Even though Louisville hasn’t even played its Orange Bowl game, it’s never too early for speculation about next year — when football energy may reach an all-time high around here. After Kentucky’s thrashing of Clemson in the Music City Bowl, momentum for a surging Wildcat squad will be peaking by the time it faces the Cardinals at home (remember, it’s not the opener next year) on Sept. 15.

Here’s the scenario: The Cats will have dispatched Eastern Kentucky at home and Temple on the road behind quarterback Andre Woodson, whose backers will be mounting a Heisman campaign. There will be talk of an appearance in the Top 20 with a win over Louisville. The school’s insistence that the game be switched from the opener to the team’s third game is looking good now.

Louisville will be the team with a relatively unproven quarterback in Hunter Cantwell. Brian Brohm, after throwing for five TDs and 400 yards in the Orange Bowl, will declare for the NFL and be drafted by Oakland as the second pick in the draft.  Michael Bush will also go pro, but won’t be selected until the third round by the Colts. Cantwell and crew will have faced a couple more challenging opponents, perhaps Utah and Middle Tennessee (U of L’s schedule isn’t finalized), and based on the 2006 finish will be ranked number eight.

The Cardinals were the favorite in every game they played in 2006, and that will probably be the case in 2007. The Kentucky game, though, won’t be a 59-28 blowout like it was this year.  A lot of points, for sure, but it will take an Art Carmody field goal in the end for the Cards to win 41-38.