Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
If you have just been on social media recently, you would think that there is a giant mutiny among members of the Kentucky Wildcats football team and that Mark Stoops has lost control of this team. In reality, rebuilding Kentucky Wildcats football is a process and absolutely no one had UK in a position to be bowl eligible with a win over Louisville. Despite the disappointment of the five straight losses, Kentucky coaches are finding solace in the moral victories and are totally committed to the Stoops way.
"Kentucky’s coaches are trying to find solace in small victories, like winning as many SEC games this season (two) as the team had total victories each of the past two seasons. For offensive coordinator Neal Brown, the small victories might be in that Kentucky is averaging nearly 50 yards more per game and is more than a touchdown better than it was last season. Maybe it’s that the Cats’ passing attack has significantly improved despite youth at wideout and a first-year quarterback in Patrick Towles. But Brown echoes Stoops, too. “We talked about this a few weeks ago: We’d love to go from where we were a year ago to the national championship, but there’s a process you gotta go through as you build a program,” he said. And despite losing streaks and lopsided scores the past couple of weeks, the coaches are sure they still have the players’ confidence even if the fans’ confidence is waning a little bit. “You can tell when teams have (mailed) it in,” Brown said. “Not during the games as much, but you can tell during the week. … When they start not wanting to practice, that’s when you know you’ve lost them.” The players said they still trust Stoops’ process and others should, too. “We’re totally 100 percent in,” Towles said. “One of our big things is, ‘All In’ with him and with everything. We’re going to get it done. That’s going to happen. It’s just a matter of time.”"
Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
A lot has been made about Ohio State going after UK targets Damien Harris and Drake Jackson, but the Buckeyes will have to play the numbers game to add any more players to their class. Ohio State will definitely take a Damien Harris commitment though, but the Buckeyes are currently over their limits.
"Ohio State might have worked itself into a numbers crunch with its 2015 football recruiting class, which stands at 21 commitments, three more than the Buckeyes have openings. The Buckeyes were not going to turn down a pledge from offensive lineman Matthew Burrell of Woodbridge, Va., who picked Ohio State over Penn State and Tennessee on Monday. Burrell was always going to have a spot in this class, as was Drew Richmond, an offensive lineman from Memphis, Tenn., who committed to Mississippi instead. Among others whom coach Urban Meyer and his staff would like to land are running back Damien Harris of Berea, Ky., and defensive end Josh Sweat of Chesapeake, Va., who was rated the No. 1 overall prospect nationally before a knee injury ended his senior year. What’s interesting is the situation with offensive lineman Branden Bowen of Draper, Utah, and defensive back Juwuan Briscoe of Waldorf, Md. Recruiting analysts were expecting each to choose Ohio State this week after Bowen rescinded his commitment to Utah and Briscoe rescinded his to Clemson. It appears that those two have gotten word to hold off on committing until things become clearer with other players."