After four straight bowl wins for the first time in school history expectations are high for Kentucky heading into 2022.\u00a0Mark Stoops<\/a> starts this season needing only one win to tie\u00a0Bear Bryant<\/a> at 60 wins and two to take the all-time mark. Can Kentucky get 10 wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time in history? Let’s go through the schedule and see as we begin predicting Kentucky’s 2022 record.<\/p>\n Miami (Ohio)- September 3rd-<\/strong> Kentucky kicks off the season under the lights at Kroger Field against the Redhawks.\u00a0Chuck Martin<\/a> club is coming off a 7-6 campaign ending with a 27-14 win in the Frisco Football Classic<\/a> over North Texas. It is more than likely UK’s going to be without\u00a0Chris Rodriguez<\/a> for a few games starting the year. However, they’re overrun with a talented running back room. <\/a>UK wins fairly easily as Stoops ties the Bear.<\/p>\n Kentucky 34-17\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 UK 1-0\u00a0\u00a0 0-0 SEC<\/strong><\/p>\n At Florida- September 10th-<\/strong> A season ago the Cats beat the Gators at home for the first time since 1986. It may take new coach\u00a0Billy Napier<\/a> a while to get going down in Gainesville so Kentucky could be playing them at a good time. The last time UK beat Florida in successive years was 1976-77, until now.<\/p>\n Kentucky 24-20\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 UK 2-0\u00a0\u00a0 1-0 SEC<\/strong><\/p>\n Youngstown State- September 17th-<\/strong> Kentucky returns home as Stoops, Vince Marrow<\/strong> and a host of others play their hometown school. The Penguins went 3-7 last year in the Missouri Valley Conference and are in a rebuilding mode. The Cats win in a game where many of the reserves get a shot.<\/p>\n Kentucky 49-13\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 UK 3-0\u00a0\u00a0 1-0 SEC<\/strong><\/p>\n Northern Illinois- September 24th<\/strong>– The Huskies are coming off a great season in which they won the MAC Championship before losing to Coastal Carolina in an epic Cure Bowl contest. <\/a>This is their second straight SEC game after they host Vanderbilt the week before. This one likely stays close for a while before the Cats pull away late.<\/p>\n Kentucky 35-21\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 UK 4-0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1-0 SEC<\/strong><\/p>\n We’re one-quarter of the way predicting Kentucky’s 2022 record. Let’s move ahead and in the words of the legendary announcer Jim Ross<\/strong> “business is about to pick up.”<\/p>\n At Ole Miss- October 1st<\/strong>– The last time Kentucky visited Oxford was back in 201o when the Rebels beat the Cats 42-35. In addition, Ole Miss has won two straight heartbreakers for the Big Blue Nation including a 42-41 overtime game two years ago where UK missed a tying extra point. Lane Kiffin’s<\/a> squad may be down slightly from a season ago but still, have enough to hand the Cats their first loss.<\/p>\n Ole Miss 35-28\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 UK 4-1 \u00a0 1-1 SEC<\/strong><\/p>\n South Carolina- October 8th-<\/strong> Under\u00a0Shane Beamer,<\/a> the Gamecocks went from 2-8 in 2020 to 7-6 and a Duke’s Mayo Bowl win over North Carolina. With Oklahoma, transfer\u00a0Spencer Rattler<\/a> under quarterback USC is a sleeper SEC pick. However, UK’s won seven of eight versus the Gamecocks after they won 13 of 14 against the Cats. At the end of the day, Stoops’ Troops have more weapons and get the win.<\/p>\n Kentucky 31-21\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 UK 5-1\u00a0\u00a0 2-1 SEC<\/strong><\/p>\n Mississippi State- October 15th-<\/strong> Former UK offensive coordinator Mike Leach<\/a> returns to Lexington for the second time since taking the MSU job. He’s hoping for better luck than the last trip in which the Cats held a Leach-coached squad without an offensive point for the first time ever. Quarterback\u00a0Will Rogers<\/a> will test the UK secondary early and often. Although, much like the South Carolina game, the Cats have more weapons and at home get the win.<\/p>\n Kentucky 35-27\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 UK 6-1\u00a0 3-1 SEC<\/strong><\/p>\n At this point in predicting Kentucky’s 2022 record, they’ve already reached bowl eligibility. Now they’re playing to improve their destination.<\/p>\n At Tennessee- October 29th-<\/strong> Following a bye week the Cats head down Interstate 75 for a battle against the Vols. Much like South Carolina\u00a0Josh Heupel’s<\/a> club is a trending pick\u00a0to finish behind Georgia<\/a> in the SEC East. A season ago UT came into Kroger Field and knocked off the Cats 45-42. That was after UK won their first game in Knoxville since 1984. Twice in the last four years, Tennessee’s derailed Kentucky’s chances of making a New Year’s Six Bowl. They’re treating this like their Super Bowl and though we’ll get lots of heat for it we are picking the Vols.<\/p>\n Tennessee 38-31\u00a0\u00a0 UK 6-2\u00a0\u00a0 3-2 SEC<\/strong><\/p>\n At Missouri- November 5th-<\/strong> The Tigers raised some eyebrows earlier this summer when they commented Kentucky’s a bigger rival than Arkansas. It’s surprising because the Cats have won six of the last seven against Missouri. The only loss was two years ago in Columbia. A letdown is possible after the Tennessee game but at the end of the day, the Cats are quite simply the better team.<\/p>\n Kentucky 34- 23\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 UK 7-2\u00a0\u00a0 4-2 SEC<\/strong><\/p>\n Vanderbilt- November 12th-<\/strong> A big part of Kentucky’s rise in the SEC East is their dominance over what’s considered the bottom half of the division. Take the Commodores for example as Kentucky’s won five in a row and six of the last seven. Clark Lea’s<\/a> team put up 63 points against Hawaii on Saturday, the most since 1969. Of course, that wasn’t against SEC competition. Much like recent games UK pulls away late.<\/p>\n Kentucky 41-20\u00a0\u00a0 UK 8-2\u00a0 SEC 5-2<\/strong><\/p>\n Georgia- November 19th-<\/strong> Should the Cats knock off Tennessee then this is for the SEC East title. Even if it’s not the game’s already a sell-out with resale tickets going for as much as 2,000 dollars. If Kentucky’s ever going to be the top team they have to beat the Bulldogs. However, they haven’t done so since 2009. The last few years they’ve played them close and will again here too but fall short to the defending national champions.<\/p>\n Georgia 31-24\u00a0\u00a0 UK 8-3\u00a0 SEC 5-3<\/p>\n Louisville- November 26th-<\/strong> The Cats and Cards close out the season with the first meeting in Lexington since 2019. Over the last three games, all Kentucky wins, they’ve dominated by a combined score of 153-44. Scott Satterfield’s<\/a> club is expected to be better in 2022, but not enough to beat the Cats.<\/p>\n Kentucky 44-21\u00a0 UK 9-3\u00a0 SEC 5-3<\/p>\n So there you have it, we’re predicting Kentucky to finish the regular season 9-3 and 5-3 in the conference. In addition, this gives the Cats their first back-to-back seasons above .500 in league play since 1976-77.<\/p>\n Furthermore, we’re picking Kentucky to head south for the winter again for a ReliaQuest Bowl matchup against Michigan State. Of course, this is the former Outback Bowl as the Cats go for a fifth straight bowl win. They’ll win that one and finish 10-3. That’s three double-digit win seasons in the last five years.<\/p>\n That does it for predicting Kentucky’s 2022 record here at Last Word On College Football<\/strong>. We’ll be back later in the week with a Miami (Ohio) game preview.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nSaturday Night MAC-tion<\/h3>\n
Looking For Two In A Row<\/h3>\n
A Special Contest<\/h3>\n
Sneaky Tough Game<\/h3>\n
Big Time Road Test<\/h3>\n
Everyone’s Sleeper Pick<\/h3>\n
Coming Back To The Bluegrass<\/h3>\n
Good Old Rocky Top<\/h3>\n
Possible Trap Game<\/h3>\n
Continuing Their Domination<\/h3>\n
Game Of The Year<\/h3>\n
Battle Of The Bluegrass<\/h3>\n