The buzz surrounding the Kentucky basketball program and its new leader Billy Gillispie is still humming at a feverish pace.

Take into consideration the fact that Gillispie has made basketball recruiting fun again, he has embraced the media and taken time to make sure the fans know who what is about, and the fact that before his time at Kentucky he already was considered one of the hotter basketball coaches in the country (whew, I am short of breath just typing that), and Kentucky basketball is once again, KENTUCKY BASKETBALL.

Perhaps lost in all of this excitement was some hard work being put in across campus at the Nutter Training facility next to Commonwealth Stadium.

Finishing last season with a bowl win, an 8-5 overall record and winning 5 of their last 6 games, Kentucky football is accomplishing things that just don't happen in Lexington on a football field.

Take into consideration that the last time Kentucky achieved 8 wins, Ronald Reagan was president.  Georgia went down for the first time since the mid-90's and the plain fact of the matter is Kentucky should have beat Tennessee.

Despite an overall lackluster performance throughout the entire 2006 season, the defense stepped up in its final two games virtually shutting down both Clemson and Tennessee.  Highlight reel hits that usually take Kentucky a year to compile became virtual common place every single game.

Braxton Kelly, Myron Pryor and Wesley Woodyard (the stallworths and anchors of the 2007 defense) made more people ooh and ah than the audience of Fox's new hit series "When Bears Attack".

Andre Woodson solidified himself as not only one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC, but in the entire country, and has received some rarefied national press this off season.

Keenan Burton, Dicky Lyons and Steve Johnson all proved themselves to be top tier SEC wide receiver talent.  To top it all off Burton decided to stay in college, making the Kentucky offense one of the most potentially explosive big play offenses in the country.

And yes, I am still talking about Kentucky football.

The 2007 campaign has the opportunity to be one of the more special years in the history of the program.  Virtually every big time game is going to be held in the confines of Commonwealth Stadium.  Tennessee, Florida, Louisville, and LSU come calling in Lexington which provides perfect timing almost too hard to believe.

You know what else?  I just realized that in all of my incessant typing I never mentioned Raphael Little, Tony Dixon and "The Flash" Alphonzo Smith.

Somebody pinch me, because I will be honest, this is the most talent I have ever seen on a football team about to don the Blue and White.

BUT, and there is always a but when it comes to college football, there are some issues that need to be addressed this summer by the players and the coaches.

Kentucky's offensive line loses Matt McCutcheon and Michael Aitcheson, two of the undisputed leaders of the hogmallies.  Ignore the fact that Kentucky may have talent that is equal to what these two seniors provided, but will their leadership and unwillingness to ever give up despite numerous disappointments be equaled?

On defense, the line play left much to be desired throughout the season in 2006.  Late, great performances by Pryor and Jeremy Jarmon provide some hope, but an injury to redshirt freshman Josh Minton is going to sting.  I guarantee that once Minton went down, every single member of the Kentucky coaching staff has had their fingers, toes, arms and legs crossed to help potential NFL All-Pro Jamil Paris get himself back onto the field this fall.

But of all the issues, one sticks out as having the opportunity to spoil a great Kentucky season.  The kicking game.  As every Kentucky fan saw in 2002, the kicking game can be the difference between winning and losing.  Since Coach Steve Ortmeyer took over, the Kentucky special teams have been ranked at the top of nearly every category other than punting and kicking (minus the Taylor Begley years).

Kentucky must make their field goals, and must win the battle of field position if they are going to truly contend with the SEC elite.  Just this past week, Ortmeyer had this to say about the troubling performance of the kicking game in spring practice.

"We feel that our place kicking and punting will be very solid," said Ortmeyer.  "Ryan Tydlacka will have an opportunity to compete to be both the punter and the place kicker. We have not been able to work with him yet in person but the reports of his workouts have been very pleasing."

To me, that is a scary statement.  Kentucky has two scholarship players on campus that should be filling those roles, but Tydlacka is going to be looked at to contribute immediately.

Add in the fact that Kentucky is replacing one of the best long snappers in the country, Jason Dickerson, and special teams could get real special bad, real special quick.

That said, an overall snapshot will reveal that this Kentucky team has more veteran leadership than any team has had since the 2002 campaign.  Add into that equation that these veterans have more talent behind them, and I can envision a season that will create memories, and Kentucky fans, for life.

So, this summer while putting together you fall plans, make sure you set out some time on Saturday's to perhaps see something you've never seen before.  I know, I know, Billy Gillispie has lit a fire back into the Kentucky fans not seen since 1998, but Coach Rich Brooks is trying to do the same thing just a few hundred feet from Alumni Drive. 

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