Lamar Jackson and the Louisville offense have gotten all the headlines through three weeks, but there is another key component to the Cards' rise up the rankings that cannot be overlooked.
That would be the defense. To borrow a phrase from retired Seahawks back Marshawn Lynch: They've been here the whole time.
Before this season, the Louisville defense carried the team while the offense searched for an identity. In 2014 and 2015, the Cards finished in the top 20 in total defense and ranked among the best in the nation in sacks and tackles for loss.