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Guys, I'm sorry. I really am.
First, let me say. Some of you may have noticed I've been absent from the board concerning much of the pre football season. I have been in fine health. But, I strongly suspected that this season would be a bad one. I typed up a nice long response to the season prediction thread, in which I listed why I felt more than doubt, but dread, about the team. But, I finished it, read it, and then just decided to not even post it, because I just didn't think it necessary to be the voice of negativity in the midst of hopes for 7-5, 8-4, or even 6-6 seasons.
Let me speak truthfully. I didn't watch the game last night. In fact, let me be completely transparent, I deliberately made other plans in order to not watch the game last night. I took my son to a race in Richmond. Why? Because, as much as I might have gained hope and been inspired by a win, I believed UK would lose the game. And, I decided before this season started, to be a pragmatic observer, and not a fan. I made the choice to allow the program to win me back with play that I could enjoy, before I would invest even the slightest emotion and, more importantly, a single second of my time.
Oh, I looked in, via my phone apps, and checked some stats and saw the scores. Beginning with some pleasant surprise, and then... Well, we all know. So, I got home in time to see the final quarter of the game.... But, I didn't watch it. Not even a channel flip. Not a glance. I watched Bama. I watched Auburn. I consumed a good product, and let the scroll on the bottom of the screen inform me, and the occasional glance here to see the inevitable trend from hopeful, to dread. And then from dread, to bitterness. The same path I have taken with this program for ALL of my adult life. Excepting a span of four to five years, this is the truth of being a fan.
Now, I picked USM to win, but would never have done so if I could have envisioned a first half with that production!!!. Unfortunately, I also would never have envisioned a second half collapse of similar proportion.
Let me just gloss over a few points from my preseason thoughts. I didn't save them, so here are the high points.
QB: Completely unknown. (After this game, looks promising)
Backs: Too small, too fragile.
Line: Kinda stunning to me that anyone overlooked the fact that, outside of Toth, and maybe eventually Gearge AA, none of these guys could hold a starting spot in the SEC. They may have been here for a while, but they've been here and been pedestrian, even benched at times, while here. Seemed like we looked at heights, weights, and experience and just arrived at the conclusion that we'd be good. Folks, the best indicator of future performance, is past performance.
Receivers: Size. Speed. Can they catch? (it appears they did OK)
Tight Ends: Not been used in 4 years. I suspected they'd be afterthoughts.
Defense. We just don't have the talent. We're a middle of the road non-power 5 team in the trenches and LBs, and ONLY SEC in the secondary.
I continue to maintain that Matt Elam is a football Shagari Alleyne. Barring a miraculous re dedication and transformation, he will be the biggest bust in school history. My prediction is a 5 star pick who never sees an NFL snap.
Secondary: The lone bright spot. Not arrived yet, but the promise and talent is there. At least a couple of guys who could play or compete anywhere in the league.
So, I'm glad I missed the game. But, I see some reason for optimism in that first half production. It means that, at least, there's ability there. If it can be harnessed, and provided with consistency, and especially in light of the fact that the SEC appears to be a bit down this year, it means it's a race to get capable. If UK can do it, a bowl is possible. If not, then.... uggg. But, this is a race put squarely on the coaches. This season will be very revealing about pure coaching ability. Not recruiting. Not Strength and conditioning. But good ole fashion instruction, motivation, judgement, and situational awareness. The talent is there to compete in the games we can expect to compete in.
I was among the first, if not the first, to say Stoops should have been dismissed last season. And, but for a ridiculous contract (Can we say, Charlie Weiss?) he would have been. But, here is the season to prove me wrong.
I'll probably watch the Florida game, possibly just a portion of it, just to see if lessons from week one translate to more hunger, or fall to resignation. Either way, I'll continue as a dispassionate observer waiting to be won over, or affirmed as a reasonable doubter. It's not the feeling I desire, nor do any of you, but it's the only reasonable demeanor to have, I think.
Last edited by Katmendo; 09-04-2016, 10:53 AM.Comment
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^Well said Katmendo, and mirrors the way most of us feel.John 3:3
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I really appreciate your observations Katmendo. It seems reasonable except for the first half. A mental error on coverage allowed a touchdown at the end of the half. Prior to this our offense and defense were, for the most part, dominant. So how is it possible? If I accept the points you make so well, how do I account for our play in the first half? If the best predictor of future performance is past performance, then the second half should have gone the way of the first half. Ok, so a larger sampling of previous performances is needed. It's for sure Southern Miss wasn't sleep walking in the first half. I'm going to quit trying to make sense of it.Comment
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I for one truly appreciate prayers. No joking here. I stayed away as KATMENDO did because I too thought this was a game that could go wrong. Not the way it went bad but man did it go wrong. I did predict a W i will say that.
I watched the game with my sons and brother. We had a blast talking about old times and what my 2 boys are going through in college life. One goes to UK one goes to UofL. We had a bunch of laughs. Hated the game but had a bunch of laughs talking about life and telling tales.Last edited by Pobilly; 09-04-2016, 12:09 PM.Proverbs 25:24Comment
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I'm glad others are looking at this team in terms of "product." My first post actually included "inferior product" and why we shouldn't accept it, but I deleted it.Comment
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USM has a good team, for sure. Having said that, a C-USA team should rarely, if ever, beat a SEC team, even a bad SEC team, in my opinion. Can you image the uproar if a C-USA team beat our bb team?Philippians 4:11-4:13Comment
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Basketball is much different.
Upsets are much more frequent, and there's more parity through the conferences.
We have been beaten by C-USA teams. And MAC teams. And Ohio Valley teams. No shame in that unless it begins to happen with regularity (see Joker Gillispie).
Football is a lot more top-heavy...but of course there are upsets.
I'm not sure what we saw Saturday was an upset necessarily. They looked simply better.Comment
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The point I'm trying to make is if that happened in bb, I doubt if you would find a single fan making the excuse that they're a very good C-USA team.Philippians 4:11-4:13Comment
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In fact people have made that excuse about basketball before. When we lost to Western, VMI, San Diego. When Cal's team almost lost to Miami (Ohio).
Sometimes it's true: it really is a good team, regardless of conference.
The problem with Stoops goes way beyond this. What we're beginning to see now is a pattern of mediocrity. While Southern Miss is good, Kentucky had that big lead, and you've got to hold that at home. The collapse was reminiscent of a lot of other things we've seen from Stoops' teams here, notably a total lack of adjustments.Comment
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I see your point, but it's slightly different. Our basketball team is the winningest program in history and we are in the running for a final four just about every year. That would be like Bama football losing to a CUSA team. Now, if Bama basketball loses to a CUSA team this year their fans will be upset but they'll quickly move on. I'm not suggesting any of us be happy and satisfied with a 5 or 6 win football team every year, but with us being a basketball school I think a six or seven win football team every year is more than enough to keep me happy. We don't know if we are there yet because we are only one game into the season. If we go on to win six games this year the first game won't ever be mentioned again. If Bama basketball goes on and makes the tournament as an 11 seed their fans never complain about losing to Charlotte again. I don't think fans would be calling for Avery's head but I may be wrong. So many of us are calling for Stoops to go but I'll wait until the last game of this year is over.Comment
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Football and basketball are just so much different in terms of the disparity between the big-time programs and the lesser conferences.
Alabama could go through a 60-game season with their better teams and maybe only lose a couple of times. Unless they're very susceptible because of probation or injury or something, then these bigger programs just aren't losing to teams out of the power conferences unless it's a total fluke.
Happens quite a bit in basketball. It's just a way more unpredictable sport.
There are football teams who are so much better than their league, though. Southern Miss is one of those. Appalachian State is. WKU definitely is.
In that way it's not such a shame that Kentucky lost...until you get into looking at how we lost, and how badly we needed that game.Comment
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