When Louisville started its season 0-9, Cal did even worse (currently 0-12) and teams like Troy were winning on the road against opponents such as Florida State, some might have theorized a new era had dawned.
Maybe the rise of a very busy transfer portal means "buy games" -- a major-conference program pays an agreed upon sum to a mid-major opponent to play a game on the big school's home floor and, more often than not, the mid-major loses -- are no longer automatic wins for home teams. Perhaps the greater freedom of movement for players across programs in men's college basketball has translated into a new balance of power.