Wednesday afternoon Cardinal news and notes

Spread check: Florida State by 2.5.

Quick reminder that if you have a set viewing location for Saturday -- and just just "I'm going to be at home" or "we'll in France" -- that you want featured on Friday's "Where We're Watching" post, send it to me at MikeRuth5@aol.com.

And just like that, in the blink of an eye, Lamar Jackson is on top of the Heisman Trophy watch lists from USA Today ...

1. Louisville QB Lamar Jackson

He's been incredible: Jackson is easily the nation's best player through two weeks, blending sublime athleticism with a passing game tailored to his strengths. He can put an even stronger hold on early front-runner status by leading the Cardinals past Florida State on Saturday.

.... and ESPN ...

.... and CBS.

As many predicted, the ACC announced today that it will relocate all neutral-site championships from North Carolina in 2016-17 because of the HB2 bill. Those championships include football, baseball, women's soccer, men's and women's golf, men's and women's tennis, swimming & diving, and women's basketball.

The men's basketball tournament is already scheduled to be played in Brooklyn in 2017 and 2018, but had planned on being in Charlotte in 2019 and Greensboro in 2020. No word yet on where the championships will be moving, but obviously finding a home for the football championship (which is being played on Dec. 3) is of immediate importance.

247 Sports looks at how Lamar Jackson wound up at Louisville (spoiler: Lamar Thomas and Teddy Bridgewater played big roles), and examines what might be ahead for him.

Before he set the college football world aflame and became the Heisman Trophy frontrunner after Week 2 heading into a Top 10 matchup with Florida State, Jackson tried to find a nickname that stuck.

Some Boynton Beach teammates called him Superman, but that mantle is already held by another prominent quarterback. Others called him Action Jackson, but even that proved too clichéd.

Swain simply knew him as Lamar.

That is until he graduated. Now, he might as well be known to Swain as "the best I ever coached."

"He's the best I've ever been around, and I've been doing this for 41 years," Swain said. "I've had two pro quarterbacks (Doug Johnson and Michael Peterson, who played LB in the NFL), probably 20-25 play in the league and he's the real deal."

Ryan Bartow, a 247Sports National Recruiting Insider based in Fort Lauderdale, has watched Florida prospects over a decade, and he remembers Jackson well.

But as he watches what Jackson is doing this season, he can't help but smile.

Jackson is making other teams look silly with a combined 1,015 yards and 15 touchdowns -€” only three FBS teams have more -€” through two games. Yet Jackson is still just improvising.

He knows the playbook, sure. But those wow plays -€” hurdles, sprints and spins -€” those are tapped from a freewheeling mindset created on fields throughout Florida as a youth.

"This is all just him having fun out there and doing his thing," Bartow said. "He's got silly upside in terms of what's ahead of him."

Class of 2017 U of L basketball target Lance Thomas will be announcing his college decision on Nov. 1.

If you are "ChiCard23" on this site, shoot me an email at MikeRuth5@aol.com because you won last week's pick 'em contest and I'm trying to hook you up with your prize package. Sent an email to the address you signed up with, but haven't gotten a response.

On that note, here's this week's high school game of the week poll:

It's time again for you to pick the High School Game of the Week for tomorrow's @kyhumane pick 'em challenge.

— Mike Rutherford (@CardChronicle) September 14, 2016

The Week 3 Pick 'Em contest details will be posted tomorrow.

The ACC Digital Network says, in video form, that Louisville is ready for Florida State.

In the midst of its best start since 1977, the 6-0 Louisville field hockey team is up to No. 6 in the latest national rankings. The Cards host No. 2 Duke Friday at 6 p.m.

GameDay might not have gotten to Louisville until this weekend, but Brittany England made sure the Cards (namely Lamar) were represented at Bristol Motor Speedway last Saturday.

Good behind the scenes story here on Katy Perry's "legendary" College GameDay appearance before Ole Miss' upset of Alabama in 2014.

The U of L men's soccer team cruised past Xavier with a 2-0 home victory Tuesday night.

Football Study Hall has an advanced stat preview of Louisville-FSU.

Try 32 years, Ella and Macy.

@CardChronicle Ella and Macy have been waiting for College Game Day for three years. #GoCards #BeatFSU pic.twitter.com/rjw2Gt5oTn

— Travis Dunn (@BoilerCard) September 14, 2016

Seth Davis' complete interview with Bobby Petrino is going to air tomorrow, but here's a snippet in which the Louisville coach gets a little emotional talking about his son.

How big is this week? Louisville's basketball schedule came out on Monday and we've spent hardly any time at all discussing it. The ACC.com has its five biggest takeaways from the release of the league slate here (video).

The perks of visiting Louisville.

@CardChronicle Just happened to be at @SluggerMuseum while they were working on these bad boys @CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/krr20Sszm8

— Jason Puckett (@CardDawg) September 14, 2016

I'll be a guest panelist at the September Meat & Potatoes forum tonight at 7:30 at Cardinal Towne in The Avenue. There's a wing eating contest at 7:10, and the discussion portion of the night will start at 7:30. If you're a male student at U of L, come check it out.

This 1970 piece from Sports Illustrated includes some great stories from the Lee Corso era at U of L.

Pete Fiutak of Campus Insiders says (video) that Florida State is a better team than Louisville, but thinks the Cards win the game this weekend.

We're all ready for Saturday, Luca.

Rick Pitino and Mike Balado spent part of their Tuesday at IMG Academy checking out 2017 standout Isaiah Stokes as well as Silvio De Sousa from the class of 2018.

Tomahawk Nation breaks down the film from quarter one of Florida State's win over Ole Miss.

House of Cards continues to bring it with FSU prep videos.

Jeff Greer ranks the 10 toughest games on Louisville's 2016-17 basketball schedule.

It is a Luca-heavy edition of news and notes, and that's just fine.

@CardChronicle Little Luca Sample is ready for ESPN Game Day pic.twitter.com/MCPN5sl48Y

— Stevie B (@SsampleB) September 12, 2016

Tom Fornelli of CBS has Louisville all the way up at No. 4 in his updated power rankings.

The Louisville Cardinal gives its take on what U of L needs to do in order to win Saturday.

Tomahawk Nation has an update on the Seminole players who might be, or who are definitely out on Saturday.

The Sports Daily looks at the best college football games of the weekend.

Florida State v. Louisville -€” When College GameDay comes to Louisville, you know this game is a big deal. With quarterback Deondre Francois and all-world tailback Dalvin Cook leading the way, and another stingy D at the ready, the Florida State Seminoles head into Week 3 of the 2016 season as the No. 2 team in the nation, and have the look of a legitimate national championship contender.

However, the Noles are about to be tested big time by the Louisville Cardinals. With the emergence of quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has vaulted into the limelight and currently seen as a Heisman front-runner, the Cardinals have climbed to No. 10 in the nation. This match-up will be a high-scoring affair, and it may be decided by whoever comes up with a big stop down the stretch. This is one you don't want to miss.

Shakin' the Southland, which covers Clemson, has Louisville at No. 2 over the Tigers in their latest ACC power rankings.

Recruiting gurus say Louisville has no shot against FSU.

The Tallahassee Democrat says the ACC made the perfect move when it added Louisville.

Here's why Louisville matters.

Two years ago Florida State went undefeated in the regular season and won the ACC Championship. The Seminoles were the only unbeaten team in the country. They beat a Top 10 Clemson team without Winston. They won at Miami after getting down 16 points. They won at Louisville (with those 10 draft picks) after getting down by 21 points. They beat a Georgia Tech team that went on to win the Orange Bowl.

And yet despite all of that, the Seminoles were the No. 3 seed in the college football playoff (behind two one-loss teams). It was a ridiculous seeding then and it's flat-out laughable now in hindsight, but that's how bad the perception of the ACC was around the nation.

Now Florida State is about to play a marquee conference game. That doesn't involve Clemson. On national television. With College Gameday on sight and millions watching around the country.

It's being billed as one of the biggest games of the entire college football season.

That, loyal reader, is why Louisville matters.

And finally, R&R is live on 93.9 The Ville from 3-6 with ESPN's Michael Eaves at 3:30 and Howard Schnellenberger himself at 4:30. Tune in.