(LEXINGTON, Ky.) – Just as C.J. Conrad hauled in the untimed 2-yard touchdown pass for Kentucky’s improbable 15-14 win over Missouri, I felt the earth suddenly shift. It wasn’t just a tepid tremble or slight quiver, but rather a gargantuan seismic displacement as the sports world tipped precariously on its axis. I never thought I’d be able to say these words in my lifetime, but KENTUCKY FOOTBALL IS RELEVANT ON THE NATIONAL LANDSCAPE!
Yes, you heard me right—Kentucky Football. The 11th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats will host the Georgia Bulldogs this coming Saturday at Kroger Field for a chance to do something they’ve never done before. Win that battle and the Cats are on their way to Atlanta to play in the SEC Championship Game.
Before everyone starts booking rooms on Peachtree, realize that it won’t be easy. Georgia leads the all-time series with Kentucky 57-12-3. They’ve won 19 of their last 21 games against the Wildcats, including the last eight in a row. Coach Kirby Smart’s #6 Bulldogs rolled over #13 Florida 36-17 last Saturday in their annual cocktail bash. They’ve got NFL-caliber talent and a pedigree to match. Make no mistake about it, Georgia’s as good as advertised.
But if there’s a defensive unit I’m rolling with, it has to be this year’s Wildcats. They’re now tied with Clemson for number one in scoring defense. They’re 10th in total defense, 12th in pass efficiency defense, and 17th in run defense. Against a high-powered Missouri offense, they forced eight straight three-and-outs in the second half. YOU GOTTA BE KIDDIN’ ME! I’ve never seen anything like it. As I’ve said before, https://huangswhinings.com/2018/10/21/as-good-as-it-gets , Josh Allen, Mike Edwards, and crew have proven themselves to be arguably the best EVER to have worn the blue and white.
Paul Finebaum of the SEC Network recently congratulated Coach Mark Stoops and the Wildcats on their recent big victory. “The scene Saturday in Lexington for Georgia will be epic,” he tweeted. In my opinion, the word “epic” does a disservice to the spectacle that is brewing in the Bluegrass. Batten down the hatches, cuz a big storm’s a comin’.
If Kentucky wins this Saturday, it’ll be an exorcism of sorts. No longer will ghosts of the long-suffering football past be haunting the Big Blue. Out with Florida and Chris Doering in 1993, or LSU and the Bluegrass miracle in 2002. No more bone-headed penalties, clock mismanagement, or botched coverages snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Disregard losses to Vanderbilt with twenty people left in the stands. Or Lonas Sieber missing a makeable 35-yard field goal in overtime to beat Tennessee—fuhgeddaboudit! ALL OF IT!
No, it’s out with the old and in with the new. From here on in, nothing but last-second victories, crowd-surfing coaches, and jubilant field-stormings allowed. A victory over the Bulldogs and you’ll see couches burning on campus like never before. A half-century of pent up angst and frustration released in sixty minutes of gridiron glory. How can you possibly top that?
WITH BASKETBALL OF COURSE! Believe it or not, three days later, Kentucky Basketball opens their regular season at the Champions Classic in Indianapolis against—get this—Duke University. It’s Mike Krzyzewski, the head devil himself and public enemy number one, bringing in his top-rated recruiting class to battle Calipari and his Cats. The villainous legacy of Steve Wojciechowski, JJ Redick, and Grayson Allen be damned. Ever since the Laettner shot, Kentucky fans have forever thirsted for sweet revenge on the national stage.
Should Kentucky upset Georgia in football and knock off Duke in basketball, I’m not sure what I’ll do—maybe shave my head, get a tattoo, or streak naked along press row. Historic milestone wins within single sports don’t happen very frequently. Titanic victories within dual universes simply don’t happen at all—NEVER!
That’s why this upcoming week may be the most significant in my half-century as a Wildcat fan. We’re not talking just monumental, extraordinary, or grand. With all due respect to Paul Finebaum, we’re not even talking “epic.” We’re talking the best one-two punch ever delivered—within a three-day span—by the most passionate fans on the face of the earth. Get ready for another seismic shift. Buckle your seatbelts BBN. It’ll be a week like no other—and I’ll be there to cover it all. Go Big Blue!
Dr. John Huang is a columnist for Nolan Media Group and a lifelong Wildcat fan. He’s currently working with former LEX18 sportscaster Alan Cutler on his new book. If you enjoy his writing, you can read more at www.huangswhinings.com or follow him on Twitter @KYHuangs.
Check out his most recent UK Sports coverage at http://www.themanchesterenterprise.com/category/uk-live-breathe-blue/
Check out his most recent Cincinnati Bengals and other professional sports coverage at http://www.bluegrasssportsnation.com/category/writers/john-huang
huangswhinings 
Crazy as usual.
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