Tag: Kentucky Football

Heart Versus Head

Heart Versus Head

Will Kentucky Football deliver fans a dream season or a heartbreaker? The heart thinks Coach Mark Stoops is headed for a magical ten-win campaign. The head says they’ll most likely hover around .500 (Photo Credit Dr. Michael Huang).

(LEXINGTON, Ky.) – It’s finally the end of August. Mercifully, for all the die-hard Kentucky football fans in the Commonwealth and beyond, that means talking season is over. Time for Stoops and crew to put up or shut up—to put behind them all the vacated wins, the “pony up” NIL comments, and the ill-advised courtship down in Aggieland—and start gearing up for another season of rampant expectations and stone-cold reality.

The coup-de-gras of talking season always involves bold and daring predictions about how the season will go. I’m no different in that regard. But this year, instead of plowing forward with prognostications from my big blue heart, I thought I’d also include those from my worry-addled head. It’s amazing how divergent the two can be.

Southern Miss, Ohio, Murray State, and Vanderbilt

These are the four teams on the schedule that both the heart and head readily agree on. Referred to by many as the “stinky” teams, they’re pretty much automatic wins. The heart thinks that Kentucky will win easily by thirty-point blowouts against all of them. The head is a little more cautious. After all, the Cats might let up a bit against inferior competition. And remember, Kentucky always manages to pull a stinker of their own every year. Nevertheless, all four of these games should be stat-padding confidence building wins for the boys wearing blue.

South Carolina, Louisville

These are two teams Kentucky should also be able to beat. They both take place in the friendly confines of Kroger Field against teams with comparable talent. The head fears that both opposing head coaches have a bit more to gain by taking down the Wildcats, but the heart is convinced that the home field advantage will be the ultimate difference maker. Fear not, then—Shane Beamer and Jeff Brohm be damned—both heart and head are predicting wins on these two critical swing games.

Tennessee, Texas

On the other end of the spectrum, both the heart and the head agree that the odds of pulling off victories in Knoxville and Austin are slim to none this year. As far as the Vols are concerned, Kentucky has only won once on the orange checkerboards in the last forty years. Some may say they’re long overdue. The heart and the head both say, “Nope.” Long suffering UK football fans understand it’s simply not going to happen.

As for the Longhorns, they’re the new sheriff in town. They’ll be ramped up for anyone sporting the SEC logo on their uniforms. Steve Sarkisian can coach, the game-day atmosphere will be off the charts, and the next to last regular season game most likely indicates the Cats will be limping to the finish line. Time to put both of these games in the loss column.

Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, Auburn

Here’s where the head and heart take radically different paths.

Most pundits have already anointed Georgia as league champs. Not so fast says the heart. It’s easier to get to the top than to stay on top. Plus, Brock Vandagriff will have something to prove against his former teammates. If the wonder-boy transfer is as good as they claim, September 14 will be the day the legend begins. KENTUCKY IN A MONUMENTAL UPSET. The head on the other hand says, “You’re nuts!” Kentucky has lost 14 in a row to Georgia, and Mark Stoops has never sniffed a victory against the Bulldogs in his lifetime. Not going to happen this year.

The Ole Miss game is certainly winnable, and the heart predicts a huge road conquest in Oxford. Kentucky nearly did it last time they paid a visit to The Grove. Unfortunately—says the head—Lane Kiffin’s squad will be better than advertised. They return a boatload of offensive firepower combined with one of the best transfer classes in the country. Enjoy the tailgating because you’re not leaving the Magnolia State with a “W.”

Kentucky has gained the upper hand on the Gators recently, winning four out of the last six. Coach Billy Napier’s hot seat will explode when the Cats make it five out of seven—thinks the heart. “Not going to happen,” says the head. Just like they say in the stock market—past performance is no indicator for future success. The atmosphere in The Swamp will be too hot to handle. According to the head, it’s heartbreak hotel for Kentucky fans making the trip.

This isn’t your daddy’s Auburn team—claims the heart. In fact, it’s not even close in regard to talent. Bo Jackson and Cam Newton are not walking through that door. Throw in a rabid home crowd and you should see some happy home revelers in the Bluegrass as Halloween approaches. But Auburn is still Auburn—cautions the head. Tradition matters. Plus, this has the makings of the aforementioned stinker game. It’s a huge letdown as the thump, thump, thump of basketballs reverberates and takes over.

So, there you have it. The heart claims 10 – 2 and a spot in the twelve-team playoffs. The head fears 6 – 6 and a consolation invitation to the Independence Bowl.

Whether it’s a magical playoff run all the way to Atlanta or a mundane trip to Shreveport, one thing’s for sure—Kentucky football fans will have plenty of reasons to keep their cardiologists (and psychiatrists) on speed dial. Buckle up BBN, it’s going to be one exciting ride.

See you along the way.

Dr. John Huang is a retired orthodontist, military veteran, and award-winning author. You can follow him on social media @KYHuangs and check out his debut novel, “Name, Image, and Murder” and all his books at https://www.Amazon.com/stores/Dr.-John-Huang/author/B092RKJBRD

This blog posting first appeared as part of Nolan Group Media publications.

Wildcats Seek Redemption in Rivalry Showdown

Wildcats Seek Redemption in Rivalry Showdown

Kentucky Coach Mark Stoops presented with the perfect opportunity to “pony up.” Popping Louisville’s 10 – 1 bubble can drastically change the perception of Kentucky’s disappointing season to date (Dr. Michael Huang Photo).

(LEXINGTON, Ky.) – Thank God for Louisville.

After a demoralizing 17 – 14 loss to the lowly South Carolina Gamecocks, the Kentucky football program appears poised on the brink of a momentous season-ending crash and burn. Not only have dreams of a magical ten-win campaign gone by the wayside, but the reality of a 6 – 6 trainwreck has even a few die-hard crazies calling for Mark Stoops’ scalp.

There’s only one potential saving grace for the embattled Kentucky coach. Ironically, it comes from a program just down I – 64 that previously served as Stoops’ whipping boy. Four straight wins over a Louisville little brother had the Kentucky head man cruising comfortably in his own skin…until now.

Lo and behold, how times have changed.

There’s a new sheriff in town on the Cardinals’ sidelines. Coming into this Saturday’s high-noon showdown, Coach Jeff Brohm—in his first year at the helm—is looking for Louisville’s 11th win for the first time since the 2012 season. The Cards picked up their 10th win last Saturday for only the seventh time in school history and the first time since 2013. Their 38 – 31 victory over Miami also clinched a spot in the ACC title game—Louisville’s first and only appearance ever in any conference championship.

And now, Stoops and company get a chance to crash the party. By taking down their intra-state rivals on the home turf of L&N Stadium, Kentucky can show once and for all that even a mediocre SEC team is heads and shoulders above the best that other lesser conferences have to offer. Bragging rights are certainly in order, but for the Big Blue faithful, there’s a lot more at stake.

For Kentucky fans, it’s a serendipitous shot at redemption.

No matter how you slice it, this upcoming Governor’s Cup is a potentially nurturing salve to what has turned into a poop storm of a Kentucky season. Sure, the team stunk it up with its undisciplined play on the field. And off the field, the false bravado early on and Stoops’ infamous “pony up” comment only added to the program’s existing woes. But knock the Cardinals off of their high-and-mighty perch, and we can at least put the torches and pitchforks away for one more season. A win won’t right all the awful wrongs, but it sure can change the narrative of a program approaching freefall.

If Stoops was feeling the pressure of a fan base in revolt, he certainly didn’t let on at his weekly Monday news conference.

“It’s been a tough stretch, without a doubt,” Stoops acknowledged. “This is another game. It certainly doesn’t salvage some of the things that we’ve done or anything like that. We don’t look at it that way. We look at it as another opportunity.”

I beg to differ. It’s not just another opportunity, but rather it’s a golden opportunity for Kentucky football fans to have something legitimate to cheer about in a season gone horribly sour. Beat U of L, win your bowl game, and suddenly 8 – 5 isn’t that far off from what many of the disgruntled experts predicted preseason.

There’s a difference between disgruntlement and disappointment.

Win or lose, Stoops has consistently denied any sort of disgruntlement emanating from him or his team.

“When did I ever say I was disgruntled?” he snapped back when asked his thoughts after the Alabama blowout. “You put words in my mouth. I never said I was disgruntled. I said I’ll never be defeated. A touch disappointed, I’m not disgruntled, I’m not defeated, I’m on to the next, I’m going to go try to win this game.”

If social media were any indication, it sure seemed there was some disgruntlement coming from players and their parents after the stinker the Cats pulled in Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. But less than forty-eight hours after the carnage, Stoops remained unperturbed.

“I’m disappointed with that game that comes from investing so much,” Stoops acknowledged. “But far from defeated. Our team will show the resolve that we’ve always had and come back this week and try to put together a great week. The bottom line is go execute a little better than we did Saturday.”

And what about his “pony up” comment?

There’s been a lot made about those two infamous words Stoops uttered on his coach’s show just a few short weeks ago. I personally think fans and media grossly misconstrued his intentions. Unfortunately, if things go south from here, they’ll most likely permanently etch those words on his UK coaching tombstone.

“I really don’t want to talk [about it], I want to move past that,” Stoops said when asked if he’d like to go back and change the way he presented those comments. “You have to listen to the whole conversation. Everyone takes a piece of something you say and [they] act like you’re making an excuse. Please go back and listen to the one-minute conversation. That’s at my radio show. It’s a little more laid back. We can just discuss and talk.”

“I was very up front with the caller,” Stoops continued. “It’s like fans have every right. I never get offended or defensive. I may defend our program or our players or say things that we need. But as far as that goes, that was nothing. It was something I light-heartedly said that that person can do something—that is a way they can do something. Outside of that, I make no excuses. You know I haven’t for eleven years. I’m not going to start now. I’ll tell you facts and I’ll tell you reality.”

Here’s the reality—beat Louisville and all is forgiven (well, almost all).

Lose to the Cardinals, and you’ve got a lot more explaining to do.

Dr. John Huang is a retired orthodontist, military veteran, and award-winning author. He currently serves as a reporter and sports columnist for Nolan Group Media. His latest book, “They Call Me Mr. Secretary,” has been met with great anticipation. You can follow Dr. Huang on social media @KYHuangs and check out all his books at https://www.Amazon.com/stores/Dr.-John-Huang/author/B092RKJBRD