in high school. He led the state of New Jersey in sacks during his senior year because of his speed. But he was very raw and didn’t develop technique until he got to Kentucky.