LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Opt-outs will quickly become the storyline for every bowl game that is not part of the 12-team college football playoff.
Happened last year. Will happen this year. Guys who are convinced they will play in the NFL next season will see no financial incentive to risk injury in another college game. Ditto for players whose next move will be into the transfer portal.
University of Louisville football coach Jeff Brohm understands that. On Monday, when Brohm discussed the Cardinals' trip to El Paso, Texas to play Washington in the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl, the coach said he was not aware of any opt outs — yet.
"I'm sure some things are going to pop up here in the next couple of weeks," Brohm said.
But for Brohm and the Cards, as well as Washington coach Jedd Fisch and the Huskies, the job will be figuring out who's in and who's out as quickly as possible — and building practice and game plans around guys expected to be major contributors next season.
Better not forget this: The coaches also have to monitor the transfer portal while lining up official visits and NIL possibilities.
"It's a very active time, without question," Brohm said. "You're trying to maintain your roster, trying to deal with the open portal situation, trying to improve your roster and make some additions based on subtractions that have already happened through graduation and guys that are moving on.
"It's going to make it busy. But, at the same time, we're going to practice football. We want to have fun practicing football. We want your young guys to get as many reps as we can …
"... It's important that (U of L's young players) do play well. If they want to get a position for next year, they need to prove they need to prove themselves in this football game. We have to make decisions after that according to how the game goes."
Brohm remembers this: A year ago, Louisville went to the Holiday Bowl to play a Southern Cal team that was missing Heisman Trophy quarterback Caleb Williams, a top running back and a top receiver. So the Trojans went to backup quarterback Miller Moss. He dropped 372 yards and six touchdown passes on U of L in a decisive 42-28 victory in San Diego.
After starting 10-1, the Cards lost their mojo down the stretch last year, finishing with losses to Kentucky, Florida State and USC.
This team has the chance to reverse that storyline after Louisville improved to 8-4 with solid victories over Pittsburgh and Kentucky. The Cards are ranked No. 27 in the latest Associated Press poll. A Top-25 finish is likely with a Sun Bowl victory.
"We want to be able to manage going on the road, enjoying a bowl game as much as we can but finding a way to win," Brohm said.
"Last year, we proved that we could not do that. We didn't do a good job. We didn't play well in the game. We got beat in a lot of facets of the game, and that was disappointing."
Louisville is listed as a five-point favorite against the Huskies, who finished 6-6 overall and 4-5 in their first season in the Big Ten. Jeff Sagarin's computer formula clearly favors Louisville by 8.36 points, ranking the Cards No. 16 nationally and Washington No. 45.
The Huskies' last three losses were to ranked opponents: 31-17 at No. 8 Indiana, 35-6 at No. 4 Penn State and 49-21 to No. 1 Oregon. The Huskies as an average offensive team that ranked No. 68 nationally in total offense but a solid defensive group that ranked 26th total defense.
But ... that's with their complete roster. The Huskies will have a string of opt outs, too. Everybody will, unless you're talking about one of the 12 playoff teams.
"We finished the season strong with two good wins," Brohm said. "We want to try to build on that.... The bowl game is actually the fun part."
Louisville Football Coverage:
- Here Comes the Sun (Bowl): Louisville to face Washington in El Paso New Year's Eve
- Louisville Portal Tracker: A rundown of players leaving the Cardinals' program
- BOZICH | At Louisville, Jeff Brohm trusts his gut over college football recruiting rankings
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