🏈 Fan Watch

#24Louisville Cardinals

0–0 · 0–0 ACC
In the books
WEEK 1 · 2026
Week 1 pregame guide

Louisville’s Week 1 hope starts with an immediate upset chance

The Cardinals get a high-value shot at Ole Miss, while three other results can improve their path to the ACC title game.

Read the rooting guide →
Louisville players take the field before a 2024 home game.
Louisville players take the field before a 2024 home game.
CreditPhoto creditU.S. Air National Guard photo by Phil SpeckWikimedia Commons · Public domainCropped to 16:9, resized and converted to WebP by Fan Watch.

Your game

Louisville at Ole Miss
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ABC
Final
Louisville
Final · Louisville 38–41 Ole MissWent the other way ✗
Ole Miss

Other impactful games

the highlighted team was the result Louisville wanted
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ESPN
Impact 1
Miami
at
Rooted for
Stanford
Final · Miami 45–6 StanfordWent the other way ✗
Projected 2.7-point playoff boost

Miami won instead, so Louisville did not get the result it wanted.

Entering-week projection12% if Stanford won9% with the other result2.7-point differenceLouisville playoff chance
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ESPN
Impact 2
SMU
at
Rooted for
Florida State
Final · SMU 27–24 Florida StateWent the other way ✗
Projected 3.9-point title-game boost

SMU won instead, so Louisville did not get the result it wanted.

Entering-week projection24% if Florida State won20% with the other result3.9-point differenceLouisville ACC title-game chance
40 other games had little impact
Massachusetts at Rutgers · BTN
Akron at Wake Forest · ACC Network
Colorado at Georgia Tech · ESPN
UAB at Illinois · BTN
San José State at Eastern Michigan · ESPN+
UTEP at Oklahoma · SECN+
Toledo at Michigan State · FS1
Fresno State at USC · FOX
East Carolina at Alabama · ABC
Oregon State at Houston · ESPN
Coastal Carolina at West Virginia · TNT
North Texas at Indiana · FOX
Ohio at Nebraska · FS1
Liberty at James Madison · ESPNU
Miami (OH) at Pittsburgh · The CW Network
Ball State at Ohio State · BTN
Kent State at South Carolina · SEC Network
Baylor at Auburn · ABC
Texas State at Texas · ESPN
Boston College at Cincinnati · FOX
Tulane at Duke · ACC Network
Boise State at Oregon · CBS
Marshall at Penn State · FS1
Oklahoma State at Tulsa · ESPNU
Northern Illinois at Iowa · BTN
Wyoming at Colorado State · USA Network
Missouri State at Texas A&M · ESPN
Arkansas State at Memphis · ESPN+
Florida International at South Florida · ESPN+
Sam Houston at Troy · ESPN+
Clemson at LSU · ABC
UL Monroe at Mississippi State · ESPNU
Western Michigan at Michigan · NBC
Florida Atlantic at Florida · SEC Network
UNLV at Hawai'i · The CW Network
Central Michigan at New Mexico · FS1
UCLA at California · ESPN
Western Kentucky at Nevada · CBSSN
Washington State at Washington · NBC
Wisconsin at Notre Dame · NBC
The rooting list was:Louisville, then Stanford, Florida State.

Based on 50,000 season simulations entering week 1, anchored to the AP Top 25 (preseason). How the model works.