Louisville’s win over SMU did more than pad the record. It pushed the Cardinals straight into the College Football Playoff conversation.
After a 41-31 victory over No. 16 SMU on Saturday, Louisville improved to 2-1 and suddenly looks like a real problem in the ACC.
The Cardinals have already shown they can hang with elite competition, too. In Week 1, they went to the wire with now No.
4 Ole Miss before falling 41-38 on a last-second field goal.
That combination - a close loss to a top-four team and a convincing win over a ranked opponent - has people around the sport paying attention. Among them is On3 Sports’ Andy Staples, who updated his College Football Playoff bracket and slotted Louisville in as the No. 11 seed.
In his projection, the Cardinals are the final at-large team in the field and would open against No. 6 Notre Dame.
The bracket update also came with a little extra help for Louisville’s resume. Ole Miss’ win over LSU boosted the Rebels into the No. 4 spot in the AP Poll, which made Louisville’s three-point loss look even better in hindsight.
For now, Louisville also carries the second-best odds in the ACC to make the playoff, with FanDuel listing the Cardinals at +380. That’s a strong position this early, but the path still runs through the rest of the schedule, where Louisville has a favorable setup and a chance to keep stacking wins.
There’s still plenty of football left, and the Cardinals know the season won’t be won in September. ESPN Analytics projects Louisville as the favorite in every game remaining on the schedule and gives the Cardinals at least a 60 percent chance to win each one. The challenge now is simple: avoid the kind of November slip-ups that hurt them last year, stay locked in, and keep treating every week like its own game.
In Other News...
Louisville Suddenly Has A Real Shot At Program History
Louisvilles win over SMU gave the program a boost it had been waiting for, and it came with some meaningful firsts attached. It was the Cardinals first victory over a top-25 opponent this season, and it also marked their first-ever win against SMU, a result that adds real weight to a team already building a case around its offense and the play of quarterback Lincoln Kienholz.
The bigger picture has started to shift, too, as one national projection now has Louisville in the mix for a 2026 College Football Playoff berth. With the schedule easing up on the back end and the Cardinals showing they can handle a quality opponent, the door has opened to something that once seemed far off for this program. Whether they can keep that path clear is another question, but Louisville has at least given itself a shot at a season that could change how the program is viewed. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Is Forcing A Playoff Conversation Fans Have Wanted
Three games into the season, Louisville has done more than just build an early resume. The Cardinals have put together a fast-starting offense behind quarterback Lincoln Kienholz and running backs Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown, showing enough balance and explosiveness to make people around the sport take notice. After already seeing two ranked opponents, Louisville has at least given its supporters reason to think this group belongs in bigger October conversations than it was getting a month ago.
The respect is starting to extend beyond the fan base, too. College football analyst David Pollack recently singled out Louisville as a team worth watching in the playoff picture, pointing to both the offense and the schedule as reasons the Cardinals should be in the mix. It is still early, and the season will supply tougher tests, but Louisville has clearly reached the point where its path is no longer being discussed as a hopeful theory. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville's Offensive Line Might Be Peaking At The Perfect Time
Louisvilles win over SMU was built in the trenches, where the offensive line helped clear the way for 265 rushing yards and kept the quarterback clean all night. It was the kind of performance that showed how much the group can shape the Cardinals ceiling when the blocking is sharp, the communication is sound and the run game stays on schedule.
Cason Henry said the line has stayed disciplined and still sees room to grow, which is a promising sign this late in the season. The encouraging part for Louisville is that the group is no longer just holding together, it is starting to settle in, with pieces that had been unavailable for much of the year now back in the mix and the unit finally getting a chance to build some continuity. [Read more 🡒]