Louisville and Tennessee both lost close home games Saturday: Wake Forest won 30-27 after blocking Louisville’s 57-yard last-chance field-goal attempt, while Texas beat Tennessee 20-17 after sacking quarterback Faizon Brandon for the 10th time.
Wake Forest was a double-digit underdog and built a 10-point first-half lead before Louisville tied the game. The teams traded fourth-quarter turnovers, and Louisville turned the ball over on downs in Wake territory before the Demon Deacons’ late field goal. Tennessee had trailed by 10 in the fourth quarter before Faizon Brandon’s 35-yard touchdown pass to Mike Matthews with just over a minute left; the Vols recovered the ensuing onside kick.
Louisville had already lost to Ole Miss. The article’s assessment is that the Cardinals will likely need to win out and take the ACC Championship to reach the College Football Playoff; an at-large bid may require many upsets.
