Louisville football sharpening their claws for CFP glory in Andy Staples’ forecast

Louisville football is coming off a crucial road win that took four quarters of gritty football. The Cardinals got off to a slow start and fell behind 16-7 going into halftime, but thanks to Caullin Lacy and his massive third quarter, Louisville isn't just emerging as one of the top teams in the ACC, but they are emerging as a College Football Playoff contender.

Week 10 was filled with chaos, especially in the ACC. Miami and Georgia Tech both lost on the road to unranked teams, while Louisville was able to pull off the road win. Miami is now out of the ACC Championship race and the College Football Playoff race, while Georgia Tech remains towards the top.

With this chaos, Andy Staples recently released his updated College Football Playoff bracket, and Cardinals fans are smiling ear to ear as they see their logo in the bracket for the first time this season.

Related: CBS analyst lets the secret out on Louisville Cardinals’ CFP hopes

Expert predicts Louisville football to make College Football Playoffs after Week 10 madness

Louisville comes in ranked as the No. 11 seed in Staples' forecast. Louisville hasn't been projected in any of his previous brackets, and the only expert who predicted Louisville to make it was Dan Kanell.

Well, after an impressive 7-1 start, Staples is now joining Kanell on the Louisville hype train as they head to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium to take on the Ole Miss Rebels. These two teams have only met once, in 2021, during the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. The Cardinals will seek revenge for that game, as they lost 43-24.

The Cards' path to the CFP is to win out. Louisville has Cal, SMU, Clemson, and Kentucky left, and while the records suggest an easy path, the Cardinals' fans know this might be more challenging than it appears. SMU just pulled an upset over Miami, making it clear the Cards' showdown in Dallas is going to be its toughest challenge.

But, before we jump into games, let's just enjoy Louisville getting the flowers it deserves. Louisville has to take it one game at a time, but it is clear that every game, more pressure is beginning to mount as Louisville quickly emerges as one of the dark horse candidates to make the College Football Playoffs.

This Tuesday, Louisville fans will learn about its standing as the first College Football Playoff rankings are released. The rankings will be released on Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. local time.