Employee forecasts: UK-UGA – CatsIllustrated: Kentucky Wildcats are looking for young players in football and basketball

Kentucky faces No. 1 UGA as a huge underdog on Saturday night in Lexington, and as usual, the Cats Illustrated editorial team will share their views and predictions before the game kicks off.

What are the main reasons why Kentucky fans are optimistic about this game?

Jeff Drummond: Even the biggest optimists would admit that's a tough call. Put it this way: If Kentucky played great against South Carolina last week and Georgia looked average in its first two games, it would still be hard to imagine a scenario where we find a way to win for the Wildcats. I guess you could say they're due. It's got to happen sooner or later. (Probably the same thing I said 15 games after the Florida and Tennessee losses.)

Justin Rowland: Frankly, I find it difficult to find anything that justifies what we would typically call optimism.

What are the main causes for concern?

Drummond: Georgia looks to have one of those teams competing for another national title, and Kirby Smart was nearly unbeatable in the regular season. There are no obvious weaknesses. The Wildcats may have a player here or there that is equal to or better than their counterpart on the other side, but the Bulldogs will be stronger at every level of the field. They have allowed just two field goals in their first two games, and UK's offense looked inept last week.

Rowland: Think of Alabama when Nick Saban was giving it his all, and now Georgia with Kirby Smart. When was the last time either of these teams lost a game to a team that wasn't a great team? Being at home, getting yourself hyped up, looking for an edge… none of that seems to work when you're playing against a true SEC giant.

The bottom line is that Georgia has an answer for everything when it comes to 99% of potential challengers. They have better personnel, more of them, more support staff, and the list goes on.

The biggest concern is Kentucky's offense, which never scores many points against UGA. The offensive line couldn't block South Carolina. Georgia is a whole different challenge, but the point is that Bush Hamdan can't trust his line to hold up in pass defense against the Dawgs. If you start leaving more players behind to block, who can get free?

What is your prediction for the game and who is a key player for Kentucky?

Drummond: Georgia 33, Kentucky 9 – This will probably be a tough battle for the Cats, but I think they will put up a better performance than they did last week. If they want to look competitive for even a quarter of this game, the offensive line will have to show some fighting spirit and determination against the Bulldogs' front seven.

Rowland: Georgia 33, Kentucky 6. I think both teams will keep the ball on the ground most of the game. That's better than Carson Beck throwing six touchdown passes and rushing for 400 yards. We've seen UGA play conservatively in Lexington before and I'm guessing that will probably happen again. Still, they'll score their points and Kentucky will struggle to score theirs. Deone Walker needs to step up. UK's defense needs to force some big mistakes and he has the NFL talent to do that.