Louisville came up with the win they absolutely needed last week, taking down SMU in a 41-31 thriller, making a statement that they are for real. Honestly, the way they are rolling, it is making us wish the Mariners could find that kind of consistency after a brutal 7-0 shutout loss to the Houston Astros. Talk about a gut punch when you see another team dominating. For the Cardinals, that SMU game might have been their toughest challenge all season, setting them up with a real shot at the College Football Playoffs if they can keep this momentum going.
Can Louisville Keep the CFP Dream Alive?
The Cardinals know the drill for the College Football Playoffs: get to 10-2 from a Power Four conference and you have a chance, hit 11-1 with a conference championship trip, and you are pretty much in. This team has its eyes on the prize. They have not played Wake Forest since 2022, a game Louisville absolutely crushed with a 48-21 victory, and they hold a 7-3 all-time series lead. Wake Forest is about to start a brutal stretch of three road games in their next four, with a home game against Stanford coming up. Louisville, on the other hand, only has to go to NC State for their next true road game in the first half of the season, followed by Syracuse on October 17th.
Wake Forest’s Secret Weapon and Louisville’s Weak Spot
Wake Forest might be the underdog, but they have a real shot if Gio Lopez can work his magic. This guy has been the exact right quarterback for their offense, running well and making smart decisions, spreading the ball around like a seasoned veteran. He is going to need a monster game against a Louisville secondary that has been leaky, getting shredded by Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss and SMU’s Kevin Jennings. If Lopez gets time to operate, he could be terrific. However, Wake Forest’s own pass defense has been a total mess, giving up an 83% completion rate combined to Akron, Purdue, and Miami, with only one takeaway and zero interceptions all year. Coach Jake Dickert’s teams do find ways to stay in games, though; they hung with Purdue, pulled off a late win, and stayed competitive against Miami even in a loss.
Louisville’s Offensive Firepower Is the Key
Louisville’s offense, led by Ohio State transfer quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, is running well and throwing even better. They should be able to move the ball however they want against Wake Forest’s struggling pass defense. They have tremendous balance, with enough explosive plays to make Wake Forest press. Louisville does get hit with too many penalties, which can be frustrating to watch, but they have yet to turn the ball over this season. As long as they do not lose the turnover battle, they should be fine. But if they give the ball away a few times, Wake Forest could absolutely steal this. Again, the Demon Deacons have only forced one takeaway all year, so Louisville really controls their own destiny here.
So, the experts are calling for Louisville to roll, 35-23. The spread has the Cardinals at -12.5, with the total at 57.5, and it is getting a 3 out of 5 Must See Rating. Sounds like a high-stakes college game for the Cardinals. Man, after watching our M’s drop 7-0 to the Astros, you just wish our Seattle teams could grab a win like that to fire us up. Fingers crossed for a better showing from our guys soon.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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