The buzz around this Alabama season opener isn't quite what it was last year. A top-3 showdown is not in the cards when the Crimson Tide meets Louisville on Sept. 1 in Orlando.

They aren't trying to overblow it too much in Kentucky, either -- at least not in the Cardinal locker room.

Speaking at the ACC Media Days on Thursday in Charlotte, Louisville coach Bobby Petrino was asked about the Labor Day Weekend game. While noting it's obviously big to face the defending national champions, the former Arkansas coach kept perspective.

"You know, and I don't think that our guys are extra excited about it," Petrino told reporters in Charlotte, according to transcripts, "but I think it motivated them throughout the winter, throughout spring ball, throughout the summer workouts to work extremely hard."

It's a mindset playing in games like this.

"The number one thing we have to do is believe that we can go down there and beat them so that when you truly believe in something, then you go out and play your best, play to your best of your ability, and that's what's important for us. If there's any disbelief at all, usually you underachieve, and that's the main thing we can't do. We need to go play our best game to give us an opportunity to win."

Louisville will enter with a new starting quarterback after 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson left early for the NFL. Jawon Pass, who picked the Cardinals over Alabama and Auburn in 2015, is next in line for his shot that the spotlight.

There's a little more mystery shrouding the Alabama quarterback situation. Both Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa are competing for the job.

"Yeah, you have to prepare for both of them," Petrino said Thursday in Charlotte. "I think that's the thing we weren't able to find out in spring ball was who the starter is going to be because (Tagovailoa) had a broken thumb and didn't practice in spring ball. Both of them are great players. Hurts has got an unbelievable record. And then the other guy came in in the national championship game in the second half and showed how accurate of a passer he is and was able to execute their offense at a very, very high level. You have to be able to prepare for both of them."

Michael Casagrande is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.