No. 18 Georgia | No. 20 Oregon | Top 25
No. 19: Louisville
Last Season: 8-5 (5-3 ACC Atlantic)
Four of Bobby Petrino's units are among the best in the country: QB, where Lamar Jackson ran for 226 yards and passed for 227 in a 27-21 Music City Bowl win over Texas A&M; receivers, led by Jamari Staples and James Quick; the second-best linebacking corps, spearheaded by Keith Kelsey (107 tackles); and my 23rd-ranked defensive backs. The Cards are underdogs to Florida State (+3) and take road trips to Florida State (+10) and Houston (+3), but they ride into the year with momentum, having won eight of their last 10 games in 2015.
Louisville's chances to win each game
09.01 vs. Charlotte: 99.0%
09.09 @ Syracuse: 76.9%
09.17 vs. Florida State: 28.5%
09.24 @ Marshall: 85.3%
10.01 @ Clemson: 18.6%
10.14 vs. Duke: 86.8%
10.22 vs. NC State: 79.8%
10.29 @ Virginia: 79.6%
11.05 @ Boston College: 71.4%
11.12 vs. Wake Forest: 87.1%
11.17 @ Houston: 68.6%
11.26 vs. Kentucky: 86.6%
The Cards are tied for the national lead with 18 starters returning, including quarterback phenom Lamar Jackson and ACC Defensive Player of the Year candidate Devonte Fields. A difficult schedule looms with games against Clemson, Florida State and Houston, but Louisville should be in position to go 10-2. -- Andrea Adelson
Your sleeper of the offseason has the QB, receivers and defense to shake up the playoff picture and ruin at least one ACC team's pre-planned New Year's Eve party. Alas, the offensive line and some youth across the rest of the offense makes anything beyond a 10-2 campaign a tall order, not that that's anything to be ashamed about in only the program's third year in the ACC. -- Matt Fortuna
It's tough to pick a team in the same division with two of the top four teams in the country, but Louisville could pull off a big surprise in the ACC Atlantic this year behind Jackson and a veteran defense. The playoff is the goal, but the more realistic scenario is a 9-3 campaign. -- David M. Hale
Bobby Petrino is miffed the ACC bunched Clemson and Florida State early in the season, which could cost a team that's probably a year away from contention. A 9-3 campaign with an additional to loss to Houston is a great season still. -- Jared Shanker
No. 18 Georgia | No. 20 Oregon | Top 25
