Predicting the 2013 College Football Season: Louisville Cardinals

Since this whole series of predictions has been a bit of fantasy, why not finish with the most absurd "contender" of them all?

Louisville Cardinals 11-2 (5-2) in 2012

Synopsis: With the addition of the troubled RB Michael Dyer and 17 returning starters plus both kickers, 2013 must be do or die for Coach Charlie Strong at the 'Ville. Cash cow QB Teddy Bridgewater (3718 yards, 27 TD, 8 INT, 68.5%) will surely leave for the NFL after this season. Expect the coach to jump ship as well. I know they are excited up in Pitino-ville but there is no way a schedule like this gets even a whiff of Pasadena. When your hardest game is one of the easiest game for others it does not bode well for your National Championship ambitions.

Key Losses: RB Jeremy Wright, C Mario Benavides, CB Adrian Bushell,

Key Returners: QB Teddy Bridgewater, Coach Charlie Strong, WR DeVante Parker, TE Gerald Christian, DT Roy Philon, LB Preston Brown, S Hakeem Smith, S Calvin Pryor

Newcomers: RB Michael Dyer, WR, James Quick, LB James Hearns

The Schedule:
9/1/13 Ohio (Louisville, KY) - Win
9/7/13 Eastern Kentucky (Louisville, KY) - The mighty Colonels return! Win
9/14/13 at Kentucky (Lexington, KY) - This is one the Cards will brag about. "We beat the SEC!" - Win
9/21/13 Florida International (Louisville, KY) - [Have you stopped laughing yet?] Win
9/28/13 bye
10/5/13 at Temple (Philadelphia, PA) - Win
10/10/13 Rutgers (Louisville, KY) - this Thursday night game could spell trouble. Both teams will have a 5 day turnaround. Injuries & focus could factor in - Win
10/19/13 UCF (Louisville, KY) - Win
10/26/13 at USF (Tampa, FL) - Win
11/2/13 bye [Ooh boy! Gotta rest up for this rough stretch coming up!]
11/8/13 at UConn (East Hartford, CT) - Win
11/16/13 Houston (Louisville, KY) - Win
11/23/13 Memphis (Louisville, KY) - Win
11/30/13 bye
12/05/13 at Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH) - This is the one they are worried about. Can you imagine that? Win

Let's go Bowling! Boise State Louisville will get their BCS bowl against another team that doesn't want to be there.

* Not only is this a lame schedule of epic proportions, the Cardinals have 3 bye weeks.

(BTW, have you ever noticed what happens to these little wannabe alleged BSC-busting programs once they join a Big Boy conference? Utah joins the PAC-12 and goes 8-5 (4-5) and 5-7 (3-6). TCU joins the Big XII: 7-6 (4-5). Louisville will join the ACC beginning in 2014.)