Whoa, Louisville. The Cardinals stomped over Florida State by a 63-20 score, a win that propels them from 12th to 3rd in my college football rankings.
I think this is a bit of an overreaction. Louisville has looked fantastic, but if they played Florida State 100 times, they won’t win by 43 or more in each game.
Also, remember Louisville ranked 19th and 23rd in the preseason AP and coaches poll, which are powerful predictors of team strength. They’re clearly better than that. But 3rd in the nation?
I need to see more games to believe that.
As always, you can find the rankings for all college football teams here.
Hey Ed,
First of all, I just subscribed about an hour ago and I have to admit I’ve been like a sponge, soaking up any and all information and articles on this website. As a huge fan of the analytical side of sports (stemming from my love for another Stanford graduate Sam Hinkie), I am amazed with the next level stuff you’ve put together on here. The article on predicting an NFL Interception is absolutely tremendous! I wanted to get your insight on Louisville and more specifically this kid that has all the hype surrounding him as of late, Lamar Jackson. While his skill is undeniable, I do feel as if his effectiveness is a bit skewed by his total touches (currently averaging an absurd 43.7 touches per game so far this season). That combined with his low, although improved completion percentage (career 56.2%, 61% this season) and his 3.1% interception rate make it hard to believe he will be able to sustain anywhere near these numbers all season long. Also not sure how to compute the strength of schedule exactly, but could that be a reason for the dominate stats so far? Wanted to see your thoughts on this, and if the game against Florida state was some kind of fluke, or if this kids here to stay for good. Thanks so much Ed, and keep up the great work! I know I’ll be reading!
Thanks for the note. And great questions on Jackson.
61% completion, 3.1% pick rate are very average. Bet he’s doing fine by yards per attempt though.
I’ll be writing about this game for Bleacher Report tomorrow and will use this.