So what should the University of Louisville football team take from South Florida’s humiliating 24-10 loss to Cincinnati Thursday? The Bearcats handled the Bulls like kittens toying around with mice in the process of devouring them.

South Florida should never have been ranked among the top 20 teams?

South Florida is not the same team on the road that often demolishes the same teams on its home field?

South Florida quarterback Matt Grothe’s skills have been exaggerated?

South Florida didn’t have enough time to prepare for Cincinnati?

Cincinnati is one bad-ass football team, with six or seven top-flight quarterbacks and it doesn’t seem to matter who calls the Bearcat signals?

The answer is probably all of the above. But that shouldn’t diminish the sense of accomplishment the Cards felt after beating the same team by four points last weekend. USF managed 182 yards rushing against that intimidating Cincinnati defense, as compared to only eight against UofL.

The Cards punished South Florida physically, and the Bulls were bruised and battered, limping into Cincinnati with only two days of actual preparation – a day off on Sunday following the UofL game, Monday and Tuesday on the field, Wednesday on an airplane to the Queen City. What was the USF administration thinking?

On the other hand, Cincinnati just may be the most physical team remaining on the Louisville schedule and there is a bitter rivalry between the schools. That’s the only thing that should concern the Cards about UC. For now, however, Cincinnati can wait. There are other issues, like Syracuse and Pittsburgh in the more immediate future.

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By Charlie Springer

Charlie Springer is a former Louisville editor and sportswriter, a public affairs consultant, a UofL grad and longtime fan.

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