There was an interesting aspect to the Notre Dame game that feels peculiar when you say it out loud: The game meant more to the Fighting Irish than it did to Louisville. This isn’t an attempt to downplay the Cardinal’s loss, but rather a fact dictated by the new landscape of college football.
In terms of Louisville’s biggest preseason goals, there is no other game on their schedule that would have less impact if they lost by a touchdown. Despite being a top 20 opponent and one of college football’s most storied brands, losing this game does not hinder Louisville’s primary goals.
If U of L wins all their remaining games, they are headed to the College Football Playoff with a bye. Even if they lose just one game against a quality opponent by a close score, they still have a shot at making it to the CFP. Everything is still within reach for the Cardinals.
The same can be said for Notre Dame because they took care of business last week and won as expected. A surprising stumble in September against Northern Illinois combined with a weaker-than-anticipated schedule had Notre Dame playing with their backs against the wall in this crucial matchup.
By beating Louisville, arguably their toughest remaining opponent, Notre Dame’s chances of making it to the College Football Playoff increased significantly. In an instant, fans were transported back to their preseason mindset where winning a national title was still possible.
Losing this game would have created chaos for Notre Dame and raised questions about the direction of their program. However, everyone associated with them stepped up and responded accordingly. The fans were intense and engaged throughout the entire game while players and coaches showed great enthusiasm on and off the field.
Now it’s Louisville’s turn as they face SMU—a team looking for respect—knowing that losing could potentially derail their promising season. It is crucial for everyone associated with Louisville football to treat this game like how Notre Dame treated them—to recognize its significance and give it their all.
SMU was initially considered as an ACC title contender but lost some credibility after close games early in the season. However, recent victories over TCU and Florida State have shown that SMU is capable of competing at a high level.
While I won’t make any dramatic pitch about attendance or being in seats at kickoff, those planning to attend need to understand that they can make a difference in supporting their team.
It doesn’t matter who we’re playing; what matters are the stakes involved. Just like how everyone associated with Notre Dame elevated themselves during our visit last week, we must learn from that experience and do our best against SMU.