College Football: Surprises and Snubs from the Coaches Poll

Snub: Louisville at No. 17

No team returns as polarizing of player as Louisville does with junior quarterback Lamar Jackson. Very few teams can even say that they have a QB that has the ability to rack up 51 total touchdowns in one season, let alone have one that has actually done it.

The team surrounding Jackson is the big question. Senior running back Jeremy Smith and senior wide receiver Reggie Bonnafon give Jackson the supporting cast he needs to be successful. However, a negative trend that we starting seeing toward the end of the season with Jackson was his inability to trust his teammates to carry some of the load instead of him. That was especially evident in the Clemson game, where Louisville lost in the final minute of the game on a failed fourth down conversion.

Louisville has the ability to win the ACC. Yet they look like the third best team in the conference to start the year. However, they’re ranked 12 slots behind the the second highest ranked team in the ACC, the Clemson Tigers at No. 5. An ACC Championship would prove Louisville’s worth. It might even be enough to secure the Cards a trip to the College Football Playoff.