The abbreviated, only conference football schedule of Kentucky 2020 is complete. For 30 minutes, the SEC Network unveiled the schedule week by week, allowing fans to gradually consume who is in their teams crosshairs. A look at the full picture for UK.
We have enough time to break every aspect of this scheme. For now, these four things stick out like a sore thumb.
1. Florida in November
Kentucky has not played Florida since 1991 in November. Instead of freeing the Gators in the cold, the SEC forced the Wildcats to move to Gainesville in early September. The year the game is finally moved to November, of course, is the game at The Swamp.
2. No Mac Jones
As Drew Franklin explained earlier, Kentucky wanted Bama early in the season for several reasons, namely to get a shot at Mac Jones instead of Bryce Young, the no. 1 general recruit of the 2020 class. By playing Alabama in November, it only eliminates the chance to take revenge on the former UK Quarterback commit.
Despite that, timing is actually on the side of Kentucky. The Wildcats get a farewell, then play a dilapidated Vanderbilt team before traveling to Tuscaloosa, and know the team two weeks off. On the other side, Alabama and LSU will duel before the Crimson Tide hosts UK. Next week is the Iron Bowl.
That’s right, Kentucky is sandwiched between LSU and Auburn on the Alabama schedule. Never has there been a more perfect stair game.
3. Early egg yolk
Kentucky will play the Mississippi schools in two of the first three weeks of the season. Head coaches first year Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach will still work out the kinks in their offensive systems as they share the field with the Wildcats.
4. A playoff to Atlanta
A 10-game SEC-only scheme will be tricky, no matter what. Before last night’s announcement, the final question was whether the tough games would be distributed enough to give the Wildcats enough time to recover physically. It’s hard to imagine a scenario that could have been better played for Kentucky.
Sure, winning at Auburn will not be easy. Even Kentucky was able to enter the weekend with a 5-1 record. After taking care of Vanderbilt, the UK’s destination is in its own hands with a playoff of three games to reach Atlanta. Is it crazy? Maybe, but crazy things happened in 2020.
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