Louisville football enters Week 10 6-1 and 3-1 in ACC games. The Cardinals were able to avoid a letdown performance against Boston College thanks to a massive performance from star running back Isaac Brown. The preseason All-ACC tailback finished with an impressive 205 rushing yards and led this team to a 38-24 victory.
Now, as we are just a week away from the first College Football Playoff rankings, the Cards are slowly becoming a CFP dark horse. The path for Louisville is to win out and to be 11-1 when the regular season ends, and that looks more and more possible each week.
On Sunday, the AP Polls were released, and the fans saw Louisville jump up three spots to 16. However, while that sounds good, it's worth noting that there is an SEC giant above Louisville, and it makes zero sense.
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Louisville football ranked behind SEC giant despite better SOR
The Cardinals are ranked No. 16 entering week 10, with Virginia at No. 15 and Tennessee at No. 14. Virginia's ranking ahead of the Cardinals makes sense given UVA's head-to-head win over Louisville. However, when looking at the Volunteers' resumes, it makes no sense why Tennessee is ranked above Louisville.
#14 Tennessee (2 losses)
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) October 26, 2025
• Best win: 4-4 Miss State, who is winless in SEC play
#15 Virginia (1 loss)
• Best win: #16 Louisville
#16 Louisville (1 loss)
• Best win: #10 Miami
Tennessee’s only résumé booster is losing to the ranked teams they’ve played… pic.twitter.com/UIM33R8Xyg
The Volunteers sit 6-2 on the season with their best win coming against Mississippi State, who is 4-4 and winless in the SEC. Tennessee has lost its two big games —Georgia and Alabama—so far, while the Cards have a much more impressive resume.
Louisville sits 6-1 so far and has a better strength of record. The Cards have maybe one of the best road wins of the season so far against Miami, which was ranked No. 2 in the nation at the time. ESPN's FPI system ranks Louisville's strength of record No. 13 in the country and Tennessee No. 18, helping prove there is no real reason the Volunteers are ranked two spots higher.
The season will play itself out, with the Volunteers facing a big test this weekend against No. 18 Oklahoma. But Tennessee being ranked above Louisville entering Week 10 doesn't make much sense. The AP rankings don't mean as much as they used to, and with the CFP rankings coming out in seven days, Louisville fans will find out where they truly stand for their College Football Playoff dreams on Nov. 4.