Kentucky has the gigantic task of taking on the No. 1 team in the nation on Saturday.
Mark Stoops has never defeated Georgia and this year nobody seems to be putting the Bulldogs on a strong upset alert.
Cats Illustrated writers Jeff Drummond and Justin Rowland give their final takes on the contest.
What are the reasons for Kentucky fans to be optimistic?
Jeff Drummond: I'm going to have to dig down deep for this one, but I'll offer three potential considerations for the eternal optimists of BBN: (1) The Cats are a pretty consistent bounce-back bunch under Stoops. It may not make a difference in win or loss for this one, but I think it will be an inspired effort; (2) Kentucky has been competitive with good Georgia teams in the past more often than some of the other SEC powers; and (3) With its roster of elite players from the South, Georgia can't be too thrilled about playing on a day where the temperature will be hovering around freezing at Kroger Field.
Justin Rowland: Georgia has been vulnerable at times. It hasn't been recently, but in games against Kent State and Missouri we saw the Bulldogs are not always guaranteed to be elite. I wouldn't go too far with that because it seems like Kirby Smart has the program at the point where it can strain and elevate at the right time. But it's something.
You've also got a great quarterback who is looking to make a statement. Guys are going to come in ready to play even if the crowd is worse than you'd like to see. This is a great opportunity for guys to show what they can do against one of the most talented teams in the nation.
The most hopeful thing for Kentucky that I've come across is that UGA hasn't forced many turnovers.
What are the primary reasons for concern?
Drummond: There are at least 22 reasons for concern, 11 on each side of the ball. This is clearly the most talented team that Kentucky will face this season. A ton of these guys will be moving on to play in the NFL very soon. Georgia tight end Brett Bowers is one of the more remarkable offensive weapons in college football. The Bulldogs' defense has simply reloaded, and that's a scary thought for a UK offense that struggled against a horrible Vanderbilt defense last week.
Rowland: There are plenty of things you could say here but Kentucky is more than a three touchdown underdog for a reason. It's a very bad matchup for UK's offensive line with how violent the Bulldogs are at the point of attack. Mistakes have plagued UK up front all season and Georgia will make a team pay for those mistakes. UGA's turnover fortunes will change if Kentucky doesn't have its very best game blocking all season.
Georgia is an absolute juggernaut now focused on getting into postseason form. They are balanced, sound, and extremely talented in just about every facet of the game so you have no margin for error and Kentucky hasn't capitalized or converted enough all season.
Who will be Kentucky's MVP?
Drummond: If Kentucky finds a way to pull the college football upset of the year (decade?) (century?) it will take the very best version of quarterback Will Levis that we've seen this season.
Rowland: I'll say Trevin Wallace has a big game against his old home state school with DeAndre Square's availability up in the air (day-to-day) throughout the week. He has looked like Kentucky's best defensive player at times but is still young and gaining experience. Because of his athletic ability, he gives Kentucky's defense a chance to force a mistake and they need to do that several times.
What's your prediction for the game?
Drummond: I don't really see a realistic path to victory in this one. The best-case scenario might be to keep it competitive, stay healthy, and take some positive momentum into the regular season finale against arch-rival Louisville. Georgia 38, Kentucky 9
Rowland: Georgia 35, Kentucky 6. My assumption is that Kentucky may get a couple of stops in the first half but Georgia methodically moves the ball and wears the Cats down as the offense can't present much of a problem for the Bulldogs. This seems like a really bad matchup for Kentucky's offense.
