Reality Check Time

[Knucklehank1]

For better or worse, we are who we thought we were. We came into the season ranked around 20 and that's where we will end up. I think most rational people thought 10-2 record was ceiling and 8-4 was floor. We are right in the middle of expectations.

The unfortunate part is that we basically met expectations despite having one of the most amazing breakout players in college football ever. I think this is the reality check part. Despite our best wishes, we are not and rarely ever will be a real player for the college football championship. We simply do not have the necessary depth on the line to make that a reality. We are capable of some sizzle because we can get some good skill position players and have a great playcaller, but we lack the steak. I just don't see that changing.

You have to really wonder if Grantham will be around next year. Several things amazed me today on defense:
- guys were not lined up so they were scrambling at the snap. At this point of the year one should expect that guys would be in the correct alignment and assignment before the snap
- the 3rd and Grantham adage is ringing true. When you have a sports car like Lamar on the sidelines, the defense has got to get off the field and let him work. For some reason Grantham continually blitzed right up the middle, which left gaping holes in the middle of the field. Obviously teams know his tendency and are exploiting it
- poor tackling and lack of pass rush.
- we allowed a one-dimensional UK offense become 2 dimensional

There is no way to sugar-coat how bad these last two games have been. They completely exposed our issues, have at least partially delayed the LJ Heisman coronation and stunt any momentum going into next year.

 

[beasleythecard]

the 3rd and Grantham adage is ringing true. When you have a sports car like Lamar on the sidelines, the defense has got to get off the field and let him work. For some reason Grantham continually blitzed right up the middle, which left gaping holes in the middle of the field. Obviously teams know his tendency and are exploiting it

be careful @BPGhost will show up with a smart comment and some personal snarky insult because he loves the mediocre, predictable defense of grantham.

if he is not fired, or moves on, I know many who will not be in papa johns next season.

 

[Knucklehank1]

Not sure about your beef with BPGhost. He seems like one of the more knowledgeable posters on here. I think he probably realizes that some coaching issues don't necessarily mean you have to throw the baby out with the bath water. There are drawbacks to canning coaches (lack of continuity, recruiting considerations, staff cohesiveness). I trust that Petrino can wade through those issues and make an appropriate decision.

 

[DirtyBird]

Amazing that eleven days ago people were talking about us as the only team capable of beating Alabama.

 

[REDFISTFURY3]

Amazing that eleven days ago people were talking about us as the only team capable of beating Alabama.

I know i was never on that boat.

 

[nccardfan]

Amazing that eleven days ago people were talking about us as the only team capable of beating Alabama.

The only people doing that was our own fans and how ESPN conspired against us but saw us for what we were really were, newbies and pretenders.

 

[DirtyBird]

Agreed. After the Duke and Virginia games, I think a lot of Cards fans deep down had doubts.

 

[Knucklehank1]

One other thing to add is that it is troubling that UofL is among the worst in the country in sacks, penalties and turnovers. The unholy trinity of football. This flies in the face of the thoroughness and discipline we remember from Petrino 1.0. It is going to be imperative to remedy these areas.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

2.0 has not mirrored 1.0

 

[beasleythecard]

One other thing to add is that it is troubling that UofL is among the worst in the country in sacks, penalties and turnovers. The unholy trinity of football. This flies in the face of the thoroughness and discipline we remember from Petrino 1.0. It is going to be imperative to remedy these areas.

if something is not done to address the lack of quality coaching and dicipline, the head man should be held responsible.
we need a quality DC and competent line coaches, or we should change our name to mediocre university.

 

[catfanlondon]

I visit this board often, but don't post much. I never understood the infatuation with Grantham. Being a UK fan I watched Georgia often and his defenses under performed a lot with the talent they had (which often were multiple 1st and 2nd round picks). Georgia fans called for his head on an annual basis. They were both happy and confused when Petrino hired him and gave him that salary. Personally, I think you could do much worse for a DC, but he definitely leave much to be desired.

 

[GOCARDS6]

Was the team "disinterested" after realizing they would not be playing for a playoff shot? But in all seriousness we regressed badly. O-Line has been awful all year. For the life of me i cant understand why we can not hang on to the football?! Maybe Lamar needs a Teddy glove. The most frustrating part was all he had to do was hang on to the ball with two hands or even take a knee and we line up kick a chip shot field goal, heisman is his and on to the bowl game but noooooooo....

 

[dgtatu01]

I think the Defense had a hard time stopping the run all year long. Aside from a very spirited performance against FSU it was tough to get good running teams off of the field. Kentucky was a worse matchup than the point spread and prognosticators would have predicted. Local media was all over that spread, even the U of L homers. I did not in a million years think Kentucky was going to win, but I thought a Kentucky win and U of L winning by more than 27 were both just about as likely to occur. Turnovers are never good and they almost always hurt. In this game Kentucky made Louisville pay and Louisville did not make Kentucky pay, that was the difference.

 

[tluck28]

For better or worse, we are who we thought we were. We came into the season ranked around 20 and that's where we will end up. I think most rational people thought 10-2 record was ceiling and 8-4 was floor. We are right in the middle of expectations.

The unfortunate part is that we basically met expectations despite having one of the most amazing breakout players in college football ever. I think this is the reality check part. Despite our best wishes, we are not and rarely ever will be a real player for the college football championship. We simply do not have the necessary depth on the line to make that a reality. We are capable of some sizzle because we can get some good skill position players and have a great playcaller, but we lack the steak. I just don't see that changing.

You have to really wonder if Grantham will be around next year. Several things amazed me today on defense:
- guys were not lined up so they were scrambling at the snap. At this point of the year one should expect that guys would be in the correct alignment and assignment before the snap
- the 3rd and Grantham adage is ringing true. When you have a sports car like Lamar on the sidelines, the defense has got to get off the field and let him work. For some reason Grantham continually blitzed right up the middle, which left gaping holes in the middle of the field. Obviously teams know his tendency and are exploiting it
- poor tackling and lack of pass rush.
- we allowed a one-dimensional UK offense become 2 dimensional

There is no way to sugar-coat how bad these last two games have been. They completely exposed our issues, have at least partially delayed the LJ Heisman coronation and stunt any momentum going into next year.

Grant ham needs to be shown the door. With all the tools he has on defense there is no excuse for this