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The Kentucky Wildcats dropped their first game of the season last Saturday to the Georgia Bulldogs. And although 12-0 is now officially off the table, the Wildcats can still have a magical season and reach a new height not yet reached before in program history.
However, the ESPN FPI is projecting a similar record to the one the Wildcats boasted in 2018. ESPN’s final projection for the Wildcats has them going 9.5-2.5, so roughly around 9-3.
Here was the explanation for the Projection:
As expected, perfection came to an end for Kentucky over the weekend. After a 6-0 start, the Wildcats ran head-first into a buzzsaw Georgia defense that held them to 13 points, the fewest points the Wildcats have scored all season long. Kentucky’s offense made plays in the game that creates plenty of optimism for the second half of the season, but the Wildcats just do not have what it takes this year to make it to the league title game. Still, it should be a strong season in Lexington.
Kentucky is currently ranked No. 32 in ESPN’s Football Power Index, sitting behind programs such as Virginia, North Carolina, Miami, Nebraska, Tennessee, Coastal Carolina, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa State and many more.
As for the Wildcats’ final five games, here’s ESPN FPI’s odds of them winning each game:
- @ Mississippi State Bulldogs: 51.6%
- vs. Tennessee Volunteers: 48.6%
- @ Vanderbilt Commodores: 92.5%
- vs. New Mexico State Aggies: 99%
- @ Louisville Cardinals: 55.8%
The Tennessee one is especially odds since Kentucky is unbeaten at home, including a win over a Florida team that dominated the Vols. But Josh Heupel’s team is clearly on the rise and will be a major challenge for the Cats, arguably the biggest one left on the schedule.