Game-by-game predictions: Can Kentucky football meet great expectations in 2022?

The Kentucky football program is used to deploying the “We don’t get any respect” mantra as its motivational impetus. So how will the 2022 Wildcats handle the unfamiliar reality of being shown a deluge of preseason esteem?

At last month’s SEC Football Media Day, Mark Stoops and troops were voted to finish No. 2 in the SEC East by the assembled reporters — and got four votes to win the division over reigning national champion Georgia.

For only the fifth time in school history, UK will start a season ranked in the AP Top 25 at No. 20 (1950, 1951, 1957 and 1978 were the other ranked years for the Cats).

When the USA Today poll placed the Wildcats at No. 21, it marked the first time Kentucky has ever began a season ranked by the coaches.

Just last week, Chris Doering, SEC Network analyst and onetime breaker of UK hearts as a Florida Gators wide receiver, picked Kentucky to win 11 regular-season games for what would be the first time in Cats history.

Suddenly, Kentucky faces the challenge of maintaining its emotional edge after beginning a season with relatively lavish praise.

“I feel like we treat it just like we did before (when unranked prior to seasons),” Kentucky defensive lineman Octavious Oxendine said. “Don’t really pay too much attention to it, just because we know we have to go out there and put our game on the film, go out there and play our ball.”

Mark Stoops said he welcomes the attention that comes to the Wildcats program as a result of the preseason rankings. “I’m glad for the team, the fan base and (to see) all the hard work (rewarded),” the UK head coach said.

But …

“I’ve said this many times when we weren’t ranked, I’d rather see where we are at the end of the year — and that’s still the same,” Stoops said. “I want to be ranked much higher than we are right now at the end of the season.”

Will UK live up to its unaccustomed preseason hype? Below are my game-by-game predictions for how the Kentucky football season will turn out:

Miami (Ohio)

When and where: Sept. 3 at Kroger Field.

The hope: Kentucky has won 16 straight games vs. non-conference foes and Miami has lost 30 straight vs. teams currently in Power Five conferences.

The nope: Miami has 14 starters back, including nine on offense, from last season’s 7-6 team. The RedHawks are the overwhelming favorite to win the 2022 MAC East Division title.

The scope: Kentucky 41, Miami (Ohio) 13.

Florida

When and where: Sept. 10 at Gainesville, Fla.

The hope: Since snapping a 31-game losing streak in the series, UK is 2-2 in its last four meetings with the Gators. Kentucky gets Florida one week after Billy Napier’s crew faces a rugged season opener against No. 7 Utah.

The nope: Even with all the talk the Gators are rebuilding under first-year head man Napier, Florida has more returning starters (13) than does Kentucky (11).

The scope: Florida 27, Kentucky 24.

Youngstown State

When and where: Sept. 17 at Kroger Field.

The hope: Under Mark Stoops, Kentucky is 8-0 vs. FCS teams — even though three of those wins, including last season’s 28-23 victory over Chattanooga, have been by 11 points or fewer.

The nope: Since winning at Pittsburgh in 2012, the Penguins have lost seven straight vs. Power Five foes — but three of those defeats have been by 11 points or fewer.

The scope: Kentucky 48, Youngstown State 9.

Northern Illinois

When and where: Sept. 24 at Kroger Field.

The hope: Mark Stoops is 14-2 as Kentucky head coach vs. FBS teams from outside the Power Five conferences and has won nine such games in a row.

The nope: The MAC West Division favorite, NIU has 18 starters back from last season’s 9-5 team that began its season with a 22-21 road upset of Georgia Tech.

The scope: Kentucky 38, Northern Illinois 20.

Mississippi

When and where: Oct. 1 at Oxford, Miss.

The hope: After dropping back-to-back heartbreakers to Ole Miss in Lexington, 42-41 in overtime in 2020 and 39-36 in 2017, Kentucky should carry extra motivation to Oxford.

The nope: Under Lane Kiffin, Mississippi is 5-1 vs. SEC East foes and has won five straight since falling 51-35 to Florida in Kiffin’s debut on the Rebels sidelines in 2020.

The scope: Mississippi 34, Kentucky 28.

South Carolina

When and where: Oct. 8 at Kroger Field.

The hope: Under Mark Stoops, Kentucky is 7-2 vs. South Carolina and has beaten the Gamecocks four straight in Lexington.

The nope: New South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler might not have played well enough to hold on to the starting job at Oklahoma last year, but he’s a whole lot better than what South Carolina has had taking snaps in recent years.

The scope: Kentucky 28, South Carolina 24.

Mississippi State

When and where: Oct. 15 at Kroger Field.

The hope: The home team has won the last seven games in this series — and UK is the home team in 2022.

The nope: For all the attention that Mike Leach’s Air Raid receives, Zach Arnett’s defense has held Kentucky to an average of 186.5 total yards in two meetings. It is Arnett’s “D” that the Cats need to solve.

The scope: Kentucky 27, Mississippi State 20.

Tennessee

When and where: Oct. 29 at Knoxville, Tenn.

The hope: Kentucky has had a demonstrably better football team than Tennessee in each of the past five seasons.

The nope: In spite of the above, the Wildcats are 2-3 vs. the Volunteers in the last five and have had a historically difficult time across many decades in silencing “Rocky Top.”

The scope: Tennessee 38, Kentucky 35.

Missouri

When and where: Nov. 5 at Columbia, Mo.

The hope: Kentucky nemesis Connor Bazelak has taken his quarterbacking talents to Indiana; meanwhile, the Wildcats have tamed the Tigers in six of their past seven meetings.

The nope: UK has not played well offensively on its past two trips to Columbia, going 9-for-23 combined on third-down conversions (splitting the two games). Meanwhile, Mizzou will be emotionally jacked for UK — a team it has come to consider a rival.

The scope: Kentucky 24, Missouri 23.

Vanderbilt

When and where: Nov. 12 at Kroger Field.

The hope: Under Stoops, UK is 7-2 vs. Vandy and has won the past six meetings. The Commodores have not won in Lexington since 2012 — a 40-0 wipeout that got Joker Phillips fired as the Cats’ coach.

The nope: In a series that goes back to 1896, Kentucky has never beaten Vanderbilt seven straight times.

The scope: Kentucky 41, Vanderbilt 24.

Georgia

When and where: Nov. 19 at Kroger Field.

The hope: Forcing the defending national champions to come north in late November as the final of four straight weeks of tough SEC games could create favorable upset conditions.

The nope: Georgia has beaten Kentucky 12 straight, seven in a row in Lexington, and has not given up as many as three touchdowns in a game vs. the Wildcats since 2016.

The scope: Georgia 34, Kentucky 30.

Louisville

When and where: Nov. 26 at Kroger Field.

The hope: Kentucky has beaten its intrastate rival three straight by the crushing combined score of 153-44. UK has dominated U of L with vastly superior line play in all three beatdowns.

The nope: Under Stoops, Kentucky is 2-7 in the game that immediately follows Georgia on the schedule. The last Cardinals victory in the Governor’s Cup series came in 2017 — in a contest played one week after the Cats had faced Georgia.

The scope: Kentucky 31, Louisville 26.

Record

Kentucky will finish 8-4 overall and 4-4 in the Southeastern Conference.