Louisville football’s a top 25 team in updated rankings

Louisville football moved into the top 25 following two major postponements.

As of today (things change fast) Louisville football is set to kick-off football in a little under a month and that in and of itself is exciting for everyone.

We wondered during the offseason if when the 2020 season started the hype that was around the Cardinals then would be enough to lead to a top 25 ranking when the preseason polls dropped.

The answer came last week when the AP Coaches Top 25 poll was released and the Cards weren’t included. Leaving Louisville off was a mistake especially when you look at the production being brought back following a surprising eight wins and bowl victory over Mississippi State the following year.

You’d be hard pressed to find an offensive trio as powerful as Micale Cunningham, Javian Hawkins, and Tutu Atwell, yet teams like Central Florida and North Carolina still found their way into the rankings ahead of the Cards.

As Alan Thomas pointed out, the defense is where most people would lose faith in Louisville as a top 25 team considering the group returns nearly every one from a unit that finished at the bottom in nearly every statistic last year.

Trending: The top 25 players for Louisville football in 2020

New changes mean new rankings for Louisville football

Since the 2020 rankings were released last week a lot has changed, as it has all offseason and really all year long due to COVID-19 and the ongoing pandemic. The power five has dwindled down to the power three, following the Big Ten and Pac-12’s decisions to postpone the season and begin in the spring instead.

Also read: 3 things that stand out from Scott Satterfield’s recent comments

That leaves just the ACC, Big 12, and SEC as well as the AAC and a few other “mid-major” leagues as those playing football this fall. While we still don’t know if games will ever actually be played, teams are reporting for fall camp and schedules are being released all with the intentions of actually crowning a champion this year.

Since two leagues are gone, the polls are likely to be updated in the coming weeks as the season draws closer and if the poll released by 247 Sports is any indication, we should get to see the Cards start out the year ranked.

Louisville jumped from being unranked all the up to no. 17 in the top 25 poll from Chris Hummer, joining six other ACC programs, Clemson, Notre Dame, UNC, Virginia Tech, Miami, Pittsburgh, in the rankings as well as arch rival – no. 22 Kentucky.

Hummer wrote:

"“Few teams are going to score more than Louisville this year. The Cardinals’ quarterback-running back-wide receiver trio of Micale Cunningham, Javian Hawkins and Tutu Atwell is among the best in the country. Atwell, particularly, is a dynamic big-play threat. He had the second-most running or receiving plays of 60-plus yards (5) of anyone in the country last year. That’s what happens when 4.29 speed is put in position to make plays. The defense, which finished 110th nationally in yards allowed per play, needs some work. But the unit should improve with eight starters back. Scott Satterfield is among the top overall coaches nationally. Expect this team to make some noise in the ACC.”"

Making noise in the ACC is exactly what Satterfield and company are looking to do putting in work during their fall camp in order to make a dream become reality. As we’ve seen all over social media, the Cards have been doing their part in order to improve and meet the expectations that have been placed on them – including potentially competing for an ACC title.

Player safety has been a huge deal over the last few weeks, and as we heard from Satterfield last week on the TODAY! show, UofL has been testing their players diligently and doing all the right things to ensure that no one is exposed to the virus.

There’s still a few weeks to put in work before Louisville takes the field for the first time against Western Kentucky on September 12th, and while the ranking won’t do anything to help them earn more victories, it’s just a small sign of how far this group has come together in a short period of time.