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NCAA Football Betting Online: Though the Louisville Cardinals won nine games last year, the season ended up being a big disappointment. For most of the year the Cardinals were in the playoff picture. Their only loss in the first 10 games was to eventual national champion Clemson and they routed Florida State. Lamar Jackson earned the Heisman Trophy with a marvelous campaign, but the unpredictability caught up with the Cards. Even Jackson couldn’t help the team avoid three consecutive losses to end the season.
2017 Louisville Cardinals at a Glance
Cardinals National Championship Odds: +1400
Cardinals Odds To Win ACC: +280
Cardinals Regular Season Win Total: 9
The Cardinals got up to No. 3 in the AP poll after going 9-1. They were included in the CFP standings when those came out and all looked good. Behind Jackson, the Cards offense was the best in a conference that produced some good ones. Jackson accounted for 51 touchdowns last season and the Cards averaged 42.5 points per game, sixth-best in the country.
But the season ended in a bad way for the Cardinals. Maybe they couldn’t handle the prosperity or perhaps opposing defenses figured out how to slow down Jackson. Losses to Houston and Kentucky to close the regular season relegated the Cards to the Citrus Bowl, and a disgruntled group was easily handled by LSU.
There’s only been one repeat Heisman Trophy winner and that hasn’t happened since the mid-1970s when Archie Griffin captured the honor. Jackson is in a good position after leading the ACC’s best scoring offense with 51 total touchdowns. And there is room for improvement, which could help the Cards to better things in 2017.
Jackson amassed more than 5,100 yards in total offense last season, but he completed just better than 56 percent of his passes. A leaky offensive line caused him to bail on plays early and that led to mistakes, like the three picks he tossed against Kentucky. Bobby Petrino made changes to his coaching staff, bringing in two offensive coaches and Peter Sirmon to coordinate the defense, which has plenty of talent to rank near the top of the ACC in yards allowed.
2017 Louisville Cardinals Schedule
Week 1: Louisville vs. Purdue, Saturday, September 2 (in Indianapolis)
Week 2: Louisville at North Carolina, Saturday, September 9
Week 3 Louisville vs. Clemson, Saturday, September 16
Week 4: Louisville vs. Kent State, Saturday, September 23
Week 5: Louisville vs. Murray State, Saturday, September 30
Week 6: Louisville at North Carolina State, Thursday, October 5
Week 7: Louisville vs. Boston College, Saturday, October 14
Week 8: Louisville at Florida State, Saturday, October 21
Week 9: Louisville at Wake Forest, Saturday, October 28
Week 10: BYE
Week 11: Louisville vs. Virginia, Saturday, November 11
Week 12: Louisville vs. Syracuse, Saturday, November 18
Week 13: Louisville at Kentucky, Saturday, November 25
List of Louisville Cardinals Seasons
| Year | Record | Bowl Game |
| 2016 |
9-4 |
L – Citrus Bowl |
| 2015 |
8-5 |
W – Music City Bowl |
| 2014 |
9-4 |
L – Belk Bowl |
| 2013 |
12-1 |
W – Russell Athletic Bowl |
| 2012 |
11-2 |
W – Sugar Bowl |
| 2011 |
7-6 |
L – Belk Bowl |
| 2010 |
7-6 |
W – Beef O’Brady’s Bowl |
| 2009 |
4-8 |
|
| 2008 |
5-7 |
|
| 2007 |
6-6 |
|
| 2006 |
12-1 |
W – Orange Bowl |
| 2005 |
9-3 |
L – Gator Bowl |
| 2004 |
11-1 |
W – Liberty Bowl |
| 2003 |
9-4 |
L – GMAC Bowl |
| 2002 |
7-6 |
L – GMAC Bowl |
| 2001 |
11-2 |
W – Liberty Bowl |
| 2000 |
9-3 |
L – Liberty Bowl |
| 1999 |
7-5 |
L – Humanitarian Bowl |
| 1998 |
7-5 |
L – Motor City Bowl |
| 1997 |
1-10 |
|
| 1996 |
5-6 |
|
| 1995 |
7-4 |
|
| 1994 |
6-5 |
|
| 1993 |
9-3 |
W – Liberty Bowl |
| 1992 |
5-6 |
|
| 1991 |
2-9 |
|
| 1990 |
10-1-1 |
W – Fiesta Bowl |
| 1989 |
6-5 |
|
| 1988 |
8-3 |
|
| 1987 |
3-7-1 |
|
| 1986 |
3-8 |
|
| 1985 |
2-9 |
|
| 1984 |
2-9 |
|
| 1983 |
3-8 |
|
| 1982 |
5-6 |
|
| 1981 |
5-6 |
|
| 1980 |
5-6 |
|
| 1979 |
4-6-1 |
|
| 1978 |
7-4 |
|
| 1977 |
7-4-1 |
L – Independence Bowl |
| 1976 |
4-7 |
|
| 1975 |
1-10 |
|
| 1974 |
4-7 |
|
| 1973 |
5-6 |
|
| 1972 |
9-1 |
|
| 1971 |
6-3-1 |
|
| 1970 |
8-3-1 |
T – Pasadena Bowl |
| 1969 |
5-4-1 |
|
| 1968 |
5-5 |
|
| 1967 |
5-5 |
|
| 1966 |
6-4 |
|
| 1965 |
6-4 |
|
| 1964 |
1-9 |
|
| 1963 |
3-7 |
|
| 1962 |
6-4 |
|
| 1961 |
6-3 |
|
| 1960 |
7-2 |
|
| 1959 |
6-4 |
|
| 1958 |
4-4 |
|
| 1957 |
9-1 |
W – Sun Bowl |
| 1956 |
6-3 |
|
| 1955 |
7-2 |
|
| 1954 |
3-6 |
|
| 1953 |
1-7 |
|
| 1952 |
3-5 |
|
| 1951 |
5-4 |
|
| 1950 |
3-6-1 |
|
| 1949 |
8-3 |
|
| 1948 |
5-5 |
|
| 1947 |
7-0-1 |
|
| 1946 |
6-2 |
|
Nearly all the success enjoyed by the Louisville football program has taken place in the last two decades. Since 1998 the Cardinals have appeared in 16 of the program’s 21 bowl games and they’ve had just two losing seasons in that span. The Cards have also been a member of four conferences in that stretch, but appear to have found a home in the ACC.
The Cardinals made their first bowl game a success by beating Drake in the Sun Bowl following the 1957 season. It would be 13 more seasons before the Cards returned to a bowl and 33 more before they notched another win. The Cards had their first 10-win season and won the Fiesta Bowl in 1999.
Coach John L. Smith started to turn the program into a national powerhouse in the late 1990s and strung together five consecutive winning seasons and bowl games, leaving the club in good shape for Bobby Petrino’s first stint. The Cards won 41 games in four years and earned their highest ranking ever in the AP poll topping out at No. 3. Following a program record 12 wins and an Orange Bowl victory in 2006, Petrino left for the NFL. Petrino returned in 2014 and the Cards won at least eight games in each of his three seasons, peaking at No. 3 again in the AP poll last season.
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