Kentucky Football - 10 Burning Questions

by ALLBLUCAT

If any of you are old enough you can remember the days when UK fans bragged about their Peach Bowl appearance in 1976 in which the Cats wailed on an overmatched UNC squad 21-0 led by RB Rod Stewart (no not THAT Rod Stewart) who scored 3 TD's and was a one man band for the Cats. You may also remember that UK followed up that year with a 10-1 record the next season and a final #6 ranking and the SEC Championship. Fast forward to 2006. UK starts on a 4 year tear of winning seasons and consecutive Bowl game appearances. And while watering down of Bowls (I believe there are 3-4 times as many now as there were then) makes for some less than stellar Bowl game matchups, the Cats have definitely performed well above previous years in football. So, what do we do for an encore? Well, Rich Brooks retires, his heir to the throne takes over, and we go chugging right along as before right? Well, maybe we will and maybe we won't, but first there are some questions just nagging me somethin' fierce.

1) Is Joker Phillips the "Real Deal"? Can he replace and succeed Brooks as coach?

My first thought on this is yes, but I have some reservations and those will only be answered by seeing the product on the field.

2) Are we EVER going to get this QB situation straight?

I will tell you now that in spite of his obvious leadership skills, I have never been the greatest Mike Hartline fan. But no one will step up and take the spot away from him, in spite of the obvious skills of the other QB's. And I am not talking about Randall Cobb here. That is another whole matter. Speaking of which;

3) Can Randall Cobb handle the beating and carrying the load again? Or will he have to?

Cobb accounted for I believe about 30% of the offense last year. That is a huge load to have to carry for someone who is not a primary RB or QB. The man is great, but this season could be rough when you consider he was somewhat gassed by the end of last year.

4) Will the D-line be able to hold opponents to respectable point totals?

Donte' Rumph becoming eligible was a huge break for Phillips and his new D-line, but will it be enough to replace Corey Peters and Co, that is the question. The Cats need Florida and Tennessee under 20 points to be competitive in those games. I don't like our odds.

5) Is this the year the scheduling Gods have been kind to us?

S.C., Auburn, UT, and Georgia are all beatable this year. But "beatable" is a relative term. If the Cats can attack the weaknesses each team has with enough force and skill, we will be in every game this year. This UK squad could easily go 10-2, and be staring at post New Year's play in a good BCS bowl. They could also go 5-7 and miss bowl eligibility.

6) Who is going to be this year's surprise player?

Will it be a defensive guy step up? Offensive? I honestly have looked over everyone and there are a ton of guys who could break out. My money is riding on Rumph. He has had 2 years to sit and stew about not being able to get on the field. He might be in a bad mood.

7) Is Florida now a winnable game?

My first thought is no, Florida will pummell us just like every other year and we will look like so much ground chuck when it is over. Then I put my mind to work and I found several possible situations which might change that thought. They have a new QB, we do not( again, that could swing this either way, but hey, you have to have a little faith). Joker may be more of a "riverboat gambler" than Brooks was in some situations. But every time Brooks tried to gamble it bit him in the butt. Joker may not be so quick to roll the dice. I say we have a 40-60 shot at this game this year. Keep Florida under 21 points, and who knows?

8) Is "Operation Win" for real?

I think Joker has the right idea. Players buying into a philosophy is more about the coach and how he presents it than anything. Phillips is definitely going to be more energetic than Brooks was, and this should be contagious.

9) Are the days of "communications confusion" behind us?

We cannot allow miscommunication to cost us scoring opportunities and yardage as they have in the past. I have never been more frustrated than I was last year watching the sidelines trying to communicate with upstairs and the field. It brought to mind a military term I don't care to repeat.

10) Can the University of Kentucky fanbase and student body embrace a winning football program and all of the bells and whistles that go along with it?

This is the trickiest one of all. If you are reading this, then you are truly a football fan, or my mother. The problem is that the true football fan at UK is rarer than a slice of New York's finest Prime Rib. Most of the fanbase tolerates football as a precursor to basketball. In order for this program to get "over the hump" in the ubertalented SEC, it is going to take everyone and everything at UK getting behind them, and staying behind them for the long haul.

There are a lot more questions than I have raised, but if all of the answers to these questions are positive ones from the team and their performance this year, we not only won't be able to drive to the Cats next Bowl game, we might have a hard time getting tickets.

Tony Barbee is going after Calipari's jugular, Joker adds another 2011 commitment

Watch your back John Calipari.  One of the assistants that you spawned is coming after you.  Tony Barbee, who played for Calipari at UMass and was later an assistant under him at Memphis, has landed in the SEC as head coach at Auburn ... and he has his former mentor squarely in his sights. 

"Our relationship is the same it was in Conference USA.  I've said this before -- he's my mentor and friend and always will be my coach to me. But he kicked my butt in Conference USA. We were going right after him and we'll do the same thing at Auburn. He knows how competitive I am. I'm going after his jugular, and he'll do the same for me. It won't affect our relationship.''

Bold talk from a coach taking over a 15-17 team .... but it is kind of nice for Barbee to acknowledge that Cal kicked his butt in Conference USA and that their relationship will still be the same.  Love that attitude, Tony, but get ready for more butt kicking.

As a resident of Florida, I remember the heyday of Florida State and all the "speed kills" t-shirts that the FSU fans used to wear.  Following up on Rich Brook's initiative, Joker Philiips is continuing the trend of adding "speed, speed, and more speed". 

Joker added Georgia WR Nile Daniels to his 2011 stable last night.  Joker now has 16 commitments in his 2011 class, which in some early rankings has been top 20-25 status which gives us all a lot of hope for the future, with his 4.4 speed. Daniels is a three star recruit, but appears to be one of those players that UK has gotten a bead on early and then their rankings rise steadily.  Here is what ESPN has to say about the newest Cat:

Daniel is an underrated wide receiver with good upside when projecting for the next level. Has a taller, leaner frame with good body length but will really need to fill out to remain productive and durable at the major college level. Has big hands and plucks the ball very well away from his frame. Is a big target with good extension and a wide catch radius. Most proficient as a short-to-intermediate pass catcher. Snags the ball well in stride and transitions upfield smoothly after the catch. Displays a quick, fluid release and can get cornerbacks on their toes. Difficult to mirror off the line when employed in the slot and he has a knack for finding the soft spots in zone coverage. Would like to see more crispness out of his breaks but he is fluid and can create separation. After the catch, this guy's skills grow on you. Flashes some big play ability with his good movement skills and shake in the open. Can jump-cut effectively showing loose hips and is really slippery to wrap up in space. Speed and burst upfield are good and he shows he can separate at the high school level. However, he lacks difference making explosiveness and his slighter frame is a concern.

Boogie's back in town and still has a fond spot for Kentucky

Kentucky, SEC must overcome perceptions, named 'dirtiest' conference in nation

As the summer winds down and the thought of school begins to pop up in everyone’s mind once more, the University of Kentucky is dealing with a national media frenzy aimed directly at the city of Lexington.

Kentucky has handled the spotlight—good or bad—on numerous occasions in the past. The 2010-2011 seasons will be no different.

The basketball program is led by second year head coach John Calipari who has given UK fans a reason to believe that the team’s 8th National Championship will be coming in the near future. Joker Phillips is now the head football coach, a position once enshrined to then head coach Rich Brooks.

The future is bright for the athletic departments at not only Kentucky, but around the entire SEC.

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Since Calipari’s arrival on Kentucky’s campus, recruiting has become the No. 1 topic on everyone’s list. Who is the next star? Where will the next John Wall come from?

Questions abound, Calipari finds plenty of ways to answer them.

The 2009-2010 recruiting class was one you can only imagine. The aforementioned Wall was the most coveted recruit in the nation, the No. 1 player at the point in which Calipari took UK’s offer to roam the sidelines of Rupp Arena. DeMarcus Cousins was the No. 2 player in the nation, quickly deciding he’d follow Calipari to Kentucky rather than stick to his original verbal commitment at Memphis—Calipari’s old stomping grounds.

In a matter of days, Calipari had turned Kentucky’s once putrid recruiting class into the SEC's and nation’s best.

Despite the elation Wildcats fan felt with the hiring of Calipari and the success he had on the recruiting trail, many around the nation scratched their heads in wonder. How could Calipari already do such a thing?

Recruiting success doesn’t just happen on the basketball however, with the ‘Cats finding similar success on the football field under new head coach Joker Phillips.

Phillips’ predecessor put an emphasis on better recruiting, an idea Phillips has to heart.
Football recruiting became stagnant due to recruiting violations under then head coach Hal Mumme. From that point forward, Mumme’s successors struggled to get a grip on the elite prospects in the nation, creating plenty of headaches throughout the Bluegrass State.

With Phillips at the helm, ‘Operation Win’ and recruiting have become the No. 1 topics on everyone’s list.

While schools like Texas, Southern California, and SEC rivals Florida and Auburn are racking up the recruitment points, a school like Kentucky still lags behind. The ‘Cats landed the No. 50 recruiting class going into the 2010-2011 seasons and while the elite schools wouldn’t bat an eye at such a ranking, it’s importance speaks louder than words.

Headlined by 4-star tight-end Alex Smith and 3-star linebacker Tim Patterson, Phillips has used his recruiting prowess early and often. It’s apparent that 5-star athletes don’t come out in droves for Kentucky, but this is just the start for Phillips and ‘Operation Win.’

One thing is certain; Calipari is the best at what he does and Phillips is getting the hang of things, but for some, their time in the SEC just makes them another two more fish in the pond. ESPN’s Dana O’Neill takes a deeper look into the ‘mystique’ behind SEC recruiting:

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The SEC has recently been rattled by the fact that have takenNCAA policies have taken a back seat to expensive and lavish parties, agents and runners, as well as individual’s turning a ‘blind eye’ to a very serious dilemma.

Schools like Florida, South Carolina, and Alabama have all made headlines in recent weeks because of potential NCAA infractions, including premature contact with an agent, off-the-field issues, as well as shady recruiting tactics.

Should anyone be shocked though?

Quite honestly, no they shouldn’t.

The Southeastern Conference has dealt with its fair share of criticism in the past and the present is no different, with one coach giving his diagnosis of the SEC saying,

The perception is the SEC doesn't have a good reputation. I don't know if that's
legit or fair. I was on the other side 10 years ago. If a program starts getting
better, starts getting kids, the question is always the same: What's he doing?
He's gotta be doing something. And that adds to the perception.

Another coach expounded on the idea of the SEC being the ‘shadiest’ conference in the nation saying,

Oh no, it's not just a myth. It's the truth.

As mentioned in Tuesday’s article regarding the shadiness behind recruiting, Kentucky is no stranger to dealing with recruiting violations.

The question now becomes, how will Calipari and Phillips deal with the added pressure behind recruiting success?

Calipari is on the up and up, securing his second straight No. 1 recruiting class. Phillips, although only ranked No. 50 is expected to continue his torrid start on the recruiting path, likely bringing in higher ranked classes in the future.

Will this success be further questioned by those in and around the program?

Kentucky has dealt with the issue time and time again, and is expected to continue under a guy like Calipari as head coach of one of the nation’s most illustrious basketball programs. Phillips could very well encounter similar circumstances if the Wildcats suddenly become a player in the SEC football race.

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The state and so called ‘health’ of the SEC must be upheld, not through agents or runners, but through legitimate individuals who care about the well-being of their student-athletes.

As fans of our respective teams, we can only hope that head coaches, parents, and administrators are doing everything they can to ensure that the rules are not being broken.

UK Football: My way-to-early season prediction

Yup, it's stuck in my head too.

First, I want to thank every one of you that took the time to read all of these previews. Yes dad, I know you’re the only one. I already called Grandma by the way. She didn’t know who I was again. I told her I’d bring her some hard candy and some Sprite Zero and I think she was cool with that. Jeopardy was on though, and I think I woke her up.

So now we’re done with the preview of each game, I’m sure everyone is dying to know my final season projection. Well, before I go on, I’ll warn that I’m a UK homer and don’t deny it. Once Sports Illustrated picks me up I’ll start to write objectively. With that disclaimer out of the way, here are my picks with the score and player of the game for the Wildcats:


September 4 - @ Louisville Cardinals
My Prediction: Kentucky 28 – Louisville 20
I think the smoother transition by Joker will make the difference. While I’d rather get a vasectomy than root for the Cardinals, I think Charlie Strong will be good for them in the future. I believe that Krags just left the team in too dire straits for the Cards to pull this one off. Hartline picks the defense apart with little pressure from a miniscule defensive line. Kentucky has more talent and more experience and should emerge from this one is a closer-than-it-should-be game.
POG: Mike Hartline


September 11 - vs WKU Hilltoppers
My Prediction: Kentucky 34 – Western Kentucky 10
I actually root for WKU in every game that they’re not playing Kentucky. The talent gap is just too wide for the Hilltoppers to come into this game and walk out with a win. Kentucky will stick to the running game and run over around and through the WKU defense on the way to a 150+ yard day for Derrick Locke.
POG: Derrick Locke

September 18 - vs Akron Zips
My Prediction: Kentucky 27 – Akron 14
I don’t think Akron is as good as the score indicates, but this is a classic trap game for UK. If the Cats can keep their eyes on the Zips and not look ahead to the Gators, this one won’t be as close. Derrick Locke has a big day against a slower defensive unit and the Kentucky defense crushes the Akron QB for 5+ sacks and 2 picks.
POG: Winston Guy

September 25 - @ Florida Gators
My Prediction: Florida 31 – Kentucky 28
I know that Florida is stacked with talented players, but they’ll also be breaking in a tone of new starters. The Gators won’t take the Cats seriously with this matchup wedged between away games at Tennessee and Alabama. Randall Cobb gets shut down as the defense focuses on him and Chris Matthews has a 100+ yard 2 TD receiveing day giving UK the lead midway through the fourth quarter. Defense gives up a big screen to Jeff Demps late in the game that puts Florida in position to kick the game winning field goal, and they come through. If this game were in Lexington though, the result might be different.
POG: Chris Matthews

October 2 - @ Ole Miss Rebels
My Prediction: Kentucky 17 – Ole Miss 14
This game comes out close than anyone would like. Kentucky goes into Oxford and beats up Ole Miss physically, but the Rebels capitalize on turnovers to keep the game close. Randall Cobb is the difference maker with 250+ all purpose yards and a kick return for a TD. Alex Smith breaks out and capitalizes on opportunities in the short zones on his way to a breakout game and SEC freshman of the week honors. DeQuin Evans notches 2 sacks and Joseph Mansour kicks a 50+ yard field goal for the Kentucky win.
POG: Randall Cobb

October 9 vs - Auburn Tigers
My Prediction: Auburn 24 – Kentucky 17
The Tigers come into Commonwealth and exact revenge for last years game. New QB Cam Newton hurts Kentucky on the ground while the Cats are dropping back into coverage and UK is caught off guard by one of Auburn’s patented trick plays at an inopportune moment. The Auburn defense forces a couple of turnovers when Kentucky gets into the redzone and takes points away from the Cats. Despite a great performance by Qua Huzzie wo racks up 10+ tackles, UK can’t overcome mistakes and drops one.
POG for UK: Derrick Locke

October 16 - vs South Carolina Gamecocks
My Prediction: Kentucky 44 – South Carolina 37 (OT)
The first streak is ended in Lexington as Joker defeats his former team. South Carolina’s Stephen Garcia starts after being benched for the previous two games and his rust shows early. Randall Burden picks off two errant passes taking one back for a touchdown. Kentucky builds an early lead and uses a combo of Derrick Locke and Donald Russell to punish the USC defense and work the clock. South Carolina gets a big special teams play late in the game that puts them into position to score and the game goes into overtime tied at 34. After a pair of field goals, Kentucky catches a USC corner on a play action and hits Chris Matthews in the back of the endzone. Stephen Garcia misses his target on fourth down and UK takes the win.
POG for UK: Derrick Locke

October 23 - vs Georgia Bulldogs
My Prediction: Kentucky 35 – Georgia 27
Kentucky catches Georgia sleeping and grabs their second win in a row. Georgia comes up to Lexington after blasting Vanderbilt and finds a different type of challenge waiting for them. After Georgia prepares to stop the run all week, Kentucky comes out in three receiver sets and forces on of the bigger OLB for Georgia to step out and cover. LaRod King catches 8 balls for 75+ yards in the biggest game of his career so far and DeQuin Evans comes up big again with a sack and a forced fumble. A.J. Green is banged up again this year and Kentucky takes out the bulldogs in a nationally televised primetime game.
POG: DeQuin Evans

October 30 - @ Mississippi State Bulldogs
My Prediction: Kentucky 24 – Mississippi State 3
The Wildcats travel down to Starkville to steal one from the Bulldogs in embarrassing fashion. The Bulldogs essentially beat themselves as QB Tyler Russell has taken over the starting job and commits five turnovers. The Wildcats score on a punt return by Jerrell Priester early in the game to get the lead and Bulldogs can’t keep up due to turnovers committed on their side of the field. While big, the MSU defense can’t keep up with Locke and Cobb piles up 10+ catches on the night and throws a double pass to a wide open Anthony Kendrick for a touchdown.
POG: Randall Cobb

November 6 - vs Charleston Southern Buccaneers
My Prediction: Kentucky 48 – Charleston Southern 13
Kentucky pummels the Bucs while resting their starters and getting some reps for the younger guys. Brian Adams breaks out with 150+ yards receiving against an overpowered secondary and Jonathan George rushes for 100+ yards for the first time in his career. Ricky Lumpkin abuses the woeful offensive line for 3 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble before sitting the second half.
POG: Mike Hartline

November 13 - vs Vanderbilt Commodores
My Prediction: Kentucky 31 – Vanderbilt 20
Vanderbilt plays poorly all season with Warren Norman as a bright spot on a bad team. He comes to Kentucky and manages to run for 180+ yards, but QB Larry Smith has a bad game that the Wildcats take advantage of mistakes and miscues in the passing game and Randall Cobb abuses the secondary throughout the game. The Cats send Vandy back to Nashville with a loss and head to their Bye week.
POG: Randall Cobb

November 27 - @ Tennessee Volunteers
My Prediction: Kentucky 32 – Tennessee 21
The streak ends this year. I know, I’ve actually said that for the past 20 years, but this time it happens. Coach Dooley has enough of the garbage and kicks two more starters off an already ravaged team. The Offensive line is absurdly awful for a Tennessee squad and a kid that couldn’t even make it at Louisville is pummeled all night in Knoxville. Randall Cobb exacts his revenge in a career game before declaring for the NFL draft by catching 12 balls for 175 yards while racking up all four of Kentucky’s touchdowns. Danny Trevathan and Winston Guy both go for 10+ tackles and the Wildcats finish the game without a turnover or penalty. And with that Joker wraps up the season with an immediate contract extension and a trip to the Capital One bowl in Orlando on New Year’s Day.
POG: Randall Cobb


So there you have it: My officially irrelevant prediction of how the season goes for the gridiron Cats. That's a 10-2 final record and a 2nd place finish in the SEC east. If everything plays out this way, I’ll see you all at the huge UK fan party in Orlando……….If my wife let’s me go.

If not, I’ll watch you on TV while I’m redecorating the dining room.

To check out the detailed game-by-game previews, go HERE.

Is Calipari turning up the recruitment on Austin Rivers? Plus a Tennessee football player transfers ... via text

by Paul Jordan

It's all rumors and speculation right now, but I did hear from a couple of people and see a couple of tweets that John Calipari was in my stomping grounds, Orlando , last night, presumably to visit 2011 recruit Austin Rivers.  I was not able to talk to anyone that actually saw Calipari, so we have to put this in the unverified rumor section, but it makes sense that Cal would be stepping up his recruitment. 

As for River's recruitment, it appears that the decision making process has ground to a halt, and he really has no idea where he will attend school but has a handful of teams that he does like.  His dad had this to say:

"At this point, Austin pretty much doesn't know where he's going.  There are three or four schools he likes but he wants to see how they play. He's gone the other way and wants to slow it down and wait. That's the new trend and I think it's pretty smart."

The one thing I have learned about Rivers is that he is not that easy to read and he is prone to wearing random college teams shirts and that is not an indication of where he is going.  Rivers cause quite a stir a few weeks ago by being decked out in a Dookie t-shirt and shorts, but apparently that is Austin's randomness.  he has also been seeing wearing the gear of my adopted hometown's Central Florida Knights. 

Meet Bryce Brown.  If you recall, the running back committed to the Dirty Vols and then a few months later, had a press conference, apparently just to remind everyone that he had committed to the Vols.  Apparently large egos have no real social skills as our friends at Saturday Down South are reporting that Brown is de-committing from the Vols and is wanting to transfer to Kansas State. 

No big deal, really.  Kids transfer all the time.  However, Brown did not meet with Vols coach Derek Dooley face to face to inform him of his impending transfer.  He delivered the news via .... text message.

Ouch.

Stay classy, Lane Kiffin commits.

BBN, get ready to meet the DDMO

by Paul Jordan

I know that a lot of debate has been occuring about the 2009-2010 and the 2010-2011 Wildcat squad and most people agree that the earlier version of Calipari's team may get the slight edge talent wise.  That may be true .... but John Calipari has yet to unveil his greatest asset yet.  The DDMO. 

In reality, Calipari ran very little true DDMO last season.  He recognized the talent he had in the front court and for much of  the season, played to his strengths, which were Patterson and Cousins on the post in a more traditional offense.  Sure, there were glimpses of the dribble drive motion offense, esepcially when Bledsoe and Wall shared the court, but last season was by no means a fair representation of the DDMO. 

Just to clarify, the DDMO is a guard-oriented offense that features spreading the floor and dribble-penetration to the rim for lay-ups or kick-out three-point shots. This offense uses a 4-out set with one post player and the post player does not look to post-up, but rather plays on the opposite block and in theory, this creates more open lanes for dribble-penetration. The post player looks for lobs, or dump passes from penetrating perimeter players, and looks to "clean up" inside with offensive rebounding.

For the DDMO to work effectively, you need four perimeter players who can handle the ball and attack the seams 1-on-1 with dribble-penetration and then finish, and who can also catch-and-shoot the 3-point shot effectively. On dribble-penetration, the ball-handler has three options:  finishing the lay-up, dumping it to the post player on the opposite block, or kicking it out to the three point arc for the outside shot. Perimeter players move and rotate to specific spots. Very little screening is used, as screening tends to clog the driving lanes. Good spacing with two guards on top and two deep in the corners really opens up those seams for dribble-penetration.

So with Patterson and Cousins manning the front court at the same time, Calipari really did not have the personnel to give a fair representation of the DDMO.  That said, Kentucky is loaded with talented players that would be able to implement the DDMO.  I see Kanter as the post player with possibly Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb, Darius Miller and Terrence Jones as the perimeter.  DeAndre Liggins and Stacey Poole would also excel in this rotation.  Needless to say, Calipari has the players for his system. 

And he seems to be preparing the DDMO for a true unveiling of the DDMO this year.  Calipari spoke on his Lexy audio post yesterday and seemed to prepare the BBN for his offensive scheme:

"Right now, I'm spending my time trying to come up with ways that we're going to play the dribble-drive more than we did a year ago, but with this group. We got a left-hander on the team in Terrence Jones. How do we now put him in the right spots so he can do his best? How 'bout this is a team maybe we go with five-out...so that we have the true strength of our team?

"Where last year with DeMarcus [Cousins] and Patrick [Patterson] and Daniel [Orton], we had terrific players around the goal. We had to play that way. Now we do have some strong guys that are bigger players but maybe a little more perimeter-oriented, so I've got to figure that out. My time's got to be spent doing that."

One thing for sure is that Kentucky can count the upcoming Canadian trip as a blessing in disguise.  The trip allows Calipari to get in some extra practice days for his squad.  In case you are still confused about the nuances of Cal's DDMO, let's let coach explain it in his own words:

Rondo Trades Kelly Green For Red, White and Blue

Rajan Rondo makes team USA. Looks like the Wildcat faithful will have another Cat to cheer for this time on the USA Basketball Team as Rajan Rondo was selected to represent the US. Let's hope that Rondo's presence will be enough to prevent the meltdown fiasco in the FIBA Games of 2006. GO Team USA!!!

A Beautiful Day: Football Vols looking up at the Wildcats

Mmmmmm...ahhh. In case you haven't figured it out, this is me basking in a glow of a beautiful morning. The sun is shining, the air is clean, and the football Cats are ranked ahead of the filthy Volunteers...wait, what? This has to be a dream, everything is too perfect! NOOOOOOO!

I'm back, it's okay. Actually, it isn't a dream. SEC Media days took place this week and some interesting points were made by coaches coming into this season. Not so interesting point, Alabama and Florida are far and away the favorites to repeat last year's "Sorry Tim, but Jesus wanted Alabama to win more" Bowl, but there were some other of news worth taking a look at out of the wrap-up. Writers and voters in attendance in Hoover balloted their votes for preseason predictions and found something interesting: the Wldcats were voted ahead of the Day-Glo Brawlers to the South. Finishing fourth in a division may not seem very impressive (and it's not really) but when you look at the competition its a pretty high honor. But that is not what made this glorious day. The Volunteers were picked to finish fifth. I can't help but smile when I see that. Fifth. The only team they were predicted to finish in front of was Vanderbilt, who, besides just being Vandy, had a coach quit a month before the season started.

At least you can take solace that people think you will still win your home state. The reality is crushing; UT doesn't have any offensive lineman with any experience and a HUGE hole at the QB position. Their best hope on D, Eric Berry, saw what was around the corner and bolted for the NFL. As they say in Tennessee," That don't bode well for our Vols. Now excuse me, I'm late for a date with my sister. It's a casual relationship." I don't know what that last part meant, I just report what I make up. But here's what some of the commenters said about the SEC pre-season rankings:

Looking up to Kentucky?
I hope your sex life isn't as premature as your football prognostication.

If Kentucky beats Tennessee, I'll have to move out of the state! I may be Kentucky born, but my blood runs ORANGE! (This was a woman, and I'm betting she is ugly)

There's nothing else worth repeating, but it was mostly a lot of capitalized letters and fluff. You see? We even have better commenters, we find something to complain about all the time. Let's hope that when the last game of the season arrives, we will be well ahead of these dull-witted creatures and I won't have to write about how much I don't want to lose to those...things.

Donte' Rumph Now Eligible!!

Donte Rumph, a formerly ineligible player for the UK football Cats has worked his backside off and gotten himself eligible for the season. This is really going to shore up the Cats D-line which was a concern for this season. This is big news for Joker in his first season as head coach, and great news for UK Football fans.

Those 8 wins might have just gotten a little easier.......