Things we all notice

Things I noticed and you did too.

1. Bowl game projections are beginning to surface. Among them Auburn to the Liberty Bowl, Kentucky to the Music City. But for a play or two, could be other way round.

2. Kentucky is how close to 6-0 and first place in SEC East? One dropped pass in end zone against the Gators and War Eagles.

A win at Mississippi State this week would be … v A break on through to the other side (SEC). v Set a grand table for Tennessee’s Halloween visit to Commonwealth Stadium. SEC Television crew also. v Would all but eliminate chance for kiss-your-sister 6-6 season (Vandy (2-4) and Charlotte (2-4) ahead). v And, create hard pick for Big Blue fans. Follow the bowl-bound Wildcats or stay home to watch everygame televised basketball team.

3. Commonwealth’s Unbeaten? Lindsey-Wilson U. Wins over Cumberlands and Georgetown in their pockets, the Blue Raiders are 6-0. On the road this week Lindsey plays No. 8 Reinhart College (8-0) at Waleska, Georgia.

4. This just in. Mike Krzyzewski will not coach Team USA after the 2016 Olympics. We wonder if planets, moons and asteroids in the Milky Way (and politics) will be aligned to shine on USA’s next coach whose name and first thought-of-the-day is I?

5. An instant after losing to Michigan State, did faces of Michigan fans remind anyone of the Christian Laettner moment in 1992?

6. From I-Never-liked- Michigan Dept. The angry American thing we see often with politicians, religionists, flag-wavers and fire-arm folks, reared its ugly face in sports. After Michigan lost, Wolverine fans tweeted death threats and more to college kid Blake O’Neill.

O’Neill botched a snapfrom center, State recovered, scored and won. Reactions via Twitter were merciless, sad and moved us to whisper, “Gosh! I would never behave like that.”

Tweets.

• “dip—t loser, you might as well cut your hands off.”

• “… jump off of a cliff into a pool of spikes and cyanide.”

• “I hate you, you horrible person. Way-to-go you Australian rugby player.”

• “… go back to the equipment room and start chugging bleach, my friend.”

7. Michigan punter Blake O’Neill … the new Steve Bartman.

8. Kentucky nose guard Melvin Douglas may not play college football again, but the ‘77 senior nose guard is the new gold standard for a student-athlete rising to make the college experience pay off.

9. Will Western Kentucky (6-1) be prime for prime time next week? The Hilltoppers have a week to prepare before an October 24 date in Death Valley against No. 5 LSU.

10. Real Sheriff-in-These- Here-Kentucky-Parts, quarterback Brandon Doughty will get an up-close-andpersonal look at a Heisman Trophy favorite, LSU’s Leonard Fornette.

11. A Bobby Petrino change-the-subject defense of Cardinal linebacker Keith Brown for being ejected for targeting a Florida State player was poor. Instead of letting Brown own his mistake (and half-game suspension this week), Louisville’s coach justified the flagrant foul by arguing the FSU receiver was “not defenseless.”

12. Skal Labissiere. If the Port-au-Prince, Haiti native has a legitimate high school transcript, an NCAA solution is clear, Free Skal. Let the kid go to college and play and ban guardian Gerald Hamilton from all contact. Period.

13. Hunch. When television lights go full power at Kentucky games this winter, the step-up-his-game spotlight player will be Jamal Murray.

14. Big Blue Madness. Price tag — more than half a million dollars to impress a handful of 17-18 year-olds is Sign of the Apocalypse for me, but full-court player image introductions was clever.

15. While John Calipari was preaching to the choir (and visiting recruits) at Big Blue Madness about his program being Gold Standard for men’s college basketball, old nemesis Duke was sliding the 2015 championship trophy into a new glass case at Durham. Fifth title for Duke and college winningest coach, Mike Krzyzewski.

16. Asked to rank basketball coaches at Kentucky all-time and why … v Adolph Rupp. Father of precision basketball. Devoted 42 of his 76 years to UK and dragged SEC programs to where they are today. v Rick Pitino. Reversed an environment that had degenerated to “… play to not lose,” and become NCAA bad boy. Replaced it with joy seeing players grow while fans in our state witnessed a relentless will to win. v Tubby Smith. A decade of SEC titles and average 26 wins a season beginning with (35-4) national championship run in 1998.

17. Prize. D’Aaron Fox is a top of the market 6-3, 185-pound point guard at Katy Texas. Kansas, Arizona, Louisville and LSU want him. Scuttlebutt this week: Fox will announce for Kentucky.

18. Lemme get this straight, 35-year-old millionaire Lamar Odom took himself to a brothel in Nevada, spent $75,000 on a good time, was found unconscious and we’re supposed to feel sorry for him?

19. Kash Daniel, Paintsville star and UK commit tweeted after Auburn beat Kentucky. “Damn, that stings. No matter what though, I’ll stand by Coach Stoops and his staff. Wouldn’t want to play for anyone else. Just wait.”