Kentucky climbs to No. 8 without playing a snap in AP Poll
The Wildcats rise a spot in the AP Top 25 during a bye week. Saturday night in Knoxville will show whether they belong in the room.
Kentucky's football team did not play on Saturday, but they still advanced in the AP Top 25 poll. The Wildcats, with a record of 7-1, climbed from No. 9 to No. 8 in the latest rankings. Their rise is credited to their strong performance in October and the difficulty in scheduling matchups for other ranked teams. Kentucky's bye week provided an opportunity for them to rest and heal, which was recognized by the poll.
Now, they head to Knoxville on Saturday to face No. 16 Tennessee. Kickoff is at 6:15 p.m. ET, with the game under the lights. While the bye week has given the Wildcats a comfortable cushion, they will need to maintain their edge during the game in front of a raucous crowd. The poll currently gives Kentucky 1,253 points, far ahead of Tennessee's 719 at No. 16.
The rivalry game could impact Kentucky's standing significantly, as ranked-versus-ranked games in the SEC this Saturday could reshuffle the poll.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
