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Published Oct 13, 2021
Buy or Sell: Your hot takes on Kentucky football
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Justin Rowland  •  CatsIllustrated
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@RowlandRIVALS

Each week Cats Illustrated publisher opens the Twitterverse for hot takes on Kentucky football.

This time the request followed UK's win against LSU with fans looking ahead to a matchup against Georgia.

Here are some of those takes along with buy or sell responses and commentary.

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That's a bold pick but I expected to see quite a bit of it from Kentucky fans this week. I think a majority of fans will be surprised if they pull off the upset but that's why they play the games. If UK beats UGA it's going to have to be in a defensive battle so that's the kind of game I'd expect. It's what we've seen from UK and UGA the last two years.

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It's amazing to say that Kentucky controls its own destiny even in terms of a national championship after half the regular season is in the books but it's true. Can't argue with that. Now, if UK wins this weekend, it gets really insane.

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I'll agree but will add that it's a sign of something else: Depth.

The 2007 team did not have the depth to bring 100% effort against Mississippi State and it seemed like you could even see some fatigue against the Gators following that win against LSU.

But to mentally, emotionally, and physically follow so many close calls with their cleanest game of the year against Florida and then follow a three-decade home losing streak ending with a win against LSU ... That's impressive.

The culture is just very different now. Kentucky expects to and tends to win.

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If Kentucky beats Georgia in Athens this weekend then I think you would almost be obliged to put them there. No. 11 to No. 1 is probably close to an unprecedented one week jump but we're talking an undefeated team beating No. 1 on their home field in a game that UGA might have to have for a national championship (because they might not make the playoff if they don't win the East). That would be No. 1 worthy.

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Agree. Not surprised and that's why I picked them to go 9-3 and said I'd have them in the top-25 even after some unimpressive games in the first month. They have all the pieces. There is not one spot on this team that you look at as a major weak spot. Receiver could be a lot deeper but they have the SEC's leading receiver. Quarterback has been up and down but he's a freak and has risen to each occasion.

Turned the corner doesn't mean they're going to play their A game from here on out. I'd caution that. But it's definitely a complete team.

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Wise call and it has come to fruition. These teams are a combined 8-0 and while this game would not officially lock up the East it would go a long way toward doing that. UK would just need to beat Vanderbilt and then at least split against UT and MSU to represent the East.

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I've noticed some Georgia fans say this and the more I rack my brain the more I think you can make a case for that. I'm of the opinion that it's UGA at the top of the SEC followed by an Alabama team that could play them respectably but would lose. After that I'd have Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Kentucky right there around the same tier. UGA beat Arkansas 37-0 and I think Arkansas and Kentucky are about equals. But I think Kentucky is more familiar with how to play UGA and so might have a better chance at keeping it close at least.

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As crazy as it sounds I'm not 100% sure I'd put it ahead of the 2018 team yet but it's close and they will probably prove to be better on the basis of balance and offense.

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Sounds like a healthy attitude. You aren't guaranteed anything beyond right now. It's fun to talk about what goes into building the program, the impact on recruiting, and where UK could go in future years but this is the kind of year some fans have waited a lifetime for. It's also not national championship or bust. The journey has been wild already.

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Love to see friend of the site Larry Glover chiming in.

I agree, Larry. I don't think it would happen, but it's possible. It seems like Kentucky has to kick the door down and go over and beyond to inch up the rankings compared to some other teams and I think it'd be very difficult to put 11-1 Kentucky in because of that unfortunate extra work they have to do.

If they beat Georgia and lose another game they would have to win the SEC Championship probably against Alabama. If they lose to Georgia, the question becomes whether they would put a second SEC team in the playoff even if it's a Kentucky team that did not win the East and might not have more than one or two top-25 wins by the end of the season.

But I strongly believe they should be in the conversation under most scenarios.

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Good timing for sure. I also like that Coen seemed to hold some things back until the week of the game just to give Georgia a little something extra to prepare for. Tendency-breakers.

But you're right. Tough to score is an understatement. Two touchdowns allowed and might not give up 100 points on the season. Yikes.

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This prompted me to look up the numbers because I had no clue. It's not a bad point. UK is converting 45% of its third downs. That's a good number but I see where you're getting that. Over the last two games UK is just 3/16 converting on third downs. Florida and LSU got off the field on third down. That's less of a concern when you score 42 points as UK did against the Tigers but that's definitely a trend that needs to swing back in the right direction for UK to have any chance otherwise UGA will wear the Cats' defense down.

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Stoops says that there are no moral victories for the program but I'm with you. If they get out of Athens and UGA knows they've had to sweat and is beat up then that will not be the end of the world. The real danger in my mind is less the score (they beat top-10 Arkansas by more than five touchdowns and the Hogs only dropped five spots in each poll) and more a team that's pretty beat up and probably tired going to play the most physical team in the country.

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Thought Brad White did a good job of disguising those blitzes and bringing pressure from different and unpredictable angles against LSU. Best we've seen that all year at times in that game. I'm sure he'll have something else up his sleeve as a tweak. Don't think they'll send a ton of guys but they will definitely mix it up. Forcing Stetson Bennett into some mistakes is key.

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I like this take. Some fans won't like it. The coaches and players probably wouldn't like it because not only are you skipping over "the next one" but the next one happens to be one that could propel you into the College Football Playoff if you win it.

But I can at least see how a fan would look at how UGA has played, look at the line, and conclude that.

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It's going to depend on a number of things. It seems like there are more spots up for play because Alabama and Clemson have a combined three losses already. Oklahoma is still undefeated and there are five Big Ten teams in the Top-10. I'm starting to think the Big Ten is going to get two teams this year with the ACC and Pac-12 both left out. Of course, Cincinnati is in the mix as well and the committee may determine that this is the kind of "wide open after Georgia" year when it's a good time to give them a shot. I don't think UK would get in at 11-1 but there's a chance.

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When the team you cheer for or write about on a daily basis is taking it on the chin because of bad preseason polls it drives home the significance more than in other years. It has to be frustrating. Someone could reply that the polls really don't matter but I don't buy that. They influence a lot, from the public's perception of your program to even how people on the playoff committee think.

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The only case against this as the biggest game in modern UK history is if you don't think they can win. Because there has never been a game this late in the season that could vault UK into national championship discussion. If someone points out the bowl win against Oklahoma back in the post-war period then I get it on some level, but that "national championship" (Sagarin) was only awarded retroactively and didn't really match up with the rankings at the time. From what I understand of that season Kentucky was just as deserving a champ as any other team, but taking into account what we know going into this game, it's the biggest.

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The latest Larry Coker won't be in Baton Rouge much longer. It's funny, even after winning a national championship it turns out he's pretty much the coach we all thought he was at Ole Miss. Great motivator. Great recruiter. But does meddle in areas where he shouldn't and has apparently allowed the program maintenance stuff on the back end to go neglected. It didn't look like LSU's S&C program is paying dividends.

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While I'm not in the meeting rooms and am not a coach myself if you go by the results then it's tough to argue against what you're saying. Based on where UK's defense has ranked in many categories since he took over as DC the results are the results. He's been very good.

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I get where you're coming from and have already said I think UK has to prove more to move up in the rankings. If it's a close loss then I don't think they drop outside the Top-15. But I get where someone would be paranoid. It seems like every week they're given the bare minimum.

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I think that will vary week to week. It makes sense that it would become a part of the offense but some of that might be the matchup and what the coaches see on film the week of the game. LSU isn't the most disciplined team and they were missing some guys so it stood to reason the contain and rush lanes would get out of whack and present some opportunities. Agree that the QB run game only helps you at the college level.

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Don't disagree with any of that. Although I would be surprised if Kentucky wins this weekend. UK is better than Clemson right now. I think they're better than Auburn. It would be a close game with both of those teams but UK's great at winning close games.

That's something else that I think causes some to be slow to warm to UK. They see a lot of close scores and assume UK was just barely better than those teams but a lot of that is how Mark Stoops coaches.

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What I like about your take is it's an angle that goes beyond "LSU is falling apart." Even if that's true there were a number of great signs. Offensive improvement. Confidence. Following up a win against Florida with that kind of performance showed some advancement as a program. Running all over LSU was impressive. And Kentucky hadn't really been blowing teams out before Saturday.

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Going in my assumption is that Georgia is in a tier of their own. Willing to adjust that as the result this weekend requires!

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This is certainly the least I've heard about basketball at this point on the calendar since I can remember, thinking back into my youth. I think Kentucky fans are always going to get crazy about hoops but it might have to wait until after football this year. At least for many fans.

College football is hard to not fall in love with when your team's having a special year.

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