MORNING KICKOFF

U of L 'in contention' for football playoff

Jonathan Lintner
@JonathanLintner

Bubble watch, meet Eliminator.

NCAA tournament "Bracketology" has a match in the form of an ESPN tool that's judging college football teams weekly based upon one thing: Are they still at all in contention for the new College Football Playoff?

Of 128 Football Bowl Subdivision schools, 29 were cut after Week 1 losses. After a Week 2 loss at Illinois, it's "better luck next season" for Western Kentucky and 30 others.

"In only two games under new coach Jeff Brohm, the Hilltoppers have shown they are going to be a tough out in Conference USA," wrote ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

Not quite tough enough to make college football's Final Four, though. Both still without a loss, the University of Kentucky and Indiana University are "on the fence" for the playoff.

Schlabach wrote that "the Wildcats look much more competitive than they did last year," and he notes that Indiana is ahead of Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State after the Big Ten Conference's horrid weekend.

Then there's the University of Louisville — one of just 21 teams listed as "in contention" for the playoff.

Schlabach noted the Cardinals "barely broke a sweat" in beating Murray State five days after their victory over Miami, placing them among programs such as Alabama, Auburn, Oregon, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

From the ACC, Florida State and Virginia Tech remain in contention, as does Notre Dame, whom the Cardinals also play this season.

IN THE C-J

• Columnist Adam Himmelsbach's latest "Adam Asks" involves a consummate professional on the other side of the media industry — U of L sports information director Kenny Klein, who has worked for the school since 1983. (http://cjky.it/1xDiwS2)

• The Litkenhous Ratings, a computerized ranking of every high school football team in the state, didn't select an area team No. 1 or 2 in the first poll release Monday. Behind Covington Catholic and Bowling Green, though, are Manual, St. Xavier and DeSales.(http://bit.ly/1uuj9J3)

• Will Gardner has performed well enough as U of L's starting quarterback, but he's no Teddy Bridgewater. And that, Tim Sullivan writes, is seemingly why Cards fans are speaking of a quarterback non-controversy. (http://cjky.it/1tHrcUT)

AROUND THE WEB

• Bob Stoops, as in the Oklahoma coach and brother of UK's Stoops, landed Monday on one of his favorite topics: The SEC. Is there a talent gap with the rest of college football? "Whoever we've played, that hasn't been much of a difference," Bob Stoops said. (http://bit.ly/1CNlNhV)

• America's Best Racing took a swing at comparing top horse tracks to iconic sports venues this week. Of course, Churchill Downs made the list. Ever heard of its match, Melbourne Cricket Ground? "The oldest continuously operating sports arena in the world is also one of the largest," the article reads. Sounds about right. (http://bit.ly/1Auv0HY)

• After its victory over FBS Miami (Ohio), Eastern Kentucky's football program cracked the FCS coaches poll released by the NCAA, going from unranked to No. 25 in the nation. (http://on.ncaa.com/1wbiCyA)

Jonathan Lintner can be reached at (502) 582-4199. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanLintner.