Kentucky’s hold on the SEC race loosened fast Saturday night.
For three straight weeks, the Wildcats had been sitting level with Georgia at the top of the conference. That changed after the loss to Tennessee, and now Kentucky is looking up at the Bulldogs instead of alongside them.
The Cats are 5-2 in SEC play and 7-2 overall, but the path ahead is a lot less clean than it looked a few weeks ago. Georgia was leading Ole Miss 35-0 in the fourth quarter, and Oklahoma was up 13-7 on Florida in the fourth as well.
If Georgia finishes the job, Kentucky and Alabama will be tied for second in the league standings. Alabama owns the tiebreaker after beating Kentucky in Lexington in Week 2.
Kentucky still has three games left: Florida, Missouri on the road, and Louisville. Georgia’s closing run includes Missouri at home next week, a trip to South Carolina, and then Georgia Tech in the regular-season finale.
Alabama’s finish is more manageable, with Vanderbilt, Chattanooga, and Auburn still on the schedule. Even so, the SEC Championship picture is starting to look like a long shot for Kentucky.
The bigger question now is the College Football Playoff. Kentucky checked in at No. 6 in the first Top 25, and the next rankings come out Tuesday night, just before the basketball team meets Kansas in the Champions Classic.
The top teams ahead of the Wildcats are still holding serve in the CFP race. If Kentucky wins out, it still has a real shot at a 12-team berth, but the ugly fourth quarter against Tennessee makes this loss sting even more.
Here’s where the SEC standings stood with two games still in progress:
No. 2 Georgia* 5-1, 7-1 - Beating Ole Miss
No. 5 Alabama 5-2, 7-2 - Beat LSU
No. 6 Kentucky 5-2, 7-2 - Lost to Tennessee
No. 7 Texas 4-2, 7-2 - Beat Missouri
No. 13 Tennessee 4-2, 7-2 - Beat Kentucky
No. 10 Ole Miss* 4-2, 6-2 - Losing to Georgia
No. 21 South Carolina 4-3, 6-3 - Beat Texas A&M
No. 18 Missouri 3-3, 6-3 - Lost to Texas
No. 14 LSU 3-3, 6-3 - Lost to Alabama
No. 24 Florida* 3-3, 5-3 - Losing to Oklahoma
Auburn 3-4, 5-4 - Beat Arkansas
Oklahoma* 2-3, 4-4 - Losing to Florida
Mississippi State 2-5, 4-5 - Lost to Vanderbilt
Texas A&M 1-5, 4-5 - Lost to South Carolina
Arkansas 1-5, 3-6 - Lost to Auburn
Vanderbilt 1-5, 4-5 - Beat Mississippi State
In Other News...
Kentucky Fans Are Livid Over Josh Heupels Late Message
Tennessees 34-6 win over Kentucky was already lopsided long before the final whistle, with the Volunteers forcing three turnovers and controlling the game on both sides of the ball. Both teams still sit at 7-2 with three games left in the regular season, but this one left Kentucky fans stewing over more than the scoreboard.
Josh Heupels decision to keep the offense on the field late and add another touchdown instead of taking a knee became the flashpoint after the game, drawing plenty of anger from the Kentucky side. In a rivalry game that was already one-sided, the late score only added to the frustration and gave Wildcats fans one more thing to talk about as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Fans Have Every Right To Be Furious After Tennessee Loss
Kentuckys trip to Neyland Stadium ended with a loss to Tennessee, but the frustration around this one goes well beyond the final score. The Wildcats had plenty of reasons to feel they were on the wrong end of a game that turned on a few pivotal moments, especially with two officiating decisions drawing immediate attention as the kind that can swing field position, momentum and maybe more.
One came near halftime, when a potential defensive pass interference call against Tennessee went unmade, and another arrived in the third quarter on an offsides look involving Qua Moss that also went uncalled. With three games still left, Kentucky can still keep its season alive and even put itself in position for a College Football Playoff push if it runs the table, but the sting from this one is going to linger until the next chance to get back on track. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Playoff Push Took A Brutal Hit In Knoxville
Kentuckys trip to Knoxville was supposed to be another step in a College Football Playoff push, but it turned into a night of self-inflicted damage at Neyland Stadium. The Wildcats controlled the clock and outgained Tennessee, yet the scoreboard told a far harsher story in a 34-6 loss that was shaped by turnovers, penalties and a string of missed chances.
Three giveaways loomed over the defeat, and Kentucky never found a way to turn its edge in possession into points when it mattered. The loss dropped the Wildcats to 7-2 and left their playoff hopes in a far more precarious spot, with little margin left for error as the season moves into its final stretch. [Read more 🡒]