College Football Rankings 2016: Projected AP Top 25 after Week 6

Louisville didn’t fall far down the Top 25 after last week’s tight loss to Clemson. Should the Tigers fall in conference play at Florida State, Bobby Petrino’s team will be right there to sweep in and reclaim pole position in the division. But had the Cardinals managed to crack the Clemson defense in the first half of that contest, they’d be firmly in College Football Playoff picture. This is a team that averages more than 300 passing and rushing yards per game, and while the defense allows 26.4 points per outing it is usually well within reason to expect Lamar Jackson and crew to get at least four touchdowns a game.

Nobody else on Louisville’s ACC schedule offers much of a real threat. They get Duke, NC State, and Wake Forest at home, and their only two remaining road games in league play are at Virginia and Boston College. The looming date with Houston on November 17 could have huge playoff implications, if the Cougars keep winning and hovering around the top five themselves. The loss at Death Valley didn’t kill the Cardinals’ dreams of a national championship, but they now have some catching up to do.