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Good morning BBN, and happy Friday! No, you didn't fall into a coma for nearly four months; these quickies are Christmas Eve edition! We have gotten a nice little taste of college football, especially with that back-and-forth disaster of a game that was Appalachian State vs. Tennessee, but we are just a day away from the real gift of this season: opening weekend!
This season will feature a historically hyped first week, with some of the best top 25 matchups you'll ever see in Week 1. No. 3 Oklahoma v No. 15 Houston, No. 18 Georgia v No. 22 North Carolina, No. 11 Ole Miss v No. 4 Florida State, No. 5 LSU v Wisconsin, and No. 20 USC v No. 1 Alabama. And of course, we have the much-anticipated So. Miss v Kentucky game at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday night.
Hopefully all the games will live up to the hype, and hopefully we'll soon be talking about the 1-0 Kentucky Wildcats.
Tweet of the day
I'm ready for Saturday! #MakeKentuckyBowlEligibleAgain #BBN pic.twitter.com/eFkOWryMmJ
— Drew Franklin (@DrewFranklinKSR) September 1, 2016
Your quickies
‘Changing the game’ takes on new sense of urgency for Jojo Kemp - Lexington Herald-Leader
Two years after vowing to "change the game" and asking, "Why not Kentucky? Why not us?," senior running back Jojo Kemp has taken the lead in doing just that this season.
Kentucky Heads West to Face Undefeated Louisville on Friday Night - UK Wildcats News
The University of Kentucky women’s soccer team will travel west to play the annual "Battle of the Bluegrass" on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET inside Lynn Stadium in the Derby City.
Matchups to watch in Kentucky vs. Southern Mississippi - 247
To get you ready for this week's game, The Cats' Pause's weekly four downs series continues with a look at matchups to watch in Kentucky vs. Southern Mississippi.
Kentucky defense working to become more disruptive - Lexington Herald-Leader
After being among the nation’s worst teams in tackles for loss and sacks last year, UK is doing its best to become more disruptive behind players like Denzil Ware and Josh Allen. The Cats are expecting more help from players such as De’Niro Laster, Alvonte Bell and Kobie Walker as well.
To the Victors Go the Spoils; One-on-One Matchups - Kentucky Sports Radio
Football is the ultimate team sport. However, it’s easy for one-on-one matchups to go unnoticed with 22 players simultaneously on the field. Freddie Maggard takes a look at which one-on-one matchups will decide this game.
Three Wildcats among highest-rated players on NBA 2K17 - 247
Three Wildcats are among the highest-rated players on the soon-to-be released NBA 2K17 video game.
Updated 2018 Top 100 - Basketball Recruiting - Scout
The 2018 player rankings have been extended from a top 75 to a top 100. Marvin Bagley, a 6-foot-10 power forward, held on to the No. 1 spot, while Zion Williamson and Romeo Langford round out the top three.
Wildcats garner votes in latest edition of NBA rookie survey - CoachCal.com
The NBA released its eighth annual Rookie Survey on Tuesday and there was once again a Kentucky flavor to it.
Elliot Fry's last minute field goal helps South Carolina beat Vanderbilt
Will wrote the recap at Team Speed Kills, and South Carolina's second half offensive adjustments made the difference for the outcome between two teams UK must beat to go to a bowl game.
Marvin Bagley Interview - NBADraft.net
Marvin Bagley is widely considered as the top prospect in the 2018 high school class. NBADraft.net got the chance to catch up with Bagley at the Nike Basketball Academy, here’s what he had to say.
Five games of interest on a huge opening weekend for college football - Lexington Herald-Leader
It’s a monster opening weekend for college football. Here are five games of interest. Plus more random notes.
College football coaching carousel: Future of Herman, Briles, more - SI
The college football coaching carousel is set to spin in a big way in 2016. What does the future hold for Tom Herman, Art Briles and other candidates?
Colin Kaepernick wore socks with pigs in police uniforms and people are not happy about it - ESPN. Kaepernick is not shying away from controversy these past couple weeks, and he continues to display his opinion with these socks. If this story keeps up much longer, we'll have to give him his own subheading in quickies.
Tennessee escapes Appalachian State, wins in OT - NBC Sports. Appalachian State looked like it was primed to pull off another historic upset, but their inability to put the final nail in Tennessee's coffin allowed the Vols to escape.
Tim Tebow has been offered a contract to play for the Bridgeport Bluefish - FOX. I doubt this was what Tebow had in mind when he conducted a tryout and had MLB scouts show up, but I think this is what everyone else was expecting.
Other news
Alienware is making a laptop that powers up when you look at it - The Verge.