By Andrew Krumme
How often does a team leave a weak league and go into a new conference as a favorite to win it? Not often, but that’s the situation coach Bobby Petrino and his Louisville Cardinals will be facing as they prepare for their jump to the Big East. Louisville will likely be the only team among the eight Big East football programs with a preseason top 25 ranking.
Conference Contenders
Louisville Cardinals: Louisville may have lost their signal caller, top running back, best defensive player and big-time receiver to the NFL draft, but this year’s team will make fans forget the names of LeFors, Shelton and McCune. The Cards come into the season with a top 20 ranking and a chip on their shoulder from last year’s top 10 finish in the BCS and several major polls. Petrino returns a powerful offensive force that nobody in the conference can even touch.
The Cardinal defense may get overshadowed, but defensive coordinator Mike Cassity will have his unit ready to play every week. Cassity had the Cards ranked 15th last year in total defense, a drastic improvement from barely breaking the top 100 the year before.
Pittsburg Panthers: Pitt returns Tyler Palko, its top receiver from last year and a freshman running back. While Pittsburg has some talent to be conference contenders, their biggest asset may be first-year head coach Dave Wannstedt. Wannstedt made his mark on this team throughout the spring session by implementing more of a power/running mentality that could balance out the Panthers’ offense and open up the passing game for Palko.
The defense, on the other hand, will be the main concern for Wannstedt and his staff.
Pretenders
West Virginia: The Mountaineers were favorites to win the conference last year and went to the Fiesta Bowl as representatives of the Big East, but they squandered what could have been one of the school’s best years in history. While West Virginia may have high hopes again this season, they will probably be disappointed. Coach Rich Rodriguez will have the talent to compete, but with the departure of the team’s top four players, he will have to work to get this squad into contention.
Cincinnati Bearcats: Coach Mike Dantonio enters his second year as UC’s head football coach and will have some big adjustments to make. While the move to the Big East will be tough, losing quarterback Gino Guidugli and leading rusher Richard Hall will be an even harder burden to bear.
However, Dantonio is a defensive mastermind and his “defense first” philosophy will keep the Bearcats competitive. Senior Adam Roberts and sophomore Anthony Hoke, who earned freshman All-Conference honors last year, will be a formidable duo on the front line.
The most pivotal position battle for Dantonio is the quarterback spot, where four players are dueling it out to be top on the depth chart. JUCO transfer Nick Davila comes in with an impressive r?sum? as a two-time Junior College All-American. Todd Spitzer has spent two years in the Bearcats’ system while Dustin Grutza and Tony Pike have also shown some promise.
The Rest of the Pack
Rutgers, South Florida, Connecticut, Syracuse: If any four of these teams can sniff a record better than .500, it will be considered a successful season.
Rutgers is a lost cause and always will be, unless some serious changes are made throughout the athletic department.
South Florida, though, has a vast array of football talent that the Bulls tap on a regular basis. But it looks like they will need a couple more seasons in the Big East to make their mark.
Connecticut is in the same boat as South Florida. They have only been in Division I football for a couple years and lost their best player. UC is another program that needs a couple more seasons to solidify their base as a football program.
Syracuse is losing several key contributors and new coach Greg Robinson Jr. is going to need at least two or three years to get the players in his defensive-minded system.
Players to Watch
Brian Brohm, Sophomore QB, Louisville: Brohm is taking over the reins full time with the departure of LeFors and has the potential to be the best quarterback in the Big East next year. If he can fully grasp Petrino’s system, he will be one of the top quarterbacks in the country and could compete for the Heisman.
Tyler Palko, Senior QB, Pittsburg: Palko put up some of the most efficient numbers at quarterback in the Big East last year. He threw for 24 touchdowns and only had seven interceptions. Palko is also a threat on the ground — he combines a unique athleticism with an uncanny ability to make plays with hands and feet.
Mike Bush, Junior RB, Louisville: Bush is a flat-out freak of nature. His combination of size, speed and agility makes him a threat whenever he gets the ball. He is also a threat catching the ball and his experience playing quarterback in high school gives Petrino another player to utilize. Bush is arguably the second-best running back prospect in college football behind USC’s Reggie Bush.
Greg Lee, Senior WR, Pittsburg: Lee was Palko’s main man last year and led the Big East in receiving yards. He also tallied 10 touchdowns and 68 receptions, both second in the league. He is a precise route runner with great hands.
Louisville’s Michael Bush — known for his size, speed and agility — is arguably one of the best running backs in the nation.
Andrew Krumme is a sophomore Finance major, and is Assistant Sports Editor for The Louisville Cardinal. E-mail him at: akrumme@louisvillecardinal.com
Louisville Cardinal 2005 Football Schedule
Sept. 9: U of L vs. UK at UK
Sept. 17: U of L vs. Oregon State at home
Sept. 24: U of L vs. South Florida at Tampa
Oct. 1: U of L vs. Florida Atlantic at home
Oct. 8: U of L vs. North Carolina at home
Oct. 15: U of L vs. West Virginia at Morgantown
Oct. 22: U of L vs. Cincinnati at Cincinnati
Nov. 3: U of L vs. Pittsburgh at home
Nov. 11: U of L vs. Rutgers at home
Nov. 26: U of L vs. Syracuse at home
Dec. 3: U of L vs. Connecticut, at Storrs, Conn.
