KSR Today: 2 more sleeps until Kentucky hosts Miami (OH)

ZGeogheganKSR

On3 image — Photo by Jacob Noger | UK Athletics

Good morning, folks, and welcome to the month of September! You’ve nearly made it through the entire offseason. Congratulations! That’s right, football is back in just two more sleeps. The 2022 season kicks off against Miami (OH) on Saturday night in Lexington. The weather is shaping up to be quite literally a perfect evening for football, too. If you haven’t made plans to attend (or figured out how to watch it online), make sure to take care of that now.

Kentucky is all the way locked in at this stage. Following football practice on Wednesday afternoon, the KSR crew was back in attendance to hear from the likes of defensive coordinator Brad White, defensive backs coach Chris Collins, and cornerbacks Andru Phillips and Maxwell Hairston. What are their expectations for the RedHawks? Find out by subscribing to KSR’s YouTube channel.

Later today, we’ll hear from head coach Mark Stoops one more time before the opener. While we wait for him to take the podium, let’s dive into the rest of today’s news and notes, starting with some of our written football content from Wednesday.

Kentucky win total still set at 7.5

While the KSR team is confident that Kentucky will hit at least nine or 10 wins this season on the gridiron, the bettors aren’t as convinced. Which means you’ve got an opportunity to snag some free money. A couple of major betting websites still have the ‘Cats set at a 7.5 win total.

Here are BetOnline‘s win totals for the rest of the teams in the SEC (Vanderbilt is now off the board since they played in Week 0).

Alabama: 10.5
Arkansas: 7.5
Auburn: 6.5
Florida: 7
Georgia: 10.5
Kentucky: 7.5
LSU: 7
Mississippi State: 6.5
Missouri: 5.5
Ole Miss: 7.5
South Carolina: 6.5
Tennessee: 7.5
Texas A&M: 8.5

Bovada also has the Cats’ SEC win total at 4.5 (Over -120/Under -110).

Kentucky’s goal this year is to make the SEC Championship in Atlanta. Right now on Bovada, the ‘Cats are listed at +1200 to make the title game, with Georgia the favorite at -550. When it comes to winning the SEC Championship, Kentucky is +4000 on BetOnline.

Calipari to receive Public Service award

Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari is set to receive the Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Sports by Multiplying Good on November 2.

For more than 50 years, Multiplying Good has honored those who put others first. Those receiving the Jefferson Award are empowered to do more, while their stories of extraordinary public service inspire others to action. It is an award that underscores impact.

“I am humbled to be recognized in this way,” Calipari said. “As I look back at my career in basketball and serving the community, things like this will matter to me more than any other award or recognition.”

A deserving honor for a true LEADER.

Congratulations to @UKCoachCalipari, as he is set to receive the Jefferson Award for Public Service in Sports! pic.twitter.com/jZZ2wbTxai
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) August 31, 2022

Founded over 50 years ago by Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Sen. Bob Taft Jr., and Sam Beard, Multiplying Good is the world’s most foremost and highly celebrated organization focused on and honoring public service. They have honored our country’s most significant trailblazers and changemakers and each year recipients are honored at the Jefferson Award Ceremony in New York and Washington, D.C.

Other recipients of the Jefferson Award include Arthur Ashe, Tom Brokaw, Larry Fitzgerald, Betty Ford, John Glenn, Bob Hope, Steve Jobs, Shaquille O’Neal, General Colin Powell, John D. Rockefeller and Oprah Winfrey. Calipari is the first men’s college basketball coach to receive the honor.

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Podcasts! Come and get your podcasts!

If you haven’t noticed, KSR is building a monster over on our YouTube page. On top of it being your one-stop-shop for Kentucky player and coach interviews, it now includes all of the KSR podcasts (and boy there are a ton).

All 12 members of our panel picked the ‘Cats to win at least nine regular-season games. Five of us predicted UK will enter the postseason with 10 wins, and two brave souls even have the Cats knocking off Georgia. The website staff — including BTI! — met virtually to reveal and break down the picks.

The KSR Football Podcast is kicking off its EIGHTH season on the airwaves by previewing the 2022 Kentucky football season. Nick Roush, Drew Franklin, Freddie Maggard and Adam Luckett take a closer look at what’s to come, starting with a preview of the Wildcats’ home-opener against Miami.

KSR’s Jack Pilgrim is joined by Shawn Smith of Go Big Blue Country for episode 205 of the Sources Say Podcast to break down the latest in Kentucky basketball recruiting and provide roster updates post-Bahamas.

We’ve talked ad nauseam about the 2022 Kentucky football season. Now 11 Personnel shares exactly how Saturday’s game between Kentucky and Miami (OH) will unfold, predicting the game with accuracy that would make Bobby Boucher’s girlfriend blush.

Women’s soccer heads to WKU

The Kentucky women’s soccer team is off to a terrific start in the 2022 season with a quick 4-0-0 record, the most wins ever by the program during the month of August and the best start since 2012. The Wildcats will now pit their perfectection against the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky in a road matchup later tonight. The match is set to begin at 8:00 p.m. EST and can be streamed live on ESPN+.

Speaking of soccer at Kentucky, the men’s side is also off to a terrific beginning to the new season. The Wildcats are now ranked No. 6 in the country following a 2-0-0 start with wins over the University of Illinois Chicago and Seattle.

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. We’ve got the KSR Pre-Show airing live right now with the main show following it up in an hour. It’s almost football time in the Bluegrass…