A peek at the news around the Big Blue Nation as we hit hump day ...
Football
- Despite the poor showing in the opener against Louisville, the Wildcats players are taking the "think positive thoughts" approach (probably wisely), and still believe that with 11 games left a bowl appearance is still possible. And they're right, providing they get things in order by the time SEC games begin. "We got 11 more games left," starting QB Andre Woodson said. "We got plenty of games to get us into a bowl game."
- Apparently, if a bowl appearance is still possible, it will be attained with changes across the board. UK will sport different starters at no less than five positions (RT, RG, MLB, WR, LT). The most notable? Heralded freshman Micah Johnson (7 tackles vs. UL) will get the nod at linebacker in only his second college game.
- The Herald-Leader columnist John Clay wonders what I wondered the other day. If Rich Brooks can't get his team up for Louisville, what can he do?
- The Wildcats begin to look past the Louisville loss, and forward to the weekend patchup with Texas State.
- Matt Jones over at KSR Radio Blog has a nice peek at an off-the-radar 2007 hoops recruit, Chris Barnes or Georgia, and a brief nugget about another mystery recruit, Ramon Harris from Alaska ... seriously.
- The 2006 Kentucky women's basketball team schedule is official, and it's a doozy. Mickie Demoss' crew, emboldened with an NCAA good tourney showing last spring, will be full of traps, including 13 teams from last year's NCAAs. Among the best games are an ESPN2 game against Tennessee (think they won't be looking for revenge for the Cats' big upset last year?) and a CBS game against Ohio State on Jan. 6.
- The men's soccer team (a club team back in my UK days, a C-USA team now) is off to its best start in years, and was rewarded for it with a top-20 ranking in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Poll. The Wildcats are 3-0-1 on the season.