Sorry, folks. IMHO, the credit is gone. I know that two years is not long enough to fix some things, but… This isn’t about a new coach instituting a new system. This is about the promised continuity of a Coach in Waiting. About a staff that was relatively unchanged, and schemes that were similar.

This offense is just not well prepared or well coached. Not even close. The defense, I’ll give a pass. They only gave up 24 points and 327 yards. Not ideal, but still not bad in a rivalry.

But the offense… 35 yards rushing on 32 rushes (including, of course, sacks). The play calling has been so predictably bad that I don’t think we ever surprised UL after the first screen.

BTW, what has LONG been the ole Kat’s feeling ons screens and passing?…. whenever possible, start your play on THEIR side of the line. Passes that start behind your line of scrimmage begin the play with you 3-5 farther from where you started. Sometimes necessary, but you can’t rely on them.

What did I say in my post to “The coaches”? you’ve lived too long with bad play calling being bailed out by the speed and ability of Locke, Cobb,some great (NFL) receivers. Now, those guys are gone and the tactics of your play are getting exposed by that, and you’ve failed to adjust.

Oh, but note we finally figured out we have tight ends and they were highly productive…… Who could have known?…. Who could have foreseen?

Guys, it offends me that I truly feel that some of us, myself humbly included, have a higher football acumen than these coaches. I’m not saying we’re better. I know I can’t recruit. I know I’m not inspiring like Holtz. But, I know the game. I know down and distance. I know winning requires gambling, but that winners gamble well.

What did I say before? You can pass well and win. You can pass poorly and win. You can run well, and win. But you cannot run the ball poorly and win.

Am I a bad fan for saying maybe our best option is bad season that might foment change? I’m certainly not proud for having the thought.

Theory and conjecture abound about the mystical curse that has descended upon them. Some say they angered an ancient Greek god. Others, that they refused sacrifice to the violent volcano. And even more still, that their mothers dropped their program on its head at birth, and in the confusion, began to dress them upside down, taught them to walk on their hands, and speak with… Well, needless to say it’s just not their fault.

In the end… They’re just Louisville.

The game ended. For some us, a little sooner than others as we decided we’d rather be grumbling in our sleep than cursing while staying awake on a week night. And the only thing we were left to agree on is that we stank. We might differ and vary on the degree of the stink, but that we did in fact stink even the most die-hard fan would be hard pressed to refute.
But all was not lost. In fact, a lot was likely won. First and foremost, we didn’t lose. Yes, yes, I know that this line is the old song of the inept-fully successful for years, but for us there’s a greater truth hidden in it. Because, though we hate the taste of it, we can afford the side effects of a poorly played win over a lesser foe, far more than we can afford the damages of losing a poorly played game to that same foe.

So, what went wrong last night? Well, the entire evaluation of the team, to start. Joker and company came out and it was clear to me that they thought that this team would be UK ’06-’10 with minor variations based on talent and experience. Their play calling made it clear to me that they thought they could treat Morgan Newton as Woodson plus feet, Hartline plus size, or Lorenzen minus heft. The truth of the matter is that Newton should have been treated as Daunte Culpepper (minus the clearly proven NFL skills). Morgan should never have been asked to sit back into a pocket and be that guy. He’s looks like a roll out QB who can move the ball up the field with his feet if the other throws aren’t there.
His discomfort with the package he was in was obvious. Sure, sure, the Offensive Line was offensive, but that wasn’t the heart of HIS problem. His problem was that he was trying to fill a role he was told he should fill, rather than being given a loose script and being told to go out and make it happen.
…What? You want to assert that doing that would have been more disastrous?… I didn’t think so.
So, coaching tip: Strip the playbook apart. Simplify the plays, and give this guy four options. Receiver 1, receiver 2, tight end, or run it. Don’t try this cross switch a wazzou, type stuff. The kid is an athlete who can throw. Don’t complicate the routes. Let his feet and arm make the plays.

What else went wrong? Let’s see… I see a lot of old familiar faces on this board. This may be a personal rant, but I’m just solid on it. What are some my long standing keys to a successful SEC offense? Run between the tackles. Use the clock. And use the tight end.
Obviously we can’t run it Nebraska style, but commit to running the ball we must. And that means we have to run the ball with intent. With purpose. Don’t JUST try to run it in a 4 wide set hoping to create a break. It means start with a tight end, and move him back into the backfield. Have your lineman forget being nice and lean on someone, and attack a hole… or just move a pile. But wear down the other teams players so that when you start to go to the air, those defensive lineman and linebackers are just glad for the break. Maybe they get a little lazy legged. Bammo… your pass protection looks that much better. IF you’d like an example of this, look at what WKU did to us. They ran Rainey at us and, in the second half, we saw their lineman handling our guys one on one. A few times we got through, but by and large they did well against us with their pass protection. Maybe not great, but certainly a damned sight better than you might expect in a Sun Bely / SEC matchup.
Now, as most of us know, I’m not opposed to throwing the ball. I’m just saying that, in the SEC, you can run successfully and win. You can pass successfully and win. You can even be a poor passing team and win. But, in SEC football, you cannot run the ball poorly and win. I’m sure this is shocking news to most of you, who have no concept of what it takes to win in the SEC.

Now, you want to to hear something awesome? (And this goes back to one of my points to win) How many tight ends does UK have on it’s roster? About 8? I think that’s right. How many catches did the tight ends have last night?… Dang it! How could you possible have seen that foreshadowing coming?
Boo on the coaches. I remind them that the there are few safer passes down the field than (sorry for the mantra repeat) having the tight end come off the line, come three or four steps down the field, turn to the inside of the backers, and just squat. The QB gets a nice throw that’s straight, short, and to a target sitting still. The TE just has to fall for the 6-8 yards that they got. And the linebackers and safeties have to start being honest on their reads.
Gotta do it. Bottom line, if you’re not going to throw to the tight ends, you might as well stop leaving a receiver you won’t throw to, and an undersized blocker in the game. Just put in another offensive lineman and at least help your blocking with 300 lbs of beef.

Now, How about that time of possession? WKU out gained us in rushing 141 to 93. WKU controlled the clock 34 minutes to our 26. And, as most of us saw, we were, honestly, only a couple of catches away from us getting beat. No way we can do that in SEC play and not come out on the bad end of the bad end of games. And yes, I meant the repeat.

So, in conclusion, offensively, we did nothing I would have recommended to win. We didn’t use Morgan effectively. We didn’t help him with a credible effort to run. We didn’t throw to a tight end one time.

But what about the defense? In a word: “promising.” The defense did yield in some areas we’d like to see improved, but this was the absolute first game in an entirely new scheme. But, the positives were there. There was movement pre snap. The linebackers threatened the line and fell back, appeared to be back and then rushed. Again, not enough to make the game over, but clearly a step in the attacking direction we’ve known we needed for years. They’ll be good this year, and sometimes give it up, but they will try to do the one thing we’ve known we needed for a while. Make plays on the OTHER side of the line of scrimmage.
Most of my judgement for the defense is tempered by the early setting and some of the breakdowns, but I saw enough to satisfy my football experience. Rick Minter wants to beat you. Not just keep you from beating him. That’s what we need.

Sure the game was ugly. Sure the game was bad. Sure we could have lost. But, in the end we won. So, let me remind you cliff jumpers of one thing.
This is not a team one year removed from 2-9. This is not an Ohio valley team stuck in the SEC. Look at these players and you’ll see a group of lineman that are SEC size. Look at these players and you’ll see guys that have won 3 bowl games. This is not a program sitting on the edge of decline into mediocrity. We may not have all the talent we’d like, but we don’t need to concede. It’s just a program, from head man, to last man, who forgot their humble beginnings and needed to be reminded that that the “SEC” logo doesn’t give you points. It doesn’t give you respect. It just gives you a chance.
Now, get these coaches my tips, have them throw in the coaching flare that only a coach can have, and this team, this program, can get back to moving forward, even if only an inch. Because that’s how the SEC is won. Not with o line accolades, starry eyed recruiting, and not with flowery coach speak. It’s won with running games and savvy play calling; blitzing and tackles for loss; turnovers and takeaways, desire and commitment.

All of it one inch at a time.

-OOPS!!! I forgot to share why I think the win helped helped as much as it did. I think the coaches lost track of the teams true abilities. Maybe even more importantly, I think they over estimated their own coaching ability and judgement. My point is, these problems were there. And, I think Joker and his staff had denied them and refused to see them. Well, here’s where we make the change. Now, they have to re-think. They have got to reconsider their judgements. And, maybe realize that this program can’t afford for them to just think they’re SEC, and that’s enough. They’ve got to go back to possession management. They’ve got to go back to fundamentals. They can’t think that they just have the pleasure of unleashing UK 6.0

To that end, I think we’ll see the changes on the offense that will help the defense by keeping them off the field. I expect Randy to re-think things. I expect Joker to get a little of that fear back in his mind.

I still think UK will win, but don’t be at all surprised if this… survival, doesn’t result in an offense that gets the simplicity and purpose I’m talking about, and therefore start being successful.

Watch for the rush yards to go up next game. Watch Morgan have something to do with that. And watch for the tight ends to suddenly materialize (meaning 2-4 catches) as if they just arrived on campus.

Some of you may recall the prime of Nebraska under Tom Osborne. Now, despite the fact that Osborne had his flaws, he had a great philosophy that was the cornerstone of his programs. He recruited speed and then added size. Osborne would take a guy recruited as a big corner, and beef him into a safety. He would take guys recruited as safeties and beef them into OLBs. LBs in DE’s, and DE’s into DTs. Obviously, he had a big head start to doing this, and that didn’t mean he always did that with every player, but it was a general practice. He could preserve some speed and add beef, but it’s hard to add beef AND develop speed.

THAT was what lead to so many of those great Husker D’s. A guy recruited as a 6’2″ 194 lb safety with a 4.48, was a monster at 225 with a 4.5-4.6 (See Danny Trevathan). A LB that was 6’1″ 231 was DE beast at 252.

This is what I felt UK should have done with Micah, two years back. Made him a DE and let him attack the backfield. Might have spared him some knee injuries from the blind sided cut blocks and O line doubles that come with playing the middle.

The nice thing is, I think UK is almost to the point where we can ‘afford’ to make those kind of changes in a player while he isn’t pivotal in the current plan.

Of course, one of the things that Tom DIDN’T have to contend with as much was players telling recruiting coaches “what” they were, which is also something I *think* was involved in Micah’s career. Too many players think they KNOW what they are or what they will allow a team to play them as, and pick accordingly to the school that signs the promise.

At any rate, Joker has the right idea. McDermott is a prime example.

I want to float my feelings out there and see if you folks think they make sense, or if I’m imagining, whatever. The reason I think so many lost faith with Rich early, and that so many failed to see his goal was that we really didn’t understand his mission. We might have thought we did, but we really didn’t. Rich was working on a “program” scale. All of it. Top to bottom. And not just the actual program, but the entire entity of UK Football. From fans to facilities.

Joker is doing what we THOUGHT (or at least I wrongly did) Rich should have been doing, he’s working on the “team.” The program is established, if not an SEC contender, it’s the TEAM that needs to take it to the next level, and that’s what he’s doing, IMO. He’s getting guys to believe in themselves and each other. He’s getting them to believe in the coaching staff. He knows, again IMO, that getting this team to love to play the game with each other, and for the coaches, to love the promise of what practice means, and to embrace the confidence that their training is as elite as any and they will be “gameday ready” for any opponent, even florida. I mean, is there anyone here who think those wonderful guys aren’t training harder than ever? Not just on command, but putting in EXTRA time? Pushing themselves? Doing more on their own? You know it has a lot to do with Rock, but if I asked you if you felt that, with no inside knowledge, would you have the same feeling that I do that it’s happening?

That’s my feeling. You know, when Rich was coaching, you could always tell that he never really had confidence that we would beat the Florida’s and Bama’s of the league, you know. He spoke conservatively, and coached the same, and GOD did it fix our program. But you could just predict some losses, because we knew, and he knew, that he didn’t expect or need to win those games, he needed to set trends. He needed to impress a standard, and losses would do that as much as wins, so long as the losses were to top tier teams and coaches and were respectable. It was just getting us out of the basement so that there would be other SEC teams getting used to being the dogs that was important. He got media and fans to respect us.

Joker does not give me that vibe. I believe that Joker is coaching today with a firm belief he can beat Florida, and that the only way he’s going to lose to them is if they get lucky. I’m not suggesting he lacks respect. I’m saying he’s not gonna think they should lose to Florida until after they HAVE lost to Florida. It’s a subtle but significant difference.

It’s just a feeling I’m getting. This TEAM may lose games, but it will not be because they played second best, or were coached second best, or had second best abilities or talent. At least, that what I think THEY will believe for the first time.

That’s it. That’s my thoughts. Did I make any sense? Look forward to hearing from you. GO CATS and GO JOKER!!!

It’s awesome to us that UK is playing well, and looks good (no jinx, cross fingers) to be in the FF or win out, but that’s just not a story they’re interested in.

I think that’s why that, every chance they get, media groups are looking for a reason to make a story out of nothing. I mean, Cornell versus Kentucky, and you’re pitching “Brains versus Brawn”? Cinderella stories are great, but c’mon. I’m no conspiracy guy, but I do understand bias, and if our uniforms had read Kansas, the lead to that game would be “Cornell next bump in the road as KU marches to Indianapolis”. But no, it’s brains versus brawn. It the smart veterans against the young talent. It’s every story and thought about why Cornell could knock of UK, when the entire idea was so stupid it hardly bore repeating. And, so I wonder, as I watch this tournament, what’s going on with these guys, and it hits me. This tournament has a story, but it isn’t the one they want to tell. They wanted a certification of Kansas’s greatness, and it’s gone. They’d love to have Coach K get vindicated for his underwhelming finishes the last few years.

Now they’re looking at these Cinderella’s, IMO, HOPING one of them does something unheard of so that can be the story. All of that when the obvious story is so easily clear that the only way for them not to run with it is by choice.

Am I making sense? I’m struggling to find the words for it, but you know there’s just a ..lack of enthusiasm from the big sports media market about the story at hand, ya know?

The way I see it, here is the real story. UK, after two years absence from the dance and a season ending in an early NIT defeat, fires it’s coach, goes out and makes a match with one of the most powerful coaching personalities in the game, who then brings in a recruiting class that may be one of the, if not the best ever assembled, and puts a team with three freshman starters on the floor, takes that team back to number one in the nation, never falls below three, wins the SEC regular season and conference tournament, locks up a number one seed in the NCAA tournament, and is on pace toward the Final Four and possibly the national championship.

I mean,.. does anyone think that sounds familiar? Because I remember only a few years ago when Ole Roy had damned near this SAME story at UNC and it was THE story of the entire dance. Does anyone else remember it that way? Big name coach, brings the program back to glory, and all that? Anyone seeing anywhere NEAR that kinda coverage or spin on this?

I mean, I k now we get some props, but that’s not what I’m getting at. There was never a reason, NONE, to try to make Kansas the story of this year. You get me? There was nothing remarkable about what Kansas had to offer. Outside of a good freshman playing for them, and twin brothers, they were just a veteran, talented, big twelve team. They didn’t have to climb mountains. They didn’t have to rebound from anything.

I’m going to predict something that I hope I am very wrong about. If UK wins it all (no jinx, crossed fingers) I expect ESPN to spend a much shorter than usual amount of time in the post tournament coverage debating how great this season was. My fullest expectation is that they will only give the legs required to be credible concerning the matter, given that it IS the biggest event in major sports now, but then drop it like a hot potato and look into the NFL draft, very quickly. We won’t see the great replays about it, and we won’t hear from experts who were thrilled to have seen it, and etc.

To put it bluntly, Cal was sandbagging.

No question about it. No doubt in my mind. Flat out, SANDBAGGING. This team has just sort of muddled it’s way through the season. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying they were bad, they just kinda… went game to game, sometimes big, sometimes small, but just really sorta operated with a “shoot it and we’ll go get it attitude. Obviously worked to the tune of over 30 wins. But what we saw LAST weekend?.. No.

UK didn’t just have energy. I think most of us felt like they were just playing together the whole year for THIS tournament. To make their show here. But what we saw, was an exhibition. We saw meaningful cuts. We saw movement. We saw speed. We saw shooting. We saw passing. We saw depth.

Play a zone. Go right ahead. This team is ready. Play man to man. Play 6 on 5 if you think you can get away with it, because that will still only let you stay in the ballpark. It won’t get you a guaranteed win.

Cal was lying to the world. Just lying. He sat back. He kept his cards close. He low balled his way into this tournament, and now he’s putting it on display. And I mean all of that in the most respectful sense.

Like I posted in another thread on the board, and well before Kansas got their humble pie, and in SPITE of the ESPN twits, There is a biggest, longest, strongest, tallest, fastest, deepest, and most talented team in this tournament. And that team has “Kentucky” on its jersey.

Allow me to entertain you with a bit deeper analysis of my predictions, and I’ll use some examples to show you what I mean. BTW I’m going to use layman’s terms, but some of you may know exactly what I’m talking about and may know what ideology I’m referring to. If so, no problem. But, I think it’s time I did a little bit of explaining as to WHY I’m so adamant in my evaluations. Plus, it might convince you that I’m not just pulling my opinions directly from my behind without a slight bit of filtering…

If there’s one thing that my considerable training on human traits and leadership has taught me, it’s that everyone has strengths. And, when those strengths are matched to the job right, it can be dynamic. and when they aren’t, it can be disastrous. To use one particular idea, there are four basic personality types. Some are thinkers, some are doers, some are collaborators, etc. you get the idea. Well, I’ve been thoroughly tested, and I am a doer. I’m a guy who specializes in crisis management, and immediate decision-making. *I* am better at evaluating plays and playcalling than Joker. That’s right. I said it. I DO know football, maybe not as much as some, but I know the game like it was my wife. I can look at a defense, and tell you what a good play might be in seconds. I can also tell you what a bad play might be at the same time. I say might, because sometimes, even the wrong play can be made good with good playmakers.
Now, I can do that and do it well. What I do NOT do well, is interpersonal management. I’m not someone who has the inspirational personality. I come off as direct, and abrasive, even when I don’t mean to. IT’s the way I’m wired. But, in a crisis, people are glad I’m around because I can make immediate decisions to manage the problem. But, this isn’t about me, it’s about Joker…

Joker IS NOT like me. Joker is not a crisis manager, and that’s what makes him a generally poor playcaller. He is however, a good leader. He can get the most out of people because he can manage them and their feelings. He comes across as a family member, not a boss. And that’s why I think he’ll make a good head coach.

Now, let me give you an example that should clarify why I believe you need doers as coordinators, and leaders as HCs. Florida State. Think about Florida State. Imagine Bobby on the sideline, or after the game. Remember the way he was? A salesman. The guy could sit down with anybody and make them comfortable. Make them believe him. You agree?

Now, think behind Bobby. Think Mickey Andrews. What did he look like during a game? Chewing the gum rapidly. Barking out orders. Never still always moving. He’s a kinesthetic doer. Are you starting to see what I’m getting at? They were perfect for each other and the team. It was the perfect fit.
Now, this is not to say that a doer can’t make a good coach (Urban Meyer) or that they WILL make a good coach (Charlie Weiss), but the best programs tend to have AT LEAST doers as head men or coordinators (Saban), or they have a leadership guy (Brooks) in charge that gets everyone to work well together.

BUT when teams inevitably go wrong is when they DON’T have a doer as a coordinator/playcaller. This has been the Achilles heel of UK for years now. Both Phillips and Brown are not critical thinkers. They are not crisis managers. They have milder personalities and are more interpersonal oriented. This leads to conservative decisions and playcalling. It just does.
UK needs to have DOERS as it’s coordinators. On both offense and defense, you have to have guys who think quickly, can adjust on the fly, and will gamble as often as they can, as opposed to as little as they can. Not that you need to onside kick it at the Swamp after you just scored, but things like CORNER BLITZES. 1st down hitch and go’s for the TD. Those type of things.

Joker is a collaborating type guy. He’s a guy who can bring people together and make them like him. Which is a great thing for leadership, but not for playcalling. In playcalling, you need guys who flourish under pressure. Like pit bulls and pain, they just wag their tail faster when the pressure increases. That’s what UK needs.
Sanders will be that guy, I think. (hope) His personality is more suited to the bang bang, and when he’s in the box making the calls, he’ll be better at making adjustments. I almost guarantee it.

Now, after that long walk in some minor psychology, back to the point. I’m behind Joker, and think he will do well. But, I can almost guarantee you that, unless he goes and gets a doer for his defense, he’s never going to get over the big hump. I still think he’ll be successful, maybe get an 8 win season here or there, but he’s never gonna challenge for the SEC, U-N-L-E-S-S…. Brown makes a dramatic change in his personality/philosophy and starts being a doer. To be frank, that’s just not likely.

Joker should be fine, and may be great. But, he’s gonna have to look past his feelings when it comes to Brown, IMNSHO, and realize that Brown is not a compliment for him. He needs a guy like Chuck Smith as Def Coordinator. Chuck is a doer. He’s a run the sidelines, screaming out stuff coach.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, even if you disagree.

This whole season was really Clemson’s season to be at their best. They had the experience and depth, particularly at the skill positions on both sides of the ball, and they had their speed. They were supposed to be a 10 win team. They weren’t. And, they weren’t because they just aren’t.

UK, on the other hand, came into this season with many of us debating whether this team was even a six win team. Most of us fell between 6 and 8. Yea, lo verily, we got 7. But, we never anticipated a true freshman QB winning three conference games. Not for a minute. And our receivers are still a group of young guys who, even though we’ve played a season, still haven’t gathered that much experience. We’ve had to run the ball so much (and it was good) that none of these guys, even Cobb, posted number like they could have if we had a more experienced and confident QB.

Well, now we will. I think this pause and practce will be take alot of pressure off Morgan. I think with the time to ONLY have to watch film on one team, and having the luxury to take 5 days a week to throw all the reps he can to all his recievers, learn their timing, get to know their speed, I think UK may well emerge a different team for this bowl game.

I think Clemson will be good, but they have ONLY the lowest level of performance of our team to look back on and reflect. They really, truthful, CAN’T possibly know how to scheme for this team because there has been so little game footage of this team getting to play well as a unit. The only thing they will definitely know is that our O-line is really good, top ten good, but that really only tells you you may have send extra people, to get pressure. They are only gonna know Locke is fast, and Cobb is dynamic. Beyond that, they have no idea as to the capabilities and potential of the rest of our offense.

–I’m starting to like the idea.

I mean, I know Kansas is good, but… they just aren’t capturing the heart and mind. Even as much as I HATE UNC, you just knew, last year, that they were on a mission and there was almost no one who was going to stop them? Ya know? I get the same feeling here. Not for the same reasons, of course. Not for having a group of seniors stick to it, and pledge to come back. But, kind of a feeling that the basketball universe WANTS to be righted again. UK is rebounding back to it’s place with an immediate gusto that will be repayment for several long years of tedious mediocrity.

Look at ESPN. Look at their top headlines. Out of all that’s happened…. “UK moves up to number 3″. That tells me that even THEY are watching and waiting. I get the sense the entire basketball world is watching UK come back to the top, and have only ranked them below the top so that the program will have somewhere to go, to create the story. To create HIstory.

I’m not saying they won’t lose… I’m saying it feels like they may not. And, I can be one of the biggest doubters in the world. But, I don’t think this team will lose big games. I don’t think they will fail to be up for them. The only games I’m worried about are trap games like Vandy, or USC. I would be willing to wager heavily, today, that this team (barring things I won’t mention because they don’t exist in this world) will beat Florida and Miss St. I think they will be longing to punish UT. That’s a personality game, and the players can see, will know, that they are playing for their coach’s hunger there.

I just get a weird feeling. I won’t say I even remotely think it’s probable,…but I do think it’s it’s possible. We may be looking back on an undefeated season.