I thought about starting this thread the day after the bowl game, but thought I'd wait until there was sufficient interest. Based on some of the posts, in the bowl game thread, I believe there is now sufficient interest. This is the first time I can remember, in my 64 years of following UK fb, that I can look forward to the upcoming season w/o looking at the season that just concluded and not saying I hope next season is better than the last one. I realize this is going to be highly speculative and, probably, not very accurate because there are so many variables involved, but I'd like to hear from anyone, that wishes to comment, as to what you thoughts, expectations, etc. are for next season.
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Philippians 4:11-4:13 -
Kentucky is going to have to fight to win 6 games next year.
So much to replace. So many unknowns. A couple of electric talents in Bowden and Daniel (and maybe Rose), but I just don't like the roster if you look at it right now. I loved this year's roster and really felt like we were going to do something special. Next year, not so much. I just think it's going to be a struggle. -
I'm baffled by what may happen next year. I thought we'd go 4-8 or 5-7 this year lol.Comment
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I disagree...
Our front 7 will be the strong part of our D. We will miss Josh Allen to be sure, but there is a lot of talent there in the two deep. I think our offense will be better, albiet different.
We have six wins we should EXPECT to win. I find it hard to imagine that we $#!^ the bed in the other games that are pick-ems. UGA is the only team that will clearly outclass us.
Aug. 31: TOLEDO - Win
Sept. 7: EASTERN MICHIGAN - Win
Sept. 14: FLORIDA - Push (winnable)
Sept. 21: at Mississippi State - Push (winnable)
Sept. 28: at South Carolina - We beat them the last 5 when we weren't supposed to (winnable)
Oct. 5: open
Oct. 12: ARKANSAS - Win
Oct. 19: at Georgia - loss
Oct. 26: MISSOURI - (winnable)
Nov. 2: open
Nov. 9: TENNESSEE - (winnable)
Nov. 16: at Vanderbilt (Win)
Nov. 23: TENNESSEE-MARTIN (Win)
Nov. 30: LOUISVILLE (Win)
Originally posted by John Stuart MillRIP: Charlie Munger​Originally posted by Robert “Hoot†GibsonComment
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For the offense to be better Wilson will have to make a huge leap forward.
I thought he was abysmal in the bowl game. You didn't need him to do that much with the weapons around him but he almost couldn't even accomplish that. I saw very little improvement across the entire season if you think about where he started to the player he was on 1/1.
The most worrisome thing is how our secondary will be totally gutted. If you look back at this past season and think about the number of times those guys were in on plays virtually all over the field, to think that every single one of those players is gone is troubling.
Of course it has to be said that this past season I thought we could win 8. We won 10. So if you come into a season thinking you can win 6 and you get 8...well, that's how you start putting together a perennial player.
I'm skeptical that Kentucky can ever be that sort of program but then again I never thought we'd win double-digits. In my mind if you really compete for New Year's Days bowls every other year then you need to have a statue erected in your honor at a place like UK. The recruiting numbers are a bit deceiving when you've got a coaching staff with a knack for finding and developing talent (see Snell, Benny and Allen, Josh), but the recruiting numbers at UK don't really tell a story that suggests UK can keep this going every year. The worst-case scenario though would be a dip back to 4 or 5 wins. Personally I could live with 6 if I felt we were building for another run in '20.Comment
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It's true we have a lot of holes to fill next year, but for the most part, the guys stepping up looked better than decent when they had the chance this year. Plus we have 2 or 3 redshirts in the secondary that I'm anxious to see play. True that Wilson didn't seem to progress much from season beginning to season end, but how much his mid-season injury played into that, we just can't tell. The kid has all the tools, that's for sure.
Next year, I see 5 games where losing any would be a huge disappointment: Toledo, E Mich, Arkansas, Tenn-Martin, and UL.
UT is hard to read. The loss to them this year was inexplicable, but they also handed it to Auburn, and played Georgia a much better game than the score indicated. They also have recruited well over the last couple of years. Our game with them could be pivotal, I think.
4 games fall into the toss-up category: Missouri and Florida at home, and Vandy and South Carolina on the road.
2 games appear to be tall orders: Miss State and Georgia, both on the road.
So...if we win the 5 we should, beat UT at home, and 2 of the 4 toss-ups, we're looking at 8-4. I think we have reason to be optimistic.
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I think that Kentucky will be bowl eligible, I just don't know how much (if any) more
EVERYBODY loses someone next year. Mississippi State a ton. Florida, Vanderbilt. Mizzou and SC all lose players.
I think Tennessee is gonna be the blessed crew with returning kids.
Wilson SHOULD be better by natural maturing. My concern if we are talking passing is an O-line that can pass protect as well as run block....and we haven't had that.
6-8 wins. NOT being bowl eligible would be a big concern given the trajectory of the program.Comment
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I for one thought Wilson did improve some during the season, although minimal. He threw a few good passes in the bowl game, one in particular was a bullet pass of about 25 yards that was complete. He had time, his shoulders were square and he hit his target perfectly. That gives me hope, if the O-Line can protect him. I'm not to worried about our defense because it didn't seem to drop off much when the 2nd unit of DB's came in. My biggest concern is our RB's, where I think our subs may be better than the projected starter, but that's just my opinion. I'm already excited about spring practice.John 3:3
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First, Vandy, Missouri, SC and MSU are ALL losing top notch, long-term QBs. That will hurt them.
But let’s talk about UK.
Asc someone mentioned above, despite losing JA and Jones, the front 7 will be VERY good. I mean, VERY, VERY GOOD. The secondary is BY FAR the biggest concern on the entire team.
Despite losing an All-American OLinemnan, the program’s all-time leading rusher and. 4-year starter at TE, the offense will be better. We are set at Center and deep at OT. If Stenberg returns, we will be fine at OG. Wilson will have a year under his belt, Bowden will be a super star, and we will be be faster and deeper at RB. We have been stock-piling TEs and one or two of them will have to emerge, and they will. I am concerned about WR, but confident that someone will emerge. As I have detailed in another thread, I think the offense will benefit from not leaning so much on Snell. Gran will be forced to open things up a bit, and he will. And, we will score more simply because we will have to. Our inexperienced secondary will hurt the D, and we will not be able to sit on leads.
Special teams will be solid.
Will we win 10? Probably not. But we should go bowling again, and 7 or 8 is not that much of a stretch.
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Okay.....here is my dead horse:
perhaps a three or four committee of running backs can offset some of the loss of Bennie Snell. I'm okay with that. It was gonna happen.
My biggest concern is that even with an AA lineman, our O line was not effective at pass blocking. We are gonna be counting on some of the same guys to if not master at least get solid at that skill in a few months.
For me, Wilson's mechanics are just gonna be an issue. I WILL say he made some running plays where he DID dive headlong for it. So there's that.
We need a consistent receiver SOMEWHERE to free Bowden up. TE, back, wideout....anyone.
I think the Cats AS ARE will be good for six wins and a bowl next season. After that depends on way too many variables....development, maturation, attitude, game plan, perhaps a frosh outta nowhere.
I can hardly wait.Comment
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With all the talk about the oline, let's not forget we'll have Landon Young back next season as well.Philippians 4:11-4:13Comment
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Bohanna, McCall, Paschall, Calvin Taylor, Carter, Hoskins, Boogie Watson, Oats, Daniels, Square ... our front 7 may be among the best in the SEC. I don't think we will fall off as much as some may fear in our secondary. Landon Young will be back on the OL, Riggs at end and a couple of redshirts that are talented. We'll have Kinnard, Steinberg, Fortner, Jackson, and Wolfe in the trenches. My biggest concern is pass blocking. I don't think TW has been given much credit here. We would not have beaten Florida without him and he nailed the pass to CJ to beat Mizzou. A major concern going into this season was how many turnovers he was going to make. He was far better than expected in not turning the ball over. What really bothered me in the Penn State game is several times they poured through our OL like water through a screen door on pass plays. He took the sacks without losing the ball, or throwing it to a defender. When Johnson threw the long ball last year he had a couple of burners running under it in Badet and Johnson. I didn't see that kind of speed this year. We have some young burners coming in though. In any event, I'm cautiously optimistic about this next year. I think we could win 9. Florida and Georgia should not drop off, but then Georgia tanked against Texas. If they play like that against us we would have beaten them.Comment
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Losing the caliber of players like Josh Allen and Snell, there's no way to avoid a drop off next year.Extremism is so easy. You've got your position, and that's it. It doesn't take much thought. And when you go far enough to the right you meet the same idiots coming around from the left.
Clint EastwoodComment
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