Louisville fans fuming after CFP committee gifts Notre Dame with unearned ranking

The first College Football Playoff rankings were released last night on ESPN, and there was a lot to take from it. The SEC and Big Ten dominated the top 15, with the two conferences having nine teams represented in the top 15. Louisville football fans tuned in for the first rankings, and after the Cardinals are ranked No. 15 and Virginia is ranked No. 14, ACC fans quickly realized that the only path for their respective teams to make the CFP is to win the ACC.

The ACC is more than likley only going to get one team in the playoffs. And so, for Louisville, the fans don't necessarily care where they are ranked because they know they have to finish 12-1 and win an ACC Title to make the CFP.

However, there is one team that is ranked significantly higher than the Cards, and the fans were outraged at the committee for ranking them higher than Louisville.

Related: Louisville's CFP and ACC Title odds skyrocket after Miami and Georgia Tech collapse

Louisville football fans sends strong message to CFP committee

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are currently ranked No. 10 in the nation after the College Football Playoff Rankings. While no one is surprised, as the AP Polls rank them the same, the Cards fans are clearly upset with it. The two teams have common opponents, and so when fans look at Louisville's record, with the Cards at 7-1, and then examine Notre Dame's record, which is 6-2, they have many questions about why the Irish are ranked five spots ahead of Louisville.

Both teams played Miami on the road in Hard Rock Stadium, and Notre Dame lost 27-24, while Louisville won 24-21. So, to see Louisville beat the same team Notre Dame lost to in the exact location later in the year, the fans raise the question of why is Notre Dame ranked so high?

The Irish have won six straight and certainly pass the eye test, but the Irish beat Boston College last week by just 15 points and needed a 4th quarter interception and long Jeremiyah Love touchdown to defeat the Eagles. Similarly to the Cards game against Boston College, as they beat the Eagles by 14 and needed 205 rushing yards from Isaac Brown to win.

No one is surprised that Notre Dame is ranked No. 10 and is ranked ahead of Louisville, but the fans have made it clear that they are annoyed that the brand name might be a reason the Irish are ranked 10th and Louisville is ranked 15th. It will all play out as the two teams will face another similar opponent next weekend, as Notre Dame will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers on Nov. 15. The Cards defeated Pitt back in Week 5 on the road after coming back from a 17-0 deficit.

It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. However, it is clear that the Cards have to win one game at a time, and the rankings will take care of themselves.