Buy or sell: your latest tips on British football

Kentucky is about to kick off its 2024 college football regular season against Southern Miss, so there is a lot of interest at Cats Illustrated right now.

CI Editor Justin Rowland asked Kentucky fans for their thoughts on the program and team ahead of the game against USM and the start of the season, and as always, you delivered.

Here are some of those views and buy/sell reactions.

Sell. But of course, that can go either way. On paper, I feel like UK’s passing game is stronger than the running game without Chip until we see otherwise. I expect the offensive line to open up more gaps, and I wouldn’t even be surprised if they run for 200 yards. So what I’m saying is, I imagine the running numbers will be very impressive given the opponent, but I would suspect the passing game will produce more offense. But your pick could pay off because Bush Hamdan might really want to get the running game going.

Buy. Given the many questions about the USM secondary and Kentucky’s dynamic receiver corps, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go over 300 yards in his college debut. USM allowed 338 passing yards to Texas State, 360 to South Alabama, 391 to App State and 319 to Troy in the season finale. None of those teams even had to attempt 40 passes to reach those numbers. We know the USM secondary took a beating last year and should be healthy for this game, but that’s an advantage for Kentucky.

Sell. I think it’s a 28-point spread for a reason. We can talk about whether it should be 21 or 24 or 28, but the line reflects a big advantage for the Cats, and it seems Kentucky’s strengths could give them a decisive edge. I just don’t think Will Hall puts this USM program in a position to make it that close. They were very disappointing last year, even though they shouldn’t have been.

Sell. I just don’t see it. Kentucky has been better ATS in these games than they get credit for. I understand why a few close calls live on in people’s minds. Am I going to pick Kentucky to cover a 28-point lead? That’s up in the air right now, but I don’t see a surefire chance that USM can do it.

Buy. Right now, the forecast shows a 58 percent chance of rain with isolated thunderstorms. We’ll look at that closer to game time, but I agree that this could be a big variable in determining how the Wildcats approach and attack. I would imagine USM would love a rainy field, given UK’s talent on the perimeter and the questions in their secondary.

Buy. I definitely buy that. Even if it was a great opponent, you might not get the whole playbook because it’s only one game. I’m sure Hamdan has a few arrows left in his quiver when this is over. He’ll probably want Brock Vandagriff to not take too many hits in a game where UK is such a clear favorite and a big game is right around the corner. And with the Week 2 game against South Carolina being so important, there’s another reason to keep things under wraps… maybe especially with Gavin Wimsatt. Or maybe throw in a few niceties early so the Gamecocks can better prepare.

TBD. Right now UK is a 28-point favorite and the line is at 50.5. That means we have a projected score of 39-12 or so. That’s a lot of confidence in Kentucky’s defense and I’m happy to factor in the possibility of more points being allowed, but that doesn’t sound crazy. I wouldn’t be surprised if the teams get over 50.5, but knowing Stoops tends to shorten the game with a lead, you could be right.

Buy. Given his strength in camp, I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes the most of his opportunities. The only question, in my opinion, is how many chances he will get. This is a big moment for a young boy returning to the Commonwealth and making a name for himself in blue and white.

Buy, but with caution. I think UK’s defense will be one of the better units in the SEC considering Brad White’s overall record and the talent at every level of defense, as well as the experience, especially at center. We still have to take into account how they played last season, and it wasn’t championship level then. I think it will improve. Whether Hamdan will turn it up, I don’t know as far as the first game goes, but there should be enough fireworks.

Sell. That’s more than I would have expected. While I expect Kentucky to make a lot more plays this year than they did last year when they were last nationally, I’m not sure they play the type of football where three receivers would put up those kinds of numbers. I’m guessing they end up around 2,000, so your number isn’t too far off. Overall, I agree that the receiver room is the source of much of the optimism for this year’s team. They may have to carry the offense at times. Are they ready to do that?

TBD. That would be a great story. I think we know who JJ Weaver is at this point in his career. That’s not a knock at all. I don’t expect him to be a completely transformed player, but I would expect a stronger start. Last year it took him a while to get going, and considering how he finished the season and that this is his last year, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he starts off strong. That would be great for him.

Sell. I think Demie could get 120 yards, but he’s never had more than 14 carries in a game. In the 2022 season, he had 14 carries in two games for NC State when he was desperately needed, and he was effective in those games. I just don’t think he’ll get 26 touches. Maybe he’ll get half of that.

Sell. But would it really be shocking how he finished last season? I would guess more players get involved. You’ll want to include Ja’Mori Maclin as he’s just coming in and looking to make a name for himself in the UK jersey. You’ve got Fred Farrier, perhaps one of the most promising second receivers from UK in quite some time. And then of course Barion Brown and Dane Key. I could imagine multiple touchdowns and explosive performances from Brown, but you picked some huge numbers. I’ll remember where I heard it first in case it happens!

Buy. I really like that considering how disruptive Deone Walker and Kentucky’s defensive line should be on offense. On the other hand, I don’t expect USM to get too aggressive, and if they play conservatively, a defensive point is less likely. But this team scored points with all three units at times last season, and this is a great pick to make that happen again.