Mark Zerof, USA TODAY SPORTS
Saturday’s game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Tennessee Volunteers will have postseason implications for both teams.
Kentucky enters Saturday’s contest with a 5-5 record and with two games remaining. After Saturday’s game, which will be played at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, the ‘Cats get a week off before visiting the Louisville Cardinals in the season finale.
That 5-5 record means that Kentucky needs one more win to reach the magic number of six, which would make Mark Stoops and his team eligible for a bowl for the first time since the 2010 season. However, having to pull off a win against either of your two biggest rivals, especially on the road, will be difficult. But the Tennessee game appears to be the more winnable of the two, at least at this point.
For Tennessee, the scenario is similar, except that Butch Jones and his team need to win two of their final three games to make it back to a bowl for the first time since the 2010 season, which is a long drought in the land of Rocky Top.
After the Kentucky game, Tennessee hosts the SEC East-leading Missouri Tigers before finishing the season on the road to face the Vanderbilt Commodores. Tennessee likely needs to beat Kentucky and Vanderbilt to get those six wins. Beating Missouri is not out of the question, but will be a much tougher task.
For Kentucky, the task of winning in Knoxville seems very tough. Kentucky has won only once in its last 18 trips to Knoxville. And, as if it could get worse, the Big Blue has only beaten the Big Orange only once in the last 29 matchups.
The winner of this game will have a leg up on getting to the postseason, which gives this rivalry game additional meaning this season.
Tim Letcher is a contributing writer for www.RantSports.com and a member of the Football Writers Association of America. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
