The whole season really comes down to 5 games

KumarCat

Junior
Nov 10, 2011
1,823
240
0
If we lose to S. miss, AP or N. Mex. St, our season is screwed anyway. Likewise, if we win @Bama, @UT, @UF or @UL, I think it's safe to say this team will have surpassed expectations. That leaves 5 games, of which we have to win 3. Here is my guess;

1.USC W 24-17
2.Vandy W 34-14
3. Miss St W 31-27
4. @ Mizzou W 27-24
5. UGA L 41-31

That would be 7 and I'd be thrilled!
 

TBCat

Heisman
Mar 30, 2007
14,317
10,331
0
Oh I would def put UL on that list. We'll beat them long before we beat Georgia.
 

mhroe1984

Heisman
Dec 16, 2007
14,060
10,627
0
It would be pretty hilarious if we lost to both New Mexico State and Austin Peay but won at Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, and Louisville.
 

KumarCat

Junior
Nov 10, 2011
1,823
240
0
Oh I would def put UL on that list. We'll beat them long before we beat Georgia.

IF we win on the road at UL we will have at least 6 wins. Hard to see a scenario where we beat UL and don't get 6. UGA is at home with a new coach. He could bomb like Muchamp or Strong.
 

STUCKNBIG10

All-Conference
Aug 30, 2006
7,302
2,861
0
If we lose to S. miss, AP or N. Mex. St, our season is screwed anyway. Likewise, if we win @Bama, @UT, @UF or @UL, I think it's safe to say this team will have surpassed expectations. That leaves 5 games, of which we have to win 3. Here is my guess;

1.USC W 24-17
2.Vandy W 34-14
3. Miss St W 31-27
4. @ Mizzou W 27-24
5. UGA L 41-31

That would be 7 and I'd be thrilled!

You're giving UL way too much credit. They have a superbly skilled quarterback, but he's young and still a questionable passer. Otherwise, the talent differential between the two teams is not astronomical like it will be when we play UT or (especially) Bama. UL certainly deserves to be favored, but it won't be a shock-the-world moment if UK should win. Hell, UK certainly should have won in 2015 and probably should have won in 2014.

I agree with you, however, that UGA is winnable. They have LOTS of question marks. Granted, they still stockpile talent each year, but lots of questions on D, at QB, and even at RB (because of injuries to their superstars).

The only two games on the schedule that would be absolutely shocking for UK to win would be UT and Bama on the road. UF is daunting b/c it's in the swamp and b/c of the streak, but UF hasn't been very scary the last few years when UK should have snagged at least one win.
 

TBCat

Heisman
Mar 30, 2007
14,317
10,331
0
IF we win on the road at UL we will have at least 6 wins. Hard to see a scenario where we beat UL and don't get 6. UGA is at home with a new coach. He could bomb like Muchamp or Strong.
Not hard at all. We've nearly done it the past two years. There is no home field advantage so I don't care if we play here or there. UL has less over all talent. The difference between the two programs right now hinges on the most important position on the field, QB. UL is decent at the position and so far under Stoops we have been absolutely horrible. If QB improves that game should be a win. If it doesn't we might not even win 5.
 

KumarCat

Junior
Nov 10, 2011
1,823
240
0
Not hard at all. We've nearly done it the past two years. There is no home field advantage so I don't care if we play here or there. UL has less over all talent. The difference between the two programs right now hinges on the most important position on the field, QB. UL is decent at the position and so far under Stoops we have been absolutely horrible. If QB improves that game should be a win. If it doesn't we might not even win 5.

I don't think you understand the post. The goal is six wins. If we would have beaten UL the last two years we would have had six wins. My point is if we beat UL this team will definately have six wins. Probably 7 or more. As Vandy, USC and Mizzou will all be down from where they have been lately.
 

BigBoyBlueMMA

Senior
Jul 14, 2013
849
479
63
"The whole season comes down to half of the season"
 

Shydog

Heisman
Sep 11, 2013
6,742
10,767
113
Not hard at all. We've nearly done it the past two years. There is no home field advantage so I don't care if we play here or there. UL has less over all talent. The difference between the two programs right now hinges on the most important position on the field, QB. UL is decent at the position and so far under Stoops we have been absolutely horrible. If QB improves that game should be a win. If it doesn't we might not even win 5.
most important difference might be coaching staff,, I hope ours is a plus this year,, last year it was advantage UofL!
 

RackOps

Senior
Sep 13, 2006
1,028
896
0
If there were a "Kentucky football" way to win the SEC, this would certainly be it.

Can you imagine how amazing this board would be if we started the season by losing to So Miss, beating Florida, then losing to New Mexico State?

We would have "Faaaaar Stooops!!!!" and "Get Stoops an extention now!!!!!" threads all over the place.
 

KumarCat

Junior
Nov 10, 2011
1,823
240
0
"The whole season comes down to half of the season"

Except 5 games isn't half the season. I could just as easily say it's 1/3 the season since 6 would be half and 4 would be a third. And my point is valid even if it was half. I'm not sure the point of your post.
 

Anon1668578572

Redshirt
Dec 14, 2005
682
10
18
It may come down to ONE. If we lose to Southerm Miss, with Dawson, it's Gonna get ugly very fast. It is an absolute must win!
 

PushupMan

All-American
May 29, 2001
168,477
8,730
93
Not hard at all. We've nearly done it the past two years. There is no home field advantage so I don't care if we play here or there. UL has less over all talent. The difference between the two programs right now hinges on the most important position on the field, QB. UL is decent at the position and so far under Stoops we have been absolutely horrible. If QB improves that game should be a win. If it doesn't we might not even win 5.

Respectfully, Phil Steele disagrees with your assessment about the comparison between UofL's and UK's overall talent - and Steele actually believes UK will get to a bowl game this year.....

National rankings of each unit:
QB: UofL #17, UK not ranked in the top 50
RB: UK #36, UofL not ranked in top 54
WR: UofL #9, UK #30
OL: UK #43, UofL not ranked in the top 50
DL: neither unit ranked in top 46
LB: UofL #2, UK not ranked in the top 48
DB: UofL #23, UK #43
ST: neither team ranked in the top 50

So UofL leads on 4 units (all four ranked in the top 25), UK leads on 2 units (wide receiver unit ranked the highest at 30th), and two units (DL and ST) are considered more or less equally unimpressive.
 

TBCat

Heisman
Mar 30, 2007
14,317
10,331
0
Respectfully, Phil Steele disagrees with your assessment about the comparison between UofL's and UK's overall talent - and Steele actually believes UK will get to a bowl game this year.....

National rankings of each unit:
QB: UofL #17, UK not ranked in the top 50
RB: UK #36, UofL not ranked in top 54
WR: UofL #9, UK #30
OL: UK #43, UofL not ranked in the top 50
DL: neither unit ranked in top 46
LB: UofL #2, UK not ranked in the top 48
DB: UofL #23, UK #43
ST: neither team ranked in the top 50

So UofL leads on 4 units (all four ranked in the top 25), UK leads on 2 units (wide receiver unit ranked the highest at 30th), and two units (DL and ST) are considered more or less equally unimpressive.
Those rankings preseason never pan out. One thing I can promise you is UK is a hell of a lot better than #43 at DB. They could possibly have 3 guys in that secondary that have a shot at 1st round picks. Phil Steele bases his rankings totally on what happened last year. So given UK's vast underachievement there's no question that UL will be preseason ranked higher.

UK's RBs should be much better than #36 by season's end if Gran is doing his job. Also WR and QB should be much higher than those rankings. UK does have the talent for that. I also expect UK's LBs to be much higher. Steele has nothing to go on with that crew. I also don't believe for a second that UL is as high as #2 at LB.
 

PushupMan

All-American
May 29, 2001
168,477
8,730
93
Those rankings preseason never pan out. One thing I can promise you is UK is a hell of a lot better than #43 at DB. They could possibly have 3 guys in that secondary that have a shot at 1st round picks. Phil Steele bases his rankings totally on what happened last year. So given UK's vast underachievement there's no question that UL will be preseason ranked higher.

UK's RBs should be much better than #36 by season's end if Gran is doing his job. Also WR and QB should be much higher than those rankings. UK does have the talent for that. I also expect UK's LBs to be much higher. Steele has nothing to go on with that crew. I also don't believe for a second that UL is as high as #2 at LB.

Actually, I've seen Steele's preseason rankings pan out much more often than not, which is why his magazine predictions are so much more accurate (for 18 years in a row) than anybody else's.

Louisville's #2 linebacker unit is based on Devonte Fields being ranked as the #3 draft eligible outside linebacker and Keith Kelsey being ranked as the #5 draft eligible inside linebacker. Steele also lists strong safety Josh Harvey-Clemons (the #4 draft eligible strong safety) as splitting time between the WLB and SS spots, so he's counted as a linebacker, too.

In the secondary, for UofL Steele has the aforementioned Harvey-Clemons strong safety and Shaq Wiggins as the #40 draft eligible cornerback. For UK, he lists nobody in the secondary, but that's due to the youth UK has back there. Quite frankly, it's way too early to be talking shots at 1st round picks when you are talking about sophomores who struggled as freshmen.

I will definitely agree that UK COULD be a helluva lot better at #43 in the secondary by year's end. The potential is definitely there.
 
Last edited:

Kats23

All-American
Nov 21, 2007
8,681
5,907
63
The Season comes down to 3 games
USC jr
Mizz
Vandy

Win those 3, and the 3 should be OOC wins and you go bowling. I think UK wins 1 of those SEC games, maybe 2. It's pulling the hat trick off to get that prized bowl game and have a successful season and build some momentum into next season.
 

BoulderCat_rivals187983

All-Conference
May 22, 2002
7,871
3,227
0
I've thought for some time the season comes down to 5 games. I see hopefully 3 sure wins, and 4 certain losses.

I'm getting excited. Preseason NFL is here, and the college season is just over 3 weeks away!