Kentucky Opens as a 2-Point DOG to South Carolina

[KevinHall]

Oscar Combs just tweeted that UK is now a one point favorite. This will be basically a pickem' game. Which is about right. Both teams seem to be pretty equal.

[johnkyblue]

They beat Michigan in their bowl game. They beat UF, UTK, Ark, Vandy, Mizzou, and NC State last year. None of those teams are very good - at best decent. We think some of those teams suck because of those particular losses. Give those teams those wins and they are 3 significant wins better. trUSC only played UGA as a test this year, unless you want to count a smoking of Vandy. Of course they got smoked against the dogs, almost everyone will. They didn't play a game against Marshall because of the hurricane, but Marshall isn't good enough to hang with NC State, unsure Marshall would give trUSC a go.

They've had an extra week off.

I do think it's absurd if you have watched this team demolish it's opponents. UK's games have been slow rolls that break opponents. That's exactly how UK has beaten trUSC 4 years in a row.

UK took a knee instead of scoring with backups against MSU.

[johnkyblue]

People were picking them to upset UGA earlier this season.

I don't think anybody did that. I was hoping they would, as that would have been funny.

I did think UGA doesn't look like the monster it did last year.

[Brasslock]

SC has some skilled players and a balanced attack. GA just physically whipped them in the second half on the LOS ... both sides. Bentley is a better passer than Fitzgerald. Vandy just came apart in the second half. SC has more depth than Vandy, it would seem. SC is more like Fla in attacking you. They can beat us if we don't play well. We will have the edge in the trenches based on our past performances. Their receivers have shown a "dropsy virus." Hope it becomes virulent Saturday. iIf we have the same raucous crowd we will win our 4th game and have a 3-0 SEC record. I suspect SC will try and out-scheme us. They'll load the box on defense to stop the run and try and make us beat them through the air. This game will really be about us. Time for Terry to have a good game.

[Uncle Dave]

The weather forecast looks perfect. I hope 62000 or more of the most rabid, hardcore UK fans show up ready to rumble. Love to see a situation where the crowd and the team feed off each other!!! Teams that don't bring their A game to CWS are going to get thumped, and I don't think the Cats are anywhere close to peaking. Hopefully we destroy SCAR and head to College Station will full momentum.

[40bill]

There are really no teams in the SEC that can be taken as easy games. Everyone has talent and strengths. South Carolina is very capable of coming into Lexington and waltzing out with a ten point win.
couple of turnovers, missed tackle or two, reverting to holding and prevsnap penalties, and that 5-0 turns to 4-1.

Cats need to be focused and intense for this one. We like to not think so, but the Game****************s are as tough an out as anyone....and the secondary hasn't faced anyone like Bently and Dabo in a passing game yet.
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[RV]

I see us churning out 300+ yards on the ground and while the long-feathered birds may move the ball some through the air, this should be a comfortable win for the Cats.

[Old School]

South Carolina was helped by a +11 turnover margin last year. By comparison Georgia was at +4, Kentucky at +3, Florida at -3, Tennessee at -4, Vanderbilt at -5, and Missouri at -8. Turnovers are what kept Missouri and South Carolina from being in each other's place in the standings last year. The three SEC East teams with positive turnover margins finished #1, 2 and 3 in the SEC East last year. The four with negative turnover margins were the four lowest finishers.

[johnkyblue]

I don't like this absolute about turnovers though. I really just don't think some turnovers should count. A pick six from the opponents 1 on 1st and goal is way different than a 35 yard interception with no return on 3rd and 35 anywhere on the field. A fumble midfield is way different than a fumble giving them a free FG without having to move the ball. A turnover that in no way affects the game that is too far gone in either direction doesn't matter.

I guess I just wish turnovers had a scale value. pick 6 from the opponents 1 in a time and place that mattered a 1 and a interception punt near 0.

[Spiritof96]

I don't like this absolute about turnovers though. I really just don't think some turnovers should count. A pick six from the opponents 1 on 1st and goal is way different than a 35 yard interception with no return on 3rd and 35 anywhere on the field. A fumble midfield is way different than a fumble giving them a free FG without having to move the ball. A turnover that in no way affects the game that is too far gone in either direction doesn't matter.

I guess I just wish turnovers had a scale value. pick 6 from the opponents 1 in a time and place that mattered a 1 and a interception punt near 0.

I assume aggregate turnovers of any kind correlate to losing, even the one's that don't actually matter.

[KevinHall]

I assume aggregate turnovers of any kind correlate to losing, even the one's that don't actually matter.

That's what the stat is for, the aggregate.

[Catsrock]

After opening as a 2 pt dog we're now an even Pick to a 1 pt favorite with 51.5 pt o/u.