Louisville football enters the 2025 season with the third-best odds and a lot of hype and expectations. The Cardinals are starting to hear some buzz around their name, as many experts like David Pollack and Josh Pate are putting Jeff Brohm and his team on the nation's radar.
However, ACC Media Day took a poll and the Cardinals were projected to come in No. 5 place in the ACC, causing an absolute uproar from the Cardinals fans. Well, Louisville fans won't like this prediction either, as  Sports Illustrated's Bryan Fischer predicted every record and schedule for the Power 4 conference teams, including Louisville, and he appears not to be high on the Cardinals...at all.
Related: The cold hard truth Louisville fans must realize about ACC Preseason Media Poll
Louisville football's CFP dreams meet harsh reality check
Fischer doesn't have too much faith in the Cardinals as he predicts Louisville to lose their three big games. He predicts losses to Miami, Clemson, SMU, and then also one other game that doesn't sit well with Louisville fans.
He predicts Louisville to start 3-0, but then, in that first road game against Pitt, he predicts a loss. He has Louisville starting 4-2 this upcoming season, as he then thinks the Cards will lose to Miami, and eventually back-to-back losses to Clemson and SMU.
With Louisville going 8-4 overall and 4-4 in the ACC, Fischer has Louisville finishing No. 8 in the ACC. He has Clemson and Miami taking the top two spots, followed by Duke, SMU, Pitt, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, and then the Cardinals.
If Louisville can't get a single win in its three blockbuster showdowns, then this season is a failure. The Cardinals must pick up at least one win out of those three games and avoid a trap game or a sneaky game like Pitt. The goal for the Cardinals should be to go into the SMU game with two losses. That would make that game a must-win game for Louisville, but if they enter the SMU game with just two losses, then they either lost to Miami and Clemson or were able to get one big win and had one slip-up game already.
The Cardinals have a path to Charlotte, but 4-4, of course, won't cut it. If something similar to Fischer's prediction happens, Louisville fans are going to be severely disappointed.
Related: CBS analyst lets the secret out on Louisville Cardinals’ CFP hopes
For all the latest on Louisville football's offseason, stay tuned.