Controlling its own destiny midway through the season, Louisville football must win in style if it hopes to be in the College Football Playoff conversation.
With 30 seconds remaining in Louisville’s romp over Notre Dame on Saturday, my body — at least momentarily — was operating on instinct alone.
Thirty minutes prior, Louisville football took a 30-13 lead, and I dragged my girlfriend to the student section’s front row, hoping for a moment that has evaded me for decades.
You see, in 2002 and 2006, when Louisville beat Florida State and West Virginia, school night bedtime kept me away from the field-storming festivities.
I was in the front row for Louisville’s 2016 dismantling of FSU, but a halfhearted field storm felt beneath the Cards as the favorite that day. 2022’s defeat of Wake Forest felt much the same as 2016.
But, with 6 minutes remaining, the Cards up 3 scores against the biggest brand in college football, in front of a national TV audience and in the middle of a school record crowd, it was finally the time.
I wasn’t missing this one.
The last snap of the game was imminent. So, without warning, I jumped- The distance from the stands to the field far greater than expected. My landing was later described as “more athletic than a Quincy Riley interception,” whatever that means. My girlfriend was left with no other option but to follow suit and we did some poorly planned swan dive maneuver, gathered our bearings, and took off full speed for midfield.
Those who joined us quickly became a part of one of the rapidly ascending stories in the college football world. The unavoidable fact that Louisville football is back, and it is for real.
In front of 5.2 million viewers, we changed the narrative. The coaches, players, and fans distinctly altered the view of the Cards nationally.
As fans of the program, we’ve been here before. But this time, the circumstances are a little different. For once, and for the foreseeable future, it truly feels like Louisville football is here to stay.
Changing the Narrative
Turning the page and beginning to look ahead, however, the way that we approach the season will, and must, change.
No longer are we hypothesizing 10-win seasons or the possibility of a big-time postseason match-up for Jeff Brohm and Co. We are living it.
The question now is what Louisville football can do to get to the ACC Championship and College Football Playoffs.
Louisville defeated NC State on the road- where the Wolfpack had won 17 of 19. They followed that up with a thorough beatdown of No. 10 Notre Dame- A team that had won 30 straight against ACC foes. All in an 8-day span. Not bad.
Prior to the season, I predicted that the Cards would go 0-2 in that stretch. Instead, UofL held the two squads scoreless for 3 consecutive quarters, and an average of 15 points per game.
Louisville football is winning games in a way that nobody would expect a Brohm-coached team to. They are gritty. They forced 8 turnovers and sacked the opposing QB 8 times in the last two games. They are a force in the ground game and have a balanced attack through the air. Faced with adversity, they’ve had all of the answers.
This is a team vying for a conference title. We all knew it. But now, so does the rest of the nation.
Winning in Style
Now, Louisville is faced with a “problem” it hasn’t dealt with in 7 years: Expectations.
From here forward, the college football world is watching. Not even because they want to. They have to. Brohm and company made sure of that on Saturday night.
USC, Washington, UNC, and FSU fans have to watch. Oklahoma, Oregon, and Michigan, too. These teams are competing for their spot. They need Louisville to lose.
It won’t be hard to follow along. Every time they open their ESPN app or see the bottom line, they’ll be reminded of Louisville. Whenever they tune into their favorite podcasts or radio shows, they’ll have to hear the narratives.
Louisville football is on everyone’s radar.
That means the Cards are getting everyone’s best shot. That means that every time an analyst breaks down this team, it will be through a glass onion of sorts.
No longer is this about Jeff Brohm’s return from a national perspective.
Instead, it will quickly be about Jawhar Jordan and Ashton Gillotte. The world will become familiar with Cam’ron Kelly and Jamari Thrash.
Most importantly, it means that the Cards have to keep rolling and do so in style.
There can’t be complacency in a last-second victory over Pitt or a one-touchdown win vs. Virginia.
Louisville football will have to keep improving. It must.
Ultimately, a committee of biased individuals makes decisions as things pertain to the playoffs.
Every team has flaws, and for Louisville, it’s the schedule.
In its final six games, Louisville will face No. 17 Duke, No. 25 Miami, and No. 24 Kentucky.
However, it also faces three teams with a combined record of 4-13.
The Cards are not helped by the fact that they’ve only defeated 2 teams with a winning record to date.
Louisville will have to have to keep winning and do so convincingly. History shows that the committee will demand it.
Even a slip-up that leads to a close win will be scrutinized.
Louisville football has never been more exciting. I’m enjoying every second of it.
But when thousands of feet hit the L&N Stadium field on Saturday night, a lot changed.
Louisville football controls its own destiny, but it will have to improve from here in order to do the unthinkable and make the College Football Playoffs.
