This is simply an overview of each of the season's games; predictions come Thursday.
9.5 :: vs. Miami (Ohio) (Cincinnati)
The Redhawks haven't had a BCS-buster type team since Ben Roethlisberger left after 2003. From there, it was pretty much downhill. There's really no reason to think they'll put up much of a fight against the Wildcats, who will presumably draw to neutral Cincinnati as well or better than Miami.
9.19 :: vs. Louisville
It wasn't long ago that the Cardinals were the annual favorites in this game. But that's history. This might be one of the more winnable BCS games on Louisville's calendar -- which says more about the rough year ahead for Steve Kragthorpe's team than Kentucky. Still, this game should be a close one, with the homefield advantage being big for the Wildcats.
9.26 :: vs. Florida
Kentucky's hardest two games are played in Lexington, which could allow them to pull an upset. But that's not likely in either case, and Florida is the least likely of the two, as the Golden Tebow and Co. torched the Wildcats 63-5 last year.
10.3 :: vs. Alabama
Nor does a defeat of Alabama look likely at this point, but fair warning: Kentucky went into Tuscaloosa last year and held the Tide to a 17-14 victory. There are still a lot of questions about the Kentucky offense, though, and enough about the defense to give Bama the edge. Especially since the 'Cats have won just two of their 37 games against the Tide.
10.10 :: at South Carolina
When you're Kentucky, you expect to have lengthy losing streaks to teams like Florida (22 games). But South Carolina? Since the Gamecocks' 0-11 debacle in 1999, the Wildcats have dropped nine straight to South Carolina; they've also never defeated Steve Spurrier. Trust a South Carolina blogger -- Kentucky fans would love to correct that.
10.17 :: at Auburn
Another series in which the Wildcats have not had much success, though they do come in sandwiched into Auburn's schedule between at Tennessee and at Arkansas on one side and at LSU and vs. Ole Miss on the other. And, if the the Chizik Experiment is going off the rails, anything could happen. But the 'Cats should still be an underdog.
10.24 :: vs. Louisiana-Monroe
Apologies to Nick Saban, but SEC teams should never lose to Sun Belt teams. There is simply no excuse.
10.31 :: vs. Mississippi State
Believe it or not, the Bulldogs are Kentucky's permanent rivals from the SEC West. Makes very little sense to me, either, but there it is. Unless one of these teams has figured out their muddled offensive picture, expect a low-scoring game.
11.7 :: vs. Eastern Kentucky
An FCS team this late in the season is just embarrassing.
11.14 :: at Vanderbilt
Last year's 31-24 defeat was the game that clinched bowl eligibility for the Commodores. You have to believe that Kentucky wants revenge here. If both teams have five wins here -- and it's not out of the question, by any means -- this could be their last chance to secure a postseason berth, which could make for another thriller.
11.21 :: at Georgia
The Wildcats just lost last year's game to the Dawgs and actually defeated Georgia back in the 2006 season. While that was the exception to the rule, this could be the 'Cats best chance for a repeat since that year. On the other hand, you have to like a Mark Richt team's chances in November.
11.28 :: vs. Tennessee
This was the worst of Kentucky's losses last year. The loss to the Vols put UK at last in the SEC East and deprived them of the best chance to break a losing streak that now sits at 24. Revenge? Maybe, but will Kentucky have the firepower to beat Boy Wonder?
--
MONDAY: Kentucky Goes for Four
LATER TODAY: Excerpts from Rich Brooks' Unpublished Memoirs
WEDNESDAY: The Depth Chart
THURSDAY: Predictions
FRIDAY: Feedback and Conclusions