College Football Rankings 2016: Projected AP Top 25 after Week 7
By Zach Bigalke
Louisville looked a bit listless on Friday night, tied against Duke after one quarter and up just 10-7 at halftime. The Cardinals managed to pull away at home, thanks more to their defense than their offense. The Louisville defense held Duke to 239 total yards of offense despite the Blue Devils’ 15-minute advantage in time of possession. Lamar Jackson looked rusty after the bye week. He led the Cardinals with 144 yards and a touchdown on the ground, but he completed just 50 percent of his passes for 181 yards and one score.
The close win over Duke isn’t going to drop Louisville in the AP Top 25 this week, but only losses by teams above them will open the door for upward movement. The Cardinals have an easy remainder to their conference schedule, with home games against NC State and Wake Forest sandwiched around road trips to Virginia and Boston College. The showdown with Houston lost a lot of luster when the Cougars lost last week, but both could still be ranked when they meet up on November 19. Depending on what happens to Clemson, an 11-1 Louisville team might have no chance to play for the ACC championship but would still likely land a New Year’s Six invite.