College Football Playoff: Projected Top 4 after Week 3

Louisville began the season as the No. 19 team in the country. The Cardinals had a talented dual-threat quarterback returning for his sophomore season and they looked to be a potential threat to contend for an ACC title. No one expected that Louisville would be this good and jump all the way to No. 3 in the AP Poll.

Heck, if the playoff rankings were released today, the Cardinals would definitely be in the top four.

On the year, Louisville has scored 70, 62 and 63 points against its opponents while allowing 14, 28 and 20. The Cardinals haven’t won a game by less than 34 points, and that came against conference rival Syracuse. They’re now 2-0 in ACC play and coasting to a potentially-unbeaten season.

Sure, it’s early in the year, but if you watched any of the Cardinals’ matchup with No. 2 Florida State in Week 3, you would realize just how much talent and potential this team has to make a deep run. Louisville is far better than expected and a 63-20 win over the second-ranked team in college football has to be a program-defining victory.

Those are the types of wins that can make a season and the Cardinals, led by Heisman candidate Lamar Jackson, are the hottest team in college football at this very moment.

Jackson also might be the best player in the land, accounting for 1,377 total yards and a combined 18 touchdowns through three games.