Top 5 wins of the Brooks era

Saturday's huge win got me thinking about the best wins of the Rich Brooks era and where the game might fall on that list. Over the last few days I've given it some thought. A couple of notes. I think #1 and #2 are set in stone. The rest vary depending on your criteria. There were wins that were big upsets, wins that weren't necessarily unexpected but happened unexpectedly, and wins that were huge at the time but seem smaller in retrospect. Secondly, I began with the reflexive conclusion that every big win of the Brooks era occurred either during or since the 2006 season. I was not wrong. If you don't think we've come very far, take a look at the 2003, 2004 and 2005 wins and losses. We were abysmal.

Without further adieu:
1. October 13, 2007-Kentucky 43, LSU 37 (3OT). Duh. Cats beat the then #1 and eventual national champion Bayou Bengals. A couple of lost facts: Oft maligned Lones Seiber sent the game into the third OT by nailing a 43 yarder. Cats were without Rafael Little and were led in rushing by then freshman Derrick Locke, who had 64 yards and a score.

2. September 15, 2007-Kentucky 40, U of L 34. Best atmosphere at Commonwealth since I've been in Kentucky. Arch rival comes in at #9 in the country, fresh off a 12-1 Orange Bowl winning season. They are thinking national championship. Some could say the win is tainted by Louisville falling into a wormhole, losing to Syracuse the following week, and finishing 6-6. Not me, because I'll never forget the feeling of watching Andre hit a wide open Stevie down the left sideline with less than a minute left.

3. November 4, 2oo6-Kentucky 24, UGA 20. First real judgment call here. This win gets the edge because it ushered in the "New Kentucky" era. The Cats broke a nine game losing streak to the Dogs. Also, Andre Woodson outplayed his Georgia counterpart, a freshman by the name of Matthew Stafford. Stafford threw three picks that afternoon, Tony Dixon scored with a minute left, and the goalposts came down.

4. October 19, 2009- Kentucky 21-Auburn 14. Best road win of the Brooks era. Still too recent to put into proper perspective. To say the chips were down for the Cats going into last Saturday is an understatement. To say we played about as well as we could have possibly played that evening is about right. Incredible night.

5. December 29, 2006-Kentucky 28, Clemson 20 (Music City Bowl). Subsequent bowl trips have been less climactic due to all the suspensions for Florida State in 2007 and the Conference USA opponent in 2008. But the first Music City Bowl win was impactful. I walked into that game with a "just happy to be here" vibe and was surprised to win. This game gave the players confidence and helped put the program in the position its in now.

Honorable mention: UK 21-Ark 20 (Hartline 2 TD to Cobb in last five minutes 2008); UK 42-Ark 29 (at Arkansas 2007, we rose to #8 after this win); UK 25-East Carolina 19 (fun, fun, fun comeback in Memphis in 2008).

Discuss.