Kentucky Football Is Actually Good And It's Time For Everyone To Pay Attention To The Wildcats
Here we are on October 1. In most years, that means Kentucky football fans are getting ready for basketball season and hoping to get into the Music City Bowl. It’s just how life has been as a Kentucky football fan. But, this year? Well, this year, Kentucky has a Heisman candidate, a top-20 pick and an undefeated record. This shit is different and it’s time for everyone to pay attention to them.
What’s been impressive about this team? First off, it’s avoided ‘Kentucky being Kentucky.’ That’s a phrase that is typically said around Commonwealth Stadium (I refuse to call it Kroger Field). Every time Kentucky looks like it’s about to break through or win an important game something dumb happens like having 10 players on the field, the ball takes a wild bounce on a fumble or you know, a Hail Mary works as fans are running on the field. Kentucky being Kentucky.
This year? The bounce went Kentucky’s way. It started with Florida on the controversial field goal call against the Gators. That’s a call that always seemed to go against Kentucky. Then there was the fumble at the end of the game where Kentucky was smart enough to pick it up and score to seal the game. Then against Mississippi State, it was a dominant second half with a whole lot of Benny Snell. Against South Carolina it was just a dominant defensive performance.
That’s the difference. It’s a bit of everything. Sure, Terry Wilson hasn’t been great throwing the ball, but guess what? He’s not making the dagger mistakes. He’s providing something different with his ability to run the ball. He’s out there getting on roll outs and looking for some big plays to Lynn Bowden. He has CJ Conrad in the middle of the field. There are playmakers that Wilson can rely on.
Oh, speaking of playmakers. Let’s talk about the Heisman candidate at running back. I wrote about Benny Snell before the season started. He entered the season with 2,424 yards and 32 touchdowns in just two seasons. That includes not really playing the first two games of his freshman year and splitting time with JoJo Kemp and Boom Williams. This year? He’s up to 639 yards and 8 touchdowns through the first five games. Those 639 yards are fourth best in the country. The 8 touchdowns are tied for 6th. There is no other way to put it. The guy is a dominant running back and is in the legit conversations for Heisman finalist.
Now, who is the top-20 pick? Josh Allen. The real Josh Allen. The Josh Allen that had 7 sacks each of the last two seasons. The Josh Allen who already has 6 sacks this year and is third in the country with that number. The Josh Allen who also drops into coverage and looks the part out there too. The Josh Allen that can stay home during the run game. The Josh Allen that is part of the dominating defensive line.
That’s actually one of the biggest stories for Kentucky. It’s not snapping the streak against Florida – actually, yeah, it is. But, it happened because the Wildcats have an absolutely dominating offensive and defensive line. The offensive line is a bit surprising because of the loss of Landon Young right before the season started. Despite that, Kentucky returned guys with a ton of experience to the offensive line and it’s showing. They are one of the best units out there. Defensively, they are just dominating the line of scrimmage. We’re seeing them get pressure on the quarterback without some crazy blitz design.
So with a top-15 ranking and 3 conference wins over 3 quality opponents, Kentucky has a golden chance to have a special season. It’s scary to say this, but even with a loss to Texas A&M this week, the SEC East title goes through Lexington. That’s because Georgia has to come play at Kentucky on November 3. The Bulldogs still have to play LSU, Florida and Auburn, with the LSU game coming on the road. Is it crazy to think that Georgia can lose a game?
It’s crazy to say but Kentucky is actually good. I don’t know how to act. The last time Kentucky got off to a start like this it was 2007. That led to GameDay coming to Lexington. That led to a top-10 ranking. We could see that again this year. A win over Texas A&M and Kentucky could very well be a top-10 team heading back home against Vanderbilt. So don’t tell Kentucky fans how to act, we have no idea. All I know is enjoy the hell out of this because this season is special. Now let’s get weird and: