By Gavin Lapaille
Friday’s University of Louisville football game against Cincinnati is big for many reasons.
It’s a conference game for a team that would seemingly appear to be on the bubble post-season play. Winning this game could go a long way in determining if Louisville is playing anywhere in late December or sitting at home.
This is also Louisville’s best chance at snatching a win in their last three games. West Virginia has rebounded from a tough start to the season, while playing at Rutgers is always going to be dangerous.
But does the fact that it’s Cincinnati add any intrigue to this match-up? Does anyone really care that the Keg of Nails is on the line?
My first thought is no. No one will tell you this rivalry means more to them than the Governor’s Cup.
Cincinnati may be our oldest rival ever, with games dating back to 1929, but that doesn’t mean fans care about this game more than others.
When trying to determine a list of teams that I love to see lose, Cincinnati doesn’t make the cut. I haven’t felt the same passion in this rivalry as I’ve felt in others with Kentucky, Southern Mississippi or West Virginia.
The only disdain I do have toward the Bearcats is for their basketball team, who the Cards have had many heated battles with over the years (the name Kenyon Martin still makes me shudder a bit). That doesn’t necessarily carry over to football.
At the same time, I do want to beat Cincinnati a tad bit more than any other team on our schedule not named Kentucky. When you play a team for the better part of a decade, it’s hard not to build up some hatred for one another.
The only problem is for a rivalry to really work, the other team has to win occasionally. Cincinnati may hold the overall lead in the series, but when you lose nine out of 10 meetings, it’s easy to start over looking.
Cincinnati however is not a program that should be overlooked, especially recently. Every year the Bearcats seem to creep closer and closer to being a consistent threat. With the way the program is heading right now, it’s only a matter of time before Cincinnati is winning conference crowns and playing in BCS games.
And that’s only going to be good for both the Big East conference and the Keg of Nails. Right now, this rivalry doesn’t receive a lot of press and is considered a “minor” rival for both schools. If both teams are consistently winning and are ranked among the nation’s best, that only helps things further along for all those involved.
Cardinal fans should be rooting for Cincinnati’s program to do well. U of L needs consistent rivals, and out of all the teams in the Big East, Cincinnati makes the most sense. This has the potential to one day grow to the level as the Governor’s Cup and some of the other big rivalries across the country.
Hopefully the Keg of Nails returns to Louisville once again this season. And hopefully in a few years from now, winning the Keg will mean more than it does right now.
