LOUISVILLE (5-4, 2-2) AT WEST VIRGINIA (7-1, 2-1)

Game Time: 7:30 p.m.

Television: ESPN

Site: Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium: Morgantown, WV

Favorite: West Virginia by 17

All-Time Series: West Virginia leads 6-2

Last Meeting: Louisville won 44-34 at PJCS last season

Excitement Level: 7.7.

Most excited I've been since before memories I've now repressed. I'm going to go ahead and say it: I'm not particularly fond of certain factions of West Virginia's fan base, and a win tonight would make me extremely happy.

Game Attire: Long-sleeved black shirt with "Louisville" across the chest in red.

I know this may be a huge mistake since red long-sleeved Louisville Cardinals shirt is 2-0, but I just don't have faith in his ability to get the job done against an opponent of this magnitude. I've only worn this black shirt for a football game twice, the Pitt game in '05 and the WVU game in '06. It's a bold play, sure, but playing it safe isn't going to get it done tonight.

Pre-Game Meal: Parmesan chicken nuggets.

So good. You don't even know.

Bilal Powell Playing (At RB) Alert Level: Banana Mania (Very strong, but still likely won't receive as many touches as he deserves...it's a very specific chart).

Predicted Star of the Game: Brian Brohm

If Brohm can put up absurd numbers and the Cards can shock the 'Eers, then he could put himself back in a position to be invited to New York. He has absolutely zero shot at winning the Heisman, but I'm not convinced that being invited to the ceremony is completely out of the question. This will be the most watched Louisville game of the year, and if he can be undeniably brilliant then it will force people to take another look at his season stats - which are quite impressive - and ask why his name still isn't at least being mentioned as a contender. It's a long shot - especially considering that it's contingent on Louisville winning - but it's a shot.

Notable and Quotable:

--Louisville is 2-13 all-time on the road against ranked teams, but did beat No. 15 Cincinnati 28-24 inside Nippert Stadium earlier this season.

--West Virginia is ranked fourth in the country in total defense (262.13 ypg) and passing defense (161.0 ypg).

--In two games against West Virginia, Brian Brohm has completed 50-of-75 passes for 631 yards (315.5 ypg) and three touchdowns.

--"We feel we can play with anybody, and we feel we're matched evenly with West Virginia. We don't feel like they have any superior talent or any advantage over us. We can play with them, we can play with everybody that's left on our schedule. There's no intimidation factor going in there." --Brian Brohm

--"Maybe there's not the national hype that there obviously was last year. That being said, I'd be shocked if there's not an electric atmosphere with a sold-out crowd and both teams playing extremely hard." --Rich Rodriguez

--"That man (Brohm) puts the ball on the money. He is able to audible out there and do some things other quarterbacks can't do. He puts the ball in tight spaces where most defenders can't get to the ball." --WVU linebacker Mortty Ivy

--"We have great respect for each other. And we enjoy competing against each other." --WVU kicker Pat McAfee on Art Carmody.

WHAT??? ALL WEEK AND THIS COMES OUT NOW???

It's so on.

CC Prediction: West Virginia 45, Louisville 28

I've somehow managed to get myself really excited for this game, and I think part of how I've done it is by keeping myself from looking at any stats or using any type of logic. I couldn't do the same thing with the prediction, but here's to hoping I'm wrong yet again.