Regardless of how you feel I'd bet money we are 2-5 come Kentucky.
It isn't about my feelings but I suspect you are correct. Jones' opportunity to earn a "C" on the season probably went out the window for good last week.
If that's going to be a problem for you you ought to come to terms with it now. We "could" win tomorrow but the chances are very, very slim given how we've been performing. Consider this a "coming to grips with reality thread."
I am not disputing that 7-5 is a realistic possibility... only that it is a sub-par performance. It isn't "better" than last year.... and certainly not by a large enough margin.
There were actually MORE wins on the table for him than we thought. Many of us counted OU as a very likely loss and ended up being a game that should have been won.
If you want to "come to grips with reality"... then you need to think about how likely it is that Jones runs the table against the last 4 SEC opponents. He has a better roster. That's not in dispute... but talent wasn't the problem in the first 3 losses.
There's a real good chance that UK will be 5-2 or even 6-1 when UT travels to play them... at a likely 2-5. Frankly, UK is playing better and are coached better.
I don't think the question is whether Pinkel will outcoach Jones... just whether it will be enough to overcome a fairly significant talent gap. History says... yes he will.
The USCe game will have significance to Spurrier who has struggled with Jones.
Vandy is improving. They have little talent but even so are playing solid defense and finding a few things they can do on O.
The only almost certain win left on the schedule is UNT.
I agree that UT is likely 2-5 after Bama. I would love for it to be different but it isn't likely. I don't make many ironclad predictions but I'll make this one. If UT is 2-6 leaving UK... Jones will coach UT's first 4-8 team.