I wouldn't be surprised to see a much better Kentucky football team this year but with a 7-5 record. Our road schedule is brutal.
'24 UK Football Predictions
- Thread starter Hayes4prez
- Start date
8 wins is doable. Get good qb play and win the TO battle more times than not and we could win 9. 7 wins is probably a bit of a disappointment. 7 wins means you aren't beating anyone "above" us or lost to someone we definitely shouldn't have. I'd like to beat Aub or Tenn this year really bad.
I'm going to say 8-4.
As is often the case, the huge swing game is the early season week 2 game with USC. Win that, and I think we can weather some early toughies.
Wins: 3 OOC, UL (as usual), USC, Aubie, Vandy, Florida
Losses: UGA, UT, UT, Ole Miss
We just don't beat UT, UGA, or Lane Kiffen. I do think we keep it going against UF. I also wouldn't be shocked if we play Texas tough in Austin.
As is often the case, the huge swing game is the early season week 2 game with USC. Win that, and I think we can weather some early toughies.
Wins: 3 OOC, UL (as usual), USC, Aubie, Vandy, Florida
Losses: UGA, UT, UT, Ole Miss
We just don't beat UT, UGA, or Lane Kiffen. I do think we keep it going against UF. I also wouldn't be shocked if we play Texas tough in Austin.
6-6
Southern Miss -W ( ill give them this but game 1 under a new OC is a little scary)
South Carolina -L (Beamer has owned Stoops since the goofy sunglasses comment)
UGa -L (Complete ass whipping)
Ohio - W ( closer than we think after getting our teeth kicked in)
Ole Miss - L (Kiffen has owned Stoops, coaching mismatch)
Vandy - W
Florida - W ( Napier could be on the hottest of hot sears and already fired at this point)
Auburn - L ( too much talent and a Hugh freeze offense in year 2... I predict a double digit victory by Auburn)
Tenn - L (Stoops will never win against Heupal again... too much offense... coaching mismatch)
Murray St -W
Texas - L game may be closer than we think
UL - W (Complete tossup, Picking UK till Cards win one though)
Southern Miss -W ( ill give them this but game 1 under a new OC is a little scary)
South Carolina -L (Beamer has owned Stoops since the goofy sunglasses comment)
UGa -L (Complete ass whipping)
Ohio - W ( closer than we think after getting our teeth kicked in)
Ole Miss - L (Kiffen has owned Stoops, coaching mismatch)
Vandy - W
Florida - W ( Napier could be on the hottest of hot sears and already fired at this point)
Auburn - L ( too much talent and a Hugh freeze offense in year 2... I predict a double digit victory by Auburn)
Tenn - L (Stoops will never win against Heupal again... too much offense... coaching mismatch)
Murray St -W
Texas - L game may be closer than we think
UL - W (Complete tossup, Picking UK till Cards win one though)
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It all rides on BV and tangentially the o line. If BV throws for 3000+, rushes for about 400yds and has a 2.5 to 1 TD to int ratio, with our normal good to great rushing, then we're winning 8, maybe even 9. If he's Leary 2.0, then we win 6 or 7.
I can see 7 or 8 SEC teams with 8 win seasons this year but some of those teams could win 6 or 9 also. Preseason predictions are about as accurate as a blind spear thrower but folks love em.
In a nutshell reasons to feel optimistic is talent - maybe the most talented team in 40 years or more. Reason to be cautious is "newness" on offense. New OC with new system, new starting RB, new QB, a few other new faces including slot receiver and one or two spots on the O-line. All that has to come together into a cohesive efficient unit with a minimal of mistakes. That will take some time.
In a nutshell reasons to feel optimistic is talent - maybe the most talented team in 40 years or more. Reason to be cautious is "newness" on offense. New OC with new system, new starting RB, new QB, a few other new faces including slot receiver and one or two spots on the O-line. All that has to come together into a cohesive efficient unit with a minimal of mistakes. That will take some time.
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Yup. High ceiling, but also high risk of not hitting on all cylinders due to some many new key offensive pieces.
I mean, Georgia is gonna be #1 or a close #2 to Ohio preseason, Texas should be top 4 or 5, Ole Miss in or close to top 10. All 3 high favorites to be in CFB playoff. Them Knoxville and Louisville likely top 20 teams as well.
On paper right now one of the most difficult schedules in school history
On paper right now one of the most difficult schedules in school history
Southern Miss -W
South Carolina -W
UGa -L
Ohio - W
Ole Miss - L (this could be season swing game)
Vandy - W
Florida - W ...but iffy
Auburn - W (this could also swing the season)
Tenn - L
Murray St - L
Texas - L
UL - W
I see 7-5...but new OC is a very unknown. If Vandagriff has growing pains (and we drop the USC game early)...it could be a longer season than some expect.
South Carolina -W
UGa -L
Ohio - W
Ole Miss - L (this could be season swing game)
Vandy - W
Florida - W ...but iffy
Auburn - W (this could also swing the season)
Tenn - L
Murray St - L
Texas - L
UL - W
I see 7-5...but new OC is a very unknown. If Vandagriff has growing pains (and we drop the USC game early)...it could be a longer season than some expect.
Think you made a mistake on Murray St, at least I hope so. I give us a floor of 7 and a ceiling of 9 if the offense gets rolling. UT and OM on the road are gonna be tough, would need one of those for a shot at nine. I’m guessing 8-4 but as said above we really don’t know what to expect from the offense.
7 and 5.
You can about pencil UK in for that recordc going forward IMO. A credit to Stoops but getting beyond that n NIL era and expanded sec going forward will be a heavy challenge.
You can about pencil UK in for that recordc going forward IMO. A credit to Stoops but getting beyond that n NIL era and expanded sec going forward will be a heavy challenge.
I think we’re 6-6 with possibility of one more win or one more loss. Maybe that view changes if Hamdan comes out of the chute showing he’s getting extra points for you himself every game. Until I see the line return back to solid form of seasons ago I can only foresee marginal improvements otherwise. We might be better but the favorable version of sec schedule we’ve had has changed.
Good catch.....No we ain't losing to Murray St
I like the structure of the schedule and have always felt that our admin/coaching staff never really utilized scheduling as strategically as they could. Feel like you can leave a win maybe two on the table each year if you don't schedule as tactically as possible.
Our OOCs are spread out, and we're getting some good looks early in September. Typically, we haven't played anybody until October when they're in mid-season form having played at least 1 if not 2 good opponents themselves and therefore are more prepared.
This year, September may actually be the toughest stretch with SC, UGA, and Ole Miss. Good! Better to find out who's who, what is and what isn't early. However, silver lining in starting out tough, is that if there is a small chance to get a moral victory or sneak an upset vs UGA...it's early season. They and Alabama among other big dogs all had close calls early last season. I'm not saying, but I'm just saying, it's more likely to surprise the upper echelon team before they're full steam ahead and rolling in October, November.
October next season maybe the easiest stretch. After a tough September and playing 3 good SEC games, we get a bye to start off the month. Vandy, Florida, and Auburn are all beatable.
A week off, and Murray St before Texas is nice.
Our OOCs are spread out, and we're getting some good looks early in September. Typically, we haven't played anybody until October when they're in mid-season form having played at least 1 if not 2 good opponents themselves and therefore are more prepared.
This year, September may actually be the toughest stretch with SC, UGA, and Ole Miss. Good! Better to find out who's who, what is and what isn't early. However, silver lining in starting out tough, is that if there is a small chance to get a moral victory or sneak an upset vs UGA...it's early season. They and Alabama among other big dogs all had close calls early last season. I'm not saying, but I'm just saying, it's more likely to surprise the upper echelon team before they're full steam ahead and rolling in October, November.
October next season maybe the easiest stretch. After a tough September and playing 3 good SEC games, we get a bye to start off the month. Vandy, Florida, and Auburn are all beatable.
A week off, and Murray St before Texas is nice.
UK plays 2 SEC teams with coaches on the hot seat, UF drops the Miami game and UF could have an interim coach by UK game. Beamer good will from the UTn and CU wins is getting eaten up, another non bowl season could be his last. But that's the new SEC, 4 maybe 5 teams start the season in the top 10, Bama, UTx, OM, UGA, with a couple more thing they should and might, LSU, UTn and Missouri and 2-3 other teams hoping to make the layoffs.
I mean, we are playing 2 teams with 10.5 project wins, a 9.5 win Ole Miss on the road, 9 win Knoxville on road, 8.5 win Louisville, and 7.5 win Auburn on the road
Hello? UK might be dramatically better and be damned lucky to notch 7-5
National Championship Season 12-0
National Semi Finals - 11-1 Georgia Loss
Playoff Season - 10-2. Losses Georgia & Texas
Remarkable Season - 9-3 Add Mississippi loss
Fantastic Season- 8-4 Add Tennessee loss
Treading Water Season - 7-5 Add Auburn loss
What? 6-6 Add Florida loss
You kidding? - 5-7 Add South Carolina loss
Disaster - add Louisville loss
There you have it - Kentucky's possible won loss record this season. Personally I think 9-3 on the upside and 7-5 on the downside. I think the team will be a good team - but it will come down to the inches games, getting the breaks and injuries. Past coaching indicates losses that will keep us from going 10-2 or better.
Go Big Blue!
Key to the season is week 2 (much like week 2 matchups have been the keys in Stoops' best seasons here). Win the USC game and a good to great season are in play. Lose that game, and it's awfully tough to be optimistic.
I am confident Vandagriff, if he stays healthy, will be the most productive QB of the Stoops era by a significant margin. I am also confident our 2024 OL will be better than our 2023 OL was, although it's hard to say at this point just how much better. But I expect a significant improvement. I like the additions of Hamdan and Wolford to our coaching staff.
So, in my mind, saying it "all rides" on Vandagriff and the OL will not prove out. All due respect, that's too simple. I believe Hamdan will put points on the board, so I am inclined to think a whole lot rides on our defense (especially our secondary) and secondarily on our punting game. In 2023, our defense was uncharacteristically bad on 3rd down, and a big part of the problem was our pass defense. That has to get better.
FWIW, I have a problem with people thinking in May that they know the ceiling for next fall's team. Nobody does. Many SEC games are decided by less than 5 decisive plays. Pretending in the spring that we know how those few plays will go in the fall speaks to a poster's level of confidence based mostly on last year. As far as it goes, that's understandable. But it has nothing to do with 2024 and with an offensive coaching staff with 3 new coaches.
All due respect, that speaks more to your level of confidence than to the team itself. I dont see this team losing to SCar in Lexington. But many of these games are decided by a few plays. Stuff happens. There have been a number of notable cases when a team got upset and lost a game they shouldn't have lost, then went on to have a strong season. But I will agree with you this far, I sure don't want to lose that home game. That would give me a lot of indigestion.
To me, this is the September key for this team. Don't get blown out by GA or lose key players to injury on September 14, then beat OM in Oxford on September 28. Anyone who gives up on September 28 and says we can't beat OM is talking about their own mindset, not about our football team. We can win it if we play our game.
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I was at the last game in Oxford. We gave it away. Come to play and we can win there.
Auburn is at home, and 7.5 is quite generous. Louisville is a joke. We play 5 bad teams (to be fair, the midmajor/FCS teams may not be bad compared to their peers), a Florida team that may end up 4 and 8, Auburn, U6.
Four brutal games, assuming that Tennessee and Ole Miss are good, eight highly winnable ones. If we go 7 and 5, we're not really all that good.
Yep... I figured 7 would be the popular choice.... which is why I said we need to shoot for 8. We have to take the next step from just beating bad teams.... We have to beat UT or AUB or Tex.... Just have to.
This... We need to expect the 8 win season even with this harder schedule...
I can't make a prediction right now,gotta see us play. The o line will be a key. Imo a few key injuries, especially at RB could really hurt us. I also have questions about our new OC. I didn't like the hire at all,but he's the guy and the jury is out until I see what kind of game he calls against a SEC opponent. Fi ally the schedule is brutal,just brutal. Alot questions that must be answered.
Almost every year, people say the schedule is tougher. That is before any of us knows whether it really is. Seems to me the Hamdan hire is solid. He certainly has the right resume. He has coached at several SEC programs as well as the NFL. He runs a balanced offense and he doesn't huddle much. His players like him and his former head coaches speak well of him. I have been impressed and pleased that he has been able to hang onto Stone Saunders. What's not to like?
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I will go 8-4 with possible 9-3.
I am tired of thinking we will lose one we should have won and such. It is time to get over the next hump. I know SEC football is now tougher than ever. I know it will be harder to get the W. I am going to believe again this year, enjoy the build up and hopefully enjoy one heck of a ride this year. Why not!
I am tired of thinking we will lose one we should have won and such. It is time to get over the next hump. I know SEC football is now tougher than ever. I know it will be harder to get the W. I am going to believe again this year, enjoy the build up and hopefully enjoy one heck of a ride this year. Why not!
Sight unseen, 7-5. I've too, too many questions on the line, and unless that bend but maybe not break defense changes that's gonna cost us one or maybe two games.
The QB certainly has good credentials, but so did the last one. The new OC will be on a learning curve and so will the players.
Maybe even 6-6. The last couple years have left a bad taste.
I know I'm in a big minority, but giving up the kinds of points we have to P5 teams with what we think is improved personnel is discouraging and befuddled. No offensive wizard us going to fix that problem.
The QB certainly has good credentials, but so did the last one. The new OC will be on a learning curve and so will the players.
Maybe even 6-6. The last couple years have left a bad taste.
I know I'm in a big minority, but giving up the kinds of points we have to P5 teams with what we think is improved personnel is discouraging and befuddled. No offensive wizard us going to fix that problem.
I hardly see how a game result 4 years ago is relevant given how few contributors remain the same. What is different & favors OM is Kiff has his system fully installed and his players in place. Stoops is not near as much changed in my belief. Net, we either can or we can't. If OM is up to the hype, very doubtful for us imo even with a better team.
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