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Did Louisville football get snubbed in the preseason coaches poll?

By Derek Snyder

Nov 21, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) passes against pressure from Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Jeremiah Taleni (94) and defensive lineman Darryl Render (91) during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. PITT won 45-34. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) passes against pressure from Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Jeremiah Taleni (94) and defensive lineman Darryl Render (91) during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. PITT won 45-34. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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Louisville football was ranked 23rd in the nation in this year’s preseason coaches poll?

Louisville football has extremely high expectations in 2016, however you wouldn’t be able to tell by the preseason coaches poll released yesterday. This poll came out just days after Fox Sports released their preseason top 25, ranking the Cardinals at number ten in the country. It’s as simple as this, Louisville football definitely should have been ranked higher than 23rd ranked team in the country.

ESPN’s preseason coaches poll can be found here.

Louisville, arguably, has the second-best defense in the ACC. Other than Florida State, Louisville has a better defensive unit than Clemson, North Carolina and Miami. Preseason defensive player of the year Devonte Fields is back for a Cardinal defense only missing three starters from 2015.

Lamar Jackson just might be the most exciting underclassmen in the conference and if he has improved his passing, he could be one of the best quarterbacks in the entire country. Did Louisville football get snubbed in the preseason coaches poll?

Yes, and here are three teams that the Cardinals should have been ranked higher than:

No. 20 North Carolina

This one makes some sense since the Tar Heels made it all the way to the ACC Championship game last year, only to lose to the eventual national champion runner-up Clemson Tigers. North Carolina has one of the best offenses in the entire country, but their defense is definitely lacking.

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Fox Sports reported that, “the question yet again is UNC’s defense, which improved as a whole in 2015 but still finished 109th nationally against the run after Baylor gashed it for 645 yards in the bowl game.”

This is where Louisville can top the Tar Heels. With one of the best defenses in the country, Louisville will be extremely strong in an area where Carolina is unbelievably vulnerable.

No. 18 Washington Huskies

Seriously, how in the world did Washington make it all the way up to #18 in the preseason poll. According to ESPN, the Huskies barely made a bowl game last season, ending the season 6-6 and clinching a bid to the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas bowl. They actually beat Southern Miss 44-31 in that game, finishing the season at 7-6.

Running back, Myles Gaskin is probably their best returning player. Last season he ran for 1,320 yards and 14 touchdowns. Those are some big numbers from one of best Pac-12 running backs.

Even with Gaskin, I think it’s a safe bet that Louisville will be better than Washington in 2016.

No. 13 Houston

Yes, I know that Houston beat the Cardinals in 2015. However, that took a poor performance from Lamar Jackson and Louisville giving the ball away like free candy on Halloween. The Cardinals committed four turnovers in the 2015 loss at home to the Cougars.

The problem, like North Carolina, is Houston’s lack of a defensive presence. Fox Sports noted that, “Tom Herman’s team could regress on defense with the loss of CB William Jackson III and five other starters.” Louisville is simply better on the defensive side of the football, the offensive side of the football and frankly the coaching staff of Houston.

The good news is that Louisville and Houston will be able to settle this dispute during the 2016 season. It should be a big game for both teams as they will be staring at their respective “playoff hopes” directly in the face.

The 2016 Louisville football team will be tested early in the season, as they will have to face Clemson and Florida by October 1st. They are ready to take the next step forward, but if they are going to start getting preseason ranking “love”, they need to show they can beat either team.

The three best teams in the ACC are Clemson, Florida State and Louisville. No disrespect to the North Carolina football team, but defense is going to win the close games. Carolina simply doesn’t have a defense who will stop Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson or Dalvin Cook at the end of a game.

Next: 4-star PF commits to Louisville

Louisville should have been ranked higher in the preseason coaches poll. But hey, that’s all that this is, a “preseason” coaches poll.

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