Chris Libonati (1-0)
Louisville 48, Syracuse 34
Cardinal Sin

I’m not quite sure what makes me think Syracuse will convert more in the red zone against Louisville than it did against Colgate, but I think SU does that and still gets beat. The Orange has the offensive ability to keep up for a short time, but a whole game is too much to ask. Lamar Jackson is tough to get a hand on and he goes for 300 yards passing and 100 yards rushing against SU. The one caveat to this prediction is if Syracuse finds success running the ball. If that happens, I think this game will be closer. But I just don’t see that happening.

Jon Mettus (1-0)
Louisville 45, Syracuse 23
Louisville Slugger

Get ready for the Lamar Jackson show. It’s going to be fun to watch — well, unless you’re a Syracuse fan, that is. Jackson is going to be running all over the Carrier Dome. Both teams have powerful offenses with Louisville getting the edge there. I mean, did you see the Charlotte game? The Cardinals have a strong defensive unit, especially the front seven, which will cause SU problems. The pressure will be on the Orange offense to score a lot. Louisville is going to get ahead early and stay ahead.

Matt Schneidman (1-0)
Louisville 42, Syracuse 24
Red dead redemption

The last time Syracuse beat an opponent ranked this high was in 2012 when Louisville came into the Dome. Don’t expect that to happen again. Lamar Jackson and Louisville’s front seven are just too good on their respective sides of the ball and the Orange’s defense will be exposed and tested unlike anything it saw against Colgate. The offense will put up some points, but not nearly enough, and the Orange is unable to pass its first true test of the Dino Babers era.