Athlon Sports asked ACC coaches to speak anonymously about their 2022 opponents and published the commentary on its site last Wednesday.

Here’s what league coaches had to say about Louisville:

"It's win-now time. Other than Georgia Tech, this is the job that people think is going to come open in the league. You watch the coaching and player turnover stack up, and it seems like they've drifted from what made [Scott Satterfield] successful at Appalachian State."

Reaction: The first part of this quote is obvious. This is a show-me year for Scott Satterfield and company. The staff knows that, the fan base knows that -- everybody knows that. The second part of this quote is unfair in my opinion. The landscape of college football has changed significantly since Scott Satterfield departed from Appalachian State and came to Louisville. With the one-time transfer rule being implemented, player turnover is inevitable.

"Offensively, he's still going to be calling plays, so I'm skeptical how different things are going to look with Lance [Taylor] as OC. They don't seem settled on what they want to do with Malik [Cunningham]. It's hard to figure out their identity, but it's also hard to see what they want it to be."

Reaction: Scott Satterfield has always called the plays, and he will continue to do so, even with Lance Taylor in the fold. However, when you bring in a coach of Taylor's caliber, you have to think the former Notre Dame staffer is going to have an influence on the offense. As far as Malik Cunningham goes, I do think some of what is said in that quote is true. The offense has put up big numbers, the offensive metrics have been solid, but the play-calling seems to go wayward as the game goes on, especially in key situations and some of that stems from not having a true identity.

"Defensively, they're very average at best. They don't pressure much; they don't have anyone up front who bothers you."

Reaction: Up to this point, it's hard to argue with the coach who said this. Bryan Brown's group has struggled to find a consistent pass rush, and it came back to haunt Louisville in a number of games. The Virginia game comes to my mind immediately as Louisville got conservative, only rushed three, and ultimately it cost them. The hope is that the scheme changes this year on the defensive side of the ball. With a much-better secondary, Bryan Brown should feel more comfortable bringing pressure and playing more man to man coverage.

"Probably the thing that jumps out most is how much they've worked the portal in both directions and how different that is from what Scott came from at App. Even as a G5, they had a system of developing guys, building a very specific culture, and the last few years it seems like they're always scrambling to rebuild that roster and define themselves."

Reaction: Look, what Scott Satterfield did to build a successful program isn't going to translate exactly at the ACC level. The caliber of recruit had to change, bringing in talent from the portal to upgrade the roster was a must. I don't see how you can knock what Satterfield did this off-season. Louisville added Tiyon Evans, Tyler Hudson, Jermayne Lole, Quincey Riley, MJ Griffin, and a number of others, which is a tremendous haul from the portal.

"I think the school and the head coach figured out they're not a great fit for each other a while ago, and there hasn't been a way to create a break yet. He's tried to get out and it didn't work, and there have been issues at the school that have probably bought him some time up until now. Unless they surprise a lot of people, this feels like the end."

Reaction: Putting together a massive 2023 recruiting class has certainly put some safety netting behind Scott Satterfield. However, as I said above, this is a year where Scott Satterfield has to win the close games, and has to get over the hump. Anything short of 7-5 certainly could pave the way for opinions like the one in the quote to be proven valid.