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ESPN released its preliminary SP+ ratings for the 2020 college football season.

The projections are based on returning production, recruiting and previous years’ performance.

Louisville ranked 41st nationally. The Cardinals have a project SP+ rating of 6.7.

The offense ranks 14th with a 37.2 rating while the defense ranks 84th with a 30.5 rating. 

DateTeamSP+ National Ranking

Sept. 3

NC State

62

Sept. 12

@ Clemson

3

Sept. 19

Murray State

N/A

Sept. 26

Western Kentucky

57

Oct. 3

@ Syracuse

95

Oct. 10

@ Boston College

71

Oct. 24

Florida State

26

Oct. 31

Virginia Tech

32

Nov. 7

@ Virginia

44

Nov. 14

Wake Forest

81

Nov. 21

@ Notre Dame

12

Nov. 28

Kentucky

28

Louisville returns 16 starters, eight on each side of the ball, to a team that went 8-5 and won the Music City Bowl in 2019. The Cardinals finished second in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Atlantic Division with a 5-3 record.

In his first season as the program's head coach, Scott Satterfield was named ACC Coach of the Year. 

The Cardinals play Clemson in Death Valley the second week of the season. Clemson is ranked third in the preseason SP+ rankings.

Louisville travels to South Bend to play Notre Dame, a team ranked 12th, on Nov. 21. The Cardinals end the season against in-state rival Kentucky, the Wildcats are ranked 28th. 

More than 50 percent of the ratings are determined by the returning production from last season. The recruits are factored in by a weight scale that considers incoming prospects along with former signees that have been with the team for several years. Results from previous seasons account for less than 10 percent of overall projections.