What are your expectations for Cardinal Football?

[Williedynamite]

Do you think we are still on a Collision Course with a National Championship? Do you think that now we are in the ACC and the schedule is tougher that we should be happy with 6-8 wins a season, a bowl game, and an occasional 9-10 session?

I know what I think. I think we can still be on that collision course. We have a track record of winning here and winning big. Especially with the right coach. I know a lot of folks in our fanbase want a coach who will be here for 20-30 years and retire here etc. Not me. Bring in a winner. If he leaves after 4-5 years, fine. Next man up.

 

[BPGhost]

I don’t think UofL is on a collision course with the NC in football - not any more. When Schnellie said that almost 40 years ago, the CFB landscape was completely different than today. Today’s version is almost unrecognizable from then. When you have other programs making 90M+ a year and UofL is making 35M - you tell me how that’s a fair fight.

With the right coach - spoiler alert, it ain’t Sunbelt Scotty - UofL’s regular season floor should be 7 wins and it’s ceiling could be 10-11 wins. I think most reasonable fans understand and would get behind that.

 

[Cardiac Red]

With the right coach - spoiler alert, it ain’t Sunbelt Scotty - UofL’s regular season floor should be 7 wins and it’s ceiling could be 10-11 wins. I think most reasonable fans understand and would get behind that.

Sign me up !

 

[Guardman]

Yeah, all our FB friends are kinda debating this. I don't think any of us are hardover on Satterfield or not. It's mostly that there's probably an adjustment in expectations.

I think the ACC will probably be the 3rd best FB conference until the TV people and the ACC figure out how to move the ACC forward in some way with or without the existing Grant of Rights. Meaning something in around 2026/2027 or 2035/2036. I harbor no expectation that the ACC will become nearly even-up with the B1G or SEC.

The NIL thing and the constantly shifting transfer rule, as well as the enormous earnings differences, as well as the changes which reduce injuries and increase scoring are going to have profound changes on the sport.

The game is going to be so different. I'm reasonably sure that Bowl games will mean a whole lot less when the CFB is expanded to 12 teams.

Inertia will keep me interested personally to some etent.

I think we will look back and view that close call with an undefeated season when Rutgers beat us as the closest we'll ever get to a NC.

My hope is that we play in the ACC for a long time and average ~ 8-Win seasons playing a tough schedule.

I want as much consistency as possible. I really don't like up and down seasons.

It's going to become even harder for the Cards to be successful in the ACC as there's so much Tobacco-Roadism there. The league itself will get tougher. And tougher still for the likes of poor ol' Louisville.

Yeah, 8-4 and a Bowl game is about the best I think we can expect.

 

[Rollem Cards]

It doesn’t matter what “we” (fans) want.

If the Admin/bot are happy with the conference money coming in “we” will have to be happy with 6-6 to 8-4.

We’ve been effectively put in our place.

Now we can wait for the big time mover and shaker Reece3 to fix it for us.

 

[SpotHogCard]

It doesn’t matter what “we” (fans) want.

If the Admin/bot are happy with the conference money coming in “we” will have to be happy with 6-6 to 8-4.

We’ve been effectively put in our place.

Now we can wait for the big time mover and shaker Reece3 to fix it for us.

Lot of truth there, I would say when tickets sales and parking passes tank, they'll change that tune real quick though.

 

[Cardiac Red]

It doesn’t matter what “we” (fans) want.

If the Admin/bot are happy with the conference money coming in “we” will have to be happy with 6-6 to 8-4.

We’ve been effectively put in our place.

Now we can wait for the big time mover and shaker Reece3 to fix it for us.

Cmon Zipp you have Rollem's log in now too.. 🤣

 

[Thecycle27]

The transition to ACC didn’t go well. Petrino ended up being a god awful decision. Satterfield took too long to figure out the talent needed to win at this level.

My current expectations are 6-6 and 7-5 until recruiting improves. There are not enough dudes to consistently win 8-9-10 games. NFL players help avoid BC and win FSU kind of games.

IMO to consistently win 8-10 games recruiting has to be in top 5 of ACC. My expectations change when recruiting improves. I don’t think they have been in Top 5 of ACC since arriving in ACC. Wake is a the only program in ACC that has poor recruiting but building a winning program. It is a unique system and school that had zero pressure to produce results. It took him 7 years to get where they are at today. Louisville and most fans don’t have that kind of patience.

It is unfortunate that they are 3-3 because they may of missed their window. The next 6 games will determine their future. Keep in mind on paper this 2023 class is best class ever. They have to start all over if they don’t win 3 or 4 on the next 6. That is frankly depressing because how long it takes to build a winning program.

 

[2330859]

The Short Answer is NO!

A longer explanation begins with this set of facts:

This University does not currently have a permanent President, recently purged some of its more influential BOT members, has a rookie AD and a Head Football Coach on the verge of losing his job. This is a football question, so I do not include the current dark circumstances that we have with our basketball program.

Not sure there is a single college or University in the country that has a football program that is experiencing anything like what UL a is going through right now. It is very difficult to imagine success when the leadership is virtually absent, inexperienced or lacking support.

 

[502Cards1]

Year in and year out I expect 7 wins. No reason we can’t be like Pitt or Wake of recent. 7+ win seasons regularly and every 5 years potentially get to the ACC championship game.

 

[Rollem Cards]

Cmon Zipp you have Rollem's log in now too.. 🤣

No. Not @zipp

I’m @cocoa In Realville for the last five years.

And will be here until I see the train, and not just the light at the end of the tunnel.

As 223 says, we have serious problems five years post Grissom, with no signs of repair in sight.

You tell me one thing that has happened in the last five years to show a desire for greatness again. And don’t mention “minor” sports. Good as they have been, they are not paying their own way. Much less adding to the department revenue.

Most people, me included, thought the Satt and Mack hires were great. But one totally bombed and the other is on life support. Why? Most thought they were good hire and they fizzled HERE. What caused “can’t miss” hires, as advertised by numerous “experts” to fail here with our (then) support and facilities?

Then, a multi National Champion BB program hires a FIRST time HC, known ONLY for his recruiting, who hasn’t recruited anyone.

Thats Realville today.

But I’m still hopin’ as hard as I can, that it “clicks” for Satt and MC and we win out, and that CKP can coach a little and win with somebody else’s recruits since he has none.

But until then nothing has occurred to make fans have anything more than hope.

 

[Cardiac Red]

No. Not @zipp

I’m @cocoa In Realville for the last five years.

And will be here until I see the train, and not just the light at the end of the tunnel.

As 223 says, we have serious problems five years post Grissom, with no signs of repair in sight.

You tell me one thing that has happened in the last five years to show a desire for greatness again. And don’t mention “minor” sports. Good as they have been, they are not paying their own way. Much less adding to the department revenue.

Most people, me included, thought the Satt and Mack hires were great. But one totally bombed and the other is on life support. Why? Most thought they were good hire and they fizzled HERE. What caused “can’t miss” hires, as advertised by numerous “experts” to fail here with our (then) support and facilities?

Then, a multi National Champion BB program hires a FIRST time HC, known ONLY for his recruiting, who hasn’t recruited anyone.

Thats Realville today.

But I’m still hopin’ as hard as I can, that it “clicks” for Satt and MC and we win out, and that CKP can coach a little and win with somebody else’s recruits since he has none.

But until then nothing has occurred to make fans have anything more than hope.

As you said, the Mack and Satterfield hires looked good on paper and most national people applauded them. We paid good money for each guy, not like we were shopping in the clearance aisle. I don't see how you can place blame on any administration personnel for their lack of success. Sometimes things just don't work out. When was the last time UNLV basketball or Nebraska football were relevant ? It's not easy replacing coaches, Sometimes what works one place doesn't work in another. Who knows why that is, I don't.

Hopefully Satterfield finishes out strong (has to win Saturday) and is here for a while. I agree with your KP comments, he better be a damn good X and o guy or he won't be here long unless his recruiting picks up ( I have my doubts, I think he just let Calipayme have Wagner) He doesn't get the rivalry and wants it to be friendly. Get out of here with that shit.

Don't buy into the conspiracy theories every school goes through fazes the scandals put us here plain and simple we just have to grind our way out of it. Or just throw our hands up and say it's over. That's not the Louisville Way, we grind it out, always have, always will..

 

[kypecos]

As a long-time tailgater and game attender, Covid allowed us to reassess things with a renewed perspective. We no longer organize group tailgates and invite large numbers to go into the game. Now, its an occasional game and the rest on TV, still cheering albeit with less enthusiasm. No more big tailgate parties and the enthusiasm that they generate (as well as more butts in the seats).

The reasons are varied. There are global issues like the NIL and transfer rules that essentially lead to recruiting and buying of players. It is no longer an amateur sport. Heck, some of these kids now make more in a year than many fans earn in a lifetime. All while getting a free education with housing, meals, and stipends too. The game has changed; it's a different animal. And the players have changed along with it.

For UofL, the administrations (plural) have put a damper on enthusiasm and even caused it to be removed from some Wills. On the athletic side, once they got rid of Jurich (which is still a touchy subject for many fans), the increased parking and ticket prices with a poorer product and less demand, along with equally poor decisions regarding fan experiences, make it less attractive to attend a game. I could get a lot more detailed but I'm not the Unibomber.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

Cards currently have access to the playoff but that's where it stops.

And with the uncertainty of realignment future it's hard to envision things getting better, especially with the other internal problems others have pointed out in the thread.

The CFP has also extended the gap.

In 8 years only 13 different programs have made the playoff. 7 of those 13 have only one playoff.

Alabama with 7 and Clemson with 6. tOSU and OU with 4. Here comes UGA to go on a run to replace OU.

If you're being honest, we're nowhere close to the playoff conversation, and we are just like any other program on the outside looking in.

 

[beantowncard]

There needs to be more parity. The NFL recognized this long ago when they went to a draft, then when TV became available they used revenue sharing to make sure everyone had a chance, unlike baseball. The conferences don’t accomplish this. We also can’t have a situation where every player is a free agent every year. It’s impossible for fans to relate to teams of mercenaries. Finally, they need to do things like getting rid of replay (Brian Kelly just commented on this) and cleaning up and simplifying the rules because the game is too slow. I would also encourage tighter roster limits. There’s no reason a team needs 85 players. The NFL makes due with 53 plus some practice squad guys. 70 would be good enough. This would spread out the talent and reduce costs.

 

[Cardiac Red]

Cards currently have access to the playoff but that's where it stops.

And with the uncertainty of realignment future it's hard to envision things getting better, especially with the other internal problems others have pointed out in the thread.

The CFP has also extended the gap.

In 8 years only 13 different programs have made the playoff. 7 of those 13 have only one playoff.

Alabama with 7 and Clemson with 6. tOSU and OU with 4. Here comes UGA to go on a run to replace OU.

If you're being honest, we're nowhere close to the playoff conversation, and we are just like any other program on the outside looking in.

Mostly agree. Not saying we can never make the CFP especially when it expands. We may make every 8 -10 years.

That's why I really don't understand why people poo poo bowl games so much. It's basically the only reason to play the season. If you're not going to be excited about a bowl why get excited about a regular season game.

Now, a caveat to that is, if players keep chosing not to play in the bowl games that's a different story and one more reason college athletics are on the decline as a spectator sport.

 

[Morgantown Card]

Do you think we are still on a Collision Course with a National Championship? Do you think that now we are in the ACC and the schedule is tougher that we should be happy with 6-8 wins a season, a bowl game, and an occasional 9-10 session?

I know what I think. I think we can still be on that collision course. We have a track record of winning here and winning big. Especially with the right coach. I know a lot of folks in our fanbase want a coach who will be here for 20-30 years and retire here etc. Not me. Bring in a winner. If he leaves after 4-5 years, fine. Next man up.

Win the ACC championship game once a decade
Win the division twice a decade
Top 25/be a threat for the division title most years out of 10
Occasional fringe Top 25 a couple of years out of 10
Occasional 6-6 or 5-7 kind of year (it happens to everyone). Losing seasons shouldn't be more than once a decade

I echo your thoughts about coaches. THe Louisville fanbase is WAAAY too precious about its coaches. These guys, the great ones, are mercenaries who want the next mountain to climb and stadiums named after them in their wake. If an 11-1 ACC championship season means coach leaves for Texas or whoever, then so be it. Next man up, absolutely.

The alternative to ^^ is mediocrity. Brohm may be an exception to that, but remember even Chris Mack and Scott Satterfield left their alma maters after achieving a certain level of success. We need to stop being precious about coaches.

 

[Thecycle27]

All coaches are trying to move up the ladder so none of your coaches are going to be immune from the market/professional pressures.

Football is a monster. NIL and Transfers has made it even tougher on teams like Louisville. While it offers up opportunities it always will have its challenges. Building a roster with real depth is going to get harder and harder. Building an experienced roster under the coach is next to impossible. Louisville losing RB and 2 WR is a good example. The entire receiving group is new or young. It takes time to for the new guys learn the system.

NIL and transfers together has sped up the process of a team improving or falling apart. I think teams like Louisville could get picked apart. Louisville offense is much different this year with Watkins and Harrell.

Man finding the right guy that can navigate this new world is going to be a challenge not just at Louisville but everywhere.

 

[12375CAT]

@ the pig skin final 2 v the

 

[SpotHogCard]

With NIL, no less than 8 - 4 period.

 

[2330859]

Who would have predicted that WF would arrive here at #10 in the country? The real irony for me, is seeing wins at UCF and at home over Pitt. If someone told me we would win those 2 games without any other information ……I would have expected a much different situation than where we find ourselves.

No one predicted that Syracuse would be where they are right now, and that is why it is so difficult to predict where we will be when our opponents are so unpredictable.

 

[Thecycle27]

Louisville is very unique their history includes several different conferences. The ACC jump has proven very difficult because of the hiring of Petrino. The way it played out it set the program back 5-6 years. Brohm comes safe to say they are further along.

Look at coaches hired in 2018.
Holgorsen-average
Manny Diaz-Fired
Neal Brown-will get fired
Geoff Collins—-fired
Ryan Day—-Super
Matt Wells—-fired
Klieman—-good fit
Mack Brown—-mixed bag recruited great. Good head coach with great classes has struggled

My guess is it looks like this every year. You have a less than 50 percent chance of getting it right probably lower if you aren’t a state school with a heathy recruiting background.

Our expectations need to reflect reality. When recruiting picks up and out conference scheduling is dummied down our expectations should be 8-9 wins. But when you are playing Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Georgia, Texas A&M and Kentucky in your non conference schedule 6-7 wins with average recruiting your expectations should be your expectations.