The House of Blue

I accually think USC could be in play in CWS especially if Lattimore doesnt come back 100% off his ACL surgery. I also like UKs chances at home against MSU and Vandy better than their chances against Mizzo and UT on the road.

IMO to get to seven wins UK must beat UofL, the 3 other OOC games, MSU , Vandy and one of USC,Mizzo, and UT games. If UK loses to UofL UKs road to 6 or 7 wins becomes much tougher.

The reason that I say that USC might be in play if Lattimore isnt 100% is USC lost Jefferies and another of their starting WR and 3 starting OL . IMO Jefferies and Lattimore accounted for most of USC offense last year. They also lost their punter and PK. Off their defense they lost a DT, a DE, both CBs, and their spur LB/S hybrid. They will also be starting a young QB in a road game. Then you take in account that UK will be out for revenge after last years embarrasing game in Columbia and you have the formula for a possible upset.

If Tn is in a downward spiral it will show early on. I really don't think we are in a downward spiral, I just think Joker needs to show improvement and begin to land some solid recruits and he'll be fine. TN is just now getting to where they have a mature 2 deep because all their attrition 2-3 years ago and some can say what they want but Justin Hunter, Da-Rick Rogers, Marlin Lane and Tyler Bray are all possible ALL-SEC players. TN also has a solid group of 4 star O-lineman and possible stout defense returning now that Sal Sunseri (Ex-Bama coach) has taken over and changed from the 4-3 to the 3-4... Of coarse anything is possible but we will have to be on our A-game to beat those guys in Knoxville this year... I really think for us to beat them we need to be able to control the clock much like we did this past year (except have a legit passing attack with play-action "the lost part in our Off")... I really hope that Clemons can return to full health, he's such a stud.

In truth I look for us to win between 4-6 games. I do think it's possible to beat Vandy and UofL eventhough they are returning almost their entire Off, their Defense will have some new faces. I don't think Vandy's D will be as good, their Off could be scary good along with UofL's though. James Franklin is a tremendous coach, he has already proved that in less than 2 years, the way he had them ready to kick our butt and the effort he gives on the recruiting trail really amazed me, James does have a major is psychology, that has to help. If he sticks around I think they will be in the top 5-8 in the SEC within 2 or 3 more years. What they done with 2 and 3 star talent this past year really shocked me. Now that he's out there recruiting as hard as he and his staff can it's untelling how good they can be once all their 3 and 4 star talent starts to develop... One kid I look to be a stud for Vandy this year on the D-line is the Dixon kid. He was just a 3 star in their 11 class but he's very strong and explosive, he was a 280# DE similar to Pearson in HS... GO CATS!!!

i think we win 7. idk were they r coming from but i think this yrs offense can be pretty good. and i really like r dline. if we can get a nice pass rush from dupree huguenin and ukwu. with some push up the middle from cobble rumph coleman we could have a very stout run defense

I'm predicting 4 wins.

I really don't understand why people are predicting 3-4 wins as BEST case scenario. There is about a 5% chance we will be worse than last year and we STILL won 5 games. The SEC east will still be down, neither UL nor Vandy are THAT much better than us (Vandy went 2-6 in the SEC, just like us). It would take a streak of bad luck not seen since Pearl Harbor for us to win only 3-4. But it is UK football's luck so I guess that isn't totally impossible.

Guys don't get me wrong I would love to see 6-8 wins... Recruiting rankings aren't everything, but when you lack playmakers and quality depth at ILB it makes it tough to get W's. I really really hope between now and fall that Malcom and Rancifer can add some much needed mass or Brause or Jabari can play some at "WILB". If they can't we are going to get weak-side zoned to death...

Alot of the reason for the long runs off the zone-read in the SG was due to not having solid weak-side LB play. The "Rushbacker" 9 times out of 10 will get either a "quick" or a "chase" call. If he gets a "quick" call then he takes the RB and leaves the qb, if the Rushbacker gets a "chase" call then he takes the qb and the ILB's must take the RB. This is basic 3-4 defensive calls. The "quick-chase" call is always given to the end LB on the LOS that is on the same side as the RB. This wasn't being executed, no doubt it drove Rick crazy...

I do like our talent and depth on the D-line and safety but O-line, WR, still scares me. I do think Caffey will be a good one. He has a great body, I couldn't believe how much bigger he had got once I saw him, same for Dupree, Paschal, Miles Simpson and Farrington. All those guys have the skill to be break out players this year, I just hope Watson and Toth are both as strong as they look. I'm not sure if Jones or Swindle will really be able to help out much as freshman both seem to have alittle further to go than the first two.

If Toth could play some RT that would be huge. I'm pretty confident that Watson will be good to go, same for Whitlow, Mobley, Tiller, Pancho, Sweat and all the Blaylocks. I do look for Joker to play the Henderson kid (4 star LB) but at 210-215# it'll be very hard for him to shed O-lineman in the SEC at "WILB". Other than those guys i'm not sure how many more freshman will be 100 ready. If Chapman and Grafree can play that would help a ton as well, that's always hard to tell, I tell you one kid that's ready and a 1.5 from being on campus and that Hyde... He's honestly one of the strongest DT prospects i've ever saw. I wish he was coming this fall. I did read on CI that he plans on showing up in Jan of 13...

If we can develop a couple more playmakers between Bookie and Collins that would be huge to. We need a solid Punt and Kick returner badly, along with a punter... If we could find a dynamic player to put there that would be great and if all this could happen I think this very young and inexp team could win 5 to 7 games. However Max and our starting O/D line will have to play very good and stay injury free.

I just hope we can get a decent ground game going then once we do start to use more play-action like we did in the past. Bringing a good screen game back into our OFF would help out a ton too. I don't know why we haven't used more screens, heck we beat GA and Auburn a couple years ago with screens alone... Locke and Cobb were two very good screeners. I love the bigger RB's, I just wish we could go out and land another 5'10-185# RB/WR with speed and agility like Locke and Cobb had... Timmons would be nice.

I don't generally make predictions, because too much hinges on variables you cannot predict.

However, the fact of the matter is that UK won 5 games last season and lost the 6th by a touchdown at home, all while fielding the 3rd worst offense in the entire nation, which never improved to any significant degree, stat-wise.

The final two games of the season saw numerous freshmen and young players (all returning) hold the SEC East champs to 19 points (season average 32) at their place and (admittedly bad) Tenn to 7 (season average 20) at home.

We lost our two starting CBs (although Rice split reps with Mosely late in the season), our starting Rush (although Dupree got starts), Will, Sam and Mike (although Williamson split reps all season) backers, and a backup (or two) at DT. Returning are our three starting defensive linemen, two starting safeties, a Mike who split time last season, a CB who split time last season, a Rush backer with starts (and a lot of excitement around him) and numerous freshmen (specifically Lowery and Dixon) who saw action last year.

Our offense lost three offensive linemen (although Miller got a couple of starts), Nick Melillo, and Matt Roark. Returning are our all-SEC guard, center, left tackle with starts, three wrs with significant reps, right tackle who has seen reps, our leading receiver, both quarterbacks, all runningbacks, fullback, and all of the tight ends.

Sure, the possibility exists that another confluence of events could happen and somehow make this season worse than last season. An injury epidemic could really put a hurting on this team. But none of those injuries have happened yet, and it's really the same everywhere. If GA loses Aaron Murray and Jarvis Jones, suddenly they aren't as good. Alabama without AJ McCarron could struggle offensively. The point is, none of those things have happened yet.

Until they do, I don't see any reason to think this team won't be at least as good as last years team, and likely significantly better on the offensive side of the ball. Just improving one facet of this team to say, 24 points per game, will translate into a win or two more than last season. The 2011 football team averaged less than 16 points and approximately 260 yards of offense per game last season. Even a moderate improvement (a touchdown and 75 yards per game) will mean a better result.

However, if you believe that this team can't score one more touchdown a game this coming season (not won't, as discussed above, but that it is physically impossible) then nothing will change your predictions of 3-4 wins this season.

I don't agree with your tone Gridiron Joe, but you are right especially about the defense. Guy and Danny really did make up for 4.5 games worth of tackles by themselves... It really could get scary unless everyone is right about Sweat at WR and Collins-Clemons are 100% by the UofL game since it's so important. Like I kept saying, Joker and his staff really needed to get some Juco OT's, WR's and big 3-4 ILB's but he couldn't. There is alot to be happy about a year or two down the road but as far as the 12 season goes nobody in the SEC (or UofL) will be playing with so many unproven and very inexp players...

I don't get how every year it was like Brooks could go get good WR's but we can't. Stevie and Mathews were both studs... We also always had stud LB's under Brooks. Joker has to get some legit 235# LB's... Has too.

Arkansas will be great this year, potentially not as good as originally predicted, but still great.

As for teams predicted to be better, are you predicting UK to be better, worse, or exactly the same as last year? I mean, I recognize that UL will be better next year, because their freshmen QB, WR, OL, and DBs will likely improve. UL lost their leading tackler, leader in interceptions (top two leaders), leading rusher, punter, placekicker, 3 of 4 leaders in sacks (nearly half of all sacks) and there's absolutely no way that they could be worse, right?

Overall UK will likely be slightly better, IMO. Better on offense, slighly less on defense due to the losses and inexperience at linebacker and cornerback, special teams might take a step back with questions on the punting game.

From what little preseason analysis I've seen, think the predictions are that UL, Florida, Georgia, Miss State, and Tennessee will be better in 2012 than in 2011.

We do lose Winston and Danny but its possible an improved Dupree, Williamson, two monster DT's and the addition of Paschal and Huggenin and a years worth of experience in Minters system could make us better. Guys have got to really improve though. Pass rush wise we should be in much better shape than last year.

Well, when you look at the "for sure" wins, you start at three. Then you have the "no way" games- Florida, South Carolina, Arkansas, Jawja.

That leaves several possible games- Louisville, Miss State, Missouri, Vandy, Tennessee.

I guess I could see us winning 40-50% of those games, but our track record in the SEC isn't great. I would say that two of those is a stretch at this point, but the telling game will be the U of L game. If we win that on their turf it could be an interesting season. If not, I think you're looking at 3-5 wins, max.