Already?

Come Tuesday evening in the KFC Yum! Center in downtown Louisville, the always highly-anticipated “Battle of the Bluegrass” will tip off at 8 p.m. on ESPN. You read that right. The Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals are playing their annual basketball game 18 days before the rivals meet on the gridiron, also in Louisville, on Sat., Nov. 29.

We mentioned this decision way back when the date was announced, but it is ridiculous to play a rivalry game that means so much to folks in the Commonwealth this early in the basketball season. Both teams are still looking for their respective identities at this juncture, and the game itself could suffer a bit because of that.

The game would be much more interesting if it was pushed back to be played in late December. It will be difficult to get a real gauge on both teams on Veterans Day, and shouldn’t the focus on that day be placed on the brave men and women who have served, or are still serving our country?

As for the matchup on the court, it is good to see the rivalry competitive again, with the homestanding Cards having a legitimate opportunity to get bragging rights for a change. The Wildcats have won three consecutive games in the series, and six of the last seven. The lone Louisville win during the past seven years was a 62-59 home victory on Dec. 26, 2020.

Both teams have feasted on cupcakes in the early going, with the Cards pounding South Carolina State 104-45, and Jackson State 106-70. Kentucky opened with Nicholls and struggled in the first half before pulling away in a 77-51 pasting of the Colonels. Last night (after this was written) Kentucky played Valparaiso, and entered that fray as a 33 1/2-point favorite.

The odds have yet to be set for the UK-UofL game, and it will be nothing more than a guess at this point. Both teams feature mostly revamped rosters, just like nearly every college basketball team in the nation due to the portal and NIL money.

Football Cats host Gators

It wasn’t all that long ago when the majority of Kentucky football fans dreaded this game on the schedule. The only mystery when Florida and UK faced off was just how many points would Steve Spurrier, aka the Ol’ Ball Coach, and his Gators score when the two met.

From 1990-2001, Spurrier went 12-0 against the Cats, and took great delight in lighting up the scoreboard in the process. Florida averaged 47.3 points per game, and the only game resembling anything close was a 24-20 Gators victory in 1993.

This is not the same Florida team, and Kentucky has a real shot at upending the Gators on Saturday night in Lexington. The Cats won three in a row vs. Florida before last year’s 48-20 loss in Gainesville. This season has both head coaches on the hot seat, with the Gators already letting Billy Napier go. Kentucky’s Mark Stoops is looking to go back-to-back in consecutive weeks after last Saturday’s 10-3 snooze fest win at Auburn.

Both teams come in at 3-5, with Florida a slight road favorite (3.5 points) as this is being written. It’s difficult to figure this one out, but it’s safe to say neither team will be putting up 73 points, like the Gators did under Spurrier back in 1994.

Bengals won’t taste defeat this week

This could be considered a true blessing for fans of the Cincinnati Bengals. They won’t have to endure watching the worst defense in the NFL miss tackle after tackle this weekend, with the Men in Stripes enjoying their bye week.

Unless some answers are forthcoming in quick order – and it’s difficult to fire the entire defensive unit — look for Cincy to taste defeat once again next Sunday when they venture to the Steel City. After all, you can bet the Pittsburgh Steelers will be more than ready to avenge the Bengals’ improbable 33-31 win at Paycor Stadium in the rivals’ Thursday night tilt on Oct. 16.

My bad

In my most recent piece, I wrote about professional teams either accomplishing back-to-back titles, or looking to pull it off this season. The idea came after the Los Angeles Dodgers eked out a World Series win over the Toronto Blue Jays to become the first back-to-back MLB champion since the Yankees won three in a row from 1998-2000, and the first National League team to repeat since the Cincinnati Reds in 1975-1976.

I added that the Philadelphia Eagles have an excellent shot at becoming back-to-back champions in the NFL, and that the Florida Panthers will be seeking their third consecutive title in the National Hockey League when that season concludes late next spring.

Due to a bit of hastiness, I neglected the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA. The Thunder were consistently impressive throughout the season a year ago, and they appear to have what it takes to go back-to-back in June as well. Granted, there’s still a ton of basketball to be played, and injuries are always a factor.

A pair of recent NCAA champions also have their sights set on becoming repeat performers, with Ohio State looking like the team to beat in football once again, and the Florida Gators pursuing back-to-back championships on the basketball court.

A final word (or two)

My apologies for a less than fantastic column today, and I’ll try to do better next time. There are several much more important things than sports on my mind at the moment as well.

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“One of the very advantages of youth – you don’t own any stock in anything. You have a good time, and all the grief and trouble are with the other fellows.” – Mark Twain