Rocky Top Rolls Again, Maybe Next Year...

Once again, it appeared that Kentucky was going to end the streak. We've felt this way so many times before, but this time, the stakes were bigger than ever before. At halftime, they appeared to be on their way to making history with an almost perfectly executed first half of football on both sides of the ball. They were playing for 2nd place in the SEC East and a New Years Day Bowl Game, and to end the 24 year losing streak to the Volunteers. After the 1st half, everything was going according to plan and Commonwealth was about as loud as it had ever been.

Tennessee would not give up without a fight though. They rallied and took a three point lead and appeared to have the game won late in the 4th quarter. Then, something happened: a UT fumble in their own territory. Something that UK fans had been accustomed to happening to them in this series so many times before with the game on the line. This time, however, it was Tennessee fumbling the ball and giving UK the chance to win it. It was the complete opposite thing that Cats' fans have been accustomed to in this game, but it turned out to be just another tease.

Kentucky had the chance to win it, but after Morgan Newton fell shot three yards of a first down conversion on third down, UK settled for a field goal to tie it and bring the game into overtime. The decision to run a option keeper with Newton, instead of Randall Cobb, was definitely a puzzling one. If I was in Rich Brooks' shoes, however, I would not have passed the ball and risk a turnover. I would, on the other hand, have elected to put the ball into the hands of Randall Cobb on that third down play. His speed would most likely have picked up the first down, or at least make it close enough to be able to go for it on 4th down. If it would have been 4th and 1, instead of 4th and 3, Brooks said after the game that he would have gone for it and try to go for the win, instead of overtime. Overall, however, I thought the play calling in this game and in the entire second half of the season with a true freshman quarterback has been good for Joker Phillips. As this young offense matures, the more things they will be capable of doing and the more exciting they will be. They have already shown improvement in each and every game.

In overtime, the Cats lost the coin toss and had the ball first. The very first play looked to be a perfectly executed out-route 7 yards deep to the sideline, but the ball was dropped. It would have been a first down. Next play was a sack that pushed UK almost out of field goal territory. Newton had running room on 3rd down and could have put the Cats in better position to make a field goal, but instead threw an incomplete pass. Lones Seiber then missed a 49 yard field goal. It would mark the 2nd time in 3 years that a missed overtime field goal cost UK the game against the Vols, and also the 4th loss by less than 7 points in the last 5 years to the team that somehow, someway, ends up beating the Cats in ridiculous fashions for 25 years in a row.

(Photo courtesy of The CatsPause)

Not only did UK lose, but they didn't get any help from Georgia Tech or Clemson either. If the two best teams in the ACC would have been able to beat Georgia and South Carolina like they were supposed to, the Chick-fil-et Bowl would still have been a likely destination for the Cats on New Years Eve in Atlanta. But now, with six 7-5 teams in the SEC, who knows? UK could go anywhere from the Independence Bowl to Atlanta, but now it seems like another Music City Bowl against Florida State or Boston College is the most likely destination.

To sum up everything that happened on Saturday, here are a few truths that should make us feel a little bit better, some honest opinions and facts that I think should ease the pain of possibly the most heartbreaking loss in the history of Kentucky football:

• Kentucky could be in the Orange Bowl if they played in the ACC or Big East. Look at what two middle of the pack SEC teams did to the two teams that will be playing for an Orange Bowl bid next week in the ACC Championship.



• Kentucky was 4-1 on the road this season, winning very big SEC road games for the first time in a long, long time...against Auburn and Georgia



• There's still a chance the Cats are picked to play in Atlanta against the loser of the ACC Championship game. If not, we should still get another chance at a big time program like FSU or BC in Nashville.
  
  
• Unlike many of the other heartbreaking losses to Tennessee, including the 2007 game, this year the Cats return all their star players on the offensive side of the ball. All five touchdowns in last week's win over Georgia were scored by players that will be returning next year. Locke returns for his senior year, Cobb returns for two more years and aspires to be the Chris Lofton of football before he graduates, and Morgan Newton still has three more years to beat Tennessee. I wonder if Lane will still be around in Morgan's senior year?



• The Cats were just an overtime away from finishing 2nd in the SEC East. With our returning players, and Tim Tebow leaving Florida...the SEC East will be wide open next year. It's not ridiculous to think that the Cats could be a preseason #2 pick in the SEC East (Florida will still be a favorite, but not a heavy favorite) and could contend for the division title and SEC Championship appearance with a little more luck and less injuries next year.



• One last thing: after last night's game, I've made a personal commitment to attend every UK-Tennessee game for the rest of my life, in Knoxville and in Lexington, until the streak ends.

Where will the Cats go bowling?

Possible Opponents in Atlanta

Clemson

Virginia Tech

Boston College

Georgia Tech

Possible Opponents in Tampa

Wisconsin
Penn State
Iowa
Michigan State

With the huge win over Georgia last night, the Cats have finally positioned themselves in the upper echelon of the mighty SEC East. With three straight SEC road wins: @Auburn, Vanderbilt, and Georgia, they've finally taken that next step. They will not be playing a bowl game in the state of Tennessee this year. For the first time since Tim Couch led the Cats to the 1999 Outback Bowl on New Years Day, the Cats will be playing in a very significant warm-weather New Years (Eve or day) bowl game and can finish in 2nd place in the SEC East, 2nd only to the Florida Gators, with a win over Tennessee at Commonwealth on Saturday night. So far this has been a year of ending huge losing streaks to Auburn and on the road against Georgia. Ending the nation's longest losing streak against Tennessee and earning a ticket to Tampa to face Penn State, Iowa, or Wisconsin on New Years Day, would be icing on the cake for this roller coaster season that has seen highs, lows, injuries, and plenty of surprises along the way.

After beating Miami (OH) in the opener at Paul Brown Stadium, the Cats struggled in a win over Louisville before losing three straight games in a row in SEC play, two of them against the top two teams in the nation. They never gave up on the season, however, just like they never gave up down by 14 points towards the end of the 3rd quarter last night between the hedges against the Bulldogs. With a 2-3 record, their starting quarterback hurt and possibly out for the season, and just experiencing a devastating two point loss at South Carolina, it looked like it could be a long season for the Cats. Instead, the Cats shocked the Auburn Tigers the very next week. Two weeks later, the Cats experienced another very disappointing loss to Mississippi State. At this point, it looked like the Cats were headed to yet another Liberty or Music City Bowl. It even looked like that until about the 4th quarter of last night's game.

Then, one forced Bulldog turnover after another, an entire season and possibly an entire football program took a giant step forward with a comeback win at Georgia. A win that positioned the Cats to make it to a New Years Bowl Game, something that Andre Woodson couldn't even accomplish as a junior or senior. This time, a true freshman quarterback and all-around best player Randall Cobb, only a Sophomore, are taking the Cats to levels they've never been before. Saturday's battle with Tennessee will be possibly the biggest November home football game in the history of Commonwealth Stadium. The stakes are high, "the streak" could end, and unlike the similar 2007 matchup, there's a lot of positive momentum going into this game. It's going to be one of the best atmosphere's ever in Commonwealth, and I can't wait to be a part of it!

Win or lose, however, I believe the Cats are a lock to at least play in Atlanta on New Years Eve in the Chick-fil-a (formerly the Peach) Bowl for a number of reasons. Even if we lose to Tennessee, the overall records of UK, UT, and UGA will be identical, with UT having a one game edge in conference play, assuming that Georgia losses to Georgia Tech. This could propel the Vols ahead of the Cats in the bowl pecking order with the Vols in Tampa and the Cats in Atlanta, but as long as Georgia losses, the Cats will have one of the top two bowl spots in the SEC East (with Florida obviously playing in a BCS game).

The only scenario that could possibly take the Cats to another Music City Bowl would be a Georgia win over Georgia Tech combined with a UK loss to Tennessee. Then, the Peach Bowl would possibly prefer the in-state Bulldogs after a big win against their rival to end the season. But I believe that EVEN IF that happens, the Peach Bowl would have a hard time justifying the choice of the Bulldogs over the Cats after the Cats just beat the Dawgs on the road.

Plus, they can make more money off the Cats with more fans spending money on hotel rooms than if the in-state Bulldogs were in town. Big Blue Nation has broken attendance records in nearly every bowl appearance in the program's history. These bigger, non-BCS bowl games are a much bigger deal to us than they are for other SEC schools like UT and UGA, which is why we are a better choice for higher attendance and revenue. No matter what happens, I really like our chances to play in Atlanta. And if we beat UT, I think we're a lock to play in Tampa on January 1st.

It's been a great day for both the football and basketball teams today. But could you imagine bigger back-to-back days than an Outback Bowl appearance on January 1st followed by a certain basketball game scheduled for January 2nd at Rupp? Has there ever been a more exciting time to be a Big Blue fan? I don't think so.