Louisville football put the whole nation on notice on Sunday, despite the Cardinals' loss. Louisville entered the game ranked No. 24, and despite losing to No. 9 Ole Miss, the Cardinals remained ranked as the only 0-1 team currently in the AP Poll.
Not many are complaining about that, and in fact, Joel Klatt is even making the case for Louisville to be ranked higher. The Cardinals shocked a lot of people with how they played on Sunday, taking Ole Miss to the final seconds, and were especially impressed with their new star quarterback, Lincoln Kienholz.
ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit gave Louisville a lot of praise earlier this week, telling everyone this team is the real deal and a major threat in the ACC.
The Cardinals look like a legit CFP contender in 2026
This Louisville team is ready to compete for an ACC Title and is a real contender to make the College Football Playoffs. While the Cardinals came up just short against Ole Miss, they showed they can compete against one of the top teams in the nation, a Heisman candidate, and are certainly no pushover in these big moments.
Herbstreit gave Louisville a lot of praise after this game, going as far as stating he was almost maybe more impressed with Louisville than Ole Miss, and he is certainly buying into Jeff Brohm’s Cardinals stock.
“I know Miami is the obvious choice in the ACC, but damn, Louisville is if they can regroup after that loss. I walked out almost more impressed with them than I was with Ole Miss, just because I didn’t have any expectations of what to know about Louisville. That was a hell of a game,” stated Herbstreit. “Let me put it this way. When is Louisville’s next game? I’m watching. I want to watch Louisville.”
Keep an eye out for Lincoln Kienholz and this Louisville ball club this season… This team was VERY fun to watch @Joey_Galloway #nonstop pic.twitter.com/7XRCw7JKRe
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) September 9, 2026
Louisville has proven it can often compete against elite teams since Brohm arrived, but the challenge has been putting together a full season and winning in November. Well, Herbstreit and many others are buying into the Cards stock, and they should.
The Cardinals' schedule for the rest of the season is certainly favorable, and with the way they played on Sunday, Louisville has a real chance to win double-digit wins this year. Right now, Louisville has the third-best odds to win the ACC Title, only behind Miami and SMU, but with the Cardinals getting the Mustangs at home in Week 3, they have a chance to emerge as the clear No. 2 team in the conference.
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