Virginia hires Bronco Mendenhall from BYU...

[mic]

Is this your cryptic way of saying they'll hire your mancrush Whittingham? He played there, although it would be pretty assy of him to leave Utah for their archrival.

He has beaten Saban.....

[HancockCountyDog]

I just see a schedule full of teams that have alot of starters returning- the SEC is going to be alot better in 2016. But we wont- we will be worse

I think we need to see how Fitz looks before we throw in the towel.

[msstate7]

I think we need to see how Fitz looks before we throw in the towel.

And durr, smitherman, and stamps at CB.

And tre brown, fletcher Adams, and hopefully Simmons at DT.

While we'll be losing bear, we'll add AJ, mixon, and Thomas as playmakers on offense.

People are saying rankin is turning the corner now. If he can lock down LT, we should be better on the oline.

We're gonna be absolutely stacked at LB... I really hope he give Gerri green at look at de bc of the depth here.

Gotta believe the safety position is gonna go from the weakest link to a strength before too much longer... Good, young talent there.

I think it's way too early to say one way or the other how good we'll be next season.

[ShotgunDawg]

And durr, smitherman, and stamps at CB.

And tre brown, fletcher Adams, and hopefully Simmons at DT.

While we'll be losing bear, we'll add AJ, mixon, and Thomas as playmakers on offense.

People are saying rankin is turning the corner now. If he can lock down LT, we should be better on the oline.

We're gonna be absolutely stacked at LB... I really hope he give Gerri green at look at de bc of the depth here.

Gotta believe the safety position is gonna go from the weakest link to a strength before too much longer... Good, young talent there.

I think it's way too early to say one way or the other how good we'll be next season.

Good post

I think we'll win 7 or 8 as well. I think most of the negativity in this thread is either agenda based or because we know more about our team than other.

First off, on paper, we return tons of starters as well.

Arkansas may return starters but they lose Allen, Collins, and Henry and they are the only three starters that matter.

Auburn still has QB issues and lose Lawson and probably Muschamp

SC may return starters, but those starters suck and they lose Pharoh Cooper. They won't be able to score.

Kentucky loses Towles, but they should be better next year. However they've got to be MUCH BETTER to beat us and I doubt that.

We'll lose to Bama, LSU, and Ole Miss for certain with A&M somewhere between a loss and toss up. One thing about A&M is that I feel like we will run the ball significantly better next year, which should help against them.

[Beaver]

I just see a schedule full of teams that have alot of starters returning

EliteDawgs hated on anybody that tried to play the 'returning starter' card when talking about MSU last off-season. You're starting to sound like Barrett Sallee...

[Coach34]

Good post

I think we'll win 7 or 8 as well. I think most of the negativity in this thread is either agenda based or because we know more about our team than other.

First off, on paper, we return tons of starters as well.

Arkansas may return starters but they lose Allen, Collins, and Henry and they are the only three starters that matter.

Auburn still has QB issues and lose Lawson and probably Muschamp

SC may return starters, but those starters suck and they lose Pharoh Cooper. They won't be able to score.

Kentucky loses Towles, but they should be better next year. However they've got to be MUCH BETTER to beat us and I doubt that.

We'll lose to Bama, LSU, and Ole Miss for certain with A&M somewhere between a loss and toss up. One thing about A&M is that I feel like we will run the ball significantly better next year, which should help against them.

It's not based on agenda- just truth. I dont see us being a good football team next year. And I can assure you the media will pick us last again- with the teams finishing ahead of us returning more starters. A&M was young this past year- we arent beating them. We dont ever defend them worth a shit- and Chavis is making them better on D.

Why is Kentucky losing Towles- he is a junior???? Road for games for 1st year QB's are usually tough- winning there wont be easy

UPig has Drew Morgan and Dominique Reed back- but their fate will be decided at TB. They will still be good on the OL- and if the RB takes the pressure off their new QB- they will be fine on offense. Returning 9-10 starters on D is huge and you know it.

[msstate7]

It's not based on agenda- just truth. I dont see us being a good football team next year. And I can assure you the media will pick us last again- with the teams finishing ahead of us returning more starters. A&M was young this past year- we arent beating them. We dont ever defend them worth a shit- and Chavis is making them better on D.

Why is Kentucky losing Towles- he is a junior???? Road for games for 1st year QB's are usually tough- winning there wont be easy

UPig has Drew Morgan and Dominique Reed back- but their fate will be decided at TB. They will still be good on the OL- and if the RB takes the pressure off their new QB- they will be fine on offense. Returning 9-10 starters on D is huge and you know it.

Towles is transferring.

[Coach34]

EliteDawgs hated on anybody that tried to play the 'returning starter' card when talking about MSU last off-season. You're starting to sound like Barrett Sallee...

Difference being we played so many guys in 2014- and they were counting people like Lewis as a starter- when Ross had clearly surpassed him the last 2 games of 2013. And State fans were correct about Ross. And Chris Jones. And Redmond. Etc

[Quaoarsking]

Since Mark Stoops arrived at Kentucky, they are 3-9 in SEC home games, including 5 losses to first year QBs.

2013:
Lost to Florida (first year QB Tyler Murphy)
Lost to Alabama (veteran QB AJ McCarron)
Lost to Missouri (first year QB Maty Mauk)
Lost to Tennessee (first year QB Josh Dobbs)

2014:
Beat Vanderbilt (first year QB Wade Freebeck)
Beat South Carolina (veteran QB Dylan Thompson)
Lost to Mississippi State (veteran QB Dak Prescott)
Lost to Georgia (veteran QB Hutson Mason)
You could debate first-year/veteran status on both Thompson and Mason. They were both seniors who'd played some in the past.

2015:
Lost to Florida (first year QB Will Grier)
Beat Missouri (veteran QB Maty Mauk)
Lost to Auburn (first year QB Sean White)
Lost to Tennessee (veteran QB Josh Dobbs)

Horrible coach, horrible program. And in 2016 Kentucky won't have future NFLer (or not, but he's often said to be) Patrick Towles running the offense.

[Jack Lambert]

Good post

I think we'll win 7 or 8 as well. I think most of the negativity in this thread is either agenda based or because we know more about our team than other.

First off, on paper, we return tons of starters as well.

Arkansas may return starters but they lose Allen, Collins, and Henry and they are the only three starters that matter.

Auburn still has QB issues and lose Lawson and probably Muschamp

SC may return starters, but those starters suck and they lose Pharoh Cooper. They won't be able to score.

Kentucky loses Towles, but they should be better next year. However they've got to be MUCH BETTER to beat us and I doubt that.

We'll lose to Bama, LSU, and Ole Miss for certain with A&M somewhere between a loss and toss up. One thing about A&M is that I feel like we will run the ball significantly better next year, which should help against them.

LSU, Auburn, Arkansas and A&M will all be about the same. Ole Miss will be down.

[Really Clark?]

I think LSU has a chance to underperform even more next year with their coaching and AD turmoil. Auburn is unstable right now as well and doesn't have a QB. Those schools are a big question mark when you have instability like that.

[Coach34]

I think LSU has a chance to underperform even more next year with their coaching and AD turmoil. Auburn is unstable right now as well and doesn't have a QB. Those schools are a big question mark when you have instability like that.

Those players on the field dont give a shit about the AD and President. LSU returns a helluva lot of good players and they will be 9-3 or better next year. They return-what- 17 starters next year? That could drop a little with a Jr or two leaving- but they also played some very talented Freshmen- plus have a Top 5 recruiting class coming in for depth

Auburn was good enough at QB to win at A&M. They return their entire OL, QB's, and RB's. Their question is can they get better at WR? If they do- they will be pretty damn good.

[Really Clark?]

Those players on the field dont give a shit about the AD and President. LSU returns a helluva lot of good players and they will be 9-3 or better next year. They return-what- 17 starters next year? That could drop a little with a Jr or two leaving- but they also played some very talented Freshmen- plus have a Top 5 recruiting class coming in for depth

Auburn was good enough at QB to win at A&M. They return their entire OL, QB's, and RB's. Their question is can they get better at WR? If they do- they will be pretty damn good.

Come on coach. You've seen the lame duck coach play out too many times like I have. They have just as good of a chance to tank (relative to their level) as they do to stay the same as this year. If anybody does have a chance to keep it from happening it's Miles because he is very much a players coach. But historically you know that the opposite happens more times than not. And a number of times it really tanks. You have to factor that in.

Auburn beat A & M during the middle of their QB troubles. Murray played a piss poor game with 3 picks and Allen didn't play. Auburn is about to go through another DC as well.

[Coach34]

Miles will be good enough to win the West next year- he is far from lame duck. They have stupid amount of talent. They will be fine.

We get a new DC damn near every year- yet everybody thinks we will be fine. Expect Auburn to make a good hire.

[defiantdog]

Towles was actually benched some down the stretch. Stoops is trying everything possible to win, but he's actually making his team worse. Towles will be a 5th year Senior next year. He has one year to learn a new offense from a new program. If someone that talented is willing to jump ship (especially since he grew up a diehard Kentucky fan), you know something is up.

[defiantdog]

Miles will be good enough to win the West next year- he is far from lame duck. They have stupid amount of talent. They will be fine.

We get a new DC damn near every year- yet everybody thinks we will be fine. Expect Auburn to make a good hire.

Doesn't really matter who Auburn hires..... Their defense is full of Renardo Sidneys.

[Coach34]

Towles was actually benched some down the stretch. Stoops is trying everything possible to win, but he's actually making his team worse. Towles will be a 5th year Senior next year. He has one year to learn a new offense from a new program. If someone that talented is willing to jump ship (especially since he grew up a diehard Kentucky fan), you know something is up.

That- or he was told they were going to go with high 4-star Drew Barker as their QB in 2016.

[Really Clark?]

Miles will be good enough to win the West next year- he is far from lame duck. They have stupid amount of talent. They will be fine.

We get a new DC damn near every year- yet everybody thinks we will be fine. Expect Auburn to make a good hire.

Both of those teams very well may be fine. And LSU has stupid talent every year, that hasn't changed or helped the last few years either. But they have problems you are glossing over that could very well limit their success. Auburn brought back what 16-18 starters from their 2011 team that went 8-5? Now I would be shocked if Miles or Mahlzan loses their team like Chizick, but they still could underperform because of that instability.

I'm not saying this to prove we will win 8 games next year. I think we will be looking at 6-7 wins. But I can still see LSU and Auburn having problems next year.

[engie]

6 win ceiling.... I've officially heard it all now.

[Really Clark?]

That- or he was told they were going to go with high 4-star Drew Barker as their QB in 2016.

I think Stoops is one the verge of being in trouble if he doesn't put together a winning season next year. They start their season next year at home against USM and then go to Florida. If he starts 0-2 or has a shaky outing against USM then gets hammered by Florida they may start folding again. They have started well for him but have ended flat every year. But next year they start harder. They could have 3-4 loses before we play them.