SEC Pre(diction) season: Kentucky

WMack4Bama · Jul 21, 2014

Why they'll be good:

They won't

Why they'll be bad:

Youth and lack of SEC level depth

Schedule prediction:

vs UT-Martin - W
vs Ohio - W
@ Florida - L
vs Vandy - L
vs South Carolina - L
vs La-Monroe - W
@ LSU - L
vs Miss St - L
@ Mizzou - L
vs UGA - L
@ Tennessee - L
@ Louisville - L

Summary

Neal Brown, a Hal Mumme disciple, is Kentucky's OC and likes to run a pass happy, up-tempo offense. In time, their ceiling is what James Franklin did at Vandy. But right now, even though they have made headway in recruiting, they're just TOO thin in terms of quality depth/experience at every position except running back and defensive end. They have talented true freshmen at QB (Drew Barker) and Defensive tackle (Matt Elam), but that's not enough.

In a nutshell,
- UK is either gonna start a sophomore or freshman at QB
- the offensive line situation is shaky at best
- the WRs are either unproductive or unproven
- they're young on the interior of the d-line
- they lost one of the most productive LBs and leaders in their program's history in Avery Williamson to the NFL draft
- not one of their DBs would start for any other school in the SEC

I have them going 3-9 and not winning a single SEC game. All good for Stoops, though, who just got a 5 year extension after an abysmal season last year. It's good to see an AD who is patient enough to understand that it won't happen over night. And that's good for Stoops because this year will more than likely be worse than last season.

Your thoughts?

JustNeedMe81 · Jul 21, 2014

I wonder if Matt Elam regrets going to kentucky now.

WMack4Bama · Jul 21, 2014

JustNeedMe81 said:
I wonder if Matt Elam regrets going to kentucky now.

It's home. I doubt it. Like Clowney, he has the opportunity to be a part of getting his home team over the hump so to speak. To some people, being THE GUY, especially at home, is more important than just being A GUY in a program that not only has a laundry list of legends who have come before you, but also ones still on the roster.

If I were a highly touted center playing basketball, playing at UCLA (going behind Abdul-Jabbar & Walton) would mean less to me than staying here at home and turning our program into a perennial power

BigEasyTider · Jul 21, 2014

They basically won't be worth watching, and will be painful when you do. Another typical season in Kentucky, Stoops' recruiting excitement or not.

Blindside13 · Jul 21, 2014

They are in for a long year , they will be lucky to get three wins.

JBama_in_PCOLA · Jul 21, 2014

When does basketball all start up again?

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rgw · Jul 21, 2014

Not to parrot Mack, but I agree that they're looking at a winless in the SEC year yet again. I wonder how long Stoops gets because he has recruited well for Kentucky but he's in the middle of a long job. The great thing for him is that Kentucky is sort of the inverse of us down here in T-Town. As long as basketball is doing well, he can probably fly under the radar and not see any pitchforks and torches.

BigEasyTider · Jul 21, 2014

Blindside13 said:
They are in for a long year , they will be lucky to get three wins.

Probably, but I will add that there are a lot of winnable games on that schedule, if they can even play at a semi-reasonable level of competitiveness. There are six or seven games on that schedule that would very much be winnable for any non-dumpster fire program.

CoachJeff · Jul 21, 2014

4-8. They win an SEC game.

92tide · Jul 21, 2014

CoachJeff said:
4-8. They win an SEC game.

im picking them to beat uga

JDCrimson · Jul 21, 2014

2 wins max imo. I think LaMo gets them. Ohio under solich is not a terrible team either.

TouchThatThang · Jul 21, 2014

WMack4Bama said:
It's home. I doubt it. Like Clowney, he has the opportunity to be a part of getting his home team over the hump so to speak. To some people, being THE GUY, especially at home, is more important than just being A GUY in a program that not only has a laundry list of legends who have come before you, but also ones still on the roster.

If I were a highly touted center playing basketball, playing at UCLA (going behind Abdul-Jabbar & Walton) would mean less to me than staying here at home and turning our program into a perennial power

Usually I see why a kid would wanna be the local hero, but this UK we're talking about. What is "over the hump" for them, .500? Turning a 3-10 team into a 6-6 team just doesn't sound very gloriously to me. Also, in order to be a hero, people have to care. Even if Kentucky does turn it around and score some SEC wins, is anybody gonna care? Is the question I have.

Matt0424 · Jul 21, 2014

I think it's realistic that they could lose to Ohio and La Monroe as well. I think 1-11 is a possibility, but figure they'll find one more win in there somewhere.

ALA2262 · Jul 21, 2014

Schedule prediction:

vs UT-Martin - W
vs Ohio - W
@ Florida - L
vs Vandy - W
vs South Carolina - L
vs La-Monroe - W
@ LSU - L
vs Miss St - L
@ Mizzou - L
vs UGA - L
@ Tennessee - L
@ Louisville - L

4-8 (1-7)

ALA2262 · Jul 21, 2014

BigEasyTider said:
Probably, but I will add that there are a lot of winnable games on that schedule, if they can even play at a semi-reasonable level of competitiveness. There are six or seven games on that schedule that would very much be winnable for any non-dumpster fire program.

Correct and they are not a dumpster fire. I have them at 4-8 and the only reason I didn't pick them over ut and MO is because those are road games.

theballguy · Jul 21, 2014

92tide said:
im picking them to beat uga

Based on comments in this thread and others, someone doesn't like Jawja :-D

rgw · Jul 21, 2014

We aren't to Georgia yet but I think they're a legitimate contender in the East. Mason got some valuable experience last season. They're deep on offensive weapons. Pruitt brings a better 34 defense mentality to a team already built for a 34 personnel grouping.

BigEasyTider · Jul 21, 2014

TouchThatThang said:
Usually I see why a kid would wanna be the local hero, but this UK we're talking about. What is "over the hump" for them, .500? Turning a 3-10 team into a 6-6 team just doesn't sound very gloriously to me. Also, in order to be a hero, people have to care. Even if Kentucky does turn it around and score some SEC wins, is anybody gonna care? Is the question I have.

I'll add this much: No defensive tackle -- much less a pure nose type -- has ever been worth three wins by himself in college football. Just doesn't work that way, eve if Elam turns out to be a mega-superstar.

RollTide1224 · Jul 21, 2014

BigEasyTider said:
I'll add this much: No defensive tackle -- much less a pure nose type -- has ever been worth three wins by himself in college football. Just doesn't work that way, eve if Elam turns out to be a mega-superstar.

I would say Nick Fairley added at least 3 wins to Auburn in 2010, as much credit as Cam got Fairley was equally important. I remember him having forcing a turnover or causing an injury in several of their games that year. Also if you take away Cody from 2008 or 2009 I think we might've lost a couple of games, most notably 2009 UT.

CoachJeff · Jul 21, 2014

RollTide1224 said:
I would say Nick Fairley added at least 3 wins to Auburn in 2010, as much credit as Cam got Fairley was equally important. I remember him having forcing a turnover or causing an injury in several of their games that year. Also if you take away Cody from 2008 or 2009 I think we might've lost a couple of games, most notably 2009 UT.

What 3 games did Fairley win himself?

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