We are just 42 days away from Louisville football’s first game of the 2026 season, as the Cardinals are set to play Ole Miss on Sept. 6. The offseason months are flying by, and Jeff Brohm and this Cardinals team continue to get some high recognition leading up to the opening kickoff.
When looking at the ACC, everyone immediatley mentions Miami. The Hurricanes are coming off a National Championship run, where Miami fell just short to Indiana. Now, after another huge offseason, the Canes are expected to be the top dawg in the conference.
A lot of reporters and analysts are breaking down real contenders for the conferences, and Jimbo Fisher just named Louisville among the ACC's three true contenders.
Jimbo Fisher sees Louisville and SMU as Miami's biggest ACC challenger
The Cardinals had a big-time offseason, adding over 32 transfers from the Transfer Portal, and keeping notable players from last season like Isaac Brown, Keyjuan Brown, Clev Lubin, TJ Capers, Stanquan Clark, and others.
Now, Louisville is constantly in the ACC Title conversation, and the most recent reporter to include Louisville in the hunt is the former Florida State head coach and the 2013 National Champion, Jimbo Fisher.
“SMU and Louisville are like peas in a pot. They have to figure it out together,” stated Fisher on the ACC Network. "I think SMU and Louisville are the key between those two to push Miami, and both have the ability."
Fisher certainly makes it seem like his ACC Title race is between Miami, SMU and Louisville, and he talks about how the Cardinals have to take those next steps defensively and on the offensive line. The biggest question Fisher has surrounding the Cardinals is the quarterback, Lincoln Kienholz.
He mentioned he believes Kienholz is a good quarterback, but it will be a “very interesting game” in Week 3, as the Cardinals don’t know much about their quarterback just yet.
While the Cardinals and Mustangs game is in Week 3, it continues to have massive ACC Title implications. If Louisville can defeat SMU for the first time in program history, the Cardinals fans are going to feel a lot more confident about their chances of reaching Charlotte for the second time under Brohm.
They are getting some attention this offseason as real ACC Title contenders and as a dark horse team to make it to the College Football Playoffs. The Cardinals have a lot to prove this season, and they can get over the hump and put a full season together, but leading up to September 6, Louisville is sitting right where they want to be.
Add us as a preferred source on Google