Is the over or the under the best bet on Kentucky football’s 2020 win total?
Look what popped up in this week’s email, but the over/under win totals for the 2020 college football season.
According to Betonline.ag Kentucky’s over/under is 6.5 wins. Isn’t Kentucky’s over/under win total always 6.5? Sure seems like it.
So if there is indeed a 2020 college football season, is 6.5 wins a fair Kentucky figure? Yes, we know it’s April. (UK’s Spring Game was originally scheduled for this Saturday.) Who knows what the next few months, much less weeks, will bring? But let’s take a game-by-game look anyway.
Eastern Michigan: This will be the third meeting in the last four years for the two schools. UK beat the Eagles 24-20 in 2017 and 38-17 last year, when EMU ended up 6-7 after losing to Pittsburgh in the Quick Lane Bowl. Cats should win.
Florida: Last trip to Gainesville, Kentucky snapped a 31-game losing streak to the Gators. But Dan Mullen’s restoration project has moved at warp speed. Hard to see UK winning two straight at The Swamp. Put this down as a loss.
Kent State: The Golden Flashes won their final four 2019 games to go 7-6 with a win over Utah State, 51-41, in the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl. (Yes, there is such a thing. I double checked.) Kent won’t be its usual pushover self. I still expect the Cats get the win.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks snapped a five-game losing streak to Kentucky with a 24-10 win last season in Columbia. This year it’s Lexington. USC has a new offensive coordinator in former Georgia OC Mike Bobo, but the pick here is a UK win.
Auburn: The Cats trade a home game against Arkansas (2019) for a road game at Auburn (2020) in its non-permanent West Division matchup. Kentucky hasn’t played at Jordan-Hare Stadium since 2009. Rich Brooks’ team won 21-14 that year. Those steps will be hard to retrace. Put this in the loss column.
Eastern Illinois: This is the annual FCS game on the Kentucky schedule. Over the years, EIU has produced Tony Romo and Jimmy Garoppolo. Last year, the Panthers were 1-11. Surely this is a Kentucky win.
Vanderbilt: Derek Mason shook up his staff after Vandy slipped to 3-9 last season. The Commodores should be improved, but I’m not expecting a seismic shift. Kentucky should get the home win.
Missouri: When Scott Satterfield left for Louisville, Eli Drinkwitz took over at Appalachian State. Now Drinkwitz has taken the reigns at Mizzou. He has work to do. The Tigers are feeling the effects of probation. They were just 6-6 last season. I like UK’s chances for a third straight win in Columbia.
Tennessee: Mark Stoops is still kicking himself for UK’s 17-13 home loss to the Vols last November. The Cats visit Knoxville in 2020. After a stumbling start, Jeremy Pruitt has gained his balance at UT. This looks like a UK road loss.
.JPG "MississippiStNewCoachFootball(2).JPG")
Mississippi State: Mike Leach returns to his old stamping grounds. The new Mississippi State coach was a Hal Mumme assistant for two years at UK. Since then, he’s zig-zagged from Oklahoma to Texas Tech to Washington State to Starkville. Leach vs. Stoops will be fun. The home field advantage makes this a Kentucky win.
Georgia: The Cats get the Dawgs back in Lexington this season, but Kirby Smart’s club is tough to beat anywhere. Georgia has a new offensive coordinator in former Southern Miss coach and NFL assistant Todd Monken. Hard to see anything but UK’s 11th straight loss to Georgia.
Louisville: Satterfield didn’t enjoy his first taste of the Governor’s Cup rivalry and will be seeking revenge. The bet here, however, is that Kentucky owns the better foundation at this point. The Cats will close the regular season with a win.
My April prediction: 8-4
If Kentucky has a 2020 college football season, take the over.
