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[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Let’s assume for a moment you are not a UK basketball fan (this will be quick, I swear) but rather you are a rabid college football fan. For this exercise we will pretend you are loyal to a football team that has everything that the University of Kentucky basketball program has. I’m sure you’ve done this before, say with professional teams. For instance, the Yankees in baseball are a logical choice. They have rich tradition, multiple championships, winning seasons, all-time greats and an insane fanbase. Using that logic, who is UK’s college football equivalent?[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]I had a couple of teams pop in my head as I pondered this topic. The first team I thought was Texas. Texas football is religion to all longhorn fans. So much so in fact, the “hook em horns” hand gesture is the same thing as giving someone a thumbs up (Thumbs up? Do people still do that?). Aside from that Texas has a rich history of winning and conference domination year in and year out. Texas is 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] in all-time wins and tied for 12[SUP]th[/SUP] in national championships. So while Texas is a great football program I don’t think they are quite “UK basketball” elite.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]What about Oklahoma? No, not the musical starring Wolverine, the football team. They fit the bill from the fan perspective. They are also usually the biggest team their opponents play all year every year. Beating Oklahoma is the crowning achievement for any head coach. Boise State is a lot like UAB in this example. Both were good teams, but the jubilation of the smaller team beating high tier programs like the Cats and Sooners in a big time postseason game will be talked about for years to come. While Oklahoma initially passes the eye test, I don’t think they are the team I am looking for here. They rank 4[SUP]th[/SUP] in wins and 9[SUP]th[/SUP] in national titles. Sorry, Sooners.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Notre Dame is sometimes described in the same way UK basketball is. While UK may not have “touchdown Jesus” they do have “actual” Jesus as the fans pray for recruits and national titles. The Irish are winners historically. They are 3rd in total wins and 1[SUP]st[/SUP] in national titles. Well, actually 3[SUP]rd[/SUP], but no one thinks Ivy league schools are relevant in sports. While they may have some comparisons, they don’t have the same type of present-day national impact as the Cats do (no national titles since 1988) or any conference titles to speak of since they remain independent. They are probably more comparable to UCLA basketball than UK.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]And finally your winners are The Michigan Wolverines. Michigan has been kicking grass for 131 years. That’s 10 years longer than any other team in history. If that’s true, who the hell did they play for 10 years? Yale? Anywho, Michigan has an impressive history, perhaps the most impressive of ANY team. They have the most wins in college football history, highest all-time winning percentage in college football history, the most winning seasons, the most undefeated seasons of teams currently competing in Division I-A/FBS and they are one of only three schools with a winning record against every Division I. They rank right behind Notre Dame in national titles as well. By comparison UK leads the nation in total wins, winning percentage, post-season wins, post-season appearances and all-Americans. And have 7 total national titles, which ranks 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] behind UCLA.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]I got to say I was a little shocked to realize Michigan was UK’s equivalent. I thought for sure it was going to be Texas or Notre Dame, but history and stats don’t lie. So this coming football season, when the football cats aren’t playing and you need a team to root for, you may want to give Michigan and Brady Hoke some love, because you may have more in common with them than you think.[/SIZE][/FONT]
