When: Saturday, September 22nd

Where: Gainesville, Florida

Game Time: 12:21 PM ET

TV: SEC Network

What you need to know about Kentucky: Kentucky has really struggled this season and is currently 1-2 after losing to WKU last week in overtime. Head coach Joker Phillips is really starting to feel the heat in Lexington from his slow start.

Kentucky is just not a very good football team, but the passing offense is tops in the SEC. Quarterback Max Smith has been one of the few bright spots for the Wildcats through three weeks. Smith has thrown for 966 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 322 yards per game through the air. The sophomore really gives this program hope for the future in the way he can sling the rock. Likewise, senior receiver La’Rod King is tied for the league lead in receptions with 23 for 214 yards and two touchdowns.

Kentucky’s run defense has just been putrid. They are giving up 188 yards on the ground per game, and they haven’t had any answer to the running game thus far. Guys are missing assignments in their gaps and haven’t tackled well. The defense lacks veteran leaders with experience to fall back on. The defensive line with Mister Cobble and Donte Rumph need to step up and stop the Gators’ running game first.

There is very little energy or excitement within the Cats’ program right now, but they will try to get something going against the Gators.

What you need to know about Florida: Florida is the most improved of any team in the SEC. To see where this team has come from against Bowling Green to last week against Tennessee is night and day. Will Muschamp is learning how to coach, and Jeff Driskel is the biggest under-the-radar player in the SEC.

Florida has outscored its opponents 27-0 in the fourth quarter this season, a far cry from a year ago that saw Florida -26 in fourth quarters. There is a physical and mental toughness to this team, and they’ve taken on the persona of their head coach.

Quarterback Jeff Driskel hasn’t turned the ball over one time yet this season. He’s very efficient with the football and effective in the passing game. He’s completed over 71 percent of his passes and thrown for three touchdowns. It’s not about the stats; it’s about his poise in big SEC road games. He has ice water in his veins.

Running back Mike Gillislee is leading the SEC in rushing with 346 yards and four touchdowns. He’s been hobbled by a groin injury the last two weeks, but even that hasn’t slowed him down.

Florida’s defense hasn’t been as good as advertised. But they did slow down the vaunted passing game against Tennessee and forced two Tyler Bray interceptions. Maybe Florida’s front four hasn’t had as many sacks as they would like, but they are getting to the quarterback better. Safety Josh Evans leads the team in tackles with 21.

Florida is +3 in turnover margin, after finishing last in the SEC at -8 in ‘11. This group is playing better collectively as a team, and when they smell blood in the water, they turn it on. They own the fourth quarter right now.

What you need to watch: Florida has scored over 40 points against Kentucky the last five years, averaging 49 points per game, and they have the nation’s longest series winning streak against Kentucky at 25 straight. On paper this is a massive blowout, but noon starts are always tough, as teams can be a little sluggish to get rolling. If Kentucky has energy at all, they will need to get off to a fast start.

I look for Florida to come out and really take control of the game early by running the football. The Gators ran for 336 yards last week, and they will try and duplicate that against the Wildcats. That’s Muschamp’s 2012 MO.

Look for Florida to rest some banged up guys if things go as expected. After Kentucky, Florida will be entering the bye week, a much-needed week to heal and rest before LSU.

When: Sunday, September 2nd

Where: Louisville, Kentucky

Game Time: 3:30 PM ET

TV: ESPN

What you need to know about Louisville: Louisville is picked by many to win the Big East this season. Head coach Charlie Strong has this bunch ready to go with established playmakers he’s recruited at hand.

Louisville’s marquee win in 2011 was against #24 West Virginia, and they won five of the last seven games and look to carry some of that momentum over into 2012.

The Cardinals return 15 starters and are coming off of a 7-6 season, led by a talented QB Teddy Bridgewater and a slew of wide receivers.

UL returns four starters on the offensive line, and look for RB Dominique Brown to emerge as the playmaker for the Cards.

The coaching staff has raved about the defensive line, and how they have established some much-needed depth at the position. The Cards return three defensive linemen, two linebackers and three defensive backs. Middle linebacker Preston Brown and safety Hakeem Smith are the leading returning tacklers on the team.

What you need to know about Kentucky: Joker Phillips and the Cats are in desperation mode this season after a 5-7 finish last year. Phillips is one of two coaches on the hot seat this season, as he joins Derek Dooley for one of the hottest seats in the country.

The overall morale is down surrounding this football team at Kentucky. Phillips named a new starting quarterback in Max Smith, hoping he can energize this team and fan base. The Cats have a strong offensive line but are looking to see which running back emerges, as four or five are in the mix for playing time. Receivers La’Rod King, Gene McCaskill, EJ Fields and Demarco Robinson will try and be a receiving corps Smith can count on in the passing game.

The defensive line is very much the strength on the other side of the ball, led by tackles Mister Cobble and Donte Rumph. Talented young linebacker Alvin Dupree is looking to be a breakout-type player this season, but the Cats need to firm up some questions in the secondary.

What you need to watch: The battle of the Governer’s Cup is always an intriguing bloodbath. These two schools hate each other. Kentucky further intensified that with a billboard they put directly over Louisville’s campus.

Desperate teams take desperate measures, and Kentucky is very much a desperate team that’s looking for anything positive to go their way.

I want to see Kentucky find a way to win. They are outmatched with Louisville’s deeper roster on paper, but that’s why you put the pads on and line up. They will need to scratch and claw to find a way to win. I want to see some heart and passion for Kentucky football and give this fan base something to look forward to.

Nothing would be more positive for Phillips and the program to put a beat down on the Cardinals.

Kentucky leads the all time series 14-10 and looks to add to it. Hopefully they find a way to do just that. The team with the most rushing yards has won the last 16 games, and the Cats need one of their talented backs to step up in the running game.

When: September 10, 2011

Where: Lexington, Kentucky

Game Time: 12:00 PM

TV: ESPNU

What You Need To Know About Central Michigan:

The Chippewas enter Lexington having defeated South Carolina State 21-6. CMU was 3-9 a year ago, and they are trying to get back on the winning track. A win over an SEC team would be a boost of confidence.

CMU quarterback Ryan Radcliff has a live arm and is a decent looking prospect, as he threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns a week ago. The running game features Zurlon Tipton (a big-league name), and he gained 73 yards rushing on 18 carries a week ago and scored a touchdown.

This team is beatable, bottom line.

What You Need To Know About Kentucky:

Kentucky struggled in its opener against Western Kentucky a week ago. The passing game struggled, and the running game struggled as well. Quarterback Morgan Newton threw for under 100 yards, and I’m looking for him to get back on track from his first-game jitters.

Defensively, Kentucky did what it had to do and intercepted four passes. Defense will have to come up big in this matchup as well.

What I’m Looking For:

I am looking solely at Kentucky’s offense. The Wildcats had a miserable performance last week, with only 190 yards of total offense against a team that only won two games a year ago. Mainly, Kentucky’s offensive line was abysmal in creating any type of running game for Raymond Sanders to run through. The strength of this team will have to lie in its offensive line, but it has to improve.

I am also looking for La’Rod King to step up and be Newton’s primary target in the passing game. Kentucky’s receivers dropped several big-play pass opportunities a week ago, and this simply has to get better moving forward.

The Wildcats did end up winning 14-3, but it was quite the struggle.

On one particular play deep in their own territory, Kentucky quarterback Morgan Newton was in his three or five-step drop, and he tripped over his own feet and just fell down for a loss of about eight.

That pretty much summed up Kentucky’s offense all night.

Look, we knew this offense would not be as good as last year’s, with the losses of Randall Cobb, Derrick Locke, Chris Matthews and Mike Hartline, but I honestly thought Morgan Newton would be the answer for this team and offense. And he still might be because he certainly looks the part physically and has a big arm, but it certainly was a mighty struggle last night for Joker Phillips and his offense.

I know there is still a lot of time to right the ship, but with game one in the books, there is a ton of progress to be made in order to be able to get in a position to compete in the SEC.

The stat sheet simply does not lie. Kentucky’s offense had a total of 190 yards all night. They had four rushing yards and zero passing yards at the end of the first quarter, and the Wildcats only amassed 14 total yards in the first half. The passing game of Newton only managed to get 97 yards total through the air, with a touchdown and three interceptions, and the running game only amassed 93 yards on the ground, with a touchdown.

Hidden in the 97 yards passing and completions were several dropped balls by the receivers. This team desperately needs a receiver to step up and be the go-to guy for Morgan Newton – whether it is La’Rod King, Gene McCaskill or Matt Roark. It really doesn’t matter but someone needs to step up.

The strength of this team is along the offensive line. There is simply no way I would stray from that until Newton gets settled at the quarterback position, but even the line struggled to establish anything all night. The Wildcats need to find a running game before next week.

A bright spot for this Kentucky team could be on the defensive side of the ball, with the defense creating four interceptions. That is encouraging.

But there is still a long way to go for Kentucky and some kind of offensive progression before Central Michigan comes to town next weekend. Back to the drawing board; however, there is still a lot of time to get this thing pointed in the right direction.

Here are three issues Kentucky needs to focus on in fall camp:

1. Get Morgan Newton Comfortable

Morgan Newton is a monster of a human being. He’s roughly 6-6, 240 lbs, and he will lead the Cats this season at quarterback. He looked slightly uncomfortable and was not confident the last time the Cats took the field against Pittsburgh in their bowl game. Newton has to command this offense and really be their leader. There could be another big-time player in the SEC named Newton, and this time it isn’t Cam Newton. Morgan Newton needs to get confident and ready for his first task: beating Western Kentucky in game one.

2. Find A Go-To Receiver

Last year, the Wildcats had the likes of Chris Matthews and Randall Cobb at wide receiver. This year, they have neither. While La’Rod King looks to be the guy at receiver, EJ Fields will join him at the position. Fields is a guy who has all the athleticism in the country, but he has been very injury-prone since he stepped foot on campus for Kentucky. Fields caught several big-time passes in the spring game. Both Fields and King will have to step up this year, and one needs to identify himself as the go-to receiver in fall camp.

3. Develop Some Type Of Pass Rush On Defense

Last year, the front four from Kentucky were almost absent. Kentucky needs all of Collins Ukwu, Taylor Wyndham, Donte Rumph, Mister Cobble, Luke McDermott and Mark Crawford to step up in any kind of way. This defense needs a pass rush because the linebackers are decent, as is the defensive backfield.

The University of Kentucky featured one of the most explosive offenses in the nation in 2010. But with the losses of starting quarterback Mike Hartline, starting tailback Derrick Locke, starting fullback Moncell Allen, starting wide receiver Chris Matthews and dynamic, first team All-American Randall Cobb, UK’s offense is now filled with unfamiliar faces. If the Wildcats want to repeat their offensive success in 2011, these five guys will need to carry the load when UK has the ball.

1) The Offensive Line - Regarded by many as one of the best offensive lines in the conference, UK returns four starters (all seniors) from last year’s team in tackle Brad Durham, third-team all-SEC guard in 2010 Stuart Hines, center Matt Smith and preseason first-team all-SEC guard Larry Warford. They will also add Billy Joe Murphy into the mix at tackle as the team’s only starting linemen not in the starting lineup week one of last year (Murphy, however, has started nine games for his career). With a wealth of inexperience at the skill positions on offense, the Cats will have to rely heavily on this tough, veteran group up front to establish a strong running game and protect new UK quarterback Morgan Newton in the pocket.

2) Morgan Newton - Speaking of Newton, he too will have to be a superstar on offense if the Wildcats want to score points. No position in football is more important than the quarterback, and Newton seems to have all the tools to become a great one. With good size, strength and athleticism, Newton has the arm strength to throw a nice deep ball, and the athleticism to take off from a broken play and turn it into something spectacular. The question here is will he be able to put it all together and command the offense? As a freshman in 2009, Newton started eight games for UK, posting a 5-3 record (including a loss in the Music City Bowl to Clemson) while completing 55.6 percent of his passes for 706 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. When given a chance to start again in last season’s BBVA Compass Bowl, Newton played arguably the worst game of his college career as UK went on to be outmatched by Pitt. He has shown signs of the four star quarterback that Kentucky recruited out of Indiana, but has never taken over a game like head coach Joker Phillips would like him to. But the job is now all his, making 2011 a do or die season for Newton as the team’s field general.

3) Raymond Sanders - Sanders, a rising sophomore, is slated to be the team’s starting tailback week one when they take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Small in stature, Sanders mixes moderate quickness with physicality in running lanes to earn his yards on the ground. As a freshman in 2010, Sanders split time with fellow freshman Donald Russell (who has since transferred from UK) in the backfield after Derrick Locke went down with an injury. Sanders rushed for 254 yards on 68 carries (an average of 3.7 yards per carry) and three touchdowns in 2010, good enough for fourth on the team in each category. But Sanders has more career rushes, yards and touchdowns than any other back on the Cats roster, and will need to carry the load behind UK’s mammoth offensive line in 2011.

4) La’Rod King - Last season, UK’s passing game was one of the best in the SEC thanks to the explosive play of receivers like Cobb and Matthews. But those big names have departed the Bluegrass for the greener pastures of the NFL, leaving the position wide open for the taking. La’Rod King seems to be the man to take over as the team’s top target in the passing game. With 46 career catches in two seasons as a Wildcat, King has by far the most career receptions of any receiver left on the Cats roster. With a 6’5” frame and speed down the field, King should be a deep threat for Newton, who completed a few very nice deep balls in spring practice, including a couple to King himself. He also seems to have assumed the role of a leader for the other wide receivers, both on and off the field. If King can make plays in the passing game and expedite the development of explosive but unproven receivers like Aaron Boyd or E.J. Fields, Phillips’ playbook will open up for the Cats, leading to more scoring on offense. As the most experienced player at any skill position returning for UK in 2011, King will have to play a major part in the offense if they are to succeed.

5) E.J. Fields - This guy could be UK’s best secret weapon (oops, looks like I may have let the cat out of the bag). A track star in high school, Fields set numerous Kentucky state records as a sprinter in high school, in addition to playing football. Despite sitting out most of the past two seasons with injuries, and spending most of his time on the field covering kicks on special teams, Fields might be the most athletic member of UK’s offense in 2011. In addition to his speed, his insane leaping ability and determined physicality help him to make highlight reel catches, including an incredible one-handed catch which he made in coverage deep down the sideline during UK’s Blue White Scrimmage in April. With camp just a couple days in, no one knows how much Fields will see the field in Phillips’ offense, or what role he will play when he’s out there, but if this guy can stay healthy and get himself on the field, he could be a real difference maker for Kentucky and a surprise in the SEC in 2011.

The University of Kentucky’s 2010 football season felt like a disappointment. A season which included a 25th consecutive loss to Florida, a 26th consecutive loss to Tennessee and a 27-10 shellacking at the hands’ of Pitt in the BBVA Compass Bowl, felt like a disappointment. The program’s first losing season since the senior class stepped foot on campus four years ago felt like a disappointment.

But Thursday, the Wildcats turned the page with the start of their preseason camp. Veterans arrived prepared to work hard toward a successful 2011, and a plethora of new faces arrived on campus for the first time, seeking to lay the foundation that second-year UK head football coach Joker Phillips hopes will take his team to the top of the SEC.

“I’m really excited. It’s my last year to really make a change on the program, to try to get us to a little bit of a better season than we have been,” said senior defensive back Anthony Mosley. “I’m really excited just to get started and get better for the season.”

Long forgotten are the days when a 4-8 record was enough to tide Big Blue Nation over until basketball season began. The Wildcats have reached six consecutive bowl games under Phillips and former UK head football coach Rich Brooks. But with great success comes great expectations, expectations that the Cats seemingly fell short of a year ago.

Add in the departure of the team’s starting quarterback, running back, fullback and top two receivers, as well as a brand new defensive scheme brought in by new UK co-defensive coordinator Rick Minter, and you have a Wildcats squad that is hungry to establish a new identity.

“We had the (defensive) films that they were supposed to be watching, and now it’s time to go in and see if everybody was doing what they were supposed to be doing, which I’m pretty sure they have been,” said senior linebacker Ronnie Sneed, a vocal leader on UK’s defense. “It’s just time to put everything to the test.

“Really we try to scare the young guys. You know, ‘You may not make it out man, you might not make it out, so you better come prepared.’ We try to shake them up a little bit. But in all honesty, you just tell them it’s time to work hard and learn this defense.”

The core of veterans on the offensive side of the ball also assumed their leadership roles on day one of camp, including junior La’Rod King, who has more career catches than any other wide receiver on UK’s roster with 46 in two years.

“Camp determines whether you are ready for the season or not. You can talk all the stuff you want to now, but once you put pads on and get hit for the first time it’s like ‘Oh, okay, I know where I’m playing now. I’m playing in the SEC.’ “I take what I learned from Randall (Cobb, now of the Green Bay Packers) and Chris (Matthews) and those veteran guys last year and just apply it to the freshmen now, and just take the same steps that Randall took me in. It’s really just follow and repeat. A lot of guys are on board as a team, and a lot of the young guys, they are hungry, so we are going to see who is ready to play and who is not.”

But when asked what the biggest challenge was going into camp, the players were unanimous.

“It’s the heat, definitely the heat,” King said. “My cleats molded to the turf last year, I couldn’t move.”

“The only thing that you can never beat anywhere in the country is the heat,” Mosley said. “It’s just really hot. Sometimes you get a little more frustrated because of the heat, you get a little bit more fatigued than you normally would. That may be the only downfall.”

Well, almost unanimous.

“Me being from Georgia, the heat up here feels like fall, so this is not that bad for me,” said sophomore wide receiver Brian Adams. “It’s about 100 down there in Georgia right now so it’s not bad at all and I just have a good time with it.”

Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh has to be the least prepared team playing in a bowl game this year. Over the weekend, newly hired head coach Mike Haywood was fired after being arrested on domestic violence charges. Just earlier today, Dave Wannstedt announced he will not be coaching the game like many thought he would after he announced his plans to resign at the end of the season. Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett will coach the team in the bowl game and rumors have current Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis on the top of their list. Regardless of the soap opera that is the Pitt head coaching carousel, the Compass Bowl is on Saturday and they will have to score some points if they want to win.

The offense will be lead by sophomore QB Tino Sunseri , who threw for over 2,500 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. Sunseri had trouble at times to get on the same page as his star WR Jon Baldwin (JR, 810 yards, 5 TD) but the two should be able to work out the kinks and connect on big plays against a suspect Kentucky secondary.

Pittsburgh will anchor their offense the way every other Kentucky opponent has this year and that is by pounding the ball on the ground. Sophomores Dion Lewis (956 yards, 12 td) and  Ray Graham (832 yards, 8 td) will offer a 1-2 punch and look to keep the much maligned Kentucky defense on the field for as long as possible.

Kentucky: Everybody that has seen Kentucky play a game over the last three seasons knows one thing for sure; Randall Cobb will be the key to the Kentucky offense. Will it be his receiving, passing or running is the question that will haunt the Pittsburgh defense.

The All-American has accounted for more touchdowns than anybody in the Kentucky history and has a chance to surpass Tim Tebow as the SEC’s all time leader in scores if he returns for his senior year. So, it won’t be a shocker when the Panther defense focuses on Cobb in the Birmingham Bowl. But how Kentucky responds to the attention that Cobb gets is what will make the difference in the outcome of this game. Sophomore QB Morgan Newton will take the snaps for Kentucky in place of suspended senior Mike Hartline (suspended for an alcohol related arrest on December 10^th) and how he will perform is a greater question for not only Pittsburgh, but his own team as well. Newton lead the Wildcats to wins at Auburn and Georgia as a freshman, but his performances in those games was suspect at best. Newton struggled in his stint as the starter, due in large part to adapting to the speed and expanded playbook that comes with the SEC competition. Coach Joker Phillips feels as though Newton has made the strides and will be able to hold his own in a game that counts.

The good news for Newton is that he will have plenty of weapons at his disposal. Along with the aforementioned Cobb, senior RB Derrick Locke will offer the speed and elusiveness on the ground that should help open up passing lanes for receivers Chris Matthews (SR, 897 yards, 9 td) and La’Rod King (SO, 436 yards, 5 td). The offensive line will also offer Newton the protection he needs to feel confident in the pocket. They only allowed Hartline to be sacked 15 times on the season and lead the way for Locke average over five yards per carry on the season.

I expect Kentucky to ask Newton to do the same thing his predecessor did by simply managing the game. Phillips and offensive coordinator Randy Sanders will probably limit the playbook and keep it simple early on to help the offense get in a rhythm. Cobb will take some snaps out of the Wildcat formation and the Cats will look to establish the versatility of Locke as both a runner and a pass catcher with the screen pass. If this works the way Kentucky hopes, it can only improve the mentality of Newton and help him complete passes downfield when he needs too.

Edge: I would love to give the edge to Kentucky, but I don’t think I can. The best case scenario I can come up with is a push. Pittsburgh doesn’t have a great passing attack, but they are more than formidable on the ground and lets be honest, Kentucky struggles against the run. If the Panthers can establish themselves early with the run, it will force Kentucky to try and stop the run and leave the secondary on an island, which they have shown all season usually means success for the opposing team.

It’s also hard give the edge to a team with a quarterback that has 760 yards and 6 touchdowns (3 ints) for his career while the offense has been lead by an all-SEC caliber performer all season long. Kentucky will also want to keep the ball as long as possible to their defense rested properly. But Kentucky does have an ace in the hole in Cobb and that should keep a lot of pressure off the back of Newton.

So, I will call it a push with the advantage going to the team who finds a way to give its defense a rest.

-noun

1. a person who amuses others by tricks, jokes, odd gestures and postures, etc.

2. a person given to coarse or undignified joking.

That is the definition of the word buffoon according to www.dictionary.com. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that buffoon is not a term of endearment. (BTW, this is an explanation of rocket science: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSxbmUcR8ao) Hey, I’m no idiot; I know what a buffoon is.

I also know that on October 23^rd, buffoon was the word of the day on one of those irritating word of the day calendars. You know the kind I am talking about. The kind that has a different word for every day of the year and people in your office or classes or at the local donut shop have that gives them a new word every day so they can increase their vocabulary and sound smarter when they talk to you.

I know this because on October 23^rd, the Kentucky Wildcats hosted the Georgia Bulldogs. Fresh off a win over number nine South Carolina, the Cats were primed to take the Bulldogs down for the third time in four years. It was homecoming. It was 80 degrees and sunny. The tailgating was going strong and the feeling was in the air. If we win out, we have a great chance to win the SEC East. Sports fans are notorious for saying “wait until next year” and this was our “next year”. The stars had aligned and our time had arrived except for the fact that stars hadn’t really aligned and our time hadn’t really arrived.

Georgia took an early lead thanks to untimely turnovers and questionable play calling. At one point in the first  half, Georgia’s average starting spot was inside the Kentucky 25 (and by in the first half, I mean with less than three minutes to go in the first half).  Then, as Mike Hartline completed a 35 yard pass to LaRod King for a touchdown to make the score 28-10 with 1:09 remaining in the half, I heard it. I heard a guy directly behind me say, “Alright, we gott’em right where we want. 28-10 at the half, just like I told you it would be!” It didn’t surprise me at all to glance over my shoulder an see that he was wearing a Superman t-shirt with cut-off sleeves.

Needless to say, we didn’t have them right where we wanted them.  After witnessing another disappointing loss my friend Tim and I headed toward my car so we could make the short trek back to our homes. As we always do after a game, we tuned into one of the three post game shows that are a staple in the South. The first caller I heard was a guy named Chris from Richmond and he is somewhat famous in Central Kentucky. If not famous, certainly infamous. He is known for his professional wrestling like rants about the disgrace that has been Kentucky football. I have heard him almost every game over the last three or four years and I have rarely heard him say anything nice about the Cats and their coaches. He criticizes play calls, players’ hearts, their effort, the coaches preparation and even the dedication of the fans. On this particular night, he used the word buffoon or one of it’s derivatives (which just so happens to be the word of the day on my calendar).

Each time I go to a game, I go with hopes that Kentucky can win. As I wrote in my previous column, I even stayed up to 3:00 am watching a game on the DVR just because I hoped the Cats would start a four game winning streak to end the season at 8-4 and lead to a bowl game that is not played in the state of Tennessee.

I admit, I get emotionally invested in the games and I get frustrated too. I tend to lean toward defending the team more than the average fan. I have been in a personal facebook  fight with a friend of mine over that talents of Mike Hartline for the past couple of weeks. When I hear guys like Chris from Richmond calling in to bash Joker Phillips, Steve Brown or whoever happens to be his flavor of the week, I take it personally.

So in my frustration, I got to thinking about what exactly does Kentucky need to do to keep their fans happy. I started mulling it over and quickly decided that some fans will never be happy regardless of what happens on the field. So, I thought about what it would take to make the other 90% of the fans happy. It comes down to one simple answer: Win.

But when you start breaking down that one simple answer, it gets much deeper. How do you define win? Joker Phillips labeled this season as “Operation Win”. He himself said this week that he considers current 4-5 record a failure, but the final three games of the season could change that grade. So, has Colonel Joker moved into “Operation Survive” mode now? Who knows?

With all those questions dancing in my head, I decided to break down what I feel are the key issues preventing the Wildcats from keeping the fans happy.

1. High Expectations: Florida recently snapped a three game losing streak. It was the first time they had lost three regular season games in a row since Ronald Reagan was the president. For those of you that weren’t around for the Reagan administration, I hate you because you are so young. Not really, but that was a long freaking time ago. Kentucky in comparison has had at least a three game losing streak fourteen times in that same time frame.  Even with this information, Kentucky fans expect to see an SEC championship on a yearly basis. They close out a season with desires to revamp and entire coaching staff but come into the next season convincing each other that this could be the year we could sneak up on Florida or we are lucky because we are getting Alabama at just the right time before Nick Saban gets things going down there. Fans (including myself) are complaining that we are too good to go to the Music City Bowl or the Liberty Bowl, but seem to forget that in 2005 we had a record of 3-8 and in 2004 we lost to Ohio (the Bobcats not the Buckeyes). It’s not like we have a great history to look back on and point to our success. And the last time I checked, celebrating a share of a national Championship that happened six decades ago doesn’t entitle you to a New Year’s Day bowl game in Florida. You can’t eat filet on a bologna budget.

2. The Compass: If I am a really good football player and I have my choice between Kentucky, Florida, South Carolina or LSU, I am going to have a hard time deciding where I am going. The only thing I would know for sure would be that I wasn’t going to Kentucky. Let me see, I have the option spending my college years close to the beaches in Florida and South Carolina or Bourbon Street are much more attractive options than Keeneland.  No matter where you go, you are going to have to practice in the heat and humidity, but at least the winters are a lot milder in the south.  Of all the schools in the SEC, Kentucky is the only one with an average temperature in November of less than 50 degrees. As I write this, we are looking at a low of 39 and rain for the evening while the good people of Gainesville are soaking up the rays of 84 degrees.  We would be a warm weather school if we played in the Big Ten, but we don’t.

3. Recruiting: Since 2002, when rivals.com started ranking recruiting classes, Kentucky has never finished higher than tenth in the SEC in recruiting and their average signee is 2.56 stars. During that same time frame, Florida has averaged 3.82 stars per signee. That doesn’t sound like much, but if you add up 20-25 recruits per year, that is a heck of a lot of stars and you don’t need a telescope to see them. It is pretty obvious by watching the field and the scoreboard that one team is better than the other. I understand that problems 1 and 2 are directly related to this one and as of right now there is nothing we can do about either of them, so don’t expect this one to get better either.

4. The “Worst Case Scenario” Mindset: I don’t have to remind any Kentucky fans about the “Bluegrass Miracle” the “Premature Celebration”. ESPN does a good job keeping it in our heads. As a Red Sox fan, I fully understand the frustration of watching your team rip defeat from the hands of victory. But, since 2004 the Sox have won two World Series rings and now they are expected to win. I thought the same was going to be true for Kentucky. In 2006, they we were shelled by LSU 49-0. Then we bounced back to beat Mississippi St. on the road then we took down the goalposts after beating Georgia. These wins lead to a Music City Bowl trip and a defeat of Clemson. The following season saw the Cats pull off upsets of Louisville, Arkansas and eventual National Champion LSU. At one point, we climbed all the way to number 8 in the BCS. Then in the season finale against Tennessee, a missed chip shot field goal in overtime helped extinguish any chances of snapping a two plus decade losing streak to the Volunteers. A very similar outcome happened in 2009, when Kentucky was tough on the road in the SEC beating Auburn, Georgia and Vandy, but failed to protect their house and lost at home to a Mississippi St and blew another good chance to end the losing streak to the Volunteers. How bad is this mindset? Well, we travel to Knoxville on Thanksgiving weekend and I think the Cats are clearly the better team. But I can’t pick them to win. How could I? After 25 years of blowouts, boneheaded plays and just pure embarrassment I have to expect the worst team in the SEC to beat us in their house. The good news is that they are so bad, plenty of good seats will be available.

5. The losing streaks: A couple of weeks ago during the Navy/Notre Dame game, the Aflac trivia question asked what was the current longest losing streak to the same team in college football? It took me less than a second to answer, UK vs. UT, 25 in a row. I also added that the second longest streak belonged to UK as well because Florida has knocked off 24 straight. Kentucky did snap a 10 game skid against South Carolina this year and in the process beat Steve Spurrier for the first time in 17 tries so that eased a little of the tension and to be honest, it felt really good. My hopes are that they can go to Neyland Stadium and get a win this year. It would do a lot to ease the pain of several seasons past and step in the right direction. Then, they must somehow find a way to beat Florida before I die. Then, would truly be able to die in peace.

6. The Main Event: This is the tough one. Kentucky Football is never going to be the main event. As long as college basketball is being played, John Calipari and his hard-court Cats will always take center stage. Although football generates most of the money for the entire athletics program, they only have a budget of around $13 million where the basketball team gets to spend around $10 million (with about 60 less players, but hey, private charter plans and chefs aren’t cheap). Kentucky recently added a brand new, state of the art practice facility and is building a new lodging facility for the basketball team. Heavy rumors are circulating that a new basketball arena to try and rival what the Louisville Cardinals will be playing this year. Simply put, basketball is a priority. Football is a necessity. Commonwealth Stadium is nice, but you still have to pee into a trough. I think it says a lot that the football team plays on a field that is named in honor of a basketball coach. It’s clear where the loyalty in Big Blue Nation lies, but if we truly want to compete, we have to make football a priority. And it’s not just the Athletic Department; a lot of fans are more interested in tailgating than they are the game. There is not tradition inside the stadium. Fans show up late and leave early, more concerned with the next drink than the next play. And what happens when someone calls them out? Well, just ask Randall Cobb. There is always something more important than the game. It’s Keeneland or Midnight Madness or the World Equestrian Games. I just don’t understand it. This is not an indictment of all the fans because I know there are several like me that are singing “My Old Kentucky Home” with pride and are willing to stay until the final whistle blows, even during a 40 point drubbing. But there are also those that would rather not accept a bowl bid if it means playing at the same time as the basketball team plays. Not to mention the “Finally we have something to cheer for” group that starts chiming in around this time every year.  If it matters to you, it will matter more to them. Show the young men that pour out the blood, sweat and tear on the field you are in the battle with them and I bet they will work harder than they already do to win the battle for you.

That is what I think. I guess you would call it my manifesto. Please feel free to voice your opinion, because just like voting, if you don’t speak, you can’t complain.