Kentucky Football Silver Linings Following South Carolina Loss

When news broke that Kentucky may be without Will Levis, I wrote that Kentucky should beat South Carolina with or without their starting quarterback. No excuses. In spite of that, the text line into my radio show was filled with remarks like, “How’s Mark Stoops going to tell you to spin this, Roush?” “What’s your excuse now?” “Spin this, butt-slapper.” Since so many asked, I will oblige by providing some silver linings for the loss.

Las Vegas Bowl is on the Table

Dreams of New Orleans on New Year’s Eve may be dashed, but the Cats can still go bowling in another city known for debauchery. This will be the first year the Las Vegas Bowl hosts an SEC team. The new rotation alternates between Vegas and the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte. If the Wildcats fall out of contention for the Outback Bowl, the Music City will not be calling (UK will turn down a bid to play a familiar game at the same time as the UK-UofL basketball game), leaving Las Vegas as the most likely destination. As someone who’s never been to Sin City, I’m not mad about it.

Mississippi State: Still Beatable

The Bulldogs looked like the best team to ever play college football in a 23-point blowout of Arkansas. No. 16 Mississippi State will be a handful, particularly when the UK offense has the ball, but this is what Mike Leach teams do. They will run teams off the field at home, but they’re vulnerable on the road, and when things go bad, they quickly turn into a disaster. The Bulldogs led 16-10 at LSU when they muffed a punt deep in their own territory. In the blink of an eye the Tigers were ahead 31-16.

The last time Mike Leach traveled to Lexington, a similar disaster unfolded. Kentucky intercepted approximately 73 passes, turning a close game into a route in the second half. Since 2015 Mississippi State has won by an average of 23.3 points in Starkville, while Kentucky has a 15-point average margin of victory in Lexington.

Alabama can Ruin Tennessee

As Mississippi State was wracking up points on Arkansas, Tennessee was running LSU off the football field. The Vols are 5-0 and their fans are feeling like it’s ’98. That can all come crashing down when Bryce Young returns and the Alabama Crimson Tide come to town. It’s impossible to deny the fact that Hendon Hooker and the Vols can score some points. Winning at Neyland Stadium is a tall task, but we may think of that game much differently after Nick Saban puts Josh Heupel in his place.

Kentucky has only had Chris Rodriguez and Will Levis in One SEC Game

In an odd bit of irony, Kentucky was 4-0 without Chris Rodriguez and 0-2 since he returned. Through six games Kentucky has had its top two offensive playmakers available only once, and C-Rod admitted he was nowhere near top form in his first game back at Ole Miss.

Despite Jeremy Flax‘s absence, Kentucky also might have found something in its run game. Rodriguez almost surpassed 100 rushing yards in the first half against South Carolina. After falling behind, the Cats did not turn to C-Rod in the second half. The BBN only got two quarters of the Chris Rodriguez Experience, but it’s better than nothing.

One Final Silver Lining

“It’s never as bad as it seems, and it’s never as good as it seems.”