No. 6 Louisville is a huge favorite at home against Wake Forest on Saturday night, and it's easy to see why. The Cardinals have the best player in the country in Lamar Jackson, and that gives them a major advantage in nearly every game they play.
Wake Forest vs. Louisville 2016: Start time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know
The Cards should coast easily at home against the Demon Deacons.
Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Wake Forest, which is bowl eligible for the first time since 2011, has already had a successful season by any reasonable measure. Calling for an upset in this game would not be reasonable, though. Louisville absolutely detonated Boston College, 52-7, last week, and the Eagles and Deacs have essentially the same profile, according to S&P+.
For Louisville, the story as always is about Jackson. But the Cards’ defense has been just as big a reason for their success this year. They have the No. 9 defense in the country, according to S&P+, to go along with that top-ranked offense. The only other team that can claim to be in the top 10 in both measures is Michigan. This team is the total package.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Radio: Wake Forest | Louisville
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: Louisville is favored by 35 points.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Blogger So Dear for Wake Forest fans and Card Chronicle for Louisville fans.
Three big things to know
1. Louisville moving up to No. 6 in this week’s Playoff rankings means it’s still within reach of a Playoff spot. The Cardinals need help, but you can see how clearly their path is in front of them. They still need to win their games, though, and this week that shouldn’t be too big of a problem.
2. Both of Wake Forest’s past two losses have been by one score, so they’re still hanging around. However, they haven’t played a team this year even remotely as explosive as Louisville, so it’s hard to envision a scenario where the Deacs can keep the game within reach for their offense.
3. It’s yet another chance to appreciate Lamar Jackson playing football. This game might be over in a hurry, but you’ll get some memorable clips out of him, at least.
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