The time has once again come for the least popular Card Chronicle post of every year.
Before that happens, here’s the annual rundown of the history of this post (holy shit, I’m old):
2006: PREDICTED: 11-1; ACTUAL: 11-1
2007: PREDICTED: 11-1; ACTUAL: 6-6
2008: PREDICTED: 6-6; ACTUAL: 5-7
2009: PREDICTED: 4-8; ACTUAL: 4-8
2010: PREDICTED: 5-7; ACTUAL: 6-6
2011: PREDICTED: 6-6; ACTUAL: 7-5
2012: PREDICTED: 10-2; ACTUAL: 10-2
2013: PREDICTED: 11-1; ACTUAL: 11-1
2014: PREDICTED: 9-3; ACTUAL: 9-3
2015: PREDICTED:
9-3; ACTUAL: 7-5
2016: PREDICTED: 9-3; ACTUAL: 9-3
2017: PREDICTED: 9-3; ACTUAL: 8-4
2018: PREDICTED: 7-5; ACTUAL: 2-10
2019: PREDICTED: 3-9; ACTUAL: 7-5
2020: PREDICTED: 8-3; ACTUAL: 4-7
2021: PREDICTED: 7-5; ACTUAL: 6-6
2022: PREDICTED: 7-5; ACTUAL: 7-5
2023: PREDICTED: 8-4; ACTUAL: 10-2
2024: PREDICTED: 8-4; ACTUAL: 8-4
TOTALS:
Perfectly Correct Years: 8
Off By 1 Game Years: 5
Off By 2 Games Years: 2
Off By 4 Games Years: 2
Off By 5 Games Years: 2
Let’s get into it …
GAME ONE: vs. Eastern Kentucky
FCS opponents have been slaughtered so far in the Jeff Brohm era, with Louisville beating Murray State and Austin Peay by a combined score of 108-0.
EKU won its conference last season and played in the FCS Playoffs, but also lost its two games against FBS opponents (Mississippi State and Western Kentucky) by a combined score of 87-7.
Let’s play clean, organized football and keep everyone healthy.
CC Prediction: Louisville 52, Eastern Kentucky 9
GAME TWO: vs. James Madison
There will be plenty of time during game week to be mad about the fact that this game was scheduled (again), and I most certainly will be voicing that opinion when the time arrives.
James Madison likely has the best group of skill players in the Group of 5 and is a legitimate threat to be the Group of 5’s representative in this year’s College Football Playoff. No one is going to be impressed with a decent victory here, and everyone is going to be paying attention if the Cards win narrowly or the worst case situation comes to fruition.
I think this game will look a lot like the one we played against the Dukes a few years ago. It’s a one possession game at halftime, people are freaking out, and then Louisville does what needs to be done in the second half to win by 17 or so. The fan base has extreme concerns in the moment that are voiced ad nauseum during the bye week, but ultimately when the end of the season comes, we look back at this as more of a solid performance than it seemed at the time.
CC Prediction: Louisville 33, James Madison 17
GAME THREE: vs. Bowling Green
No one really knows what to expect from Eddie George’s first Bowling Green team, but most have the Falcons pegged to finish somewhere between 4th and 6th in the Mid-American Conference.
Louisville flexes here coming off the bye week, and looks extremely impressive while also not being forced to show a ton as they prepare for the start of conference play.
CC Prediction: Louisville 49, Bowling Green 13
GAME FOUR: at Pittsburgh
I’ve had a terrible feeling about this one since the moment the schedule came out.
The Panthers started 7-0 in 2024 before injuries decimated their season. Louisville blasted a Pitt team that didn’t have quarterback Eli Holstein and a number of other starters available for their November matchup at L&N Stadium.
Desmond Reid is one of the most electric players in college football, and Louisville just never plays well in the Steel City.
The Cards start conference play and the month of October on a low.
CC Prediction: Pittsburgh 30, Louisville 27
GAME FIVE: vs. Virginia
The Cards are back home, the early fall weather is pristine, the team is rocking its retro unis, Virginia should kind of stink; this has all the makings of a perfect Saturday afternoon in The Ville.
The stink of the Pittsburgh loss still lingers, but this performance helps take a solid amount of the sting away.
CC Prediction: Louisville 41, Virginia 17
GAME SIX: at Miami
The first of the three “marquee” games on this year’s schedule arrives as the Cards head South to face a Miami team that should have no more than one loss and should be ranked somewhere in the nation’s top 10 or 15.
This feels like a Jeff Brohm special to me.
We’ve got 13 days to prepare, we’ve got an offense that’s been waiting to show its stuff on the national stage, and we’ve got our backs against the wall when it comes to staying alive in the race for the ACC championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
The trend of this series featuring one score shootouts where the road team prevails continues.
CC Prediction: Louisville 41, Miami 38
GAME SEVEN: vs. Boston College
The entirety of the week after the Miami game will be spent talking about whether or not this team can avoid the “Jeff Brohm clunker” that has come the week after a huge win in both of the last two seasons.
Thankfully, it’s Homecoming and it’s Boston College.
There is no letdown in the final game of October.
CC Prediction: Louisville 34, Boston College 20
GAME EIGHT: at Virginia Tech
This is one of those games where I think the difficulty is going to be largely determined by what type of season Virginia Tech has had up to this point.
If the Hokies have overachieved and still have a ton to play for, an early November Saturday in Blacksburg is going to be a tall task. If they’ve already lost four or five games, maybe you have some guys who are thinking more about the transfer portal than they are pulling an upset of a Louisville team that is suddenly shooting up the national rankings.
This is my prediction for the “wtf was that?” game of the year.
The Cards just don’t have it in this one, and a handful of the fan base handles the disappointment with the classic “thank god basketball starts in two days” coping mechanism.
CC Prediction: Virginia Tech 30, Louisville 19
GAME NINE: vs. California
As was the case after the Stanford loss last season, motivation becomes the hot topic of debate going into a game against a Cal team that figures to be going through the motions at this point.
Louisville responds in a mature fashion and restores some optimism amongst the fan base as they prepare for three of the most anticipated games of the year,.
CC Prediction: Louisville 44, California 17
GAME TEN: vs. Clemson
I have spent a healthy chunk of the offseason stating my disbelief over the level of hype that this Clemson team has received. I think the team will be fine and I think Cade Klubnik will be fine, but I am very, very, very much of the belief that the Tigers aren’t back to “legitimate national title threat” status and that Klubnik is not “clearly the best quarterback in college football.” You can watch a replay of last year’s Louisville win in Death Valley for evidence why I hold these beliefs.
Having said that, it doesn’t mean that I think the Cards are going to roll over Dabo and the boys when they come to town for a Friday night showdown that figures to be the hottest ticket of the season.
This one feels like the 2014 Florida State game. Louisville gets out to a big lead that has the place absolutely going nuts. Then “I can’t believe we aren’t winning by more” morphs into “I can’t believe they’re still in this game” which finally morphs into “I can’t believe we just lost this game.”
The biggest gut-punch of the year happens on Nov. 14, as Louisville once again fails to close out its first perfect home season since 2006.
CC Prediction: Clemson 38, Louisville 37
GAME ELEVEN: at SMU
Motivation once again becomes the topic of discussion surrounding the football team, which has to go to Dallas and take on an SMU team still in the thick of the ACC title race.
U of L showcases some applaudable resolve and grit as it exacts some revenge on the Mustangs and plays spoiler in the process.
CC Prediction: Louisville 34, SMU 27
GAME TWELVE: vs. Kentucky
Louisville having not beaten Kentucky at home since 2014 is perhaps the most embarrassing active streak that currently exists within the entire athletic program.
It ends two days after Thanksgiving.
CC Prediction: Louisville 56, Kentucky 21
FINAL RECORD: 9-3 (5-3)
As always, here’s hoping I am wrong in the best of ways this season.
Go Cards.
