Louisville’s ACC title case got a lot stronger before the Cardinals even kicked off their season.
With Week 1 still ahead, the conversation around the conference picture has already shifted, and Clemson’s opening-night collapse is a big reason why. Miami entered the 2026 season as the clear favorite to win the ACC, but Louisville was sitting right in the next tier alongside Clemson and SMU. After Saturday night, that group looks different.
Clemson was blasted by LSU, 51-10, in a result that turned heads immediately. The Tigers entered the year ranked above Louisville in the Coaches Poll, a placement that raised eyebrows for plenty of observers given Clemson’s uneven season under Dabo Swinney. As Brohm put it, rankings sort themselves out, and this one certainly did in a hurry.
It is still only Week 1, so nobody is handing out trophies yet. But from Louisville’s perspective, Clemson’s 41-point loss makes the path to the ACC Championship Game look a lot cleaner. The Tigers no longer feel like the same kind of obstacle they did a day ago.
The odds reflect that shift. Miami remains the favorite at -195, while Louisville and SMU are tied at +800.
Clemson, which opened the season as the fourth-best ACC title option at +1600, has fallen all the way to seventh at +3300, according to FanDuel. Virginia is now at +1700 and Pitt sits at +1900.
That matters because Louisville’s schedule lines up in a way that could open the door. The Cardinals do not have to play Miami or Virginia, and they get SMU and Pitt at home.
They still have to handle business in November and, as the source noted, find a way to beat SMU for the first time. But with Clemson taking a massive hit in Week 1, the idea of Brohm and Louisville getting back to Charlotte suddenly looks a lot more realistic.
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The frustrating part for Louisville was how many chances were there to swing the game before the break. The Cardinals had drives stall at the wrong moments and missed opportunities that left points on the field, while Ole Miss made just enough of its own opening to seize control of the scoreline despite Louisvilles early pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Just Found A Quarterback Fans Can Dream On
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Kienholz finished with 307 passing yards and added 69 more on the ground with a touchdown, a mix of arm talent and mobility that immediately changes the conversation around Louisvilles ceiling. It was the kind of debut that can stick with a fan base even in defeat, especially when it comes against a quality team and leaves open the question of just how high this offense can climb once the Cardinals settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Kienholz Gave Louisville One Huge Reason For Hope
Louisville did not get the result it wanted against Ole Miss, falling 41-38 on a last-second 48-yard field goal, but the Cardinals may have walked away with something nearly as valuable. In his Louisville debut, Lincoln Kienholz, the Ohio State transfer, spent most of the afternoon shaking off a slow start before settling in and giving the offense the kind of spark it had been searching for.
Kienholz completed 18 of 29 passes for 307 yards and added 69 rushing yards while accounting for three total touchdowns, the sort of all-around effort that kept Louisville in striking distance throughout the game. Even more encouraging for the Cardinals was the way he helped fuel a fourth-quarter surge to erase a 14-point deficit and tie things up before Ole Miss finally answered at the end. [Read more 🡒]