Louisville heads to Orlando in CBS Sports' preseason bowl projections
Louisville Football featured an unprecedented turnaround in year one of the Scott Satterfield era. After going 2-10 in 2018, the the first year head coach from Appalachian State led the Cardinals to an 8-5 record including a Music City Bowl win in 2019.
Heading into the 2020 season, expectations are much higher than they were a year ago. Louisville lost just three starters on both side of the football, and retained every coach on the staff with the exception of inside linebackers coach Dale Jones. Getting to a bowl not only seems to be the minimum standard, it is almost an expected one.
That being said, we're still not 100% sure what this year's bowl season is going to look like for FBS football. The Big Ten & Pac 12 have already postponed until the spring, any many programs are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks on their respective campuses - with NC State already having to reschedule a game because of it.
But just because the status of the upcoming college football season is in flux, that's not stopping various outlets from giving an educated guess at how the postseason will shape out. CBS Sports bowl expert Jerry Palm recently gave his playoff & bowl projections for 2020, and Louisville has a solid draw.
Palm projects that the Cardinals will be heading to the Cheez-It Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. against the Baylor Bears. His College Football Playoff consists of No. 1 Clemson vs. No. 4 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl & No. 2 Alabama vs No. 3 Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl.
If this bowl sounds familiar, it should. Louisville has been here before, as the No. 18 Cards defeated the Miami Hurricanes to the tune of 36-9 back on Dec. 28, 2013 when it was called the Russell Athletic Bowl. This would be the final game for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater & head coach Charlie Strong, with Bridgewater declaring for the NFL Draft and Strong leaving for the Texas Longhorns head coaching job.
Baylor is an interesting draw here. The Bears lost a lot of talent from their squad that went 11-3 in 2019, including seven starters on defense & two-time All-Big 12 receiver Denzel Mims. Not only that, but head coach Matt Rhule also bolted to the NFL and accepted the Carolina Panthers head coaching job. There is still talent present, but I would think Louisville is a favorite here based off momentum alone.
Louisville is set to kickoff the 2020 season against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Saturday, Sept. 12 at Cardinal Stadium. Time & TV designation are yet to be determined.
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