Louisville’s omission from the preseason Coaches Poll has turned into one of the early talking points of the 2026 college football season, and Fox Sports analyst Aaron Torres made it clear he thinks the Cardinals were done wrong.
The Cardinals, entering their fourth season under Jeff Brohm, landed outside the top 25 even though plenty of Louisville fans expected them to come in somewhere in the 20-to-25 range. Instead, they were the first team out, finishing behind No.
25 Missouri. The Tigers received 158 votes, while Louisville got 153.
Torres was among those caught off guard. While breaking down teams he considered overrated and underrated in the poll, he saved Louisville for the end and called them a “curveball” before pointing out their absence from the rankings.
“I am going to give you a team that is underrated by not being ranked at all, that is Jeff Brohm’s Louisville Cardinals,” stated Torres. “Louisville is a team to me who is underrated; they should be ranked.”
His case lines up with what Louisville supporters have been saying. Under Brohm, the Cardinals have won at least nine games in each of his three seasons, including a 10-win opener that ended with an ACC Championship Game appearance. Torres also pointed to Isaac Brown as one of the best running backs in college football.
Louisville has already shown it can handle big stages, too. The Cardinals have beaten Notre Dame and Clemson, and last season they knocked off Miami on the road.
Now the schedule gives them an immediate chance to answer the poll. Louisville opens with No.
10 Ole Miss in Week 1 and then gets SMU in Week 3. Winning both would give the Cardinals two top-20-type victories in the first three weeks.
Even a split would leave them 2-1 with a major win in hand, and the rest of the schedule is described as very manageable.
For now, the lack of respect stings. But Louisville has a clear path to make the rankings debate irrelevant quickly if it takes care of business early.
In Other News...
Jeff Brohm Hints Louisville May Not Be Done Adding Veteran Help
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Brohm said the staff is keeping tabs on the recent eligibility ruling that could give 2022 seniors another year, and Louisville is looking into veteran options that might fit that category. Any move in that direction would still need to clear the usual hurdles before it becomes real, but it is another sign that the Cardinals may not be finished shaping the roster before the season gets going. [Read more 🡒]
Jeff Brohm Hints Louisville Could Still Add Veteran Help
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Brohm made clear, though, that Louisville is not rushing into anything until the situation settles down. The staff is waiting for the ruling to become fully clear and for approval from the conference and the administration before moving forward, even as the program has already been in contact with players who could fit the category. If the eligibility path opens the way it appears to, Louisville could still find a late addition or two from a veteran market worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Has An Isaac Brown Concern It Can't Ignore Yet
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Jeff Brohm said Brown needs to get a little healthier before he returns to practice, which puts the focus on timing as much as availability. Louisville does not have much margin for concern with a key matchup against Ole Miss coming up, so Browns status is one of the first camp storylines worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]