Should we go ahead and label this season as a failure?

[PensacolaBlue]

We aren’t beating Alabama so let’s just take that off the table. Let’s also agree that if we lose any of the winnable games left on our schedule, it’s been another bad season. If we beat UF, UL, Miss St, SC and Vandy, how would you feel about the year? Obviously it wouldn’t be a special season but would you label it Tolerable? Decent? Good? Disappointing? Horrible? Have you checked out after last night? Still invested?

 

[NoDef]

Failure. Got a decade old coach that is getting beat at home by second and third year coaches.

 

[know1]

Not yet. There are still several games to play.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

If we go 8 and 4 and then win the meaningless bowl game I guess 9 total wins is solid.

I have a feeling this team won't go 3 and 0 n road games to finish the season though.

 

[Basil Cat]

If we go 8 and 4 and then win the meaningless bowl game I guess 9 total wins is solid.

I have a feeling this team won't go 3 and 0 n road games to finish the season though.

The bowl prep/performance last year was criminal. So I have 0 hope this staff will win any bowl game (if we get to one).

 

[YaketySax]

I guess if you were predicting 9+ wins in the preseason. I thought 7-5/8-4 was most realistic in July so still on pace for my expectations.

 

[_ukcat]

I had pre season prediction of 7-5 For this team so I on pace for that so not a failure yet. It will be after Saturday's game because Stoops just can't beat the Cowbells. Technically after the loss this Saturday still has me on pace for 7-5 but Bama can name the scorce,Rattler will eat up UK secondary and it will take a Rivarly upset of UL to get to 6-6.

 

[FirewithFire]

I said 6-6 in the prediction thread so I guess 8-4 would exceed my expectations. Still, we would have left a lot on the table. Year after year of the doing that leaves a bad taste.

 

[Rivals_Defender]

7-5

it's better than 2-10

 

[C.W.S.pipesealer]

We aren’t beating Alabama so let’s just take that off the table. Let’s also agree that if we lose any of the winnable games left on our schedule, it’s been another bad season. If we beat UF, UL, Miss St, SC and Vandy, how would you feel about the year? Obviously it wouldn’t be a special season but would you label it Tolerable? Decent? Good? Disappointing? Horrible? Have you checked out after last night? Still invested?

Yes, it’s a failure.

 

[_ukcat]

I guess what is going to make this Season a failure is knowing this was last year UK might have made some noise in the SEC. Once OU and Texas gets here, no divisions and more than likely future 9 game SEC schedule UK going to be 5-7, 6-6 team most years. Might throw in a 7-5 but that be it.

 

[BlueTick2]

7-5

it's better than 2-10

or 0-10-1

 

[UKWildcats1987]

I guess what is going to make this Season a failure is knowing this was last year UK might have made some noise in the SEC. Once OU and Texas gets here, no divisions and more than likely future 9 game SEC schedule UK going to be 5-7, 6-6 team most years. Might throw in a 7-5 but that be it.

That top 10 salary is gonna look bad come 2031 IMO. Completely different level of expectations but it will mirror barnies dumb decision with calipari n 2019. Barnie was competing against himself then and same in 2022 with Stoops long deal. No one else would pay either what they make here.

Stoops will be remembered fondly because he has no expectations and overall is way better with fans but his best years will be pre deal like caliparis IMO.

 

[SkyPrince1]

8-4 is a hell of a year if your four losses are UGa, Mizzou,UT, and Bama.
We are not better than any of those teams and 8-4 still keep positive momentum going nationality with the media and recruiting.
The fanbase has a segment that is delusional.

 

[Rivals_Defender]

or 0-10-1

We've had those seasons before...I guess everyone wants to go back.

 

[SlobbyBoy7967]

On talent/schedule this is a 9 win team. I came in to the season expecting 7. You have to assume Stoops always gives at least one away, and like others have said the bowl prep was so abysmal that I think you have to bake an extra loss into the cake. The staff is clearly please with themselves and resting on their laurels. Let’s hope the expanded SEC is friendly to him.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

On talent/schedule this is a 9 win team. I came in to the season expecting 7. You have to assume Stoops always gives at least one away, and like others have said the bowl prep was so abysmal that I think you have to bake an extra loss into the cake. The staff is clearly please with themselves and resting on their laurels. Let’s hope the expanded SEC is friendly to him.

It won't be. It's gonna be a blood bath and when it inevitable goes to 9 games it's gonna be even bigger murder. The league is gonna be brutally tough for all teams.

 

[Catfanlou]

depends on your measuring stick. All college football is is entertainment and a respite from the problems of everyday life.

They have not been very entertaining.

If you measure from Joker days we have been incredibly successful.
problem is drinking the big blue Koolaide and believing it each year.no more.

I think it has been unsuccessful because of the new rule changes giving the fans 10 percent less product and using the time not to shorten the game but to stop the action to show more commercials. Basically they have made the game a bore . Type A impatient people like me just can’t stand the too many too long timeouts .

But they have saved me about four thousand for upcoming seasons because I’m now joining the TV crowd where at least I can read a book during time outs .

are you aware that In a 3 and a half hour football game there is now only 11 Minutes of action . Commercials,commercials,commercials. Money,money,money .

But then again I’m different . I think it’s insane to pay 150 bucks a ticket and miss much of the eleven minutes of action because of standing in a long long line to buy an overpriced beer . But I guess for the fools that do that is what they want and for them the season is a success . They got their beer .
Again it’s all what your measuring stick is . What makes you happy . After all it’s only entertainment.

 

[cathouse]

depends on your measuring stick. All college football is is entertainment and a respite from the problems of everyday life.

They have not been very entertaining.

If you measure from Joker days we have been incredibly successful.
problem is drinking the big blue Koolaide and believing it each year.no more.

I think it has been unsuccessful because of the new rule changes giving the fans 10 percent less product and using the time not to shorten the game but to stop the action to show more commercials. Basically they have made the game a bore . Type A impatient people like me just can’t stand the too many too long timeouts .

But they have saved me about four thousand for upcoming seasons because I’m now joining the TV crowd where at least I can read a book during time outs .

are you aware that In a 3 and a half hour football game there is now only 11 Minutes of action . Commercials,commercials,commercials. Money,money,money .

But then again I’m different . I think it’s insane to pay 150 bucks a ticket and miss much of the eleven minutes of action because of standing in a long long line to buy an overpriced beer . But I guess for the fools that do that is what they want and for them the season is a success . They got their beer .
Again it’s all what your measuring stick is . What makes you happy . After all it’s only entertainment.

Don't even consider reading a book during commercials. Just get on the game thread on this site.

Much more entertaining than any book you will ever read.............and it is FREE.

Just be aware. You get what you pay for.........

 

[R.O.T.Muckinfush]

Imo, a failure after mizzou game, no doubt there are higher expectations now than just a bowl game

 

[backinky2018]

Not at all, but still potential to go either way:

5-7: abject failure, especially after 5-0 start. Stoops should clean house if this happens.
6-6: Failure. Likely means that we finish 3-5 in SEC and lose to UL.
7-5: Meh. not a catastrophe, but very disappointing.
8-4: Success. This is still UK ,and we still play In the SEC. This would mean that we finish 4-4 or 5-3 in SEC. Good year, not amazing.
9-3: Outstanding. Recover from slide, win two more SEC road games, beat Alabama for the third time ever, and beat UL.

 

[CatPatrick13]

We aren’t beating Alabama so let’s just take that off the table. Let’s also agree that if we lose any of the winnable games left on our schedule, it’s been another bad season. If we beat UF, UL, Miss St, SC and Vandy, how would you feel about the year? Obviously it wouldn’t be a special season but would you label it Tolerable? Decent? Good? Disappointing? Horrible? Have you checked out after last night? Still invested?

Expectations were for 6.5 wins.

 

[CRZ4UK]

I said 6-6 in the prediction thread so I guess 8-4 would exceed my expectations. Still, we would have left a lot on the table. Year after year of the doing that leaves a bad taste.

Did we really leave some on the table? Our Oline was the worst last year I can ever remember. They made some progress. Starting two sophomore WR who are tinnny tinnny tiny for SEC receivers. There is a reason there is a term sophomore slump. Our first WR off the bench is a true freshman. Anyone who thought Weaver was suddenly going to develop a pass rush after 4 years was just wishful thinking. Two new starting corners with transfer backups. The portal has been good to us but we need to recruit and develop. The only place were we. Had SEC caliber players is on the Dline and they disappointed. I don’t believe we left much on the table. We are just not very talented. We recruit at the bottom of the league. We can’t expect to win the league, just compete with the programs we recruit with. Mizzou has 3 five star WRs on their roster. We have none. South Carolina out recruited us. Florida does. The only teams with less talent are Vandy and Arkansas. Why do our fans think we deserve to win?? The SEC is brutal. I think we are 7-1 just like UL if we played that schedule. Their fan base is euphoric Ours is apathetic. Yet we wI’ll beat them I believe. You gotta put things in perspective.

 

[ganner918]

If we can finish 8-4 I won't call it a failure.

 

[SkyPrince1]

Did we really leave some on the table? Our Oline was the worst last year I can ever remember. They made some progress. Starting two sophomore WR who are tinnny tinnny tiny for SEC receivers. There is a reason there is a term sophomore slump. Our first WR off the bench is a true freshman. Anyone who thought Weaver was suddenly going to develop a pass rush after 4 years was just wishful thinking. Two new starting corners with transfer backups. The portal has been good to us but we need to recruit and develop. The only place were we. Had SEC caliber players is on the Dline and they disappointed. I don’t believe we left much on the table. We are just not very talented. We recruit at the bottom of the league. We can’t expect to win the league, just compete with the programs we recruit with. Mizzou has 3 five star WRs on their roster. We have none. South Carolina out recruited us. Florida does. The only teams with less talent are Vandy and Arkansas. Why do our fans think we deserve to win?? The SEC is brutal. I think we are 7-1 just like UL if we played that schedule. Their fan base is euphoric Ours is apathetic. Yet we wI’ll beat them I believe. You gotta put things in perspective.

Kinda reminds me of how pissed a lot of fans were that we couldn't beat SoCar. without Levis.
I mean we were only without a guy who threw 4 TD's in his first NFL start and replaced him with a low 3* in his first start.
I guess people thought we were that much better everywhere else that we could compensate and still win.
Like you said, the recruiting rankings does not support that theory.

 

[Jont0805]

The bowl prep/performance last year was criminal. So I have 0 hope this staff will win any bowl game (if we get to one).

All depends on who plays.

Didn’t even have a division 2 or 3 level qb and no running back last bowl game. How do you game plan to win that one?

Unfortunately prob will end up in same situation this bowl time as well :-/

 

[CB3UK]

The big thing for me is the Missouri game. I think we are being realistic saying we should be 6-2 right now. The Georgia loss is what it is. And we're numb to losing to the Vols. It's the Missouri collapse that has my ass chapped.

 

[SkyPrince1]

The big thing for me is the Missouri game. I think we are being realistic saying we should be 6-2 right now. The Georgia loss is what it is. And we're numb to losing to the Vols. It's the Missouri collapse that has my ass chapped.

How do you think a best of 5 home and home would go against Mizzou?
It seems to me that Mizzou has the horses this year.
I can't get past the 38-7 run they put on us after spotting us 14.

 

[CRZ4UK]

Kinda reminds me of how pissed a lot of fans were that we couldn't beat SoCar. without Levis.
I mean we were only without a guy who threw 4 TD's in his first NFL start and replaced him with a low 3* in his first start.
I guess people thought we were that much better everywhere else that we could compensate and still win.
Like you said, the recruiting rankings does not support that theory.

Especially since they out recruit us every year by a good margin.

 

[cats2010]

8-4 is a hell of a year if your four losses are UGa, Mizzou,UT, and Bama.
We are not better than any of those teams and 8-4 still keep positive momentum going nationality with the media and recruiting.
The fanbase has a segment that is delusional.

So you have determined we are not losing another winnable game (lost to bama) and are finishing 8-4? If that ends up being the case I think most here would be pleased, albeit a bit disappointed by not winning at least one of the MO, UT, or Bama games considering all were at home. Reality is however we are likely to only win 1 of the remaining games you have us winning them all, and I don’t think even 1 is certain. 6-6 or 5-7 will be our final record and that is nothing to be excited about. Even the most pessimistic of fans would have thought better than that coming into this year.

 

[CB3UK]

How do you think a best of 5 home and home would go against Mizzou?
It seems to me that Mizzou has the horses this year.
I can't get past the 38-7 run they put on us after spotting us 14.

I'd still take us in a best of 5. Mizzou does deserve some credit but we have seen how we are capable of playing, and we are clearly better than we showed that day.

 

[phunterd]

The big thing for me is the Missouri game. I think we are being realistic saying we should be 6-2 right now. The Georgia loss is what it is. And we're numb to losing to the Vols. It's the Missouri collapse that has my ass chapped.

Agree with this. While Mizzou is a very good team this year, the meltdown that occurred post 1Q was really inexcusable. Losses to UGA and UT (we always lose to them for some reason) weren’t unexpected. I don’t think 8-4 is terribly out of reach.

 

[blackcat714]

7-5

it's better than 2-10

12-0 would be better

 

[CrimsonCats]

Sometimes the way you arrive at a record matters almost as much as the final record itself in shaping perceptions of a season. No matter what else happens, losing back to back home games that still looked winnable into the 4th quarter against Missouri and Tennessee teams who look to be good but not quite great is going to leave a bit of a bitter taste.

That being said, if we can get to 8-4, it’s hard to consider that a failure. There’s a lot of work still to be done to achieve that mark though. If we struggle some more and end up 7-5 or 6-6 then I think you can talk about the season being a big disappointment. If we somehow don’t win again and finish 5-7, it’s an abject failure.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

The bowl prep/performance last year was criminal. So I have 0 hope this staff will win any bowl game (if we get to one).

Levis and Rodriguez didn't play

 

[The Snoke]

8-4 is a hell of a year if your four losses are UGa, Mizzou,UT, and Bama.
We are not better than any of those teams and 8-4 still keep positive momentum going nationality with the media and recruiting.
The fanbase has a segment that is delusional.

Yeah! 8-4! Yeah!!! Just like a 20-12 season lover of basketball. Yeah!!! Accept mediocrity, that’s what you get. Hell yes, I remember all the years since the mid 70’s. 8-4 was great 10-15 years ago. We can beat almost all the FCF teams. Time to expect better dude. Everyone short of Vandy will do the same in the East. Yeah!!!

 

[Edgarman]

Not yet. There are still several games to play.

For me it over! All I heard pre season and before every game how we are winning. We have same posters predicting we will beat Georgia, Ugly Orange, and now how we will or should win out. All these stupid posters do is create locker room material for all our opponents. I'll take bowl eligible so we get the extra practices. Hopefully we can find a QB for next year. In a wasted season I would hope to see some QB development for 2024. How many snaps has a backup QB had this year? Very dang few. Hard to get a recruit to come here when a backup does not play when game is already won or lost. Just frustrating!!!

 

[ArtLaibsGhost]

8-4 would be a great season given our schedule and the improvement of 2 teams on it we used to asumee were Ws

 

[studentcat]

With the first CFP rankings coming out, we have lost to the #2, 11, and 17 ranked teams in the country, with #8 and 13 still left on our schedule. If we can get to 8-4, I think it’s a positive season with a bowl win, but 7-5 or 6-6 with a bowl loss will lose the a portion of the fan base going into next season I’m afraid. Personally I can only remember a time or two being more excited then after the FL game this year, but now I’m more dialed in on our bball front court getting healthy than FB.
I used to be a season ticket holder, but now with kids I can only make 1-3 games a year. I love our FB team, and it’s better than it has been pretty much my whole life so far. However, it just becomes more evident each year with our home state recruiting being weak, and the big schools NIL ability, that it would really take a miracle season to get to the SEC championship (esp with TX and OK coming). I hope I see it one day, but I would be excited to simply stay ranked all season long and have a shot at the last spot in the new playoff system. I do think recruiting 3 and 4 stars could get you to an ACC championship, but you need at least a consistent sprinkle of 5 stars that actually pan out to be a true contender in the SEC. Go Cats…..please beat MSU!

 

[grevey35]

With the first CFP rankings coming out, we have lost to the #2, 11, and 17 ranked teams in the country, with #8 and 13 still left on our schedule. If we can get to 8-4, I think it’s a positive season with a bowl win, but 7-5 or 6-6 with a bowl loss will lose the a portion of the fan base going into next season I’m afraid. Personally I can only remember a time or two being more excited then after the FL game this year, but now I’m more dialed in on our bball front court getting healthy than FB.
I used to be a season ticket holder, but now with kids I can only make 1-3 games a year. I love our FB team, and it’s better than it has been pretty much my whole life so far. However, it just becomes more evident each year with our home state recruiting being weak, and the big schools NIL ability, that it would really take a miracle season to get to the SEC championship (esp with TX and OK coming). I hope I see it one day, but I would be excited to simply stay ranked all season long and have a shot at the last spot in the new playoff system. I do think recruiting 3 and 4 stars could get you to an ACC championship, but you need at least a consistent sprinkle of 5 stars that actually pan out to be a true contender in the SEC. Go Cats…..please beat MSU!

I consider losing a certain element of the fanbase to be addition by subtraction.