CI ROUNDTABLE: What's the key game on UK's schedule?

JUSTIN ROWLAND:

Let me preface this by saying that I don't think any game on the schedule is make or break. Also, some things are obvious. Beating Georgia would be the best possible win this year, and losing to Louisville would probably be the worst possible loss.

That said, my pick is Tennessee. I think Kentucky will be an underdog on the road in Knoxville but the Wildcats should have a team that is capable of being competitive in that game or winning it. UT should be one of the better teams in the East this year so it would be a very solid win on the road against a team that the Cats haven't had much success against.

UK is trying to remain a major factor in recruiting in the Volunteer State and this is a rivalry game. I also think a win against Tennessee would give UK the juice it needs to finish 3-1 the last month of the season.

JEFF DRUMMOND:

I tend to agree with Justin in that no single game on the schedule appears to be a make-or-break scenario for the Cats. Three or four of them could emerge as the most important on that particular day. I mulled over Florida, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Georgia before finally landing on the Bulldogs.

Georgia represents the last of the traditional walls in the SEC East that has yet to be knocked down by Mark Stoops during his time in Lexington. The Cats can still have a very nice season without beating the Bulldogs -- we've seen that with both of the recent 10-win Citrus Bowl campaigns -- but In order for UK to take the next step and accomplish the lofty goal of playing for the league title in Atlanta, one has to view UGA as the key.

The defending national champs will no doubt be formidable again this season, but Georgia lost quite a bit of talent from last year's juggernaut, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The game falls late on the schedule (Nov. 19) so it will be interesting to see if UK has navigated the schedule with no more than one SEC loss and what each side is playing for at that point. If the Dawgs aren't in contention for the CFP, the Cats could catch them less than inspired with a raucous home crowd behind Big Blue at Kroger Field.

DAVID SISK:

I’m going to tap dance on this issue in order to present it as a glass half-full.

When I look at the schedule, one thing sticks out. Georgia is the best opponent, but the next three biggest games are on the road. Florida, Ole Miss, and Tennessee are all huge games, and I don’t know how to differentiate in the preseason between the three. Kentucky needs to win two of those three to make Georgia matter. If the Cats do that, I think the undefeated Dawgs will come to town on Nov. 19 with the SEC East title on the line. If that is the case, then this will be the biggest game played in Lexington in years.

To get there, I see three huge games that could lead to a late season epic affair. One thing is for sure. If UK loses early, all bets are off. But if the Cats beat Florida, then the Ole Miss game gets bigger. If they win in Oxford, the matchup in Knoxville between the arch-rivals becomes all the more bitter.