It’s been a long time since the University of Kentucky football team had expectations thrust upon it like it did in 2007. It had been a long time since it won so many big games, too. But in a season that started with such promise, a return to the Music City Bowl has left many UK fans with another new emotion: Disappointment.

You could see this season as a failure, and to some it it clearly is after a promising 6-1 start that included wins over in-state rival Louisville and No. 1-ranked LSU.. But the strong start was followed by a tough loss to Florida and a string of injuries that decimated a team that, while heavy on talent for the first time in years, was still short on depth. Having explosive wide receiver Keenan Burton and running back Rafael Little dinged up hurt. At one point, UK was forced to start a fifth-string tailback – freshman Derrick Locke. Even so, the Cats still should have won more than one game down the stretch. The team that beat LSU shouldn't be falling at home to Mississippi State, and certainly not 31-14 in front of the Wildcat faithful. They managed to win at Vanderbilt to secure a bowl spot, but the season finished on a sour note with a triple-overtime loss to Tennessee. That loss extended what is now the nation’s longest losing streak to a team (after Navy knocked off Notre Dame earlier this year) to 23.It might be a long time until the 'Cats have better shot at Tennessee.

It cannot be said that Kentucky had a great season. It had its share of ups and downs, but to look at 2007 as a dissapointing season would be to miss the point. This program has come a long long way under head coach Rich Brooks. If you had offered the Wildcat faithful two 7-5 seasons and a two bowl appearances before the 2006 season, they would have bitten your hand off. This is a program that has been a perennial SEC doormat, a school long referred to as a basketball school (although that seems to be questionable so far this year).

Brooks has done a great job rebuilding a program coming off the penalties of the Hal Mumme era, the 2004 and 05 seasons ended at 2-9 and 3-8 respectively.Consecutive 7-5 seasons are a godsend after that. The Cats could have done better this year, but it hasn't been all their fault. Injuries hurt them at the most critical times, and losing Burton and Little in particular really hurt the Wildcats. Burton is an explosive threat and NFL-caliber wideout, Little is a great back who excells coming out of the backfield. Without his offensive weapons, quarterback Andre Woodson seemed to lose a little form after the UF game, under and overthrowing his receivers and taking a few more sacks.

The Wildcats could have beaten South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi State, Georgia and UT. Yes, every team can say that after a season, but they didn't get blown out in any of those games, and still had a chance going into the fourth quarter in all of them. If they had managed to pull off a win over UT and any other one of those games we would be looking at 9-3, an end-of-year top-25 ranking and a spot in the Capital One Bowl. Considering the parity in the SEC East this year, a possible rematch with LSU in the SEC title game could have been in store. Now I'm pretty sure the Tigers would have been hellbent on making up for the loss in Lexington, and UK would have had a slim chance to win the game, but for UK to even consider a trip to the title game if a few calls, bounces and a bit of luck had gone their way shows how far it has come.

Kentucky's defense made a huge improvement this year, moving up from 118th, or second-to-last if you prefer, in total defense to a much more respectable 65th, ahead of the likes of Tennessee (73rd), Texas A&M (83rd) and hated rival Louisville (84th).

You have to look at the Wildcats’ successes this year and see a program that is moving in the right direction. A big win over Louisville on a  57-yard bomb from Woodson to Steve Johnson with 28 seconds left. A big win in Arkansas despite the Hogs’ ridiculous backfield (Darren McFadden would have been my Heisman choice if I had a vote). Their first victory over a No. 1 team since 1964. The first time they had beaten two teams ranked in the top ten in 30 years. Going to back to back bowls for only the fourth time in their history. If the Cats can win over Florida State, it will be their first back to back bowl victories since Bear Bryant was coaching in the bluegrass.

This season was a success, but the Wildcats have to keep building for next year. That is when we will see if this really is a program on the upswing or whether it is going to fade out for another decade of football obscurity.

Next year, however, is a long way off, more important right now is the Cats return to the Music City bowl —a game they won last season. Last year they defeated Clemson handily in Nashville, and this year they will take on Florida State. Before they take the field, the Wildcats are already at an advantage over Bobby Bowden's charges. More than 30 Seminoles will miss the game , most due to suspensions stemming from an athletic scandal that threatens to rock FSU.

The game looks promising for the Wildcats regardless of the ‘Noles’ losses. Given the chance to get healthy the seniors will want to go out on a high with big performances in their last games in blue. Florida State's defence this season has been shaky at best and they will have problems dealing with Kentucky's high-octane offense. If the defence can carry on its improvement and come up with another big game, then the Wildcats should be able to carry out a big win that will help with those recruits they could really do with getting in the fold.

Because in the end, the best building block for the future is winning now. And while the high hopes of a fast start created lofty expecations around Lexington, the disappointment of a slow finish isn’t all bad. After all, disappointment can only follow success, and in Lexington, it had been a while since fans have experienced either.