It's good to be back home and back to work. Good thing I got out of Louisiana before Saturday night's game between LSU and the University of Kentucky. Being a Kentucky resident visiting in the Bayou State would not be too comfortable this weekend - although it would be nice for bragging rights for a change.
Kentucky has basically been the whipping boy for the Southeastern Conference football powers for several years. There have been some good teams in Lexington over the years off and on, but football has long taken a back seat to that "other" sport at UK. Kentucky football fans talk with pleasure about the days when Paul "Bear" Bryant stalked the sidelines in Lexington - way back before he went to Alabama and built a perennial powerhouse out of the Crimson Tide. Last season was a good season by Wildcat standards, and the Cats made a postseason appearance in the Music City Bowl under Coach Brooks. This season promised to be a good one, but no one has anticipated the successes that have come to the Bluegrass in 2007!
The only blemish on the Cats' record this season has been a loss at South Carolina. But then again, Steve Spurrier is the head coach of the USC Gamecocks and he has ALWAYS had the Wildcats' number - at Florida and South Carolina. This year was no different. Folks here in Kentucky were a little incredulous when the Wildcats earned their national ranking a few weeks ago. The "wait and see" attitude basically prevailed in the Wildcat nation - especially after the loss to South Carolina. This week would tell the tale when the nation's number one ranked Tigers of LSU were coming to Lexington. I don't think many Kentuckians expected a "W" but they were hoping to make a respectable showing. I think they accomplished that, don't you?
The Bayou Bengals had just moved to the top spot in the AP poll after previously top ranked University of Southern California had been upset last Saturday by the Stanford Cardinal. The fans in Baton Rouge (and most of Louisiana) were on top of the world. While I was in New Orleans last week, LSU was the top story - especially since the professional Saints were having a less than desirable season. Purple and Gold was everywhere you looked and folks down in Bayou land were not taking Kentucky too seriously. "Kentucky? Are you kidding me? They're Tiger bait!"
Well, that's what they thought...
Keep in mind THIS is the season of College Football upsets. It began the first week of the season when I-AA Mountaineers of Appalachian State went into Ann Arbor and shocked the Michigan Wolverines right there in "The Big House". The upsets have continued each week and the "Top 25" has been shuffled like a deck of cards after each Saturday's results. LSU came into Lexington, pretty confident, but soon learned that the Wildcats were for real!
It was a great game for the fans to watch and really a shame that someone had to lose! Having lived in Baton Rouge way back when the kids were young, I came to appreciate the great football tradition at LSU and have always been sort of an "honorary fan". My true football love is the Thundering Herd of Marshall, but I really don't want to talk about that right now. Ouch! I can't say that I have ever been a real Kentucky football fan, even though we have lived in the Bluegrass State for 27 years. However, since football has always been sort of a stepchild in the land of Adolph Rupp, I have always hoped the football Wildcats would have success.
The three overtime victory last night over LSU was a victory that everyone in Kentucky can savor (possibly even the Louisville fans!). The Tigers missed a couple of scoring opportunities that should have won them the football game last night, but as they say, "that's the way the football bounces!"
My condolences go out to my many friends in the Bayou State where football IS king, but I still have to give the props to the Wildcats. They earned it. Jay and Michelle should be having a great time down there this week! They have listened to the Kentucky football jokes for five years at the hands of the Tiger fans. They should enjoy it while they can...
Perhaps the Ohio State Buckeyes will now wind up back in the Number one position - where I think they belong.
We'll see when the poll results come out tomorrow.
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