NCAA Football FanHouse

ESPN's Bill Curry Returns to Coaching

Bruce Ciskie — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Football, Georgia Tech Football, NCAA FB Coaching, Atlanta, Kentucky Football

After seeing mixed success as a head coach for Georgia Tech, Alabama, and Kentucky, Bill Curry found a home at ESPN. The former NFL offensive lineman and longtime coach spent ten years with the Worldwide Leader, serving primarily as a college football game and studio analyst.

The itch to coach, however, has returned for the 65-year-old Curry, and he's going back. Curry will be named the first head football coach in Georgia State history Thursday. The Atlanta-based school is starting up a football program in 2010. They'll compete in Division I-AA (er, FCS) and play home games at the Georgia Dome. Similar to the Atlanta Falcons, GSU will probably fail to sell the place out most weekends.

Curry has a familiar face helping him start the program. Dan Reeves, the former NFL player and head coach, has helped raise over $1 million for the startup program. He has given his endorsement to the reported hire.

Reeves said he was not part of the selection process but said "I can tell you this, I think that is a heck of a choice, a great deal for Georgia State, if that is the case.

"I think Bill will do a super job. He's got a great reputation. You couldn't ask for anyone better to start Georgia State's program. He's got college experience, he has recruited and he lieves in Atlanta. I think that's fantastic."

He's a well-known name, but Curry's track record as a head coach isn't all that great. He coached Alabama to the 1990 SEC championship, but lost twice as many games as he won at Kentucky before stepping aside in 1996. Reeves does make a great point, though.

For a startup program to get a guy like Curry is superb. He's already been through some intense recruiting battles, and he knows how to evaluate young talent.

At ESPN, Curry found a niche because of his conversational style of analysis. He brings GSU great expertise on offensive line play, and he should have little trouble convincing young kids and their families that his program will be a good place for players to develop, both on and off the field.

ESPN's Bill Curry Returns to Coaching originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trendspotters: Joker Phillips Named 'Coach of Future' at Kentucky

Ryan Ferguson — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 09:56:00 EST

Filed under: Florida State Football, SEC, NCAA FB Coaching, Kentucky Football

FSU's athletic department and Bobby Bowden apparently sparked a trend when they named Jimbo Fisher 'head coach in waiting'. Kentucky has now followed suit; at a press conference on Friday, offensive coordinator Joker Phillips was named 'head coach of the future' -- slight disparity in terminology there -- by UK Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart.

After Kentucky's bowl win (ironically, over FSU in the Music City Bowl) head coach Rich Brooks received a contract extension through 2011, but apparently he's not sure he'll want to coach any longer than that. From Kentucky Sports Report ($):

"As I am one of the elder statesmen in the coaching profession, I thought it important for recruits to know that there will be continuity in the program and the coaching staff," Brooks said. "Joker Phillips has earned the right as a Kentucky graduate, and having built one of the most productive offenses in school history, to have the opportunity to lead the program in the future."

Nice, but... what's puzzling to me is that Brooks is still a relatively spry 66 years young, and has the moves of a 50-year old. He's no spring chicken, sure, but he looks pretty darn healthy to me. A succession plan? Is that really necessary? Bobby Bowden will turn 79 this year and was basically pushed into naming a successor by FSU's administration. And Joe Paterno is 82, for crying out loud!

Trendspotters: Joker Phillips Named 'Coach of Future' at Kentucky originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 19 Jan 2008 09:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kentucky Wins in Wacky Fashion Over Noles for 2nd Straight Bowl Victory

Ryan Ferguson — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 10:36:00 EST

Filed under: Florida State Football, ACC, SEC, Bowl Games, Kentucky Football

Despite turning the ball over 4 times to Florida State's 2, Kentucky pulled out a 35-28 win on the strength of senior QB Andre Woodson, who completed 32/50 for 358 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT.

It wasn't an overly pretty game for the 'Cats or the 'Noles, but one pattern emerged which annoyed fans of both teams: terrible officiating. FSU was robbed on a phantom Offensive Pass Interference call when Greg Carr caught a Drew Weatherford pass in the endzone, and the Big East crew seemed reluctant to call a hold when Kentucky was on defense... for ANY reason, no matter how obvious.

The game also had some wacky turns of events. Late in the 2nd quarter, Lones Seiber lined up and made a 36-yard field goal, giving the 'Cats a 17-14 lead going into the half. FSU's Kenny Ingram was called for a personal foul, however, and Rich Brooks elected wipe the points off the board and take the first down. Two incomplete passes and a questionable intentional grounding call later, Seiber trotted out for a 39-yard attempt, which he missed. Oops.

Bobby Bowden had some strong words for the refs going into the locker room. For the first time in memory, he used the word 'crap', which for Bowden is the equivalent of cursing a blue streak. Frankly, he was right... the officiating was crap.

With 7:55 remaining in the 4th quarter, Woodson threw a 38-yard touchdown strike to Steve Johnson, giving the 'Cats a commanding 35-21 lead. Instead of the game grinding down and becoming a clock management siesta, things started to get quite interesting.

After a touchback on kickoff, Weatherford got the ball back at the 'Noles' 20-yard line and was promptly intercepted by Kentucky's Corey Peters, who brought the ball back to FSU's original line of scrimmage. Two Raphael Little rushes went nowhere (lucky for him he didn't drop the ball; he'd already had 3 fumbles on the night) and Woodson's 3rd-down pass attempt fell incomplete. Lones Seiber, who might well have changed his first name to "Lonely" by this point, ran onto the field and missed another 39-yard field goal.

A minute and 17 seconds later, FSU found themselves in the end zone, making the score 35-27. FSU went for the onside kick, didn't get it, and Kentucky went to their ground game with 1:35 remaining. After a terrible series of 2 yard rushes -- one of which included a fumble by UK's Tony Dixon, but was recovered by the 'Cats -- Tim Masthay punted for 34 yards and a touchback. Thanks to FSU's timeouts, they'd taken only 32 seconds off the clock.

So now it was Kentucky 35, Florida State 28 with 50 seconds remaining. Yet again, Drew Weatherford wasted no time in throwing yet another interception, this time to Kentucky LB Micah Johnson. All Johnson has to do once he snags the leather is to simply get down, and the game will be over... but is that what he did? Nope! The big fella ran it back 24 yards before fumbling at FSU's 17-yard line.

It was a fresh breath of life for FSU, but it wouldn't last long. Five plays later FSU found themselves at their own 45-yard line with :03 remaining on the clock. Hail Mary time! Weatherford's attempt didn't have much of a chance as the endzone was crammed full of Kentucky DBs, who collectively batted down the desperate prayer of a pass and sealing a victory for the Wildcats.

Kentucky Wins in Wacky Fashion Over Noles for 2nd Straight Bowl Victory originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 01 Jan 2008 10:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posse on Bowl-way: Florida State

Ian Cohen — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 15:13:00 EST

Filed under: Florida State Football, ACC, SEC, Bowl Games, Kentucky Football

Happy To Be Here?

Well, I imagine that the approximately 4/5ths of the Seminole team that wasn't declared ineligible for the Music City Bowl are at least happy they get the free industry swag and a trip to sunny Nashville (current temp: 55 and cloudy). One could say that the highlight of the season, other than the anointment of Jimbo Fisher as the next head coach, would be a prime-time win over Boston College, but that's the kind of achievement you have to prop up as a highlight when a perennial top-five fixture has reverted to having the kind of non-descript 7-5 years that are usually reserved for the likes of Maryland or NC State.

Come Here Often?

You're kidding, right?
Why Care?

Well, if you're the type of ACC die-hard that likes their schadenfreude sipped straight, you're probably looking to tune in just to see the Seminoles get totally wrecked by Kentucky after that whole academic scandal that gutted their roster. Either that, or you're a Ravens/Bears/Falcons fan that wants to see the quarterback your team might squander a 1st-round pick on (no, not Drew Weatherford). Andre Woodson has been supposedly dive-bombing on mock drafts, but I'm uncertain what he's done that's more egregious than Matt Ryan or Brian Brohm...other than confusing lazy sportswriters by being an African-American QB that isn't known for his running skills.

And The Winner Is...

Do you go with the SEC team that dragged ass to the end of the season or the ACC team that dragged ass all year and is missing 20+ players? The obvious look is to say that SEC > ACC and that FSU sucked anyway before the suspensions, but I'm not so sure that it's so easy. Bowls are rarely indicative or what happened before the season, and the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl is more often than not a close one. But in the end, I don't think FSU has the offensive firepower to score into the 20s, and Kentucky does. Provided there's no bonehead moments from Woodson, I think that's the kinda score we're looking at.

Kentucky 23 Florida State 10

Posse on Bowl-way: Florida State originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 31 Dec 2007 15:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rich Brooks Is Happy to Report All Kentucky Players Are Bowl Eligible

Charles Rich — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 04:05:00 EST

Filed under: SEC, NCAA FB Gambling, NCAA FB Media Watch, Kentucky Football

As the Kentucky Wildcats get ready for the severely depleted Florida State Seminoles in the Music City Bowl, Kentucky Coach Rich Brooks apparently isn't above pointing out a major difference between his program and the eldest Bowden's. His team has no players declared academically ineligible.

Considering what's been going on this bowl season at Florida State and other programs, Coach Brooks said that's a bigger deal than it might seem.
...
So when Brooks told the media that his team had a clean bill of academic health, he added a kicker.

"That isn't what I'm seeing on the ESPN ticker at night for a lot of other people playing bowl games," he said. "Hats off to my players for taking care of business."

That has been an amusing, and occasionally disturbing, addition to the ESPN ticker. Anything to get and keep people interested in watching the host of program filler bowl games that will be on ESPN for the two week period. That or they are trying to cater to the gambling aspect of the games without being too obvious.

Rich Brooks Is Happy to Report All Kentucky Players Are Bowl Eligible originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 26 Dec 2007 04:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tennessee Wins SEC East in 4th Overtime

Ryan Ferguson — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 18:51:00 EST

Filed under: Tennessee Football, SEC, Kentucky Football

Say what you want about the SEC: love it or hate it, you have to admit that pound for pound, game for game, this conference has given college football the most heart-pounding, hair-raise, exhilarating games of 2007.

The latest is Kentucky's amazing comeback to tie up their game with Tennessee after finding themselves down 24-7 in the first half. It took four overtimes to decide it, but Tennessee finally prevailed, winning 52-50 after Andre Woodson was tackled short of the endzone on Kentucky's final possession.

The most remarkable event of the game occurred in the second overtime. After Erik Ainge's pass was picked off, Kentucky was in a position to win the game with a field goal. On Kentucky's ensuing possession, Lones Seiber's 34-yarder was blocked, which sent the game to a third overtime.

Wow! I'm still recovering.

When Kentucky's final 2-pt. conversion failed, a hundred thousand heads dropped in Athens. Had Kentucky won the game, Georgia would have gone to Atlanta to represent the East. Tennessee now gets a chance to take on LSU and win a conference title.

Phil Fulmer, you had 9 lives at the beginning of the season. Not sure how many you have now, but congratulations on winning the SEC East.

Tennessee Wins SEC East in 4th Overtime originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 24 Nov 2007 18:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kentucky Has a Chance to End 22-Game Losing Streak to Tennessee

Ryan Ferguson — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 12:39:00 EST

Filed under: Tennessee Football, SEC, Kentucky Football

Here's a list of things that happened in 1984:

- Ghost Busters and Beverly Hills Cop topped the Box Office charts;
- Wham! performed on "Top of the Pops" for the first time;
- Senior QB Andre Woodson was born;
- and the Kentucky Wildcats beat the Tennessee Vols in football.

Yeah, it's been 22 long, miserable years for the 'Cats.

Don't think it hasn't weighed heavily on Kentucky fans. The Lexington Herald-Leader's Mark Story makes it clear with his headline, lede and introductory sentence:

Headline: Please, Make 'Rocky Top' Stop
Lede: After Years of Abuse, Cats Fans Want Chance to Gloat
Introduction: In Hell, Rocky Top plays on and on.

In 2007, Kentucky fields perhaps its best football squad since the days of one Paul 'Bear' Bryant, and stands one of its better chances to defeat their hated rival. However, the Vols, who started the season with a dreadful 1-2 record and have been blown out by two of their biggest rivals, come into the matchup strangely resurgent.

The Vols have won four straight and are playing for an SEC East title, something which would probably cool the hot seat of one Phillip Fulmer by one or two hundred degrees. And it would give senior quarterback Erik Ainge a chance at some sort of legacy; fans don't want their elite, NFL-caliber quarterback leaving school with zero success in his four years on Rocky Top.

On top of everything else, the Vols get Kentucky in Neyland Stadium and the place is gonna be rockin'. Scratch that, make it Lexington. Whoops.

The 'Cats, meanwhile, have lost three of their last four. The losses aren't as surprising as the way they lost; Kentucky's potent offense, which served them so well in their 3-OT victory over the top-ranked LSU Tigers, has sputtered as of late, failing to answer the call against Mississippi State and Georgia. In both of those games, Kentucky's defense played well enough to win, holding their opponents to 31 and 24 points respectively. But Woodson, Little and co. could only score 14 points against the Bulldogs of the west and 13 against the eastern versions. Odd.

To say this game has huge implications for both teams is an understatement. Tennessee has a chance to finally return to Atlanta, while Kentucky has a chance to finish .500 in the SEC, an improvement over last year, and go into their bowl game with some momentum.

This game could turn into a shootout. Both defenses have difficulty against strong passing teams

I'll call it 41 Tennessee, 31 Kentucky in yet another futile rivalry matchup for the 'Cats. Make it 23 years.

Kentucky Has a Chance to End 22-Game Losing Streak to Tennessee originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 23 Nov 2007 12:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kentucky's Fall Is Hard to Understand

Ryan Ferguson — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:38:00 EST

Filed under: SEC, Kentucky Football

Remember Kentucky football?

It was only a month and a half ago that the Wildcats defeated then (and now) #1 LSU in an epic, 3-OT battle which they won 43-37.

On that day -- October 13 -- and for the first time in history, ESPN's immensely popular College Gameday came to Lexington to celebrate the amazing resurgence of the moribund Wildcats. The Wildcats won with a potent offense led by All-SEC quarterback, Andre Woodson, who gave Kentucky their biggest win in school history and became the leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy.

A week later, ranked #7 in the country, a banged up batch of 'Cats gave #15 Florida everything they could handle in a 45-37 loss.

Then, they lost to Mississippi State, 31-14. And the nation forgot about Kentucky football.

The Wildcats went on to squeeze out a 27-20 win to a good Vanderbilt team, but followed that up with an ugly 24-13 loss to Georgia, a game in which the offense never got in rhythm.

Before you know it, a season that was filled with such promise a short time ago has become just another season for the Cats.

What happened to Andre Woodson? The last time we saw "Heisman Andre" was against Florida. Since then, Woodson has looked like nothing more than an average, or perhaps slighty under-average SEC quarterback.

Woodson's QB rating when he played against the Gators was a sterling 172.72. In his last three games, that has dropped like a rock: 104.57 against Mississippi State, 139.10 @ Vanderbilt, and 116.62 @ Georgia. More importantly, he's thrown a total of 4 picks and 4 TDs across his last three games.

The Cats are now 7-4 and it's hard to fight off the sense that their season is slipping away. An 8 win season is still within reach, and with such a record the Cats could find their way to a mid-tier bowl. The difference between 8-4 and 7-5, however, could be the difference between a January or a Christmas bowl.

The fall is, frankly, hard to understand. The Cats' defense, maligned as the worst unit in the SEC last year, has stepped it up several notches down the stretch and are holding their opponents' scores down low enough to give the Cats a chance to win. But Heisman Andre has left the building, and on the way out he stole away Kentucky's hopes and dreams.

Kentucky's Fall Is Hard to Understand originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's Back to Basketball for Kentucky

Brian Grummell — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 16:02:00 EST

Filed under: SEC, The Word, Kentucky Football, Mississippi State Football

What else to say when you lose to Mississippi State and Jackie Sherrill isn't even their coach?

After two impressive showings against LSU (a victory) and Florida (a narrow defeat), Kentucky football fell back into orbit Saturday. It didn't take much from the Bulldogs, just some defense and a methodical offensive approach. Kentucky was held to 14 points despite solid numbers from erstwhile Heisman Trophy candidate Andre Woodson. Woodson completed 42 of 42 passes (.571) for 230 yards and two touchdowns.

Problem is he also tossed three interceptions.

A few weeks ago, I was looking for absurd victory chains and made this connection:

Miss St. > Auburn > Florida > Kentucky > LSU

Today saves a few steps:

Miss St. > Kentucky > LSU

The same LSU that stomped Mississippi State 49-0 in the season's debut game.

I still have my doubts, but Mississippi State may have found an SEC quarterback in Wesley Carroll. Carroll connected on 60 % of his passes for two touchdowns and did just enough while reserve tailback Christian Ducre broke the Cats' backs with a 34-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter to provide the winning 31-14 margin.

Add another upset to this wild and crazy 2007 college football season and congratulations to Kentucky, you just got Croomed.

So about that Billy Gillispie . . .

It's Back to Basketball for Kentucky originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 27 Oct 2007 16:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Upset Alert: Mississippi State Leads Kentucky in Third Quarter

Bruce Ciskie — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 14:25:00 EST

Filed under: SEC, Kentucky Football, Mississippi State Football

This one is very surprising.

Perhaps nationally-ranked Kentucky has a bit a letdown going this week. They're currently on the wrong end of a 24-7 score against Mississippi State.

Did I mention this game is being played in Lexington?

MSU scored on their first two series. The two drives combined to go 160 yards in 30 plays, and MSU started out hitting their first five third-down attempts.

As I type, Mississippi State has a better than two-to-one edge in first downs (19-9), and the Bulldogs are outrushing the Wildcats 118-47. QB Wesley Carroll has played a mistake-free game, throwing for 136 yards and two scores. Perhaps, after a long wait, they have a decent quarterback in Starkville.

Kentucky has a turnover in this game, and a bad snap on a punt gave MSU the ball with great field position in the third quarter. Mississippi State drove for an Anthony Dixon touchdown run to make it 24-7.

If the Bulldogs can hold on, they'll have the biggest win of Sly Croom's tenure, they'll have their second SEC road win this year (already won at Auburn), and they'll be one win away from becoming bowl-eligible. If Croom truly needed to save his job this season, it appears he's well on his way.

Upset Alert: Mississippi State Leads Kentucky in Third Quarter originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 27 Oct 2007 14:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gators Knock Down the Wildcats; Tebow Makes Case for Heisman

Ryan Ferguson — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 19:27:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Football, SEC, Heisman, Kentucky Football

Another fantastic game involving the Kentucky Wildcats. This one featured two of the nation's best quarterbacks and a smorgasboard of offensive firepower. The nation's best feel-good story, however, finally came to an end as Florida prevailed, 45-37.

Throughout the game it became increasingly obvious that either Woodson or Tebow would probably take center stage in the Heisman race, depending on who won the game. Both players offered fantastic, Heisman-like performances for the enjoyment of a nationwide television audience.

Woodson had better passing yards, but Tebow was also a threat on the ground. Both quarterbacks had five total TDs with no INTs. And every time Tebow needed to answer the call to keep the Gators' lead alive, he did so in dramatic fashion. Tebow's bomb to Harvin under the 2-minute mark late in the game put the Cats away and might have put the exclamation point on Tebow's Heisman candidacy.

Tebow's only strike against him is that he's a sophomore. He very much appeared to be the best football player in the country against the #7 team in the nation.

Florida now controls its own destiny in the SEC east, as Tennessee lost earlier in the day to Alabama.

Gators Knock Down the Wildcats; Tebow Makes Case for Heisman originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 20 Oct 2007 19:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Andre Woodson Will Win Or Lose the Heisman Saturday

Ryan Ferguson — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:51:00 EST

Filed under: SEC, Heisman, Kentucky Football

On Saturday, Kentucky has a chance to defeat #13 Florida when the Gators visit Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, KY.

Florida's favored, oddly enough, after losing to LSU two weeks prior. The Cats beat the Tigers in triple overtime.

With the victory, Kentucky QB Andre Woodson vaulted himself back into first place in the Heisman race.

Yeah, you have Mike Hart, who could be the front-runner right now if his team had taken care of business in its home opener against Appalachian State. I think he's still a bit of a long shot, but if Michigan wins the Big Ten he'll be seriously considered.

Graham Harrell, Colt Brennan, Matt Ryan and Michael Crabtree are also floating around. Have you seen any of them -- other than Brennan -- play? Didn't think so.

Colt Brennan's 'heroics' against San Jose State kept him in contention, so the pundits say. Forgive me if I'm less than enthusiastic about Brennan's chances.

Tim Tebow would need to beat Kentucky to return to lead contention, so that matter will be settled on the field.

I ask you, beloved FanHouse readers: if Woodson wins this game, who else might lock up the Heisman?

Kentucky is this year's feel-good story. Consider this: Woodson knocked off Brian Brohm, a former Heisman hopeful; defeated LSU; and if he wins head to head against Florida, will have defeated the SEC East's best pre-season team and also dashed the Heisman hopes of Florida's golden boy.

If Woodson does that, his resume reigns supreme. I think he'd ring in at #1 on many Heisman voters' ballots.

Sure, Woodson would have work remaining. The Cats would need to keep winning games, which they'd surely be favored to do if they manage to beat Florida. If he doesn't continue to shine, he'll drop.

But if Kentucky and Woodson continue to impress, the Heisman is his to lose. His race to defend #1 begins or ends on Saturday.

Andre Woodson Will Win Or Lose the Heisman Saturday originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maybe Those Pass Interference Calls Against LSU Were Kharmic Intervention

Ryan Ferguson — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 09:27:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Football, SEC, Kentucky Football

Hmmmmm... just when you think you've seen it all:

That, sirs and madams, is the not-so-mythical LSU 'Karate Chop', taught by Sensei Pelini down on the bayou. This specialized technique apparently tilts the kharmic balance of football games such that an inordinate number of pass interference calls are made for the other team.

Keepin' it real: Tyson Jackson is lucky he wasn't ejected. He should have been. Instead, this was simply a roughing the passer call.

Make-up calls? Not really. Some were tighter than others but I think every P.I. call made by this officiating crew had enough substantiation to justify the call. Would I feel that way if I were a Tigers fan? Probably not. I'd call it "being aggressive" on defense. But I'd be wrong, and deep down inside I'd know it, too.

Maybe Those Pass Interference Calls Against LSU Were Kharmic Intervention originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 17 Oct 2007 09:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kentucky Fans Should Probably Throw Bottles

Andy Katzer — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 21:55:00 EST

Filed under: SEC, NCAA FB Fans, General CFB Insanity, The Word, Kentucky Football

Look, Kentucky fans, we all know that you're new to this whole "being good at college football" thing. So we're here to help. Y'all have gotten real happy after some games this year... a little too happy. And you're costing your school money. Just this week your school was fined $50,000 by the SEC for a violation of the league's "sportsmanship policy," specifically not keeping fans off the field after the game.

You might say "$50K? Really? That seems a bit much." And that seems right, all you really had in Lexington Saturday were fans celebrating the biggest win perhaps in the history of their program, many of them presumably students celebrating with their classmates. But you've been down this road before Kentucky -- this is your third violation of the policy -- and that's why the fine is so high (And we've been down this road at FanHouse, too, with some bloggers feeling that rushing the field is one of the glorious traditions of college football and others feeling it's tacky).

Now those of us who were watching the game noticed that security (or staffing or somebody) took the goalposts down before the fans could get to them, and that the goalposts were pretty heavily guarded, lessening the chance of somebody getting hurt. Good start, but that's not enough. You have to learn that the SEC prizes nothing more than the chastity of its playing fields.

The alternative to rushing the field is simple, and it's something that the SEC is totally cool with: throw empty liquor bottles on the field. Ole Miss did it after their game with Alabama, just like Alabama did after their game with Georgia. Really, nobody cares, except Nick Saban, who will call you classless... but only because he doesn't have time for your $#!&. If you don't have an empty liquor bottle handy, throw a cup of ice, a handful of change, heels, whatever. The key is spite, which the SEC is much more down with than joyful celebrations.

But keep off the field, kids. By SEC rule, a fourth violation costs you the starting quarterback's first-born child... or maybe just another $50,000, I'm a little hazy on that.

Kentucky Fans Should Probably Throw Bottles originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 16 Oct 2007 21:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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College Football Songbook: Tiger Fans Get Ready to Sing the Blues

John Radcliff — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Football, SEC, FanHouse TV, Kentucky Football

The College Football Songbook is a weekly feature in which we'll be making as much fun as humanly possible of the most embarrassing moments in college football. Through words, music, and related video we'll leave a lasting memory implanted on the brains of the vanquished that they are not soon to forget.

Easily not the only big upset of the weekend, but the LSU-Kentucky game really was the marquee game. Don't think we weren't watching the lack of clock management by the Cal Bears, but Les Miles is just too easy of a target.

Special hat tip as always to Pete Holiday for putting the video together.

Image Hat Tips:
Getty
http://sixmeatbuffet.com
RJYH
Flickr user hallock35
http://thesportinglife.typepad.com/
ymswwc.wordpress.com/2007/09/01/
www.collegefootballresource.com/blog/heh.html
http://www.gorillahub.com/

And of course a hat tip to EDSBS for the 800 lb. Gorilla with a chainsaw for a penis!

College Football Songbook: Tiger Fans Get Ready to Sing the Blues originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Moments of Kentucky-LSU

Ryan Ferguson — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 23:46:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Football, SEC, Kentucky Football

We get to relish this once or twice more, don't we? Enjoy these parting shots of the SEC's most magical game of the season...
... so far.

Final Moments of Kentucky-LSU originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 14 Oct 2007 23:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Where Do LSU's National Title Hopes Stand?

Ryan Ferguson — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Football, SEC, BCS, Kentucky Football

With their loss to #17 Kentucky, LSU now joins the ranks of 1-loss teams crowding the Top 10.

Are they now on the outside looking in?

The AP Top 5 prior to yesterday:

1. LSU (65) 6-0 1,625

2. California 5-0 1,538

3. Ohio State 6-0 1,511

4. Boston College 6-0 1,346

5. South Florida 5-0 1,339

Numbers one and two both lost. Clearly Ohio State, Boston College, and South Florida are in a position to clean up here.

The remaining five teams in the Top 10 have one loss:

6. Oklahoma 5-1 1,221

7. South Carolina 5-1 1,183

8. West Virginia 5-1 1,059

9. Oregon 4-1 1,047

10. USC 4-1 1,024

LSU's loss to 17th-ranked, one loss Kentucky: better than Oklahoma losing to Colorado? I say yes.

South Carolina's loss came head to head against LSU, so they shouldn't be ranked ahead of the Tigers.

West Virginia lost to USF when they were just cracking the Top 20. WVU's overrated anyway.

Oregon lost to #6 Cal at the end of September. Arguably (?) a better loss. They also just pummeled the hell out of Washington State, 53-7.

And USC? Forget it. Worst loss of the bunch, 24-23 at home vs. Stanford.

Net result: I think Kentucky has to become the nation's best 1-loss team, and LSU should slide right behind them.

Problem: what to do with Ohio State and Boston College?

Ohio State has beaten only one team worth a damn this year -- #23 Purdue. They were unimpressive against Akron, winning 20-2, but that was early in the year. They've put up some big point games, but look at the competition: Kent State... YSU... Northwestern.

Ohio State's schedule is very, very weak. But they're unbeaten and they've been scoring many points lately. You're probably looking at the team with the easiest path in history to a national championship, a path forged by teams losing all around them. Worth complaining about? Not really -- this is college football. There's a reasonable enough argument that they're #1, at least on paper, although heaven help them if they draw LSU in a bowl or championship game.

Boston College's story is very similar. Remaining games against Va Tech, Florida State, and Miami are their headliners, but the ACC is just so weak from top to bottom this year. They stand an excellent chance of running the table, just like OSU.

What about South Florida? I say they're the true #1 team in the land. (Gawd, did I really just say that?) They beat Auburn, who have turned out not to be quite so bad as everyone thought, at home. They also beat #5 West Virginia, although I felt USF should have been favored to win that one. On Saturday they beat a 3-3 UCF team who took Texas to the wire in their home opener. Beat 'em bad, real bad: 64-12.

Remaining games ought to be a veritable cakewalk for the Bulls. Rutgers, Cincy, Syracuse, Louisville, and Pittsburgh remain. Hey, if Ohio State and Michigan get to enjoy national title consideration every year thanks to an inherently shallow conference, so should USF.

Also floating in the mix: Arizona State, Hawaii, and Kansas. Sorry, I just can't take any of these teams seriously.

For LSU, here's the reality: three potential undefeated teams at the end of the season. And a lone 1-loss team who beat them head-to-head, who should by all rights be ranked above the Tigers... Kentucky.

Yep. Someone's gotta stumble now for the Tigers to make it.

It goes without saying that LSU has to win the SEC Championship to be considered for the title game. At the moment, odds seem to favor the SEC East being represented by Kentucky first and Florida second. If you're a Tiger fan, start praying for Tennessee to win out. Summing it up:

LSU's title hopes: They're not on life support. But they took a huge hit. With the wackiness of the '07 season, we're looking at some very iffy top-ranked teams who've fallen into the #1 slot, and it's not going to be easy to dislodge them. If it comes down to it, LSU will have to hope that their resume is impressive enough to be voted into the title game with one loss over an undefeated team with a questionable resume.

Les Miles: Maybe it was too early to say the Les Miles Myth is dead, after all. Rich Brooks, for crying out loud, outcoached Les Miles. Badly. Maybe he'll be roaming the sidelines at Michigan Stadium next year.

This Year's Undefeateds: Weakest crop I've ever seen, but this is how it works in college athletics. You win your games, you advance and you survive. Ohio State, BC and South Florida have done that. I think USF clearly has the best resume, but I expect the pollsters to put Ohio State at #1 nonetheless.

Where Do LSU's National Title Hopes Stand? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 14 Oct 2007 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Wrap: Some Call It Unbelievable, Down Here We Call It 'Saturday'

Andy Katzer — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 00:50:00 EST

Filed under: Georgia Football, SEC, Arkansas Football, South Carolina Football, Kentucky Football

If you looked at what happened in the SEC this Saturday and called it "unbelievable," you'd be wrong. Sure there were nail-biters in Lexington, Nashville, Fayetteville, and Oxford; and Kentucky's triple-overtime thriller of a win over top-ranked LSU will shake up the rankings this week, again. But there's precedent for that: the last time LSU hit the road in the SEC as the No. 1 team in the country, they lost to Tennessee. Sure it was 1959, but that just shows you how long this kind of thing has been going on.

So "unbelievable"? Nah, it's just life in God's own conference. In fact, the only unbelievable thing I saw in the SEC this week was the t-shirt pictured at right (BTW, dude, you mom has to be sooo proud of you wearing that shirt... and if she's not, I am).

The great thing about this year is that the rest of the country is finding out what we in the South have known for awhile: that as cliche as it sounds, on any given Saturday any team that is prepared and motivated, and willing to sell out to execution and fundamentals, can win. In the last couple of weeks, USC, Cal, Louisville, Cincinnati, Wisconsin, Illinois, and many others have learned there are no off weeks in conference play. Welcome to our world, enjoy the ride.

After the jump, the biggest stories to come out of the SEC this week...

Oh, Kentucky... What the Heck Are You?

The Wildcats' win over LSU is not so much surprising in that it happened, but in how it happened. The Cats already featured one of the conference's most balanced offenses coming into today's game, with rushing and passing averages both in the top three of the SEC. They still ran the ball well, or at least as well as one can hope to run against LSU's stingy defense, gaining 125 yards, or 60 more yards than LSU gives up on average. And Kentucky did that without their best running back, Rafael Little.

But the 'Cats really came through by doing what Kentucky is known for, throwing the ball. Andre Woodson, who looked horrible in last week's loss to South Carolina, was the offensive leader for UK on Saturday. Even though Woodson threw two picks, he also threw three touchdowns and ran for another.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Kentucky was their resolve in the face of last week's loss. Seven days ago, UK looked vastly overrated and maybe just good enough to get back to the Music City Bowl. Now the 'Cats have put themselves back in the crowded SEC East race and have pollsters scratching their heads over where to rank them.

Houston Nutt... Probably Not Getting Out of This One

Everything looked really good for Arkansas with about 1:30 left in the fourth quarter. Despite being pretty well dominated by Auburn all night long, including the Tigers holding Arkansas' 338 yard/game rushing attack to just 67 yards (including just 42 each for Darren McFadden and Felix Jones), the Hogs were leading the game by a narrow 7-6 score. The folks in Razorback Stadium looked happy... maybe Nutt could salvage this season after all.

And then the scourge of Gainesville became the scourge of Fayetteville, too, as Wes Byrum nailed his third field goal of the night to give Auburn the 9-7 lead and the ballgame. Suddenly those fans didn't look so pleased, and the heat on Nutt's hot seat turned up a few more degrees.

Another note on this game: Casey Dick will take some heat for going just 12-26, but at some point his receivers have to help him out. It's obvious how much Arkansas misses Marcus Monk.

Georgia Wins a SEC East Game... Against Vandy. But Still...

It took two field goals in the fourth quarter, one with time running out. It took a Vanderbilt turnover late in the game. It nearly took overtime. But Georgia finally won a game against a SEC East team for the first time in over a year.

After the game, Georgia players danced on the Vandy logo at midfield until an irate Mark Richt pulled them away. An apologetic Richt told ESPN:

We did that before, back in 2001 when we didn't know what it meant to win an SEC game, I didn't think we'd do it again.

But maybe it's because his players had forgotten what it's like to win an SEC game.

Elsewhere:

Alabama 27, Ole Miss 24: odd non-reviewable play at the end of the half and an overturned play at the end of the game nearly starts a riot, Pete Holiday says the whole game was ugly... South Carolina 21, North Carolina 15: the Cocks nearly screwed around and dropped this one at the end, SC looks so beatable but they just keep winning... Tennessee 33 Miss. State 21: closer-than-comfortable for Vol fans, but a comparative blowout considering the day that was in the SEC.

SEC Wrap: Some Call It Unbelievable, Down Here We Call It 'Saturday' originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 14 Oct 2007 00:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kentucky-LSU: Yes, That Was the Best Game You've Seen All Year

Ryan Ferguson — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 20:11:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Football, SEC, The Word, Kentucky Football

Un. Freaking. Believable. Kentucky wins. Kentucky wins!

And you thought other games this year were good? Appalachian State over Michigan? Stanford over USC? Colorado over Oklahoma? Even LSU over Florida?

Chump change, my friend. You just saw the best game of the year. And if something better is coming down the pipe, you'd better tie down the furniture.

Kentucky just defeated LSU in an epic triple overtime battle, 43-37.

Highlights to come. Trust me, they'll come, just as fast as we can type. Stay tuned. But for now, discuss:

1) What happens to the national title picture now?
2) How highly should Kentucky be ranked?
3) Is this the craziest season of college football you can remember?

Congratulations to the Wildcats on what is unquestionably THE BIGGEST win in school history.

Kentucky-LSU: Yes, That Was the Best Game You've Seen All Year originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 13 Oct 2007 20:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sophomore Tebow Might Have Best Chance to Win Heisman Trophy

Ryan Ferguson — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 10:44:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Football, SEC, Heisman, Arkansas Football, Kentucky Football

Brian Cook's thoughtful treatise on this year's wacky Heisman Race got me thinking.

Just who could win this award? Who should?

In my opinion, the best player in college football is still Darren McFadden. Problem #1: his stats aren't great so far this year. His greatness is evident when he runs, but it doesn't pop out on the stat sheet yet. Not a Heisman pop, anyway. Problem #2: his head coach is Houston Nutt. Which is to say, the Hogs aren't winning any championships this year. I'm not even sure how many games they'll win. They're still 0-2 in the SEC.

Don't think D-Mac's gonna get it this year.

Other contenders?

Booty wasn't great to begin with and after losing to Stanford, he's out.

Pat White and Steve Slaton were fringe contenders in the pre-season, and they have not shown any flashes of Heisman-like performances this season. Frankly, Pat White can't throw and Steve Slaton can't run. Losing to the Bulls really hurt their chances. Probably too late for both of them.

Andre Woodson: love the kid, but against the first stout defense Kentucky played, he melted down. It would have been a tightrope walk for Woodson to win under the best of circumstances, and B.o.C. have left town.

Brian Brohm? Not a snowball's chance in hell after losing to Syracuse.

Colt Brennan? Wouldn't have happened even if Hawaii went undefeated and he stayed healthy.

My penultimate statement is this: Michigan's Mike Hart plays like a champion. Take away the loss to App State and I think he's the front-runner. Not only does he have the stats -- 976 yards, a 5.5 YPC average, and 10 TDs -- but he has carried his team on his shoulders this season. He's also a humble, easy to like guy who exudes an uncocky confidence both off and on the field. Frankly, everything about him is very Heisman-like.

If Hart keeps his numbers up, and Michigan wins out -- and therefore wins the Big 10 -- could Hart be the guy?

Maybe. Mayyyyyyyyyybe. But nah. I don't think the voters will excuse the Appalachian State loss. Heisman Trophy winners don't lose to Div-IAA teams, even though Hart offered a strong individual performance in that game.

Which brings me to Tim Tebow.

Let's look at Florida's remaining schedule: @ Kentucky, Georgia, Vanderbilt, @ South Carolina, Florida Atlantic, and Florida State.

The toughest game in that list is obviously South Carolina. I'd venture to say that right now, Florida will be heavily favored in every other game they play, and it'd be very surprising if they lost any of them.

Assuming the Gators get past South Carolina and Tennessee loses one more game, Florida will face LSU in the SEC Championship Game. Since the Gators gave everything the Tigers could handle in a night game in Baton Rouge, I think the odds favor a UF victory in Atlanta. It's damn hard to beat a good team twice.

That game takes place in early December. It's a perfect opportunity for Tebow to shine in front of a national audience, including the Heisman voters. It would be another clash of the titans, with LSU's national title hopes on the line.

So tell me, assuming all of those things occur, why wouldn't Tebow win it?

Tebow's biggest strike against him is the fact that he's a sophomore. His worst performances all involve multiple TDs and none are bad enough to disqualify him. Among the current Heisman candidates, he's the NCAA pass-efficiency leader and his stats are excellent: 1,955 yards of total offense for 13 passing TDs and 9 rushing TDs.

But Florida can't lose any more games. Finish in the Top 5 with an SEC championship, which Florida is capable of doing, and you have a strong Heisman finalist in Tim Tebow. If Florida drops another game, Tebow will have to make another run for it next year.

A sophomore has never won the trophy. Voters are strongly inclined to reward seniors first and juniors second. But in a year as topsy-turvy as 2007, a sophomore could win, and that sophomore is Tim Tebow. Discuss.

Sophomore Tebow Might Have Best Chance to Win Heisman Trophy originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 09 Oct 2007 10:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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