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College Football

A growing number of pundits believe Kentucky will have better record than Tennessee

William McFadden

By William McFadden

Published:

Since 1985, Kentucky has exactly one win against Tennessee on the football field. As the 2017 season approaches, many people are beginning to believe the Wildcats will have a better year than the Vols and are in a position to double their win total against their rival.

Speaking on The Paul Finebaum Show Wednesday afternoon, Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun predicted that Kentucky would have a better record than Tenessee this fall.

He’s far from the only one who thinks the Wildcats are in good shape. On the back of a dominant offensive line and a dynamic one-two punch at running back, Kentucky fought their way into the mix late last season. Although Stanley Williams is gone, the Wildcats return nearly everyone from a defense that could explode in 2017 and should have a few more offensive weapons on the perimeter.

Tennessee, meanwhile, went from being one of the most experienced teams in the country to a squad filled with unproven players. That’s not to say that the Vols don’t have talent and won’t compete, but at this time of year, the people making predictions often go with players and teams they are familiar with.

Cole Cubelic, a sideline analyst for the SEC Network, had a similar line of thinking when he picked Kentucky to finish among the top three teams in the SEC East.

Entering last season, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee were considered to be the three teams who would vie for the division title. With Kentucky climbing into the top trio, one of those teams lost its footing. When asked which team it had vaulted, Cublic named the Vols.

Earlier this month, USA Today handicapper Danny Sheridan told Paul Finebaum that he believed Tennessee would lose to Kentucky on the road this season. One Vegas sportsbook had the opening line of the game as a “pick ’em,” which would indicate that the Vols would be the presumed favorite on a neutral field.

While Kentucky and Tennessee fans will certainly have the past in the back of their minds come Oct. 28, history won’t matter much to the two teams on the field. This Wildcats team seems to be as talented as any in the program’s recent history, and they could be catching the Vols at the right time.

William McFadden

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