LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- History washed across the local college football scene this week, and, sadly, the reaction was mostly a shrug.
When Louisville, Kentucky and Indiana all earn votes in the Associated Press preseason Top 25, that deserves more than a shrug.
Why?
It had never happened — until it happened Monday.
Correct.
In a reply to one of my tweets, Scott Hamilton shared the historical tidbit that it was only the fourth time in AP preseason poll history Indiana received votes.
The other seasons were 1968, 1969 and 1991. (The 1968 and 1969 seasons were in the aftermath of the Hoosiers’ once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Rose Bowl, where they lost to O.J. Simpson and USC on Jan. 1, 1968.)
According to the collegepollarchive.com website, neither Louisville nor Kentucky earned AP votes prior to those seasons.
To the list of all the ways that 2020 has rattled the landscape, add this to the list:
First time U of L, UK and IU all earned votes in the AP preseason college football poll. Voters saw enough from Michael Penix Jr., Stevie Scott and Tiawan Mullen to include Tom Allen’s improving squad in the discussion.
That’s history, even if it is tortured history for Indiana. IU is certain to disappear from the poll after the season begins, because the Hoosiers — as well as their 13 fellow Big Ten members — had their seasons canceled by commissioner Kevin Warren last week.
Although AP voters were directed they were clear to include Big Ten, Pac-12, Mountain West and Mid-American Conference teams on their preseason ballots, they have the OK to drop them after games begin.
So the Hoosiers will disappear, and Louisville (if the Cardinals handle Western Kentucky) and Kentucky will soar into the Top 25.
If you take the poll the AP released Monday and subtract teams from the conferences that canceled their seasons, the Cardinals and Wildcats both surge into the Top 25.
For Louisville, the jump is from No. 31 to No. 20.
For Kentucky, the jump is from No. 34 to No. 22.
Mark 2020 as the 14th time Louisville has received votes in the preseason poll, half the appearances coming since 2012.
For Kentucky, make it nine times with preseason votes, three in the last four seasons, the surest confirmation of the solid work coach Mark Stoops has done building his program.
This is just the third time Louisville and Kentucky earned votes in the AP preseason poll. The first was 1990, after Louisville blasted Alabama in the Fiesta Bowl.
The second was 2017, the season after Lamar Jackson brought the Heisman Trophy home from New York City.
I was unable to find updated strength of schedule numbers for the revised 2020 games. When both teams were booked to play a dozen games, Kentucky’s SOS ranked No. 32 at ESPN, while Louisville was 49th. SportsBettingDime ranked UK’s schedule No. 41 and Louisville No. 28.
This is what voters in the AP preseason poll project for the Wildcats: Five games against Top-25 opponents.
If you subtract the teams with canceled schedules, Kentucky will actually be playing No. 2 (Alabama), No. 6 (Florida), No. 8 (Auburn) and No. 16 (Tennessee) on the road while hosting No. 3 Georgia at Kroger Field. Ugh.
Scott Satterfield’s second Louisville squad is booked with three games against teams that earned more preseason AP love: Notre Dame (No. 10 in the original poll, No. 7 in the revised version); Virginia Tech (No. 27, No. 18); and Miami (No. 30, No. 19).
Two quick dates to circle:
Sept. 19 — Miami visits Louisville at Cardinal Stadium. Must-win for the Cardinals if they intend to claim a spot in the Top 25 and as well as in the race for the Atlantic Coast Conference title game.
Sept. 26 — Kentucky visits Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium, where the Wildcats have won twice in 16 tries.
But for a few more days, 2020 will be the first season when Louisville, Kentucky and Indiana received votes in the AP preseason poll.
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