Kirk Herbstreit: Louisville still has a Good Shot at the CFP...

[The Public Enemy]

This stings like the Miami game in 2004...but just like 2004...bounce back and blow everyone out the rest of the way:

Louisville now has a loss and, most likely, will not be winning the ACC this season, but an 11-1 Cardinals’ squad is still a decent bet to make the College Football Playoff.

Kirk Herbstreit outlined what would need to happen following Louisville’s loss to Clemson on Saturday night:

• Louisville beats Houston and finishes 11-1
• The Big 12 champion has at least one loss
• The Pac-12 champion has at least one loss

This could potentially allow for the following College Football Playoff:

1. SEC champion (Alabama, probably)
2. Big 10 champion (Ohio State or Michigan, probably)
3. ACC champion (Clemson, probably)
4. Louisville

It’s not that far-fetched.


http://thespun.com/college-football/louisville-college-football-playoff-chances

 

[Cue Card]

"Dabo Swinney said he told Bobby Petrino after the game, "just keep winning. You're not out of it." Swinney said he'd want no parts of seeing Louisville again."

David M. Hale ESPN Staff Writer

 

[The Public Enemy]

"Dabo Swinney said he told Bobby Petrino after the game, "just keep winning. You're not out of it." Swinney said he'd want no parts of seeing Louisville again."

David M. Hale ESPN Staff Writer

That was a Ali-Frazier/Apollo Creed-Rocky Balboa Fight last night....lol

 

[Cue Card]

That was a Ali-Frazier/Apollo Creed-Rocky Balboa Fight last night....lol

It sure was. I hated it, enjoyed it, then hated it again. LOL. A roller coaster of emotions. Games like last night are why we watch. Hated the outcome but enjoyed the effort just the same.

 

[Louisvillian]

• Louisville beats Houston and finishes 11-1
• The Big 12 champion has at least one loss
• The Pac-12 champion has at least one loss

All true and I don't think there is any chance of Baylor or WVU finishing undefeated. Baylor was lucky to beat Iowa St yesterday and still has to play Texas Tech, Oklahoma, TCU and K-State. WVU is not that good and faces similar tough games. Not to mention they face each other at the end of the season.

The key is Chris Peterson's Washington team losing 1 and us winning out impressively. Not easy but possible.

 

[zipp]

Just remember that the '04 Miami game resonated with the program and the nation. U of L again went toe-to-toe with one of the favorites to win it all, on their field, with all of the outside factors against them. And with millions of eyeballs focused.

NOW, we still have the nation's interest because of Lamar Jackson. You obviously want to win it, but the way that game turned out ain't all bad...

 

[CardLaw]

Not saying Herbstreit is wrong, but it is kind of hard to predict something that has never happened will happen or even might happen. I suspect at some point in some year the committee will put two teams in from the same conference and I suspect they will put a non-champion in at some point. But, since they have not done it so far, it is impossible to say under what criteria they might do so.

Also, as of today, everyone has seven or more games left to play. A lot will happen between now and the conference championship games. The number of possible scenarios is calculable and it is a really big number. One possibility is that every power 5 conference ends up with an undefeated champion. (I'll bet you dollars to donuts that doesn't happen.) Frankly, I would say right now every team with fewer than three losses still has a shot. Tougher for some than others - but they still have a shot.

 

[zipp]

Herbie's point--and I've heard him interviewed twice about Louisville--is that no one gets a pass into the Top 4 based simply on their record and/or their conference affiliation.

If Washington loses a game and Louisville wins out, a Pac-12 team doesn't get to jump Louisville because they're the conference champ. At least not when your conference is as weak as the Pac-12. (Same for the Big XII.)

And I'm not even sure Washington stays ahead of Louisville going undefeated. Their OOC schedule was weak as is the Pac-12 schedule. If Stanford spirals down, U-dub may have ZERO quality wins.

If we win out, I think U of L's biggest competition is a second team from the SEC or Big XII. Esp. if Bama or OSU get upset. No one's going to admit it, but there may also be value in a "quality loss" like Saturday's if Clemson goes undefeated...

 

[Morgantown Card]

Amazing statement for Herbie to make. Not only are the Cards not the conference champions, they aren't the division winners. And yet, they are a Top 4 team. That is quite a statement and some "out of the box" thinking on Herbie's part. I like it.

If there was ever such thing as a moral victory, Saturday night was it folks. Lose a game and yet strengthen your case for your Heisman candidate and also (yes while losing ground) still be a viable CFP candidate. Early in the season, and the highest ranked team with one loss! Those teams in front of the Cards, many will lose, there won't be six undefeated teams at the end of the season. That's as good of a scenario as I've ever seen directly result from a loss!

 

[nccardfan]

Yet however it's still early. Polls are not even official yet. And like last year the schedule is front loaded so other than Houston, we don't have much to boost our rankings. If FSU should lose again, our win against them loses its luster.

 

[Morgantown Card]

Yet however it's still early. Polls are not even official yet. And like last year the schedule is front loaded so other than Houston, we don't have much to boost our rankings. If FSU should lose again, our win against them loses its luster.

FSU has Clemson's number - FSU wins that game. They can win out and still Finish Top 15 or 10.

One thing for sure - style points are back to mattering. Bobby might hit 100 against the Cayuts.

 

[Cue Card]

FSU has Clemson's number - FSU wins that game. They can win out and still Finish Top 15 or 10.

One thing for sure - style points are back to mattering. Bobby might hit 100 against the Cayuts.

UofK is getting better. They only lost by 20 something against Alabama instead of 30+ which was expected. UofL might drop only 50 on UofK.

 

[beasleythecard]

FSU has Clemson's number - FSU wins that game. They can win out and still Finish Top 15 or 10.

One thing for sure - style points are back to mattering. Bobby might hit 100 against the Cayuts.

we need to run the ball with our running backs

 

[rentalman]

We probably won't but we should get credit for playing 6 roads games also. Most power 5 Conference teams only play 5.

Herby is not the only one saying UL has a shot. I have seen several writers saying the same thing. Just keep winning boys. Control what we can control.