10 Years Ago: We were entering the ACC

[LeFors4Ever]

It's crazy to think about the last decade of Cardinal Football, but we've been a Power 5 program from a decade. Thinking about the topics we were thinking about at the time.

But we just had an amazing run with Charlie Strong, but he was heading to Texas. He left a solid roster, but going into the ACC we needed a sure thing as head coach to keep it moving. We also were going to be replacing Teddy Bridgewater. Enter Bobby freaking Petrino. We were bringing back a man, who was hated, but we never doubted his coaching ability. Will Gardner was our guy at QB and Bobby 2.0 would unlock a more aggressive passing attack than we had with Charlie. And he was bringing in a legit SEC DC in Todd Grantham. 10 players on that team were drafted, so it probably was the most talented group we ever had at Louisville.

The schedule featured homes games starting a Labor Day primetime matchup with the Miami Hurricanes, Thursday Primetime matchup with Jameis Winston and the defending champion Florida State Seminoles, and we ended with our first Thanksgiving matchup against the Cats at home. Road trips to Notre Dame and Clemson.

Take out the early injury to Devante and that team would've beaten UVA and would've been 6-0 going to Clemson & likely 7-1 when we faced FSU for our showdown. That would've been a 10-2 year. It's probably the best overall team we had in the modern era along with probably the toughest schedule.

A decade has passed since then, it's crazy to think of the ups and down. A Heisman trophy winner, 2 years later at the bottom of college football, and ending the decade in the ACC title game.

What do you remember about our time that summer as we were entering the ACC?

 

[Mayoman]

I remember being stunned and amazed that the Cards finally made it to a destination conference in the ACC.

Initially I was most excited about this for the stability and legitimacy of the BB program even more than the FB program and I was anticipating this ought to shut the naysayers and BBN morons up about the status of the Cardinal Programs. It did not. Now they just poo poo in the ACC as not being a legit conference.

In another vein, I hoped it would improve the image of academics at UofL and boost enrollments and standings in the college educational rankings. Has it more than slightly?

I also thought the non-profit sports would improve especially in the arena of women's sports and meeting/exceeding Title 9 standards....I think it has as UofL was forward thinking in this matter. And they did under TJ's vision and leadership.

IRT to the FB Program I had been a huge BP 1.0 fan but was skeptical of his return due to trust, character, and integrity issues. I often wonder that would have been if CCS was induced to stay or if another coach (maybe one on his staff) had been retained or hired instead of CBP. What could of been then? Would that have been too early for the Brohm hire and era? IDK...likely so.

But BP was BP and the rest is history and water under the bridge.

This year tell the tale of where the FB, BB and other programs will go from here. So 10 years after the entry into the ACC, we will look to see what will be for the next 10 years.

And I do hope the ACC is still together and thriving writing its own story of the little choo choo that keeps moving forward In spite of financial challenges that it will face this coming decade.

My 2 cents and some change. Thoughts?

 

[Guardman]

Bobby's 2014-2017 were great years. And that's not including Charlie's super duper 2013 season.

It was a very good initial ACC run.

Went personally to every game. Home and Away.

 

[Rhino Byars]

I remember the trash talking about how Louisville baseball would find it hard to compete in the ACC only to set the record for conference wins that first season.