Louisville football rises in latest CFP rankings ahead of ACC home finale vs. Virginia
Louisville’s first season under Jeff Brohm has featured a level of success the Cardinals haven’t seen since 2016.
For the first time since then, the Cardinals are part of the College Football Playoff rankings, coming in Tuesday night at No. 11. U of L debuted in the rankings at 13th last week but moved up two spots after a 34-3 home win over Virginia Tech. It’s the program’s best ranking since being 11th on Nov. 20, 2016.
Louisville’s No. 11 spot is the same as its No. 11 ranking in the US LBM coaches and AP Top 25 polls. The Cardinals are one of three ACC teams in the rankings, with North Carolina debuting at No. 24 and undefeated Florida State at No. 4.
The Cardinals will look to keep climbing in the rankings heading into the final weeks of the regular season. U of L has a home game against Virginia at 7:30 p.m. Thursday before traveling to Miami on Nov. 18. They wrap up the regular season by hosting Kentucky in the Governor’s Cup on Nov. 25, with hopes of bringing the trophy back to town for the first time since a 44-17 victory over the Wildcats in 2017.
Besides the Governor’s Cup, Louisville has high postseason goals, with a strong chance of making the ACC championship game on Dec. 2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Cardinals also likely will play in a New Year’s Six bowl game, with projections placing the team in the Orange Bowl. They’ve played in the Miami-based bowl game once, beating Wake Forest 24-13 to cap an 11-1 season in 2007. Their other New Year’s Six bowl appearances came in 1991 (Fiesta Bowl) and 2013 (Sugar Bowl).
Louisville made the Citrus Bowl in 2016 but lost to LSU, 29-9.
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Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: College Football Playoff rankings 2023: Louisville Cardinals move up
