So You Want to Support the Players?

[Los Gatos]

Yeah you remember--p the team that did not have a OL intact until the last two games when both QB's had been knock out of service and a WR was playing QB at the end of the season without the RB that was knocked out for the season after the fifth game. Yeah that team.

Had UK played Boise in the first game of last season, with both teams healthy, I believe Boise wins by more than two touchdowns.

If Boise had played a SEC schedule and then played UK near the end of last season, I think Boise still wins but it might be a bit closer.

[Buck_Naked]

I think the whole excuse of "Boise State would get ground down by playing an entire SEC schedule" is bologna.

And here's my reason why. Does anyone here think UK was a much better team than Boise State last year? I don't think so. You could make an argument that UK was somewhat better, I guess, but not by a whole lot.

Then look at UK last year. Look at UK at the beginning of the season - against Western and Central Michigan and Louisville and Florida. Then look at Kentucky at the end of the year against Georgia and Tennessee. Was UK all worn down after going through the rigors of the SEC schedule and playing their worst football of the year? I don't think so. If you're going to say that a school like Boise State can't make it through the SEC schedule without being worn down at the end - then a team like UK should be in the same boat. Sure didn't happen last year.

LOL, we'd might want to watch what we wish for: there's no doubt in my mind Boise State would've hung 40+ on UK at any point last season.

[Levi]

Who is saying UK would have beaten BS last year. What i'm saying in plain words is if BS had played a SEC schedule last year they would have a vastly different record. I will repeat their SOS (75th in the nation) was lower than any SEC team I have looked at. They have no idea what a SEC grind is about. kynut says the SEC rides on the back of 3-4 teams---well duh take the top 3-4 teams out of any conference and it will make the same impact. The SEC is the premier conference in the country because they have earned that honor and it is not contrived.

[kynut]

Well Levi, nobody has said Boise wouldn't have had a worse record if they played in the bSEC.....they probably would have.......why do you make that stuff up? I said Boise would be a mid-tier SEC team, I never even hinted they would be SEC champs.

And, as to the glory of the SEC......it still resides in 3 or 4 teams and UK has nothing to do with SEC excellence in football......nothing.....zilch.....zero, and neither do several other SEC teams. But, if it makes you feel better to have UK attempt to bask in the reflected glory of the Alabamas of the football world it's fine by me. Brag about UK being a member of the SEC and you just look silly......every football fan in America knows about UK football.....don't you see them snickering? Even WKU makes fun of us and justifiably so. Maybe someday UK will actually join the SEC but right now we're on the outside looking in.

kynut

[BowlingGreenUKGrad]

Put Boise State in the SEC East last year, and I think they would have a legitimate chance at winning it. Period. Not saying they would run away with it - or even necessarily win it - but they would have been in the mix.

[Levi]

Well Levi, nobody has said Boise wouldn't have had a worse record if they played in the bSEC.....they probably would have.......why do you make that stuff up? I said Boise would be a mid-tier SEC team, I never even hinted they would be SEC champs.

And, as to the glory of the SEC......it still resides in 3 or 4 teams and UK has nothing to do with SEC excellence in football......nothing.....zilch.....zero, and neither do several other SEC teams. But, if it makes you feel better to have UK attempt to bask in the reflected glory of the Alabamas of the football world it's fine by me. Brag about UK being a member of the SEC and you just look silly......every football fan in America knows about UK football.....don't you see them snickering? Even WKU makes fun of us and justifiably so. Maybe someday UK will actually join the SEC but right now we're on the outside looking in.

kynut

What are you getting all worked up about kynut? Deny for me if you take the top 3-4 teams out of any conference it would not have an impact. Saying that means what? Tell me --- I don't understand what point you are trying to make. Are you saying the bottom half of the Moutain West Conference is stronger than the SEC's bottom half? I'm saying BS is not the football juggernaut they are made out to be. Their claim to fame is they beat UGA, well so have we. I'm saying Kentucky plays a much much harder schedule than BS I have yet to understand how you dispute that.

[Levi]

FYI:

Here are the cumulative points per conference (based on 2014 membership) compiled by CBSSports.com for the top 25 final BCS rankings since 1998. Each first-place finish is worth 25 points down to one point for a 25th-place finish.



1. SEC 1,054
2. Big Ten 860
3. Big 12 816
4. ACC 673
5. Pac-12 671
6. Big East 240
7. Notre Dame 73
8. C-USA 49
9. MWC 48
10. BYU 45
11. MAC 21
12. Sun Belt 0
(tie) WAC 0

Here are the number of teams per conference (based on 2014 membership) compiled by CBSSports.com in the top 25 final BCS rankings since 1998.

1. SEC 78
2. Big Ten 66
3. ACC 57
4. Big 12 56
5. Pac-12 49
6. Big East 24
7. MWC 6
(tie) BYU 6
9. C-USA 5
(tie) Notre Dame 5
11. MAC 3
12. Sun Belt 0
(tie) WAC 0

Looks to me the SEC is indeed the big bad SEC.

[Diz2]

Put Boise State in the SEC East last year, and I think they would have a legitimate chance at winning it. Period. Not saying they would run away with it - or even necessarily win it - but they would have been in the mix.

So how many 4* recruits did Boise State have on their roster? How do they rank in recruiting this year? How many freshmen do they redshirt. Where do their recruits come from? All the facts might be telling and something for UK fans to consider.

[kynut]

So how many 4* recruits did Boise State have on their roster? How do they rank in recruiting this year? How many freshmen do they redshirt. Where do their recruits come from? All the facts might be telling and something for UK fans to consider.

Google Rivals.com Football Recruiting Team Rankings and you can check any year you want. Boise's average recruit is lower rated than UK's. For 2013 Boise is rated number 67 in team rankings and UK is number 69. Boise's average player is 2.67 stars and UK's is 2.71. Boise has no 5-star, no 4-star, and 6 3-star recruits so far.

kynut

[keycat41]

It will happen - in my lifetime.....and as you know I will soon be 74.

I know it may sound a little hokey but I know you agree with me that a UK football player who works his butt off in the weight room and other conditioning and training, and who actually gives not only his sweat but his blood on the field in the effort to excel and win does not deserve to have all he has done to be short-circuited by the shortcomings of his coaches - shortcomings in scheme, shortcomings in innovation, shortcomings in adaptability, shortcomings in preparedness, shortcomings in leadership, and, yes, even shortcomings in courage. Mr. Phillips, at one time or another, has, in my opinion, exhibited all of these, and anyone who takes the time to look back over the last two years will remember the instances I am speaking of. I'll say it again.......UK's players deserve the best coaches money can buy - and this ain't it.

And that is not being anti Joker - it is being pro UK football.

kynut

I guess the whole gameplan for UT last year doesn't count in innovation and courage category. Preparedness or any of the other things listed above either. I may be the only one to say this but I am cool with the direction of the program. Leave Joker in for a few years to improve and then evaluate. There is something to be said about continuity in a program. Changing coaches frequently hasn't proved to yield positive results for many if any team. You could say Bama and LSU but I'd say they have a different set of circumstances. Neither has to leave the state to find a team of starters. UK is a perfect program to grow a star coach, just need to be patient.

[Matt Dillon]

I guess the whole gameplan for UT last year doesn't count in innovation and courage category. Preparedness or any of the other things listed above either. I may be the only one to say this but I am cool with the direction of the program. Leave Joker in for a few years to improve and then evaluate. There is something to be said about continuity in a program. Changing coaches frequently hasn't proved to yield positive results for many if any team. You could say Bama and LSU but I'd say they have a different set of circumstances. Neither has to leave the state to find a team of starters. UK is a perfect program to grow a star coach, just need to be patient.

I'd like to know why you're satisfied with the direction of the program. Would you care to elaborate, please? There's definately something to be said about continuity in UK's case, and it's all bad.

[BowlingGreenUKGrad]

I guess the whole gameplan for UT last year doesn't count in innovation and courage category. Preparedness or any of the other things listed above either. I may be the only one to say this but I am cool with the direction of the program. Leave Joker in for a few years to improve and then evaluate. There is something to be said about continuity in a program. Changing coaches frequently hasn't proved to yield positive results for many if any team. You could say Bama and LSU but I'd say they have a different set of circumstances. Neither has to leave the state to find a team of starters. UK is a perfect program to grow a star coach, just need to be patient.

The Tennessee game was somewhat innovative, I'll give you that. But courage? I don't know. The team's two quarterbacks were hurt. They had to put somebody back there. It's not like Joker rolled the dice and was like, "I think we'll have a better chance to win this week if we play Matt Roark at QB instead of Max Smith." That would have been courage.

[Levi]

I do not think courage has much to do with analizing your teams strengths and weaknesses then devising a gameplan based on that and your personal knowledge and experience. Courage could be sticking to your guns when a mob of fans are demanding something they think you should be doing instead.

In any case courage to me is not a quality I see as a significantly pertinent when we have servicemen that are finding and displaying real courage. It is personally hard for me to attribute courage to someone playing a game for entertainment when there are American men and women that are putting everything they have been, everything they are, and everything they will be at risk.

[kynut]

The primary thing, but not the only thing, I had in mind when I mentioined courage was his decisioin not to go for it in 2010 on 4th down against UT when a first down would have given us a good chance to beat a team we had not beaten in 25 years. I saw it as an everything to gain and nothing to lose decision where Joker elected to take the easy way out and backed down from the biggest decision of his career up until that moment. I still see it that way. Just MHO.

I do give the coaching staff, including Joker, all the credit in the world for coming up with the UT game plan this past year. The win was one of the top 3 or 4 wins in the last 25 years. Matt Roark was a warrior who would not be denied - I'd like to see more of that. The fact that it was almost a "have to" case does not tarnish the decision to use him as far as I'm concerned.

kynut

[UK78ALUM]

Leave Joker in for a few years to improve and then evaluate.

Absolutely. Everyone should be paid over a half million dollars annually to "improve". This has got to be either the greatest job in the world, or the world's most delusional post.

[BowlingGreenUKGrad]

Absolutely. Everyone should be paid over a half million dollars annually to "improve". This has got to be either the greatest job in the world, or the world's most delusional post.

Half a million? Joker makes like $1.7 million.

[Matt Dillon]

Absolutely. Everyone should be paid over a half million dollars annually to "improve". This has got to be either the greatest job in the world, or the world's most delusional post.

Or both.