Is Hartline the Next Woodson?

Most everyone, including me, has been looking at Hartline this year with starry eyes and optimism.  Can he be the next Woodson?  Some say the comparison is skewed and it might well be.  Maybe not for the reasons they think it, but it still might be skewed.  Some say that Woodson’s Sophomore year was tougher than Hartline’s.  I am gonna go out on a limb and disagree.  On any given Saturday, any team can play well above their normal ability just like they can play well below their normal ability.  Just ask LSU on the night that UK (Woodson) stopped them in overtime. 

And even if he does well and UK wins games they are not “suppose to”, it still doesn’t mean Hartline has become the next Woodson.  Hartline will have some advantages Woodson did not.  Let’s face it, the defense was a major weakness in Woodson’s final two years.  Hartline’s offensive line will be much improved over either of Woodson’s.  Woodson did have two future pros at receiver but who is to say that UK doesn’t have the same thing this year?  On paper this year’s Cats, over all is simply a better team.  But the games are not played on paper. 

Woodson had his faults just like Hartline.  He was, and probably still is, notorious for going to one too many reads.  He was always good for at least a few big loses of yardage a game.  But he did have some things Hartline has not shown that will flat out win you games.  Time and time again in the crunch, you knew Woodson would make a play and he rarely let us down.  He also had one of the best touches down field I have seen at UK, and that includes Couch.  For me, a comparison to Woodson would be justified if he can continue doing the things he did well last year, was able to instill that confidence in the clutch, and was able to throw down field half as good as Woodson. 

I’m at a point where I’m with coach Brooks.  I’m tired of talking about it, let’s just play the games and see!