Kentucky Football: Do Wildcats have enough firepower to compete for SEC title?

How will Kentucky football fare in 2020?

The Wildcats will be preparing for another season to prove themselves to the rest of the SEC. They will be experiencing a tough SEC-only schedule. If they want to continue to rise as an SEC program, they will need to make some upsets happen.

Here is the breakdown of the schedule for the Wildcats in 2020:

• Game 1: at Auburn (L) – The Wildcats’ earliest game includes a tough trip to Auburn where their rush defense will be stout.
• Game 2: vs. Ole Miss (W) – The Wildcats will be more determined to stop a well-balanced offense this time against the Rebels.
• Game 3: vs. Mississippi State (W) – A second consecutive home matchup will give the Wildcats a boost on the field to stop a Bulldogs’ offense still establishing the air raid.
• Game 4: at Tennessee (L) – The Volunteers’ huge second-half stride last season gave them the tools they need to push the Wildcats down the SEC East leader.
• Game 5: vs. Georgia (L) – While the Wildcats have the defense to stop the Bulldogs’ offense, they will have a very difficult getting to the red zone.
• Game 6: at Missouri (W) – The Wildcats rebound in an away game in a potentially high-scoring matchup.
• Game 7: vs. Vanderbilt (W) – Handling the Commodores at home will be one of the easiest games for the Wildcats this season.
• Game 8: at Alabama (L) – The Wildcats’ last additional SEC game of the season includes a trip to Tuscaloosa against a determined Alabama team.
• Game 9: at Florida (L) – This could be the best chance for the Wildcats to show their worth to the entire SEC but the Gators will have a distinctive home-field advantage.
• Game 10: vs. South Carolina (W) – Kentucky will end their season with a decisive victory against a Gamecocks team likely without a fired Will Muschamp as head coach.

Final Record: 5-5

The Wildcats were given a bad hand when it comes to their additional SEC matchups. They could handle a big game against Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss but the other matchup versus Alabama will be tough. They will also have to endure trips to Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida.

Without some non-conference games, it will be tough for the Wildcats to find themselves to go over .500 but they could go to a bowl game if the postseason is around.

The Wildcats are not worried about the potential of Terry Wilson as their quarterback because they have seen his impact. They will be wondering about the potential impact coming from the receiving corps. They are expected to have a great rushing offense due to the experience of running backs, Asim Rose and Kavosiey Smoke. They will also have one of the most experienced and stout offensive lines in the SEC.

On the defensive side of the ball, they will rely on their star pass rushers from the defensive line and linebackers. They will need to be better at defending the rushing game as they were ranked 64th in the nation in rushing yards allowed per game (156.8). They do have the experienced players to have a better rush defense in 2020. Their passing defense will also need to be up for the task against these SEC offenses that are getting more explosive in the passing game.