“C’mon Mike, what day is it?”
Indecipherable grumble.
“Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, tell me what day it is?”
Whispered mumble.
“That’s right, IT’S HUUUUUUUUUUUMMMPPPP DAAAAAAYYYYY!!!”
And that means the weekly college football picks are back.
Last week went 4-2. Clemson was technically wrong, but not really a true miss.
The Cardinals always get the nod. SMU, Notre Dame, UK and IU all came through.
This week brings fewer cupcakes and a few real showdowns, so the board has some meat on it.
CoachSpeak of the Week comes from Murray Warmath: “If lessons are learned in defeat, our team is getting a great education.”
Central Florida at Pittsburgh is the first call. Pitt’s 59-14 win over Miami, (Oh) from the MAC, was the kind of result that gets your attention.
Pat Narduzzi always wants defense first, and when the Panthers have offense to go with it, they look dangerous. Mason Heintschel gives them more bite.
UCF, meanwhile, hung 70 on Bethune-Cookman, which does not move the needle much. Scott Frost’s second run with the Knights has been underwhelming.
Pitt gets the pick.
Oklahoma at Michigan feels like one of those games people have been waiting to see for a long time, at least on the Brent Venables side of things. Half a decade into the job, expectations in Boomer SoonerLand still haven’t been fully met, even with a CFP appearance last year and John Mateer hurt.
Oklahoma handled UTEP in its opener. Michigan’s opener went the way it went, and the Wolverines and their $12 million Ellison Family QB looked underwhelming until they were handed a win.
In the Big House of Clocks, Michigan is still the favorite, but the call goes the other way. Hail Oklahoma Sooners, the Victors.
Memphis State at Boise State is the big one, at least in this telling. The winner is in the driver’s seat for a G6 spot in the CFP.
Boise State’s narrow loss at Autzen helps rather than hurts. Memphis State did its part in Vegas.
The blue turf still gets a hard pass, but the team on it earns respect. The Tigers are dismissed with a Fed Ex school versus UPS guy comparison, and Boise State takes it.
Ohio State at Texas is the kind of matchup that television can’t resist. Matthew McConaughey working the sideline in a Burnt Orange Stetson is almost too much to take, but there’s no escaping it.
Arch Manning, billed here as the most beleaguered future but slow rising star ever, is set for the spotlight. Sark smiles, and Texas gets the pick.
Howard at Indiana is simple enough. Hoosier the Bison meet the Howard Bisons, and there will be no friendliness in that one. Crimson Cignetti’s stampede rolls on.
Alabama at Kentucky brings a little more uncertainty, at least for Will Stein’s Wildcats. Kentucky looked more solid in its opener than it has in recent years, though that came against a DII team nicknamed the Penguins.
Alabama looks like a simulacrum of the Saban-era machine, but Keelon Russell looks real, and so does Cats’ TP RB CJ Baxter. Stein has told the BBN to show up early and loud.
Kentucky makes it interesting, but Alabama still wins.
Villanova at Louisville closes the slate. The Wildcats opened by blowing a ten-point lead and giving up 13 in the final :55 of regulation in a 38-35 loss to William & Mary.
Sixth year QB Pat McQuade was only eligible after a court order that day, and his interception late helped doom them. Villanova bounced back with a 17-16 win over Bucknell, but this trip is about the money for the school’s coffers.
Louisville gets the easy one.
In Other News...
Louisville Mourns A Cardinals Quarterback Fans From The Governors Cup Era Remember
Marty Lowe, the first Louisville quarterback to play in the Governors Cup, has died at 54 after battling Stage 4 kidney cancer, adding another somber note to a rivalry that still carries plenty of memory for Cardinals fans from the 1990s. Louisville coach Jeff Brohm confirmed Lowes passing and offered condolences, a reminder of how deeply the programs former players remain woven into the schools football history.
Lowe played for Louisville from 1991 to 1995, then went on to a professional career in the Arena Football League before later moving into coaching and football operations. For fans who remember that era, Lowe was part of the bridge between Louisvilles earlier years and the modern profile of the program, and his death leaves one more name from that time period to be remembered around the Cardinals circle. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville May Have Found Its Early Season Offensive Star
Louisvilles early-season surge has been matched by a breakout from outside hitter Chloe Meester, whose play last week earned national and conference recognition. She was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association National Collegiate Player of the Week and also picked up ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors after powering the Cardinals through a demanding stretch.
Meester helped Louisville sweep Dayton, No. 18 TCU and No. 9 Texas, giving the Cardinals an impressive run against quality opponents as the schedule begins to sharpen. The award adds another layer to what has already been a strong opening for Louisville, with Meester quickly becoming a central part of the teams offensive identity. [Read more 🡒]
Jeff Brohms Early Plan Put Louisville Under The Microscope
Louisvilles game with Ole Miss offered a revealing early look at how Jeff Brohm wanted to test the Rebels, with the Cardinals mixing play calls, stressing the defense and trying to create space for their offense to work. The breakdown of the matchup pointed to a game plan built around execution and timing, with both sides of the ball showing moments that could matter as the season moves on.
The film also put a spotlight on the details that can swing a game at this level, from missed chances to the coaching decisions that shaped the flow. Louisville found some encouraging answers in the way it attacked and defended, but there were also a few spots where the margin for error was thin, leaving one particular sequence and its intended target as the kind of play the Cardinals will keep circling back to. [Read more 🡒]