Don’t get me wrong about the win. I am ecstatic that UK won. The streak has been 25 years too long so this win is so satisfying on many fronts. First and foremost beating anything with the color orange as a school color is very satisfying. I kept seeing the face of Mr. Dooley on camera yesterday with that gray jacket on. It didn’t look so bad until the camera showed a full torso of him wearing those ugly orange pants and it was like, ugh why did you put such ugly things on for your pants. The person or persons that choose that color were insane at the best. The people that choose to keep it their school color are even worse because they see ugly splattered all over the place and do nothing about it.

Yeah the win is doubly satisfying because now we won’t have to listen to it a million times over and over like broken records reloading to punish you. This time it is their turn and it will be even worse for them because they are the team, coach and administration that let it happen. They have to live with that for the rest of their lives and I am so happy for them! I do feel bad for the coach, because he seems to be a decent sort of guy so I don’t hate him, because as coach he had to wear that color. I wish him well in his future assistant coach job(s) at another institution, because this will surely be his last year at UT. I bet he has had to hire extra security for their safety. I can only imagine the death threats he may have already received, because as the announcers said during the Bama and Auburn game there would be repercussions from that loss.

Now back to the game…what really happened to secure the win? I mean really!? UK is horrible and there is no way an offense so bad the coaches wouldn’t even attempt a forward pass could beat any division 1 team. The defense played their hearts out, but even that had many holes in it all game long, but UT couldn’t take advantage of it. Their quarterback is so slow he moves in slow motion. I kept wondering why our guys couldn’t splatter the guy all over the field.

The last 1:47 was terrifying to watch, because that is the point where the clock was stopped to attend to a downed referee. Isn’t that the place during the game when UK usually has something bad happen to them?  Certainly, the clock was their enemy at that point of the game! UK desperately needed the clock to run really fast, but there it was stopped giving UT time to settle down a bit and call a good play, but even more importantly to them gave them more time.

I just knew fate had just intervened once again to deny UK the win, but somehow it didn’t. Time stood still for an eternity and I was screaming at the referrer’s to start the clock, but they wouldn’t for the longest time.  Finally, play resumed with a pass to the sideline and we all know the usual ending to that story all to well don’t we, however;  from out of nowhere Danny Trevathan almost intercepted a pass to a receiver, but he didn’t.  I knew then fate was torturing us for the dramatic letdown and our 26 years of hope was going to crash to the ground by one fateful play.  There was no doubt we were going to lose, but I had to watch anyway.  I just knew the next pass was going for a touchdown or close enough for an easy field goal to tie the game. We surely didn’t want another extra period for another quirky meltdown.  Then the fateful play unfolds as I held my breath while the ball sailed right down the middle of the field.  Sure enough fate intervened and some how some way the pass was picked off allowing UK to run out the clock securing the win.

All I can say is the snowball must have had a special coat on it yesterday, because the fire was hot and orange in color.  Now the UT administrators need more than a snowball to put out that fire.

Yes indeed, that win is sweet for the color BLUE!  Can I breathe now?

This has been a very fast season, But I am ready for some Basketball

Of course the game yesterday wasn’t about a national championship or such, but the game was about ‘who are we going to be going forward’! I believe that sometimes fate makes you make decisions that you are unable to make given your personality or your habits. In this instance I am talking about both of those attributes in Joker Phillips. I want all to understand that I am a huge admirer of Joker because of not only all he has accomplished as a football player and coach from and at UK, but because of his character.  Having said that, I feel that Joker wouldn’t have changed his “style” of play without being forced to do so.

That game against Ole’ Miss was much more than a casual yearly meeting between the two teams, because the losing coach of the game stood a good chance of losing their job as coach of their respective team (from what I have read Houston Nutt may have lost his job after the loss) and that is sad commentary for how we are and what is expected of a coach.  If Ole’ Miss had won Joker’s hot seat would have been hotter.

One thing happened on the way to a victory yesterday and that was the game was more exciting and became more winnable because of opening up the game a little and taking chances with play calling they wouldn’t have in the past. Those are two things we fans have been screaming about and for a long time.

Max Smith now has a following and Joker has a problem on his hands.  He has said Smith is the starter for next week, but Joker unless something happens to Smith this fan says he needs to be the starting quarterback the rest of the year no matter what.  The more open play calling and going for broke was exciting, but he made the connection with the receivers and (very importantly) the fans. The crowd was loud (I had to listen to the game via the radio) and I listened the entire game without getting disgusted and changing to classical music.  Also, Joker, this article says it will buy you more time with the fans.  It will buy you time for another year to let us see how good those other young guns you have been talking about really are.  I want that to happen.

Realistically, we can’t expect to win the rest of the games, but make them exciting and who knows what could happen on the way to having some fun.  Just saying!

After thinking about it I decided to issue a official BBR statement about it. Who gives a hoot, it’s basketball season!!!!!!!!!!!

Stay tuned for more come April.

1. LSU 9-0
2 Oklahoma St 9-0
3 Stanford 9-0
4 Alabama 8-1
5 Boise St 8-0
6 Arkansas 8-1
7 Oklahoma 8-1
8 Oregon 8-1
9 Houston 9-0
10 Clemson 8-1
11 Va Tech 8-1
12 Georgia 7-2
13 So. Carolina 7-2
14 Cincinnati
15 Texas
16 Penn St
17 Kansas St
18 Wisconsin
19 Georgia Tech
20 Southern Mississippi
21 Michigan St
22 Michigan
23 Auburn
24 Southern Cal
25 Nebraska

Things are winding fast how they will end up, does anyone know?

1. LSU

2. Alabama

3. Arkansas

4. Auburn

5. South Carolina

6. Georgia

7. Florida

8. Vanderbilt

9. Mississippi State

10. Tennessee

11. Ole Miss

12. Kentucky

This is how I read them this week, but things are always subject to change from week to week.

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.

1. Alabama: The Tide are hard to pick against. As I said in our top 25 picks they are as complete a team as there is in the country and should be able to plug and play any skill positions they lost.

2. LSU: I have the feeling that there is more trouble around the corner for them. The game is played on the field not in writers minds so its still worth ranking them #2.

3. Arkansas: Losing Knile Davis for the season will hurt but the Hogs are the best offensive team in the SEC. Tyler Wilson has the receivers he needs and the Hog’s have the best defense they have had under Petrino.

4. Mississippi State: A good offense and a good defense will get you ranked higher than a bad one will.

5. Georgia: This team could go either way in a ranking. Expect them to start 0-2 and struggle all year.

6. Florida: My pic to win the east

7. South Carolina: Garcia. Nothing more to say.

8. Tennessee: Young but athletic. The Vols finished the season strong ans should surprise someone in the east this year.

9. Kentucky: Right where they should be from a Kentucky fans view. There is enough speed on this team that if Newton plays good they will be playing in a better bowl this year.

10. Auburn: Cam carried this team last year. They lost a lot and should have a hard time on the road this year.

11. Ole Miss: With questions at almost every position don’t expect a lot from them.

12. Vanderbilt: They are returning a lot of starters so its not out of the realm of possibility for them to win 5 games this year.

1 Alabama Crimson Tide – There isn’t a team in the country as strong top to bottom.

2 Oklahoma Sooners – With Texas down and the rest of the Big 12 over rated the Sooners should roll.

3 Oregon Ducks – The quack attack should be yelling afquack when they beat LSU.

4 Boise St. Broncos – Is this the Bronco’s year? A win over a overrated Georgia team will say it is.

5 LSU Tigers – A #5 ranking is where they should be but shooting themselves in the foot might be their season plan.

6 Florida St. Seminoles – Young but talented. A loss to Oklahoma will mature them for a roll through the ACC.

7 Texas A&M Aggies – The second best team in the Big 12 is just that, the second best team.

8 South Carolina Gamecocks – Depending on Garcia is a sure tailgate recipe for burning their season.

9 Wisconsin Badgers – A Big 10 power so they are ranked about right.

10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish – Is this the year the Irish return to the glory days. A tough schedule says no, but they will be improved enough to make a BCS game.

11 Arkansas Razorbacks – A fair ranking. With a couple of defensive breaks they could win the SEC.

12 Oklahoma St. Cowboys – A lot of offense but sure to trip up defensively.

13 Nebraska Cornhuskers – A trendy pick to win the Big 10. Even with their black shirts the Big 10 will pound them into a road loss or two.

14 Ohio St. Buckeyes – Still “the” Ohio St.

15 Michigan St. Spartans – The Spartans will continue their improvement. Look for them to upset someone in the conference.

16 Virginia Tech Hokies – A soft schedule will have them in a BCS game if they can get by Florida St.

17 TCU Horned Frogs – Look for them to spear everyone except Boise St with those horns.

18 Mississippi St. Bulldogs – They play in the SEC west so expect some loses.

19 Missouri Tigers – A well coached team. They could be the surprise team in the Big 12.

20 Stanford Cardinal – Andrew Luck. Need I say more.

21 Arizona St. Sun Devils – Dennis Ericksons best team in years. The Sun Devils will lose somewhere in the cloudy northwest.

22 West Virginia Mountaineers – Maybe they will stay in the top 25, maybe they wont.

23 Georgia Bulldogs – Lose to Boise St and Ritch’s chair will be to hot to sit in. My pick as my most overrated team.

24 Florida Gators – Still not as strong as they use to be but they are capable of winning the SEC east.

25 Houston Cougars – With three or is it four 3,000 yard passers on the team all its going to take is an improvement in their defense and they could be the sleeper BCS buster this year.