[Fromthebleachers]

Recruiting is a cutthroat business. I do wish these kids would not commit until they are sure they are going where they commit to. UK has eleven SEC school out recruiting them. Those programs are going to get better too. But all programs lose recruits. I don't see UK getting to eight wins anytime soon. Out of conference games will get you three and beating Vandy adds another. From there it's rough sailing. For whatever reason UK did get hit hard last week with decommits. Now down to fifteen recruits they have one more day to really get after it.

[Black Bear Cuz]

And the recruits keep falling. Do we even have anyone with a picture on recruiting sites left? The best player remaining is about to flip as well.

What is that now, a few 2 stars and a couple of 3 stars?
This has become laughable.

Lets give him another raise.

Laughable is an accurate word IMO, this guy gets the break of a lifetime last year when Spurrier's defense went totally brain dead in the 4th quarter in Lexington and couldn't stop the ridiculously simple Wildcat play? Then unbelievably the idiot of an athletic director we have gives Stoops a 2nd raise and a contract extension? Set Stoops up for life and then the team (with a first round draft pick - Dupree and another future NFL defensive player - Smith) doesn't win another game and looks pathetic the rest of the year?? The defense couldn't tackle and the offense was a joke and now He is losing all these recruits? There are many reasons why I believe this program is headed down a very bad path and I believe I am just about all out of support for the laughing stock of the SEC and of the country for that matter!!! Thank God for John Calipari is about all I can say at this point.........

[Brooks4Prez]

Absolutely nobody

So how many points will Charlotte win by at Commonwealth Stadium? How about EKU?

They will win 6 games at least.

[Brooks4Prez]

Laughable is an accurate word IMO, this guy gets the break of a lifetime last year when Spurrier's defense went totally brain dead in the 4th quarter in Lexington and couldn't stop the ridiculously simple Wildcat play? Then unbelievably the idiot of an athletic director we have gives Stoops a 2nd raise and a contract extension? Set Stoops up for life and then the team (with a first round draft pick - Dupree and another future NFL defensive player - Smith) doesn't win another game and looks pathetic the rest of the year?? The defense couldn't tackle and the offense was a joke and now He is losing all these recruits? There are many reasons why I believe this program is headed down a very bad path and I believe I am just about all out of support for the laughing stock of the SEC and of the country for that matter!!! Thank God for John Calipari is about all I can say at this point.........

That sums up the entire issue that exists and has existed within the UK Football "fan"base for decades.

[Brooks4Prez]

How can you not expect a team that went 2-10 in 2013 and 5-7 against a brutal schedule (in terms of quality of opponent and set up of schedule) to continue to get better? Half of the kids they have recruited the last two years aren't even playing significant reps yet and there has still been improvement.

[RunItUpTheGut]

So how many points will Charlotte win by at Commonwealth Stadium? How about EKU?

They will win 6 games at least.

You laugh, but those games will be competitive.

[Black Bear Cuz]

That sums up the entire issue that exists and has existed within the UK Football "fan"base for decades.

That's just another excuse among a long list of excuses why Ky football is a joke! It gets so old having to listen to all the same excuses year after year. I have tried to be positive about supporting this football program.... I am not happy about feeling the way I do about the condition of the program but there is so much evidence smacking me in the face it's hard to ignore. I will be shocked if this group gets any more than 1 SEC win next year and they might not even get the Vandy win at Vandy? Then with all the recruits going elsewhere it's hard to see anything getting better in the 2016 season......

[Real Badman]

Some people would even complain if Jesus Christ was the coach.

[Strikeout King]

I think that Stoops needs to get atleast 6 wins next season, if not 6 wins then I think their's some teams he needs to beat that UK hasn't beaten in a long long time.

It's gonna take time, Rome wasn't built in a day!

[honestjchsfan]

In your opinion what does Barnhart, UK have to do to get a coach like Saban or that caliber of coach to bring success to UK? Does UK have to get rid of Barnhart?

Barnhart needed fired a long time ago! Barnhart made a huge mistake when he handed the UK football program over to a Rookie head coach in Joke Phillips then he turns right around and makes the same mistake again when he hired Stoops. Just look at the Florida program and follow there Hires, they hire Steve Spurrier who was a head coach at Duke and we all know what happened with that hire, after the Old Ball coach left, Florida hired Ron Zook a first time head coach who Florida ran off after a 4-4 year in the SEC and a PEACH Bowl loss! Then came Urban Meyer who was a successful head coach at Utah before taking the Florida job and low and behold 2 national titles follow! Next came rookie head Coach Will Mushchamp who in 2013 guided Florida to is first losing season since 79'! This years 6-5 effort was enough to get Mushchamp ran out of Gainesville! It's not rocket science, if a program like Florida can't endure the ups and down of breaking in a rookie head coach who in their right mind would think Kentucky could?????????????

[UKisN1]

You are comparing Florida to UK. No comparison of potential candidates.

[Real Badman]

Barnhart needed fired a long time ago! Barnhart made a huge mistake when he handed the UK football program over to a Rookie head coach in Joke Phillips then he turns right around and makes the same mistake again when he hired Stoops. Just look at the Florida program and follow there Hires, they hire Steve Spurrier who was a head coach at Duke and we all know what happened with that hire, after the Old Ball coach left, Florida hired Ron Zook a first time head coach who Florida ran off after a 4-4 year in the SEC and a PEACH Bowl loss! Then came Urban Meyer who was a successful head coach at Utah before taking the Florida job and low and behold 2 national titles follow! Next came rookie head Coach Will Mushchamp who in 2013 guided Florida to is first losing season since 79'! This years 6-5 effort was enough to get Mushchamp ran out of Gainesville! It's not rocket science, if a program like Florida can't endure the ups and down of breaking in a rookie head coach who in their right mind would think Kentucky could?????????????

Didn't Zook take Illinois to the Rose Bowl? And Spurrier has built an impressive program at South Carolina.

[honestjchsfan]

You are comparing Florida to UK. No comparison of potential candidates.

Did you read what I wrote?? I am not comparing UK to Florida I showing the ups and downs of a traditional SEC football power and how it relates to head coaching experience! It's really simple, if a program like Florida can't win in the SEC with inexperienced head coaches how the H%# is a program like Kentucky going too! Why does Kentucky keep hiring these rookies head coaches?? Rich Brooks took UK to 4 straight bowl games and Rich Brooks coached D1 college football for 20 year before taking the Kentucky job!

[M'boroYellowJacket]

You laugh, but those games will be competitive.

okay.. you're so negative. It's awful.
Why do you think that? Because we dominated our cupcake teams last year. With mostly freshmen and sophomores.
One bad recruiting class (which is by the way, still Kentucky's third best ever, might be second best ever by the end of the day) and you think the sky is falling.
You just want a REASON to hate stoops. Well, if you look for a reason, you'll probably find it.

[Brooks4Prez]

okay.. you're so negative. It's awful.
Why do you think that? Because we dominated our cupcake teams last year. With mostly freshmen and sophomores.
One bad recruiting class (which is by the way, still Kentucky's third best ever, might be second best ever by the end of the day) and you think the sky is falling.
You just want a REASON to hate stoops. Well, if you look for a reason, you'll probably find it.

Louisiana Lafayette will be a good one because ULL is a very solid football team. But the other two you are exactly right shouldn't be an issue at all.

[honestjchsfan]

Didn't Zook take Illinois to the Rose Bowl? And Spurrier has built an impressive program at South Carolina.

Spurrier was great at Florida everybody knows that! Spurrier had also been a head coach at Duke before taking the Florida job! Zook sucked at Florida that's why he got fired! My point is rookie coaches seldom work out in the SEC even for a program like Florida that is located in a talent rich state!

[RunItUpTheGut]

Some of you crack me up. The same idiots that supported Joker.

[M'boroYellowJacket]

Some of you crack me up. The same idiots that supported Joker.

I didn't support Joker at all. I was there every game. But I was ready for someone new. However, if the win total is going up, there is no way you can complain.

[Fromthebleachers]

Florida passed up UK today in recruiting. Managed to get to 23 in the team rankings. Pretty impressive. Muschamp had a good group coming in but got fired and some of those kids followed him...he is that good of a recruiter. Again if the culture doesn't change in Lexington you will always get the same. UK talks getting to five, six wins. U OF L for instance is talking national championship. It's nice to win eight, ten games..but we want to compete for the big prize.

[insideinfo]

Florida passed up UK today in recruiting. Managed to get to 23 in the team rankings. Pretty impressive. Muschamp had a good group coming in but got fired and some of those kids followed him...he is that good of a recruiter. Again if the culture doesn't change in Lexington you will always get the same. UK talks getting to five, six wins. U OF L for instance is talking national championship. It's nice to win eight, ten games..but we want to compete for the big prize.

Most of the time you are CLUELESS , but you hit it right on the head this is exactly what's wrong with Kentucky football. Worried about winning 5or 6 games instead worriying about playing for championships. We still have fans that think Brooks was a good coach. I personally find it embarrassing that Missouri has played in the last two SEC championship games, and we have never even been in the conversation to ever be in one. The said part to this is we will never be in the hunt until, DIPSTICK is gone.

[Fromthebleachers]

I'm far from clueless...but keep thinking that. Its why UK is no better than the are. The facts are there. Objectivity for UK? Have seen to many of those. I grew up cheering for UK. Glad I don't now. Hiring Cal was the last straw for me.

[redhound93]

Did you read what I wrote?? I am not comparing UK to Florida I showing the ups and downs of a traditional SEC football power and how it relates to head coaching experience! It's really simple, if a program like Florida can't win in the SEC with inexperienced head coaches how the H%# is a program like Kentucky going too! Why does Kentucky keep hiring these rookies head coaches?? Rich Brooks took UK to 4 straight bowl games and Rich Brooks coached D1 college football for 20 year before taking the Kentucky job!

So I guess UK hired the wrong Stoop, it should have been Bob Stoop and not Mark. And I guess what Mark did at FSU can't translate to what can happen at UK? Have you got a chance to see what he was able get for 2015 class? Heavy concentration of tall DB's, big and tall OL. Building a winning program takes time. I watched the UK recruiting show on foxsports south, and every recruit they interviewed was excited about how hungry the current players were and are convinced the team is on the edge of doing something great. But what's so disheartening is the fans that give up so easily. Remember back in the 80's when the Detroit Piston could get past the Celtics to get the NBA Finals then when they finally did they won 2 NBA titles back to back. Same thing happened to the Bulls and MJ in the 90's and how many titles did they win, my point is if UK keeps battling, keeps focused and keeps improving then they will get around that corner.And right now they have that mentality.

[Black Bear Cuz]

Most of the time you are CLUELESS , but you hit it right on the head this is exactly what's wrong with Kentucky football. Worried about winning 5or 6 games instead worriying about playing for championships. We still have fans that think Brooks was a good coach. I personally find it embarrassing that Missouri has played in the last two SEC championship games, and we have never even been in the conversation to ever be in one. The said part to this is we will never be in the hunt until, DIPSTICK is gone.

Amen brother!!!

[Black Bear Cuz]

So I guess UK hired the wrong Stoop, it should have been Bob Stoop and not Mark. And I guess what Mark did at FSU can't translate to what can happen at UK? Have you got a chance to see what he was able get for 2015 class? Heavy concentration of tall DB's, big and tall OL. Building a winning program takes time. I watched the UK recruiting show on foxsports south, and every recruit they interviewed was excited about how hungry the current players were and are convinced the team is on the edge of doing something great. But what's so disheartening is the fans that give up so easily. Remember back in the 80's when the Detroit Piston could get past the Celtics to get the NBA Finals then when they finally did they won 2 NBA titles back to back. Same thing happened to the Bulls and MJ in the 90's and how many titles did they win, my point is if UK keeps battling, keeps focused and keeps improving then they will get around that corner.And right now they have that mentality.

More excuses sir! How long did it take David Cutcliff to win at arguably one of the other schools in the country that for the most part along with Ky has been considered a Huge joke of a football program (Duke) He has taken them to a conference championship game and multiple quality bowls in a very short time... We are so consumed by laying down and accepting that Ky football can NEVER expect to have a .500 record in the SEC much less be in the conversation for a East Division title that it is sickening! We are supposed to just accept living in the cellar for life and I just don't buy it and I am tired of supporting with much time and a lot of money a program that has no hope to ever even be mentioned in the conversation of representing the East division in the conference title game much less winning the damn thing......................................

[RunItUpTheGut]

Tell me about this awesome recruiting class some more. Where do we rank among SEC teams? I'm curious.

[Tiger Roar]

Its that time again. Another failed adventure in candy line, ah, I mean commonwealth.

Stoops has lost almost every good recruit he got to commit over the past few days. Were only left with 2 or 3 four star recruits and the ship is sinking so fast its not funny.
Now these Louisville type thugs we have out at bars in the middle of the night (why is there no curfew?) where teenagers are getting into bars and fighting lowly EKU players is beyond stupid. I don't care if it was the guys fault, what were three of our future good players doing in a Richmond bar at that time of night?

Stoops time is done.

Stoops is doing a good job, at some point these players have to grow up and take responsibility for themselves. R-E-L-A-X

[Fromthebleachers]

I don't care who UK hires. You guys think Brooks was great. He got you a couple of big upsets and eight wins. That's the ceiling for UK and he hit it. The programs in the SEC that are ahead of UK have better players and coaches. At football crazy programs.

[Tiger Roar]

Let's try to enjoy the ride, good grief. This team will be better next season, give them time.

[Axel Foley]

I will give Coach Stoops more time. Joker left it in shambles. I think we go 7-5 next year. However, we have to produce a little higher ranked recruiting class next year. Top 25, minimum, IMHO.

[honestjchsfan]

Most of the time you are CLUELESS , but you hit it right on the head this is exactly what's wrong with Kentucky football. Worried about winning 5or 6 games instead worriying about playing for championships. We still have fans that think Brooks was a good coach. I personally find it embarrassing that Missouri has played in the last two SEC championship games, and we have never even been in the conversation to ever be in one. The said part to this is we will never be in the hunt until, DIPSTICK is gone.

I agree with most of what you are saying. I disagree with what you think about Rich Brooks! Rich Brooks was the perfect hire for UK at that time! UK was dealing with the effects of NCAA probation and the reduction in scholarships. Rich Brooks was not a great recruiter but he was super at finding the sleeper recruits like Randle Cobb. It took Brooks any years to rebuild the Kentucky program but he had them playing at a respectable level. The huge mistake was the hire of the Joker! Joker Phillips was hired when the Kentucky football program needed to hire a proven coach who was capable of taking the program to the next level! A David Cutcliffe would have been perfect or Terry Bowden would have been good. Those are just names that jump in my head but the point is UK needed to hire a coach to replace Brooks who was a proven winner! Hiring Joker was a bad move and I honestly think had Joker not been on Rich Brooks staff Brooks would have won a few more big games! The whole UK fan base had saw some of the bone head play calls Joker had made and his hire goes to show how out of touch Barnhart was with the UK fan base. H#&%, the UK fan base didn't want Joker to call plays how in H#%$ do you hire him as Head Coach?????? IMO the hiring of Mark Stoops was throwing good money after bad!