All the things that have made college football accessible to programs like Louisville in ways that were not possible before are the same things that have now led to unrealistic expectations.
Every school thinks it can be like Indiana.
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Every school can’t be.
There’s still a process involved to building a culture that can win at the highest level. The Cardinals are experiencing some of those growing pains this season.
U of L can be disappointed in losing three games by a combined total of seven points despite being in a position to win all three. And certainly there’s disappointment that it won’t reach its goals of an ACC championship and gain a berth into the College Football Playoff.
But none of that makes the season an abject failure.
“What I don’t want is our team to lose confidence in themselves and their ability to play at a high level,” U of L coach Jeff Brohm said.
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There are still building blocks that have to be set and progress that doesn’t take place overnight.
The reason why the Cards’ defense has had a stellar season goes back to last year, in particular the loss to SMU. That game highlighted many of their shortcomings starting with sideline communication and caused co-defensive coordinator Ron English to revamp.
He made the changes and now U of L ranks second in the ACC in total defense this season.
Around the nation, many powerful boosters, athletics directors and school presidents have the misinformed belief that simply pouring financial resources into a coaching staff and player compensation should guarantee a seat at the CFP table.
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It doesn’t.
There are only 11 of those chairs for the Power Four conferences and only one for 65 teams in the Group of 5 conferences.
The same principles that mattered before still matter in building a championship team — like player development.
For all the U of L fans upset that quarterback Miller Moss didn’t morph into the star his talent suggested he had, imagine being a Clemson fan and watching Cade Klubnik be essentially the same player for three seasons.
Some of the discourse I’ve heard from those wanting to strike it rich in a season, including from those who question if Brohm is the right coach for the program, borders upon the absurd.
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Indiana is to blame.
The Hoosiers have shed their historically mediocre tag to become a team that can compete for a national title. They simply made the CFP last season, but they’re headed toward being one of the favorites to win it all this season.
It’s hard to conceive, given IU’s bland past, that there are actually young kids forming their childhood memories of watching football who will only know the Hoosiers as a football power.
The way IU coach Curt Cignetti changed the culture and expectations in just two seasons made it seem easy enough that every program feels it can and should be doing the same.
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That’s partially the reason for all the in-season coaching firings that have happened so far. Patience is shorter because everyone thinks there’s a quick fix on the horizon.
But Cignetti and IU are the exception, not the rule.
It’s true, the transfer portal; name, image and likeness; and revenue sharing with players have opened doors for every program. The talent disbursement in college football is still not equal, but it’s as wide open as it has ever been.
While it hasn’t brought outright parity, the line of demarcation separating the haves and have nots is shrinking. What hasn’t changed is clearing that last hurdle to become a bona fide contender.
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It’s still the most difficult process of them all.
Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@gannett.com, follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville football CFP goal is no longer but growing pains are normal
