Kelly headed to Bristol

Stopped by the Brian Kelly radio show Thursday to grab America's most popular football coach (seemingly). Coach Kelly leaves Friday morning for Bristol, Connecticut for a day of interviews on ESPN's various "platforms" as the savvy media pros call it.

Privately in Bristol, it's called a "car wash" where they just run him through the process. However, I believe once they see the energy and presence Brian Kelly has in appearances, they'll be pleased they sent the invite.

I know some of the marketing folks have some wild ideas for Kelly and his "posse" once he's there, but it remains to be seen how much they can pull off. I suggested parachuting him in wearing the Bearcat mascot suit, but given the Bearcat's last maneuver out of the sky, that didn't go over so well.

At any rate, the University of Cincinnati football coach will be rolling through the halls of the "World Wide Leader" tomorrow and that's a significant happening in the history of the program. It would be tough to put a dollar value to the effect of the publicity, but I can assure you most FBS coaches would ride a tricycle backward to Bristol for the same treatment.

It should be a fun and fortuitous day for Kelly and for those of us that own a number of C-Paws.

"It's great for the program to talk about Cincinnati football on a national platform," said Kelly. "Not just for 10 seconds or 30 seconds, but for virtually the whole day. I think it's a big event for our football program."

And, for one day, ESPN becomes BKPN. It's good to be Brian.

"I think it's more about the ability to look at a good story and it's a great story-UC football," said Kelly with a grin.

Strange things are happening, national publications have articles on UC football, numerous talking heads dare to include them in their Top 5, and now Columbus has their collective shorts in a wad as the Bearcats have actually passed the Buckeyes in the AP poll (UC 8th, OSU 9th).

"I think we're going to have to start to get used to this," said the ever-confident Kelly. "Cincinnati football is only going to continue to get better and continue to develop. That's a good thing. It's pretty exciting right now and I think it's only going to get better."

That's why your football coach gets invited to grace the halls of ESPN. That's why your quarterback's on the Heisman list and featured in Sports Illustrated. That's why veteran reporters pay to valet park at the Montgomery Inn to get a "drive-by" interview with the coach before he does his radio show (which the veteran reporter used to host sometimes in another life). That's why you may have heard Kelly on Jim Rome (in the "Jungle" seeking "karma") talking about "being in the conversation" with Ohio State in counties outside of Hamilton, Clermont, Butler and Warren.

"Well, I think we've started that," said Kelly. "We've got to continue to build on it by winning football games. It's only, for us, the beginning of what we think is going to be a great relationship. Not only with the city of Cincinnati, but with the state of Ohio."

Big dreams. But, dreams come true in Brian Kelly's world. He's a Springsteen fan like me, and after "face time" in Sports Illustrated and ESPN, I kidded him about pulling a "Boss" by making "Time" and "Newsweek" in the same week.

"Well, we're going to try and do at least "Ladies Home and Garden", he said jokingly. (Actually, it's "Ladies Home Journal" and "Home and Garden" but you get my drift. Besides, never tell "the Boss" he's wrong!) "If we can get to that, we're in good shape."

To stay in good shape, UC must take care of business next Thursday in Tampa against South Florida. The Bulls just got ranked this week and there's some big build-up for this game at Raymond James Stadium. Instead of the "white out", USF's going for the "sea of green". They're also trying to fill the joint by offering "upper bowl" tickets (which usually aren't sold for Bulls games) for $10.

Like UC, they're one of the "newer" Big East teams that have pretty much held their weight since being invited. They just whipped Syracuse in the Carrier Dome and before that knocked off Florida State in Tallahassee. All of that without their long-time starting quarterback, Matt Grothe (injured and out for the year). Redshirt freshman B.J. Daniels has taken over and the Bulls haven't missed a beat.

"They're a similar football team that we saw last year," said Kelly. "Extremely athletic on both sides of the ball. (They) present all kinds of challenges. (It's) one that we're understanding that, when you go in the Big East, you step up and play each week."

What may have been a throwaway game to college analysts a few years back, is now significant. So much so, that Kelly and the Bearcats get center stage Thursday night against Jim Leavitt and South Florida.

"Anytime you get a Top 10 team coming into your stadium, it should be a big deal," said Kelly. "It's going to be an exciting atmosphere."

No doubt a hotter atmosphere too, since the Tri-State's had unseasonably lower temperatures dating back to mid-summer. However, the Bearcats have shown they're a well-conditioned bunch and Kelly's not worried about the "temps in Tampa".

"No, I think playing at night obviously brings the temperature down a little bit," said Kelly. "Our guys are in pretty good shape, we think we'll be able to push the tempo."

If it all works out, then UC will leave Tampa International sometime after midnight next week at 6-0. Then, the hype machine might really kick in. After all, they haven't been 6-0 since...2007 when Kelly won his first six regular season games (forgot about that, did you?).

Either way, that would be a pretty good mark. Especially since prior to Kelly, the last Bearcat team to start 6-0 was a 1954 squad under Sid Gillman. Gillman's 1951 men did it too (and that was the last UC team to be ranked over Ohio State).

Enjoy the moment Bearcat fans! And pray you don't wait 58 more years to experience it again.

Schedule of Events snipped from UC Press Release

Kelly is scheduled to appear on ESPN2's First Take at 11:20 a.m., the Scott Van Pelt Show between 2-4 p.m., College Football Live from 3:30-4 p.m., as well as a segment on ESPNews at 3:10 p.m.

He will also tape several segments that will air over the weekend and in the coming week on ESPN, including hits with College GameDay Radio, College GameDay Tailgate, Mike Tirico's Weekend Blitz, SportsCenter and Outside the Lines.