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Mark Stoops is the Best Shot We Have at 9 Win Seasons Right Now

Haha I appreciate it, but I'm not exceptional. Just rubbing it in while I can :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

I understood peoples' criticisms last year, but I just thought a lot of them were overstated. I think we now see that was indeed the case. No fear; there is still time for everyone to hop on the Stoops bandwagon. Go cats!
Nah, brah. You called your shot. You at least get to haul your balls around in a wheel barrow for a little bit. Real recognize real.
 
I know I’ll probably get blasted for this and that’s fine.

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sorry, just dont think it is the case.

we were a 9 win team this year, but our coaching staff made a cluster of errors that snatched those 2 away. i dont see stoops getting better in that category..hope im wrong as i know hes not going anywhere, nor do i think its a good time to do it..unless you have a guaranteed hire in coach brown or leach
[roll]
 
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I know I’ll probably get blasted for this and that’s fine. Many of the anti-Stoops contingent have valid points and I even agree with some of those. The defense was atrocious and I expect some defensive personnel changes this off-season. However, in spite of all his deficiencies, Stoops is still the best shot we have for getting to 9 win seasons.

I’m not sure I totally understand the wishes that some have expressed that other teams hire away Stoops. I know some of these have been tongue-in-cheek, but it still doesn’t make much sense to me. Let’s say someone like a UT does hire Stoops (not going to happen, but for argument’s sake let’s assume it). In that instance, Stoops is going to bring a lot of his staff with him. We’re cetainly not going to keep Marrow and I think the new UK Coach is going to have a much tougher time recruiting Ohio. And I think we’ve seen Alabama, Georgia, and even to some extent, Florida are more difficult areas to recruit. Even if our hypothetical new coach is a better in-game coach than Stoops, will he be that much better to make up for the more difficult recruiting situation? I tend to think no.

Also, we’re so close to taking the next step. There was no excuse for the UL game. We got blown out in year five to our main rival. We were in the game in the first halves in away games at Georgia and MSU. Of course, we had an all out collapse in both of those games in the second halves, but I don’t know why UK couldn’t have played as well in the second half as they did in the first half. I know we still wouldn’t have won those games, but Georgia is a playoff team and MSU is a good team with a huge home field advantage.

We all know how close we were in the Florida and Ole Miss games. Since we were so close to having a 9 win season this year, I’m still going to support Stoops. I really do think he can still improve as a coach and for that reason I feel optimistic that we can still get to 9 wins in the upcoming seasons. I know this season had historically easy opponents and I was disappointed that we played EKU and EMU so close, especially at home.

I totally understand the criticisms of Stoops and I’ve thought that way before too. I just still think not all hope is lost. I know others will still disagree with me and that’s fine—you have some strong arguments. But looking around at UT and Ole Miss (two schools with more success than us), I’m glad we have Stoops as our coach. I firmly believe it could very easily be much worse. Call me a pumper, but I’m still pro-Stoops.
:cool2::clap:
 
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I see 6-7 wins next season. Stoops could end up like Tubby, just a boring program that fans are not excited about, but you win enough games to keep your job.

The problem is the fans are not excited right now at 7 wins. Either they don't like the style of play or they know we should have 8-9 wins already.

I personally like the running game style of play if we could have a decent Defense.

8+ wins this season was very reasonable and there is just no excuse for getting pummeled by your average in-state rival. How can you get excited after that performance? I will never accept being 2nd tier under UL in the state of Kentucky. That is just unacceptable.

I've been Pumping Stoops and think he's a nice guy who likes being at UK, but can he improve enough to beat teams like UT, UF, UGA once in a while? I don't know.

He was given the chance this season on a silver platter to beat UF.

Nobody knows right now if he can improve his Coaching abilities, but we do know there is more talent on our team than we've seen in MANY years and our facilities are now top notch.

Fan excitement is a problem. I've seen a lot of empty seats in that stadium.
Gotta love the dumpers!!!
 
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Define progress...I don't see any road wins next year and loss to Ga at home...that's six losses right there...CM will be much tougher than most think because we won't be able to score again..Murray should be a win...we have beaten SC a few straight, but they will be much improved next year. Who knows about the rest because UK staff makes enough mistakes to make things close...5-7 at best.

Love it!!
 
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A well articulated opening post but I respectfully disagree on several points...



With all due respect UK is nowhere close to 9 win season(s). Note plural. Yes, a couple of breaks this year and UK could have won 9 but that absolutely would not have meant 9 win seasons to follow. In traditionally weak football programs, rebuilding from scratch efforts are more frequently characterized by some "return to earth" seasons following an initial breakthrough year.


Unless you are talking about AL level recruiting (and we aren't!) recruiting doesn't mean too much unless there is ensuing player development AND correct "use" of those recruits. Recent recruiting classes have been considered much better than those in Brook's last few years (he took over not just a mess but a HUGE mess) but has the success been any better?


That depends on how you define "the next step". And, as noted above, do you remain at that 1 step forward position or fall 2 steps back? The point here being one good season does not mean consistent 8, 9 win regular seasons. I'm a big believer that for about 115 of the 130 teams playing FBS football you must crawl before you walk and walk before you run. And the "walk stage" is usually the very longest.


I agree with these thoughts. There is disappointment things are not further along (especially given the mediocrity of SECE teams the past few years). Had the Cats finished at 9-3 or 5-7 there would likely be a strong feelings about the Stoops tenure...one way or the other. But finishing at 6 or 7 wins, even with a very favorable schedule creates something of a "let's wait and see" situation....beginning with the forthcoming bowl game.

All JMO

Peace

Great read.
 
A well articulated opening post but I respectfully disagree on several points...



With all due respect UK is nowhere close to 9 win season(s). Note plural. Yes, a couple of breaks this year and UK could have won 9 but that absolutely would not have meant 9 win seasons to follow. In traditionally weak football programs, rebuilding from scratch efforts are more frequently characterized by some "return to earth" seasons following an initial breakthrough year.


Unless you are talking about AL level recruiting (and we aren't!) recruiting doesn't mean too much unless there is ensuing player development AND correct "use" of those recruits. Recent recruiting classes have been considered much better than those in Brook's last few years (he took over not just a mess but a HUGE mess) but has the success been any better?


That depends on how you define "the next step". And, as noted above, do you remain at that 1 step forward position or fall 2 steps back? The point here being one good season does not mean consistent 8, 9 win regular seasons. I'm a big believer that for about 115 of the 130 teams playing FBS football you must crawl before you walk and walk before you run. And the "walk stage" is usually the very longest.


I agree with these thoughts. There is disappointment things are not further along (especially given the mediocrity of SECE teams the past few years). Had the Cats finished at 9-3 or 5-7 there would likely be a strong feelings about the Stoops tenure...one way or the other. But finishing at 6 or 7 wins, even with a very favorable schedule creates something of a "let's wait and see" situation....beginning with the forthcoming bowl game.

All JMO

Peace
Mr. Passive Aggressive is also Mr. Complete Fail.

PEACE
 
Right here my man...Good to see us finally put a full season together and finish strong. Next step is to win a bowl.

Finish strong? This is why we will never be a real contender in football. Stoops managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory twice this year and leave us with a 9-3 record instead of 11-1. Once again, we went backwards in the second half of the season. But fans are ecstatic with 9 wins. Unable to see the Forest for the trees. I’d bet a paycheck if we had played UF in the second half of the season, we’d be 8-4 not 9-3. What Mullen has done with Florida is what a good coach does. Improving a the season goes on. Heck he turned their offense into a plus, instead of the liability it has been. Yet we can’t field an offense worth a crap during Stoops entire tenure. And our D has regressed the last 3-4 games. Sure we’ll beat our chest over a lopsided victory against UL. A team that is probably the worst in CFB. Do that against real competition and you’ll prove something. And everyone has complained about Gran, including myself, but I don’t think Gran is the problem. Stoops is. Gran just doesn’t forget how to put together a good offense. Stoops won’t get out of his way and leave him alone. Nonetheless, we have 9 wins. So all is good in hooville.
 
Finish strong? This is why we will never be a real contender in football. Stoops managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory twice this year and leave us with a 9-3 record instead of 11-1. Once again, we went backwards in the second half of the season. But fans are ecstatic with 9 wins. Unable to see the Forest for the trees. I’d bet a paycheck if we had played UF in the second half of the season, we’d be 8-4 not 9-3. What Mullen has done with Florida is what a good coach does. Improving a the season goes on. Heck he turned their offense into a plus, instead of the liability it has been. Yet we can’t field an offense worth a crap during Stoops entire tenure. And our D has regressed the last 3-4 games. Sure we’ll beat our chest over a lopsided victory against UL. A team that is probably the worst in CFB. Do that against real competition and you’ll prove something. And everyone has complained about Gran, including myself, but I don’t think Gran is the problem. Stoops is. Gran just doesn’t forget how to put together a good offense. Stoops won’t get out of his way and leave him alone. Nonetheless, we have 9 wins. So all is good in hooville.
Moronic post. And mentioning Florida shows how clueless you are. Florida got trucked by Georgia and Missouri in the second half of the season, the Missouri game being in Gainesville. Then they barely squeaked by USC.
 
Finish strong? This is why we will never be a real contender in football. Stoops managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory twice this year and leave us with a 9-3 record instead of 11-1. Once again, we went backwards in the second half of the season. But fans are ecstatic with 9 wins. Unable to see the Forest for the trees. I’d bet a paycheck if we had played UF in the second half of the season, we’d be 8-4 not 9-3. What Mullen has done with Florida is what a good coach does. Improving a the season goes on. Heck he turned their offense into a plus, instead of the liability it has been. Yet we can’t field an offense worth a crap during Stoops entire tenure. And our D has regressed the last 3-4 games. Sure we’ll beat our chest over a lopsided victory against UL. A team that is probably the worst in CFB. Do that against real competition and you’ll prove something. And everyone has complained about Gran, including myself, but I don’t think Gran is the problem. Stoops is. Gran just doesn’t forget how to put together a good offense. Stoops won’t get out of his way and leave him alone. Nonetheless, we have 9 wins. So all is good in hooville.


I don’t completely disagree with you, however, throughout our history when have the cards been stacked in our favor and we took advantage of it? We’ve pissed away games that we should’ve won since the beginning of UK Football. Stoops won 9 games this year-something I didn’t think he was capable of doing. We had the talent, didn’t think he could take advantage of it though. He stuck to his plan and won, that takes some guts. What we see in the bowl game will most likely be who we are next year. I’ll bet we see a more balanced offense with the time they have to practice.
 
A well articulated opening post but I respectfully disagree on several points...



With all due respect UK is nowhere close to 9 win season(s). Note plural. Yes, a couple of breaks this year and UK could have won 9 but that absolutely would not have meant 9 win seasons to follow. In traditionally weak football programs, rebuilding from scratch efforts are more frequently characterized by some "return to earth" seasons following an initial breakthrough year.


Unless you are talking about AL level recruiting (and we aren't!) recruiting doesn't mean too much unless there is ensuing player development AND correct "use" of those recruits. Recent recruiting classes have been considered much better than those in Brook's last few years (he took over not just a mess but a HUGE mess) but has the success been any better?


That depends on how you define "the next step". And, as noted above, do you remain at that 1 step forward position or fall 2 steps back? The point here being one good season does not mean consistent 8, 9 win regular seasons. I'm a big believer that for about 115 of the 130 teams playing FBS football you must crawl before you walk and walk before you run. And the "walk stage" is usually the very longest.


I agree with these thoughts. There is disappointment things are not further along (especially given the mediocrity of SECE teams the past few years). Had the Cats finished at 9-3 or 5-7 there would likely be a strong feelings about the Stoops tenure...one way or the other. But finishing at 6 or 7 wins, even with a very favorable schedule creates something of a "let's wait and see" situation....beginning with the forthcoming bowl game.

All JMO

Peace

We weren't walking last night for our 9th win, we ran all over that sewer of a team you so love.

And it was peaceful wink wink :flushed:
 
If we won the national championship 10-7, there would be calls for Gran's ouster for sure.

Unable to see the Forest for the trees.


Did we do ALL things perfectly ALL the time? No. But I will respectfully submit that you actually have this backward.

Most people ARE looking at the forest -- the overall picture of a 9-3 season. And we and are ecstatic, especially considering UK's past. And we're not worrying about next year yet; like Edna Mode, we are living in the NOW.

The negative people aren't looking at the trees of three losses and close wins and offensive troubles. They're miserably analyzing twigs.


With a microscope.
 
Moronic post. And mentioning Florida shows how clueless you are. Florida got trucked by Georgia and Missouri in the second half of the season, the Missouri game being in Gainesville. Then they barely squeaked by USC.

And Florida is going to what bowl??? Definitely a better one than we are. Why? Quality of wins. The fact that you can't see the improvement they made versus the decline we made shows your lack of evaluation and honesty. Did we have a good season? Absolutely. But we didn't just lose a couple of games to give us a great season, we passed it away because of bad coaching. And that is what bothers me. Not the losing, the how we lost.
 
And Florida is going to what bowl??? Definitely a better one than we are. Why? Quality of wins. The fact that you can't see the improvement they made versus the decline we made shows your lack of evaluation and honesty. Did we have a good season? Absolutely. But we didn't just lose a couple of games to give us a great season, we passed it away because of bad coaching. And that is what bothers me. Not the losing, the how we lost.
Florida is going to a better bowl because of reputation. Was Florida’s blowout losses to Georgia and Missouri (a week after we beat Missouri) due to bad coaching? They were abused by both teams. And only beat USC because USC choked away a 17 point second half lead. And all of this happened in the latter part of the schedule.
 
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sorry, just dont think it is the case.

we were a 9 win team this year, but our coaching staff made a cluster of errors that snatched those 2 away. i dont see stoops getting better in that category..hope im wrong as i know hes not going anywhere, nor do i think its a good time to do it..unless you have a guaranteed hire in coach brown or leach

Just a reminder, Phatty.
 
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Damnation, more of this stupid shit. Pulling up ancient threads. How elementary school can you get? I come here for new stuff. And I get this stupid shit.
You are whining over nothing. Just skip it. It is not like he is somehow preventing new info from coming to light as a result of this.
 
I object to the bitchin’ about those who refer to older threads where folks were bitchin’!

I insist that I can express my opinion, no matter how hate filled, and yet be so tender as to offended when reminded at a later date how foolish my opinion was!

In short, I shall be man enough to question anything, and everything, but insist on not being questioned upon anything!
 
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Then you’re not accounting for roster improvement, personnel changes, improved coaching (hey, it happens). That’s a total Malthusian-esque argument, bro.

Actually, this does offend me.

We really need to keep the private college/liberal arts folks off these forums!

“Malthusian-esque!” Seriously??

My God, what would Neitzsche say about UK Football if he were alive, today?

Probably not much: he’d be 165 years old!
 
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