How can you argue with results? The Louisville Cardinals have positioned themselves right below the Alabama Crimson Tide for College Football elite. With their dismantling of No.2 Florida State Saturday, the Cardinals proved to the nation they were to be taken seriously. But, down in the SEC, the defending champs made a statement themselves. It takes a team to win on the national scene and the Tide are here to stay.
But, will either of them make it to the finish line asterisk free? If we were to take a glance at both remaining schedule will we find a trap game? Both teams will head into their next contest with 3-0 records but how long will the 0 in the loss column stay there?
Just by looking it would seem that Alabama will have the toughest time making the National Championship as they will face, at the moment four more ranked teams, while the Cardinals will face two. To be fair to both teams, you can lose to an unranked just as easy as you can to a third ranked but this is where Alabama has to deal with the Gift and Curse. They play in the tough SEC where rankings are as common as a tourist in New York. The Cardinals are in the ACC where you will see an occasional Seminole or Clemson, but to compare the two conferences is not fair to the SEC.
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If the Tide can somehow make it thru four straight weeks starting October 8th against No. 8 Arkansas on the road, then travel to No. 15 Tennessee, then come home to play No. 17 Texas A&M and finish off a torrid month on the road against No. 20 LSU, its smooth sailing from there. The closest the Cardinals will come to a schedule like that is, well never. It’s not their fault the rest of the ACC is not on their level. They play No. 5 Clemson, October 1st on the road then won’t face another ranked opponent until six weeks later against No. 6 Houston.
What Louisville did to FSU they must do that to every other opponent on their schedule if they wish to stay near the top of the polls. Compared to what Alabama has to face, the Cards schedule looks like a Bo Jackson, Tecmo Bowl run play. If we had to choose which of these two teams will lose first, I would have to go with, neither.
Both schools are good and have talent on both sides of the ball but their talent is better than any other team they will face on their remaining schedules. The debate will only last so long, well until they meet for the National Championship, then someone is leaving with that first loss for sure.