These national guys talk Kentuckys ability to bounce back at the 40:39 mark
Kentucky Expectations
- Thread starter YaketySax
- Start date
Yeah, I don't have much enthusiasm for the upcoming season. I'm worried that if they were somehow able to go 5-7 or 6-6, that Barnhart would say that's improvement enough and bring back Stoops for another after this one. Admittedly though, I think another 4-8 season (or worse) is probable. I'm just done with Stoops ball.
I have no expectations until Stoops is gone , nor much interest ( former season ticket holder for 5-6 years )
There are 30 new players on our spring roster. By the time they suit up in August, there will be close to 50 new players. That's more than half of the roster. So nobody knows how our 2025 team will play. Anyone who purports to know is bloviating.
IDK if Stoops can put it back together or not. I think it is very shortsighted to insist he can't but, OTOH, it will be quite a challenge. When I look at our new roster, I know it is improved. The Achilles heel last year was our OL. This year's OL looks bigger and much better. That's where the improvements will start, and it's a big difference. Zach Calzada will have time. We have enough playmakers although I believe we also need Tru Edwards for a stronger WR room. Everything I see including Diego Pavia's status tells me that Edwards will play for UK. But he is missing spring practice. I believe in all of the new linemen, and feel Calzada's playing experience is a big difference maker. If our defensive backfield plays well, this can be a surprisingly good season.
It is pointless and silly to worry about the schedule. SEC schedules are never easy. We aren't lacking SEC caliber talent. The key is that our guys have to play smart and hard. Hopefully we will have decent luck with injuries.
A year from now, I hope we can say the anti-Stoops crowd was wrong again. UK is my University and I want only the best for our teams.
IDK if Stoops can put it back together or not. I think it is very shortsighted to insist he can't but, OTOH, it will be quite a challenge. When I look at our new roster, I know it is improved. The Achilles heel last year was our OL. This year's OL looks bigger and much better. That's where the improvements will start, and it's a big difference. Zach Calzada will have time. We have enough playmakers although I believe we also need Tru Edwards for a stronger WR room. Everything I see including Diego Pavia's status tells me that Edwards will play for UK. But he is missing spring practice. I believe in all of the new linemen, and feel Calzada's playing experience is a big difference maker. If our defensive backfield plays well, this can be a surprisingly good season.
It is pointless and silly to worry about the schedule. SEC schedules are never easy. We aren't lacking SEC caliber talent. The key is that our guys have to play smart and hard. Hopefully we will have decent luck with injuries.
A year from now, I hope we can say the anti-Stoops crowd was wrong again. UK is my University and I want only the best for our teams.
Agreed.
And I think I "bloviated" once when I ate too much pickled baloney and drank three RC's.
I no longer cut tobacco or do other farm labor, so my diet is improved: I would only drink two RC's, today, if I could find them!
That was a 10$ word and after looking up what it means is about as accurate as a message board poster can get.
Lots of variables going into UK's results, some UK has no control over. First I don't think it will be surprised by the Carolina pass rush, they likely take a step back defensively. Texas loses a ton of talent from a playoff team, UGA, Bama both are losing a lot of talent that will be in the NFL in 25, both will have new QB, vols lose SEC's best back, most of defensive front. UF is not letting Lagway throw this spring and not saying why. So everyone has questions, including UK, who lost the conferences best DL and a chunk of WR. Everyone has some question marks, UK has a brutal conference schedule. It is much harder than when we had divisions, much less room for error and I think its safe to say it added a couple losses to every team, not just UK.
Predicting UK's 2025 results is like predicting what tariffs & their impacts will be tomorrow.
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Tell the truth Hack, you put peanuts in those RC's don't you.
If we don't get much better OL, QB and safety play we aren't going to win many games.
I expect that I will have no expectations for this team. We might go 0-12. I am just fed up with the last 2 years and then losing the 10 win year due to issues outside of football. So if we win 1 game fine.
We should win more than just 1- for what that's worth. Maybe not much more than 1, though.
My two cents, it all hinges on if “addition by subtraction” plays out. Some me-first types have been purged but they were also talented play makers. So, ceiling is lower but maybe floor is higher. Hopefully we have a few breakouts and I get to be surprised the ceiling is higher!
Still, it’ll be a tough slate regardless of the ceiling. SCAR, Mizzou, Vandy, and UF are less guaranteed wins relative to 2017-24-ish. Bad timing to have a lower ceiling but that also doesn’t have an impact in the long run either. Programs rise and fall all the time (see power house like Bama before Saban); other conditions are also important.
I’ll judge 2025’s success on W-L’s like everyone else, but I think the real trajectory is more likely to be validated by how many one-score losses and wins. Lose 7 games but 5 of those are by 7 points or less? I can live with that 5-7. I can’t live with 5 of those being lopsided 14+ affairs.
(Now, if we go 7-5 but eke out a good number of one score wins I’ll still be thrilled but I’m not gonna count on that kind of fortune repeated itself in 2026. Goal is to be like Kirby and Saban and win most of your games by a lot if you can)
Still, it’ll be a tough slate regardless of the ceiling. SCAR, Mizzou, Vandy, and UF are less guaranteed wins relative to 2017-24-ish. Bad timing to have a lower ceiling but that also doesn’t have an impact in the long run either. Programs rise and fall all the time (see power house like Bama before Saban); other conditions are also important.
I’ll judge 2025’s success on W-L’s like everyone else, but I think the real trajectory is more likely to be validated by how many one-score losses and wins. Lose 7 games but 5 of those are by 7 points or less? I can live with that 5-7. I can’t live with 5 of those being lopsided 14+ affairs.
(Now, if we go 7-5 but eke out a good number of one score wins I’ll still be thrilled but I’m not gonna count on that kind of fortune repeated itself in 2026. Goal is to be like Kirby and Saban and win most of your games by a lot if you can)
I couldn't find 1 recruit for us in the top 300 on Rivals. Lots of kids are undecided coming out of HS.
Man, I want us to win and we just can put together a top 10 recruiting class to save ourselves.
I'm certainly hopeful the transfers are top notch. I agree will be in for another poor this year if not.
Why is there no spring game this year? I must have missed that.
As a kid I put peanuts in cokes. Store was about a mile and a half from my house. Would start out with a little basket and no money. Would pick up coke bottles that people would throw out of their vehicles and sell them to store owner for 3cents each. Find five I could get an 8 oz coke and pack of peanuts. On a good day I would get enough for a candy bar too.
Speaking of putting peanuts in Cokes, I also had a good experience. There was a small park near home where they played horseshoes. I could find Coke bottles there and I got a nickel a piece for them. It took three to buy a Coke and peanuts if I didn't leave wth that bottle LOL
I bet 90% of the kids today wouldn't pick up bottles, but would be willing to let you buy them a coke.
And get in the back of your windowless van to 'look for a puppy'? I kid, I kid.
Define bouncing back. I mean they won four games last season and three of those were against what most people would consider cupcakes. Bouncing back from that should be mandatory.
And if that van is rocking, don't come knocking, lol.
I feel pretty much the exact same way. I'd like to be cautiously optimistic and be looking forward to the season, but I just cannot buy into pre-season hype and wishful thinking anymore ... they'll have to prove it to me on the field. I think 4-8 is most probable, but I assume an extra win (or two) is possible, albeit unlikely.
Hoping for 2-10. Anything else is gravy. As Stoops says, "It's a process." An unenjoyable process, but a process nonetheless.
Yeah, if we go 5 and 7 it's an improvement. 6 and 6 and it's back to build the statue on here no doubt.
Going to be tough against this schedule, which is basically the same as last. I think we'll be improved solely because pur style of play will be different. I think we're going back to stoops ball where we're going to get physical inside runs and the pa pass/rpo. So that will all depend on the OL and i think we definitely upgraded there. I expect the passing game to be better solely because we wont be forcing touches to brown all game.
On defense white will at least be solid. When max was out vs ole miss, we saw some impressive young guys. Soles is set to break out at lb. Deonne wont be the loss people think, but silver will. Everything will depend on that nose position and it's tough to imagine we upgraded there or stayed even.
One thing people are overlooking is special teams. No more raynor, which is a killer. Also no more barion. While he sucked on offense, barrion was an amazing returner. However surely we'll have better punting, because it cant get much worse. Even so, we'll see a dip in special teams imo.
On defense white will at least be solid. When max was out vs ole miss, we saw some impressive young guys. Soles is set to break out at lb. Deonne wont be the loss people think, but silver will. Everything will depend on that nose position and it's tough to imagine we upgraded there or stayed even.
One thing people are overlooking is special teams. No more raynor, which is a killer. Also no more barion. While he sucked on offense, barrion was an amazing returner. However surely we'll have better punting, because it cant get much worse. Even so, we'll see a dip in special teams imo.
my expectations are for the worst sadly. I'm expecting a loss to Toledo in week 1, a blowout week 2 against ole miss and the wheels to come off against Eastern Illinois. I'm appreciative of what stoops has been able to do but he has plateaued, and the program still sits within the bottom 4 of the conference.
not being able to have a consistent offensive identity (and coordinator) along with poor QB development and roster management is the nail in the coffin. I expect this to be the last year of Stoops at kentucky.
not being able to have a consistent offensive identity (and coordinator) along with poor QB development and roster management is the nail in the coffin. I expect this to be the last year of Stoops at kentucky.
Not expecting to win more than 3-4 games if I'm just being honest. As others have said, Stoops was the right man for a long time. He got us as far as he could, and I'm grateful. But the game is passing him by more and more each season, and we aren't taking any more steps forward until he's gone.
Major issues as I see it
1. Consistency at QB being able to push offense down the field
2. Consistency at OL
3. An OC who knows what’s going on and how to utilize his players
4. Ability to stop the run
5. Ability to create turnovers
6. Ability to stop opponents explosive plays
7. Understanding how to manage the game
What did I leave out?
1. Consistency at QB being able to push offense down the field
2. Consistency at OL
3. An OC who knows what’s going on and how to utilize his players
4. Ability to stop the run
5. Ability to create turnovers
6. Ability to stop opponents explosive plays
7. Understanding how to manage the game
What did I leave out?
The schedule is brutal for a team with playoff aspirations, given games against Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee. A reasonably good team should have no problem getting to 6 or 7 wins. 3 cupcakes, Vanderbilt, U6, and then 1 or 2 from Florida, Auburn, Ole Miss, and South Carolina. Not that there's any particular reason to expect this team to be good.
8. Ability for the coaching staff to count.
9. Ability to score more points than the opponent.
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I will hold out hope that they really have improved. My concern with the talk of the OL being improved is the fact they are going against our DL. Our DL is not known for creating havoc or putting pressure on the QB. We have unproven young edge rushers. The blitz packages UK runs is pretty much straight forward. Every now and again the will bring a safety or corner but mostly it is an ILB straight up the middle. So I will hold out the hope that they have improved, but we probably won't really know until they play a defense with a heartbeat to truly find out. But at least at the moment, we do have hope.
There is no expectation to ever compete for a championship at UK, ever. That should be the expectation that matters. Win just enough to keep selling tickets is the only expectation.
Vols lost quite a bit off their team from 24, so did UGA. We didn't get tons of info from the scrimmage, but offense struggled in first half. So I won't be shocked if those 2 take a step back. But I expect AU and Carolina to be better and if Lagway is healthy UF to be better.
