On the surface and to fans across the country it might not seem like Kentucky's game against Vanderbilt means a lot.
But for Wildcat fans with a vested interest in this team and the future of the program, it means quite a bit.
What a Kentucky win would mean ... Kentucky would all but wrap up a fourth straight bowl game under Mark Stoops. The Wildcats would be 5-5 with remaining games against UT-Martin and Louisville. So 6-6 would be a worst case scenario, for all practical purposes, and 7-5 would be very achievable.
As we have written about at length, the SEC being so top heavy and bottom heavy has played into Kentucky's hands in terms of potential bowl matchups. The loss to Tennessee was a big hit to the best case bowl scenario because the Volunteers probably slide ahead of the Wildcats in the league's postseason pecking order. But Kentucky could still land in a solid bowl game against a reputable opponent with a couple of wins to finish the season.
This would be Kentucky's fourth straight victory against Vanderbilt. Any long-term success strategy for UK football has to be predicated on taking care of all the games like this that the Wildcats should win.
Winning this game would give Kentucky some precious momentum as we march towards Signing Day.
Lynn Bowden would inch closer to the Paul Hornung trophy, given annually to the nation's most versatile player, and for which he was named a finalist this week.
What a Kentucky loss would mean ... UK would be in serious danger of missing out on the postseason for the first time this year, at least since before the Wildcats defeated Missouri 29-7. A loss would drop Kentucky to 4-6 overall. With UK likely to defeat UT-Martin, if we might be presumptuous, a lot would be riding on that season finale against Louisville, which will be expected to be a close game. That would be a lot of pressure on Kentucky over the last two weeks if the goal is to continue the program's streak of consecutive bowl games under Mark Stoops.
It would also mean that Kentucky would finish 2-6 in the SEC. That would be a significant step back from the last three years, when the 'Cats finished 4-4, 4-4, and 5-3 respectively. Every coach likes to paint a picture of forward movement. That doesn't mean progress will always be linear, but a drop from 5-3 to 2-6 in the SEC is a substantial step back in the short term.
There's also the shame factor. Kentucky survived to defeat an Arkansas team that is now widely regarded as one of the worst in the SEC's modern history. This Vanderbilt team might not be far off. Losing to a Commodore team that has been so poor all season long would be a big black eye for the program.
