Earlier in the summer I took a stab at a 'way too early' set of predictions for every Kentucky game this fall.
With COVID-19 overturning that original schedule and with the SEC putting together a new slate of games, here are my revised predictions with just more than a month until the season.
September 26: Kentucky 21, Auburn 20 (1-0)
I've mentioned that I believe this matchup sets up a bit like the recent games between Kentucky and Florida. The Wildcats probably have an overall advantage in the trenches (although Auburn won't be chopped liver at the point of attack) and the issue will be how well the 'Cats contain Bo Nix and his impressive targets in the passing game.
The Tigers have played well early in the season under Gus Malzahn, including on some big stages, so I suspect their defense will make it very difficult for Kentucky to score. However, Kentucky returns almost everyone from one of the nation's top secondaries and it's just as tough to see Auburn moving the ball at will against UK. The 'Cats go on the road with a purpose, looking to prove something, and in the unfamiliar setting of a mostly empty stadium for game day they emerge victorious and instantly become the story of college football's Week 1.
October 3: Kentucky 30, Ole Miss 27 (2-0)
This game is probably closer to a push than a lot of Kentucky fans would like to admit because Lane Kiffin is an offensive wiz and he's going to be working with some talent. Fortunately for Kentucky, the game is in Lexington and it's been a tough offseason for first-year coaches in particular.
The Rebel run defense should still have a lot of issues this year and that's an advantage for a Kentucky team that should be able to exploit that.
October 10: Mississippi State 27, Kentucky 24 (2-1)
What I've said about the Ole Miss game I'll say here, too. This is a game that Kentucky should win, but the likelihood of the Wildcats remaining unscathed through the first three games of the season when none is a slam dunk is , so I'll say the adrenaline from the start of the season wears off and the first two wins take an emotional toll.
Kentucky should be able to move the ball on the Bulldogs but Mike Leach cannot be underestimated even with a questionable receiving corps. We can't read anything into last year's game but MSU's players will come into this one with confidence.
October 17: Kentucky 17, Tennessee 14 (3-1)
I'm not going to begrudge anyone who says Kentucky shouldn't be picked to win in Knoxville but with the game happening so much earlier in the year the dynamic feels different. These teams are comparable on paper and I'm calling for Drake Jackson, Landon Young, and a successful senior class to rally to break one more streak.
October 24: Georgia 21, Kentucky 7 (3-2)
Georgia has been a matchup problem for Kentucky during the Mark Stoops era and even recently. The Wildcats played very well in Athens for three quarters last year until they wore down playing on a sloppy field.
UK can push around a lot of teams, but Georgia's not going to be pushed around by anyone. Kentucky's defense won't let UGA run all over them and keeps it close for a while but how much the 'Cats can move the ball and score is the question.
October 31: Kentucky 35, Missouri 20 (4-2)
Eliah Drinkwitz may win at Missouri but his first team has its work cut out for it. This is a series that Kentucky has dominated in recent years, including in Columbia, and the Wildcats have the more well-rounded and deeper roster.
Missouri draws Alabama, Tennessee, LSU, and Florida before they get Kentucky, so while it will be battle tested there could be some fresh wounds. Kentucky successfully runs on a beaten up, demoralized defense, and it's never really close.
November 14: Kentucky 31, Vanderbilt 17 (5-2)
Derek Mason has a lot working against him this year. He might get a mulligan because of the circumstances surrounding the season, but he's going to have an uphill climb to even being competitive in most games, let alone in trying to have a winning season.
UK has gotten to the point as a program where it's a very solid favorite against the Commodores. With Vandy lacking the skill position players that at least made it interesting going into the last season, it's hard to see how UK isn't going to successfully lean on physical superiority.
November 21: Alabama 35, Kentucky 10 (5-3)
If you have to take your team to Tuscaloosa this may be the year to do it. Alabama does not have an apparent Heisman contender at quarterback. There won't be a full stadium. This doesn't appear to be Nick Saban's best team on paper. But the Tide is always a national championship contender and facing Najee Harris for four quarters, plus that defense, is a tall order.
Kentucky keeps this one interesting for a while but Harris wears the defense down as the offense struggles to extend drives.
November 28: Florida 24, Kentucky 14 (5-4)
Before the new schedule I was more likely to pick a Kentucky win here. But the second of two consecutive road games, in Gainesville and following Alabama no less, is a pretty rough draw. By this point in the season I suspect Florida will be clicking on all cylinders and the Gators will have a lot to play for because of the manageable schedule. It will be a close game as UK-UF typically has been in recent years but the Gators have more offense.
December 5: Kentucky 24, South Carolina 17 (6-4)
Kentucky has not been in the habit of blowing out the Gamecocks so I don't expect that will happen. But it's not clear how much the Gamecocks will be playing for at this point, and it seems possible the 'Cats could be facing a demoralized team. Absent the huge problem of no quarterback health last year the 'Cats probably would have continued their winning streak against South Carolina. I suspect they get back on the right side of the ledger this year.
