KSR Today: National Championship Monday, Ryan's Colonoscopy, and More

Today we say goodbye to the 2022 college football season because later tonight, Georgia and TCU will play out the College Football Playoff’s title game to determine the sport’s new national champion. On one side, Georgia is one win away from repeating as champs and the Dawgs’ first undefeated season since 1980. On the other, TCU is the surprise challenger after Max Duggan and the Horned Frogs shocked the Big 12 with an undefeated regular season as the preseason seventh-place team in the conference.

Both teams won thrilling semifinal games on New Year’s Eve to get here and tonight at 7:30 pm, they will kick off the final game to decide the 2023 College Football Playoff National Champion in Los Angeles. Georgia is currently a 13.5-point favorite in the matchup.

But before we watch the last college football game, Ryan Lemond has a colonoscopy and we need to hear from him as soon as it’s done, plus other Monday things. It’s also the first day of classes at UK, so welcome back, kids.

Kentucky Basketball getting ready for South Carolina

After losing by 26 at Alabama, John Calipari called his team to the Joe Craft Center for a Sunday afternoon practice to try to work out some of the kinks before the team’s return home to Rupp Arena to play South Carolina (7-8). Tomorrow night, the Wildcats will host the Gamecocks with a chance to get back to .500 in conference play and find some confidence heading into Saturday’s challenge at red-hot Tennessee. South Carolina lost to Tennessee by 33 this past Saturday in Columbia.

For Kentucky, the list of issues is much longer than it should be at this time of the season, but the high-priority teaching points include spacing, ball movement, toughness, and the team’s mentality in games outside of Lexington. It’s unlikely everything will get corrected in the two days between games, but it’s important to see a step forward, not more regression when Kentucky plays its fourth league game Tuesday night, one of the easiest games on the remaining schedule.

South Carolina is ranked 264th in the NET rankings.

Pre-South Carolina Press Conference coming up later today

To preview tomorrow night’s Kentucky-South Carolina game, Kentucky will send out someone (?) to take questions about Saturday’s loss in Tuscaloosa and about the bounce-back opportunity against the Gamecocks. KSR will have all you need to know and the video from that conversation later this afternoon.

I assume John Calipari won’t be the interviewee behind the microphone to preview the game, so you will have to tune into his Monday night call-in radio show to get Calipari’s latest thoughts.

An update to the Top 25 without Kentucky in it

Monday means a new Top 25 will be released to reorder the rankings and it’ll be another week without Kentucky among the best in college basketball. Last week, Kentucky dropped out of the polls for the first time all season and the 26-point loss over the weekend will only push the Wildcats further away from consideration.

Kentucky is No. 46 in the updated NET rankings, still without a Quad 1 win and only one Quad 2 on the resume.

Kentucky Women’s Basketball dropped another one

Caught up in off-the-court drama with a former player, Kyra Elzy and Kentucky Women’s Basketball put the personal mess aside to host LSU in Rupp Arena on Sunday. Unfortunately, the visiting Tigers stole the show in the big building with a 67-48 win over the Wildcats.

Kentucky has now lost all four SEC games to open conference play and seven of eight overall. On Thursday, they’re back in Memorial Coliseum to host undefeated South Carolina, the No. 1 team in the country.

Yahtzee! Kentucky Football added a blue-chip DL transfer

In brighter Sunday news, Kentucky Football scored a Yahtzee from the transfer portal with the addition of Keeshawn Silver to next season’s roster. A five-star recruit in the Class of 2021, Silver left his home state University of North Carolina for other opportunities in college football, and he chose Lexington for his next school after visiting campus over the weekend.

Silver is a versatile defensive lineman that can help plug the hole left open by Justin Rogers’ surprise transfer. A redshirt sophomore, he has three years of eligibility remaining.

JJ Weaver coming back for one more year

In addition to the addition of the former Tar Heel, Kentucky Football’s 2023 defense got stronger with the exciting news that JJ Weaver will return for another year of college football before he chases his NFL dreams. Weaver participated in Senior Day festivities prior to the 2022 regular season finale versus Louisville, but ultimately decided he has more football left in Lexington as a fifth-year senior.

Thank you #BBN
This what’s best for me!! @UKFootball @UKCoachStoops @vincemarrow pic.twitter.com/xnZIVqbORd

— JJ Weaver (@jjtimeee) January 8, 2023

For his career to date, Weaver has 120 tackles, 24 TFLs, 10 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions as an athletic edge for Brad White’s defense. The Louisville native joins Kenneth Horsey (offensive line) and Brandan Bates (tight end) as veteran Wildcats who’ve announced an extra season since the Music City Bowl.

Liam Coen Watch is on

On the other side of the ball, Kentucky should announce its new offensive coordinator in the coming days now that Liam Coen is free to leave the LA Rams. The Rams’ season ended Sunday with an overtime loss at Seattle and it shouldn’t take long for Coen to officially return to his old office in Lexington as Kentucky’s next OC.

The rehire has been one of the worst kept secrets of the offseason while Kentucky allowed Coen the time and space to finish up his one year as the Rams’ OC. Nothing stands in the way now.

KSR to broadcast from outside Ryan’s colonoscopy

There is a lot to say on today’s KSR morning radio show, but in the second hour, Matt Jones and I will put the basketball aside to talk to a highly-sedated Ryan Lemond after Ryan’s morning colonoscopy. If you remember the first time we did this in 2016, you know how hilarious post-procedure Ryan was on the radio, so we are running it back again while keeping a quick finger on the mute button.

We will of course talk about Kentucky Basketball’s struggles, too.

Have a nice Monday. Go Cats.