Just as Louisville football fans got a taste of college football, it gets taken away from us for a week as the Louisville Cardinals sit out for their first bye week of the season. The downtime is a good chance for Louisville to review the first two games, work on issues that arose during those two games, and prepare for the long stretch of ACC games ahead.
The week may be good for the Louisville football team, but it doesn’t help the deprived football fans one bit. Luckily, college football will still have plenty of great games with significant implications for the season as a whole, as well as with Louisville’s ACC title and College Football Playoff odds. It's an excellent opportunity to experience some of the other teams that Louisville will face throughout the rest of the season, as well as other teams that could have direct impacts on the Cards' postseason chances.
Sure, Week 3 may not have the flashy, top 10 matchups that were experienced in Week 1, but there is still a solid slate of games for college football fans to enjoy. The ACC will begin to take shape, and the frontrunners could separate themselves completely from the rest of the pack. Here are three games that Louisville football fans can enjoy that have a direct impact on Louisville’s postseason hopes.
Related: 5 big observations from the Louisville football win over James Madison
3 games for Louisville football fans to watch in Week 3
3. #16 Texas A&M Aggies vs. #8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
This top 25 matchup does not feature any ACC opponents that Louisville will have to face. However, it does feature the independent Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who will be vying for an at-large playoff spot at season’s end. If Notre Dame can win this game, it will put them on a collision course towards the CFP at-large bid, potentially stealing a bid from one of the Big Four conferences.
This game will also be one of the primetime showdowns and should be a promising, competitive game. Notre Dame features a bolstered run attack, similar to Louisville, that leads the way for the Fighting Irish offense. It's also a tough rebound spot for the Fighting Irish after their Week 1 loss to the Miami Hurricanes. The opportunity is present for Notre Dame to see if they are a true contender or a preseason pretender for the 2025 season.
Related: Notre Dame’s mistake opens the door for Louisville to shock Miami and the ACC