KSR Today: NFL Playoffs, MLK Day, New AP Poll, UKWBB vs. #1, and More

Good morning and Happy Martin Luther King Day, KSR readers. Today, we honor civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. with a holiday remembering Dr. King’s legacy and advocacy for racial equality and justice. Americans celebrate MLK Day on the third Monday of January each year, and in 2024, the holiday falls on Dr. King’s actual birthday, January 15. Americans have officially observed the holiday in his name since President Ronald Reagan signed the federal holiday into law in 1983.

Dr. King’s impact is widespread, lasting well beyond his lifetime and the civil rights movement of the mid-20th century. His “I Have A Dream” speech in 1963 is one of the most influential and symbolic speeches in history.

Now, your Monday morning rundown of less important things, like the latest in UK Athletics and Dallas Cowboys’ misery:

NFL Playoffs continue (without the Cowboys)

We entered the weekend with five NFL Playoff games on the schedule, and almost all of them were played as planned. In Buffalo, a winter storm postponed the Bills-Steelers game from Sunday until Monday, so we have that one to look forward to later today. Kickoff is at 4:30. Fans got the snow cleared.

These fans took up the Buffalo Bills on their $20-an-hour offer to shovel snow, and they managed to have a little fun too! https://t.co/mYs8lq60jz pic.twitter.com/1F2nxWsgbQ

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) January 15, 2024

Around the rest of Wild Card Weekend, the home teams won in Houston, Kansas City, and Detroit, meaning the Browns, Dolphins, and Rams have all gone home for the summer. The Dallas Cowboys, too. Yesterday, the Cowboys got destroyed at Jerry World as the No. 2 seed in the NFC, allowing 48 points to Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers. By winning, Green Bay became the first No. 7 seed to advance to the next round.

Here’s your updated Divisional Round schedule with two games still to play. Philadelphia and Tampa Bay follow Buffalo and Pittsburgh today.

The Cincinnati Reds took the Lions’ record

By beating the LA Rams on Sunday Night Football, the Detroit Lions broke out of the longest playoff drought in sports. The Lions hadn’t won a playoff game since the 1991 season. Now, the winless honor goes to Cincinnati for the Reds’ current playoff drought. The Reds last won a playoff round in 1995. The Dolphins now have the NFL record (2000).

Here we go again with Liam Coen

All of the one-and-done talk usually stays on the north side of campus, but Kentucky Football has some one-and-done drama surrounding Liam Coen, who is reportedly a candidate for multiple coaching positions that aren’t in Lexington, Kentucky. Coen is in conversations in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and in college football with Ohio State.

I think Liam Coen is serious candidate for the Bears and Ohio St OC job. He has big options

But it was also made clear to the UK staff he wouldn’t be a One and Done on his second trip to Lexington

People in LeX think he will stay, but if he doesn’t, I think folks will be upset

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) January 14, 2024

If Coen were to leave, it would be his second time bolting out of Kentucky after one season. Back in the fall, he assured the coaching staff and many of the fans that his second stint would last more than a year. Everyone understood Coen’s first exit when his old boss and the defending Super Bowl champion came calling after the 2021 season. His colleagues and the fans in Big Blue Nation may not be as understanding if he gives Kentucky another one-and-done. The timing would be bad for a new hire, and it would leave Mark Stoops searching for an OC for a fourth straight year. Not to mention, Coen hand-picked the new QB.

I’ll be surprised if he goes. Still, it’s a storyline to watch during the offseason coaching carousel at both levels.

Kentucky Basketball in the new AP Poll

In the wide world of Kentucky Basketball, a door opened for a climb up the AP Poll if the Wildcats could escape the week unbeaten in games against Missouri and Texas A&M. Three of the five teams ahead of Kentucky lost last week, but Kentucky followed their lead on Saturday, dropping a close game at A&M in College Station.

Today, we will see how that loss impacted Kentucky in the rankings. A win against the Aggies would’ve propelled UK into the top three, but now, their fate is up to what voters think of that road loss. Kentucky was the biggest mover in CBS’s Top 25 and 1, dropping seven places from eighth to fifteenth. The new AP will be revealed around lunchtime.

SEC Player of the Week Watch

In addition to the new Top 25, the Southeastern Conference will name its Players of the Week with a Monday afternoon press release. Unfortunately, Kentucky does not have a serious contender for the POTW award. Alabama’s Mark Sears, who I wrote about last week, is a name to watch after he averaged 26.5 points in wins over South Carolina and Mississippi State. Sears is the SEC’s leading scorer. Rob Dillingham and DJ Wagner can make a case for Freshman of the Week, but Mississippi State rookie Josh Hubbard outscored both. We’ll see.

Kentucky hosts Mississippi State on Wednesday

Kentucky’s midweek game falls on Wednesday this week when Mississippi State comes to Rupp Arena for a 7 p.m. start. The Bulldogs have already dropped SEC games to South Carolina and Alabama. Still, Tolu Smith is a problem inside and Mississippi State has a win over fifth-ranked Tennessee on its January resume. It will be a tough fight in downtown Lexington.

Tomorrow, UK will preview the game with a press conference. KSR will cover the pregame comments from whoever steps up to the microphone.

VJ Edgecombe picked Baylor

Kentucky Basketball lost more than a game over the weekend. On Sunday, five-star prospect VJ Edgecombe passed on the opportunity to play for John Calipari, choosing Baylor over the Wildcats and Duke from his final three. At least it wasn’t Duke!

Edgecombe is On3’s fifth-best talent in the senior high school class. Kentucky made a late push in his recruitment, but Baylor had the stronger relationship in the end.

UK Tennis opens its season today

On campus, Kentucky Men’s Tennis will open its 2024 spring season with a Monday doubleheader. The Wildcats earned a No. 11 ranking in the ITA preseason poll, and today, Cedric Kauffman’s squad will host Northern Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky in separate competitions at the Boone Tennis Complex. The first match is at 11 a.m.; the second at 4 p.m. in Lexington. Admission is free to fans.

See Kentucky’s entire schedule here.

Kentucky Women’s Basketball vs. South Carolina

Kentucky Women’s Basketball is in action tonight at No. 1 South Carolina. The Gamecocks are a perfect 15-0 on the year with three lopsided results in early league play. At 7 p.m., the Wildcats will try to spoil that unbeaten record and get back to even in the conference. Watch the game on SEC Network. Phoenix Stevens wrote the blueprint for a victory.

Today’s KSR Show is a replay episode

iHeart took the day off to observe the holiday. Shannon The Dude will play a ‘Best Of’ while we are away, then the show will return tomorrow to recap the weekend and preview what is ahead.

Go Cats.