What is it that draws people to watch Kentucky football? Some people watch to see the sheer athleticism of guys like Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke. Others watch because they personally know one of the players, or because they’ve been watching one of the upperclassmen since they were Freshmen. Some people watch because it’s UK and that’s the university they follow (my personal excuse). There are a lot of fans however, who will watch only as long as there is a chance for a bowl game bid.
I know, I know, ‘true fans watch whether the team is winning or not’. Well, yes and no. A lot of fans will still follow the program (in the paper or on the internet) even if the team is not winning , but they wont necessarily invest their money in things like tickets and merchandise if there is no hope in getting to the post-season. At that point, people start saying things like “There’s Always Next Year.” I started wondering today if Kentucky’s football season was to the “There’s Always Next Year” (TANY) point yet.
I’m not dogging the Cats, I think UK has some of the best individual players in the conference, maybe even the nation. It’s just that the team must have 6 wins to even be considered for a bowl game. When is it no longer feasible to win 6 games? UK currently stands at 4-5 with three games remaining so the only way to get to the TANY point before the regular season ends is if they lose both of the next two games. At that point, the Tennessee game would be irrelevant to the post-season, because even a win would not get Kentucky a bowl game.
The good news is, the Tennessee game will still be important to fans even if Kentucky loses the previous two. Why? Because it’s a rivalry game that Kentucky hasn’t won in years. Even if UK loses to both CSU and Vandy, the Tennessee game will be highly-viewed due to the rivalry factor. Plus, no one in their right mind expects UK to lose to CSU, so even if Vandy wins on the 13th, the Tennessee game could determine bowl eligibility. That alone should guarantee that UK Football fans won’t reach the TANY point until most other Football fans are there with them.
