Cats Illustrated previews the college football slate on tap for this weekend with an emphasis on what's significant or of interest to Kentucky fans ...
Gators/Vols with a lot on the line ... Historically, Florida has dominated its series with Tennessee, at least in modern times. But last year Tennessee broke through with an 11-2 season and it has seemed like the programs are trending in opposite directions. Billy Napier desperately needs a truly signature win and this is an opportunity in the Swamp. UT may be the superior team, but we don't actually know a lot about the 2023 edition of the Vols. If Florida wins it will change the way we think about the East after UGA.
LSU travels to Starkville ... Last year LSU lost its season opener to Florida State but rebounded and finished with 10 wins and an SEC West title. Could the same thing happen this year? LSU has lost to Florida State, and it wasn't pretty in the end, and the Tigers rebounded to drop 70+ against Grambling last week. They go to Mississippi State this week and that's a huge opportunity for Zach Arnett. If MSU beats LSU then the Bulldogs would instantly become a trendy choice to make a lot of noise in the West this year. Folks seemed to sleep on MSU in spite of a lot of returning talent, largely because of the coaching and system changes. But Rogers was very efficient last week and the run game got on track. This is a fairly complete football team.
Missouri hosts Kansas State ... It almost seems odd that in an SEC/Big 12 matchup the SEC team is the underdog but that's the case here. Even at home in Columbia the Tigers are 3.5-point underdogs against a Kansas State team that pounded Troy last week. K-State also easily took care of Missouri in Manhattan last season. This could be one of the better teams in the Big 12 going up against a middling SEC East team, but the SEC needs to start winning some of these games so it doesn't start to look as though the league is very down this year. We'll also learn a lot more about one of UK's upcoming opponents. Anything that happens to Missouri now will have an impact on the game coming up in Lexington this year.
Louisville-Indiana in Bloomington ... Two of Kentucky's rivals - if we can call Indiana football that after such a long lapse in the rivalry - take the field in Bloomington and we'll again learn something about Jeff Brohm's inaugural Cardinal squad.
Georgia a 4-TD favorite vs South Carolina ... UGA-USC used to be a grind-it-out close game almost every year but since Kirby Smart got it cranked up to the current level the Bulldogs have generally taken care of business and in style. UGA is a 28-point favorite against South Carolina at home. Carson Beck has had a nice start to his career behind center. UGA will want to get the running game on track more than they did last week.
Minnesota in Chapel Hill ... North Carolina has a very interesting out of conference schedule to start the season. They played South Carolina in Week 1, Appalachian State in Week 2, and now host Minnesota in Week 3. If they're unscathed after those three games it's a strong indication this is a top tier ACC squad that could even compete with Florida State and/or Clemson at the top of the league standings.
Gavin Wimsatt has a chance at a 3-0 start ... Former Kentucky quarterback target Gavin Wimsatt has had some good moments early this year for Rutgers, which is 2-0 to start the year. Rutgers is a 7-point favorite against 1-1 Virginia Tech at home. Wimsatt has never been a high completion percentage guy and is only 54% this year. But he does have a 2-0 ratio with 57 rushing yards chipped in as well.
WKU at the Horseshoe ... Austin Reed has nearly 600 passing yards with six touchdowns this year and WKU is 2-0 but the Hilltoppers are 29-point underdogs in Columbus taking on Ohio State. The Buckeyes are also a playoff contender even if they haven't been quite as impressive as they sometimes have been.
Michael Penix Jr vs a Michigan State in chaos ... Penix is going to be one of the nation's leading passers this year and he already has 859 yards, eight touchdowns and a pick through two games. Washington is a 16.5-point favorite, which is tough to believe in East Lansing, but given Mel Tucker's suspension and the cloud over that program it makes sense. Washington has been dominant early. Win this game by a lot and there will start to be more playoff talk.
Arkansas without Raheim Sanders against BYU ... Arkansas' star running back had 42 rushing yards in the opener against Western Carolina and missed the Hogs' win against Kent State. He's also going to be out against BYU. The Cougars are 2-0 but don't have as much hype as they have had some seasons. Arkansas is more than a touchdown favorite at home but less than full strength this is the kind of game Sam Pittman will just want to get out of with a win.
Backyard Brawl with Pitt, WVU both 1-1 ... One of the fiercest rivalries in sports resumes with Pitt and West Virginia squaring off in Morgantown. West Virginia is a 1.5-point favorite. If the Mountaineers were to win this game they would move to 2-1 and it would undo a lot of the concern for Neal Brown after a lopsided early loss at Penn State. This game is very important for Neal Brown's tenure.
Texas a big favorite after beating Bama ... The Longhorns are a 30-point favorite at home against a Wyoming team that already has a win against the Big 12. The Cowboys beat Texas Tech in a thriller at home to start the season but Texas is on another level.
New challenge for Coach Prime ... Colorado won a game as a huge underdog in Week 1 against TCU on the road. Last week, they won a game that was expected to be tight at home against Nebraska. Now the Buffaloes get to show they know how to deal with prosperity. CU is a 23.5-point home favorite against Colorado State, a program that has been down on its luck for a while. Shedeur Sanders has been one of the nation's top quarterbacks through two weeks and a lot of people are sure to tune in once again.
