Louisville Football: 3 bold predictions for Week 3 battle vs. Clemson

1. Unlike last year, the game won’t be close

If it isn’t already apparent, this year’s showdown between Louisville and Clemson isn’t going to be close. The No. 3 Tigers have been great on defense, but they won’t get much relief. After looking dominant against a MAC opponent in the opener, Clemson’s offense looked far less dynamic against Auburn in Week 2.

Louisville has shown no signs of slowing down its level of play from last year’s team. The Cardinals were driving for the winning points in 2016 when time ran out. Had they won at Clemson, Louisville would have represented the ACC Atlantic in the conference championship instead of the Tigers. In that case, the ACC would have missed out on a spot in the College Football Playoff even if Louisville won the league at 11-2.

This year, both teams have the door wide open for the division title. This game is effectively the division championship now that Deondre Francois is out for the season. One team will take the driver’s seat in the race.

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Louisville is going to take full advantage of Bryant’s inexperience to nab several key turnovers. Jackson is going to have another vintage Pocket Lamar performance as he puts up another performance of over 500 yards of total offense. Clemson is listed as a three-point favorite on the road, but the Cardinals are going to win by at least two touchdowns.