College Football takes center stage tonight as a bit of an appetizer before the main course of games we get tomorrow. I love that College Football has expanded to more than just Saturday nights. I believe it was this week that started a stretch of something like 90 days straight of football on television, either professional or college-level. The game tonight that I have circled is between Florida State and Louisville in an ACC matchup.
Florida State is 3-2 for the season and just 1-1 in ACC play. It hasn’t been an easy stretch for the Seminoles over the past couple of seasons. If you recall, they went 13-0 in 2023, but were taken out of consideration for the National Championship mostly because they lost two quarterbacks. Most of the major players sat out of the Orange Bowl (mostly out of protest), and the team was blown out 63-3. The past two seasons have been tough. They went 2-10 in 2024 and 5-7 in 2025. It really hasn’t been an easy start to this season, but they’ve won the games they were supposed to, and they’ve been competitive in their losses.
Head Coach Mike Norvell of the Florida State Seminoles looks on before a game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., on Nov. 29, 2025. (Getty Images)
Week 1, they beat New Mexico State with a 34-17 win. Weeks 2 and 3 saw them face ranked opponents. They faced #19 SMU in Week 2, losing 27-24 at home. The following week they had to face Alabama, and it was a good game, but not great for Florida State. They lost 50-36. The past two weeks have been pretty solid for the Seminoles. They won 34-7 over Central Arkansas and 38-7 over Virginia. Quarterback Ashton Daniels has been decent for them, but he does need to protect the ball a bit more. He has six touchdowns and six interceptions.
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The Louisville Cardinals come into tonight’s matchup with a 2-3 record and a 1-2 ACC record. Louisville has been good at beating some strong teams in the past. Last season, the Cardinals took down Miami in a surprising victory. The story this year for Louisville has been its inability to close out close games. In Week 1, the Cardinals lost by three to Ole Miss, one of the better teams in the country. They ran off two wins, one over Villanova and one over SMU the next two weeks. The SMU win was impressive, with them winning 41-31.
Lincoln Kienholz No. 3 of the Louisville Cardinals rushes for a touchdown against the Ole Miss Rebels at Nissan Stadium on Sept. 6, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (ISI Photos via Getty Images)
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In the past two weeks, the Cardinals lost to Wake Forest and NC State. Both of those losses were also by three points each. Three losses, nine points total. Can the team figure out the way to close out a game? Quarterback Lincoln Kienholz has been one of the bright spots for the team. For the season, he has racked up 1,394 passing yards with nine touchdowns and just one interception. He does scramble a bit as well, but it isn’t really for a ton of yardage. He does have six rushing touchdowns, though.
Louisville Cardinals head coach Jeff Brohm looks on before the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lane Stadium on Nov. 1, 2025 in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Brian Bishop/Imagn Images)
Tonight is going to be a solid battle between two ACC teams that are most likely looking at nothing more than a solid Bowl Game appearance this year. For Louisville, this season could be a bit different with a few plays going its way. For Florida State, this game would represent another step forward from its rough past few years. Louisville should be favored and is the better team. I like the Cardinals at -3 for the game. I also think the offenses should be in full force and like the over. I’ll play them both.
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