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On the surface, Thursday’s win over West Virginia was just another step in the right direction for this football program. On the other hand, the victory, and more importantly the manner and stage it was done on, will have a huge impact on the rest of the year for the Cards.
While the win was impressive, it seemed the Big East was finally given the publicity it deserved. Since the departure of Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College, the new Big East was perceived as somewhat soft when it came to football. Many people around the country felt the winner of that team’s conference did not deserve an automatic bid to the BCS. With two teams in the top five on display when their contest was the center of attention in the sports world, opened some eyes to the fact that this conference is no longer known for its high flying basketball programs.
The stage of the game and its outcome may even have a bigger effect on Louisville alone. ESPN took a random sample poll of all 50 states as to who would win the Louisville, West Virginia game. The results showed 49 of 50 states predicting West Virginia to win, with the lone dissenting state Kentucky. However, after the Cards’ win, people around the country started talking about Louisville.
Not only will Louisville jump in the polls and now have a legitimate shot at the national title game, but the win puts them on the map. Even with the undefeated start and high national ranking, much of the country did not think the Cards were for real. And while there are doubters still lingering about, the list will begin to dwindle with each additional victory.
Whether everyone wants to admit it or not, these next few weeks are pivotal in this program’s history. The win against the Mountaineers is just the beginning. Petrino and his players must now make that win mean something. That means handling Rutgers on Thursday and then cruising through the rest of the year.
One slip up against Rutgers, Pittsburgh or South Florida and the win last Thursday becomes meaningless.
