Louisville football stays same in CFP rankings ahead of Governor's Cup vs Kentucky
Louisville will enter the final week of the regular season as the No. 10 team in the College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday night.
The Cardinals debuted at No. 13 in the rankings about a month ago and have been on the rise. Louisville defeated Virginia Tech and Virginia at home before beating Miami at Hard Rock Stadium for the first time and only the fourth time in the series.
CFP selection committee board member Boo Corrigan said the most impressive things about Louisville have been the team's ability to find ways to win and standout play from running back Jawhar Jordan.
"The win over Notre Dame, the win last weekend at Miami in really kind of a dogfight of a game," Corrigan said. "Their running back Jordan ... and his ability to play this year and the level that he's playing at and the job that coach (Jeff) Brohm's done has really been impressive, and they're deserving of that No. 10 spot."
Louisville’s No. 10 ranking is the highest since it was No. 3 on Nov. 13, 2016. That squad dropped to 11th the next week after a 36-10 loss at Houston. The ACC also had N.C. State and Clemson in the rankings at 22nd and 24th, respectively.
U of L moved up three spots to No. 20 in ESPN’s FPI rankings behind Clemson (18th) and undefeated Florida State (ninth), which moved down to No. 5 in the CFP rankings. Louisville’s new projected win total is 11-2, the second-best projection in the ACC behind the Seminoles (12 ½-0 ½). FSU will likely make the playoffs for the first time since 2015. The Seminoles were third that year and lost to No. 2 Oregon, 59-20, in the Rose Bowl (CFP semifinal).
Determined to win out, Louisville will carry the top-10 rankings into Saturday’s Governor’s Cup. The Cardinals hope to win the trophy back for the first time since 2017. Kentucky recently has dominated the series, with four consecutive wins by an average victory margin of 30 ½ points.
With the rivalry game, ACC championship game and a bowl game — projected to be the Orange Bowl — still ahead, ESPN gives U of L a 22% chance of winning out. The Cardinals have a 29.4% chance of beating FSU, which will be without starting quarterback Jordan Travis for the rest of the season, according to ESPN.
Headed to Charlotte: Here's how to watch, get tickets for Louisville's first ACC championship game appearance
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: CFP rankings: Louisville football stays same ahead of Kentucky game
