GAMEDAY: Short-handed Kentucky hits the road to take on top-ranked Alabama

by:Nick Roush•11/21/20•

@RoushKSR

David once defied all odds to slay Goliath. Hopefully Mark Stoops packed his sling shot for the Wildcats’ road trip to Tuscaloosa to take on the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. Kickoff is set for 4 pm ET on the SEC Network.

Alabama is No. 1 again, but this year they’ve taken a different route to the peak of college football. Averaging 47.5 points per game, the Crimson Tide have the best scoring offense and passing offense in power five football. Mac Jones has turned into a Heisman Trophy candidate by completing more than 78% of his passes for a 210.32 passer rating, each ranking in the top three nationally. He creates big plays with the help of the most talented group of wide receivers in college football, led by Devonta Smith.

A difficult challenge under normal circumstances, Kentucky is seeking its first win in Tuscaloosa with a depleted roster.

We will not receive specifics from UK, but Friday night reports indicate that injuries and COVID-19 protocols have knocked out as many 16 Wildcats from this afternoon’s game, including running back Chris Rodriguez and linebacker Jamin Davis. That’s right, Kentucky is going to have to beat the best team in college football without their best offensive and defensive weapons. Kentucky’s linebackers and tight ends have been hit particularly hard by COVID-19 and the accompanying protocols.

The first significant COVID-19 blow to Kentucky’s football program could not have come at a worse time. Or is it? Winning at Alabama was already going to be an improbable task. At least they now Stoops has a reason to play the second team for the entire second half. Today’s game could get ugly.

Vegas, TV, Radio

The Wildcats are 32-point underdogs at Alabama, a place where the Wildcats have never won. The total is at 58, depending on where you place your wagers.

Tom Hart, Jordan Rogers and Cole Cubelic will be on the call for the SEC Network beginning at 4 pm ET. If you can’t watch all of the action, you can hear the Voice of the Wildcats, Tom Leach, on a variety of platforms.

AM: 840 WHAS, 630 WLAP
FM: 98.1 WBUL
Satellite: XM-190 and Sirius-137
Online: iHeart Radio

Get Ready with the KSR Pregame Show

Turn to 630 WLAP on your radio dial or stream online with iHeart Radio beginning at 1 pm ET to hear Matt Jones, Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin and Freddie Maggard break down the Cats and the Crimson Tide. Need to change it up? We have a complete podcast lineup available to make sure you’re prepared for today’s game.

Today’s Uniforms

The game may get ugly, but the Cats will look pretty in this specular blue-white-blue combination.

Todd Van Emst | AU Athletics

College Football on TV

This is a sentence I never thought I’d type: “The top-ten Indiana Hoosiers headline college football’s Saturday slate.”

Noon: #9 Indiana at #3 Ohio State on Fox
~~Noon: #4 Clemson at Florida State on ABC~~
Noon: #6 Florida at Vandy on ABC
Noon: App. State at #15 Coastal Carolina on ESPN
Noon: LSU at Arkansas on SECN
3:30: #10 Wisconsin at #19 Northwestern on ABC
3:30: #7 Cincinnati at UCF on ESPN
3:30: UCLA at #11 Oregon on ESPN2
7:00: Tennessee at #23 Auburn on ESPN
7:30:Miss. State at #13 Georgia on SECN
7:30: #14 Oklahoma State at #18 Oklahoma on ABC
8:00: Arizona at Washington on Fox
10:30: #20 USC at Arizona on ESPN

Big Blue Madness

The unusual COVID-19 edition of the event at Memorial Coliseum started later than usual thanks to an extended volleyball match between Georgia and Florida. Once the event got rolling, it was much of the same, with a twist. Instead of being introduced by the big-voice on the PA, the families of the women’s basketball team introduced the players, while former Wildcats introduced the men. The best part of BBM was removed from the videos UK shared (why, I do not know) yet there’s still plenty to consume the morning after if you could not stay up late for the event.

Isaiah Jackson isn’t fair

A human should not be able to jump from the free throw line and windmill dunk. Jackson is a freak in all the right ways.

Isaiah Jackson took flight ✈️@KentuckyMBB #BBM20 pic.twitter.com/OjMlOVcCjm

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 21, 2020

@KentuckyMBB

NBA Free Agency Frenzy

Players could officially ink new deals starting Friday night. De’Aaron Fox was one of the first to put pen to paper, agreeing to an enormous five-year year deal the Sacramento Kings that could be worth up to $195.6 million. Insane.

Elsewhere around the league, Enes Kanter was traded from the Boston Celtics back to the Portland Trail Blazers. Patrick Patterson will run it back for one more year with the Clippers, while his former teammate, Louisville Cardinal and Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell, will now play for the other team in the Staples Center, sharing a backcourt with Anthony Davis on the Los Angeles Lakers.

High School Football Playoff Scores

Kroger’s KSR Game of the Week turned into a blowout with a 49-13 Pikeville victory over Sayre, but not every first round playoff game ended so lopsided.