Sunday Morning Game Day Links

Today is the day we’ve been waiting for since Kentucky hung the 8th national championship banner. Basketball season concluded in triumphant fashion and once the glow started to dim just a bit as the summer months passed by, the attention began to shift toward the most anticipated game on the schedule: Kentucky vs. Louisville. The Battle of the Bluegrass will kick-off this afternoon at approximately 3:30 p.m. on ESPN live from Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Before we hit the links, here’s a rundown of the schedule here on KSR this morning/afternoon:

Noon- KSR UK Pregame Show on WLAP AM/98.1 The Bull in Lexington (We will provide a link for you to listen to the show)

3:15 p.m.- KSR Live Blog 

8:00 p.m.- Post-game show w/ Matt Jones on WLAP AM

 

– Mark Story of the Herald Leader took a look at the modern day rivalry between Kentucky and Louisville. The study dates back to 1994 and highlights key points such as the coaches, the starting quarterbacks, who was favored, the final score and the story line. Story does a great job outlining exactly how the series has played out in recent years.

– I’m not going to say that I’m extremely grateful that Kentucky doesn’t have to play Alabama this season…wait, that’s exactly what I’m going to say. I’m extremely grateful Kentucky doesn’t have to play Alabama this season. After last night’s performance, the Crimson Tide are once again a focal point of positive attention on the field in the world of college football. ESPN.com has an article talking about how this Alabama team is not only impressive, but they play with a purpose. 

– Kyle Tucker of the Courier-Journal asked Kentucky’s Bud Dupree exactly what was at stake in this football game today. Dupree had a very telling answer, “What’s at stake? How people think about us.” Players, coaches and fans all seem to understand that much more than a mark in the win or loss column is on the line today. The perception of this Kentucky football team moving forward for the rest of the season could very well hinge on the performance against Louisville.

– ESPN wasted no time in handing out their first batch of “helmet stickers” for the SEC. Clearly they did not wait it out until after the Kentucky game today. As you might expect, Alabama received some love for their defensive effort against Big 10 Power Michigan. Is Alabama that good? Is Michigan overrated? Only time (and probably 30-40 columns written today) will tell…

– Rivalry games rarely play out exactly how you expect them to… The favorite on paper might win, but the star player or the key factors in the game are not always what people anticipate heading into the game. John Clay sheds light on the fact that the Kentucky-Louisville game might not be what it looks like on paper. History tells us that some unexpected events might occur in this early season match-up.

– In the spirit of upsets, a few have already taken place in college football this weekend. Did you know that if you had bet $100 on Texas State to beat Houston straight up, you would have made $11,550? (h/t Darren Rovell). One somewhat high-profile SEC loss transpired on Saturday, with Clemson knocking off Auburn 26-19. 

– The start of college football season means a lot of things to a lot of people. We are saturated with enticing match-ups, stats and figures, mascots doing awkward things and happy co-eds tailgating in support of their favorite teams. We are exposed to some great football, as well as Big East football. But one of the most under-valued aspects of college football is the wonder that is Brent Musbuger. Did you know that there is a drinking game dedicated specifically to the infamous commentator? Enjoy.

– In what might be one of the more tragic stories of this year’s football season (which is sad to say only 48 hours in…), a football fan died after a fall in the Georgia Dome during the Tennessee/NC State game on Friday night.

– And in case you were wondering if anyone other than Drake received a national championship ring…one of our favorites here on KSR, the one and only Oscar Combs, also received a national championship ring. It’s hard to imagine anyone could take issue with that…