Kentucky vs Ole Miss: Will the real SEC dark horse stand up?

The winner of Kentucky at Ole Miss might be the SEC dark horse contender we all have been hoping for.

A pair of undefeated teams clash in Oxford, as the No. 14 Ole Miss Rebels (4-0) will host the No. 7 Kentucky Wildcats (4-0) at Vaught-Hemingway on Saturday.

While everybody respects the jobs Mark Stoops and Lane Kiffin have done to transform their programs, there is a reason why the Wildcats and the Rebels have never made it to Atlanta before. Kentucky plays in the same division as Georgia, while Ole Miss has to make do with Alabama every season. Though they have beaten them before, maybe these two are closer to their levels now?

It is still very early, but the winner of this game in Oxford will have the ability to go to New Year’s Six.

Who is the real SEC dark horse contender this year: Kentucky or Ole Miss?

A year ago, both teams went 10-3, but had different ways of getting there. Kentucky lost a trio of rivalry games mid-season but got to double-digit victories by beating Stoops’ alma mater Iowa in the Citrus Bowl. Ole Miss went 10-2 during the regular season, but an injury to Matt Corral early in the Sugar Bowl was too much for the Rebels to overcome vs. the Big 12 champion Baylor Bears.

With this being a home game for Ole Miss, the Rebels are the favorite to get the W. However, they have not played anybody of significance up to this point. Ole Miss has not played an SEC game yet, as its four wins are over Troy, Central Arkansas, Georgia Tech and Tulsa. Not exactly what you would consider a murderer’s row of opponents. The Wildcats are their toughest opponent to date.

As far as Kentucky is concerned, the Wildcats do have a strong conference win on the road over Florida. Their three other wins came over non-conference foes in Miami (Ohio), Youngstown State and Northern Illinois. It is all SEC opponents for their next seven games, as UK will finish the season with rival Louisville during Thanksgiving Weekend. They have been slightly more tested.

While Kentucky and Ole Miss are not going to overlook this game, as they play inferior SEC East teams next in South Carolina and Vanderbilt, something has to give between these two programs. Kentucky has the more experienced quarterback in Will Levis, but Ole Miss has shown it can navigate a tougher schedule annually more prolifically than UK. This is a big opportunity for both…

It may be an 11:00 a.m. CT kickoff, but neither team will be sleepwalking in this one. Not to say Kentucky has to play a perfect game to win in Oxford, but it would have to be somewhat of a repeat performance of the Florida game for the UK. The good news for Big Blue Nation is we have seen the ‘Cats get to that level. The problem for Ole Miss is we have not seen them get there yet…

Ole Miss winning would be big, but Kentucky winning on the road in Oxford would be so massive.

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