ESPN FPI projects 7-win season for Kentucky Football

Despite posting an 18-8 record the past two seasons and winning a pair of bowl games over powerhouse programs, the Kentucky Wildcats are still looking to gain the respect of oddsmakers and computer models.

Saturday, ESPN released it’s SEC College Football Power Index (FPI) projections for 2020 and actually projected a higher win total than most do for UK. ESPN has the 2020 Wildcats winning seven games which would put them in third place in the SEC East.

While seven wins would be a decline in wins from both 2018 (10) and 2019 (8), it is a higher projection than other outlets still projecting just a six or five-win season from the Wildcats.

With Terry Wilson healthy, ever starter from the offensive line outside of Logan Stenberg and the entire defensive secondary set to return, it’s hard to imagine the Cats winning any less than seven games. Thus, the ESPN projection is likely the low-end of the Cats real expectations.

Here’s how the SEC would shake out if ESPN’s FPI proves accurate:

SEC East:

1. Georgia Bulldogs: 10.2
2. Florida Gators: 9.7
3. Kentucky Wildcats: 7.0
4. Tennessee Volunteers 6.3
5. Missouri Tigers: 6.0
6. South Carolina Gamecocks: 5.8
7. Vanderbilt Commodores 3.2

SEC West:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide: 10.9
2. LSU Tigers: 9.6
3. Auburn Tigers 9.1
4. Texas A&M Aggies: 8.9
5. Ole Miss Rebels: 6.1
6. Arkansas Razorbacks: 5.0
7. Mississippi State Bulldogs: 4.6