IT TAKES A ’VILLE-AGE
JUST two weeks ago, Louisville played what might have been the biggest game in school history. Saturday comes a sequel that could be produced two or three more times this season.
After starting the season ranked 19th, Louisville, now No. 3, already has matched its highest ranking ever behind the best offense in the country.
With Lamar Jackson leading the team to 63.5 points per game, anything appears possible. With a win at No. 5 Clemson, a playoff berth appears probable. “This is what we tell our players is why they come here to the University of Louisville, to play in games like this,” coach Bobby Petrino said this week.
Except Louisville isn’t familiar with games like this. It is familiar with horse racing, bourbon and baseball bats. It is familiar with the Missouri Valley Conference and the Big East and Conference USA.
Before 1990, Louisville had played in just three bowl games, and the Cardinals have finished a season ranked in the top 10 just twice.
On this rare southern campus where basketball matters most, Petrino brought legitimacy during his first stint, but needed Jackson to create the unlikely scenario of a nonfootball school contending for a national title.
Two weeks after annihilating Florida State, Louisville goes to Death Valley — where the Tigers’ entrance will be electric and intimidating and where Clemson has an 18-game winning streak.
Clemson’s most recent loss at home? Another seemingly evenly matched prime-time affair between top-five teams, when eventual Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston and the juggernaut Seminoles offense silenced the stadium in a 51-14 win in 2013.
Preseason Heisman favorite Deshaun Watson brilliance wasn’t won’t therebe enoughthen, but to even keep hisup with Louisville (-2) and Jackson, the current Heisman favorite. HOUSTON (-291/2) over Connecticut: With Greg Ward Jr. limited because of injury, the Cougars suffered their lone loss last season against the Huskies. “There’s some added motivation for this one,” Houston coach Tom Herman said this week. “There is a bit of internal sense of liability, of atonement, to right some of the wrongs that occurred.”
Parental discretion is advised. Stanford (+31/2) over WASHINGTON: The young Huskies have the hype, but lack the experience against the elite. Christian McCaffrey may be the catalyst for Washington winning the Pac-12 next season. Rutgers (+38) over OHIO STATE: Chris Ash’s familiarity with his former employer won’t mean much, but just enough to manage a cover. Syracuse (+10) over Notre Dame: A new coordinator won’t cure a Fighting Irish defense in disarray, especially against one of the fastest-paced offenses in the nation. GEORGIA TECH (+71/2) over Miami: Clemson’s defense can make most offenses look inept, like the Yellow Jackets appeared last week. But their triple-option attack will cause a myriad of problems for a Hurricanes run defense allowing more than 200 yards per game in the softest portion of their schedule. OKLAHOMA STATE (-21/2) over
Texas: Having seen what has happened to Notre Dame, maybe Labor Day should come before a team is considered “back.” Baylor (-17) over IOWA STATE: The Bears haven’t throttled inferior opponents with their usual flair, but remain the standard for forgettable blowout wins. MICHIGAN (-10½) over Wisconsin: Like the Spartans one week prior, the Badgers have peaked, having pulled off notable wins
(Michigan State, LSU) that will continue to be devalued as the season stretches on. Wisconsin’s defense is legitimate, but freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook isn’t ready to keep up with the Wolverines, responsible for the most points (208) in the first four games of a season in their storied history. Illinois (+201/2) over NEBRASKA: If Lovie Smith can’t get his team within three touchdowns with two weeks to prepare, perhaps the Illini should consider following the Bears’ and Buccaneers’ lead. North Carolina (+10) over FLORIDA
STATE: After rushing for 267 yards and two touchdowns last week, Dalvin Cook will continue to sprint his way toward the front of the Heisman race. Unfortunately for their backers, the Seminoles’ struggling defense will give North Carolina’s 41-point per game offense too many chances to hang around.
GEORGIA (+3) over Tennessee: The last performances you saw — the Bulldogs getting blown out by Ole Miss and the Volunteers overcoming a 21-point deficit against Florida — are rarely what you see next. SOUTH CAROLINA (+18 1/2) over Texas A&M: The Gamecocks’ defense — allowing 17.3 points per game — and a packed crowd will reduce the talent gap. This one is sandwiched between the Aggies’ matchups with Arkansas and Tennessee. Oklahoma (-3½) over TCU: Even after a 1-2 start to the season, the Sooners remain my pick to win the Big 12 entering conference play. If Oklahoma and the Horned Frogs swapped schedules, this line would be approaching double-digits. ALABAMA (-35 1/2) over Kentucky: The Wildcats allowed an average of nearly 44 points in their first three games. Now, they head to Tuscaloosa with a backup quarterback. Good luck with all of that. BEST BETS: Louisville, Stanford, Michigan THIS SEASON: 29-29-2 (Best bet: 7-5) 2014-15 RECORD: 262-245-6