Game Day: Louisville at Cincinnati

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (2-4, 0-2) AT CINCINNATI BEARCATS (6-0, 2-0)

Game Time: 3:30

Location: Nippert Stadium: Cincinnati, Ohio

Television: ESPNU

Announcers: Todd Harris/Charles Arbuckle

Favorite: Cincinnati by 17.5

All-Time Series: Cincinnati leads 27-20-1

Last Meeting: Cincinnati won 28-20

Excitement Level: 3.6

They're ranked friggin' fifth and there's a friggin' keg of friggin' nails at stake.

Pregame Meal: Alcohol and something else

Kragtastic Prediction: We turn the ball over deep in UC territory very near halftime

Predicted Star of the Game: Cameron Graham

Notches a TD catch when the outcome is still in jeopardy.

NOTABLE

--Louisville has not lost at Nippert Stadium since 1997.

--Louisville is 30-12 in the month of October since the opening of Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

--Cincinnati owns the nation's fourth-highest scoring offense (40.7 points).

--Cincinnati players don't know how to properly handle the keg of nails.

Quotable

--"There's been a lot of ups and downs the last two years. We've seen a lot of guys behind center. But we've got confidence in all our guys, so we're not worried about it. They all take a lot of reps and the receivers get to practice with all the different quarterbacks. That's why everyone seems to step in." --Armon Binns

--"It will be interesting to see which quarterback we face, but we'll prepare for all three. You don't see a lot of changes offensively. The only change is the quarterback running a little more with designed runs. Tony can scramble and he does a good job keeping plays alive and throwing on the run, but he's not a designed quarterback/runner like Zach is." --Steve Kragthorpe

--"Not many times in your life do you get the opportunity to play a Top 5 team. As a little kid, you either imagine you're a top team or that you're a team beating a top team. We're living the dream." --Adam Froman

--"You can't go too far out of your comfort zone. We're a spread, no-huddle, up-tempo offense. That will continue regardless of who's in there. We're not going to come out in two tight ends and one flanker and two backs, I can guarantee you of that." --Brian Kelly

--"Everyone wants to try to create a quarterback controversy. I've got a quarterback luxury. I wish I had two guys at every position that I felt as good about as I feel about Justin and Adam." --Steve Kragthorpe

CC Prediction: Cincinnati 27, Louisville 14

If Pike doesn't play or isn't near full strength, I really think Louisville will keep things close for a while and ultimately avoid an embarrassing blowout.

Yay?