Louisville 63 Florida State 20 -Cardinals Enter the Conference and Playoff Picture

This is why the plot of so many science fiction movies or super hero movies involve some form of keeping an evil genius from getting his hands on a dangerous weapon. There was nobody able to keep Bobby Petrino from getting his hands on Lamar Jackson and now college football is paying the price. Armed with a quarterback that can make all of the throws while also making all of the runs, Jackson and the Louisville Cardinals did virtually whatever they wanted en route to a 63-20 win over Florida State. This was the first time in Florida State's long football history that it allowed an opponent to score 60 points.

Lamar Jackson 5x better than what I was at V-Tech....Enough said!! #future

— Mike Vick (@MikeVick) September 17, 2016

But it wasn't just Lamar Jackson that hammered Florida State. Early on, running back Brandon Radcliff added much needed balance to the running game. He finished with 118 yards and a touchdown. In all, Louisville rushed for over 300 yards and only half coming from Lamar Jackson. Wide receiver James Quick, maligned at times over his career, had another career day against the Seminoles, catching 7 passes for 122 yards and extending multiple drives with big plays in long down and distance situations.

The most surprising revelation in this game and the one most responsible for the outcome is the way Louisville dominated along the lines. Everyone knows Petrino has a wizard's offensive mind and a once in a generation talent at quarterback. Most even know Louisville is deep at receiver. But few thought, even without Josh Sweat, that Louisville's offensive line would dominate a defensive front that many Florida State observers were calling the best in recent memory. Conversely, the Louisville defensive front seven punished Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois for the entire game and finally was able to corral superstar running back Dalvin Cook for a full 60 minutes. Louisville wasn't just riding Jackson, it was superior at every position for the duration of the game.

College football doesn't welcome Cinderella the way college basketball does. You have to force fans and pundits to believe you're legit over time and in memorable ways. Want football fans, networks, and punditry to confess that Louisville belongs in the discussion among the nation's elite teams? Take a noon game on the best weekend of the college football season with College Gameday on hand and beat the stuffing out of the #2 team in the country.

Maybe Howard was on to something.