The reality of UK football.
- Thread starter MrHotDice
- Start date
WOW 50 years, what a stat. That is a huge mind bender to overcome, and gives even more reality to understanding the time needed to build a true SEC contender. We're not a world beater yet, but Stoops & Company are about to shake things up in the SEC.Respect is coming!!!!
Set up a road trip, buy a single ticket, do what ever you have to do to support this team. Great things are about to happen!!!!!
Set up a road trip, buy a single ticket, do what ever you have to do to support this team. Great things are about to happen!!!!!
how bout the 1977 season when we were 6-0 and 10-1 only loosing to Baylor. yes I know that we were on probation but we did have a great team that year.
Won't break that record this year, but UK's time is coming. I fully expect UK to be competing for an SEC championship within 2-3 years, assuming Stoops sticks around. I wouldn't be surprised to see them sort of become a South Carolina type team now that it appears the Gamecocks are trending back down
Waiting for the Cats to turn the proverbial corner is a lot like rehabbing this sprained ankle I'm currently struggling with: You can visualize where you want to be, but the process to get there can seem agonizingly slow, with setbacks along the way. Definite signs of progress and reasons for optimism concerning UK football -- but we have a lot of ground to make up. To paraphrase Howard Schnellenberger, we are on a collision course with SEC competitiveness; the only variable is time....
We also had a winning conference record in 1976 as well, so the 50 year statement doesn't really hold up....but I understand the overall message.
I think the OP was just using a hyperbole to help bolster his point........at least, I hope he was....
This is true but than again why would a UK fan want to throw out such a negative post when it isn't even the truth. I agree that so few winning SEC season the past 50 years is unacceptable but why make a post making it even worse than reality.
UK plays in a very difficult conference but there is no excuse for that record. We are not talking about winning the conference. We are only talking about winning more than you lose.
Cant we at least wait until a disappointing loss in the regular season for a thread like this? Not sure I get the timing on this one.
I think he's basically calling out fans who appear to be satisfied with just making bowl games.....and yet, at the same time, get upset when the media doesn't show us a lot of love.
I don't think that there are fans who are completely satisfied with just making bowls. The reason why I think this, is because I haven't met a fan who wouldn't take an SEC East win over going to the Music City Bowl........or a NC over an SEC East win........or 2 NC over 1 NC.
But UK fans are fixated on making a bowl game b/c currently its a much more attainable goal than winning the SEC. We start going to bowl games every yr and fans will be clamoring for "the next step."
Then SEC is like no other conference. It has traditional powers that make climbing the ladder very tough. UL fans are supremely excited about playing Auburn this year. Auburn went 4-4 in the SEC last season.
Stoops is building this the right way. Excited to see what happens over the next few years!
Stoops is building this the right way. Excited to see what happens over the next few years!
Which is exactly what happened during the Brooks era.
Brooks finally got UK over the hump and had them going to bowl games every season and fans started to get bored with that being our perceived ceiling.
However, it's important to recognize that reaching consistent bowl eligibility is an actual achievement worthy of celebrating. You can celebrate it without accepting it as the ultimate goal for the program.
My problem with those who over predict the wins with the UK football team is, they are the FIRST to blast the program when it doesn't happen. Most on here who are positive and are called sunshine pumpers don't do that when they fall short. So sorry but I will stay positive and look reality in the face, and hope for 6 wins and a bowl while secretly hoping for a 7 or 8 win season. And if it doesn't come, because this isn't the past, I know Stoops and staff are going to conquer the mountain in the future.
Auburn might have been 4-4 in the SEC last season but they are a recent National Champion and compete for the top spot in the conference year in and year out. Big difference.
There's no doubt our time is coming. It probably won't be this year but things could start to get interesting beginning next year with a senior Towles, an experienced offense, and a defense that will finally have talent, experience and depth.
Now if the Cats are somehow able to get SC, Florida and Mizzou to start the year, we could be looking at the very least our first .500 SEC record since 2002. I think we were 4-4 that year right?
Now if the Cats are somehow able to get SC, Florida and Mizzou to start the year, we could be looking at the very least our first .500 SEC record since 2002. I think we were 4-4 that year right?
Big difference from just what? From the SEC annually demonstrating it is the toughest conference on America? Wrong.
Big difference from something I never posted? Probably.
I've been a WILDCAT football fan for a very long time, probably longer than most on this forum. Until recent action under Mitch I don't believe UK football has even been a priority. I honestly think that has changed and feel this season our record will improve. Imo winning o.o.c. games is a must for upcoming season. As enthused as I am over my CATS I think other than maybe one other SEC team on our schedule the rest will be improved! That's the reality of competing in The SEC! Barring key injuries I believe 7 wins is doable this upcoming season. Like the offense a lot, certainly have question about the defense particularly against SEC opponents. Also think next season will be the year we will see a deep competitive WILDCAT team!
I think they went 4-4 in 2006. I think they beat Vandy, UGA, MSU, and maybe Ole Miss.
Agree with everything you said except the part about all but 1 of our SEC opponents being improved.
UT - huge improvement
Vandy - maybe improved but not enough
Florida - maybe improved/maybe worse - too many what ifs
Missouri - same at best probably slight drop off
USCjr - about the same
Auburn - about the same/slight improvement
Georgia - about the same
Miss St - huge drop off - we should win this game
UK - huge improvement
We won the SEC in 1976, and went undefeated in SEC play in '77.
It's been done here before, and it can be done again. All we need is the right athletics director and administration that realize football has to be the #1 priority at your university.
We have the fanbase and all of the other pieces in place (besides maybe increasing stadium size back up to a level that's on par with our competition).
We've always had one of the most passionate football fanbases in the entire country. We have a more passionate football fanbase than half of the teams in the top-25.
Year-in and year-out, we are in or near the top-25 in attendance, even with a sub-par product to cheer for historically. If the administration gives us a quality product year in and year out I couldn't even imagine the passion this fanbase would have. Our football fanbase is pretty remarkable when you think about it.
Name another school that would continue to fill a stadium year after year with our history of struggling. Name another school that would be 29th in the nation in attendance, supporting a team that went 2-10 (and were coming off a two-win season the previous year).
Historically we've almost been supportive to a fault. But you'll never hear me knock the support of our football fans. We're the most loyal fans in all of sports.
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A horrible in-state recruiting base to work from....................A terrible historical record/tradition..............Being percieved as a basketball school............Competing against schools with better recruiting bases, more passionate fan bases, greater financial resources and committment. That makes UK one hell of a hard coaching gig. A lot of factors going against them. And, when it seems UK takes a step forward, within 3 seasons they will take 2 steps back. I have seen it with the Curci, Claiborne, Curry, Mumme, Morris, Brooks and Joker regimes. When they do taste a little success they can't sustain it.
The only way out of it is if Stoops turns out to be the great coach you all hope he is and then hope he doesn't bolt with another Joker Phillips waiting in the wings.
The only way out of it is if Stoops turns out to be the great coach you all hope he is and then hope he doesn't bolt with another Joker Phillips waiting in the wings.
I just cant figure out why so many user's of this forum are so determined to post so much negativity? How does any thing that happened with this program in the past have anything to do with what CMS and staff are doing to build us to a competitive level in the toughest football conference in the country. Not to mention the investment and commitment from the university. This Kentucky team has more play makers on both sides of the ball than we've ever had and this staff keeps piling on very good talent by recruiting very well year after year! Any one out there claiming to be a UK football fan should be well aware of the fact that it will take more than 3 years to beat the upper tier teams in this league. Give this staff time to build some more depth in critical areas and this very talented group of players to gain strength and experience and set back and enjoy what us as UK fans have been dying for for so many years! My prediction is 2017-2018 is when you'll see our first winning record in the SEC and very possibly even be the Champions of the East!
Since 1965, Kentucky has put together just two winning seasons in SEC play (1976 and 1977), both under Fran Curci. The only UK coach since 1965 other than Curci to finish .500 or better in the SEC twice is Hal Mumme (4-4 in 1998 and 1999). Claiborne finished .500 once (1984). Same for Bill Curry (1993) and Rich Brooks (2006). Overall (last 50 seasons), UK finished .500 eight times and over .500 just twice. Kentucky had 13 overall winning seasons during that time span.
The reasons for UK's failures are countless; unable to find a head coach that could get the job done, not enough elite level kids in Kentucky high school football, brutal SEC competition, etc.
Going forward, UK can overcome the dreadful tradition. Other schools have. What has to happen? Well, the first step would seem to be finding a head coach that can recruit better players than UK has in the past AND overachieve with them. Do that, and maybe we start seeing the Cats slowly climb the recruiting rankings.
At the end of the day, it's a pretty simple formula. You need good players and good coaches. Based on NFL draft data, UK has consistently come up short on the talent front. As for coaches, at least over the last 50 years, UK has mostly struck out. Hopefully, Stoops is the guy that changes UK's fortunes. I think the early returns are promising.
GBB!!!
The reasons for UK's failures are countless; unable to find a head coach that could get the job done, not enough elite level kids in Kentucky high school football, brutal SEC competition, etc.
Going forward, UK can overcome the dreadful tradition. Other schools have. What has to happen? Well, the first step would seem to be finding a head coach that can recruit better players than UK has in the past AND overachieve with them. Do that, and maybe we start seeing the Cats slowly climb the recruiting rankings.
At the end of the day, it's a pretty simple formula. You need good players and good coaches. Based on NFL draft data, UK has consistently come up short on the talent front. As for coaches, at least over the last 50 years, UK has mostly struck out. Hopefully, Stoops is the guy that changes UK's fortunes. I think the early returns are promising.
GBB!!!
The history of Kentucky football has been written for us all to see...the future is what i'm excited about!!! #ALL IN #STOOPS TROOPS
accurate to what? you & the person who started this thread act as though posters on this board are strutting and preening around as though we are a top 5 program, both now & in the past. Or that everyone is predicting a 11-1 playoff appearance season result. Ain't nobody on here spouting off about past success that didnt happen or how we are going to rip up college football this season, so what or who exactly are you & cold dice trying to correct?
no...my point is that while it may have the same emotional effect to say we had 0 winning SEC season schedules in the last 50 years, saying we had 2-3 in the last 50 years is more accurate. this is without debate. it is an assertion of pure fact. indeed, my statement is against hyperbolic criticism.
I'm just wondering what motivates someone to start a new thread with a post like this, reminding us what we already know. Why does this warrant a new thread? You can dwell on the worst aspects of the past, or you can buy into what Stoops is trying to do. This is a personal choice. I like Stoops' recruiting and believe it will result eventually in winning SEC seasons if he can keep it up. Unless I see that he can't keep recruiting, I am on board with what Stoops and my school are doing with our football program. The whole idea here is improvement.
However this continually bothers me cause we have kids in this state that are literally to lazy to play or wont play anything other than b-ball and they drip with athleticism.
http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/...from-look-to-georgia-and-specifically-Atlanta
In Kentucky’s case, the Wildcats actually signed more Georgians (50) than Kentuckians (49).
http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/...from-look-to-georgia-and-specifically-Atlanta
In Kentucky’s case, the Wildcats actually signed more Georgians (50) than Kentuckians (49).
I understood exactly what you said and why you said it. I think most on here did as well. You are spot on. You just have to remember that on a board this large, you are always going to get a few nimrods who completely miss the point. These guys don't realize that you were standing up for our history by insisting we get credit for the few winning seasons that we did have. Bottom line is that our past is better than the OP gave us credit for and our future looks to be a whole lot better.
I think people miss a huge reason why Kentucky football has trailed basketball interest. First people should understand the macro view a bit better to see the big picture. Traditionally Kentucky has been a poor state with a small tax base. Although this does affect our school system at the collegiate level, it has been much more pronounced at the high school level where student athletes are given the opportunity or not to begin their formulation as an athlete.
In Kentucky's past most high schools have not had the local tax base and the funds generated to operate a well funded football program. Basketball has always been a much easier sport to develop since there are so many fewer players and therefor so much less need for tax dollars to be allocated to.
Even
In Kentucky's past most high schools have not had the local tax base and the funds generated to operate a well funded football program. Basketball has always been a much easier sport to develop since there are so many fewer players and therefor so much less need for tax dollars to be allocated to.
Even
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