This will help with recruiting.. At least Brooks can convince recruits that he will be here for a while now.

Barnhardt most definately doing the right thing here. I think it would be hard to find someone for our program working harder or doing more than what Brooks has and will. :thumb:

I hope that they can bring in somebody with some name recognition after Brooks. I don't know how long the extension is, but I can't see Rich staying here for more than the next 3 seasons. I'd say he's out after 2008 or '09.

 

With that said, Brooks has done a fantastic job. He's worked hard & rebuilt the program from the bottom up. I think we've all had our problems with Coach Brooks in the past, but you can't argue with what he's done in Lexington. He deserves the extension, but something tells me somebody else is going to have to take UK to that "next level". Hopefully I'm wrong.

Todays local paper says the terms of the contract extension will be released after the first of the year. I hope the success continues.

Lets get him to retirement and bring in a young coach who's had a lot of success at a mid major like Florida did with Urban Meyer

Brooks deserves this. I like what Barnhardt said on the radio before the basketball game yesterday "You want someone who went thru the tough times to enjoy the fruits of their labors." Here here!

 

This garbage about playing a weak schedule is so bogus. Yes there a few weaker out of conference games, but when you play in a tough conference you have to have some slack, especially when you are building a program. UK was not a top 25 team, yet played a tougher schedule than most of them did this season. If we were in the position to compete for a national title, then yes, we should have a tougher schedule. But we ain't there yet and you have to get in excellent shape before you run a marathon.

 

Per the Sagarin ratings out of the top 25 teams, ... the following played tougher schedules than UK (NOTE you don't see Ohio State #40 in SOS, the best team in the country right now in that group, do you?)

 

USC (2)

Michigan (13)

Florida (18)

California (6)

Tennessee (11)

Notre Dame (20)

Oregon St (10)

UCLA (3)

Oregon (7)

 

For comparisons sake, Clemson's SOS was #67. Boise State, undefeated and in the BCS hunt had a whopping SOS of #100! So let's just let this 'weak' schedule argument go the way of the dinosaur cause that dog don't hunt! UK's football schedule is always tougher than most teams in the country because of the conference they are in. So let's move on and give Brooks his due! He earned this extension.

This year's schedule is ranked 21st most difficult in the Sagarins and will go even higher after they play Clemson. How hard should the schedule be? Top 10?

 

Jeff Sagarin NCAA football ratings

 

OK.. which win other than Georgia (who lost to Vandy at home) is supposed to impress me?

 

Texas State (5-6) at home

Ole Miss (4-8) at home

Central Michigan (9-4) at home

Vandy (4-8) at home

Louisiana Monroe (4-8) at home

at Mississippi State (3-9)

 

 

- The only road win of the season was over the worst team in the conference.

- They didn't play either of the top 2 teams from the west.

- Georgia was down this year.

- All but one of the winnable games were at home.

 

Sure they played a tough schedule (UF, LSU, UT, UofL all on the road), but they lost all of those games.

 

Again.. I'm NOT NOT NOT bashing this team or Brooks. They had a GREAT year, and hopefully they can really prove themselves against Clemson.

 

Next year will certainly be more of a challenge. More of their winnable games will be on the road (Temple, South Carolina, Vandy) with the tough ones coming in Commonwealth (UofL, LSU, Florida, UT). I will be MUCH more impressed with a seven win season next year.

OK.. which win other than Georgia (who lost to Vandy at home) is supposed to impress me?

 

Texas State (5-6) at home

Ole Miss (4-8) at home

Central Michigan (9-4) at home

Vandy (4-8) at home

Louisiana Monroe (4-8) at home

at Mississippi State (3-9)

 

I think they had a great year, but you have to admit that schedule is a tad on the easy side. The only ranked team they played close was UT.

 

 

So, when you say the schedule was easy, you mean the strength of the teams UK beat, not the schedule as a whole. That's not what you had originally posted.

 

When you look at rankings, which rankings are you talking about? Besides the Georgia win, UK played a 26th Sagarin ranked South Carolina down to the wire.

 

All I would add is that there is a carry over effect to playing highly ranked teams. A building program should not be over scheduling. And the Louisville/Central Michigan led non-con schedule was as good as many middle of the road BCS programs.

So, when you say the schedule was easy, you mean the strength of the teams UK beat, not the schedule as a whole. That's not what you had originally posted.

 

I said it was padded.. not easy. They had a really good SEC draw getting the teams at home that they did. Their road schedule was absolutely brutal, but they would have lost those games no matter where they were played. In their more evenly matched games (Ol Miss, Vandy, SC) they got a big advantage from playing them at home.

 

I'll keep saying it, the team had a GREAT year, but the schedule was one of the easier ones (as far as piling up wins) they will ever face in the SEC.

 

The most positive thing to me is that they only lost one game to an evenly matched team (South Carolina) . The rest of their losses came to elite level programs, and they didn't slip up and let a less talented team beat them.

This garbage about playing a weak schedule is so bogus. Yes there a few weaker out of conference games, but when you play in a tough conference you have to have some slack, especially when you are building a program. UK was not a top 25 team, yet played a tougher schedule than most of them did this season. If we were in the position to compete for a national title, then yes, we should have a tougher schedule. But we ain't there yet and you have to get in excellent shape before you run a marathon.

 

Per the Sagarin ratings out of the top 25 teams, ... the following played tougher schedules than UK (NOTE you don't see Ohio State #40 in SOS, the best team in the country right now in that group, do you?)

 

USC (2)

Michigan (13)

Florida (18)

California (6)

Tennessee (11)

Notre Dame (20)

Oregon St (10)

UCLA (3)

Oregon (7)

 

For comparisons sake, Clemson's SOS was #67. Boise State, undefeated and in the BCS hunt had a whopping SOS of #100! So let's just let this 'weak' schedule argument go the way of the dinosaur cause that dog don't hunt! UK's football schedule is always tougher than most teams in the country because of the conference they are in. So let's move on and give Brooks his due! He earned this extension.

Playing highly ranked opponets doesn't make the easy opponets harder.

If you play teams ranked #1, 2, and, 3 and then play teams ranked 117, 118, and 119 you more than likely going to win three games even if your the 116th best team, but the schedule strength will be inflated.

 

UK altered thier schedule (good bye IU hello Lou Monroe) to be bowl eligible, this isn't a secret.

 

Georgia was bad this year, I don't care about the program strength, the team was bad.

 

Brooks did nothing he shouldn't have done. Funny how one season of mediocrity can erase the past and continuing (Where's the D?) blunders.

Playing highly ranked opponets doesn't make the easy opponets harder.

If you play teams ranked #1, 2, and, 3 and then play teams ranked 117, 118, and 119 you more than likely going to win three games even if your the 116th best team, but the schedule strength will be inflated.

 

Thats kinda the point I was trying to get across.

 

Georgia was bad this year, I don't care about the program strength, the team was bad.

 

They were definately down, but they did beat Auburn, GT, and South Carolina.

 

Brooks did nothing he shouldn't have done. Funny how one season of mediocrity can erase the past and continuing (Where's the D?) blunders.

 

Well beating UGA (down or not) was something we weren't predicted to do, so thats a big plus. And UK also usually manages to drop a few games they should win. They didn't do that this year, and thats encouraging.

 

Last year it was Indiana and Ol' Miss. The year before was Ohio. 2003 was Vandy. The only game you could MAYBE say they should have won this year was South Carolina, and that game was really a toss up.

 

Winning all the games you're supposed to was a big step for UK, and they even managed to win one they shouldn't have.

Winning all the games you're supposed to was a big step for UK, and they even managed to win one they shouldn't have.

I think it is fine that they did what they were supposed to. It means they are playing competitively. I don't think doing what your "supposed to do" should garner award in lieu of a history of underperforming.

 

Defining the UK season as "great" is inaccurate. Brooks isn't capable of building the program to a level that can win the SEC East, therefore I think this extension is a poor overeaction to a little positivity.

I think it is fine that they did what they were supposed to. It means they are playing competitively. I don't think doing what your "supposed to do" should garner award in lieu of a history of underperforming.

 

Defining the UK season as "great" is inaccurate. Brooks isn't capable of building the program to a level that can win the SEC East, therefore I think this extension is a poor overeaction to a little positivity.

Typical response to a UK thread from a Cardinal fan.:sleep:

Brooks isn't capable of building the program to a level that can win the SEC East

 

Petrino couldn't either.

I think it is fine that they did what they were supposed to. It means they are playing competitively. I don't think doing what your "supposed to do" should garner award in lieu of a history of underperforming.

 

Defining the UK season as "great" is inaccurate. Brooks isn't capable of building the program to a level that can win the SEC East, therefore I think this extension is a poor overeaction to a little positivity.

 

To continue to bring in solid recruiting classes as he has done he has to have the backing of the University. Considering where UK was and what they had to deal with, .. and what they really were even before the NCAA issues to say that this year wasn't much better is not giving an honest appraisal of their progress.