The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Morehead State Edition

Tomorrow, we have the season opener against Morehead State University, a game I know that many of us have been really looking forward to.  Unlike the cannon fodder that was our exhibition teams, the Eagles made the Big Dance last year (unlike Kentucky), and impressed everyone with their gritty play versus Louisville.  These guys will be ready to give us a game, but we'll have more detail about that later.

John Clay has a video post up with John Calipari talking about the Morehead game, and the comment that struck me was, "This is not football.  In football, you lose your first two and you're out of the race for the national title.  That's not what this is."  Well, coach, all I can say is this -- going 0-2 may not put us out of the race for the national title, but you can believe me when I say it will give you (and us) a lot of headaches, nonetheless.  We have been there and done that, and we didn't like it.

Of course, Coach Cal obviously doesn't believe this is likely, and neither does anyone else with a brain.  But it is just a tiny bit over the top to downplay expectations that much.  That may work at Memphis, but this is not Memphis.

But just in case we have forgotten Gardner Webb and VMI, Bret Dawson reminds us that neither of those worthies were as good as the Morehead State team we are likely to see tomorrow, and they are.  But I am confident, and I think everyone else in the Big Blue Nation should be as well.

Now, for the news

• Brooks says, "Hartline and Newton to Play on Saturday" | straitpinkie.com
  No surprise here. I don't care who plays as long as the offense moves the football and puts it in the end zone.
• Tailgate in Nashville with UK Fans - KENTUCKY OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE
  Saturday, November 14, 2009
  9 a.m. CT, 10 a.m. ET
  Kickoff set for 11:21 a.m., CT and 12:21 p.m., ET.
  Parking Lot of Regions Bank
  3021 West End Ave.
  Nashville, TN
  (next to Stoney River Restaurant, approximately a 5 minute walk from the stadium.)
• SEC Basketball Preview: Kentucky Wildcats : RollTideBama Blog
• Bilas likes UK’s talent, wonders about defense | Vaught's Views
  I think our defense will be spectacular.
• Morehead State vs. Kentucky preview: At #5, UK plans season-long success
  Morehead State stands to become the first victim of the Wildcats in their season-long journey to a Final Four, but the Eagles of Morehead State wouldn’t let you think that. They come in with a distinction of having made the NCAA Tournament last season something UK cannot say they did. Kentucky must take this into account no matter how highly people think of them early on in the season.
  
  Indeed. Not a team to take for granted.
• Men's Tennis Inks Top Local Recruit - KENTUCKY OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE
• " It’s CSI: Knoxville after Tennessee football arrests John Clay’s Sidelines
• The learning curve: Calipari places emphasis on improving, not record
  "The issue becomes 'You better learn quick, son.' But the only way you can learn is against teams that you risk losing games to. It's the only way," Calipari said. "Our first two games we could be 0-2 and me feel wonderful that I've learned enough to know what I've got to do."
  
  Heh. You don't know this place very well yet, do you coach?
• Tom Leach - Kentucky Football, Kentucky Basketball, UK Football, UK Basketball
  Calipari talks to media, Brooks, Hartline interviews, much more.
• 2010 Basketball Recruiting.... No Need To Worry.
  Reassurance, for those who were worried.
• Rush The Court " Blog Archive " The Race For 2,000 Wins
  Terrific analysis as always from Rush The Court. He says the fat lady is in the wings, and warming up.
• Tobias Harris Journal: Some Shocking News Today
  Bluegrass State Basketball is journaling UK recruit Tobias Harris.
• Columnist Eats His Words about Joakim Noah
  I can't stand Noah, and I won't eat my words even if he turns out to be the second coming of Mother Theresa.
• SEC Power Poll, Week 10 - Team Speed Kills
• Arkansas players have a problem with authority - Storming The Floor
  To call John Pelphrey's second season at Arkansas a nightmare would have be putting it kindly. After making it to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2007, Pelphrey and his squad hit the proverbial wall in 2008 -- losing 14 conference games after starting the season 12-1 with key non-conference wins over Texas and Oklahoma.
  
  Man. Maybe Pel is destined to coach some other team. Talk about a tough ride...
• The BCS' Worst Nightmare - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician
  The BCS Doomsday Scenario. You BCS haters out there ought to enjoy this one.
• Calls for Steve Spurrier’s departure are unrealistic and premature | greenvilleonline.com | The Greenville News
  Ouster? Really? It suggests collective amnesia for any group of people to maintain that Spurrier, toward the end of his fifth season, has outlived his usefulness at South Carolina.
  
  You did know this was coming, didn't you?
• UK’s inexperience doesn’t worry Vitale | Vaught's Views
• Forde: Louisville being left out of ESPN's Top 65 a "glitch" - Card Chronicle
  ESPN The Magazine''s college basketball preview issue hit stores this week and caused quite a stir in the Derby City when it was discovered that the publication left the Louisville Cardinals out of its "Top 65" team rankings.
  
  I don't really blame the Cardinal faithful for being outraged. But part of me wants to laugh a little ...\
• Saban not ready to 'give up day job' - SEC - ESPN
  Several current and former SEC coaches will make their acting debuts in the movie. Nick Saban, Houston Nutt, Ed Orgeron, Lou Holtz, Tommy Tuberville and Phillip Fulmer all played themselves.
  
  Heh. The trailer for "Blind Side" looks great.
• Apparently, the SEC controversies are about to disappear. (And other things we know). | SEC Football Blogger
• Wildcats Thunder Blog: The UK Football Coaching Staff--Should they Stay, or Should They Go?
  Should we agree with every decision that this current regime has made during its tenure? No. In fact, there may need to be two or three changes made to the current coaching staff. This would bring in a freshness to the program and allow us to get at least 2 more recruiters who can produce better recruiting results than the ones currently on staff.
  
  A very sensible look at the question, "Should UK replace its football coaching staff."
• Vandy football player sees parallels between UK, Commodore programs | Vaught's Views
  We owe the Commodores one. I hope we can live up to it.
• UK Wildcats' roster plagued by injuries | InsideVandy
  "I just hadn’t seen as long of a list as that on a Sunday as we had," said Brooks yesterday at his Monday press conference. According to The Courier-Journal, Brooks spent two and a half minutes outlining his team’s injury list, which included sophomore playmaker Randall Cobb, starting running back Derrick Locke, and starting quarterback Mike Hartline.
  
  Hopefully, we will be in better shape when Saturday gets here.
• Bud Withers | Pac-10 should go back to playing eight conference football games | Seattle Times Newspaper
  Last week in the Southeastern Conference, Auburn stepped out and played Furman. Georgia played Tennessee Tech. Kentucky hosted Eastern Kentucky. Mississippi welcomed Northern Arizona. Tennessee invited in Memphis.
  
  When's Furlough Week in the Pac-10?
  
  This guy is making a convincing argument. Pointing at the rest of the leagues and claiming the moral high ground may feel good, but it is arguably hurting the league.