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5 reasons the Louisville Cardinals can win the ACC Atlantic division

By Geoffrey Knox

Sep 17, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) hands the ball off to running back Brandon Radcliff (23) during the first quarter against the Florida State Seminoles at Papa John
Sep 17, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) hands the ball off to running back Brandon Radcliff (23) during the first quarter against the Florida State Seminoles at Papa John /
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Sep 17, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals running back Brandon Radcliff (23) fights through the tackle of Florida State Seminoles defensive back Trey Marshall (20) to score a touchdown during the second half at Papa John
Sep 17, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals running back Brandon Radcliff (23) fights through the tackle of Florida State Seminoles defensive back Trey Marshall (20) to score a touchdown during the second half at Papa John /

2. This team may now be in the driver’s seat in the ACC’s Atlantic division.

The Florida State monster has been extinguished. There’s still a game to be played against Clemson.

Both share a similar style of play on offense. Both are talented at quarterback. The belief is now that the Cardinals may be approaching the “unstoppable” category on offense. If their defense can limit the Tigers on a series or two and stop them on a couple of others, they could be completely capable of walking out of their contest with Clemson with a win.

Their defense doesn’t have to be great. They just have to be good enough. Fortunately for them, that defense actually may be approaching the level of great. They held the Seminoles to two conversions on 13 third down attempts. They held to Deondre Francois to 113 yards on eight completions and picked him off once. What’s scary is the fact that they aren’t even in mid-season form yet.

The Miami Hurricanes are starting to look like the Hurricanes we once remembered, but the North Carolina Tar Heels may still be the favorite to come out of the Coastal division. If that happens and the Cardinals come out of the Atlantic, wouldn’t that make for an interesting ACC Championship game?

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