LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The second batch of college football preseason magazines has arrived. A narrative appears to be building:
Questions about Louisville.
Respect for Kentucky.
Expectations for Indiana.
Challenges for Western Kentucky.
Lindy’s followed Athlon to the newsstand, with plenty of content about all four local FBS programs. Priced at $10.99, the yearbook presents 264 pages of more than the traditional football preseason prediction information.
The folks are Lindy’s are not gaga about the talent on the local scene. None of the offensive or defensive units at U of L, UK, IU or WKU were ranked among the top-10 groups in the nation, and programs like Iowa State, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Arizona State and Cincinnati cracked the top 10.
There is also a story about the challenge of stopping the spread offense as well as a feature about the job former Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin accepted when he jumped to Auburn in the same Southeastern Conference West Division with Alabama and Louisiana State.
The arrival of former Auburn coach Gus Malzahn at Central Florida was names the No. 1 coaching change of the offseason. That is relevant to Louisville, because the Cardinals’ second home game will be a Friday night (Sept. 17) meeting with UCF, which is picked to finish second behind Cincinnati (an IU opponent) in the American Athletic Conference.
The lowest-rated hire?
South Carolina’s decision to go with former Oklahoma special teams coach Shane Beamer. Kentucky will play its first road game in Columbia against the Gamecocks on Sept. 25. There’s no reason to get into the other background about the South Carolina job.
The good news? None of the four local coaches make Lindy’s Hot Seat List.
Of course, Lindy’s didn’t get too crazy. You know what that means: A prediction of Alabama vs. Clemson in the national championship game on Jan. 10 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Louisville
- National Ranking: No. 74
- All-Conference: Hassan Hall, first-team all-purpose offensive player; Kei’Trel Clark, first-team cornerback; James Turner, third-team kicker; YaYa Darby, third-team defensive line.
- All-American: None.
- Legitimate Concern: Replacing Tutu Atwell and Dez Fitzpatrick at receiver.
- Miscellaneous Tidbit: Clark was ranked the 11th-best cornerback in the nation
- Recruiting: No. 9 class in the ACC, led by running back Trevion Cooley and Benjamin Perry, a safety from Country Club Hills, Illinois.
- Conference Projection: Sixth in the Atlantic Division, ahead of Syracuse.
- Lindy’s Call: “Louisville and its coach went from earning the benefit of the doubt to deserving no respect."
Kentucky
- National Ranking: No. 47
- All-Conference: Darian Kinnard, first-team offensive line; Chris Rodriguez Jr., third-team halfback;
- Kinnard ranked No. 3 tackle; Rodriguez ranked nation’s No. 18 running back; Receiver and return specialist Wan’Dale Robinson ranked nation’s No. 3 all-purpose player.
- All-American: Kinnard, second team.
- Legitimate concern: A decision at quarterback, improvement at receiver and depth at linebacker.
- Miscellaneous Tidbit: Robinson arrives from Nebraska ranked as the No. 5 transfer in the nation.
- Recruiting: No. 12 in the Southeastern Conference.
- Conference Projection: Fourth in the East Division of the SEC, behind Georgia (OK), Florida (OK) and Missouri (huh?).
- Lindy’s Call: “Kentucky should improve over 5-6 season but the ceiling appears to be seven wins."
Indiana
- National Ranking: No. 20
- All-Conference: Michael Penix Jr., first-team quarterback; Micah McFadden, first-team linebacker; Tiwan Mullen, first-team cornerback; Ty Fryfogle, second-team receiver; Charles Campbell, second-team kicker; Caleb Jones, third-team offensive line.
- Penix ranked nation’s 14th-best QB; Fryfogle No. 7 receiver; McFadden No. 5 inside linebacker; Mullen No. 5 cornerback.
- All-American: Mullen, second team.
- Legitimate Concern: Improved offensive line play.
- Miscellaneous Tidbit: The Hoosiers will face: Ohio State, No. 5; Cincinnati, No. 8; Iowa, No. 18 and Penn State, No. 21.
- Recruiting: No. 12 in the Big Ten, led by quarterback Donovan McCulley and receiver Jacquez Smith.
- Conference Projection: Second, behind Ohio State in the Big Ten East.
- Lindy’s Call: “Now hear this: Indiana is a football school now. Thanks Tom Allen.”
Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) was named the best quarterback in the Big Ten by Lindy's Football yearbook. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Western Kentucky
- National Ranking: No. 105.
- All-Conference: DeAngelo Malone, first-team defensive line; Brayden Narveson, second-team kicker; John Haggerty III, second-team punter.
- Haggerty nation’s No. 8 punter.
- All-American: None.
- Legitimate Concern: Lack of experience and the challenge of meshing 18 transfers.
- Miscellaneous Tidbit: Lindy's wonders if quarterback transfer Bailey Zappe can do the same things at WKU that he did at Houston Baptist, where he threw for more than 1,800 yards in four games.
- Conference Projection: Four in the East Division, behind Marshall, Florida Atlantic and Middle Tennessee.
- Lindy’s Call: “The passing game should be something to see after last year’s struggles.”
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