Power ranking the SEC after week 5: #8 - Kentucky
Reports of Kentucky’s demise have apparently been greatly exaggerated. The Cats came into this game with a very definite strategy—a Jimbo-esque strategy, even—to possess the ball, harass Jaxson Dart, and win a low-scoring game.
They, of course, executed that game plan to a T. The Cats held the ball for nearly two-thirds of the game’s duration, and after Ole Miss scored on their first drive, the keep-away effect clearly affected their rhythm.
I still consider that game firmly an upset, however, which is why I have Kentucky still lower-ranked than Ole Miss. The Rebels have a higher ceiling than the Cats do, but UK needed this win in all sorts of ways.
A shaky Mark Stoops era now all of a sudden seems on much firmer ground. The Cats head into the bye at 3-2, and could rattle off three straight wins afterwards against Vandy, Florida, and Auburn. If they come into that Tennessee game at 6-2, there will be quite the buzz around that matchup.