Expectations: Kentucky Wildcats Football

2006 saw the program truly turn a corner. The 'Cats finished 7-5 with a victory over the favored Clemson Tigers in the Music City Bowl in Nashville by a score of 28-20.

Along comes the magical start to the 2007 season. Sitting at 2-0, the third game ended with a last second win over then No. 8 Louisville. After going 2-1 over their next 3 games came a program changing three overtime epic victory over the L.S.U. Tigers. (Eventual National Champs might I add.)

The Kentucky Wildcats were actually ranked No.8 in the next week's AP poll. ESPN College Gameday also broadcasted live the following week from Lexington for a game versus the Florida Gators that Kentucky lost. The high point of my football fandom had officially been reached.

Brooks and company stumbled a little down the stretch, finishing 8-5, but ended with another Music City Bowl victory over Bobby Bowden's Florida State Seminoles.

2008 saw the 'Cats take a small step backwards, finishing 7-6. However, the season did conclude with another postseason victory, this time over Skip Holtz's favored East Carolina team in the Liberty Bowl.

Rich Brooks had won three consecutive bowl games. Something no other head coach in the history of the Wildcats program had accomplished, including Bear Bryant.

So now the expectations have been raised, even if just slightly.  On January 18, 2007, offensive coordinator Joker Phillips was named head coach in waiting, supposedly easing the transition period when "PaPaw" finally calls it a career.

My hope is that Brooks and Phillips continue to raise perceptions and expectations. Now that Kentucky had started down the right path, I don't want to become satisfied with 7-5, 7-6, and 8-5 like in years past when losing records were acceptable.

I want to expect the Wildcats to compete for championships, both conference and national.

Kentucky currently owns the second longest non-conference winning streak in the country behind L.S.U. at 14 games. Now they can work on ending the 24 and 22 year losing streaks to Tennessee and Florida, respectively. Ending those two nightmares would be one of the best gifts the staff could ever give Wildcat fans.

Please, Rich and Joker, continue what you have been doing and raise the bar even higher. Don't let us become used to being bridesmaids when for so many years we weren't even invited to the wedding.

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