KSR Today: The Final Day Without College Football
A wise man once said that the wait is the hardest part. Well, now we’ve reached what feels like the longest stretch of waiting for the Kentucky football season to start.
The arrival of game week brought a new routine. There’s some excitement in finding a new rhythm, the phrase Mark Stoops has used multiple times. There was also still some excitement lingering from week zero. Now we’re just in the middle of the week.
This week’s Hump Day feels particularly inconsequential in Big Blue Nation’s wait for football. Yes, there are multiple opportunities to hear from the Wildcats today. Mark Stoops will spend a few minutes on the SEC Teleconference this afternoon and Brad White’s Kentucky defense will talk after practice, but that’s not the real headline.
Today is the last day without college football. Starting tomorrow, we will be treated to five straight days of chaos. It’s a bit of a slow burn initially. This weekend there are 59 games between FBS and FCS opponents, and yet I’m still excited for Colorado vs. North Dakota State tomorrow night. Sprinkle that in with Minnesota vs. North Carolina and we’re all the way back baby.
College football has the longest offseason of any sport. The finish line is in sight. Let’s sprint through this final day the right way.
The Biggest Pay Games in Week 1
The games between Power 4 programs and small schools don’t draw the most attention, but they do pay the bills. Brett McMurphy has curated a list of the programs that are receiving the biggest payouts to take an L and Western Kentucky leads the way.
$1.9 million WKU at Alabama
$1.9 million New Mexico at Auburn
$1.9 million UMass at Georgia
$1.85 million Fresno State at Michigan
$1.8 million Arkansas State at Michigan
$1.8 million Akron at Ohio State
$1.8 million Western Michigan at Ohio State
$1.8 million Colorado State at Texas
In that column, McMurphy spent quite a bit of time railroading Dabo Swinney for eliminating callers from his call-in show. Dabo, of course, is a coward who is reacting to his viral moment with Tyler from Spartanburg. However, I’m not that interested in Dabo takes right now. My eyeballs opened a little wider when I saw Kentucky ranked among the most underrated teams in all of college football. McMurphy compared preseason to postseason AP Polls in the CFP era and Kentucky was one of the five most undervalued teams in the sport.
Kentucky Gameday Gear is Ready
Based off the following clip from the Kentucky football equipment staff, I predict we will see blue helmets, blue jerseys, and white pants in Saturday’s season opener against Southern Miss.
Gerald Mincey is Highly Entertaining
When Kentucky added Gerald Mincey from Tennessee, I had a feeling this might be fun, but I didn’t truly know what that meant. When searching for images, one of the first search results featured him celebrating a win with a cowboy hat. If you’re the kind of guy to rock a cowboy hat on the field after a win, you’re the kind of guy who’s going to have fun in interviews and that’s exactly what happened yesterday.
Top 10
- 1
Memphis shakes up CFP
Tigers upsets changes CFP picture
- 2
A Twisted Mess
Big 12 Championship scenarios
- 3Trending
Saban chirped
Big 12 comes after GOAT
- 4Hot
Underranked SEC
Lane Kiffin protests CFP rankings
- 5
UConn star hospitalized
Alex Karaban hospitalized at Maui Invitational
Kentucky’s new right tackle said the Cats were going to play faster than Tennessee and DSK was destined to run for 300-400 yards. That’s silly but entertaining. I missed that part of the post-practice clip, but he did provide a few minutes of juice, including this.
11 Personnel Previews Kentucky vs. Southern Miss
So what exactly can we expect from the Golden Eagles this Saturday night at Kroger Field? It’s difficult to discern after a ton of movement in the transfer portal, but Adam Luckett and I are bringing all of the intel we can find to get you ready for the first matchup of the Kentucky football season. The preview podcast will kick off at approximately 8 pm EST on the KSR YouTube Channel.
In the meantime, you can catch up on Kentucky football talk on the KSR Football Podcast. While I’m at it, a big thank you to everyone’s patience as we work through changes to start the podcast season. Technological difficulties are nothing new, but it does get old. So, thanks for tolerating us. One thing I can tell you is there weren’t any when Jack responded to your questions during last night’s Sources Say.
Kentucky Wildcat Wins in the US Open
Even the most passive Kentucky fans have probably noticed how much ace the Wildcats have kicked in tennis as of late. The men are regularly winning SEC titles and competing for National Championships. Now the alumni are competing for grand slams.
Gabriel Diallo, who played for the Wildcats from 2019-22, secured a victory in the opening round of the US Open. Diallo defeated Jaume Munar of Spain in four sets for his first career Grand Slam win. He’s the first former Cat to win a Grand Slam match since 2009. The former Kentucky All-American has the day off. He’ll be back in action Thursday against Arthur Fils of France.
Trivia Night at KSBar
Test your trivia mettle with a night of questions and answers at KSBar and Grille. Enjoy Wingsday specials when the action begins at 7 pm EST.
Last Call for New KSR Interns!
Today is the final day you can apply to be KSR’s new social media intern. It’s a paid position for someone who is a current student at the University of Kentucky who does not graduate until at least May 2025. We’re looking for a talented individual with some creativity and a little juice who wants to kickstart their career in sports media. You can find more information here and what specifically you need to share when you submit your application to [email protected].
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