The past season wasn’t a mirage for University of Louisville football fans, just a preview of upcoming football schedules made possible by UofL’s entrance into the Atlantic Coast Conference. They’re all going to be good from here on out, packed with respectable opponents almost every week.

Football ScheduleRight out of the gate is Auburn, a team UofL has competed with off the field for years. The programs will finally meet on the football field in the modern era. The game at the Georgia Dome, the event the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, at the scene of Louisville’s most recent national championship (in basketball, of course).

Auburn, remember, once tried to steal Bob Petrino in the middle of the night at a Clarksville, Ind., airport. Lately, the Tigers have been trying to pick off UofL football recruits, as if they had no list of their own.

Auburn started in the top 10 last season but finished 8-5 and ranked 22nd in the Associated Press poll, two spots ahead of UofL.

Houston, which has been a challenging foe, is the next weekend, followed immediately by powerhouse Clemson. The first three weeks could be make it or break it time. The only opponent resembling a breather is Samford, but the Bulldogs were 7-4 in the Southern Conference.

NC State, Florida State, Boston College, Wake Forest, Syracuse, Virginia and Pittsburgh will all be improved, making the conference schedule among the toughest ever. The final game is at Kentucky, which may or may not still be in football mode by then.

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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.