Louisville football is coming off a dominant win over Villanova, and now the stage is officially set for the Cardinals' massive showdown against SMU. Louisville and SMU will face each other for the third straight season since the Mustangs joined the conference, with the Mustangs dominating the matchup so far, going 2-0 against Jeff Brohm and Louisville.
The last time Louisville and SMU shared a field, it was a long game for the Cards, with SMU winning 38-6. Louisville was missing multiple key starters that game, including their starting quarterback, but now, with Lincoln Kienholz taking the nation by storm in his first two weeks, the Cardinals will look for a massive conference win in week 3.
Louisville jumps in AP Poll ahead of massive showdown with No. 16 SMU
The AP Polls were just released earlier today, and the stage is set as the Cardinals were bumped up a spot, as they are now ranked No. 23 in the country. The No. 23 Cardinals sit 1-1 after a crushing Week 1 loss to Ole Miss, which now ranks No. 8 in the country. As for the SMU Mustangs, they travel to Louisville and L&N Stadium as the No. 16 team in the nation after starting the year 2-0.
BREAKING: College Football AP Poll🚨https://t.co/VY7Xt0iRq1 pic.twitter.com/5WNv1rtd72
— On3 (@On3) September 13, 2026
The Cardinals vs. Mustangs is one of the three rank-vs.-rank matchups in Week 3, as No. 8 Ole Miss faces No. 7 LSU, and No. 13 Texas Tech faces No. 22 Houston. Entering the season, Miami was the heavy favorite to win the ACC and reach the ACC Championship game, but who the Hurricanes will play is the ultimate debate.
Many predicted SMU to make it to Charlotte, but some also predicted the Cardinals. Both teams entered the season ranked, and with Miami as the heavy favorite, this Week 3 matchup has huge ACC Title implications.
The winner of this game will get the head-to-head advantage, and both teams have a pretty favorable schedule the rest of the way. Right now, Louisville is the slight favorite entering the game, as the Cards are just 1.5-point favorites.
With a win on Saturday, the Cardinals would not only see themselves likely jump into the top 20, but they would cement themselves as a legit ACC Title and CFP contender. However, with a loss, Louisville would fall to 1-2 on the season, and it would mean they lost two of their toughest games of the season.
They would still have a chance to compete for the ACC title, as there is plenty of the season left, but they would likely not make the College Football Playoff as an at-large team. They would most likely have to win the ACC to make the playoffs.
So, there is a lot to play for in this Week 3 game. No. 16 SMU and No. 23 Louisville are scheduled to kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 19.
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