The Fearless Prediction is past the halfway point of the regular season, and we see darkness at the end of the tunnel. The greatest sport in the world unfortunately has the shortest season. With only 5 games to go, let’s be sure to enjoy each one of them. Come April we will be begging the football gods to bring us overthrown passes, missed tackles and controversial rule enforcement.

This weekend Tennessee makes the short trip up I-75 to face rival Kentucky in Lexington. Much like the Vols often play their worst game of the season against Florida, Kentucky rarely puts together a solid performance against Tennessee.

UT has only lost to UK 3 times since 1985, and each of those losses was proof that the head coach in charge of Tennessee’s program wasn’t going to get it done. In 2011 it was Derek Dooley running the show in a 10-7 loss that snapped a 26-game win streak for Tennessee over Kentucky. In 2017, Butch Jones was on the sidelines for a 29-26 failure in Lexington. And in 2020, Jeremy Pruitt saw Jarrett Guarantano throw not 1 but 2 pick-6s in a 34-7 bludgeoning.

I’m not saying that if Tennessee loses on Saturday night Josh Heupel should be canned … far from it. Heupel is a much better head coach at this point in his Tennessee tenure than the guys I mentioned. The Vols are 16-4 since the start of the 2022 season, and Heupel has an overall mark of 23-10 at UT. But a loss to the Wildcats would be a big stain on his resume.

This season Kentucky got off to a 5-0 start, but once the schedule picked up, the victories stopped. Georgia and Missouri easily handed the Wildcats, outscoring UK a combined 89-34.

Kentucky running back Ray Davis is having a huge year. He leads the SEC in rushing yards per game at 111.6, all-purpose yards per game with 139.1 and touchdowns scored with 13. He will be a challenge for the Vols’ rushing defense, which is ranked 24th nationally.

Senior QB Devin Leary is only completing 54% of his passes. He throws for just under 200 yards per game, with 14 TD passes, plus a less than ideal 7 INTs. Tayvion Robinson and Barion Brown each have caught 23 passes to lead the Cats in that category.

The Wildcats are ranked 50th in total defense and 55th in scoring defense, allowing just under 24 points per game. LB D’Eryk Jackson and DB Maxwell Hairston are tops with 44 tackles each, while DL Deone Walker has 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. LB Trevin Wallace has 5 sacks.

Mark Stoops has done a very good job in making Kentucky relevant in football. Now in his 11th season, Stoops has a 71-61 record in Lexington. The Wildcats almost always get to the postseason. But Stoops’ 34-52 record in SEC play and 2-8 mark against Tennessee leave something to be desired.

As for Tennessee, the Vols are still smarting from their 34-20 loss at Alabama, a game UT led 20-7 at the half. Mathematics tells us that the Vols gave up 27 unanswered points in a 2nd half to forget. Failures on 4th-and-short continue to plague the Vols, failing to pick up a 1st down twice in those situations against the Tide. They are 1 for their last 10 overall on 4th down attempts.

Joe Milton had 28 completions for 271 yards and 2 TDs in that game, but most of those good vibes were nowhere to be seen in the final 30 minutes. This remains a run-dominant offense, ranked 7th in the country with 217 yards per game on the ground.

Squirrel White is now without question the top option for Milton in the UT passing game. Following his 10-catch, 111-yard with a TD performance against Alabama, White now has 39 receptions for 416 yards this season.

That Squirrel White TD also earned Vols fans a free 6-pack of soda from a Knoxville area convenience store. Did the Fearless Prediction fill the fridge? You know it! NIL quenches thirst.

Defensively, the Vols are ranked 17th in the nation in total defense and tied for 28th in scoring defense, allowing 19.4 points per game. Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. is putting together an all-SEC caliber season, now with 7 sacks and 10 tackles for loss.

This will be the 119th time that Tennessee has played Kentucky. The Vols have controlled the series, leading 83-26-9. It’s a game that UK fans want desperately to win. Kentucky is coming off a bye week, giving them 7 extra days to get healthy and prepare for Tennessee.

This game will be played at Kroger Field. Maybe those Wildcats fans will get some fuel points with their ticket purchases. But they won’t get to see a big blue victory.

Fearless Prediction time …

Tennessee 31, Kentucky 21