Early Season Predictions Could be Termed Ridiculous

Color me the glass as half full. Everyone that knows me knows that's no surprise. However I can now deal in facts.

Every year ESPN and Sports Illustrated jump out there with their early UK football prediction or perhaps but for now we are dealing UK only. Folks, It's not yet even May and in addition no one had been allowed a spring practice or game so what are we going on to take those predictions seriously. They feel they have the right to be early trend setters based on history. ESPN's over and under prediction is 6.5 (wins or losses).

Well, let's talk about all history which includes and or highlights the era in which Mark has been in the process of changing the culture of the UK program. The UK pundits should be looking at the entire last six year picture.

The University of Kentucky football team is the only team in the country that has not gone backwards record wise in the last six years. So what would make anybody think they likely could do so this season - if there is one?

Some critics that harbor a dense level of scepticism would probably say UK's schedule is tougher this season. We pose to you this set of facts; 2014 UK at LSU - '15 UK vs Auburn a 30-27 to the eventual National Champions; '16 at Alabama; '18 at Texas A&M; a win over a strong Penn State team.

UK is 18-16 in the SEC over and 32-20 overall in that stretch and that includes a missed upset over Georgia in 2016 when a long over the top pass by Stephen Johnson bounced of the chest Jeff Badet backwards into a trailing Georgia defender's hand to cancel a sure-fire winning touchdown, Ga 27 UK 24. One could even go back to a triple overtime game at Florida 2014 when the Gators were given a third overtime when a touchdown was allowed when the clock had clearly ran out and allowed the third overtime, Fla 36 UK 30. Lets not forget three of those losses came against a strong Louisville team with a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Lamar Jackson.

While we are engrossed in this article let me personally say Stephen Johnson lll threw as beautiful a deep and accurate ball as I've ever seen at UK.

Again, I say without bias this is team is entering into the danger zone for opposing teams to deal with. ESPN and SI probably feel comfortable when they look at UK's quarterback situation which I contend is the strongest in modern history. Provision have been made for Terry Wilson to workout with the strength and conditioning staff. No doubt he will come back strong and contend to get his job back. Here's hoping Sawyer Smith makes it a tough fight.

I just saw an article from a couple of writers from 247 (I think?) that listed “bold” predictions for each SEC team. Their bold prediction for UK was an 8 win season! How bold lol! Someone should have told them UK won 8 games this past season without a quarterback.

It’s the same thing every year; in fact you could pretty much just rerun the same predictions every year for at least half the conference teams. It’s so predictable it’s laughable.

Good, keep that big ole chip squarely on the Cats shoulders.


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My BOLD prediction is going to Atlanta.

That would be a bold, but not unrealistic prediction