Louisville football is coming off a dominant win over Villanova, and now the stage is officially set for the Cardinals’ massive showdown against SMU. Louisville and SMU will face each other for the third straight season since the Mustangs joined the conference, with the Mustangs dominating the matchup so far, going 2-0 against Jeff Brohm and Louisville.
The last time Louisville and SMU shared a field, it was a long game for the Cards, with SMU winning 38-6. Louisville was missing multiple key starters that game, including their starting quarterback, but now, with Lincoln Kienholz taking the nation by storm in his first two weeks, the Cardinals will look for a massive conference win in week 3.
Louisville jumps in AP Poll ahead of massive showdown with No. 16 SMU
The AP Polls were just released earlier today, and the stage is set as the Cardinals were bumped up a spot, as they are now ranked No. 23 in the country. The No. 23 Cardinals sit 1-1 after a crushing Week 1 loss to Ole Miss, which now ranks No. 8 in the country. As for the SMU Mustangs, they travel to Louisville and L&N Stadium as the No. 16 team in the nation after starting the year 2-0.
BREAKING: College Football AP Poll🚨https://t.co/VY7Xt0iRq1pic.twitter.com/5WNv1rtd72
— On3 (@On3) September 13, 2026
The Cardinals vs. Mustangs is one of the three rank-vs.-rank matchups in Week 3, as No. 8 Ole Miss faces No. 7 LSU, and No. 13 Texas Tech faces No. 22 Houston. Entering the season, Miami was the heavy favorite to win the ACC and reach the ACC Championship game, but who the Hurricanes will play is the ultimate debate…