Ira D. Combs
Syndicated Columnist
Tri State Sports Media Service Inc.

Sitting here trying to come up with a realistic scenario that will give Rich Brooks and Big Blue Football their fourth consecutive winning season and bowl bid to cap it off.

No matter which angle or direction or quarterback I take to justify this taking place, it's difficult to realistically predict at this juncture in the off season with what little we know about several key incoming players and how they will respond to the next level and in particular SEC type competition.

In a nutshell, it's starting to look like a classic case of a college football program possibly taking a small step backwards this year and then two giant steps forward in 2010, here are my various different reasons:

#1 - First and foremost the schedule this fall is murderous for UK in the competition department and set up both. The home games with Alabama and Florida are off limits and although the UT game has been a toss up going into the fourth quarter for several years now, until it happens, I can't put it in the (W) column. However, I can put Louisiana-Monroe and EKU in the (W) column and let's throw The Cards in that column as well since it's in the friendly confines of Commonwealth Stadium. The lone neutral site game with Miami of Ohio has to go into the (W) department or else there's no sense in continuing this discussion. Now, the dreaded road games. You can forget Georgia for sure, don't care who they've lost. Auburn and South Carolina would normally be ripe for the picking with their present scenarios but, it won't happen at Columbia or down on the Plains. If my mountain math skills are correct that puts the Cats' fortunes at 4-6 with Vandy and Mississippi State left to manage a 6-6 slate to qualify for a bowl bid. Normally, I wouldn't have any trouble putting both those in the (W) column and I will this year but playing those two in late October and early November after 5 consecutive weeks of games with SEC juggernauts concerns me in the injury department. Best case dream scenario is for the 6-6 prediction to evolve into 7-5 if the Cats can steal a win on the road at Columbia or Auburn but realistically it looks more like 5-7.

#2 - The recent developments of Jeremy Jarmon were devestating in my eyes to UK's pass rush which is mandatory for any defense when you face the quarterbacks of the SEC. I'm a big Rich Brooks fan but coach, I don't care how much young hidden talent you have recruited onto campus the last two years at DE, when all the returning letterman combined at that position have a grand total of zero tackles for a loss your in trouble, even Wilbur Hackett, the umpire on one of the SEC's most veteran officiating crews, had two tackles for a loss last year.

#3 - The specialty positions that create points for the offense have a combination of concerns beginning with too much inexperience and quality depth at the receiving positions (except for TE) and the running back situation concerns me as well in the injury department with multi-talented Derrick Lockes' status and the history with Alfonso Smith and injuries limiting his effectiveness.

#4 - One big intangible that a lot of pigskin gurus fail to factor in is the loss of Senior K/P Tim Masthay and how his foot helped in the all important field position department.

Now the good news.

#5- Rich Brooks, Joker Phillips, and the Wildcat coaching staff have landed a few plums in the recruiting wars the last two years to restock the roster at impact positions that can be game changers and now they have them on campus to work into the Wildcat game plans. Incoming QB's Ryan Mossakowski and Morgan Newton are highly rated talents at their position and should be able to help bring out the talents of other young players like Randall Cobb, Aaron Boyd, and Matt Roark in the future. Also, don't forget junior college wide receiver Chris Matthews. If he pans out like Steve Johnson and others in this department it will be another weapon for the Wildcat offense similar to the high powered 2006-2007 offense.

#6 - If Randy Sanders and Joker Phillips can speed up the learning process with these green but talented players and weather the storm of the 2009 schedule and pull 6 or 7 wins out of this group the prospects for a breakout 8 or 9 win season in 2010 looks much brighter with home games against Akron, Charleston Southern, Vandy, South Carolina , Auburn, and Georgia and one more non conference opponent yet to be announced. Not to mention what looks to be two winnable road games at Louisville and Mississippi State plus who knows what condition Lane Kiffin will have Ole Rocky Top in by that time. Ole Miss and Florida are the other two road games in 2010, Florida isn't going to be conquered at the Swamp anytime soon by UK but the Ole Miss game in Oxford isn't a stretch if the UK coaching staff have the young skilled players clicking to their projected talents by then.

All in all I can't think of a more anticipated upcoming sports year for the Big Blue Nation than 2009- 2010 and beyond but we may all have to show a little patience this fall. I just can't see Rich Brooks retiring until he has that Rose Bowl type year he had at Oregon here at Kentucky and my crystal ball says that could possibly be in 2010.

Don't know about you but I can give Wildcat football a one year mulligan with what's waiting for us all over at Rupp Arena this winter and I think the rest of the Commonwealth can too.