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Ranking the overall strength of SEC East programs

For what little it is worth I agree with Drummond regarding TN. Key statement:

Tennessee appears to be heading back in the right direction. I'd like to place Kentucky above them in the pecking order, but the reality is the Vols keep finding a way to beat the Cats. UK has to settle for No. 4 for now.

Key word in the statement..."appears". They have been mediocre at best for such a long time now they have to be Missouri-like and "Show Me". Regardless, Cats are at "top of the middle".

Peace
 
For what little it is worth I agree with Drummond regarding TN. Key statement:

Tennessee appears to be heading back in the right direction. I'd like to place Kentucky above them in the pecking order, but the reality is the Vols keep finding a way to beat the Cats. UK has to settle for No. 4 for now.

Key word in the statement..."appears". They have been mediocre at best for such a long time now they have to be Missouri-like and "Show Me". Regardless, Cats are at "top of the middle".

Peace
The key word to me is beat.
 
I wonder what Tennessee's record would be if year in year out if we played basically 4 mac teams, as ky does. We always have a top 15 matchup to begin the year (West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma ( 2x), etc.) and we always play bama. This fact alone means ky already has 2 wins more per season than UT. I'm not complaining , just stating facts. I wonder what our overall sec records are comparatively the last say 5 years. I don`t know, someone help me out.
 
I wonder what Tennessee's record would be if year in year out if we played basically 4 mac teams, as ky does. We always have a top 15 matchup to begin the year (West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma ( 2x), etc.) and we always play bama. This fact alone means ky already has 2 wins more per season than UT. I'm not complaining , just stating facts. I wonder what our overall sec records are comparatively the last say 5 years. I don`t know, someone help me out.

I agree with you that playing Bama every year is obviously a bigger challenge than MSU. However we play UofL every year and before they melted down they fielded some pretty competitive teams especially when they had Lamar Jackson, IMO as good or better than what WVU or VaTech have produced lately.

The last three years Kentucky was 10-8 in the Division while UT was 5-13. That's the same schedule so it's an apples to apples comparison.
 
I agree with you that playing Bama every year is obviously a bigger challenge than MSU. However we play UofL every year and before they melted down they fielded some pretty competitive teams especially when they had Lamar Jackson, IMO as good or better than what WVU or VaTech have produced lately.

The last three years Kentucky was 10-8 in the Division while UT was 5-13. That's the same schedule so it's an apples to apples comparison.

I hate to say it but, I agree with Jeff at this time.. I will say that times are changing and really fast.. The Cats will not be the push overs we were in the past.. These coaches are doing a terrific job of getting player's to by into what they want..
I think we (UK) will start doing it this year in Ktown.. I see a couple of years that we will be better and from there you never know how good UK can become..


GBB
 
In the last 5 years UT is 16-24 in the conference, uk is 18-22. That is again with us playing bama every year and also playing lsu (2x) , Auburn . The difference is not that great. Overall, UK gets a great deal more wins outside the conference than UT does (and yes some of it is self inflicted like this years 2 nonconference losses) but we do always play a more challenging out of conference schedule. This year we are going to Oklahoma and will host them in a few years. Nebraska also is on schedule in a few years.
 
I agree with you that playing Bama every year is obviously a bigger challenge than MSU. However we play UofL every year and before they melted down they fielded some pretty competitive teams especially when they had Lamar Jackson, IMO as good or better than what WVU or VaTech have produced lately.

The last three years Kentucky was 10-8 in the Division while UT was 5-13. That's the same schedule so it's an apples to apples comparison.
Good points.
 
In the last 5 years UT is 16-24 in the conference, uk is 18-22. That is again with us playing bama every year and also playing lsu (2x) , Auburn . The difference is not that great. Overall, UK gets a great deal more wins outside the conference than UT does (and yes some of it is self inflicted like this years 2 nonconference losses) but we do always play a more challenging out of conference schedule. This year we are going to Oklahoma and will host them in a few years. Nebraska also is on schedule in a few years.

It's not our fault UL sucks. :/
 
You've got to start beating Tennessee regularly before ranking ourselves above them so I agree with Jeff unfortunately.

I think Thug U was just extremely lucky last year, none more so than the game we gave them without a QB AND the bowl game against Indiana, I thought Indy out played them and it took a last minute onside kick recovery and some other luck for them to beat Indiana. The problem is their record has caused recruits to think they are back.

I don't think they are, and we will beat them this year.
 
Guess we’ll find out who did the most pushups and wall squats this fall...

I don't think that matters, I think it is how many bricks you have laid.

Or maybe that was coeds. Personally I never enjoyed laying bricks that much.
 
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I agree with you that playing Bama every year is obviously a bigger challenge than MSU. However we play UofL every year and before they melted down they fielded some pretty competitive teams especially when they had Lamar Jackson, IMO as good or better than what WVU or VaTech have produced lately.

The last three years Kentucky was 10-8 in the Division while UT was 5-13. That's the same schedule so it's an apples to apples comparison.

And that includes our losing record of 1-2 against them those three years, pretty hard to explain both those losses really, obviously a better team in 18 and no passing attack in 19. We were 9-6 those three years against the rest of the SEC.
 
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I am so sick and tired of reading uk fans making excuses for their loss(es) to UT. We beat you square up AT Ky and all I see is that uk had no qb. Then uk fans praise how great Bowden was as a qb - running and all and that no one could stop their offense , and it was really ,really hard to stop and it was( think Oklahoma a and Nebraska offense in the past) . Truth is the year before we beat you with your regular qb and it wasn't even close. Reality is that UT owns uk and always will in football. Kudos for the upswing in the ky football program, you have improved tremendously under MS, but still have a long ways to go to get considered on par with the Vols. Lastly, I've heard " we'll beat them (Vols) this fall " from uk fans so many times that it brings out an involuntary chuckle response.
 
We know we were bad in football, but we obviously are taking football seriously now,and improving. UT used to be good,many years ago,but have never understood how bad they’ve been lately. The mental block U.K. has versus UT, is in the process of being erased,as our talent improves! Sorta like UT choking in basketball.
 
I am so sick and tired of reading uk fans making excuses for their loss(es) to UT. We beat you square up AT Ky and all I see is that uk had no qb. Then uk fans praise how great Bowden was as a qb - running and all and that no one could stop their offense , and it was really ,really hard to stop and it was( think Oklahoma a and Nebraska offense in the past) . Truth is the year before we beat you with your regular qb and it wasn't even close. Reality is that UT owns uk and always will in football. Kudos for the upswing in the ky football program, you have improved tremendously under MS, but still have a long ways to go to get considered on par with the Vols. Lastly, I've heard " we'll beat them (Vols) this fall " from uk fans so many times that it brings out an involuntary chuckle response.
I would think you wouldn't come on this board if you were really sick and tired of it!
 
We know we were bad in football, but we obviously are taking football seriously now,and improving. UT used to be good,many years ago,but have never understood how bad they’ve been lately. The mental block U.K. has versus UT, is in the process of being erased,as our talent improves! Sorta like UT choking in basketball.
The mental block is a true thing and phenomenon for the fans involved and as well for the players and coaches. I thing throughout the year they hear about it and when it comes to the actual week/day to play they tense up . It is true of uk vs UT and it is true of UT vs fla. and it is hard to overcome. Just like ky fans have said many times that " we had the better team" or "they lucked out "against UT, vol fans have said that many times against fla. Side note : although we certainly haven't had the success of uk in basketball, we certainly think and know that we can beat the cats just about every time we play them , and cat fans know that as well. Be honest now.
 
Reality is that UT owns uk and always will in football.

I think you have the tense wrong UT owned UK for decades, no doubt about that, but during those years Kentucky admittedly didn't have a real SEC program, UT always had a big talent advantage and it showed on the field. Those days are gone, look at the rosters and you will see Kentucky and Tennessee are similar talent wise, UT and UK recruit in the same space and often for the same players, and I would argue that our coaching staff has out performed most other staffs in the way of player development. Because of the balance of talent the w/l records of the series will even out over the years to come, I really like that because UT/UK used to be a great boarder rivalry decades ago, hopefully that will return..
 
I am so sick and tired of reading uk fans making excuses for their loss(es) to UT. We beat you square up AT Ky and all I see is that uk had no qb. Then uk fans praise how great Bowden was as a qb - running and all and that no one could stop their offense , and it was really ,really hard to stop and it was( think Oklahoma a and Nebraska offense in the past) . Truth is the year before we beat you with your regular qb and it wasn't even close. Reality is that UT owns uk and always will in football. Kudos for the upswing in the ky football program, you have improved tremendously under MS, but still have a long ways to go to get considered on par with the Vols. Lastly, I've heard " we'll beat them (Vols) this fall " from uk fans so many times that it brings out an involuntary chuckle response.
If you really believe that have no qb and having a wide receiver at qb with virtually no passing threat was not a disadvantage then you know nothing about football. If our starting qb hadn't been out the last 11 games them UK would have been a much different team and most likely blown the doors off your team and won 10 or 11 games. Stop living in the past. If you don't want to read something that is biased in favor of UK then don't go to a UK message board
 
If you really believe that have no qb and having a wide receiver at qb with virtually no passing threat was not a disadvantage then you know nothing about football. If our starting qb hadn't been out the last 11 games them UK would have been a much different team and most likely blown the doors off your team and won 10 or 11 games. Stop living in the past. If you don't want to read something that is biased in favor of UK then don't go to a UK message board
It didn't help the year before w Wilson as the qb, and with a better team overall. I am assuming that Wilson is the qb " that would have blown our doors off". You don't t seem to know the reality of football either. I' d also comment on here, other than Georgia, which team slowed down ky's offense ? I mean, sure your passing attact was handicapped but your running game was virtually unstoppable. You can't have it both ways is the point I'm making.
 
You Ut fans are pretty desperate , if you have to come to a UK football board, to try to brag about anything! We’re getting better, and finally putting the necessary resources and effort , into having a SEC football program, that will be able whip the vols more often than not. Enjoy it while you can little vol!
 
To the OP "Deeeeefence" you make some valid points. I believe ky's competitiveness on the field in recent years is unquestionable. Stoops has done an excellent job of both recruiting and developing players, and certainly better than UT player development overall. I, and I think UT as a program as well ,doesn't automatically mark the game against ky as a certain win anymore but the reality is UT has been at a historical low in the last ten years and ky really hasn't taken advantage of that- even in their increased focus in football. Tennessee has a much greater ceiling than ky and always will in football, and we will reach those places that we have been in the past and that will be what is expected from here on out.
 
It didn't help the year before w Wilson as the qb, and with a better team overall. I am assuming that Wilson is the qb " that would have blown our doors off". You don't t seem to know the reality of football either. I' d also comment on here, other than Georgia, which team slowed down ky's offense ? I mean, sure your passing attact was handicapped but your running game was virtually unstoppable. You can't have it both ways is the point I'm making.
You made no point what so ever. So you say a first year qb wouldn't improve in year 2. And not having a healthy qb on the roster doesn't matter. I said nothing about anything or anyone being unstoppable. That was you. You're not very good at making your point cause you clearly lack to intelligence to do so. Conversation over. You're not worth the time to reply anymore. Fact you almost got bet by a team without a quarterback. Now put a D1 qb on the team. No longer 1 dimensional. Other can no longer stack the box on every single play. I would explain more but it's over your head so I'll stop
 
I wonder what Tennessee's record would be if year in year out if we played basically 4 mac teams, as ky does. We always have a top 15 matchup to begin the year (West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma ( 2x), etc.) and we always play bama. This fact alone means ky already has 2 wins more per season than UT. I'm not complaining , just stating facts. I wonder what our overall sec records are comparatively the last say 5 years. I don`t know, someone help me out.
Your ocs for 2020 is Troy, Furman, Charlotte & Oklahoma...cry me a freaking river!! Go beg sympathy somewhere else. You puke orange fans would scream body murder if you didn't play bama every year...
 
If you really believe that have no qb and having a wide receiver at qb with virtually no passing threat was not a disadvantage then you know nothing about football. If our starting qb hadn't been out the last 11 games them UK would have been a much different team and most likely blown the doors off your team and won 10 or 11 games. Stop living in the past. If you don't want to read something that is biased in favor of UK then don't go to a UK message board
2nd and goal at the 1 1/2 and didn't score...gotta get the job done.
 
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UT has been at a historical low in the last ten years and ky really hasn't taken advantage of that- even in their increased focus in football.

You're right about that and that has been a major point of frustration for UK fans since we have had a lot of success against teams like Missouri and South Carolina. But it hasn't been due to a talent deficiency. I mean last year's game came down to the last play, the year before we were coming off of what to us was the game of the century against UGA with a trip to Atlanta on the line, classic letdown and UT played by far their best game of the season IMO.

Tennessee has a much greater ceiling than ky and always will in football

We have already broken through what most people including our own fan base thought were "ceilings" just a few years ago, so I wouldn't agree with that. I wouldn't be quick to put an artificial ceiling on either program right now, but I wouldn't put a floor on them either. Over the years I've learned that the only thing you can predict in football is the unpredictable.
 
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To the op "kyfbfn78" , my point was, and apparently you could not understand it, was that with Bowden your offense overall did not change that much as far as statistics were concerned - the way you got the yardage changed and I gave an example of Switzers Oklahoma offense. Running was your mo and it was hard to stop. Fact. Would passing have added to it - yes but you still had a very good offense. Show me statistically , again overall, how ky's offense suffered (you, points per game, 1st downs, etc) and then I'll consider your points.
I disagree with you on the Wilson statement. He hadn't showed any great improvement in the games before he got hurt (I can go back to ky fans wanting others to give other QBs a chance) AND he was playing on as not talented team overall. Ky got beat by the Vols with and without him - he wouldn't have made any difference. These facts show that that you do not have a grasp or understanding of basic football principles. Conversation now over.
 
I just realized that Wilson got hurt against E Michigan , only the second game, and Sawyer Smith played the next 3 games. My bad, but it does show my point : comparing ky's first 5 games w the next 7 w Bowden starting - ky was much improved on offense : more explosive plays, more points per game , more 1st downs, more yards per game , etc. Look up the stats ! Lastly to one more point - this was against teams knowing what ky was doing ( ie stacking the box) - very impressive. Makes the Vols really look good in that last goal line stand , against the best running attack in the conference, don't ya think ?
 
Little vol keep dreaming with your bs, nobody is impressed with your wanna be big time footballness! Just be glad that U.K. gave up on football when Bryant left,or our rivalry would be a lot different! But things are changing in UKs direction now that the resources are being put into it. So your 67 year head start hasn’t lasted very long ,since U.K. has gotten serious about being legit SEC!
 
No one is more fluster than I over our record versus the UT. Do think coach Stoops and staff have improved recruiting to a point we match up other than Jawja with other SECE teams.
Just need to beat UT! JMO think their head coach is subject to melt down!
 
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I wonder what Tennessee's record would be if year in year out if we played basically 4 mac teams, as ky does. We always have a top 15 matchup to begin the year (West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma ( 2x), etc.) and we always play bama. This fact alone means ky already has 2 wins more per season than UT. I'm not complaining , just stating facts. I wonder what our overall sec records are comparatively the last say 5 years. I don`t know, someone help me out.

So Georgia State?
 
I agree with you that playing Bama every year is obviously a bigger challenge than MSU. However we play UofL every year and before they melted down they fielded some pretty competitive teams especially when they had Lamar Jackson, IMO as good or better than what WVU or VaTech have produced lately.

The last three years Kentucky was 10-8 in the Division while UT was 5-13. That's the same schedule so it's an apples to apples comparison.

Yeah cannot argue with those division numbers. Sadly 2 of those 5 are against us.
 
I think Thug U was just extremely lucky last year, none more so than the game we gave them without a QB AND the bowl game against Indiana, I thought Indy out played them and it took a last minute onside kick recovery and some other luck for them to beat Indiana. The problem is their record has caused recruits to think they are back.

I don't think they are, and we will beat them this year.
You act like onside kicks benefit the kicking team. It was executed perfectly. Hell those PAC12 refs watched the video for about 6 minutes trying to give it to Indiana. We shut down most teams passing abilities when we were healthy. Triple option-esque offenses gave us issues. I think we had the ball for like 12 minutes against y’all and scored more points. Imagine if it was split more evenly like the year before with Wilson at QB.
 
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