Jeff Brohm and the Louisville Cardinals will travel to Blacksburg to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies today, and while last week seemed like the trap game for Louisville football, Virginia Tech is the real test. The Cardinals were coming off a massive win over Miami the week prior, and well, history showed that the Cards don't fare well the week after a big-time win.
With the chatter around this game being mostly centered around the "let-down Brohm game", the Cards were able to defeat Boston College last week in a sloppy victory, winning 38-24 against the Eagles.
However, with Boston College being a mediocre team and playing at home, it wasn't a real test for the Cardinals, but going on the road against a competitive Hokies team in November is a different story.
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Louisville football faces a massive trap game on the road
Virginia Tech fired its head coach after a horrendous 0-3 start to the season, but has been turning it around as of late. The Hokies have gone 3-2 after their 0-3 start, with wins over Wofford, North Carolina State, and Cal, and losses to Wake Forest and Georgia Tech. Virginia Tech was competitive in all those games, except for the one against Georgia Tech, where they still lost by only two possessions.
Louisville can be sloppy against a bad team like Boston College, but against decent ACC teams, they won't walk away with a win playing like they did last week. Not to mention that the game will be broadcast on the CW, which is known for being the "upset of the week channel."
Louisville's defense will need to play more consistent football to win this game, while Miller Moss and the offense must avoid the turnover mistakes they made last year. Not to mention, Virginia Tech's rushing attack has been dominant over the past couple of weeks, including an astounding 357 rushing yards against Cal in its gritty win in overtime.
Louisville is a 10.5-point favorite to win this game on the road, and with Brohm eyeing the ACC Championship game, he understands what is at stake every week. This marks just the Cards' third road game of the year, and while Miami was a massive upset, there is no secret that Lane Stadium marks a more challenging environment than Hard Rock Stadium.
Brohm needs to have his team ready to avoid this trap game on the road in Blacksburg and keep their ACC Title and College Football Playoff dream alive. With the first rankings coming out this upcoming Tuesday, Louisville must send a strong message to the committee.