The Louisville Cardinals’ new football season is all about change. For one thing, the Cardinals are competing in a new conference, the Atlantic Coast Conference, after coming over from the American Athletic Conference. The Cardinals are also moving from a defense-based coach, Charlie Strong, to an offense-based coach in Bobby Petrino. The style of play Louisville is expected to use is going to be very different from what the program came to be comfortable with under Strong. Players are getting a different taste of how to approach football. The Cardinals will have a new quarterback as well. There are too many transitions going on for this team to keep track of. Will those transitions hurt, or is Petrino up to the task of managing all of them?
Strengths
The Cardinals have an offensive mind who will put his receivers in position to make plays. Bobby Petrino knows how to get players open on offense. He is one of the best chalkboard seers in college football. He recognizes ways in which to spring a tight end or a wide receiver which a lot of other offensive coordinators can’t or don’t do. Petrino will make Louisville a better offensive team. He knows when to be aggressive, and he knows when to use basic plays, thereby setting up the kinds of plays that can fool a defense and go for big yardage. Louisville is probably going to pass the ball more under Petrino, and this roster is tailored to such a focus. DeVante Parker is a tremendous wide receiver, and although quarterback Will Gardner is young, Parker can help out his new teammate. Parker is excellent at winning balls in the air. Gardner can throw a jump ball and trust that Parker is going to come down with it in traffic. Louisville has quality receivers on both sides of the field, plus a running back in Michael Dyer (who transferred from Auburn last season) who is very productive between the tackles.
Weaknesses
The Cardinals’ defense is what should be their huge point of concern. Coordinator Todd Grantham had a rocky stay at Georgia, where his Bulldog defenses got ripped apart by opposing quarterbacks in recent years. If Petrino has a great reputation as an offensive thinker, Grantham has a very different reputation as a defensive guru. The Cardinals were so sound and well-taught under Strong, their former head coach, but under Grantham, a downturn seems likely. Louisville’s defense played with a lot of control and intelligence, not to mention physicality. Is Grantham ready to get Louisville’s defense to that level? Probably not.
Schedule
The Cardinals are very likely to get whipped by Florida State and Clemson, as will any other team that has to play both of those squads this season. At Notre Dame will be a challenge in November. If Louisville can win the rest of its games, it will have done well this season.
Outlook
The Cardinals are in good position to win the games they should win. Petrino should be able to get his team to pick up its level of concentration against teams other than Florida State, Clemson, and Notre Dame. Take the over.
Pick: Over 8 at -11
