After this football season and the number of expected transfers out, I expected to be pretty bummed out by spring practice. There is no telling who else may come on board or how any/all of these incoming transfers will eventually pan out. But, man, the staff has done some excellent work, way better than I expected. With our schedule this season, we may not be much more successful than the last one, but you have to give the staff some props for working the portal better than almost every other team out there as far as addressing the major holes we had to fill. Really only a LT remains and they may have one in their sights as I type this. Either way, the team, on paper, looks pretty decent top to bottom. We'll never have GA or AL talent but it looks to me like we have the same or better talent for 2025 as we did this past year and I was very optimistic about our team this past year. If we've weeded out the cancers which allegedly were in the locker room last year and the team is really ready to work and play 100% all-in, we may surprise (meaning 5+ wins) some folks, including me, this year. I am not falling into the same trap as I've done before 50+ times and will wait until I see them on the field against an opponent. But, it appears that much of the bleeding has been stopped and some interesting pieces, both transfers and income FR, are ready for their chance.
I have to give Stoops and the staff some major props
- Thread starter gamecockcat
- Start date
Good to see a positive post after such a negative season. We're in a new year and a new season, hopefully we can be a little more positive until after the season starts.
Just not sure Stoops has the ability to turn it around. He wanted out and was forced to come back last season. Talent isn’t KY’s issues.
The part i find most optimistic is going to small school talents ready to step up and getting away from the divas that wrecked the last two seasons.
Unfortunately, you don't have success in the SEC with the level of talent UK will have in 2025.
Now, you MIGHT be able to sneak out a 7-5 season, which then moves the goal posts.
Unfortunately, that just brings Stoops right back to where he was years ago.
Does he have the ability to bring in the talent necessary to even beat South Carolina, Missouri and Florida? And then actually go out and have a season where they are in the mix for the CFP?
Feels like a multi-year project which is nice for Stoops.
Now, you MIGHT be able to sneak out a 7-5 season, which then moves the goal posts.
Unfortunately, that just brings Stoops right back to where he was years ago.
Does he have the ability to bring in the talent necessary to even beat South Carolina, Missouri and Florida? And then actually go out and have a season where they are in the mix for the CFP?
Feels like a multi-year project which is nice for Stoops.
If this includes sunshine pumping not going to happen this year with me . Like stoops coaching,I want be caught being delusional again until I see the product on the field. You can't keep calling poop, roses and diamonds . If it smells like poop looks like poop then it's 💩. Nothing negative about being positive of the results coming from this coaching staff. Unless hell freezes over I am positive next year will be 3 wins 9 losses or maybe 4 wins and 8 losses .
Its definitely a multi year project to get the OL and culture back. Thats just a fact.
However in this day and age it isnt just talent that wins. In this free agency insanity, retention and cohesion will make up a good deal of talent deficiency; at least with good coaching, which i think we still lack on o.
We wont be competing for an SEC title anytime but imo we will have a team that will play hard and together, which we can hopefully retain and build on next year. For me personally, if i see that i can feel better. The nil divas running the show the last few years really turned me off on stoops.
Since roster hasn’t really been the issue I’m not sure it matters that much what they’ve brought in. We’ll see when we see. Except OL maybe. I mean last year we played with guys that had played here for years and won a few games and were 12th year seniors and still laid an egg of a season. We’ve circled around blaming oc’s or coaches that leave in previous years so now to regenerate we’re going to blame ‘bad apples’ that needed to go. Maybe that’s the case but I just don’t buy whatever narrative gets leaked out every year anymore because of how often it’s wrong. The good news with the new scheduling format we aren’t having to wait til the 4th or 5th game of the year to know where the team legitimately can be at.
I feel better about the defense at this point.
Offense is at show-me status, as it is every year.
Offense is at show-me status, as it is every year.
Paragraphs are you friend.
Anyway, glad you are happy. Hope you are right. Do not think you are. Hope I am wrong.
I get your feeling but we clearly had that kind of talent for about a 5 year stretch cause we owned those teams you mentioned. Split wins with UF but should have won 4 out of 5 and out played them overall. So clearly it can be done.
It's a gamble either way getting a lower level starter or a high level backup. Hopefully when you go the lower level route, it's a guy who blew up at the college level, who might have been overlooked as a high school guy, maybe he wasn't able to go to all the camps and get noticed, lots of reasons why some of those guys fall through the cracks. But you also hope it's not a product of them playing inferior competition either. as for the backups from higher levels, they were backups for a reason. now if you can pluck starters or contributors from high level teams that's the preference.
Yeah we have similar transfer types as what Vandy had come in before last year. Guys from the tier down. They went 6-6 and competed in their losses. But, while we struggled last season, we also had a roster good enough to get 6 wins. Other things need to be improved to get there.
I mean it's a solid off season but let's see it lead to a big season on the field.
If we go 6 and 6...is anyone gonna be excited? I mean it's a 2 win improvement but super unimpressive by sec standards.
We still need a change.
If we go 6 and 6...is anyone gonna be excited? I mean it's a 2 win improvement but super unimpressive by sec standards.
We still need a change.
Hope Springs eternal!
If I were Stoops, I’d drop 40 pounds this off-season, and find my fighting spirit. . . .
I hope he does.
If a change is made next season, it’ll be a high dollar proposition.
If I were Stoops, I’d drop 40 pounds this off-season, and find my fighting spirit. . . .
I hope he does.
If a change is made next season, it’ll be a high dollar proposition.
I like it and feel similarly. Most of the team's problems can be traced to lack of continuity on offense since Gran was let go. I am confident in Stoops as a defensive HC and believe we will see consistent improvement if Hamdan sticks around a few more years to implement his system and get his players. The problem is that so many fans don't have patience to allow for a turnaround and I think that is unfortunate. I'm hoping for 6 wins this year to keep the wolves at bay, but believe 5-7 is more likely with this crazy schedule. Hopefully he survives to run it back in 2026 which is when we will know if the reset was successful.
I completed a 72 hour fast first week of Jan to shed the 10 pounds I had gained since Thanksgiving. It's not that difficult. I'm going to do another one in March.
I know you'll only half joking about the weight thing. No question he needs to get more fire back in his belly and less Ribeyes. Think the weight gain was a sign of a loss of energy in and of itself.
Lol you didn't shed 10 pounds of fat. You shed 8-9 pounds of water, glycogen, and body waste. If you want to do a sustaintable weight loss, that will stay and not crash diet, like you did, do a 500 calorie deficit, and aim for a 1-2 pounds of loss per week. This will minimize muscle loss and get you to build habits to transform your lifestyle.
I'm not arguing what should or shouldn't. I'm just saying the ad will look for reasons to keep him and that 6 will be good for him. I don't see how anyone can think that barnhart is looking for 7 for him to keep his job.
Zero changes on the staff lead me to believe Stoops isn’t really serious about winning anymore.
He’s keeping his buddies employed for as long as he can.
Almost no one succeeds once the staff is loaded with family and friends.
The downward spiral began as soon as he promoted his best buddy from analyst to on field coach.
Mark never should have been allowed to hire his brother or promote Buffano.
Bad judgement by Mitch.
At least Mitch said no to Cal hiring Brad.
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