Get Hyped.

It’s a question I ask myself every morning. The only thing I can think of is home field advantage.

But when Syracuse, who was whooped by Northwestern earlier today, upsets a team at home is there really an advantage?

I’m not a betting man and the NCAA will castrate anyone who promotes college football betting. But if you want to, go for it. Personally, I’d take the Cats. No way they lose first of all and secondly, they will win by at least 4 points.

But I’m not betting man remember? Betfirms says take the Cardinals. And hey, they even link us at the bottom saying we disagree. Because we do!

So that’s your betting outlook for the day. Then again, I did pick Pyro in the Kentucky Derby.

I see the game going like this. Defense will set the tone for the day, and I expect a low scoring affair.

I think that both defenses will come out with guns blazing, but eventually, Louisville’s lack of depth in the trenches will come back to bite them. It has to, because it will be hotter than the mouth of hell in Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.

I think that Kentucky will slowly but surely wear down Louisville’s front seven with the running game. Louisville has woefully inexperienced linebackers, so I expect a lot of counters and misdirection plays from Joker Phillips.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Kentucky went with power in the first half with Dixon and Allen, then switched it up to speed in the second half with Smith and Locke. I predict that Kentucky will build a sizeable lead in the 4th quarter thanks to ball control and the running game, but Louisville will rally behind the passing of Hunter Cantwell.

This game will be close because Brooks and Phillips are very conservative coaches when their team has a lead. Here’s exactly how I see the scoring working out.

Kentucky will score first on a short completion from Mike Hartline to Dicky Lyons Jr.

Louisville will come back with two field goals. I think 7-6 will be the halftime score.

The two teams will trade touchdowns to open the third quarter. I predict touchdown runs by Dixon and Bolen.

I think Kentucky will force a turnover, get the ball in good position, but settle for a FG by Lones Seiber. I also think Seiber will miss one field goal, but I don’t think he’ll miss any extra points.

The touchdown that decides the outcome will come from Derrick Locke on a run of at least 25 yards.

Louisville will tack on a late touchdown on a long throw, Cantwell to Doug Beaumont. Then they will recover the onside kick with less than a minute to go.

Trevard Lindley will either break up or pick off the Hail Mary at the end of the game.

Kentucky will win, 24-20.

I have had several conversations with Cardinals fans in the last week or so that have always gotten around to talking about how we know nothing about either team this year. My reply: thank your athletic director for that. Because of Tommy “Turtleneck” Jurich, this year’s and every other year’s games are once again the first games of the year for each team.

It’s about that time. I’m not content to wait any longer. I must do this.

I must make my prediction for the annual Governor’s Cup game be known right now. So here they are, numbered, but not in any specific order. Just treat it as a catch-all.

1. UK’s running backs will have their day in the sun. Historically the team that has won has had one back outrun the losing team. That’s been true since 1996. My prediction? For the first time in 12 years, that won’t happen. If UK’s coaches stay true to their word, UK will outrush Louisville and win the game. Just not with one back.

2. Louisville’s secondary was awful last year. I doubt they are better this year. Does that mean UK’s wide receivers will dominate? Probably not. Dicky Lyons Jr. might, the other guy? Watch for E.J. Adams. My prediction: Ron English can kiss my butt, Cats will still make big throws on the Cardinals.

3. Jeremy Jarmon will start not only his All-SEC run against Louisville, but his All-American candidacy as well. Or Louisville will double team Jarmon and Corey Peters will have a field day. Pick your poison.

4. Non-favorable UK prediction: Hunter Cantwell will have a solid day. Not great, but solid.

5. The game will be closer than I originally thought. Sure, UK has a running advantage, which will milk precious clock time. And UK has the better defense. But the Cards have a QB that can help lead a comeback. But in the end, Cantwell won’t have enough time to complete that comeback. My prediction?

UK 24, Louisville 17.

Rich Brooks finally wins at the Pizza Box.

Louisville’s offense is significantly better than its defense. Hunter Cantwell has backed up Brian Brohm for three years, and it is his time to shine. I’m not as high on him as some of the Louisville fans who say he’s even better than Brohm and use some weird Mel Kiper formula to make that deduction, but he’s more battle-tested than Mike Hartline. Cantwell is about the same size as Brohm, and while he isn’t Tim Tebow, his mobility should not be underestimated. Hopefully I’m thinking of Cantwell and not Stefan LeFors. The biggest thing about Hunter than worries me as a UK fan is his leadership and experience. He has started a few games when Brohm was injured, and he didn’t fare badly at all. He is without question the leader of the Cardinals’ offense, and if Louisville is going to win this game, Cantwell will most likely be the most outstanding player in the game.

One thing that both John L. Smith and Bobby Petrino did exceptionally well at Louisville was recruit running backs. Eric Shelton, Lionel Gates, Kolby Smith, Michael Bush, Anthony Allen, Jujuan Spillman and George Stripling were all extremely talented backs, and most of those guys were bulldozers. Brock Bolen is another one of those bulldozers. As the Cardinals’ roster became more and more depleted last season, Bolen got a workman’s load of carries, and his bruising style led to a 4th quarter comeback against Rutgers. He’s listed as a fullback, but he gets more carries than the average fullback. The other running back that got lots of carries against Rutgers was Bilal Powell, who I honestly have never seen before. He didn’t get one carry against Kentucky, and I didn’t recognize him on special teams either, so I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you anything about his running style. The Cards will still be decent at RB, but they’ll definitely be a notch below their previous teams at the position.

At wide receiver, Louisville is in trouble. At least Kentucky has Dicky Lyons. Louisville was supposed to have Scott Long carrying a similar load as Lyons, but he broke his foot last week and is out. Without Long and Trent Guy, The Cardinals are woefully inexperienced. Doug Beaumont had lots of special teams tackles in 2007, but no catches. The only returning receiver who has any career catches is Chris Vaughn, and he’s listed as second on the depth chart. Troy Pascley starts alongside Beaumont, but once again, I have no idea if he’s a speed guy or a possession guy. At tight end, Pete Nochta has the unenviable task of replacing Gary Barnidge, and just like Kentucky’s tight ends with Jacob Tamme, I feel sorry for the backup tight ends from Louisville who have to replace Barnidge, because Gary was a good one.

Louisville has two outstanding offensive linemen. Tackle George Bussey and center Eric Wood are three-year starters, and both are legit. I can definitely see Wood in the NFL someday. Bussey may have to put on a little weight, as 306 is getting lighter and lighter for a tackle. At the other three positions, the Cards are very inexperienced. Tackle Jeff Adams and guard Mark Wetterer are sophomores with zero experience. Guard Abdul Kutayeh is a junior, but like the others, has next to no experience. Bussey and Wood can block pretty much anybody. I don’t think any of Kentucky’s sacks in last season’s game were on them, but if I were a Cardinal fan, I’d be a little worried about the other three positions.

This should be the best Kentucky defense in the Rich Brooks era. It improved greatly in Steve Brown’s first year as DC, and with almost everybody returning, it should be even better this season. It all starts on the line. Jeremy Jarmon is the most underrated defensive lineman in the SEC. His motor never stops running, he wraps up well against the run and is one of the best pass rushers I’ve seen at Kentucky. Fellow end Ventrell Jenkins is no slouch either. Both guys are capable of getting the big sack on 3rd down. Myron Pryor and Corey Peters are returning starters at defensive tackle. Injuries have slowed down Pryor since his awesome freshman year, but both he and Peters can clog the lanes well. Ricky Lumpkin comes back from injury at tackle, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a lot of Josh Minton and Shane McCord either. Between those guys and Nii Adjei Oninku backing up the ends, this is one of the deepest defensive lines I can remember at UK.

At linebacker, Wesley Woodyard is gone. No one player can replace the skills or heart of Wes, but a team effort can get the job done. Braxton Kelley is moving to Wesley’s spot on the weak side. Normally it’s a tough transition to go from the middle to the outside, but I feel like Kelley is both physically and mentally tough enough to get it done. Kelley moving to the outside opens it up for Micah Johnson to move to a permanent spot on the inside. Micah has finally been given the opportunity to live up to his potential. He’s shown flashes of brilliance in a backup role, but for whatever reason, he was never able to take the starting job away from Kelley. Nothing against Johnson, because Kelley is very good. Johnson’s time is now, and I hope he makes the most of it. Johnny “Hitman” Williams will line up in the other outside slot, but there have also been rumors that his pass rushing ability will enable him to line up on the line, similar to what Lawrence Taylor used to do with the New York Football Giants. Not saying Johnny is LT (nobody is), but the roles may be similar. Sam Maxwell backs up Williams on the strong side, and he’s a super athletic player. There’s a guy who can just fly to the ball.

In the secondary, Cantwell had best not throw to Trevard Lindley, or else the ball will get picked off. Lindley is one of the top cover corners in the country, and I don’t feel like a big homer when I say that. He just does everything well, and I’d say he’s the best player on the Kentucky roster. It hurt when we lost Paul Warford on the other corner for the year, but I think that a healthy David Jones can prove to be a great remedy. Shomari Moore and Robbie McAtee provide experience in nickel and dime packages. At safety, the explosive Ashton Cobb replaces the reliable Roger Williams. This has benefits and drawbacks. Roger wasn’t as athletic as Cobb, but he didn’t take as many risks either. Nothing sucks worse than when a safety gambles on a pick or a big hit and gets burned. Marcus McClinton comes back for his senior year at SS, and he’s nothing but solid. Calvin Harrison started a few games last year when Marcus got hurt, so the secondary is also very experienced and deep.

Louisville is decent at QB, good at RB, weak at WR and questionable at three of the five OL positions. Kentucky is good at DL, very good at LB and good at DB. I still worry a little bit about David Jones lining up opposite lindley in the secondary, and I think both safeties go for the big play too much at the expense of making the sure play. Still, that isn’t enough of a concern to prevent me from saying advantage: Kentucky.

As for the prediction, I’ll take care of that tomorrow.

I’m Seth Stogsdill, and if Tommy Beecher can start for South Carolina, so can I.

Kentucky will not be as good on offense as they were in 2007. This is a given. Andre Woodson, Rafael Little, Keenan Burton, Steve Johnson and Jacob Tamme are all trying to cut their teeth in the NFL. Mike Hartline emerged as the starting quarterback after Curtis Pulley was dismissed from the team, though I believe that Hartline would have been named the starter anyway. If you believe coaches, Mike did a lot of the same things Andre Woodson did during the offseason where he was expected to battle with Pulley for the starting job. Hartline became a leader and gained the support of his teammates. As Dicky Lyons says, “Nobody doesn’t not like Mike Hartline.” In fact, quarterback is not my biggest area of concern for the offense. Hartline is green, but by all accounts he has been very efficient. Also, watch out for Randall Cobb. I don’t think he’ll get any snaps at QB, but I do think you’ll see him on the field a few times, maybe just as a decoy by Joker Phillips to scare the crap out of the Louisville defense.

My biggest concern is wide receiver. Lyons is awesome and everybody loves him, but he’s not a #1 receiver. He’s a slot guy. He’s more of a possession guy than a slot guy. It would be like the Indianapolis Colts making Anthony Gonzalez their top receiver. Some guys are just natural in the slot, and with Burton and Johnson on the edges last season, Dicky got to play at his most natural spot on the field. Now he has to carry the same kind of load that Burton or Johnson did last year, and I worry about his ability to do that. More that that, though, I worry about the depth at the position. EJ Adams is going to start opposite Lyons instead of the injured Kyrus Lanxter. I don’t really know enough about either man to say which guy would work out better, but I do know that Lanxter is more experienced. Demoreo Ford is a blocker first and foremost. Matt Roark and Eric Adeyemi are freshmen, which means they’re unpredictable. Roark has pro size and Adeyemi has blazing speed, but who knows how they’ll do in backup roles in a game situation? I like Maurice Grinter at tight end. Nobody can replace Jacob Tamme, but if Grinter won the starting job over TC Drake in his first season playing the position (Mo used to back up John Conner at FB), then he must be decent.

At running back, I feel great about the good guys. Little ran all over the Cardinals defense last year, but even though he’s gone, Kentucky still has amazing depth in the backfield. Tony Dixon will start, but I’m not sure if he’ll get the most carries. Dixon is a good power runner, but he’s always had problems with fumbling. Derrick Locke is second on the depth chart. If he were three inches taller and 25 pounds heavier, he’d be #1 on the list. He’s the fastest back on the team, and his play in the games against LSU and Arkansas showed that he could take a hit. I don’t think Locke got one carry against Louisville last season, so the Cards are in for a treat. Alfonso Smith is probably the most complete back on the roster in terms of running ability, but he had problems last year with blocking. Moncell Allen is the tank. I’ve always loved his running style, and he’s so short and stocky that it’s very tough to bring him down. I hope he gets the nod in goal line situations instead of Dixon, unless Dixon has gotten better at holding onto the ball. John Conner is an outstanding fullback in all phases of the game. He runs hard in what few touches he gets, he runs a good flat route in goal line packages and he’s also a very good blocker.

At the line, Kentucky has three starters returning. Garry Williams, Justin Jeffries and Zipp Duncan all got better as the season progressed. In fact, I’m pretty sure Williams won SEC Lineman of the Week one week last year, possibly for not giving up a sack against LSU. Jess Beets beat out Brad Durham and Stuart Hines to take the spot at RG vacated by Brodhead resident Jason Leger. I thought Durham would have gotten it, so Beets beating Durham is a bit of a surprise to me. At 6’2”, 285 lbs., Beets is the smallest of the five linemen. Jorge Gonzalez takes over for Eric Scott at center. It was his job to lose going into the season, and he didn’t lose it. He should do just fine.

Louisville has experience along the defensive line and in the secondary as well. Ends Maurice Mitchell and LD Scott are pretty big for their position. I don’t remember Scott, but I do remember Mitchell from last season. If my memory serves me correctly, he lined up against Jeffries last season. Tackles Adrian Grady and Earl Heyman are seniors and are both very good. Both guys held their own on the 2006 Louisville defense, though most of the praise went to current Houston Texan Amobi Okoye. I don’t think this Louisville defense is strong at all, but I will say that the line is the least of their concerns.

Linebacker, however, is a huge concern. None of the linebackers on the Louisville depth chart have been credited with a tackle in a game. Linebacker was probably the Cardinals’ strongest position last season. I liked Malik Jackson, Lamar Myles and Preston Smith. I thought it was an incredibly stupid decision by Myles to test the waters in the NFL and not come back. He would have been huge because of the leadership that comes with the MLB position. Instead, the depth chart lists Antwon Canady at MLB and Jon Dempsey and Dexter Heyman on the outside. Dempsey is a junior, Heyman is a freshman (but supposed to be pretty good for a freshman), and the depth chart I looked up didn’t say what Canady was. If Kentucky can open up the same kind of holes against Louisville that they did for Little last season, these linebackers had better be able to wrap up. All four of the Kentucky backs are tough to take down.

Louisville has experience at three of the four positions in the secondary, but that was probably the weakest part of Louisville’s 2007 defense, so I’m not sure that returning experience is necessarily a good thing. At cornerback, Woodny Turenne returns, and if you’re a Louisville fan, you hope he’s better at defending the deep ball than he was last year. Steve Johnson thanks you while he collects his check from the Buffalo Bills. Bobby Buchanan and Richard Raglin return at safety – good if you’re a fan of alliteration. I didn’t think that Louisville’s safeties communicated well with the corners during the Kentucky game, and really during every other game. The Cards also bring back LaTarrious Thomas at safety, who missed most of the 2007 season on the shelf.

It comes down to this: I think Kentucky is weak at WR, strong at RB and right in the middle at QB and OL. I think Louisville is weak at LB and DB and decent at DL. If push comes to shove, I say Kentucky has the advantage when they have the ball, but it’s closer than I made it look. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about the offense. I have very bad memories of the 2006 game.

I’m Seth Stogsdill, and I’ll turn the tables with Part 2 either tomorrow or Saturday.

5. Table and Chairs: Gotta have somewhere to put the food and for everybody to sit and chill while waiting for gametime. Collapsible chairs are the best because they fit in the truck much easier as well as a folding table. Just some suggestions.

4. Plenty of Liquids: It’s supposed to be a hot one on Sunday with temperatures reaching the upper 90’s. Tailgating will be even hotter due to the fact that the area around the pizza pit is completely paved. Take plenty of fluids to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. For those beer drinkers, I know it’s tough to do but drink some water every once in a while to stay hydrated. Those who live in Louisville have seen in the last week what the heat can do to even the healthiest of people with what happened at PRP High School. STAY HYDRATED!!

So Louisville wants to “Red-Out” the UK game. Cool concept. Stolen a long time ago, but everyone steals it, even UK.

Oh and it’s also about time Louisville actually did a “color-out” with their actual primary color. Football stole a few of Maryland’s black outs. Too bad neither the Terps nor Cards do a blackout like Georgia did.

And then basketball white-outs. Sure. Whatever works. You look like one big wall. I’m sure no one has ever shot in a gym with white walls. Oooooh, freaky.

So now you try to actually go with your primary color? Whatever works, man. You see, there’s going to be pockets of blue in there. Lots. I even had someone tell me this week that a bunch of Louisville season tickets holders are planning to wear blue. Because they are UK fans first.

Looks like you lose again. But it’s cool. Hype the fans up. Get excited. Enough talk of all this unknown. It’s football time boys!

And you’re still going to be bloody for the butt-kicking UK’s defense is ready to hand out.

So wear red, that way no one can see how much of your blood will be on your jersey when Micah Johnson knocks you out. Besides, red is one half of the colors you see when the police pull you over. Louisville players should know that. The other color?

Blue, baby.

I didn’t want to write about basketball this week. It should be the last thing on my mind. It’s Louisville week. That should take precedence over everything in life besides food, water and breathing. I even promised you people that I wouldn’t have anything to say about basketball until after the Louisville game. Because of Billy Gillispie, I am now officially a liar.

The 13th scholarship for the 2008-09 roster has now been filled. The player’s name is Donald Williams. He is a *** recruit, but I believe that if the 2008 class rankings were allowed to have one more revision, he’d be in the **** range. Williams is from Temple Hills, Maryland, and if you believe recruiting analysts Bob Gibbons and Jerry Meyer, this kid is a classic example of a late bloomer. He’s between 6’4” and 6’7”, depending on which convenience store he’s leaving (This is not a true statement – it is a Ron White joke). Unlike every player on this roster of similar stature not named Jodie Meeks, Williams has a reputation as a scorer. Check out this blurb from ESPN.

Six-foot-6 Donald Williams, the 17-Under Select MVP, was one of the major surprise players this past weekend, leading his New Orleans Jazz team to the 17-Under Select championship. Williams finished in the top 10 in scoring and was No. 1 in made field goals with 55 in six games. He uses his extraordinary athleticism to slash to the rim and finish in traffic. Williams will need to improve his perimeter stroke to reach his full potential at the next level. However, he is a definite high-major college prospect with a bright future.

The recruiting just never stops. Look at the length this team will have on the perimeter. I’m splitting the difference on Williams and saying he’s 6’6”.

Ramon Harris – 6’6”
Jodie Meeks – 6’4”
DeAndre Liggins – 6’6”
Kevin Galloway – 6’6”
Darius Miller – 6’7”
Donald Williams – 6’6”

Throw in Patrick Patterson and Perry Stevenson inside and you’ve got yourself one of the longest Kentucky teams in recorded history. These guys should be able to cause the kind of havoc on defense that we haven’t seen at UK since 2003. This should just be a NASTY defensive squad at every single position. All of the guys in the 6’4”-6’7” range have special skills. Meeks and Williams can score. Liggins and Galloway are supposed to be great point guards. Harris is a defensive specialist. Miller is incredibly versatile and coachable.

Kentucky has had a pretty good history with late bloomers. There have been two UK players in recent memory that I think we can label as such. Both guys played in the NBA. Remember Gerald Fitch? How about Kelenna Azubuike? According to the recruiting services, Donald Williams originally had offers from Marquette and St. John’s, but that was before he played in the 17-Under Select tournament. After that, Kentucky and Oklahoma State became interested, and the good guys beat Travis Ford to the punch. I’m ready for both seasons to start. I can’t wait.

I’m Seth Stogsdill, and tomorrow’s column will be about football.