Death Valley

The University of Kentucky lost tonight to LSU, in Death Valley 41 to 3.

There is a part of me that is not surprised.  After all, I've been watching Kentucky football my entire 34 years on earth and I've never seen us win at LSU, so why would we win today?

Then, there is a part of me that wants to cry.  I was buying in to the hashtags:

#changethegame

#whynot

#we'rejustgettinstartedbro

and I wanted to believe we would play better, closer, and if we had a few lucky plays we could even win.  But we didn't.  We shot ourselves in the foot early and even though it felt like we might step it up, the last five minutes of the first half had us hurting ourselves again. It was like the Kentucky I've seen so many times before.

I think a lot about hope when I think about football.  Wanting to hope but being afraid to hope.  It hurts my heart too much.  I'm pretty sad tonight.  I'd hoped to be happier.  I hoped we'd finally win.

Even in the disappointment, I remind myself that my team (to which I am always loyal, even in a loss) is now 5-2 on the season.  And if you thought that would be our record right now, you need to go buy lottery tickets, tonight.  This is a pretty good season of football.  We could win more games.  Ok, probably not next week, but surely we can win one more!  Who knows about Missouri, but I think we're capable of beating Tennessee.  And, if we win one more, we'll be "bowl eligible."  And, getting to a bowl game, for Kentucky, is like the best.  (Unless it's that bowl game at "historic" Legion Field in Birmingham, because that place was not fun.  But that's a story for another day.)

Here's to hoping those #1 ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs overlook us next week.  Or we can at least beat Tennessee.

#whynot