Gators Will Continue to Streak in the Quad
Friday, September 24, 2010 at 10:51AM 
Florida Will Leave Kentucky
Feeling Blue In The Swamp
One Great Season
I remember a time in March when the college basketball world lost its mind. A freshman-laden University of Kentucky team was set to play an experienced Cornell squad in the Sweet 16. That Kentucky team had five future first-round draft picks and had lost just two games all season.
Yet from the respectable Jay Bilas to the respectable and incredibly not unattractive Sarah Spain, and nearly every non-UK follower with a blog in between, they all just knew Big Red would take down Big Blue.
The world was upside down. It was pure lunacy. It was almost as if UK haters believed they could wish it to become reality. The reality? Kentucky 62-45.
Thankfully, the world is right again, and UK fans are the ones who are now delusional. We will all gather around our black and white televisions, sit in our comfy couches on the front porch and believe, "This is the year." This is the year the second-longest streak in the country ends. Florida has beaten Kentucky in 23 straight football games. Rarely has this game been close. I sat helplessly on the 20-yard-line last year as I saw Tim Tebow and Co. rack up 31 points in the first quarter against my Cats. And that was one of the closer games. Others include 63-5, 65-0 and 73-7.
This year, some UK fans are choosing to ignore the past. Even a few ESPN commentators have said this has the potential to be the upset of the weekend. I feel like the one sober guy at a Phish concert.
This Kentucky team actually has talent and depth. They boast two of the most electric players — not only in the SEC, but — in the country in Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb. Cobb would be a Heisman candidate were it not for the name across the front of his shirt. Kentucky also has put up better stats than Florida so far this year (passing yards, rushing yards, points scored and total defense). Florida has not been impressive in wins against Miami (outplayed in first half), South Florida (7-7 at half), or Tennessee (tied in the third quarter). However, Kentucky has played three of the worst teams in the country in Louisville, Western Kentucky and Akron.
UK hasn't defeated a top 10 SEC team on the road since 1964. The Cats haven’t won at the Swamp since 1979. They will be missing their best offensive lineman in Stuart Hines. That doesn't sound like a big deal, but this young line needs all the protection it can get for an average quarterback, and must open holes for UK's lifeblood — its running game.
I want it to happen so badly. I would trade my truck on blocks in the front yard or my sister/wife for a win. But the John Wall in this Cornell acid trip is that Florida has as much overall talent on the bench as UK does in its starting lineup. Florida is still a top-10 team. And, maybe a Red Lobster hostess put it best this week when she asked Randall Cobb "how many more games do you think we will win before we're horrible again?"
Reality bites (or chomps): Florida 34-13.
Jackey is an Emmy Award-winning former television reporter in Louisville, Ky. Click here for his bio and an archive of his previous stories.
Reader Comments (2)
Sad but true! Nice article bro...I mean cuz...thanks for sharing our secret!
Ahhhhhhhhh, are you from Iowa? Great stuff. Cant wait to see the Otters playoff article. ahhhhhhhhhhh