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5 reasons Louisville can upset Florida State

By Nathaniel Reeves

Sep 9, 2016; Syracuse, NY, USA; Louisville Cardinals running back Jeremy Smith (34) runs with the ball against the Syracuse Orange during the fourth quarter at the Carrier Dome. Louisville defeated Syracuse 62-28. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 9, 2016; Syracuse, NY, USA; Louisville Cardinals running back Jeremy Smith (34) runs with the ball against the Syracuse Orange during the fourth quarter at the Carrier Dome. Louisville defeated Syracuse 62-28. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /
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Here’s how the No. 10 Louisville Cardinals can build their playoff case with an upset of the No. 2 Florida State Seminoles.

A loaded college football slate on Saturday will be headlined by a crucial early season ACC matchup between the No. 10 Louisville Cardinals and No. 2 Florida State Seminoles at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.

ESPN’s College GameDay will begin the morning’s action prior to kickoff, which is set for noon Eastern. This will be the first matchup of the 2016 season between a pair of top 10 teams, and both have aspirations of winning the ACC Atlantic and advancing to the College Football Playoff.

Florida State opened the season ranked fourth and has moved up a couple of spots, including past conference rival Clemson. Freshman quarterback Deondre Francois helped erase a 28-6 deficit against Ole Miss in Florida State’s season opener before the Seminoles cruised past Charleston Southern last weekend.

Next: College Football Week 3: 5 teams on upset alert

Louisville is ranked in the top 10 thanks to sophomore quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has accounted for over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns so far. The Cardinals have not been seriously challenged yet with blowout victories against Charlotte and Syracuse.

While a Louisville win would be a fairly significant upset in terms of rankings, oddsmakers are expecting a very close game. The Cardinals are one of the few teams with the raw talent to stand up to Florida State, and enter as just a one point underdog.

Here’s how Jackson and the Cardinals can take down the Seminoles and really establish themselves as a College Football Playoff threat.

Next: 5. Lamar Jackson's electric playmaking ability

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