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This Saturday, Kentucky will be looking for its first win over Florida since before any of its current players were born (1986), which would end a 28-game losing streak in the series.
However, Auburn has some demons of its own to exorcise, having dropped seven straight in Death Valley dating back to 1999. In Tuscaloosa, Ole Miss aims to take down Alabama in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history.
So which of those teams is most likely to make it happen this week? Our staff debates:
WHO’S MOST LIKELY TO WIN THIS WEEK?
Brad Crawford (@BCrawfordSDS): Kentucky
If Kentucky can tone down the emotions a bit riding high off last week’s win at South Carolina, I think the Wildcats can end another lengthy losing skid Saturday night against Florida. Patrick Towles is playing with confidence and Boom Williams is a 100-yard threat every start (if he gets enough touches). The Gators haven’t yet announced a starter, but if Jim McElwain goes with Will Grier, it’ll be the first road start of his career — not favorable for an offense that struggled at times against East Carolina.
Keep an eye on Kentucky’s first few possessions offensively. If the Wildcats start fast and have early success, they’ll have a chance to bury an opposing team that isn’t built for shootouts. Vernon Hargreaves’ availability remains a hot topic since Kentucky now has playmakers and reliable targets on the outside.
Jon Cooper (@JonSDS): Kentucky
Of the three selections, Kentucky beating Florida is the most likely to happen. The Gators certainly looked beatable against East Carolina, and the game is played in Lexington. Kentucky is coming off an upset win over South Carolina on the road, and the ‘Cats certainly have some confidence and momentum heading into this one. Florida’s quarterback play will have to improve drastically, and the margin of error is ever so slim for Jim McElwain’s team. Kentucky can pull off this win Saturday night, and I’m not even sure we can call it an upset.
Christopher Smith (@csmithSDS): Ole Miss
Judging solely from the Vegas odds, Kentucky is a field-goal underdog, while Auburn and Ole Miss are underdogs of about one touchdown. Also, the Wildcats showed just this weekend that the team is capable of beating a middling SEC East team in a close game. Mostly to be contrarian, to be honest, and to make sure all of our answers aren’t the same, I’ll make an argument for the Rebels.
Consider first that UK hasn’t beaten UF in more than 28 years. Ole Miss knocked off Bama just last year. I also feel like our calibration is more accurate for the Gators and Wildcats at this point (both 6- or 7-win teams), while the Rebels and Tide are more wild cards. Can QB Chad Kelly and those Ole Miss receivers continue the offensive onslaught with pressure from a stout Alabama defense? Can the Tide perform better — and crack down on big passing plays — against a spread offense with tempo? I’m still picking Bama in that game, but it’s far from a lock for the Tide.
Talal Elmasry (@TalalElmasrySDS): Auburn
Are we ready to abandon ship with Auburn after two weeks? It’s true that War Eagle has looked anything but the popular preseason pick to make the playoff, especially with Jacksonville State taking them to overtime, but Auburn still has reason to be confident. While it’s understandable to backpedal on Jeremy Johnson, it’s not wise to warm up to Brandon Harris and his ability to lead LSU to victory under the lights if his number is called. LSU knows it can’t rely on Leonard Fournette the way it did last week against Mississippi State, which was a last-second field goal away from dealing a major blow to the Bayou Bengals.
If Johnson can improve his decision-making, he has weapons around him and Gus Malzahn will have ways to get them the ball. D’haquille Williams will be motivated to play in his home state and Ricardo Louis has 13 catches in two games. Meanwhile, Peyton Barber has rushed for 100 yards in both games so far. I like Auburn’s chances against a one-dimensional LSU team.
Born and raised in Gainesville, Talal joined SDS in 2015 after spending 2 years in Bristol as an ESPN researcher. Previously, Talal worked at The Gainesville Sun.
