How about those Louisville Cardinals, am I right? To get a double-digit win over SMU just a couple of weeks after going toe-to-toe with Ole Miss, who sits proudly as college football’s most proven team today? That’s a phenomenal start for a team written off as a clear second fiddle to Miami.
I wouldn’t get my head too high in the clouds just yet though, and that is because of the menacing foes that stand ominously up ahead…the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
Keep laughing, but be warned, there are several signs surrounding this game that imply the Deacs could pose a bigger threat than most people (perhaps even the Cards themselves) are adequately preparing for, starting with that big win over the Mustangs.
Think about it: going under the assumption that Miami was practically guaranteed to take up one half of the ACC title game, the only other teams receiving serious hype to meet them there were Louisville and SMU. Now that the Cards just won their head-to-head with the Ponies, folks are saying their path to Charlotte couldn’t be clearer. Isn’t that the perfect setup for a hangover game?
As for what makes Louisville shaky from a competitive angle, that would have to fall on the defense, as it’s given up significant points to both the Rebels and Mustangs. Is that enough to disregard the Cardinals as a serious squad? Of course not, but it could very well be enough for an offense like Wake Forest’s to make a splash.
This isn’t your daddy’s Wake Forest offense
Despite standing out as an ACC depth piece that wasn’t beyond an upset or two, Wake Forest was far from an offensive powerhouse last year. Virginia, SMU, Florida State—heck, even Kennesaw State—each pathetically held the 2025 Demon Deacons to under 17 points.
However, while the jury’s still out on whether this season will be better than last, anyone who’s watched Wake these past few weeks can tell that the offense has undergone a firm rework, headlined by the connection between transfer quarterback Gio Lopez and returning star receiver Carlos Hernandez.
On top of 38-point showings against Akron and Purdue, this connection led the charge in what many say was a “quality loss” to the then-5th-ranked Miami Hurricanes—who are, again, the alleged darlings of the ACC until further notice.
Wake fans from all over are well aware of how much their Deacs struggle with the Cardinals, but with the former giving sneak-peeks of potential, the latter coming off of what should be a season-defining win, and both teams being offensively inclined/defensively troubled, this game is shaping up to be one of Week 4’s shiniest gems.
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