Holiday Bowl: Louisville holiday plans and opponent are finally set
Coming off of the ACC Championship, the Louisville Cardinals still have one more game to play as a bowl-eligible team.
Thanks to Louisville's 10 regular season wins, they were eligible for some of college football's best bowl games. The College Football Playoff committee's decision to keep Florida State out of the playoff has thrown a wrench in the Cardinals' bowl future this winter.
Ultimately, where the Cardinals play is partly up to the bowls and their selections of ACC teams. Since the Seminoles did not make the CFP after an undefeated season, Louisville will not play in the Orange Bowl.
Here's everything to know about Louisville's bowl destiny after the 2023 ACC Championship game.
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Will Louisville play in a bowl game?
Louisville has been bowl-eligible since Week 6, when it upset Notre Dame for its sixth straight win to open the season. Even after losing to Pittsburgh the following week, the Cardinals seemed poised to make a dark horse run at a CFP spot if they ran the table and won the ACC Championship.
A loss to Kentucky in the Governor's Cup during rivalry week dashed those hopes, even after Louisville had clinched an ACC Championship berth. The Cardinals were boxed out of a New Year's Six bowl by Florida State missing the CFP and other, higher ranked teams taking at-large spots in the other games.
Now, Louisville will play in the 2023 DIRECTV Holiday Bowl.
Who will Louisville play in the Holiday Bowl?
Should Florida State have been selected as a CFP team, Louisville would have been locked into the Capital One Orange Bowl. Since the Seminoles are not a CFP semifinalist, the Cardinals will play the USC Trojans (7-5) in the Holiday Bowl.
It will mark the first time ever that the two schools face off in football.
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When is the Holiday Bowl? TV schedule and streaming
When: Wednesday, Dec. 27, 8 p.m. ET
Where: Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
Cable TV: FOX
Streaming: FOX Sports app; YouTube TV; Sling; FuboTV
How to watch: Don't miss any college football bowl action with a Fubo subscription
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Louisville football: Cardinals will play USC in the Holiday Bowl
