BTI's Rants and Ramblings: UK Failed to Take Advantage of Mississippi State Partnership
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Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
Kentucky gets its annual meeting with Mississippi State and let's be honest, the fact that UK's West Division partner since the conference split in 1992 is Mississippi State is a big benefit to the Cats. Over that time frame, no team has been worse overall than the Bulldogs. They have the worst resources in a division with some the country's best teams and with Texas A&M added in the mix, it only made the Bulldogs road tougher. Thanks to Dak Prescott, Miss State had a nice run of a couple years, even sitting at #1 for a few weeks 2 seasons ago. But overall, they are the West's worst team and this year's squad seems to fit that mold.
So, UK should have taken advantage of such a scheduling break, right? I mean, we could have been Tennessee and get Alabama every single year on the schedule. Well, not exactly. Here is UK's results in those 24 meetings since the SEC expanded.
Losses (16 total): 1992, 94, 95, 97, 99, 00, 01, 04, 07, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
Wins (8 total): 1993, 96, 98, 02, 03, 05, 06, 08
8 and 16. Against the worst team in the West. Mark Stoops is 0-3 but has never had as good as chance at this one to beat the Bulldogs. And you might think that best this game is at home that only increase the chances. Expect history doesn't show this:
Home Wins (4 total): 1996, 98, 03, 05
Home Losses (8 total): 1992, 94, 00, 07, 09, 11, 12, 14
Road Wins (4 total): 1993, 02, 06, 08
Road Losses (8 total): 1995, 97, 99, 01, 04, 10, 13, 15
I posted during Vandy week that at a MINIMUM, UK needs to beat Vanderbilt 4 out of 5 times to have a consistently bowl-bound program, which the fans would accept. Well, I think Mississippi State is the next step in that progress. You are getting a home game against the worst team in 1 division. You HAVE to win this game. Must-win is an overused phrase by sports fans but Mark Stoops really needs this win. We haven't gotten Mississippi State in a down state very often over the last few years but now we do.
Have things really started turning around for UK? Both for this year and the program moving forward, beating Mississippi State on a regular basis, and certainly much more regular than they have been, is a requirement.
Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
Kentucky gets its annual meeting with Mississippi State and let's be honest, the fact that UK's West Division partner since the conference split in 1992 is Mississippi State is a big benefit to the Cats. Over that time frame, no team has been worse overall than the Bulldogs. They have the worst resources in a division with some the country's best teams and with Texas A&M added in the mix, it only made the Bulldogs road tougher. Thanks to Dak Prescott, Miss State had a nice run of a couple years, even sitting at #1 for a few weeks 2 seasons ago. But overall, they are the West's worst team and this year's squad seems to fit that mold.
So, UK should have taken advantage of such a scheduling break, right? I mean, we could have been Tennessee and get Alabama every single year on the schedule. Well, not exactly. Here is UK's results in those 24 meetings since the SEC expanded.
Losses (16 total): 1992, 94, 95, 97, 99, 00, 01, 04, 07, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
Wins (8 total): 1993, 96, 98, 02, 03, 05, 06, 08
8 and 16. Against the worst team in the West. Mark Stoops is 0-3 but has never had as good as chance at this one to beat the Bulldogs. And you might think that best this game is at home that only increase the chances. Expect history doesn't show this:
Home Wins (4 total): 1996, 98, 03, 05
Home Losses (8 total): 1992, 94, 00, 07, 09, 11, 12, 14
Road Wins (4 total): 1993, 02, 06, 08
Road Losses (8 total): 1995, 97, 99, 01, 04, 10, 13, 15
I posted during Vandy week that at a MINIMUM, UK needs to beat Vanderbilt 4 out of 5 times to have a consistently bowl-bound program, which the fans would accept. Well, I think Mississippi State is the next step in that progress. You are getting a home game against the worst team in 1 division. You HAVE to win this game. Must-win is an overused phrase by sports fans but Mark Stoops really needs this win. We haven't gotten Mississippi State in a down state very often over the last few years but now we do.
Have things really started turning around for UK? Both for this year and the program moving forward, beating Mississippi State on a regular basis, and certainly much more regular than they have been, is a requirement.
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