With the 10 out 11 defensive starters back, offensively with Terry and Benny Uk will do what?

[Elijah55]

Based off this past season, especially the last few games (being curb stomped by GA, UL... etc ) i don’t understand how anyone can honestly think we will win 8/9 games? It would be awesome... but i just don’t see it

It would be awsome but ignorance is bliss to MANY on here.

Alot say "That is it, im done with Stoops!" but a new year starts and now i think we go 8, 9, 10 wins. It would be one thing if this staff got us 8,9,10 wins before but its never happened and those big nice 10-2 records are completely baseless. Hell 8-4 is Baseless.

The big thing going around now is "Oh we got 10 of 11 back on Defense, 9-3 time!" No, that is not how it works. Horrible Defense doesn't equal Great defense because Horrible Defense gained a year of experience. It's sad, but humorous because these posters know better, they even bitch and moan during the year but Get their hopes up by ignoring the prior season as if it will go away if they ignore it. They do it to themselves. @JC CATS is one poster i can honestly say has not been a Hypocrite and stuck with this staff when Alot have bashed the staff then new year, we love the staff again.

 

[bthaunert]

I’m going 7-5 again (my prediction this year too). Too many questions out there. Returning 10 starters on defense is great, if you had a very good defense. That group needs to improve drastically. Still a huge question mark at QB. If we don’t get some major production out of that position, it’s going to be tough.

 

[JC CATS]

It would be awsome but ignorance is bliss to MANY on here.

Alot say "That is it, im done with Stoops!" but a new year starts and now i think we go 8, 9, 10 wins. It would be one thing if this staff got us 8,9,10 wins before but its never happened and those big nice 10-2 records are completely baseless. Hell 8-4 is Baseless.

The big thing going around now is "Oh we got 10 of 11 back on Defense, 9-3 time!" No, that is not how it works. Horrible Defense doesn't equal Great defense because Horrible Defense gained a year of experience. It's sad, but humorous because these posters know better, they even bitch and moan during the year but Get their hopes up by ignoring the prior season as if it will go away if they ignore it. They do it to themselves. @JC CATS is one poster i can honestly say has not been a Hypocrite and stuck with this staff when Alot have bashed the staff then new year, we love the staff again.

I agree that the defense was horrible this past season, but having 10 back, you can't discount experience and the Redshirts and hopefully some new guys helping, I am hoping it is much improved. It can be much improved and still not be great. The schedule is tougher this time around, I say 7 again

 

[NoDef]

I’m going 7-5 again (my prediction this year too). Too many questions out there. Returning 10 starters on defense is great, if you had a very good defense. That group needs to improve drastically. Still a huge question mark at QB. If we don’t get some major production out of that position, it’s going to be tough.

Hopefully some of those 10 guys will be replaced by better players. The older kids probably won't get much stronger and no way to really improve athletic ability. You either have it or you don't. Maybe some of the young kids or redshirts can step in and fill the gaps.

 

[jauk11]

I'm not solid on records for next season just to early.
But one observation for next season, UK will filed a team with many more jr's and seniors than I have seen in many years. More depth than many past seasons.
Solid O-Line with depth coming back.
Combined with the best back in the SEC and best TE in the SEC
10 -11 Defensive starters back with some experienced depth.
There are several reasons to think 2018 will be a great season.

My goodness, careful throwing all those FACTS around, someone might label you an optimist.

 

[why_not_kentucky]

We want UCF. We want the Champs.

 

[catfootballfan]

5-7

 

[BlueTick2]

My goodness, careful throwing all those FACTS around, someone might label you an optimist.

It takes one to know one.

Jauk, you are great with numbers.
Can you put together something comparing previous seasons, junior and seniors rosters.
It's been a long time since UK had a senior dominated team.

 

[vhcat70]

I agree that the defense was horrible this past season, but having 10 back, you can't discount experience and the Redshirts and hopefully some new guys helping, I am hoping it is much improved. It can be much improved and still not be great. The schedule is tougher this time around, I say 7 again

Sure you can discount experience. After 5-6 games the value of added experience diminishes rapidly as you have enough for your naturally ability to come to the fore. It's why when AL replaces one 5* with a FR 5* they don't lose much of a beat.

 

[fabcat]

We are now at a point you want to get to in rebuilding a football program. We have experience players coming back on both sides of the ball. We have redshirt players giving us depth on both sides of the ball. Now it’s up to both the coaches and players to perform at a winning level. We haven’t been in this situation in like forever. I’m going to wait and see how this translates to the field. If it translates well we should be a 7-8 win team with an outside shot at winning 9. If it doesn’t then we will prob be in 4-5 range and really not acceptable.

 

[kev69]

7-5 seems reasonable.

 

[JC CATS]

Sure you can discount experience. After 5-6 games the value of added experience diminishes rapidly as you have enough for your naturally ability to come to the fore. It's why when AL replaces one 5* with a FR 5* they don't lose much of a beat.

Well yeah I agree talent trumps experience. But experience counts and helps. I know it is a different sport but take Uk basketball They will have 3 first round pick in the draft and struggle with a team that has Jr's and Seniors but no NBA picks

 

[TBCat]

I've predicted 7 to 8 wins the past two season. We've finished on the low side of that prediction. This coming season is still too difficult because we don't know much about the QB situation. For now I'm predicting a much wider spread of results. Anything from 5 to 9 wins. The most likely scenario is 6 though.

 

[vhcat70]

Well yeah I agree talent trumps experience. But experience counts and helps.

That's what I said. But experience quickly becomes less important than raw talent.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

The Cats will certainly have a ton of "returning experience" next year. FWIW, I am generally of the opinion that, with the exception of the QB position, returning "experience" is not as important as returning "performance".

That is to say that returning experience (especially with upperclassmen) does not necessarily make things better than what was shown in the previous year(s). Those who are suggesting a 6 or 7 win regular season in 2018 are essentially saying the same thing.

In 2016 UK returned 14 starters (per Phil Steele yearbook) from a team that went 5-6. The 2016 team went 7-6 and finished the year ranked ranked #56 in offense (424 YPG) and #88 in defense (450 YPG Allowed).

In 2017 UK returned 17 starters (Steele) from that 2016 team and again went 7-6 finishing the year ranked #106 in offense (343 YPG) and #93 in defense (436 YPG Allowed).

Per Sagarin, SOS was about the same each year (#61 last year; #46 in 2016). The difference here is almost certainly due to the rotational appearance of AL in 2016. The 2015 SOS was #57.

I think a big factor in 2018 W/L record might be the result of playing 4 SEC teams with new staffs (MSU, FL, TN and aTm). I don't know "who is left" but at least 3 (edit) of those teams have enjoyed a significant recruiting ranking over UK the past 4 years.

Regardless, I'll wait until spring to even remotely think about what UK will do in 2018.

Peace

Those 4 new staffs make,it tough to predict. In the west, you got to believe State will take a step backward with their staff. Jumbo will be considered a step up, a big one until things go bad. Pruitt is a big step up, they are going to recruit well and play defense. UF, never been a Mullen fan, think they struggle in 18. Wouldn't be a surprise to see the streak to UF end, I think UT will be the tougher game between the 2.

 

[NoDef]

Well yeah I agree talent trumps experience. But experience counts and helps. I know it is a different sport but take Uk basketball They will have 3 first round pick in the draft and struggle with a team that has Jr's and Seniors but no NBA picks

Different in football though because the majority of players redshirt. A basketball freshman is 18-19 years old and still developing as far as strength goes. A football freshman is usually 20 when he sees the field for the first time if he is lucky. Look at how Anthony Davis was built at 18 and then 20. Huge difference. Still will be beneficial to have an older player out there, just don't know how much difference it is physically.

 

[U Go UK]

We faced them with Deebo Samuel and beat them handily....and the same stuff was said last year that they passed us by. Until this soundly beat us...I don't see how USC has passed us by.

Mizzou on the road with Locke back to me is hard one I'll concede. UT is a mess and lost some more guys..I don't chalk that up at all. Nobody saw us beating UL two years ago and they just lost a kid who won games basically on his own for two years. I'm not chalking that up to a Loss either.

They’ll go 6-6.

 

[jauk11]

They’ll go 6-6.

Can we have that in writing?

Oh, wait, you just did write it. lol.