First Down Kentucky: The Vibes aren't Great

Is this thing on? I’m a generally optimistic person, especially when it comes to Kentucky football. After all, it’s my job. Believing the worst is right around the corner is a terrible way to operate in your occupation on a daily basis.

Typically, turning the page to the next opponent following a bad loss is an easy way to put it in the past. That’s challenging when Georgia is the next team on the schedule. Here’s the thing, it doesn’t really matter.

The Kentucky football fanbase feels as checked out as I can ever remember. Exasperated and demoralized are adjectives I would use to describe the feeling that has completely consumed Big Blue Nation.

It’s understandable after the Kentucky offense was so hapless against South Carolina. What makes this feel different is that people aren’t even that angry online. That was the case in the immediate aftermath following the game. Now it just feels like no one cares to even talk about the team, whether it’s good or bad.

Of course, the online fanbase is only a small portion of Big Blue Nation. I’m confident we will see plenty of folks on Saturday afternoon tailgating ahead of a date with the No. 1 team in the country. Regardless, this week has been weird and I’m not sure what can change the fans’ apathetic attitude. This optimistic person can only hope an unpredictable team does the most unpredictable thing Saturday night at Kroger Field.

Because Kentucky spit the bit last week. CGD was a lock for UK if Cats won last week and we would have called the game as well. But South Carolina dominating that game we always adjust to the results from the previous week. https://t.co/tFwmXtGS9g

— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) September 12, 2024

Kirk Herbstreit has made Al Michaels a Dog Person

We all know Herbie as the college football guy, but tonight he will make his 2024 NFL season debut when the Dolphins (-2.5) host the Bills on Amazon Prime. The addition of Thursday night NFL games makes Herbstreit’s hectic travel schedule even wilder, but throughout all of his travels, he is accompanied by his beloved Golden Retriever, Ben. In a conversation with SI, Al Michaels admitted he’s never been a dog person, but Ben has changed his tune.

“You know what? I’m not an animal person,” Michaels said. “Kirk brought him last year and all of a sudden, I found myself in love with that dog. He’s a Golden Retriever. He’s beautifully behaved. Kirk is able to bring him around and he doesn’t even have him on a leash. I find him to be hysterical. One time, Kirk and I were at a hotel. We’re walking out of an elevator and the dog is walking with us and the dog is leading the way around like four turns. It looked like a Grand Prix course to get to Kirk’s room, and he knew exactly where it was. The dog is smart.

“I’ve never had a pet in my life or a vegetable, but I’ll have a pet before I have a vegetable.”

Come Hang with the KSR Crew before Kentucky vs. Georgia

We’re doing a little something different before the top-ranked team in the country comes to town. Adam Luckett and I will be Talking Ball together on the KSR YouTube Channel from the Cat’s Corner with our friends from REVELxp. When the Cat Walk concludes, walk to the north side of Nutter Field House where you’ll find us broadcasting at approximately 6 pm EST. With rain in the forecast, it’s going to be a weird atmosphere. Let’s get weird.

Hugh Freeze has been BAD as a Big Favorite

Auburn is a 28.5-point favorite this week against New Mexico. Over his last 18 games as a head coach, he was a double-digit favorite nine times. Freeze lost five of those games outright. That’s a recipe for disaster on The Plains.

2022 -13.5 Connecticut 33-36
2022 -10.5 Virginia Tech 22-23
2022 -24 New Mexico St 14-49
2023 -25 New Mexico St 10-31
2024 -12 California 14-21

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