What Michael Dyer will bring to the Table for Louisville

Earlier this week it was reported by USA Today that former Auburn tailback Michael Dyer, who hasn't played football since the 2011 season (where he helped lead Auburn to their first national title in over 50 years) after a few off the field issues has accepted a scholarship at Lousiville after graduating with an associates degree from Arkansas Baptist College. He will be a junior and will have 2 years of NCAA eligibility remaining.

Per NCAA rules, since he isn't technically enrolled in school yet, he cannot comment on the situation, but those close to Dyer, including president of the Arkansas college he earned his Associates Degree from and mentor to Dyer Fitz Hill, say he has learned his lessons from past mistakes and is excited to resume his playing career after getting kicked out of Auburn and then Arkansas State because of failed drug tests and at Arkansas State the possession of a handgun, unlawfully. In the wake of the recent Aaron Hernandez murder investigation and arrest that all but took over sports media a few months ago, many schools and coaches may have been scared off of pursuing Dyer's services. Louisville, Western Kentucky and Troy ended up being the schools that Dyer had the most interested, and ended up choosing Louisville.

Dyer, when he is on the field is nothing short of dynamic. Dyer ran for over 2,000 yards as a freshmen and sophomore at Auburn and was named The Offensive MVP of the 2011 BCS National Championship game. If Dyer can return to form you really have to think that the Lousiville BCS train can be more than just something you can sweep under the rug. Dyer has 1,200 yard rushing potential and could easily score double digit touchdowns for the Cardinals in 2013. There's no reason to talk up how great Teddy Bridgewater is, but if Dyer plays like he did at Auburn, the Louisville offense can be flat out prolific. With a potent passer and a workhorse back, the sky could very well be the limit in 2013.

- Josh Gamez
@itsjoshgamez
josh.projectcfb@gmail.com

2013 AAC Preview

Let's not beat around the bush, going into 2013 nobody really thinks the AAC is among the elite conferences in the nation. Hell, outside of Heisman hopeful quarterback Teddy Bridgewater how many players in the conference can the average college football fan name? Now, I don't mean to turn this into another Bridgewatermania piece (but it is RUNNIN' WILD BROTHER!!) but going into 2013, Louisville is the prohibited favorite in the conference, and for good reason. After a dominant Sugar Bowl victory over Florida the Cardinals have not only AAC championship, but national championship hopes as well. With a stud signal caller many pundits feel that Louisville can run the table and make a case for a BCS berth, myself included. Wide receivers Damien Copeland and DaVante Parker are expected to put up big numbers catching passes from Bridgewater in 2013, I see 800 yards and 8 or 9 touchdown catches very realistic from the both of them, especially with a guy like Bridgewater throwing them the ball I see that being VERY realistic.

But that doesn't mean the rest of the conference is just going to lay down for the Cardinals. There are 9 other teams that think they are just as good as Bridgewater and company, and if history is any indication all it takes is one game to totally throw the conference and BCS standings into a whirlwind. Teams like Rutgers, UCF and Cincinnati are among the teams that I feel could easily knock them off, and I am sure the Scarlet Knights have extra motivation after Bridgewater's gutsy second half comeback to defeat them last season. Bridgewater may get all the headlines, but Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova is no slouch either who showed flashes in 2012 and if he can put it all together in 2013 they can be a force to reckoned with in the AAC. The Scarlet Knights also return 1,000 yard rusher Jawan Jamison and receiver Brandon Coleman who hauled in 10 of Nova's 22 touchdown passes in 2012.

Another team vying for the AAC crown in 2013 is the Cincinnati Bearcats, led by new head coach Tommy Tubervile they hope to return to the level they were a few years ago when they were national championship contenders with then quarterback Tony Pike. In 2012 the Bearcats had an up and down season that included using two different quarterbacks in Munchie Legeaux and Brendon Kay. After Kay took over however, the Bearcats went 4-1 including a victory in the Belk Bowl over Duke in one of the more underrated bowl games of last season. The senior quarterback played very well at the end of 2012 where he threw for 1,250 yards and 8 touchdowns (to only 2 interceptions) in his 5 starts. He will need to keep that pace up if Cincinnati expects to make some noise in the AAC in 2013. After losing 1,000 yard rusher in George Winn, the Bearcats will be relying mostly on Ralph Abernathy IV and unproven backs Jameel Poteat and Tion Green to carry the load from the running back position. Cincinnati will also need to replace last seasons leading receiver in Tight End Travis Kelce who was selected in the 3rd round by the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL Draft this past April. Junior wide out Kenbrell Thompkins who caught 34 passes including 2 touchdowns in 2012 is the Bearcats' leading returning wideout, senior Anthony McClung is expected to step up in a big way as well. Defensively Greg Blair looks to lead the Bearcats after a 138 tackle 2012 (68 solo), Arryn Chenault also looks to be a difference maker from the secondary.

The UFC Knights I think are the team in the conference that is getting overlooked by many and could easily jump to the top of the conference if Louisville or Cincinnati falter. Junior quarterback Blake Bortles had himself a great sophomore season, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 25 touchdown passes including a 3 touchdown game against Ball State in the Beef O'Brady's Bowl. If he can continue to perform at a  high level he could challege Bridgewater for the title of best quarterback in the AAC, which may sound a little crazy now, but hear me now, believe me later, Bortles is going to have a breakout season in 2013 and this time next year we will be talking about him as a Heisman sleeper.

UConn hopes to improve on an up and down 2012 season that saw them finish 5-7,  but was highlighted by an overtime upset of Louisville late in the season. Junior running back Lyle McCombs leads the charge offensively for the Huskies. He ran for 860 yards and 6 touchdowns as a sophomore and if he can hit the 1,000 yard mark and increase his touchdowns into the double digits he should make it a bit easier for quarterback Chandler Whitmer who struggled in 2012 throwing for 2,659 and 9 touchdowns, while tossing up 16 interceptions. UConn is a rebuilding team, but if they can get productivity out of their junior quarterback and tailback, they can make some noise.

The Houston Cougars are another AAC team that had some ups and downs in 2012, running back Charlie Sims, quarterback David Piland and wide receivers Dewayne Peace and Daniel Spencer were the key offensive players in 2012 , but much like the Huskies, to be completely honest there isn't much on this team that excites you. Trevon Stewart and Derek Matthews are the key players on defense in the secondary and front seven respectively. Matthews was especially impressive compiling 126 total tackles as a sophomore. Despite finishing 4-8 in 2012, the Memphis Tigers looked good at the end of the 2012 season, capped off by a 3 game winning streak that saw junior quarterback Jacob Karam play very well, tossing 7 of his 15 touchdowns in the final 3 games. The Tigers also saw tailback Brandon Hayes splash paydirt 5 times during that win streak. The offseason development or regression will do a lot in determining how Memphis fares in 2013.

SMU is another team that will likely be bringing up the rear in the conference this season, with not much worth writing home about,  junior linebacker Randall Joyner had a very productive 2012 season with 93 total tackles.

Temple and South Florida round out the AAC lineup for 2013 and likely will be among the the teams at the bottom of the conference along with SMU, Houston, Memphis and UConn. I stand by my comments about the AAC being Louisville's to lose. But  if we know anything about college football, we know that projections in July have little, if any bearing on what happens once we kick off and games begin. But with that being said it is very hard to imagine a team other than Louisville, Cincinnati, Rutgers or UCF coming out of 2013 with an AAC crown.

- Josh Gamez
@itsjoshgamez
josh.projectcfb@gmail.com

Project CFB Top Ten: #9 Louisville Cardinals

It's hard to imagine any team in the Big East really testing the Cardinals this season, but can Louisville be a legit BCS championship contender? If history is any indication you must win at the very least 11 games in the regular season and in Louisville's case they will likely need to go undefeated to even sniff a title game berth. However, there's an old adage in football; if you don't have a good quarterback, you can't win, Luckily, Louisville doesn't have that issue. They are lead by junior signal caller and Heisman frontrunner in quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater set the college football world on fire last season with his 68.5% completion percentage, 3,718 passing yards and 28 touchdowns to only 8 interceptions, capped off by his dissection of the very formidable Florida Gators defense in the Sugar Bowl.

But Bridgewater isn't the only talented player on this team. Senior running back Senorise Perry is the Cardinals returning leading rusher last season compiling 705 rushing yards on only 136 carries (a 5.2 yards per carry average) and scored 11 touchdowns. Dominique Brown and Corvin Brown also should contribute on the ground as well, potentially making Teddy Bridgewater's job a bit easier. Speaking of Bridgewater, the pass catchers on this team do not lack play making ability. Leading receiver DeVante Parker and his 744 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns are returning in 2013, as well as junior slot receiver Eli Rodgers who hauled in 46 passes for 505 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2012. Despite losing guys like Damian Copeland, Andrell Smith and Jeremy Wright to graduation, the Cardinals have young pass catchers like James Quick, Michaelee Harris and Martin Williams ready to step up and contribute in the passing game.

Defensively, Louisville is led by senior linebacker Preston Brown. Brown led the team in tackles in 2012 with 109 total tackles, 57 unassisted. Calvin Pryor helped out from his safety position last season with 100 total tackles, 2 interceptions, and 5 forced fumbles. Hakeem Smith and Keith Brown also are returning in 2013 to help bolster the secondary and linebacking corps as well. Lorenzo Mauldin and Marcus Smith lead the defensive line with 13.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles between the two of them. With the leadership provided by Brown, Pryor and Smith each of the three position groups on the defense should provide the Cardinals with plenty of leads and with a safety like Pryor with a nose for the ball, quite a few short fields for Bridgewater and the offense.

Looking at the Cardinals' 2013 schedule they are set up very well right off the bat at making some noise and in turn giving the aforementioned Bridgewater a chance to potentially distance himself early in the Heisman race with home contests against the Ohio Bobcats and the Eastern Kentucky Colonels. The Cardinals then make their first trip away from Cardinal Stadium on September 14th to face Kentucky before heading home to face Florida International. After a September 28th bye week they travel to Philadelphia to collide with the Temple Owls and then take on Rutgers and UCF at home before heading down south to face Central Florida. After a November 2nd bye week the Cardinals come into the home stretch of the season. On November 8th Bridgewater and the Cardinals head to East Hartford to face off with UConn and then host the Houston Cougars and then the Memphis Tigers in the home finale. After the final bye week they then head to Nippert Stadium to finish out the season with the Cincinnati Bearcats.

After looking at the 2013 schedule, another 11 win season is very possible, and quite honestly I don't see any team in the Big East or on the out of conference slate that can really test Bridgewater and the Cardinals this year and quite honestly, I predict that 4 or 5 of the Cardinals' victories are going to look very lopsided. I don't mean 28-13 lopsided either, I'm talking 48-10 lopsided, which would do a lot to help the Cardinals in the polls which we all know (whether we like it or not) is the biggest factor in who does and doesn't play in the BCS championship game. Much like many others, I see the Cardinals running away with the Big East this year and if a few chips fall the Cardinals' way, they could very well end up playing in the BCS National Championship come January.

- Josh Gamez
@itsjoshgamez
josh.projectcfb@gmail.com

Can Louisville play for the National Championship?

Louisville is equipt with not only a Heisman hopeful quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater, but an impressive coach in Charlie Strong.

Strong has led the Cardinals to an overall 25-14 record under his head coaching. And although Louisville didn't impress on defense last season Strong is a defensive coach. His defense is only losing one full time player, so he will count on all his returning defensive players to step up this season.

But I know you most likely didn't click on the link to this article to read about Louisville's defense. You want to hear about Teddy Bridgewater! I hear ya!

287 completions thrown! 3,718 yards passing! 27 touchdowns tossed and only eight interceptions!  And he averaged 8.9 yards per carry. Teddy is impressive. A sure fire first round draft pick next year.

But can Teddy lead Louisville to a National Championship this year? Before we answer that, we have to answer this... will the Cardinals go undefeated this season? The answer, they absolutely should. With the only challenges on the schedule being road games against Kentucky and Cincinnati, Louisville is set up to run the table this year, in their final season in the now American Athletic Conference.

However, if Louisville gets upset, whether by Kentucky, Cincinnati, Ohio or USF, I would confidentaly predict that the Cardinals would have no chance at all at going to the National Title game.

We all know (and hate) "the computers". But we have to admit, they are part of deciding who will play in the National Championship (until the college football playoff is finally here however). And I have to say, I believe those pesky computers will favor a one-loss Alabama or a one-loss Ohio State over an undefeated Louisville. But if the Cardinals can go undefeated and win every game convincingly, why wouldn't they find themselves playing for that Crystal Ball?

Bridgewater is an amazing player. Who very well could find himself hoisting the Heisman this season. But as much as I like their chances to run the table when college football season finally gets here, I just don't see them getting the nod over teams like Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia or Oregon. Maybe next year when they're in the ACC playing the likes of Florida State, Clemson, Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. But hey, I'm just a college football writer, and this is college football. You never know whats going to happen. And if you say you do, you're a liar.

- Jackson McNamara

@jacksonmcnamara

jackson.projectcfb@gmail.com

Allstate Sugar Bowl: #3 Florida Gators vs #21 Lousivlle Cardinals Preview

Tonight at 8:30, the #3 Florida Gators will take on the #21 Louisville Cardinals in the 79th annual Allstate Sugar Bowl. Last year's Sugar Bowl wound up going to overtime where the Michigan Wolverines held off the Virginia Tech Hokies with a final score of 23-20. We are all hoping for an equally as entertaining game this year.

The Florida Gators are led by sophomore quarterback Jeff Driskel, who has thrown for nearly 1,500 yards. He has connected to receivers for 11 touchdowns, and only tossed three interceptions. He has been a very reliable quarterback for the Gators. He will look to take advantage of Louisville's defense who is allowing about 24 points per game. Florida is also equip with running back Mike Gillislee, who will look to add on to his season total of 10 rushing touchdowns. He too will look to take advantage of this Lousiville defense.

Florida's defense however is only allowing about 13 points per game. They're ranked 3rd in the nation for points against. Louisville's outstanding quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is looking to use his skills to take down the tough Florida defense, and add on to his season total of 3,452 yards passing, 25 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Bridgewater, who was a Project CFB Award finalist, was looked at with a little bit of doubt just because of the team that he plays for. But him and the Louisville Cardinals have proven that they're a legit team, only losing two games this season.

The last time Florida was in the Sugar Bowl, they beat one of Louisville's rivals, the Cincinnati Bearcats with a final score of 51-24. They will look to dominate the field tonight like they did against Cincinnati in 2010. When you compare team stats, Florida has the edge in rushing yards per game, and points against, while Louisville has the edge in passing yards and points scored.

Seems like this is the typical high scoring offense (Louisville) against the tough defense (Florida). That's the perfect matchup, for quite a chess match of a football game. The game kicks off tonight at 8:30 and will air on ESPN. Make sure to tune in, as this one seems to be quite the matchup! Can Louisville pull the upset against a top SEC team, or will Florida do what the SEC is known for, win the bowl game?!

- Matt Lytle

@mattlytle

Louisville Cardinals at Rutgers Scarlet Knights Preview

Thursday night at 7:30, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights will play host to the Louisville Cardinals in a Big East showdown. Although it looks like Rutgers has the conference locked up, depending on this outcome, and the Cincinnati/UConn outcome, quite a few teams could win a share of the Big East Championship.

Teddy Bridgewater will look to overcome
a broken wrist this Thursday.

Louisville sophomore quarterback Teddy Bridgewater broke his left (non-throwing) wrist. But he will still play against the Rutgers. Although, the Rutgers defense is ranked 4th in the nation when it comes to points allowed, Bridgewater is going to tough is out. Rutgers defense however, is looking to give Bridgewater a rough game.

Bridgewater has been having a very good season. He is 247/359, he has thrown for 3,189 yards, and has thrown 23 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Very impressive stats for the sophomore.

Rutgers sophomore quarterback Gary Nova will be looking to lead his team to a victory on home turf. Nova has thrown for 2,282 yards this season, 20 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. Impressive amount of touchdowns, but the 13 interceptions brings a level of concern. Although Louisville is giving up an average of 24.5 points per game.

Both teams' junior running backs will be looking to take the load off of their quarterbacks a little, and open up the running game so each team have multiple options. Louisville running back, Jeremy Wright, hasn't quite hit 1,000 yards yet, so far rushing for 723 yards this season. He has also scored nine rushing touchdowns. Wright is actually back up running back to Senorise Perry, who unfortunately is out for the season with a torn ACL.

Gary Nova has thrown for over 2,000 yards this season.

The Scarlet Knights' running back Jawan Jamison has eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark, and has also punched in four rushing touchdowns.

Both teams also have a group of very capable and reliable wide receivers.

Louisville has DeVante Parker and Andrell Smith, who have combined for over 60 receptions, 1,000 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns. Meanwhile Rutgers is equip with Brandon Coleman and Mark Harrison, who have combined for over 70 receptions, nearly 1,000 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns.

On paper, these teams look very similar. Louisville does average nearly 90 more yards per game in passing, but with Teddy Bridgewater injured, I'm not surprised how dangerous their passing game will be.

Bridgewater won't be effective taking snaps from center, but will have to take snaps from the Pistol or Shotgun formations. He also won't be able to use the play-action pass like he has done so much this year. That is clearly an issue that somehow the Cardinals will have to overcome. In the end, I really could see either team win this one. It's definitely a matchup to watch Thursday night at 7:30 PM on ESPN!

- Matt Lytle

@mattlytle

Two MAC Matchups Tonight!

Tonight I encourage you to at least watch one of the two games that are lined up. I of course will be flipping channels between both. The Ohio Bobcats at Ball State Cardinals game kicks off at 8:00 PM ET on ESPNU, while the Toledo Rockets at Northern Illinois Huskies game begins at 9:00 PM ET and will air on ESPN2. Both games are MAC matchups featuring teams that have anywhere from only one to three losses on the season.

The Ohio Bobcats are sitting at 8-2 and are looking to take down the Ball State Cardinals who are 7-3. The Cardinals have the homefield advantage. The Bobcats have the higher rankings when it comes to rushing the ball, and allowing the least amount of points, meanwhile the Cardinals lead in passing yards. Both teams are scoring an average of about 33 points a game.

Beau Blankenship looks to lead the Bobcats past Ball State tonight.

The key here will be the Cardinals defense, who needs to be able to shut down the Bobcats rushing game, which is led by Beau Blankenship who has nearly 1,200 rushing yards, and eight touchdowns. They will also need to keep an eye on Ohio's dangerous junior quarterback Tyler Tettleton who has only thrown two interceptions in 171 completions, and 16 touchdowns. Tettleton's ability to throw the ball so accurately really opens up the running game for Blankenship, who is now in his junior year.

Ball State's offense is equip as well, with a junior quarterback by the name of Keith Wenning who has thrown for 2,705 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 10 picks. Also their running back Jahwan Edwards has over 1,000 rushing yards this season, and has punched it into the endzone 10 times.

Although neither team look to be able to be contenders for the MAC title, this game should definitely be a nice chess match of offense and defense. I'm looking forward to it.

At 9:00, the Toledo Rockets will travel to Huskie Stadium and look to beat the Northern Illinois Huskies. The Rockets are 8-2 overall this season while the Huskies are 9-1, only losing to Iowa in the beginning of the season. This is a big matchup as both teams are fighting for the top spot in the MAC West.

The Rockets are led by junior quarterback Terrance Owens who has thrown for 2,412 yards, 14 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. One of his favorite targets, junior wide out Bernard Reedy has over 900 yards receiving with six touchdowns. Also Rockets running back David Fluellen has surpassed the 1,000 yard mark and scored 12 rushing touchdowns.

Jordan Lynch is a dual-threat QB with over 3,000 total yards this season.

The Huskies will look to their 10th ranked rushing offense to wear the Rockets down and send the home fans happy. Although the Huskies rushing offense is ranked so high, most of the yardage is not coming from their junior running back who has recorded five touchdowns on the ground. Instead, the yards are coming from junior dual-threat quarterback Jordan Lynch, who has racked up 1,342 yards on the ground, and 16 touchdowns (that's not including his passing touchdowns)! Lynch also has 2,175 yards rushing, 19 touchdowns, and only three interceptions thrown.

I usually give keys to the game in the previews that I write. In this game, I really can't imagine saying there is any other key to the game than Jordan Lynch. Lynch has been amazing this year, with over 3,000 total yards and 25 total touchdowns. The Rockets need to shut this guy down to win this game. Putting pressure on him, causing him to make mistakes, and keeping him in the pocket is the way to win this game. If you let him run on you, or throw on you, it's all over.

The Rockets don't have the greatest defensive rankings, allowing about 27 points a game. Meanwhile the Huskies are only allowing an average of 17 points a game. NIU also averages scoring about 40 points a game, which makes them ranked 9th in the country for points scored. Most of those points are coming from Jordan Lynch. Again, stopping him is the key.

I think it's going to be rough for the Rockets to stop Lynch, but if they can, like I said before, they can win this ball game. This is another game that although it comes under the radar, it could be a really good game.

I hope you guys tune in to at least one of the two of these games. Like I said, I'll be watching both!

- Matt Lytle

@mattlytle