LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- It's Rivalry Week.
OK, I'd better rephrase that one. It was supposed to be Rivalry Week.
When I started this column, Michigan and Ohio State were supposed to be playing in Columbus this weekend and Purdue had yet to cancel practice Tuesday because of the novel corona virus.
Now, as far as college football rivalries go, we're left with a modest list:
Arizona-Arizona State; Illinois-Northwestern; Army-Navy; Tennessee-Vanderbilt; USC-UCLA; Virginia-Virginia Tech and, perhaps, Purdue-Indiana in Bloomington.
What's missing?
The Governor's Cup.
The game that has been played every season since Howard Schnellenberger and Bill Curry brought it to life on Sept. 3, 1994 -- Kentucky vs. Louisville.
"I miss the game," said Lexington Herald-Leader sports columnist John Clay.
"I was one of those guys who didn't think it would be good at the end of the season. I preferred to leave it at the beginning. But it's been fine at the end of the season."
Better than Wake Forest vs. Louisville or Kentucky vs. Open Date, certainly.
Clay calculated the four teams Kentucky (4-6) beat this fall had a combined record of 6-28. I calculated the three teams the Cardinals beat are 8-22.
There have been sexier local seasons.
But one question remains:
If Kentucky came to Cardinal Stadium Saturday to play Louisville, which team would win?
1. This is what you said in a Twitter poll.
It's Rivalry Week. But no Louisville-Kentucky FB game this season. If Cats and Cards played this Saturday, the winner would be:
— rickbozich (@rickbozich) December 8, 2020
2. I checked This is what the computer ratings say:
Jeff Sagarin Predictor -- Kentucky by 2.33 points
Anderson & Hester -- Kentucky (No. 59) over Louisville (No. 68)
Billingsley Ratings -- Kentucky (No. 56) over Louisville (No. 82)
Massey Rating -- Kentucky (No. 32) over Louisville (No. 76)
Colley-Matrix -- Kentucky (No. 82) over Louisville (No. 97)
Dr. Peter Wolfe created the sixth computer ranking that was part of the defunct Bowl Championship Series formula but Wolfe declined to calculate rankings this season.
ESPN Football Power Index -- Louisville (No. 45) over Kentucky (No. 47)
3. This is the prediction from Clay, who has covered every game in the rivalry since 1994 and is the sole voter from Kentucky in the Associated Press Top 25 poll:
"I think it would be a competitive game. Both teams have had disappointing seasons.
"Kentucky has had a disappointing season playing all SEC teams. Only won four games.
"Had a game they could have won and should have won against Ole Miss. Then they laid that egg at Missouri after finally winning at Tennessee.
"Turn those two around they could have been 6-4.
"My impression of Louisville is they have been disappointing as well. (Scott) Satterfield did a heckuva job last year, getting eight wins with that group and changing the culture.
"But this year for whatever reasons, injuries or whatever the reasons are, being 3-7 is probably not where they thought they were going to be right now.
"I still believe Kentucky would be favored. But I think it would be a close game … since it is only Satterfield's second year, he hasn't had time to get all his guys in. Stoops has had time to build better recruiting classes.
"I think Kentucky wins, maybe 28-20."
4. My take: Like Clay, I miss the game.
I don't understand why the Southeastern and Atlantic Coast conferences didn't find a way to get two programs that sit 70 miles apart on the same field during a pandemic.
Like maybe, having Louisville play Kentucky instead of Virginia Tech and Kentucky play Louisville instead of Alabama.
Bad decision. That didn't happen.
So we have to play the games in our imagination. Give me Kentucky by … a field goal.
The Wildcats have a better defense. They have enough of a running game to stay in control.
I can't pick a team that ranks 123rd in the country in turnover margin.
It's hard to forget the Wildcats won the last two meetings by a combined score of 101-23.
Kentucky 31, Louisville 28.
What say you?
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