in sometimes having a great season and just a good season for UK is injuries. If we have all of our starters healthy, then we are a good football team who can win games even on the road at times in the SEC. The problem is when we have injuries we are backing up our best people with players that not ready for the SEC. They may get there in a couple of years, but they are young and not the same type of athlete that other SEC powerhouses are using for backups. So, in effect, injuries to our team starters are much more destructive than they would be to Florida, Alabama or even Georgia and Tennessee.

I really think if Hartline did not go down, we find a way to beat both SC and MSU. I think his progression at this point would have been the difference. But, we have who we have and we must find a way to win these last games. I look to see a focused Wildcat bunch this weekend who will not take EKU for granted. A solid win will go a long way toward setting up the improbable finish that we all hope for.

It is way past time to get behind our football ’Cats, IMO. They are only young kids that are trying to win as many football games as they can. :-)

you have my congratulations.You have been telling us all season that we have to be patient and understanding of the Cats, and that this thing cannot be done overnight, and that we need to be respectful of the job that Coach Brooks has done in getting us to this point. And for the most part, a few small items not withstanding I agree. You have John Clay backing you up, and you make a good sale to the members here at ASOB. Then you come in and list all of this:

The quick answer to my lede is, “No.” No because UK has to play perennial powerhouse Georgia on the road. No because Tennessee looks like it is rising, having played Alabama and Florida tough, beaten Georgia and South Carolina. No because Vanderbilt may be finding answers to season-long questions. No because, well, UK fans are all down in the mouth about the lousy, confusing performance against Mississippi State that took away any momentum that may have been building up in the program to that point. No, because UK is…well, UK.

Now I realize that at first glance you are doing a comparison in the 2 schools of thought concerning the rest of the season. But then after putting my brain to it I realized that this is no different than the last few seasons. Each year we have come down to a “make or break” game with someone who holds our destiny in their hands. I have no problem overlooking Eastern for one reason only. Brooks & Co. always beat these lower tier teams now. And that is good, because they didnt always do that. But the truth of the matter is that this team is 3 lousy scoring drives from being 6-2 and looking into January at this point. 3 scoring drives…..gee….let’s see…….how many times did we not use Randall Cobb inside the 20 when we were trying to score???

You make a really good analysis of UT and Georgia. Only one little thing. Georgia isnt going to fold to us, because we won’t give them a reason to. We do not scare OR confuse anyone at this point. We are a one-dimensional team who’s one dimension is hurting like hell. We have a great running back who is hurting, and now, even more than before we are going to turn into the University of Randall Cobb (except when we really should be, then we will use him as a decoy, hah).

UT is going to beat, bang, bump, hammer, hit,block, kick, scratch, gouge, or any other thing they can get away with to Randall Cobb. He wont see a minute’s daylight unless someone makes a mistake. Monte Kiffin knoes how to beat one-dimensional teams. He wont slip up. Hopefully Locke is better by then, but the reason we have Locke and not some other schools is just what you brought up in the game thread the other night. He’s just not that durable.

We are 3 losses away from this team squandering all of that potential you talk about. I hipe you are right, because I want to be good…..I dont want to be a naysayer…..I want to be excited about my Cats and their football program…..so for the love of Pete will you get them to stop giving me so many reasons not to??

(Disclaimer: All opinions expressed therein are solely those of the writer and do not represent in any way the views of ASOB or it’sownership.)

My wife accuses me of being too analytical and she has a valid point. The one exception is my beloved University of Kentucky Wildcats. I have a very hard time thinking rationaly about them and looking at the programs pragmatically.

For example, every year (except for last year obviously) when filling out my NCAA tournament bracket, I put UK in at least the Final Four. It isn’t because of some superstitious belief, but because I honestly believe that they can do it.

So I hear you loud and clear. I am not going to worry about how our football team takes the next step because it isn’t my problem. I am just going to know that it is going to get done.

We can win every game to finish the season. It will be hard, it will be tough and it will be remarkable.

Yes, by pinning these hopes on my sleeve, I might be disappointed.

But the thing is, these kids put the pads on week after week and get the crap clobbered out of them. Why? Because they are out there to win. The least I can do is give them the benefit of the doubt and as many positive vibrations as I can from the comfort of my couch.

Well I think the one thing everyone on this blog can agree on is that we support the kids!! No one who’s ever been around football at all doesn’t have respect for what these kids have endured not just at UK but since they started playing PeeWee football. They deserve our enthusastic support regardless of any games outcome.

But is it going to the darkside to also feel they deserve the best coaching possible? We can argue every day about the effect of injuries (btw…did I dream most thought Hartline wasn’t getting the job done?) or depth or recruits or schedule strength or expectations but is anyone going to tell be that Coach Brooks and his staff have done a great coaching job this season?

Could we win 2 or these 4 games? YES!!! Could we upset GA or UT? YES!!! But as someone pointed out to me a few weeks ago…..wish in one hand and s___ in the other and see which one fills up fastest.

Even if we beat Eastern and Vandy and then loose to Ga and to UT for the (my caculator is broken) straight time, what does that mean?

Is that a “good” season? Don’t Cobb and Lindley and Locke and Johnson and EVERY kid on the team deserve better?

A bye week recently would have been a wonderful way to help the team heal after some tough games. I haven’t seen much in the way of questioning Barnhart, Brooks, et al. about the schedule this year. Maybe it’s time for the media and fans to turn the screws a little bit?

I understand a lot of seemingly odd scheduling decisions were the result of a desire to avoid having the UofL game first on the schedule. With the Post-Petrino Cards I no longer think this should be a big concern.

Unfortunately, is we beat Eastern and Vandy and lose out. That’s another 6-6 season with a team that Brooks said was miles ahead of last year’s team. That’s another 2-win SEC record, one that folks outside of Kentucky will probably see as undeserving of a bowl game, even though we will end up in Shreveport, which sucks.

All that’s pretty negative, but at this point, does it not seem like we’re sort of stuck on a hump we can’t get over? Six and seven wins every year is great and it does beat all those losing seasons we’ve dealt with over the years, but I don’t want to strive for mediocrity, I’d like to see some actual improvement. That improvement most often shows up in the wins column, not the press clippings or conferences.

Being the eternal optimist a qualified (of course) yes. To get to the meat of the discussion let’s assume a Vandy win. If we lose at Vandy the rest is moot.

Against Georgia the key will be the coaches. Kentucky’s offense against Georgia’s defense shows a little short only due to offensive passing. The front line matches up well and the running game is acceptable but the passing obviously leaves a little to be desired – OK, maybe a lot to be desired. So far, Kentucky’s recievers haven’t shown they can catch a lot of passes since WE NEVER THROW THE DAMN BALL. Against MSU we had, what, two passes thrown more than 15 yards? Compared to Georgia’s offense, defensively we are better worse better what we are – inconsistent.

This brings us to coaches. If the Kentucky coaching staff can put together a good offensive plan and have the ability to make in game adjustments they are facing a Georgia coaching staff that has been slammed as much or more than Brooks’ staff. If there is one team in the SEC you have a good shot of outcoaching, it’s Georgia. Pat Boone Mark Richt is safe this year but we may have the honor of turning up the heat going into next year. Their alum won’t take kindly to getting beat by lowly Kentucky at home. If we can get three coats of shellack on EKU the team may be ready to get by Vandy and cruise into Athens ready to heat up Richt’s hindparts.

Getting by Georgia would set up a very intense game with Tennessee. Intense doesn’t do it justice but I’ll stop there anyway. We got the two SEC wins and the Vols are a whole different discussion.