State of the Cards, Cats and Hoosiers

A third of the way through the college football season it's time to take stock of where the Cards, Cats and Hoosiers stand.

Louisville's 26-21 loss to Connecticut on Friday was a step back for a team out to prove it is going to be a contender in the Big East Conference. Here's the problem I have with the loss. The Cardinals out-gained the Huskies by more than 200 yards. The Huskies starting quarterback Tyler Lorenzen broke his foot in the second quarter. And the Cards still couldn't win. All signs pointed to a Louisville victory but somehow this Cardinal team messed it up. Hunter Cantwell, who's a fabulous guy but made a critical error late in the game, should not have even been playing at that point. He hurt his ankle in the third quarter and it was obvious he wasn't a 100%. He says his ankle isn't the reason why he threw an interception to Lawrence Wilson. That may be so, but he was 2-9 after the injury, with two interceptions. He clearly wasn't himself.

At 2-2 the Cards still have plenty of time to make noise in the Big East. The schedule is still favorable, with the toughest games remaining at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. But a team coming off a 6-6 season, one which has won its last two games, cannot afford to give away a game like Friday's against a quality opponent.

Kentucky fans have to be encouraged by the teams 4-0 start. Sure the struggled against Middle Tennessee State but the Cats have done what they needed to do before conference play. We know the UK defense is legit. Through four games they're only giving up a national best 5.5 points a game and are 4th in total yards allowed per game.

I'm not sold on the offense however. I like the running backs, although the running game hasn't lived up to its full billing. But the passing attack is suspect. Sure quarterback Mike Hartline has only thrown one interception but he's also only thrown three touchdowns. He's going to have to elevate his game if they're going to be competitive in the SEC. It's not good enough to just manage a game. He's going to have to make plays.

Overall the Cats are a solid crew who are only two wins away from their third straight bowl game. But looking at the road ahead there are definitely no guaranteed wins on the schedule.

In my opinion the Indiana Hoosiers have won the games they were supposed to and lost the ones they were supposed to. At 2-2 the Hoosiers really need to pull off some upsets if they're going to become bowl eligible for the second straight season. Kellen Lewis is a big play threat every time he touches the ball. The offense is ranked 18th in the nation in total offense. But on the other side of the ball the defense is ranked 62nd in the country. The "D" is also giving up 25 points a game.

Looking at the schedule the Hoosiers have a tough road to hoe. While the Big Ten may not be the power it once was there's still some quality teams and until the Hoosiers prove they can beat the conference's elite there's no reason to think they can do it this year.