Picture is unrelated. Via pictureisunrelated.com
So I, like some of you who can manage to distract yourselves from the "Guiding Light" episode that seems to be the everyday lives of Rick Pitino and Billy Gillispie, have been reading quite a few preseason picks for the SEC lately. And I'd say 4 out of 5 of them have Kentucky finishing dead last in the SEC East. In most years, I'd say that's par for the course and work on mending my tent so I could camp out for Midnight Madness tickets. But if the last three years have taught us anything, it's that Kentucky doesn't totally suck at football anymore. You've read what Ken, Tru et al. have had to say about the team. It's probably better (if reports from camp are true) than it was last year, and even though last year was tough to swallow, it still ended in a bowl win. So you'd think that other people might notice, right? Wrong. This one from Team Speed Kills in particular just really grinds my gears, disclaimer by the author notwithstanding:
Kentucky
DATE OPPONENT OUTCOME 5-Sep @ Miami (OH) W 19-Sep Louisville W 26-Sep Florida L 3-Oct Alabama L 10-Oct @ South Carolina L 17-Oct @ Auburn L 24-Oct Louisiana-Monroe W 31-Oct Mississippi State W 7-Nov Eastern Kentucky L 14-Nov @ Vanderbilt L 21-Nov @ Georgia L 28-Nov Tennessee L Kentucky just wasn't very good last season, and they made it to bowl season largely on the back of a terrible non-conference schedule. The terrible non-conference schedule is back, but I just don't see improvement from the Wildcats that many of the other conference teams will make. Going with Mike Hartline under center over Randall Cobb didn't inspire confidence, and losing Jeremy Jarmon was the last straw.
One SEC win. One. With two All-America candidates in the defensive secondary. With one of the few QBs in the league with actual game experience. With a freaking stable of thoroughbred running backs and receivers that can apparently catch the football now.
Are we still dealing with this? The cupboard behind last year's starters wasn't bare, folks. If Coach Brooks says we're better than we were last year, I believe him. Some might chalk that up to coach-speak, but if there's one currency we know Papa Rich doesn't trade in, it's BS. So am I right to get my shorts in a wad every time I read something like this, or should I just suck it up and let the Cats prove it on the field? I'm inclined to do both, but let me know if you see it differently.
UPDATE: Here's a link to the story.