Florida State (7-5) vs. Kentucky (7-5) Monday, Dec. 31 | 4 p.m., ESPN The Coliseum, Nashville, Tenn. Bowl Web site

PREGAME KNOWLEDGE

Laughable and/or unknown title sponsor: Gaylord Hotels (what’s that?)

Announcers subject to our devastating witticisms: Ron Franklin, Ed Cunningham, Jack Arute

Conventional wisdom: With nearly three dozen players suspended for reasons academic and otherwise, Florida State will do well to stay in the game with a Kentucky team that is dangerous despite falling off somewhat as the season progressed.

All-star to watch: Kentucky WR Dicky Lyons Jr. (#12)
51 catches, 7 touchdowns

Read up: The FSView took a look at the Seminoles offense and defense (before the suspensions) and what they might do against the Wildcats … The Jimbo Fisher era is coming at some point.

Best counterprogramming: “Murder, She Wrote”
A rash of robberies and the search for treasure in a sleepy Arizona town. Foxy sleuth Jessica Fletcher is on the case! Rowr! Biography, 4-5 p.m.

GAME BLOG

Who’s watching — Jim Reedy, UWIRE, eating knockoff M&M’s.

4:25 — Kentucky leads 7-0 and might well win this game, but I’ll be surprised if the Seminoles go down Hindenburg-style, like everyone is predicting. Probably no more than 20 of those suspended players were real contributors to this team and heck, maybe this will give the lackluster Noles some actual fight and fire. I do, though, reserve the right to pretend I never said this. Call it the Weatherford Uncertainty Factor.

5:09 — All kinds of things I missed, according to Ron Franklin. Well, catch me up, dude. It’s 7-7 with 12 minutes left in the first half. FSU looks fine. I was right.

5:12 — That was one of the worst intentional grounding calls I’ve seen. Drew Weatherford gets screwed.

5:30 — That might have been the worst offensive pass interference call I’ve seen — including the monstrosities called against Randy Moss this season. The officials took a touchdown from FSU.

5:47 — Huge stand for Kentucky on fourth-and-goal, but on the next play, Andre Woodson throws a particularly awful pass that Tony Carter easily picks off and returns for a touchdown, tying the score at 14. And because they’re the Criminoles, Carter dives into the end zone, drawing a flag for excessive celebration, and one of his teammates gets penalized for throwing the flag at an official. Stay classy, Tallahassee.

5:50 — Upon further review, I’m going to guess Woodson got crossed up with his receiver on that interception. I hope. … Because now, see, he’s zipping passes to Steve Johnson. First-and-10 at the FSU 11 as halftime approaches.

5:55 — Nice stand by the Seminoles, punctuated by a third-down sack by DE Andre Fluellen, one of the few FSU defensive stars playing today. Kentucky takes the FG … but no! First-and-goal because a couple Noles didn’t follow the rules for leaping safely on a kick block.

6:01 — Boy, that was odd. The Wildcats’ second chance goes nowhere — and actually backs up 12 yards on a ticky-tack intentional grounding call. Then on fourth down, they can’t even get back the 3 points they erased — wide left on a 39-yard FG attempt, 2 yards longer than the one they hit minutes earlier.

6:03 — Bobby Bowden complains on his way to the locker room that refs are really inconsistent on applying that rule about not diving into the end zone. The old man has a point. Someone did it without penalty just the other night. (Sorry; all these games are running together at this point.)

6:18 — Did you know the Rose Bowl is tomorrow on ABC? It’s the only BCS game in the Disney family and ESPN is promoting the hell out of it.

6:23 — I feel like I’ve seen that Lou Holtz pep talk before. More magic tricks!

6:44 — Ooh, the out-and-up by our man Dicky Lyons Jr. bamboozles the Seminoles DB and sets up first-and-goal inside the 10. Nicely done by Woodson, Lyons and the Wildcats.

6:48 – Boy, that was weird. Woodson fumbles the snap straight up, the Wildcats bat the ball across the line of scrimmage and a UK lineman somehow manages to recover it. Next play, Woodson tosses it to Rafael Little in the flat for a touchdown. 21-14, Kentucky.

7:02 — For as good as he was in the first half of the season, Andre Woodson has not been terribly impressive tonight. But hey, he’s got first down at midfield — make that the 31 after a run by Little.

7:07 — Not a distinguished night for the men in black and white. Fortunately, they’re blowing calls for both teams. After missing an illegal pick on a previous UK pass, they called one this time where, by rule, none existed.

7:15 — The Cats power into the end zone and lead 28-14 after three quarters. FSU is worn out.

7:18 — Ron Franklin and Ed Cunningham might well be my favorite football announcing duo, pro or college. Ron brings a touch of old-tyme folksiness and Ed has the expertise of a former player, but both men have a foundation of intelligence and perspective that is equally refreshing and rare.

7:30 — The Seminoles continue to flail around like sad ghosts of all-stars past. But they’re getting the ball back again, so they’ve got that going for them.

7:33 — I would totally watch movies in the “science-wrestling” genre.

7:38 — FSU is actually moving the ball, for that matter. Great diving catch by Greg Carr, gaping hole for RB Antone Smith and the Noles are on the doorstep. Third-and-goal from the half-yard line.

7:40 — Ooh, fourth down. Too much penetration by the UK line and Smith gets stuffed on a run up the middle. Do or die here — can the Cats stone ‘em again?

7:42 — Not this time. While most of the action goes up the middle, Weatherford bootlegs right and jogs easily into the end zone. Not a linebacker in sight. Kentucky’s lead shrinks to 28-21.

7:49 — Mickey Andrews brings the blitz and UK throws a WR screen pass to Steve Johnson. Staying juuuust out of reach of practically the entire FSU defense, he runs 38 yards for a touchdown. 35-21.

8:01 — Really, really, really good point by Ed Cunningham about the Big FSU Cheating Scandal. To paraphrase: Dude, come on. Remember college? Tell me you wouldn’t have bent the rules a bit if you were taking an easy class with an online test that hadn’t been changed in years.

8:06 — Yet Ed, like all sentient beings, is utterly powerless to predict what the hell the replay officials are going to see when they examine a seemingly obvious review. Touchdown FSU. They trail 35-28 with 2:14 left.

8:09 — UK corrals the onside kick, then on the next play avoids disaster with one of the most exciting fumble recoveries I’ve seen.

8:21 — “Finally, the Florida State Seminoles have been subdued.” Well put, Ron. Kentucky survives a wild rally and a Hail Mary pass. Fin.

Game Story from The Kentucky Kernel

POSTGAME WRAP

Final thoughts
Given all the hype, you would have thought FSU was going to have to play 10-on-11, but the suspensions and injuries didn’t come into play much until the Wildcats just wore ‘em down in the second half. UK gets bowl wins in two straight years for the first time since 1951-52. That’s a long time.

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