LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Another college football weekend is upon us! But unfortunately for fans of the Louisville football program, they will have to wait until next weekend to see the Cardinals take the field as they are in the second and final bye week of the season.

While No. 22 Louisville (6-3, 4-2 ACC) is not in action this weekend, there are still plenty of games around college football involving future and former Cardinals opponents. This will give fans both a glimpse into the future of what to expect, and perhaps a team to root for in hopes of adding strength to Louisville’s program.

Here are some games Louisville fans should keep an eye out for this weekend:

– The canal: ESPN at 12pm EST
– Next date/past result: Miami defeated Louisville 52-45 on Saturday, October 19; Louisville defeated Georgia Tech 31-19 on Saturday, September 21st.

On the one hand, quarterback Cam Ward and the rest of that Miami offense look like an unstoppable force. On the other hand, the Canes’ defense continues to look like they can’t stop anyone.

Normally, this being a road game against a good Georgia Tech team, this would have trap game implications. That said, defender Haynes King is in danger of missing a third straight game – and GT haven’t looked anywhere near the same without him.

There are two schools of thought: cheer for Miami and SMU for SOS purposes (and maybe a very slim chance to make the College Football Playoff overall), or cheer for two-loss tiebreaker chaos scenario in ACC. The first seems to be much more feasible.

– The canal: The CW at 12pm EST
– Next date/past result: Louisville defeated Boston College 31-27 on Friday, October 25

It might not be the breakout game of the weekend in the ACC, but it’s an intriguing one if you ask me. Chestnut Hill may not be Death Valley, but it can be a tough place to play for good teams.

It’s hard to determine how good Syracuse really is. Sure, they have a winning record and a good win at UNLV, but they got swept by Pitt and have a really bad home loss to Stanford.

Meanwhile, Boston College needs any positive momentum it can get. They hit a massive midseason slump, dropping three games in a row after starting 4-1. Maybe the bye week will serve them well.

– The canal: ESPN at 3:30 pm EST
– Next date/past result: Louisville defeated Clemson 33-21 on Saturday, November 2nd

This fair hearing is the best game the ACC has to offer this weekend. It might not be a night game, but Lane Stadium is a top-five (maybe top-three) asset in the league and has helped spring special events in the past.

Clemson has been steamrolling teams since their opener, but that was probably due to their relatively easy schedule in ACC play, as they most recently got punched in the mouth at home against Louisville. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, appeared to have found its feet before blowing a lead at Syracuse last week.

A Clemson win would undoubtedly boost Louisville’s SOS, but a Virginia Tech win would keep the Tigers from surpassing Louisville in the CFP poll. Time will tell which result this week will favor the cards more.

– The canal: NBC at 7:30 pm EST
– Next date/past result: Notre Dame defeated Louisville 31-24 on Saturday, September 28

I won’t spend too much time here because the records of the two contending teams speak for themselves. Notre Dame a CFP contender that has really started to hit peak efficiency in the last month, while Florida State has been a complete and utter disaster in every sense of the word.

On paper, this game shouldn’t even be close – especially since this is in South Bend. Then again…Notre Dame should have wiped the floor with NIU and we all know what happened there.

– The canal: NBC at 7:30 pm EST
– Next date/past result: Louisville defeated Virginia 24-20 on Saturday, October 12; Louisville hosts Pitt on Saturday, Nov. 23

While Miami and SMU are in the driver’s seat for the ACC title game, Pitt still has a slim chance of making it to Charlotte. Considering how hard SMU has worked on both sides of the ball, the Panthers will definitely want to make a statement.

Meanwhile, Virginia is looking to get back on track. They promised to start the year, but now they are starting a three-game losing streak and have an incredibly difficult end to the regular season.

Louisville fans would normally want Virginia to win because of the SOS. But if Pitt comes out on top, it all but ensures a top-25 showdown next weekend. Looking at the rest of the college football roster, it could even mean a College GameDay appearance.

(Photo of Louie: Jamie Rhodes – Imagn Images)

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